Organisational Behaviour: A Case Study Essay

Question one. Learning is a procedure of adjusting to a difference in conduct or the capacity to modify one’s method of going about because of impact from consistent practice or encounters (Michas and Berry, 2000). Learning can either be seen as a procedure or as a result of a previously finished procedure. As a procedure, learning is seen as a change of conduct or an adjustment in the psychological condition of an individual while as an item, learning is concentrated under the premise of different learning speculations. The learning hypothesis looks to disclose how and how much such a change will undoubtedly happen. This hypothesis is extremely basic in associations since it assists with making significant level experts at the working environment. Contingent upon the circumstance and the readiness of the laborers, various associations can apply diverse learning speculations at various occasions. Three fundamental points of view of this hypothesis are known. This incorporate behaviorism, cognitivism and constructivism. Behaviorism centers essentially around the physical parts of learning. As per Miller and Pace (2006), an adjustment in conduct isn't impacted by the individual’s feelings or individual intentions yet rather, it is an enduring change in conduct which happens when activated by an adjustment in the general condition. This methodology has been found to yield changes, for example, separation, relationship among different abilities which don't require top to bottom interior procedures. For example, from the contextual investigation given, Diane’s conduct changed when she began working at La Maison where the ecological components instructed her to be dedicated and effective in her work. Cognitivism point of view manages matters connected to the mind framework. For this situation, a learning procedure includes the inside procedures which incorporates how the psyche gets, composes, stores and recovers information or any data got. It focuses on the psychological part of the leaner’s contemplations, convictions, thoughts and perspectives towards the association. This methodology of the learning hypothesis has been in extremely supportive in clarifying the complex types of conduct which include thinking, taking care of issues and handling information to modify ones conduct (Niederhausler et al, 2002). For the situation study, this sort of learning hypothesis is seen when a worker’s conduct in an association are affected by elements, for example, manager’s demeanor, hierarchical culture among different elements which are not obvious genuinely. The constructivism approach then again sees learning as a procedure of developing new thoughts and ideas. It is pretty much something contrary to behaviorism in that it centers around how an individual shape a specific type of conduct radiating from past information or encounters. From the contextual analysis, the constructivism sort of learning approach is clear where we see that Diane had gained from past experience how to give quick and quality administrations to the clients by adjusting a few plates on her arms. This was a positive sort of conduct which guaranteed quicker conveyance a lot as per the general inclination of her clients. In an authoritative idea, there are explicit characteristics related with learning or change of conduct in associations. This relies upon what is found out, how and when it is found out. Various associations vary in their techniques for adapting for the most part because of the way that each association speaks to an aggregate mix of people from various foundations and all the more thus, it comprises of a units which have various jobs and qualities which they use to accomplish their future objectives (Billett, 2007). As per Prange (1999), the people learns and not the associations which they work for. For this situation, he contends that learning is a procedure which principally happens in the human cerebrum. Another contention set forward by Perkins (1997) says that despite the fact that learning may occur in associations, it isn't generally positive. That is, not all associations learn well and in a manner which will undoubtedly impel their future objectives into the correct course. For example, various specialists in an association may hold various perspectives concerning the organisation’s future achievement relying upon the sort of authority style conveyed in the association by its pioneers. The three points of view of the learning hypothesis, behaviorism, cognitivism and constructivism have a few qualities just as shortcoming on the laborers of an association as saw from the contextual analysis given. The behaviorism idea of the learning hypothesis has a bit of leeway in that, each laborer has an unmistakable and succinct objective which the individual in question is set to accomplish and hence any adjustment in the earth can animate its accomplishment consequently. In any case, this methodology has been condemned in that the laborers may now and again experience a circumstance wherein the correct improvement don't happen along these lines preventing the accomplishment of the ideal objectives. For example, if the laborers in a lodging are accustomed to reacting to a specific upgrade, for example, tips so as to work viably, the viability would strongly drop ones the tips stop to exist. For the cognitivism approach, the students are prepared to work with a specific goal in mind reliably with or without an upgrades. This is beneficial in that it stays away from irregularities in the work place and guarantees consumer loyalty t all occasions. Then again, this might be disadvantageous in that the laborers psyche may get familiar with doing likewise to such an extent that it might be extremely hard for them to adjust to any slight change in the association. The constructivism approach is valuable in that the more slender can adjust to numerous progressions which may happen in the association dependent on past circumstances. Notwithstanding, this methodology has a significant downside in that it in certain circumstances, unique reasoning may mess up the association. From the contextual investigation given, Diane the student has a difference in conduct which is influenced by the adjustment in nature or the atmosphere made by her manager which causes her to endeavor to do everything in an ideal manner. In any case, when she is squabbled, her demeanor changes and she begins to get things done in a moderate wasteful way. For this situation study, a positive part of subjective learning hypothesis is additionally observed whereby, Diane’s conduct is affected by the high tips she gets from the clients and this propels her to work more diligently in any event, when the inspiration she is getting from her manager is insignificant. Likewise, it can likewise be derived from the contextual investigation that all the laborers at the La Maison where Diane works are instructed how to function under tension and work with greatness. This conduct has been molded by the work environment culture of training from the directions given by Godot their administrator. This mirrors a productive learning approach. Question two. From the contextual analysis, nature and the tyrant initiative style practiced by Godot the supervisor of La Maison greatly affects the conduct of the laborers and Diana specifically. From the hierarchical culture which underlines on greatness and cooperation, Diane conduct was quickly disposed towards attempting to her best potential since the starting which guaranteed that she worked admirably. In any case, her conduct changed when she was squabbled by the chief and she chose to work gradually and her effectiveness was significantly diminished. Different variables which assisted with forming Diane’s conduct incorporate the tips she got from the clients which inspired her to work more so as to get more tips. This constrained her to return to her proficient working pace in any event, when her spirit had truly been put somewhere around her chief. Numerous positive and negative fortifications, disciplines and annihilation powers which might be utilized by Godot and his clients might be distinguished from the contextual analysis. Among the encouraging comments utilized by Godot incorporate his devoted and productive demeanor towards his work which persuaded the laborers to invest more energy in their work. His vision and the way of life of collaboration which he accentuated on likewise caused the representatives to cooperate to fulfill all the clients. Be that as it may, Godot had awful enthusiastic upheavals and tempers which contrarily influenced the workers’ effectiveness. For example, in the wake of investing so much energy, Diane felt debilitated because of the way that her manager didn't see her difficult work however rather, he rushed to fight her when she submitted a straightforward slip-up. The put-down he pulled towards the laborers when the café was packed and they couldn't stay up with the high number of clients likewise brought down the workers’ spirit. As far as disciplines, Godot had faith in rebuffing the laborers when they turned out badly by forcing fines to address the cost of their mix-ups. This drove the laborers to feel crazy and baffled therefore become less effective in their work. As a decent supervisor, Godot can improve the worker’s effectiveness through commending them for their difficult work and revising them in the correct manner where they turn out badly as opposed to offending them. Moreover, he ought to endeavor to improve his relationship with his laborers so as to spur them. The uplifting comments obtained from the café clients remember great commendations to the laborers and tips for terms of cash for their proficient administrations. Negative reactions, for example, less tips when the administrations were less proficient additionally assisted with persuading Diane to work more earnestly so as to satisfy them and get more tips. Subsequently, by being grateful, the clients assisted with molding the conduct of the laborers in a positive manner. Question three. The different fortifications and disciplines examined above had a positive just as a negative effect on Diane’s conduct. For example, when Diane dropped a bowl of bouillabaisse, she was fined the cost of the bouillabaisse and the expense of cleaning the floor covering she recolored, as a discipline for her slip-up. This drove Diane feel crazy, dis

The Spiritual Athletes Path to Enlightenment :: Expository Description Essays

The Spiritual Athlete's Path to Enlightenment All through this world, there are numerous strange and astounding accomplishments that can be found. Individuals can do most unbelievable things that we have never regarded conceivable. Just by really having confidence in ourselves would we be able to achieve what were thought as incomprehensible objectives. In Mount Hiei of Japan, there can be discovered a little gathering of priests who live in a religious community and can achieve numerous exceptional difficulties. This mountain had been a primary fascination in Japan of Buddhism. The Marathon Monks of Mount Hiei by John Stevens says that it offers the searcher each sort of strict experience- - holy grant, stupendous custom, stark reflection, sincere atonement, brave austerity, enchanted flight, marvelous fixes, endless dedication, divine happiness, and nature love while promising illumination in this very body. This mountain religious community started in 1787 and the priests feel that Hiei despite everything prospers today. It is an excellent spot populated with a wide range of creatures. No chasing is permitted. There is bunches of downpour in Japan and numerous tall trees which obstruct the sun so it can get freezing there; snow makes the progress far into April. At the base of Hiei, there is a charming little sanctuary town where the greater part of the resigned ministers go to live. The Tendai clerics for the most part wed and raise families. A significant number of the students at Mount Hiei who want to fit the bill for organization are their youngsters. There are numerous who simply show up from the overall population however, for example, school drop-outs looking for the importance of life, resigned military men, transformed alcoholics, and a couple of ladies. These entrancing long distance race priests started their story in the year 831 with a kid named So-o. He came to Hiei at age 15. An abbot called Ennin saw this kid and started him into the secrets of Tendai. He named him So-o which signified one who serves for other people. The legend is that the God, Fudo Myo-o, showed up previously So-o by a cascade. So-o was overpowered and hopped into the falls. He crashed into a huge log which he had the option to haul out of the water. He at that point cut the picture of Fudo Myo-o into the log . The sanctuary was then worked around there for the God Fudo Myo-o and named Myo-o-in. So-o was a stunning priest who went around utilizing his petitions which could achieve numerous things such a restoring people from terminal sicknesses, troublesome labors, devil assets and considerably more.

Commercial company Essay Example for Free

Business organization Essay Select a significant modern or business organization situated in the United States and recorded on one of the significant stock trades in the United States. Every understudy should choose an alternate organization. Abstain from choosing an insurance agency or a bank, on the grounds that the monetary proportions for these money related organizations are extraordinary. Compose a seven-to-eight-page twofold dispersed paper noting and exhibiting with counts and budgetary information the accompanying inquiries. 1. What is the name of the organization? What is the business division? Starbucks Corporation is in the Food and Beverage industry 2. What are the working dangers of the organization? Monetary conditions in the US and certain universal markets could unfavorably influence Starbucks’ business and budgetary outcomes. †as a retailer Starbucks is needy upon the customer’s optional spending. Clients may have less cash for optional buys because of employment misfortunes, abandonments, insolvencies, expanded fuel and vitality costs, higher loan fees and duties. Diminishes in client traffic will contrarily affect money related execution. Starbucks may not be fruitful in actualizing significant vital activities or adequately overseeing development, which may adversy affect our business and money related outcomes. †there is no confirmation that Starbucks will have the option to actualize vital activities and accomplish the outcomes that are inside management’s desires. These activities are intended to make development, improve tasks and drive long haul investor esteem. Starbucks face extreme rivalry in every one of our channels and markets, which could prompt decreased benefit. Starbucks is profoundly reliant on the money related execution of the America’s working fragment †the Americas working section contributes 74% of the all out net incomes in monetary 2013. Starbucks is depending on the accomplishment in the European/Middle East, China/Asia Pacific working portions to accomplish generally development targets. Other worldwide activities are likewise dependent upon extra intrinsic hazard when directing business abroad. Of which, include: Forex rate vacillations. Changes or vulnerabilities in monetary, legitimate, administrative, social and political conditions in worldwide markets. Prohibitive activities of outside or US governments influencing exchange. Enforceability of scholarly and agreement rights. Nearby laws Disturbance in vitality supplies. Deferrals in store opening outside the ability to control of the board. Increments in the expense of top notch Arabica espresso beans or different products. Disturbance in the gracefully chain, which will affect the capacity to convey Starbucks’ items. The misfortune if key staff or challenges in enlisting and holding qualified work force Adverse open or clinical assessments about the wellbeing impacts of devouring Starbucks’s items, just as reports of episodes including food-borne sicknesses, food altering or food tainting. Starbucks depends vigorously on data innovation in tasks, and any material disappointment, deficiency, interference or security disappointment of that innovation could hurt Starbucks’ capacity to viably work the business. Inability to agree to nearby laws and guidelines. 3. What is the money related danger of the organization (the obligation to add up to capitalization proportion)? Market Cap: 56.69 BN Obligation: 2.05BN Obligation/complete top proportion = 0.036 (yahoo.com, 2014) 4. Does the organization have any favored stock? The organization doesn't have favored stock. 5. What is the capital structure of the organization: transient segment of long haul obligation, long haul obligation, favored stock (assuming any), and showcase estimation of regular stock gave and exceptional? momentary bit of long haul obligation 357.7 Million Long haul obligation 1,299 Million Favored Stock 0 Market estimation of basic stock 56.69 Billion 6. What is the company’s current real beta? 0.95 7. What might the beta of this organization be in the event that it had no drawn out obligation in its capital structure? Unlevered Beta utilizing Hamada condition = Beta/[1+(1-T) x (D/E)] Beta : 0.95 Minor Tax Rate, T: 32.8% D/E: 0.036 Unlevered Beta = 0.96/[1+(1 - 0.328)*0.036] =0.937 8. What is the company’s current minimal assessment rate? Annual expenses for the monetary year finished 2012 brought about a viable assessment pace of 32.8% contrasted with 31.1% for financial year 2011. (Starbucks Coffee Company, 2013) 9. What is the value income different of the organization? Cost to income proportion. This proportion is utilized related to different measurements to give examiner and financial specialists are fast introductory impression of whether an organization would make a wise venture. (investopedia, 2014) Starbucks P/E proportion is 385.05 10. How has the company’s stock been acting over the most recent 5 years? Starbucks share cost 282.32% in the last 5 yrs. 11. OK put resources into this organization? Why or why not? I would put resources into Starbucks. SBUX has the most noteworthy P/E proportion among its rivals. Their expense of obligation is low contrasted with their expense of value. That is the reason they are depending on obligation for their development. Their profits per share have been expanding yearly. 18. The last page of your paper ought to be a Bibliography of the sources you used to set up this paper. Book reference investopedia. (2011, feb). Cost of Equity. (investopedia) Retrieved septmeber 2014, from Investopedia: www.investopedia.com/terms/c/costofeqquity.asp investopedia. (2014). Meaning of Prince Multiple. Recovered from www.investopedia.com: www.investopedia.com/terms/p/princemultiles.asp Starbucks Coffee Company. (2013). Financial 2013 Annual Report. Financial specialist Relations. Seattle: Starbucks Coffee Company. yahoo.com. (2014, september). Yippee Finance. (Yahoo.com, Producer) Retrieved september 2014, from Yahoo account: finance.yahoo.com/q/ks?s=SBUX+Key+Statistics

Human Resource Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 4

Human Resource Management - Essay Example Numerous organizations need more assets to put resources into the enrollment procedure. Actually, for an organization to pull in the most appropriate up-and-comers they have to publicize however much as could reasonably be expected and the most savvy and effective way is that of electronic enlistment. It is essential to convey appropriately and have elegantly composed depictions. To draw in the potential competitors it is noteworthy to have an elegantly composed depiction of the position which is neither too long nor excessively short. It ought to appropriately convey all the significant data. Presentation A procedure of drawing in the most appropriate applicants and causing them to go after that specific position in an organization or association is known as enrollment. It is a procedure and an approach to enlist the correct sort of possibility for the correct activity. Enrollment is turning into a basic and critical part of the human asset structure (Alvesson, 2010). It is exceptio nally huge to employ individuals who have more characteristics and are increasingly capable. For this a fine and appropriately adjusted enrollment process is required. This is to guarantee that the recruited individuals are the most capable ones and are the most ideally equipped fit for the activity. So as to gauge the viability of the enlistment procedure the association needs to offer significance to the criticism from inside clients, its representatives and from the outside clients. There are a few techniques for enlistment process. The two expansive headings for the enrollment strategy are that of inward enlistment and outer enrollment (Becker, 2007). Occupation ad, enlistment and business organizations, interior releases and the proposals by and by, work focuses of government and the new online networking are the couple of most regularly utilized strategies for enrollment. Employment notice is the most generally utilized enrollment strategy. In this technique the association fu ndamentally and deliberately searched out the spots it needs to promote in. A common activity ad incorporates all the significant data like employment title, the area, portrayal, remuneration bundle and directions to go after the position (Thompson and Luthans, 1990). Associations on occasion utilize the offices like enlistment organizations and business offices to draw in the most appropriate up-and-comers and recruit them. The offices help the association in the screening of the resumes in the underlying stage, the appraisal of capabilities and their test, and furthermore the reference checks. Individual proposals and inside release is likewise a strategy for enrollment (Sheridan, 2002). This is finished by the associations to alarm the staff for the accessible positions. The associations go through this technique to put a motivation for the ones who are looking for progression and furthermore to look for the representative referrals. This strategy can be a powerful one as the wor kers are now connected with the organization and aides in setting aside the time and cash of the organization. Another strategy is work focuses of government that typically promote the activity for the advancement of representatives with an end goal to serve the residents looking for business. The new and the most recent method of enrollment is that of online life. This is the quickest and the most productive asset for enrollment nowadays. It enables the experts to associate all adjust the globe. This technique is effective in pulling in the most extreme number of up-and-comers in the briefest conceivable time (Wanous

Getting the Most out of WritingForums.com

Getting the Most out of WritingForums.com If you are a writer looking for answers to your questions about writing, editing and publishing, WritingForums.com is a valuable resource. Privately owned and community managed, this website provides information on every aspect of writing, including fiction and non-fiction, poetry, the editing process, traditional publishing, and self-publishing. The website is forum-based, with over 20,000 members, 75,000+ threads, and over a million posts. WritingForums.com aims to offer a safe, friendly, and welcoming space where writers of all abilities can connect and learn from each others experiences. There are opportunities to ask questions, exchange tips, engage in discussions, and share resources.How it worksThis website is run for by members, for members, with many active staff and volunteers involved in making sure everything runs smoothly. Community members act as administrators, supervisors, mentors, and moderators, and theres a light-hearted, tongue-in-cheek page explaining what everyb ody does and how things run.Once youve signed up for a free member account you can start browsing the forums, asking questions and responding to others posts. You may want to start with the Introduce Yourself thread, where you can share as much or as little information about you and your writing as youd like to. When you click on a forum name, the top few posts will often be pinned posts laying out some basic rules and guidelines for posting in that particular forum. Next, you will see the posts that have had the most recent activity. Many forums are very active with a lot of discussions going on throughout the day. You can search each forum using the search tab on the top right of the page.The site offers both free accounts and paid subscriptions, and free members can upgrade to a paid subscription at any time. It takes a few minutes to make a basic, free account. In order to guard against spammers, new members will have certain features restricted until they have posted in the for ums at least 10 times. They cannot, for example, post any promotional content, or share their work to the creative boards in order to get feedback on their writing.The subscription service gives you immediate access to extra site features. Paid members can access hidden forums and a writers chat room. They can also share their writing and ask for feedback from other members. A one-month subscription currently costs just $3 (USD) and a yearly subscription is $25. Subscribers who offer relevant services (such as publishing or editing) may also promote themselves in the Outside Resources section and other areas, allowing them to connect with writers who may need their services.Navigating the siteMany of us have become accustomed to searching through Facebook groups and other social media threads to find the information we want. Compared to that, this type of forum-based site feels like a breath of fresh air. It is well organized, easily searchable, and simple to navigate. The forums ar e organized into broad categories, such as Community, Publishing and Verse, with clear titles, and one line descriptions, for each forum. Inside the forums, each thread has a title and a note of which member started the thread and when. You can quickly see how many replies there are and how recently each thread has been active.At the top of the homepage you can access various pages such as new posts, rules and FAQs. Theres also a page called Just Chill where you can go for off-topic discussions or to play some word games when youre on a writing break (or procrastinating). The whole site is searchable from a handy search bar at the top of every page.WritingThe Writing forums cover a range of topics including:General Writing DiscussionResearchPromptsChallengesWriting CompetitionsSPAG (spelling, punctuation and grammar)HATs (hints and tips)While there is a general writing related forum, there are also forums covering verse, prose (fiction and scripts), and non-fiction prose.PublishingT he forums within the publishing category are extensive and varied, offering information on a wide range of issues that writers and authors might encounter. They include:A general publishing discussionBeta readingEditingTraditional publishingSelf-publishingMarketingCalls for submissionsWriters with a range of experiences weigh in within the publishing forums, and it is possible to ask very specific questions. You can ask, for example, which cover design people prefer, or if other members have worked with a specific agent or publisher.Beyond the forumThis is a specific category allowing members to reach out to each other elsewhere, and share resources. It also facilitates supporting each others blogs and books, following each other on social media, and creating real-life writing groups. Topics include:Author InterviewsPodcastsReviews and recommendationsOutside resourcesThe blogrollNaNoWriMo supportOnce again, you will have to prove you are a genuine member (by posting 10+ times or buy ing a subscription) before you have access to many of these features.FeedbackOnce you have proved you are a genuine community member, the site gives you a few different ways to get the all-important feedback you need to grow and improve as a writer. You can share your short stories, novel excerpts and poetry in relevant threads, and ask for feedback from fellow members. The site provides some useful advice on presenting your story for online critique that you should read first. There is also an opportunity to ask direct questions of the Writers Forum mentors. The mentor directory lists experienced writers who are prepared to reach out and help new writers. You can view their area of interest and bio, and there is a link to message them directly with any questions you may have.CompetitionsMonthly competitions and challenges are run for both fiction and non-fiction. Non-fiction challenges include essays, journalistic articles, opinion pieces, memoirs and travelogues. Fiction competiti ons will focus on a theme, and community members are welcome to suggest one. There are strict rules regarding word count and how entries are to be submitted, which can all be found in the Challenges, Contests and Prompts category. Winners are given an award and a months free subscription, but just as valuable for many writers is the judges score and review, which is effectively free feedback and advice on your story or non-fiction piece.A few things to keep in mindForum-based websites like this are incredibly useful, but they are also very prone to spammers looking for writers to sell their products and services to. It is with this in mind that the site insists on the 10 post rule before unlocking aspects of the site that could be open to abuse. You can always get around the rule with a paid subscription, which is very reasonable, but if you dont want a paid subscription, you will have to be patient and build up your posts, by making meaningful comments on others threads. Short, mea ningless comments posted purely to meet the post count may be deleted. Do not be tempted to get self-promotional too early. You may well be marked as a spammer if you do. Sharing a link to your blog or book will be possible, once you have hit the 10-post mark, but even then make sure it is done in an appropriate way and within a relevant thread.Be aware that any writing you share on the creative boards will then be visible to other members and may be accessed by the general public. You always own the copyright to everything you have created, so this is not a problem, but do keep in mind how sharing your work here might affect future plans for publication or submission. Some publications will want work to be unpublished, and while posting in a forum for the purpose of feedback is not generally considered publishing, it is possible that some publications might not like the fact your work is freely available on the web. If you are sharing writing that is part of a novel, it is advisabl e to publish excerpts only. It is common practice to publish novel excerpts online or in print media in order to promote the work, but, with a few exceptions, it is not advisable to have your entire book available on a public forum. However, the site offers Workshops for members, which are not visible to the public or to search engines. This protects their future publishing rights.The site is carefully moderated and posts that are abusive or offensive should be reported to the moderators. There is a strong commitment to making these forums a welcoming, safe, and helpful place for writers of all different abilities and experience levels. There is a list of rules that are designed to make sure all members are respected and comfortable. Remember if you post a piece of writing for critique you may well get negative as well as positive feedback, but it should all be constructive and respectfully offered. Taking on board what people dont like about your writing, as well as what they do, i s part of how we all grow as writers. Both new and experienced writers have much to gain from a responsive and supportive platform like WritingForums.com.

Getting the Most out of WritingForums.com

Getting the Most out of WritingForums.com If you are a writer looking for answers to your questions about writing, editing and publishing, WritingForums.com is a valuable resource. Privately owned and community managed, this website provides information on every aspect of writing, including fiction and non-fiction, poetry, the editing process, traditional publishing, and self-publishing. The website is forum-based, with over 20,000 members, 75,000+ threads, and over a million posts. WritingForums.com aims to offer a safe, friendly, and welcoming space where writers of all abilities can connect and learn from each others experiences. There are opportunities to ask questions, exchange tips, engage in discussions, and share resources.How it worksThis website is run for by members, for members, with many active staff and volunteers involved in making sure everything runs smoothly. Community members act as administrators, supervisors, mentors, and moderators, and theres a light-hearted, tongue-in-cheek page explaining what everyb ody does and how things run.Once youve signed up for a free member account you can start browsing the forums, asking questions and responding to others posts. You may want to start with the Introduce Yourself thread, where you can share as much or as little information about you and your writing as youd like to. When you click on a forum name, the top few posts will often be pinned posts laying out some basic rules and guidelines for posting in that particular forum. Next, you will see the posts that have had the most recent activity. Many forums are very active with a lot of discussions going on throughout the day. You can search each forum using the search tab on the top right of the page.The site offers both free accounts and paid subscriptions, and free members can upgrade to a paid subscription at any time. It takes a few minutes to make a basic, free account. In order to guard against spammers, new members will have certain features restricted until they have posted in the for ums at least 10 times. They cannot, for example, post any promotional content, or share their work to the creative boards in order to get feedback on their writing.The subscription service gives you immediate access to extra site features. Paid members can access hidden forums and a writers chat room. They can also share their writing and ask for feedback from other members. A one-month subscription currently costs just $3 (USD) and a yearly subscription is $25. Subscribers who offer relevant services (such as publishing or editing) may also promote themselves in the Outside Resources section and other areas, allowing them to connect with writers who may need their services.Navigating the siteMany of us have become accustomed to searching through Facebook groups and other social media threads to find the information we want. Compared to that, this type of forum-based site feels like a breath of fresh air. It is well organized, easily searchable, and simple to navigate. The forums ar e organized into broad categories, such as Community, Publishing and Verse, with clear titles, and one line descriptions, for each forum. Inside the forums, each thread has a title and a note of which member started the thread and when. You can quickly see how many replies there are and how recently each thread has been active.At the top of the homepage you can access various pages such as new posts, rules and FAQs. Theres also a page called Just Chill where you can go for off-topic discussions or to play some word games when youre on a writing break (or procrastinating). The whole site is searchable from a handy search bar at the top of every page.WritingThe Writing forums cover a range of topics including:General Writing DiscussionResearchPromptsChallengesWriting CompetitionsSPAG (spelling, punctuation and grammar)HATs (hints and tips)While there is a general writing related forum, there are also forums covering verse, prose (fiction and scripts), and non-fiction prose.PublishingT he forums within the publishing category are extensive and varied, offering information on a wide range of issues that writers and authors might encounter. They include:A general publishing discussionBeta readingEditingTraditional publishingSelf-publishingMarketingCalls for submissionsWriters with a range of experiences weigh in within the publishing forums, and it is possible to ask very specific questions. You can ask, for example, which cover design people prefer, or if other members have worked with a specific agent or publisher.Beyond the forumThis is a specific category allowing members to reach out to each other elsewhere, and share resources. It also facilitates supporting each others blogs and books, following each other on social media, and creating real-life writing groups. Topics include:Author InterviewsPodcastsReviews and recommendationsOutside resourcesThe blogrollNaNoWriMo supportOnce again, you will have to prove you are a genuine member (by posting 10+ times or buy ing a subscription) before you have access to many of these features.FeedbackOnce you have proved you are a genuine community member, the site gives you a few different ways to get the all-important feedback you need to grow and improve as a writer. You can share your short stories, novel excerpts and poetry in relevant threads, and ask for feedback from fellow members. The site provides some useful advice on presenting your story for online critique that you should read first. There is also an opportunity to ask direct questions of the Writers Forum mentors. The mentor directory lists experienced writers who are prepared to reach out and help new writers. You can view their area of interest and bio, and there is a link to message them directly with any questions you may have.CompetitionsMonthly competitions and challenges are run for both fiction and non-fiction. Non-fiction challenges include essays, journalistic articles, opinion pieces, memoirs and travelogues. Fiction competiti ons will focus on a theme, and community members are welcome to suggest one. There are strict rules regarding word count and how entries are to be submitted, which can all be found in the Challenges, Contests and Prompts category. Winners are given an award and a months free subscription, but just as valuable for many writers is the judges score and review, which is effectively free feedback and advice on your story or non-fiction piece.A few things to keep in mindForum-based websites like this are incredibly useful, but they are also very prone to spammers looking for writers to sell their products and services to. It is with this in mind that the site insists on the 10 post rule before unlocking aspects of the site that could be open to abuse. You can always get around the rule with a paid subscription, which is very reasonable, but if you dont want a paid subscription, you will have to be patient and build up your posts, by making meaningful comments on others threads. Short, mea ningless comments posted purely to meet the post count may be deleted. Do not be tempted to get self-promotional too early. You may well be marked as a spammer if you do. Sharing a link to your blog or book will be possible, once you have hit the 10-post mark, but even then make sure it is done in an appropriate way and within a relevant thread.Be aware that any writing you share on the creative boards will then be visible to other members and may be accessed by the general public. You always own the copyright to everything you have created, so this is not a problem, but do keep in mind how sharing your work here might affect future plans for publication or submission. Some publications will want work to be unpublished, and while posting in a forum for the purpose of feedback is not generally considered publishing, it is possible that some publications might not like the fact your work is freely available on the web. If you are sharing writing that is part of a novel, it is advisabl e to publish excerpts only. It is common practice to publish novel excerpts online or in print media in order to promote the work, but, with a few exceptions, it is not advisable to have your entire book available on a public forum. However, the site offers Workshops for members, which are not visible to the public or to search engines. This protects their future publishing rights.The site is carefully moderated and posts that are abusive or offensive should be reported to the moderators. There is a strong commitment to making these forums a welcoming, safe, and helpful place for writers of all different abilities and experience levels. There is a list of rules that are designed to make sure all members are respected and comfortable. Remember if you post a piece of writing for critique you may well get negative as well as positive feedback, but it should all be constructive and respectfully offered. Taking on board what people dont like about your writing, as well as what they do, i s part of how we all grow as writers. Both new and experienced writers have much to gain from a responsive and supportive platform like WritingForums.com.