Saturday, August 31, 2019

Berlin Wall versus “The Wall” Essay

In this novel, the narrator mentions about the Wall that is built across the church which force some people in Gilead getting separate from the others. Margaret Atwood uses the reference of the Berlin wall to describe the wall in this novel. The Berlin wall was built by the Democratic republic to separate Germany into East Berlin and West Berlin. Proves of that will be the similarities of both wall including the barriers that placed around these walls and the consequences of the rebellions who against the public policies and usage of these walls. From the novel, Offred describes the wall as â€Å"the gates have sentries and there are ugly new floodlights mounted on metal posts above it, and barbed wire along the bottom and broken glass set in concrete along the top.† (Page 40). This description matches the security status of the Berlin Wall: guard towers were placed along large concrete walls, many kinds of â€Å"anti-vehicle trenches† and other defences were built around the wall. These two walls had a common purpose which is to prevent people to cross the line between social statuses or to prevent people from massive emigration and defection. Also many people who tried to cross the Berlin Wall ended up dead, because those people are trying to go against the rule made by the Germany Democratic Republicans; the same thing happened in the novel, when people tries to go against the rule which made by the Gilead government, for example, the Guardians who committed the Gender Treachery (Page 53) receives death penalty and their body are hanging onto the wall which reminds everyone about the authority. Therefore, the wall from the handmaid’s tale is referenced from the Berlin wall because both of the walls are the legacy of separation within the nation. The Gilead The name of the formal U.S.A. is Gilead, it is originally comes from the bible. Margaret Atwood uses this name because from the Bible, it describes Gilead as a country that is always in the war, this matches the situation from the novel, the handmaids’ talks about the war all the time: â€Å"â€Å"The war is going well, I hear† she says. â€Å"Praise be,† I reply.† (Page 24).  Furthermore, the country Gilead from the novel was very spiritual, which connect to the bible.

Friday, August 30, 2019

Unit Labor Costs Matter Much More Than Actual Levels of Pay

Nga Discuss the view that unit labour costs matter much more than actual levels of pay. Unit  labour  costs is the  cost  of  labour  per  unit  of. It is determined by the growth of wages and the rate of growth of  labour  productivity. Labour costs include the complete range of costs employers incur when they employ workers. They include not only wages but also the cost of recruiting and training workers, national insurance contributions, redundancy payments and benefits in kind. Wages do, however, constitute over 80% of total labour cost.So they, together with productivity, are the two key influences on unit labour costs. If productivity increases at a faster rate than the wages paid, unit labour costs are likely to fall. During the recession, the UK has seen falls in real wage growth. If real wages are lower, firms may   be more willing to employ labour rather than capital. In other words low wage growth means labour is relatively more attractive than usual. Therefore with lower labour costs, firms are willing to employ more workers and labour intensive production methods.If a country’s firms have higher unit labour costs than firms in rival countries, this may make their products less price competitive. The country will be unlikely to benefit from increased exports, as a result of a depreciating exchange rate. The increasing unit labour costs have caused firms to demand workers from abroad, who are willing to work for lower wages, to decrease the cost of production. But this has caused unemployment in the UK, and therefore a reduction in income. The result is AD shift to the left, which decreases the rate of economic growth.Rising unit labour costs have the potential to cause cost push inflation. This is caused by wage increases which exceed any improvement in productivity. There are those who feel that unit labour costs matter much more than actual levels of pay and this is because  ULC contains within it all total labour co sts divided by output. This includes wages, national insurance and redundancy payments. Wages are only a component of ULC  , which leads people to feel that it does not matter as much; it is only the amount paid to a worker for working a certain number of hours.Unit labour costs can be said to matter more because it  helps determine productivity. If total labour costs are at ? 5000 and output is 5000 units, then ULC would measure at ? 1. If however output increased to 10,000 units, then ULC would measure at 50p. This means that it now costs less per worker and also shows that workers are now more productive. On the other hand, if companies were becoming less productive, then  ULC can help governments decide whether to apply supply-side policies or not.An example of this would be education and training, if a worker gains more knowledge in the field of work, then they should be able to produce more units than they did before. What can be also be noted from the graph is that  t here is a reduction of inflation from A to B when increasing productivity. Therefore ULC are very important and matter more than wages because it helps determine productivity, inflation and helps with decisions on supply-side policies. ULC does have some flaws however in thatsupply-side policies are not entirely determined by ULC, it can also be used to lower inflation as shown in the above graph.While it is agreed that ULC is important, some would argue that wages are more so. Wages make up 80 per cent of ULC  and may suggest that wages determine ULC. If wages increased, then total labour costs would also increase. If total labour costs were at ? 20,000 and output was at 10,000, then ULC would measure at ? 2. If however total labour costs increased to ? 50,000 due to because of wages, and the level of output stayed the same, then ULC would measure at ? 5. This suggests a decrease in productivity as well as a relatively low level of international competitiveness.In countries where minimum wage doesn’t exist, wages may be considerably lower and the result from ULC would suggest high productivity but would not consider infringement of rights. To summarise, wages are more important than ULC because not only is it a significant proportion of ULC itself and can change the result independently , but it alsoallows people to see their independent income; wages are more important to consumers  whereas ULC is more important to firms.In most developed countries however, there exists a minimum wage so wage abuse is not common. Also, the figures used previously assume that output remains at a fixed level, in the case that it doesn’t shows more factors involved and thus weakens the actual levels of pay’s effect. Actual levels of pay are important, but more so to the individual than to the collective. ULC allows a broader scope of how the country is performing economically compared to others and is therefore more important.

Thursday, August 29, 2019

Audit of Syphilis Screening in Pregnancy

Audit of Syphilis Screening in Pregnancy Tables Table 1: Syphilis confirmatory test results for forty nine   pregnant woman 18 Table 2: Syphilis s creening results of eleven new-borns of   positive syphilis mother 24 Table 3: Positive s yphilis confirmat ory test results for sixteen   pregnant woman 30 Figures Figure 1: The laboratory turnaround time of syphilis screening   for mothers 28 Figure 2: The laboratory turnaround time of syphilis screening   for new-borns 28 Tables Table 1: Syphilis confirmatory test results for forty nine pregnant woman 18 Table 2: Syphilis s creening results of eleven new-borns of positive syphilis mothers 24 Table 3 : Positive s yphilis confirmat ory test results for sixteen pregnant woman 30 Figure s Figure 1: The laboratory turnaround time of syphilis screening for mothers Figure 2: The laboratory turnaround time of syphilis screening for new-borns ABSTRACT Objective: A re-audit of syphilis screening in pregnancy was carried out to ensure that the improvements in laboratory and clinical aspects of management for the antenatal of pregnant women with positive syphilis screening and their new-born babies fully met were in accordance with the UK National Guidelines on the Management of Syphilis (Kingston et al., 2008) and the Guidelines for the Management of Syphilis in Pregnancy and the Neonatal Period (Stringer et al., 2013). Methods: Patients’ data were collected via query of the three databases: Clinisys Labcentre , Telepath and EuroKing . The n the data were analysed using Microsoft Access 2013. Results: Samples from F orty nine 49 pregnant woman with positive syphilis results serology were referred to a reference laboratory laboratory were sent to MRI for syphilis serological confirmatory testing. Sixteen pregnant woman with of these women were confirmed to have had had positive syphilis were identified . Ten pregnant woman were re-tested screened at least twice during their pregnancy and six pregnant woman were only screened tested once during pregnancy. Over-testing of for treponemal IgM were seen in nineteen patients [h1] with non-reactive RPR titre. Only eleven babies born to mothers with syphilis were followed-up with serial serological test s for syphilis. Only four new-borns were fully screened. Some of the new-borns were not tested with treponemal IgM due to sample insufficiency. Conclusion: There were some improvements seen since the first audit which includes the changes of the confirmatory testing schedule in MRI, lower screening false positive rate, and increased follow-up of the new-borns. There were also things to improve in the management of syphilis in pregnancy and the new-borns of positive syphilis mothers. Treponemal IgM test should be performed only when the RPR test were reactive to prevent over-testing of patients. The test algorithm for screening of syphilis in new-borns should give priority to RPR test and treponemal IgM to prevent under- testing [h2] . In-house confirmatory testing should be considered to allow reduction of test turnaround time’s thereby aiding patient management. Improvements [h3] should be made in the management of syphilis in pregnancy and the new-borns of positive syphilis mothers. Treponemal IgM test should be performed only when the RPR test were reactive to preven t over-testing of patients. The test algorithm for screening of syphilis in new-borns should give priority to RPR test and treponemal IgM to prevent under- testing [h4] . 1.0   INTRODUCTION 1.1   Syphilis Syphilis is an infectious disease caused by Treponema pallidum (T.pallidum) subspecies pallidum . The disease is transmitted from human to human, and humans are its only known natural host (Woods 2005). Epidemiologically, in the UK, cases of syphilis have increased in England since 1997 led by a series of outbreaks reported from Manchester, London and Brighton (Health Protection Agency 2009). Since 1999, diagnoses of infectious syphilis have been made in heterosexuals where the outbreaks are linked to sex work, students and young people. But, there was a changing pattern of infection between 1999 and 2008, when seventy three percent of new diagnoses of infectious syphilis were reported in men who have sex with men (Health Protection Agency 2009). The transmission is primarily by sexual activity (Zeltser & Kurban 2004) (vaginal and anal intercourse) and by direct contact with active primary or secondary lesions (Lafond & Lukehart 2006) for example through oral sex and kissing at or near an infectious lesion (Kent & Romanelli 2008). T.pallidum may invade the host through normal mucosal membranes and also through minor abrasions in the skin (Zeltser & Kurban 2004) such as from sexual trauma, causing an inflammation, ulcer and then spreading through the blood stream to other parts of the body (Goh 2005) .

Wednesday, August 28, 2019

Workplace and Communication Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Workplace and Communication - Essay Example When one understands the basis of being satisfied with his job, the discussion of getting the work done in a good enough manner is very important. However, what is really required is a vision to do things the right way and keep all the employees and peers devoted to their respective work domains so that success within the work environments is ensured. When one discusses the factors of a positive work environment, the understanding of who creates such an environment is very necessary. This is because the workplace factors are usually changing all the time and do not require constant checks. What is indeed desired is an environment that shall make the employees feel at home with how they are treated and what kind of facilities they enjoy while doing their tasks or jobs. These employees should cultivate positive-ness from their own selves so that this could be reflected back in their work. But then again it is always easier said than done because it involves quite a few issues, most important of which are the reasons that can go ahead in asking for communicating the problems that the employees experience and feel that they can resolve with dialogue. Being positive is very necessary because it asks of the people to represent who they really are and what they can achieve. What is required is a proper framework to make sure that they r emain contented and stuck with what they are doing and without any problems whatsoever. This shall build ways and means through which success would eventually be attained within a workplace environment. Hard work is required to create positive-ness within a workplace environment because it will bring success for everyone. I think that employee interaction outside of the workplace environment actually helps the employees to grow and show who they really are. It makes them feel satisfied with their norms and routines, and allows for the development of

Tuesday, August 27, 2019

Auditing. PARMALAT COMPANY. The series of scandals caused a general Essay

Auditing. PARMALAT COMPANY. The series of scandals caused a general crisis of confidence in the integrity of the entire system o - Essay Example This was one of the prime reasons which had brought the scandal under limelight. In the year 2003, Parmalat was severely penalized for trying to raise 300 million in the form of bonds (Word Socialist, 2004). The author of the study will highlight the impact of the integrity in the system of corporate accountability process, role of the auditors with respect to Parmalat scandal. The study will also highlight the importance of corporate governance mechanism related to Parmalat. The credibility of the audit reporting, functions and regulations will also be discussed with respect to the auditing procedure carried out by Deloitte & Touche in Parmalat. Finally, the study will conclude highlighting the changes in the critical evaluation of changes in auditing, corporate governance regulations in prevention of scandals. Integrity in the System of Corporate Accountability The corporate accounting system encompasses the traditional accounting and also the social reporting method. The social re porting concepts are supposed to revolve around environmental and also the social aspects of the assets and liabilities reporting methods. It is concerned with the benefits and cost associated with the issues and the verification, assurance provided by the auditors (Rao, Tilt and Lester, 2012). It encompasses various issues which revolve around the interactions and the inclusion of elements like ethics, corporate governance, social and environmental accounting, philanthropy activities (Pollock, 2011). The development of social corporate accounting encompasses the formulation of accounting systems as per the guidelines provided by the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) to provide accuracy in the global and environmental accounting. Role of Auditors The role of internal auditors of the company identifies the errors and checks whether the measures undertaken by the management are in compliance with the norms and regulations. The duty of internal auditor is to check of the transparency o f accounting system and also provide advice based on the conducted auditing function (National Fraud Authority, n.d). One of the prime objectives of the auditor is to provide the stakeholders and shareholders the key assurance that risk management activities are carried out effectively. The auditor’s incompetence will be observed when he/she would be able to uncover the misappropriations in the accounting systems and also the preparation of the timely accounting reports, risk management system and various other activities. They evaluate the accounting activities and provide certain reasonable assurance that enables the accomplishment of goals and objectives of the organization (Ferrarini and Giudici, 2005). Accurate and transparent auditing function can also necessitate the entire financial system and help in the removal of accounting discrepancies within the systems (Caraballo, Cheerla and Jafari, 2010). The management of the company is unaware that inaccurate auditing proce dure leads to the complexities within the accounting system of the organization (George, 2011). In the context of Parmalat, the internal auditors were not only able to perform accurate auditing, detection of error on the methods of the system but also had involved itself in the creation of the forgery of accounts (Action Fraud, 2013).This was one of the prime reasons which had

Monday, August 26, 2019

Reflection (one page) and Workshop related assessment ( 4 pages) Essay

Reflection (one page) and Workshop related assessment ( 4 pages) - Essay Example With their combined varied expertise, experiences and beliefs/principles, they would surely gain Jeremy’s confidence and trust, which are of primary importance for successful therapy. In fact, the educational background of Bentley’s team of counsellors alone (all gained graduate school degree in psychology, counselling and therapy from prestigious universities) is enough to get client’s confidence that they can do their job. Not to say the formal and informal training they had for their over 50 years of combined industry experience. This means that their strong theoretical foundations, rich professional experiences, and varied encounters with clients had capacitated them to deal with mental health issue of their expertise effectively. ... Much more, its amenities (for example, ample parking), and other services (for example, booking and enquiries, workshops and courses) are all meant to give clients better and personalise services. With all these, what more could Jeremy ask for? B. Bentley Family Therapy Centre: Best Clinic for Jeremy My assessment of Jeremy’s mental condition and my appraisal of Bentley Family Therapy Centre make me believe that Bentley is the best clinic there is in Perth for Jeremy. Why I said so is mainly because of the following reasons: 1. Jeremy’s identified risk factors are addressed by the clinic. In fact, his primary risk factors (clinical depression and post-traumatic stress) are Bentley’s focus and trademark. 2. The framework by which Bentley’s therapeutic strategies are designed fits well with Jeremy’s need – holistic approach grounded in the individual’s traits/personality and family background. 3. The therapies that Bentley offers are des igned to address mental health issues similar to Jeremy’s (see question 2) of similar/related stressors (serious accident/physical injury, loss, divorce, discharged from the military) thus these therapies correspond to Jeremy’s need and context. 4. The specialisation, expertise, and beliefs/principles of Bentley’s team of counsellors match Jeremy’s mental health needs and potentials. Aside from their combined expertise on loss, grief, trauma, clinical anxiety, drug abuse, childhood trauma, some of them has experience working with military and male adult clients, and some specialises in Expressive (Creative Arts)

Skydiving Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Skydiving - Essay Example The reason behind this is the force of gravity. This gravity results in an acceleration of 9.8 m/s^2. Given this acceleration, the following formula determines how far the skydiver will travel in a given time: Air resistance is the force that acts against the gravity while the skydiver is accelerating downward. Air resistance acts upwards against the gravity which acts downwards. In the beginning, the push provided by air resistance is much smaller than the pull of gravity; therefore, the skydiver continues to accelerate downwards. However, as the skydiver falls faster and faster, the value of air resistance increases because of which the acceleration starts to decrease. Eventually, the force of air resistance becomes equal to that of the force of gravity. At this point, the skydiver stops accelerating and attains a constant speed. This constant speed is known as the terminal velocity. Terminal velocity is the maximum velocity that a particular body can reach when falling through the air. (Gordon et al 2000; Lenaker 2002) The cross-sectional area of the skydiver plays a very important role in how quickly or slowly the skydiver will reach their terminal velocity. This is because the cross-sectional area determines the amount of air resistance that will act on the skydiver. Greater the cross-sectional area, greater will be the force of air resistance. For example, a skydiver who falls in a spread eagle position will encounter a greater air resistance than one who falls head, or feet, first. This is where the role of parachutes comes in. As soon as the skydiver opens their parachute, their cross-sectional area increases, leading to an increase in the air resistance. This air resistance becomes greater than the gravity. The upward net force causes the skydiver to slow down. As the speed of the skydiver decreases, so does the air resistance, until the skydiver reaches terminal velocity again. (Gordon et al. 2000). Gordon, J. R.,

Sunday, August 25, 2019

Procurement - Assignment 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Procurement - Assignment 2 - Essay Example ent system is vital since the correct choice may help to avoid eventualities that might negatively impact on time, costs and quality; to ensure that the project’s goals are attained. One needs to consider a variety of factors from the project’s internal and external environment in which the industry operates. A point to note is that different projects may require different systems based on a project’s features (Hashim, Yuet, Chu, Hooi, Heng & Yong 2006). Procurement systems are divided into three categories namely; traditional, management contracting and design and build methods. These three categories have different influences on each factor. The following factors are may be considered in the construction of site in Chelmsford. Time, complexity, price certainty, government policy, price completion, responsibility, risk avoidance and familiarity of procurement methods (Hashim, Yuet, Chu, Hooi, Heng & Yong 2006). Time is of fundamental when deciding which procurement system to acquire for construction purposes. Time described here is from inception to completion stage. If the completion deadline is not met due to an inefficient procurement system, extra or overrun costs will be incurred by the contractor making the project expensive. The procurement system should monitor the lead-time schedules to ensure that the functional spaces are completed within the required time and start generating income. The client being a private firm, completion time of the project is truly crucial and of importance to them (Hashim, Yuet, Chu, Hooi, Heng & Yong 2006). Therefore, the procurement system must be comprehensive in planning and its schedules to achieve deadlines and other timelines required. Time as a factor is affected by the given procurement methods in the following ways. Design and build method is advantageous for a client who wants a quick return on their investment. The client may employ manageme nt contracting method in order to reduce the project

Saturday, August 24, 2019

The Economic Lessons for Canada from Ireland's Success Story Essay - 1

The Economic Lessons for Canada from Ireland's Success Story - Essay Example This research will begin with the statement that in the recent years, the economy of Ireland has shifted its focus from being an agricultural economy to a more knowledge-based economy. The focus is more on the trade, investment, service sectors and the high technology industries. Ireland is considered as one of the wealthiest economies among the OECD countries. According to the reports of PWC, the economy is expected to have a GDP growth rate of 0.8% in the year 2011. Â  Ireland is a globalized economy with the second largest GDP in the EU. During the period of the Celtic Tiger; its GDP grew in a double-digit figure. The countries GDP growth rate was consistent at 6% till 2008, after which it faced a drastic fall in its GDP owing to the global recession. The economic growth also resulted in a high inflation rate. However, the prices fell in light of the global recession, and as per the reports till 2009, the inflation rate fell by 4.5%. Fall in the inflation rate is good for an econ omy as it also boosts the investment sector. The public finances also registered a positive growth due to the strength of Ireland’s economy. The rate of employed people grew drastically and the unemployment figure fell. The average unemployment rate is expected to be 13% in the year 2011. The economy has only 5.5% of its population below the poverty line. US investments is one of the factors that helped in Ireland’s growth as well as modernization by increasing its employment opportunities, export potentials and enriching its technology.

Friday, August 23, 2019

Michelangelo and his Sistine Chapel project Research Paper

Michelangelo and his Sistine Chapel project - Research Paper Example Similar was the case with Michelangelo in relation to the Sistine Chapel project, though for different reasons. He was not in proper shape of mind, throughout the four year during which the project lingered on for multiplicity of reasons and Ross King (2003, p.1) puts it thus: â€Å"Michelangelo Buonarroti was summoned back to this workshop behind Santa Cateriea in April 1508. He obeyed the call with great reluctance, having vowed he would never return to Rome.†Thus began the artistic creation of Sistine Chapel Ceiling project of Michelangelo (1475-1564) The intent behind this project: The directions were from Pope Julius, II. What was the credentials of the man, personal and official, of the holy man who was about to entrust to him one of the all-time great responsibilities in the world of art? He was known to be an arrogant, hot tempered and given to military adventures and ardent followers of the Christian principles as perceived by him. He wanted to have the best for his t omb and wished to contribute something tangible for the architectural glory of the city of Rome. He put before Michelangelo his request to paint the chapel ceiling. That was tantamount to the papal order. He had twin visions about the project. That Rome should be rebuilt to its pristine glory and he began to plan to achieve his objective with great applications and issued directions accordingly. Such an achievement would be to his personal credit and would surpass the accomplishments of Pope Alexander VI. That was the other important consideration. What was the scale of preparations for the project? King writes, â€Å"Tons of building materials cluttered the surround streets and pizzas as an army of 2000 carpenters and stonemasons prepared themselves for the largest construction project seen anywhere in Italy since the days of ancient Rome.†(p.6) The task was tough viewed from any angle. Firstly about the work related to the ceiling. The position, from which the sculptor had to work, was uneven and not flat. It was a gigantic ceiling of 40(131 feet) meters long and 13 meters (43 feet) wide. Michelangelo painted in all over 5000 square feet of frescoes. On the frescoes he depicted some of the greatest episodes from the Book of Genesis, like the Creation, the Fall, and picture immediately after Noah’s deluge etc By the side of such scenes, giant portraits of prophets and sibyls who predicted the arrival of Messiah were shown. The entire work was a beauty in tragedy. Below spandrels and lunettes with ancestors of Jesus and the tragic stories of ancient Israel were created. Michelangelo’s awesome skill was seen in the scattered small figures, cherubs and nudes (ignudi), more than 300 of them on the ceiling, each was provided with the most appropriate space, as if it was made for them only. The ceiling was dissected with architectural members and molding. What is their real natured? They are two dimensional, skilful painted creations to demarca te different compositions. The inquisitive one may confuse whether Michelangelo was a painter or a sculptor. Temperamentally he was the sculptor—only sculptor. Painting was the professional demand that was thrust upon him by the supreme authority of the Catholic Church—the Pope! He was at his best chiseling the marble blocks and give life to them in the form of extraordinary creations. Sistine Chapel project was an exception that brought forth to surface the intrinsic talents of the painter in him. When he was a student in

Thursday, August 22, 2019

African American Essay Example for Free

African American Essay Working with African American men as a counselor its necessary to have a strategic plan to be able to work around there ego. African American men in no way wants to feel belittled or not in control. African American men wants to play the â€Å"head of the household role†. According to this case study I would like to do role playing so both individuals can have a better understanding how the other feel. Majority of the therapy sessions would be role playing with some talk sessions. I would like to play the mediator role in this specific case and give homework assignments to the couple. Given that I don’t see Sue as the issue the session would mostly be geared towards Jeremy. Given the Chinese culture I am more worried about how therapy will work for Jeremy. Chinese culture †¢Small numbers of close, lifelong friends who feel deeply obligated to give each other whatever help might seem required. †¢Relationships with other people involve reciprocal obligations. †¢Avoid direct confrontation, open criticism, and controversial topics. †¢maintain harmony †¢Faith in personal relationships than in written rules and procedures for structuring interactions. Questions I would like to address 1. Prior to marriage how did Jeremy about an interracial child? 2. What has influenced Jeremy thinking on having a child? 3. Why has the dynamics of the relationship changed since Sue parents moved to the same city? 4. Has Sue parents been an influence on their relationship? 5. Has Sue discussed her concerns to Jeremy about their marriage? 6. How was Jeremy and Sur relationship prior to marriage? 7. How does Jeremy family feel about his marriage? 8. Besides the issue with having a child, what other issues is the marriage facing? 9. Jeremy working more hours, is that optional or mandatory? 10. What are some of Jeremy concerns about having a bi-racial child?

Wednesday, August 21, 2019

British Poetry Essay Example for Free

British Poetry Essay The comparison and contrast of Wilfred Owens and Rupert Brookes approaches to the subject of war The Soldier by Rupert Brooke and Dulce et Decorum Est by Wilfred Owen were both written during world war one. War and death are the themes of both poems but they are written from different perspectives. The two poets take different approaches in portraying the effect that war has on the people involved. The Soldier by Rupert Brooke idealises and glorifies war while Dulce Et Decorum Est by Wilfred Owen highlights the horror and cruelty of war. Wilfred Owen gives the reader the impression that war is horrible and that dying for one’s country is not all the glory and honour that it seems, and that in reality, dying in a war, no matter for what cause, can be both painful and full of suffering, while Rupert Brooke, on the other hand, gives the reader the impression that dying in war for one’s country, is very honourable, and glorious. In ‘Soldier’, Brooke expresses his love for England and how he believes it is right to fight and die for his country. However, Brooke never knew what war was like, as he died in 1915. Therefore, his poem is very idealistic. This is expressed when he writes, â€Å"†¦ there is a corner of a foreign field that is forever England†. Here, he sees the English soldiers’ bodies as parts of England. If they die on foreign soil, that land will be forever part of England because their soul remains there along with their values and love for England. Brooke does not describe the horrible nature of death in war and only tells how the soldier honors England by dying while defending the nation. He evokes positive feelings toward the war and describes optimistically the soldiers’ thoughts once the war has finished by using words like â€Å"happy dreams† and â€Å"laughter† By contrast, Wilfred Owen uses irony to portray war not as a glorious duty but as a barbaric massacre. â€Å"Dulce et decorum est/ pro patri mori† which mean: â€Å"it is sweet and honorable to die for one‘s country†. He considers this a lie for most soldiers after they see and live the reality of the war as soldiers. War can not be called sweet but horrible. Owen opposes to the idea of fighting in a war. Wilfred Owen focuses on the tragedy of war and the conditions of the soldiers. For example, he depicts the soldiers as â€Å"Bent double, like old beggars under sacks†. Generally, one thinks of a soldier as a man full of strength, who looks brave with his uniform and marches confidently to war. In contrast, Owen tries to make the soldiers look like penniless men and gives a sense of their non-glorified reality. Their uniforms, their psychological and physical health are destroyed. That shows how the battle has severely damaged the spirits of the soldiers. As can be easily seen, Brooke’s poem supports fighting for one’s country and patriotism, whereas Owen’s poem questions the reasons for fighting a war.

Tuesday, August 20, 2019

The Impact Of Training And Development Commerce Essay

The Impact Of Training And Development Commerce Essay Human resource management plays an important role in the success of a company. Most of the companies are very keen to pay attention towards their employees. Mainly HRM (Human Resource Management) is all about managing people at work. The most important part of human resource management is Training and Development. It plays a key role in every organisation though few people disagree about the importance of training and development in the success of organisation. Appointing the right person at right time at right place needs more care and attention on the part of personal manager. A clear set of goals and well defined path should be needed for good training. Training changes attitudes, knowledge and skills of employees and also the way they work. A report published by workforce in May 2006 explains that despite focus on efficiency and cost control, companies are spending more and more on training and development. It is reflection of the fact that companies are keen about training and d evelopment to gain competitive advantages. Most of the companies clearly understand that if workers are smarter and better trained they can achieve their goals easily. In any organisation the central factor of Training and development is the human resources or the human capital. Human capital is viewed as the driving the force for the success of the organisation because of their skills, competencies, knowledge and experience (Becker, 1975; Schmidt Lines, 2002; Harrison Kassel, 2004). Background for research Area As researcher wrote in research aim and objectives and according to the topic of research the background of research is Training and development. I will focus on some critical issues regarding to training and development programmes. As Macdonalds is already a world famous food chain so they already using very well Training and development methods but still they need more and more research on training and development processes. Employees are the main assets of all companies. Every company want his employees must be energetic and effective so that the company can lead to the success. Organisational goals are always achieved by employees efficiency so it is an organisational need that their employees must be well trained. (Torrington et al, 2005). Organisations are taking great interest regarding their employees performance in these days. All organisations make sure that their employees are getting good and up to date training and development programmes. Although there are many types of training and development programmes some give more effective and energetic employees to organisation (Sun, 2003; Skinner et al, 2003; Lee 2001). Human Resource Management has a key role to play in training the employees. Cowling and Mailer (1998) suggests that basically training is given to both new employees and to employees who recently moved to a new work area. They also said that in change process training is also very necessary. Thats y training and development becomes one of the most important tasks which HRM manager has to look at. The amount and kind of training is very important for manager they should be aware of this. A manager should always focus firstly on type of training methods they are using and then it is also very important for a manager to make sure that those training methods are being put in practise through a proper channel. A proper method of training in a proper channel makes an employee more effective and efficient (Bratton and Gold, 2003). This research paper aims to identify the training needs of suggested organisation. The method of training needed and the benefit of training to the organisation will be be discuss in this paper. This report will also tell that weather organisation achieved its Goals and aim by the help of training and development. McDonalds Restaurants Limited has been selection for research because it is very easy for me to get information because the management is very friendly to academic research. And they can also learn new things from research. The Most important reason for choosing McDonalds is that I myself am the Employee of McDonalds. Company Background McDonalds is one of the famous global brands that have spread its presence over the last 52 years. The company was started in 1955 by Roy Croc with the first restaurant being opened in Des Plaines, US. This restaurant is no longer in operation now and has been turned into a museum. McDonalds brand mission is to be our customer, favourite place and way to eat. The companys worldwide operations are bounded by a global strategy called the Plan to Win which concentrates on the five basics of an exceptional customer experience, people, products, place, price and promotion. The company is committed to improving their operations and thereby enhancing the customers experience (McDonalds 2010). McDonalds is the leading global foodservice retailer that has more than 32,000 local restaurants in more than 117 countries. According to the company reports these restaurants serve approximately 50 million each day. McDonalds is one of the worlds most well-known and valuable brands. It holds a leading share in the globally branded fast-food restaurants segment in virtually every country in which they do business. The company is proud that it serves the world some of its favourite foods like French Fries, Big Mac, Quarter Pounder, Chicken Mc Nuggets and Egg Muffin. The procedures followed by the company have been developed over the years. This is one area that differentiates the company from other fast-food restaurants. The attitude of the organization towards work and standards is evident from the words Roy Kroc who stated that if you have got time to lean, you have got time to clean (McDonalds, 2010). The company has procedures in place to ensure that the right candidates go through the system and attain higher positions if they can prove their abilities. It is worth noticing that the company claims that 20 out of the top 50 management staff started in McDonalds restaurants, including the CEO, Don Thompson and also 67,000 McDonalds restaurants managers and assistant managers started as restaurant staff (McDonalds 2010). This is significant considering that some take as long as 10 years to get to assistant manager position (McDonalds 2010). The organization has ensured that people with potential are spotted and retained. In hospitality and fast-food industry, the attrition rate is high and, despite this, the organization to ensure that it motivates its staff and also to keep on motivating them to put in a better performance. It is therefore of very high importance for the organization to ensure that it motivates its staff and also looks after their satisfaction with the job that th ey are doing. The company uses different approaches at different levels in the organization. The responsibility of motivating staff at the restaurant level is given to the restaurant manager and the assistant manager who use promotion as a tool to achieve this. They have to ensure that they can attain lower rates of attrition and also motivate the staff so that they are satisfied by both the job as well as the organization. This is achieved by the organization by using structured training and development programme besides the use of many other tools. McDonalds opened their first UK restaurant in Woolwich, London in 1974, today the company has over 1,250 restaurants across the UK McDonalds (UK) employs over 67,000 people, 43,000 within the company restaurants and a further 24,000 are employed by the franchisees. On average the company serves over 2.5 million customers every day. According to Peter Beresford (McDonalds 2006) people in the organization are very important, and so is their continuous development. There are different approaches that organization uses to train their staff at various levels of employment. This research has been started to identify how the staff are trained and developed at the restaurant level. The research is based in Charing Cross restaurant to conduct the research the reason for choosing these have bee mentioned in upcoming chapter. In the attempt to gain insight into the practices followed by the organization at restaurant level. Statement of Problem The core problem of this study is: Why training and development policies should be implemented by McDonalds and what is the role of the line managers at restaurant level in achieving better training for the employees? The main concern in this study is behaviour of company or an organisation which they show towards their employees. Organisation should ensure that their staffs are well trained in most aspects of their businesses (Torrington et al., 2005). Training and development of the chosen organisation is of interest with respect to the current studies. Statement of purpose As for as statement of purpose is concern the topic which writer have chose is very much interesting for me. Researcher is an employee of McDonalds and researcher really wants to search about training and development processes in McDonalds. Another reason for choosing Training and Development is because it is very important part of Human Resource and Management which is a also a subject of writer specialization and in future writer would love to research more about HRM and Training and development. In almost every organisation HRM is very important for a company so this is also a reason. Significance of the problem This topic is a very broad topic and very much important in any organisation. Every organisation admits that employees are the main assets so their top priority is to train the employees to achieve their goals. The main object of a manager is to discover a problem in an organisation and after that he decides which type of training is required for which employer. In general training and development helps increasing productivity of the employees, team spirit, organisational culture, organisational climate, quality and health and safety. Research Aim and Objectives The aim and objective of this project are as following: To identify the strategies available for training and development. To identify if there are any training and development programs in place in the organisation. Ti identify to what extent the program has been successfully implemented and if it is improving employee productivity as well as organisational productivity. To make recommendations for the future training and development programs so as to increase the benefits for the research organisation. Research questions What HRM practices are usually implemented in McDonalds Charing Cross? What HRM practices are usually implemented by other fast food in retail sector? Why training and development is important in the fast food in retail sector? What other HRM strategies could McDonald does adopt to enhance employees training and development? How employees are trained for modern technology? Chapter-2 the Literature Review Human resource management is one the major area of research in the business studies. There are many sub topics like recruitment, selection, induction, employee retention, and training and development. Training and development is the topic on which writer will research that how it is being applied in current research organisation. A discussion is raised about human resource development, organisational development, and organisational learning to understand how training and development fits into the whole picture for the success of any company/organisation in business world. Human Resource Development There are different types of HRD definition. The definition which is provided by UK Human resource development Council which is follows as Human resource development is basically a part of Human Resource and Management (HRM) which specifically deals with the training and development of employees. HRD would include training an individual after he or she is hired, providing opportunities to learn new skills, distributing resources which are beneficial for the employees task, and any other developmental activities. Human Resource Development is used for supporting employees to improve their personal and organisational skills, knowledge and abilities. HRD includes opportunities like performance management and development, employee training, employee career development, coaching, mentoring, succession planning, key employee identification, tuition assistance, and organisation development. Human Resource Development can be formal such like class room training or a college course or an orga nizational planned change effort. On the other hand HRD can be informal as a manager coaching his employee. The main focus of all aspects of Human Resource Development and training the most senior management so that organizations and individual employees can together achieve their goals in customer service (Susan et al.,2010). Many people say that there is a difference between HRM and HRD. According to them Human Resource is a major management activity and Human resource development is a profession. They might think HRM in HRD because in their point of view HRD involves in many activities to develop personnel inside of organisations, e.g., training, carer development, organisational development, organisational learning, etc. In most of the organisation the focus has moved from piecemeal training activities to more systematic human resource development. Organizations are changing their priorities. Organizations are becoming learning organizations and they are keeping them away from training individual employee. The competitive advantage of any firm comes from development of an organizations human capital. This is helping in learning experience of an employee and as a whole. According to Sloman (1994) the systematic training model depends on a series of a logical steps define as a training policy, a method for identifying training needs, the formulation of training objectives, the development of a training plan, the implementation of a planned training programme, validation, evaluation and review of training. Companies are trying to adopt high level of training model to meet their skill needs and they are linking training to strategic initiatives. Traditional training models are being rejected by many comp anies. There have been many changes in responsibility in line with the growth of HRM, delayering and divisonalisation. Training is seen as a job of line managers, with specialist trainers being used as an internal consultancy resource. The new approach needs a very effective communication system between the strategic decision makers, line managers and specialist trainers. This is now understood that employees are main asset of any organization. Bank of Montreal Chairman says employees key to maximising continued growth. 27 February 2001 Bank of Montreal shareholders were told that employees are the real key to sustaining competitive advantage and financial performance. At the banks 183rd annual meeting in Vancouver the chairman said The foundation of Bank Montreals continued growth and success, and the only way to achieve its competitive advantage is through the performance of its 33.000 people. Even there is no doubt that investments in technology, products or delivery systems can be matched by competitors, since nothing profitable remains exclusive for long. The only sure and permanent way to stay ahead of the competition is to employ the most capable people and to ensure they are given every best opportunity to do their very best work, (Camper, 2001). From this example it is very clear that the bank is confident of the investment it has made in pe ople. Human Resource Development (HRD) is a title which represents the latest evolutionary stage in the long tradition of training, educating and developing people for the purpose of contributing towards the achievement of individual, organizational and social objectives. HRD as with the title HRM are like nuts and bolts of an organisation that can be interchanged and dispensed with at will. Drucker suggested the term biological HRD to vehemence the living nature of the people with in the organisation. The scope of education is broader then the scope of training. Education has also a less immediate and less specific application than training and is often perceived as being delivered in educational institutions. Education is regarded as surrounding knowledge, skills and attitudes (Bloom et al, 1956). Distinguish between education and training could be very problematic. The example of difference between training and education is like young child coming home and saying we had sex training tod ay. Now this is a severe contrast to sex education classes that involve a theoretical rather than a practical application of learning. Frank investigated theoatical base of HRD in order to distinguish it from other fields and told that HRD is based on research and theories strained from the field of adult education and is very different from learning process that occurs in children. Frank also said that HRD is concerned with better performance within a work environment but it is not about improving peoples health and personal relation with their family. HRD also tells that how theory of change relate to an organisation and how an organisation use these theories (Frank, 1988). Human resource development is the study and practise by the help of which we can increase the learning capacity of individuals, groups, collectives, and organisations through the development and application of learning based inventions for the purpose of optimising human and organisational growth and effectiveness(chalofsky, 1992). Strategic role of HRD is increased a lot by strategic pressure and this includes accelerated rate of change, focus of quality, globalization of business, increased elasticity and reaction of organisations, increased pressure to show the involvement of human resources, new competitive structure and new technology(Graven et al, 1995).HRD contributed in many ways at all organizational levels to provide support with the help of all these pressure. In today business environment HRD is not only supporting the business strategies of organisations but it is also very useful in shaping of business strategy. HRD increase the competence of employees to fulfil the organisation present performance demand along with meeting present organisational needs (Swanson, 1995). Strategic HRD is helping organisations to respond challenges and opportunities. It also helps in telling line managers supervisors and managers their roles. The continuous assessment of learning and development and enabling them to advance their careers and supporting organisational growth. The organisational environment consist of approximately six main departments, which are shown in figure below and name as distribution, finance, human resources, marketing, production and research design. These all departments are related to one another although most of the organisation outsourced some of the elements such as distribution(John P.Wilson, 2005). Training and development is very important in every time and in every organisation weather it is small or big and Human resource and development is like back bone for any organisation because people are main asset of any organisation. Organisational development and organisational learning Organisational development has come out as a key element in the strategic management of change. OD (Organisational Development) provide focus for the cultural and organisational change which is needed a lot for continuous improvement, support systems, culture and activities to the success of organisational goals. It enables better use of financial, human and technological resources, promote a better sense of organisational purpose and it is hence more likely to bring the required performance improvement. OD is a dynamic valued based approach to systems change in organisations and communities. In simpler OD defined as a behavioural science approach to the improvement of organisational efficiency which should lead to the accomplishment of organisational objectives. In practise OD is about moving the organisation on purpose. In any organization OD create an environment which enables staff to understand and deliver the organisations objective. It support managers and staff in accomplish their aims and objectives through the condition of an infrastructure for performance and development. OD involves both hard and soft issues. Strategies, policies, structure and system are considered as hard issues whereas developing skills, behaviour, attitudes, culture and style of leadership which enable the organisation to achieve performance are considered as soft issues. To avoid conflict between goals and needs both of these issues should be addressed. A strong and successful organizational development can be not easy because it involves undertake issues related with change and service improvement. In any process of organisational development following steps should be keep in mind like establishing a central point to organize and support organisational development activities. Organisational development should within the organisational structure correctly. We should be flexible and creative in using approach to the organisational development. Organisation should take important steps to build proper organisational skills and capacity. Momentum should be keep going. Organisational development, wherever apply, attempts to improve the overall success of the organisation (Tina Buckle, 2005). Chapter Three Research Methodology Research Strategy This chapter elaborates how the research study was carried out. It is also talks about the limitation of the research and the methods used in this research. After looking at the literature available on training and development the research will look at the methodology which is use to perform the research. The research process onion (saunders et. al., 2003) is one of the most used research process structures. Using this structure we can classify different approaches, strategies and data collection method available under the different research philosophies. The research philosophy depends on the aims of the research along with its objectives. But in this case the philosophy being applied is not single and it is a mix of two philosophies. This research clearly shows a very higher influence of phenomenology in its approach to get the findings (Hussey and Hussey, 1997). This is mostly because the research does not pre define variables, but discover human behaviour in naturalistic settings , i.e., the research organisations. In this research the approach being applied is that of deduction. In good research design charts there is always a detailed research plan that how the research will be conducted . it will not only anticipate but also specify the decisions interconnected with the plan and explain how the data processing, data collection and analysis will be carried out, but will also represent a logical basis for each of these decisions (Blaxter et al, 2oo1). There are two approaches to reasoning which may result in this gaining of new knowledge, namely inductive reasoning and deductive reasoning. Inductive reasoning is a theory building process starting with observation of exact instances, and seeking to establish generalisation about the phenomenon under investigation. Deductive reasoning is a theory testing process which commences with an established theory or generalization, and seeks to see if the theory relate to specific case (William, 2005). This current research looks at previous theories in relation to training and development and then sees if any or all o f these theories are applicable from organisational prospective. So we can say that this research attempts to identify the issues surrounding training and development by applying the deductive approach. We can achieve better results by the combination of research approaches. Under the deductive approach we use multiple strategies for research. For better results it is suggested to combine different approaches. It can be deduced that it is ok to mix and match approach different research strategies under the deductive approach. The strategy which we used in current research are research as an exploratory study and as a case study. The current research will be the combination of these two strategies on the basis of the information which we collected from the education sources as mentioned in the next paragraph. This current research could be ascertained to be a case study as only the study of small set of restaurants is involved which might not reflect the actual scenario in the whole organization taken in a holistic approach. This case study also allows the researcher to look at the population which might be similar in terms of jobs profile and work area, and on the basis of this the researcher could produce some overview. As exploratory research allows the researcher to address general informed questions from observation of the data collected, this type of case study is often very helpful to stimulate the further research. According to Robeson (2002), as cited by Saunders et al (2003), enquiries can be classified in term of their purposes as well as the research strategy used. Mostly the classification is used in three fold one of exploratory, descriptive and explanatory. According to Saunders et all(2003) are very common and valuable to find the proper conclusion. Hussey and Hussey (1997) define expenatery research as; it is a research which is based on looking for new ideas. Exploratory research always have great advantages so this research falls under it. The most important advantages are flexibility and adaptability to change. On the other hand explanatory research is seen to be flexible as it has a broad focus but while progressing it gets narrow. It involves in formation of original idea and not testing or confirming the existing research area it is difficult to manage in short period as in the current case. This type of research needs a lot of study and time. If we look in the current case the researcher is trying to gain insights into the variables chosen in the research organisation. This research is classed as exploratory research as it is tryingto identify the influence of training and development to an organization as well as to an individ ual and also that how it helps in development of both. The researcher felt that these two methods are ideal and suit the research question because it allows the researcher to look at the organisations working style individually and also the whole organisation by using the exploration as it main tool. Time horizons is another aspect of the onion process that should be mentioned. We will class this result as a cross sectional research because of limited time available to conduct the research. According to Saunders et al (2003) and Hussey and Hussey (1997) that such researches comes under the cross sectional studies which are studies of a particular phenomenon at a particular time. These type of researches are designed such that they look that what is happening in a particular time using a research area in research setting. Most of the researches conducted at Masters and Bachelors are classed under this category. (Turabian, 1987). Data Collection Method After deciding the research strategies the next step is to collect the data. The researcher uses the both primary and secondary data to perform the analysis and come to a conclusion. Normally secondary data are of the following types. Documentary (which is written or non written material) Survey (censuses, regular or ad-hoe surveys). Hakim (2000) defines secondary data as the data that were collected for another purpose and already exist somewhere. To find the findings of the research the researcher need to know about what has been written in same area. By using literature review the researcher can find that how their findings are similar or dissimilar to the research which was conducted previously (Easterby-Smith et al, 2002). According to Churchill (1991), the first step in any research is to collect secondary data to see whether the problem can be or wholly solved without collecting costly primary data. Similarly according to Kevin (1999) believes that secondary data provide the researcher with a source that they can use to answer or at least begin to answer the research question. Since the conducted from the organisational perspective so it is very necessary to understand the previous researches which has been conducted in the organisation and in the same industry. Hakim (2000) says that sometimes researchers may need to understand and relate previous researches that have already been performed in similar circumstances. Researcher can also use publication data which is industry specific or area specific and relates to the research question (Kevin, 1999). Secondary data was not only used as a reference frame for study but also was a channel to Chapter -6 References Work Force, May 2006, Training and Development available at http://www.workforce.com/tools/reports/WorkforceManagementSpecialReportTD.pdf last accessed on [28/01/10] McDonalds, 2010, Our Company available at http://www.aboutmcdonalds.com/mcd/our_company.html last accessed on [28/01/01] Sun,H. (2003), conceptual clarifications for organisational learning, learning organisation and a learning organisational, Human Resource Development International, vol.6 No 2,pp.153-66. Skinner, J., Pownall, I. Cross, P. (2003), Is HRD practiced in micro- SMEs?, Human Resource Development International, Vol.6 No.4, pp. 475-89. Torrington, D., Hall L., and Taylor, s., (2005). Human Resource Management, 6th ed, Prentice Hall Europe, Essex, Uk Lee, M. (2001), A Refusal to Define HRD, Human Resource Development International, Vol.4 No.3, pp. 327-41. Bratton, J., and Gold, J.,(2003)Human Resource Management: Theory and Practise, 3rd ed, Palgrave Macmillan, Hampshire. http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/human-resource-development-HRD.html http://humanresources.about.com/od/glossaryh/f/hr_development.htm http://www.hrmguide.co.uk/hrm/chap11/ch11-links2.htm http://www.hrmguide.net/canada/learning/bank_of_montreal.htm http://books.google.co.uk/books?hl=enlr=id=zpNc_GZIiikCoi=fndpg=PA3dq=human+resource+developmentots=o2WrtPGCk4sig=75P52YDdFEx57lEbQmXC7dhBEcg#v=onepageq=f=false http://www.city.ac.uk/sd/organisationaldevelopment.html

Monday, August 19, 2019

Sociotechnical Systems Essay -- Information Technology

The concept of sociotechnical systems was created in the 1960’s as a part of organizational development research by E. Trist and F. Emery. Ranging from a small system between you and your phone, to the interaction between human behaviors with massive technical infrastructures society has developed in hopes to boost performance and quality for both the societal and technical side of the system (Fischer). The essential impression behind a sociotechnical system refers to the interrelatedness that humans, which are the social aspect of the term, and non-humans, which are the technical aspect of the term, have networks between each other. It is how a human interacts with the particular technology and in conjunction how technology inscribes relations onto humans. It is a conventional logic to think that humans have control of technology, and also that technology is simply used as an extension of human capabilities. Sociotechnical networks attempt to reveal how that may not be true by showing how technologies have a much more active role on human behavior, and by trying to show how the relationship between humans and non-humans is a much more complex and dynamic that we may assume (Pinch & Wiebe). Now with a better grasp on such a broad concept, where does someone actively fit in one of these systems? Personally, I participate in a number of sociotechnical systems across a range of platforms and devices from simple design to large scale complexity. Sociotechnical systems can bring people together through computer-mediated communications. Dedicated systems in companies can gather employee statistics to then compile and deploy in a knowledge base easily accessible by anyone who may gain assistance from a previous employees experience w... ...rking there were given two weeks’ notice. As a way of helping them go through this transition the company used a lot of its resources, be it the workforce placement company Yoh to find a new job for these employees to personal recommendations to friends in other companies to help this employees not be jobless for any long period of time. It’s very difficult to cater to everyone’s ethical expectations of the world. All we can do is cope, until a new sociotechnical system comes out that solves everyone’s ethical dilemmas for us. Works Cited Pinch, Trevor J. and Wiebe E. Bijker. "The Social Construction of Facts and Artefacts: Or How the Sociology of Science and the Sociology of Technology Might Benefit Each Other. "Social Studies of Science: 399-441. Fischer, Gerhard. â€Å"Distributed intelligence: extending the power of the unaided, individual human mind.† 7-14.

Its because they are human beings Essay -- Racial Relations, African-

Sitting down at Barnes and Noble, or Starbucks, with a coffee and a tasty blueberry muffin, doesn’t seem so complicated. A problem that might arise, is there an electrical plug nearby to plug in the lab top just in case the battery gets low on power? Simple enough, the coffee is just right and the internet is up and running. What better morning could there be? Such simple freedoms everyone takes for granted, never a second thought to whether this is allowed? Who can purchase food and drink here? Is the color of my skin the right color? Stopping to consider what are my civil rights? How did we get here, a point in time where an individual has civil rights? Looking back do we realize the hard work of those who stood up to injustice was for a reason? So, the future generations could enjoy their lives, families and their right to be treated as human beings. Now try to fit into the mindset of the 50’s and 60’s. Up to this time the African-American’s personal rights were different that the white people around them. They were expected to do everything separately from white people, including dining out, going to the restroom and sitting at the back of the bus. Up until this time, the majority of the black Americans’ kept in their place, not liking it, and not knowing how to change the status quo. In the beginning it took personal courage for the individuals who started the movement to civil rights. This courage was shown on February 1, 1960 when four students from a local college in Greensboro, Alabama went into the Woolworth and sat at the lunch counter and waited to be served. They were refused service, which began the sit-ins, sparking the beginning movement to their human rights. Historically, the African-Americans ... ... helped King produce the â€Å"Letter from Birmingham Jail†, which was the African-American’s answer to the â€Å"Statement by Alabama Clergymen†. King spoke for all who sought equal rights, he spoke for the young, the elderly, the men and women of African blood who now were citizens of the United States, but were still considered non-human. King was the right man, at the right time, which made all the difference. In the present, where are we at now? Although civil rights exists, the United States still has issues of equal rights. We now have not only the black Americans, but the Asian Americans, the Mexican Americans, and of course the Native Americans. As the minority slow becomes the majority, the white contingency now expresses their issues of equal rights or the lack there of. Can there be a definitive answer that solves the equal rights issue? No, there is not.

Sunday, August 18, 2019

Magazine Article Summaries :: essays research papers

Magazine Article Summaries JOURNAL #1-- INC. THE MAGAZINE FOR GROWING COMPANIES May 1994. Publisher: James J. Spanfeller, 488 Madison Ave., 6th Floor New York, NY 10022 (212) 326-2600 Audience Statement: Inc. speaks directly to the entrepreneur, sole-proprietor, small business partnerships. Advertising: There were several advertisements including investing, retirement, tax accounting, computer companies and small businesses. Summary:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Inc., The Magazine for Growing Companies speaks to a specific audience (see audience statement). Some interesting articles were about the role of non-profit organizations within the business community, how to maximize return on an investment, how to effectively hire good employees, quite a lot about planning and preparing a retirement portfolio and shrewd long term investing.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The article titled â€Å"Managing Autonomy† is the focus of my summary, I also mention later another article I found interesting. This article spoke about managerial styles: how and what works well when deciding policy for your employees. Some CEO’s would say that your primary duty as a manager is to participate in managerial styles that encourage group problem solving. You have to continue tapping the collective wisdom of your employees. But you can’t empower employees without holding them responsible and accountable for their actions. These are the most important ideas presented in the article but they go on to discuss some other topics such as marketing strategies and computer technology. You have to focus on a particular market area and remember that quality is the single most important factor. Another good question they ask is, What can a growing direct seller do to reduce its chances of being ripped off by customers? I think the most important point they bring out here is to concentrate on the front end, that is to remove the undesirable customers. Along with credit checks and the usual business safety precautions.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Another article about non-profit organizations spoke volumes about the need to explore and how to give responsibly and effectively. Businesses can donate money or services to a charity and use that for a tax credit or write-off. The tax benefits were hammered on quite a bit. Wanting to do the right thing may be one of the impulses for giving, but soon it needs to be replaced with a more durable strategy. The relationship between private business and charity organizations has a long and complex history. Private foundations are excellent places to find out about how giving can be done effectively. These are some of the typical topics you will find when you pick up a copy of INC.

Saturday, August 17, 2019

Overview of the life of Andrew Carnegie Essay

Andrew Carnegie and the Rise of Big BusinessHarold C. Livesay said in his book, Andrew Carnegie and the Rise of Big Business, that Carnegie â€Å"was a collection of paradoxes, this man of American steel-violent and peace-loving, ruthless and loyal, greedy and generous, boastful and diffident, vain and doubting, brash and shy†. Andrew Carnegie was a quite normal in his younger years. He was born on November 25, 1835, and grew up in the rural town of Dunfermline, which was located in Scotland. His family was like many other families in Dunfermline. Dunfermline’s livelihood depended on the hand weaving of linen,† (pg 10) so when everything shifted to machine production, nearly 5,500 people lost their jobs. This was known as the Industrial Revolution. The Carnegies were one of those families that were affected by the rise of machines, which replaced workers. His mom tried to help the family income by cobbling and selling her work in a small store she opened in front of their house, but nothing worked out, despite efforts to find a steady job by his dad and mom. People started sailing to America because their â€Å"old home no longer promised anything at all.† (pg 14)Andrew Carnegie got his first job when he got to America. He worked for a local textile mill as a bobbin boy getting paid $1.20 a week. The owner of this mill helped out because he gave preferential treatment to people from Scotland, which was his homeland. During this time, his father â€Å"failed as a man of the world† and â€Å"gave up in defeat and drifted back to the loom.† (pg 21) His next job was for the O’Reilly Telegraph Company. He started off as a mere messenger boy but in time became a full-time telegrapher. He was later advanced to be the superintendent of Pennsylvania’s railroad system. All of these jobs and entrepreneurs suppo rt Livesay’s conclusion that Carnegie was ruthless in his career advances. Andrew Carnegie was constantly trying to make money. Switching from job to job to get more money and later in his life he got into investments. He started off when Tom Scott â€Å"persuaded him to buy ten shares of Adams Express Company stock for $600, lending him the money.† (pg 53) He continued to make investments in different companies, which most of the time resulted in profit. Early in his investment stage, he would borrow money from different people, and turn around and invest all of it. One might agree that this method of investing shows that Carnegie was greedy, thus supporting  Livesay’s remark. Carnegie was one of the major investors in many of the new businesses and franchises, such as the Pennsylvania oil wells. â€Å"Carnegie’s last financial adventure came in July 1872† (pg 79) when he took $6 million in bonds to a bank in Germany and tried to get them to buy the bonds. Carnegie then altered his vigor to a different field, the construction of what was to be known as Carnegie Steel. Created in November 1872, Carnegie Steel manufactured steel rails by means of the new Bessemer method. He credited his success to his skill to be a good employer. He treated his workers right, which they returned with excellence in the workplace. This supports Livesay’s remark that Carnegie was loyal. Carnegie strived to make business deals and other alliances in the steel industry in interest of making his business grow. In 1872, a new furnace was constructed. â€Å"Called the ‘Lucy’ after Tom Carnegie’s wife† (pg 100), which was pushed hard to increase production. This is when Carnegie observed that machine work cost a lot less than manual labor, and he acted accordingly. Later, Carnegie scraped his â€Å"Bessemer converters for more modern equipment, despite the hundreds of thousands of dollars invested in them.† (pg 129) By 1900, Carnegie Steel Company was making one fourth of all the steel in the US. Carnegie had been waiting a long time to sell, and finally, U.S. Steel Corporation was created to buy him out. In 1901 he sold out for $250 million in bonds and retired from business. In the years that followed, be donated the rest of his wealth to charities such as schools, libraries, churches, and other educational and recreational places. Carnegie had given 90% of his total riches to philanthropic groups by the time he â€Å"died peacefully in his sleep on August 11, 1919.† (pg 208) This shows Carnegie’s generosity of which Livesay mentioned. It is stated by Harold C. Livesay’s in his book, Andrew Carnegie and the Rise of Big Business, that Andrew Carnegie â€Å"was a collection of paradoxes, this man of American steel-violent and peace-loving, ruthless and loyal, greedy and generous, boastful and diffident, vain and doubting, brash and shy†. All of these things are true about Andrew Carnegie. From his hard life he and his family had in Scotland to his rise in life, from his low paying job at the textile factory to selling out his own company for $250 million, and  finally the depression that began in 1893 which he responded to with a â€Å"policy of aggressive price cutting† and â€Å"aggressive attention to cost.† (pg 163) Source: Andrew Carnegie and the Rise of Big Business

Friday, August 16, 2019

Context of human services Essay

Social changes in diverse societies are brought about by several factors such as maintaining order and responsibility within and outside the society. In this case, human services such as attending offering medical attendance, and avoidance of social evils such as corruption, are portrayed as major opportunities for the social changes. Many people see mental anomaly as curable. In real case, one cannot be completely cured from it, but the most promising fact is that it can be recovered and maintained. People in the society are more often encouraged to live with mentally challenged as they support them from day to day. They should be friendly to them since it is not the wish of the victims to be what they are. Family environment has been considered the best in provision of care to the victims of mental illness. Presently, many people prefer discharging their patience from hospitals as soon as possible since the expenses increases from day to day. Insurance reimbursements by both private and governmental sectors usually provide a cover of not more than sixty days to the patients. These days are adequate enough to recover the mental patients. Several organizations have come up to attend the patience and also provide moral support to them. For example, The Office of Protective Commission and the Public Guardian has been established to help the mentally challenged individuals cope with the environment they are in. such organizations have maintained social order as evidenced from their efforts to protect the ill from being taken advantage of (Hasenfeld, 2009) Members of the society should be encouraged and given knowledge about the mental disorder. In so doing, they will be actively encouraged to handle the victims with proper care, love, respect and most of all with dignity since the victims are also human beings thus they deserve tender care. Mental illness has got no specific cause. However, causes has been identified as either due to hereditary factors (it exists in the family linage), caused by organic diseases and even sometimes by environmental situations such as one being subjected to adverse stress. This disorder has got no borders and any person can be a victim, indiscriminate of his religion, gender or race and even age (Hopkins & Austin, 2004) Health systems in some parts of the world are a times selective in provision of services to its customers. Not everyone stands equal rights in services offered. Depending on your pocket or rather financial strength one is likely to get better services than the poor. Patience that may require argent medical attention is kept on waiting bays for long. This is as a result of the financially stable personnel not observing the rule of first come first served basis. Such issues have been of much negativity to the society since others have lost their loved ones at the bays and the emergency rooms. Also, the limited number of qualified persons may be a contributing factor. In some circumstances, the patient attendants may be reluctant in provision of services. Evil thoughts that propel them towards this could be such as assuming that patients could have gone to private organizations with relatively shorter queues than theirs, for fast delivery of services. It is much disgusting to realise existence of inequality in any society. This is whereby when one is rich, he/she gets richer and richer, and in most instances at the expense of others (Pease & Camilleri , 2001). Strengthening the civil society can be a way of addressing social issues such as social injustices, discrimination, violence and even poverty. A strong society can enhance better governance, tolerance and can also maintain peace within its borders. People who are socially responsible have got no time to engage in activities that will in one way or another haunt others, for example negligently polluting the environment, discriminating against others and even engaging in violence. Currently, reforms have been put in place with an aim of strengthening communities. Public are encouraged to participate in policy making. Several governments have taken initiatives of letting its citizens participate in decision making thus enabling the nation to thrive well in terms of political, economical and social development (Patti ,2008). Social evils such as corruptions are a major issue towards the existence of social injustices. Corruption has been a reason behind increase in the levels of poverty in the societies and also retarded growth in the economy. Corruption is as a result of poor governance. Those in the government can carelessly use the funds at the expense of the public thus being a leeway to social irresponsibility. It is clear therefore that this evil in the society should be emphasized on and properly dealt with so as to bring social order and also desirable changes for the development in the society (Laurence & Heinrich, 2000). In summary, it is clear that opportunities of success in terms of social changes can be as a result of human participation in service provision. Social order is enhanced through provision of better services in diverse sectors and also through good governance.

Thursday, August 15, 2019

A Current Issue of Global Concern

A Current Issue of Global Concern: The Significance of Education for Peace and Stability in Afghanistan  © Over 30 years of war and instability have ruined the infrastructure of all spheres of Afghan life. Education has probably been the sector that has sustained the most devastation in Afghanistan. Educating the Afghan populace – especially the young generation – is a critical facet toward engendering enduring peace and stability, alleviating endemic poverty, and resuscitating economic growth in the country.From this writer’s personal awareness, in Afghanistan today most schools lack proper teaching facilities and materials (apart from the usual facilities this would include current library holdings, computerized language labs, computer labs etc) . But perhaps most important of all †¦in Afghanistan †¦there is a critical shortage of qualified teachers. Teachers with current qualifications reflective of those which would be demanded, at a minimum, in n eighboring states †¦let alone the rest of the world.Beyond the issue of availability of adequate educational opportunity however, the educational crisis in Afghanistan is further acerbated by societal circumstances. This writer is certain most readers will be aware of the circumstances which prevail in Afghanistan but, according to a report by Surgar (2011), Afghan parents are reluctant to send their children to school buildings which – because the populace is aware of the grim inadequacy of the schooling facilities – are strikingly empty of activity and children.The Surgar report underpins this writer’s own research on the ground in that it reveals that the quality of Afghan education is â€Å" low† and in most cases a striking non-existence of textbooks and of proper curricula and syllabi is evident. Another issue that has a bearing – but which has not figured prominently in discussions about the re-engineering of the Afghan educational syst em – relates to the socio-cultural bias that many Afghans have toward the education of females, especially in the conservative and remote areas of the country.This is another challenge that the Afghan government needs to wrestle with. According to a report by the United Nations Children’s Fund the disparity between the enrollment (at schools offering even the most basic educational facilities) of girls’ and boys’ is enormous. In 2009 the enrolment of young Afghan girls constituted only 35% of the total primary school enrollments (UNICEF, 2009). This percentage swells in some rural provinces in the south of the country such as in Zabul Province. Due to growing instability 90 out of 100 girls are not in schools in that province.As an average only 50% of all children receive schooling in Afghanistan (IRIN, 2011). Beyond early School education †¦in Afghanistan today there are other significant education related challenges that need to be addressed. Among them is the desperate circumstance surrounding availability of higher education opportunities   (certificate, diploma   and degree programmes)   for those Afghans who have actually made the difficult, and sometimes perilous, journey through early school †¦to qualify with a High School qualification.Part of the issue is an epidemic of despair that, for those who complete early schooling †¦high school †¦ and do not have the resources to proceed further with their education, there are virtually no employment opportunities upon graduation. This situation, obviously, only lends to the damaging environment of thought that education does not do anything to better ones lot in life. Further looming education related problems continue to surface in Afghanistan. According to the Ministry of Higher Education of Afghanistan (2010), the number of high school graduates will reach 600,000 students by 2014.These are young eager Afghans on the brink of adulthood who should be ab le to look to their own country for the provision of further, higher education opportunities with which to prepare themselves to compete in a world filled with others of their own age who are forging ahead armed with modern further education qualifications. Under normal circumstances the half a million or more Afghans who will seek admission to college or university should not – if proper strategic planning had been evident †¦if the governmental will had been evident – have been a problem. Unfortunately such is not the case in Afghanistan.As of this time of writing – in January 2011 – the currently existing public and private universities do not have the capacity to cope with such a huge number of potential new applicants (MoHE, 2010). Although, the Afghan government sponsors higher education of some Afghan students by sending them to countries such as the United State and India,   in a nut-shell this alternative is disastrously expensive for Afgha nistan, and, in most cases, futile. Most Afghan students studying abroad – upon earning whatever qualification they had sought – often do not return to Afghanistan after completion of their education.This writer is personally aware that many seek asylum in the host countries (personal research, 2010). Despite the fact that – since the fall of Taliban in 2001   – the Afghan education sector has – according to the nation’s Ministry of Education – witnessed substantial progress in, for instance,   the amount of overall enrolment in some form of educational pursuit (7 million),   the training of teachers, and the construction of over 4,500 schools (Afghanistan Ministry of Education, 2010); Afghanistan sustains the highest illiteracy rates in the world for both men and women.More than 11 million Afghans over the age of 15 still cannot read or write. In rural areas, where the majority of Afghans live, 90 percent of the women and more than 60 percent of the men are illiterate (REAC, 2010). This situation has created a perfect opportunity for the opposition of the Afghan government to exploit the unawareness of the locals and use them for political and personal agendas (Time, 2010). It is this writer’s strongly-held personal belief that Education has a pivotal impact on peace and stability.If the Afghan government – and the international community which spends billions in Afghanistan facing the enemy militarily – want to bring peace and security to Afghanistan, they must play a strong, supportive role in pressing the Afghan authorities to focus upon educating Afghans. In essence there needs to be a sea-change in the much promulgated strategies we fall victim to so often from supposed experts. The essential need is that there MUST be greater and better educational opportunities inside the country.It is patently obvious that in this vital period of national re-building the authorities have many other vital imperatives to address. Hospitals, transportation infrastructure, etc. But in ignoring the country’s precious resource – its young.. its youth †¦and their education †¦Afghanistan is breeding further problems. The high rate of unemployment and crisis-level –lack of availability of opportunities to higher educational institutions simply means more foot soldiers for the enemy (Associated Content, 2007).The opposition †¦ fighting in Afghanistan†¦ easily recruits disaffected, disgruntled, under-educated, and under-utilized young Afghans and uses them against the Afghan government and coalition forces. Even the encouraging strides to provide more schools, colleges and universities, made by the Afghan education authorities are, to this writer, insufficient. Far too often (public, state-funded) Universities from the Coalition countries float into Afghanistan and enter into arrangements with local government universities.This is not necess arily what is needed. The Afghan Education authorities should not – in this era of resuscitation – try to go it alone. They should encourage private higher educational organizations – who may be more apt to develop genuine long-term relations – given their personal investment not garnered from government coffers – to invest in the country †¦to open degree programmes in discipline areas which will train Afghans to take their place in the global arenas of business, commerce, international trade, international relations, and leadership.The Afghan Education authorities should encourage international private education entities to invest in the nation and its people by making the currently extraordinarily- difficult approval process much leaner and rational. As the new school year begins in Afghanistan, The Human Rights Research and Advocacy Consortium (HRRAC) released Report Card: Progress on Compulsory Education. The new report urges policymakers to work harder to address urgent and long term education needs in the country. Oxfam International is one of the Consortium members.The report card (for grades 1-9) recognizes that Afghanistan has made progress in enrollment, but finds key gaps in school completion rates, policy management, quality of education and available resources. * Despite the increase in school enrollment, more than half of Afghanistan's children don't attend primary school. Less than 34% of those enrolled are girls. * Drop-out rates are high, particularly among girls. Of those attending primary school, only 9% go on to secondary school. * Female teachers are scarce. In one province there is one female teacher for every 152 male teachers.Increasing the number of female teachers is essential to increase the enrollment of girls. HRRAC recommends that international donors honor their commitments to provide sufficient and long-term funding for Afghanistan and ensure adequate steps are taken to increase the enroll ment of girls and improve the quality of education. The Human Rights Research and Advocacy Consortium is a group of Afghan and international organizations working in the fields of humanitarian relief, reconstruction, human and women's rights, peace promotion, research, and advocacy.It was established in early 2003 to engage in proactive research and advocacy on human rights issues over a sustained period. Opposition within Afghanistan to girls’ participation in education predates the Taliban. Historically, education for girls was rare in rural Afghanistan and almost exclusively confined to the capital. In 1919 King Amanullah seized the Afghan throne and began a rapid development of the country’s secular education system, with a particular focus on expanding education for women.During this period shortly following independence from Britain, women and girls were encouraged in their scholarly pursuits. This shift, however, directly threatened the centuries-old practice of traditional male-oriented madrassa (religious) education among many of the ethnic tribes in Afghanistan. Amanullah’s experiment with a secular approach to education, along with other reforms prohibiting polygamy and bride price — the provision of money to the wife’s family upon marriage — aroused protest from the country’s religious establishment, who eventually supported the overthrow of the king.Nadir Shah, who took power following Amanullah, was more cautious in his attempt to introduce educational opportunities for women. Nevertheless, over the course of the twentieth century, and in particular during King Mohammed Zahir’s long reign between 1933 and 1973, Afghanistan’s education system steadily expanded even as it continued to be influenced by demands from the country’s conservative cultural and religious authorities. By the 1970s, women made up over 60 percent of the 10,000 students who studied at Kabul University.The ri se of the Soviet-backed People’s Democratic Party of Afghanistan in 1978 brought large-scale literacy programs for men and women, again alongside the abolition of bride price and other reforms beneficial to women. During this period leading up the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan, reforms in areas such as education stirred resentment among religious and tribal leaders in the rural areas. Although full implementation of these reforms were limited by political exigencies, women were able to experience expanded access to education and also the opportunity to actively participate as university faculty staff.During the Soviet occupation from 1979 to 1989, Afghans lived through a devastating war fueled by external forces and funding from multiple countries, among them the United States, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and China. Islamic militants, or Mujahideen, thrived in rural areas and constructed their own revolutionary army with the goal of overturning all socialist policies suc h as those governing women’s rights in general, and access education in particular. With the fall of the Communist government in 992, the country was divided among warring factions, many of them religiously inspired Mujahideen groups ideologically opposed to modern education and to education for girls. Millions of Afghans, particularly the educated, emigrated to other countries. Many of the schools not destroyed by war were closed due to lack of security, the lack of teachers and teaching material, or simply because of dire poverty. Education under the Taliban went from bad to worse. The Taliban focused solely on religious studies for boys and denied nearly all girls the right to attend school.During the Taliban’s rule, only about 3 per cent of girls received some form of primary education. The prohibition of female education, coupled with the cultural mandate that women receive their health care from female health care providers, resulted in a vulnerable population re ceiving care from poorly-educated providers. Twenty-three years of war have destroyed the infrastructure of the education system and further increased the illiteracy rate in Afghanistan. Since 2001, the participation of children and adults in education has improved dramatically and there is great demand.Afghanistan has one of the youngest populations on the planet. Unexpectedly large numbers showed up when schools reopened in 2002, and enrollments have increased every year since, with the Ministry of Education reporting that 5. 2 million students were enrolled in grades one through twelve in 2005. This includes an estimated 1. 82-1. 95 million girls and women. An additional 55,500-57,000 people, including 4,000-5,000 girls and women, were enrolled in vocational, Islamic, and teacher education programs, and 1. 24 million people were enrolled in non-formal education programs.These numbers represent a remarkable improvement from the Taliban era. More Afghan children are in school today than at any other period in Afghanistan’s history. In 2003, in response to the lack of educational opportunities in Afghanistan for the general population and especially for females, the United States Agency for International Development funded the Afghanistan Primary Education Program (APEP). APEP offers emergency access to accelerated elementary education for out-of-school youth between 10 and 18 years of age, focusing on females.Between 2003 and 2005, APEP supported accelerated learning programs for 170,000 over-age youth in more than 3,000 villages in Afghanistan. Located at Kabul University, the Women’s Teacher Training Institute opened in September 2004. The institute is currently operating programs that aim to teach basic literacy to Afghan women in rural areas and to reduce maternal and child mortality. Despite numerous positive steps forward in education for Afghan women and girls, persistent violent attacks on schools by resurgent Taliban and other forces co ntinue to force some schools to close.In a statement released in June 2006, Ret. U. S. Gen. Barry McCaffrey stressed the comparative superiority of the Taliban’s equipment and tactics to those of the NATO-trained Afghan National Army (ANA). â€Å"They are brutalizing the population,† wrote McCaffrey of the Taliban, â€Å"and they are now conducting a summer-fall campaign to knock NATO out of the war, capture the provincial capital of Kandahar, isolate the Americans, stop the developing Afghan educational system, stop the liberation of women, and penetrate the new police force and ANA. Summary AIL works to empower Afghans by expanding their educational and health opportunitites and by fostering self-reliance and community participation. What is the issue, problem, or challenge? Afghan women and children had no access to education for a decade. After the fall of the Taliban in 2001, the Afghan Institute of Learning organized Educational Learning Centers (ELCs) to bring women life-saving healthcare and education. AIL helps local leaders start ELCs and decide where and what services to offer.AIL has requests for ELCs from many communities that have not historically been open to education for women. AIL now supports 44 ELCs in Afghanistan and refugee camps of Pakistan. How will this project solve this problem? AIL’s ELCs serve 350,000 women and children each year with medical and reproductive healthcare, health education, skills training, teacher training, leadership/human rights classes, pre-school through post-secondary education, and fast track classes. Potential Long Term ImpactBecause AIL is run by Afghan women and respectful of Afghan culture, conservative villages trust AIL to begin services for thousands of isolated women in dire need. Other NGOs and the Afghan government now use this model for women’s services. Project Message Our eyes are opened. Now we can read and write. Actually, now we have come to know the value of an edu cated person in a society. We thank AIL for enlightening rural areas with the lights of education. – Salma, woman in a literacy class in a rural ELC