Public Schools Should Not Be The Place For Religious...

One of the many foundations of the United States as a nation was religion. When people fled their homes in search of a new place, one of the many reasons was due to religious freedom. Almost immediately conflicts arose between religions, and their belief systems. No problems seem to arise with teaching religion to children in school until the 1900 s. That is when the courts decided religious instructions in public schools would be deemed unconstitutional. Court cases started around the country with people fighting against religious instruction in public schools, many accusing teachers of putting their beliefs in their teachings. The young, and impressionable minds of children should not be exposed to another persons religious beliefs because they can easily be swayed in a certain direction. This is why religious practices, such as prayer, and the teachings of creationism should not be allowed in public schools. Public schools should not be the place for religious practices for many r easons. Firstly, there a several different ways in which having those practices in public schools goes against the Constitution, and the Establishment Clause, which does not allow public schools to endorse any religion. Secondly, as children are minors in age, so are their minds. Children can easily be swayed in a certain direction if they witness an authority figure expressing a certain belief. Having religious practices in public schools also goes against many science classes with theShow MoreRelatedReligious Accommodation For Public Schools1128 Words   |  5 Pagesmanifest beliefs and practices and the right to be free from state coercion or constraint in matters of religion ().† One of the most controversial places in which freedom of religion manifests itself is the public school. In order to protect freedom of religion, it is important to make sense of how a school must treat religion so the school does not compromise its role within society. This paper will establish current rulings on religion in public school and then explore what a religious accommodationRead MoreReligious Accommodation For Public Schools Essay955 Words   |  4 Pagesmanifest beliefs and practices and the right to be free from state coercion or constraint in matters of religion ().† One of the most controversial places in which freedom of religion manifests itself is the public school. In order to protect freedom of religion, it is important to make sense of how a school must treat religion so the school does not compromise its role within society. This paper will establish current rulings on religion in public school and then explore what a religious accommodationRead MorePrayer in Public Schools Essay1440 Words   |  6 Pagestype of school students attend, organized prayer is mandatory, allowed, or banned. In the United States, organized prayer in public schools is prohibited because it goes against the Constitution’s separation of church and state (Jinkin s 123). The United States promises religious freedom, but is yet to define the degree and limitation of that liberty. However, American citizens have been debating for many years, whether organized prayer should be an option or obligation in public schools. Some peopleRead More Religion Has No Place in Public Schools Essay1020 Words   |  5 Pagesseparation of church and state, which has resulted in many debates over the limitations of religion in the public schools (Hamburger). There is research that supports both the arguments that students can benefit academically from the influence of religion and from keeping religious teachings separate from public schools. Early in Americas history, when it first became a country, public schools were administrated by Protestants. As a result, Protestant prayers and services became incorporated intoRead MoreSchool District V. Schempp1618 Words   |  7 PagesAbington School District v. Schempp is a 1963 Supreme Court Case that challenged religious prayer and teachings in Pennsylvania public schools. The Pennsylvania law made it a requirement for schools in all districts to read from the Bible (at least 10 verses) every day before class began. There was also a clause included in the state action that allowed for any child to be excused from the reading with specific permission from their parent or guardian. The question that this case asks is if it isRead MoreFreedom of Religion in Public Schools1748 Words   |  7 Pagesindividual practice of religion in school has become a very controversial topic. There are many different views on this matter and even more opinions on how it should be handled. There are people on both sides of the spectrum, there are those who believe that it should be taught and allowed in school, and there are those who believe it should not be taught or practiced in school. There have been cases brought to court about how religion should be taken out of schools, or if it should be allowed.Read MoreReligion in Public Schools Essay1131 Words   |  5 PagesReligion in school is the practice of any personal religious beliefs in a place of education. Introduction: In recent years teaching or the individual practice of religion in school has become a very controversial topic. There are many different views on this matter and even more opinions on how it should be handled. There are people on both sides of the spectrum, there are those who believe that it should be taught and allowed in school, and there are those who believe it should not be taughtRead MoreReligion in School: Publicized or Privatized? Essay example1353 Words   |  6 Pagesaround the world (Wilson, 2006, p.11). Having religion included in the public school system is one of the most difficult issues to debate. When should the separation of church and state come into play? The fact that not everyone holds the same religious faith brings up the question of whether religion should be either public or privatized in schools. This essay will explain the history and background of religion in public schools, viewpoints of conservative and liberal elites on religion, and whetherRead MoreCase Summary 3 Essay899 Words   |  4 PagesLaurel Palm Middle School was considered to be a successful school. It was one of the top ten performing schools. For three successive years, it had been awarded a National Distinguished School Award. The school had had a strong culture of teaching and learning. Parents were engaged in planning school programs and improving all aspects of the school and its operations. Ms. Avery, the principal instituted specific curriculum goals and objectives that aligned with the school district. She organizedRead MoreReligion in Schools Today1253 Words   |  6 PagesAmerican Religious Experience In America today we all have choices to make in regards to our religious beliefs. Many young children are brought up today confused about religion and the significance it plays in their lives. There are many sanctions and rules now on what can and can t be thought or displayed to people on public property, but it wasn t always like this. In this paper I will be discussing the American religious experience in regards to the impact religion has in the public schools

“The Invisible Leash” The Patty Hearst Case and the Crazy Things Victims Do Free Essays

In April 1974, roughly two months after they kidnapped Patty Hearst, the Symbionese Liberation Army (SLA) released a photo of Hearst as evidence that she was no longer a kidnap victim but a willing member of their group. In the photo, Hearst is pictured alone (no other members of the Symbionese Liberation Army are evident). She stands off centered in the photo (to the left) in front of the Symbionese Liberation Army’s symbol, a seven-headed cobra (â€Å"Symbionese Liberation Army†). We will write a custom essay sample on â€Å"The Invisible Leash†: The Patty Hearst Case and the Crazy Things Victims Do or any similar topic only for you Order Now Her stance is aggressive: her legs are apart as if she is braced and ready to shoot; her gun is pointed (not at the viewer, but off to the viewer’s right); and her finger is on the trigger. The gun itself is a serious weapon, a carbine. And Hearst’s attire is militaristic and revolutionary: she wears pants, tight, military-type clothing, and a beret of the same sort worn by revolutionary Che Guevera, in the famous photo of him snapped by Alberta Korda (â€Å"Che Guevara†). Moreover, the background color in the photo of Hearst is red, a color that suggests violence and aggression. In the lower right corner of the photo, another machine gun rests against the wall, only the upper portion of the gun is visible (its barrel), and it’s pointing upward, toward the top of the photo. While this photo is meant to depict Hearst as a willing member of the SLA, it isn’t quite successful. That is, it suggests a more complex truth: that people sometimes play roles that do not fully describe them and in which they are not at home. A close look at the photo reveals that Patty Hearst, though she assumes the stance of a guerrilla, is anything but that. Her gaze is not directed violently at the viewer; instead, she looks to the side, transforming herself into the object of the gaze rather than being the gazer. This is in sharp contrast to Korda’s famous photo of Che Guevara, whose hat style Hearst has adopted. In his photo, Guevara faces the audience squarely and audaciously (â€Å"Che Guevara†). Hearst’s posture may be audacious, but the direction of her gaze reveals submission. Other details in the photo also suggest that she is less than at home in her role as aggressive warrior. Her gun, for example, is pointed to the side – just as is her gaze. She’s not threatening the viewer with the gun; she’s exposing herself to the viewer. Plus, though none of the SLA members are present in the photo with Hearst, the unmanned, projecting gun in the lower right corner of the photo draws the eye and reminds the viewer that just off stage lurks a threat. With her glance to the side, Hearst seems almost focused on this threat. Indeed, a quick look at her eyes reveals dark circles under them. Her mouth is pinched and drawn. These are indicators that she may be uncomfortable, even stressed in her new role. In fact, the photo, along with an audio communication from Hearst on which she called her father a â€Å"corporate liar† and explained that she was joining the SLA and taking a new name (â€Å"SLA: Tania†), caused her fiance and her parents to â€Å"[speculate] that Hearst had been brainwashed or coerced. † They did not believe that the Patty Hearst they were seeing and hearing was the â€Å"real† Patty Hearst (â€Å"SLA: Patty Hearst). And, indeed, Patty Hearst, granddaughter of newspaper tycoon William Randolph Hearst, seems to have changed over the course of her kidnapping. Compare, for example, two of her communiques with her parents. The first was received February 12, only 9 days after armed gunman kidnapped her from her fiance’s apartment on the night of February 4, 1974 (â€Å"Radically†). In this communique, she says: Mom, Dad, I’m OK. I’m with a combat unit that’s armed with automatic weapons. And these people aren’t just a bunch of nuts. They’ve been really honest with me but they’re perfectly willing to die for what they’re doing. And I want to get out of here but the only way I’m going to is if we do it their way. And I just hope that you’ll do what they say Dad and just do it quickly. And I mean I hope that this puts you a little bit at ease and that you know that I really, really am alright. I just hope I can get back to everybody really soon. (â€Å"The Patty Hearst Tapes†) Here Hearst focuses almost entirely on her own situation, telling her parents who has taken her and what her parents need to do to free her. She mentions that her captors are serious but says very little about their political agenda. She sounds, in fact, very much like one might expect a kidnapped, 19-year-old to sound. By day 59 of Hearst’s captivity, her communiques reveal that her focus has changed from herself to the SLA’s cause. Mom, Dad. Tell the poor and oppressed people of this nation what the corporate state is about to do. Warn Black and poor people that they are about to be murdered down to the last man, woman, and child. Tell the people that the energy crisis is nothing more than a means to get public approval for a massive program to build nuclear power plants all over the nation. The message goes on in this vein and culminates with the following: â€Å"I have chosen to stay and fight. I have been given the name Tania after a comrade who fought alongside Che in Bolivia. It is in the spirit of Tania that I say, ‘Patria o Muerte, Venceremos’† (â€Å"The Patty Hearst Tapes†). The Latin phrase means â€Å"Fatherland or death: We shall overcome† (Cox), and it suggests Hearst’s transformation from heiress to warrior. Clearly Hearst had changed, and after she was caught on video camera robbing a bank with the SLA only a few months after she’d been kidnapped (Ramsland), Americans caught up in the story were left to debate whether a person is always responsible for his or her own actions. In an article published in the National Review during Hearst’s 1976 trial, one commentator gave specific voice to the questions many people were asking themselves: When given the opportunity, why didn’t Hearst â€Å"reassert her own individuality and [try] to escape? And, even more succinctly, the commentator asks: â€Å"Is Hearst guilty? † (â€Å"What Is Guilt? † 258). Hearst was eventually sentenced to 7 years in prison for helping the SLA with their criminal activities (including bank robberies), but President Carter had her released after only 22 months (Chua-Eoan), and, in 2001, President Clinton pardoned her (â€Å"Radically†), wiping her record clean. President Clin ton’s pardon suggests that Hearst was not responsible for what she did. It suggests that under specific conditions, a person can behave in ways for which she must not be held responsible. In a nutshell, it suggests that those who have endured traumatic experiences (victims) are not necessarily accountable for what they do. And, indeed, by most accounts, Hearst’s experience was traumatic. During the first several weeks of her captivity (prior to her participation in the first of several bank robberies), she was (according to her own accounts) kept in a dark closet. She was â€Å"sexually assaulted† (â€Å"Truth† 201). She was told that her parents were â€Å"insects† and that she was a member of a class of people that was â€Å"sucking blood† from the commoners. When her father visited San Quentin (as part of a ransom demand made by the SLA), and he reported that the conditions of the prisoners there was fine, Hearst’s captors reportedly told her that her living conditions (in the cramped, dark closet) were similar to those of the San Quentin prisoners. The take home message for Hearst was that her â€Å"tiny cell, stale air, and gloomy walls were [considered by her father to be] an acceptable environment for his daughter. † Her captors led her to feel increasingly alienated from her old life and from her family (â€Å"Tania’s World†). Subject to severe trauma, a person may not behave rationally or in keeping with what might be expected. For example, in 2007, when police found and liberated Shawn Hornbeck, a boy who had been abducted 4 years earlier (when he was only 12), one of the questions that surfaced repeatedly was: why didn’t he run? During at least the last two or three of his years of captivity, his captor (Michael Devlin) allowed Shawn a tremendous amount of freedom. Shawn went to school, rode his bike, and had multiple opportunities to report his situation to authorities, but he didn’t (Tresniowski, Grout, and Finan). Shawn’s attorney speculates that an â€Å"invisible leash† kept Shawn from running (qtd. in Tresniowski, Grout, and Finan). And C. Robert Cloninger, a medical doctor at the Sanson Center for Well-Being in St. Louis, indicates that victims may â€Å"[bond] with their abductors† in order to â€Å"feel safe†: Once you’ve begun to identify with your captor, you don’t have to fear them anymore, because you’re in harmony with them†¦We see this in hostage situations, where the emotional brain short circuits the rational brain. (qtd. in Tresniowski, Grout, and Finan) It was this same â€Å"invisible leash† that made Hearst do the seemingly crazy things she did: rob banks, hide from the law, remain with the SLA. A close look at her history and a careful look at the now infamous SLA photo of Hearst reveal the truth: she may have pretended to be Tania, but that was a temporary role, assumed under extreme circumstances to protect herself. Her transformation from â€Å"an apolitical rich girl† to a â€Å"gun-toting radical† (â€Å"Radically†) tells us more about the events that she was caught up in than about who she was. How to cite â€Å"The Invisible Leash†: The Patty Hearst Case and the Crazy Things Victims Do, Papers

ICT Service Management

Question: Describe about the ICT Service Management. Answer: USB and FireWire: The USB and Fire Wire are the controllers for the computers. As stated by Bhuasiri et al. (2012), users can implement the communication system between computer and a device through the USB and Fire Wire. It has been observed that users have used the USB and Fire Wire as general purpose controllers. Generally, the USB and Fire Wire are the port of the computer. The USB and Fire Wire are used in the CPU to communicate with the external storage devices (Yu et al. 2012). Bus Hardware standard: The bus is a bidirectional universal switch, and is used in between the central processing unit and main memory of the computer. The bus communication systems are generally of two types, such as parallel communication and serial communication. As stated by Livingstone (2012), the parallel communication system allows several communication paths to transfer bits simultaneously. On the other hand, in the serial communication system, the bits are transferred one after through the single communication path. Summarize of the two resources: It has been observed that the modern smart phones run on different operating system such as Android, Windows and iOS. User Interface and Kernel are two components in the operating system. The User Interface is a communication between the device and user. There are two types of user interfaces such as text based (Shell) and Graphical User Interface (GUI). As stated by Habib et al. (2012), the user interface acts as an intermediately between the Users and the operating system of Kernel. Kernel: The Kernel is a performance based required functions. There are different options available in the Kernel such as File manager, Device drivers, Memory Manager, Scheduler and Dispatcher. As stated by Livingstone (2012) , Kernel helps the users to create a directory and a directory path. The directory is a user-created bundle of files and other directories. The directory path is a sequence of directories within directories. As stated by Katsaros et al. (2012), Kernel allocates space in the main memory for storing the data. Sometimes Kernel creates illustration in the main memory system. It has been observed that Kernel creates virtual memory by playing a shell game in which blocks of data are shifted back and forth between the main memory and mass storage. Cloud service provider SaaS: The SaaS is a computing cloud which provides storage to the users so that they may store data. The network cloud is connected to three different components such as corporate data centre, AWS IaaS data centre and the Google Mail application. The users have stored the data in the network cloud system (Guo et al. 2012). It has been observed that SaaS is interfacing with the Google Software as a cloud service provider. The SaaS is a Cloud Service Provider which implements their own application named as SaaS. Cloud Service Provider IaaS: It has been observed that IaaS has provided the Network cloud service to the users. The IaaS is connected with the corporate data centre. IaaS has its own server and cloud storage space. Moreover, it has provided storage facility to the individual users, virtual client and organization. As stated by He et al. (2012), the clients have got the opportunity to share their data with others. Character encoding standards: The encoding standards depend on the categories. The categories of the ASCII codes are divided into different segments such as upper-case letters, lower-case letters, digits, punctuation and control codes. Apart from this, the encoding systems can be of varied types such as encoding text as ASCII, conversion binary to decimal, encoding decimal to binary, binary encoding for number of alternatives and voice encoding (Ahlgren et al. 2012). The conversion process from Binary to Decimal depends on the seven positional exponents such as position value in decimal, decimal number, decimal representation, position value in decimal and binary numbers, equivalents decimal and representation of decimal numbers. The encoding process from the decimal numbers to binary numbers is based on different values such as the binary position, the binary value, where step 0: Decimal number= 11, step 1, step 2 and step 3 and final binary number. As stated by Mann et al. (2012), the microphone is a converter which converts the human voice from analog to electrical signal. In the contemporary world of globalization, social engineering attacks on human judgment have been a major concern for a considerable time. The social engineering attacks refer to forcing the victim to act against personal or organizational interests by trick. The major attack on human judgment includes the Phishing attacks (Tran et al. 2012). The phishing attacks are nothing but a sophisticated online trickery for acquiring sensitive information by authentic looking e-mails or websites. There are many examples of such kinds of attacks such as credit card number theft as well as identity theft. On the other hand, as stated by Gerstel et al. (2012), another most critical attack is hacking which refers to accessing the computer resources internationally. This access is mostly conducted without authorization of those resources or in access of the authorization. The person who is performing the hacking activity is called as the hacker. Mostly, the hackers are known for using viruses such as Trojan horse as well as Malware which are illegal programming for damage. The two sided network connection is the example of the optical fiber connection between the users and the hosts. This network design is based on the requirements of speed. The speed is different in the two directions. It has been noticed that most transmission lines are symmetric in speed. Therefore the higher-speed is transmitted through the lines (Chang and Ju 2012). On the other hand, the three site traffic is the another network connection among the users and host. It has been observed that there are three sites connected by the two links. Moreover, it has been observed that more than 300 Mbps connecting speed is required for the three site connections. However, there are some uneven speed distributions such as 45 Mbps and 2 Gbps. As stated by Bhuasiri et al. (2012), the link between the two sites must carry the flowing traffic. However, it has been found that each pair of sites is connected with lines which carry traffic only between paired sites. Knowledge Management System Knowledge Management (KM) system is an IT system that stores and retrieves information, improves collaboration, locates sources of knowledge and in some other ways enhances KM processes. This system also helps to acquire, create, save, and distribute knowledge. This system mainly collects internal knowledge and experiences within the organization and spreads it among the employees so that they can access it. This system also creates links with external sources of knowledge. However, according to Katsaros et al. (2012), there are several factors of failure in this such as lack of higher management support, organizational culture, individual budget are resistance to chance. Customer Relationship Management system According to Ahlgren et al. (2012), customer relationship management system or CRM includes all the tools, technologies and processes to enhance and improve sales. It also helps to enhance customer relationship and relationship with the business partners. The CRM software serves to consolidate customer information and documents into a single CRM database (Tran et al. 2012). Thus business users can easily access the data and can manage it. Some common and useful features of CRM tool are marketing automation, sales force automation, contact center automation and geolocation technology. The biggest four companies that use this software are Salesforce.com, Microsoft, SAP and Oracle (Chang and Ju 2012). A good project manager who wants to minimize any risks related to ICT failure must have the trait to provide action oriented tasks. Besides, in the same scenario a project manager must be a result driven person. He must have the skills to focus on his goals and the goals of his organization. In any situation, he should not be distracted, which is the main reason of ICT failures (Chang and Ju 2012). He will have to face the unpleasant parts of the project, as most of the project team members will avoid this part. A project manager must apply his experience and knowledge to command with authority and respect. A perfect project manager will set realistic deadlines for team members and will dictate clearly, what should be done. He will also describe the available resources to the team members so that they can understand how to use them in order to achieve the project goal (Gerstel et al. 2012). Another important skill that a project manager must have is vision. A visionary project manager should have the ability to see the big picture and he must have the ability to understand any future trouble that might occur. Therefore, a project manager will be able to break down larger goals into smaller ones which will be more manageable. In the contemporary world, it can be found, that outsourcing is experiencing failure. There are several important underlying reasons for this progressive failure which have been identified. According to Katsaros et al. (2012), exposure of the confidential data is the most critical cause of failure. As the outsourcing process involves the end user system, which uses there third party applications, the risk involved with the process is the exposure of the confidential information of the organizations. On the other hand, Bhuasiri et al. (2012), illustrated that vague outsourcing objectives is another vital reason for the continuous failure of the outsourcing business. Although outsourcing is based on the basis of cost reduction, the business does not need to make it their sole reason. It has been observed, that the organizations tend to grasp cost reduction as their sole objective rather than welcoming the bonus. This scenario compromises the quality of the product and service which in turn reduce the business scope. The project manager plays a significant role in respect of success of the entire project. There are several attributes of the manager which can prevent the failure most impressively. As identified by Chang and Ju (2012), the major attributes of the project manager include good communicator, effective leadership skills, good decision maker, and clear and effective vision developer as well as have sound technical knowledge. This attributes help the project manager to conduct the entire project in a single handed fashion. At the same time, Mann et al. (2012) disclosed that the project manager must thrive under pressure. Moreover, the negotiation skills will impact the project in a positive way. Added to that, it has been also revealed that the project manager must be emphatic. Enthusiasm will pave the pathway of the successful project. It is evident that these attributes are capable of turning the tide of the trend of contemporary project management in a most substantial manner. Reference list: Ahlgren, B., Dannewitz, C., Imbrenda, C., Kutscher, D. and Ohlman, B., 2012. A survey of information-centric networking.Communications Magazine, IEEE,50(7), pp.26-36. Bhuasiri, W., Xaymoungkhoun, O., Zo, H., Rho, J.J. and Ciganek, A.P., 2012. Critical success factors for e-learning in developing countries: A comparative analysis between ICT experts and faculty.Computers Education,58(2), pp.843-855. Chang, J.Y. and Ju, P.H., 2012. An efficient cluster-based power saving scheme for wireless sensor networks.EURASIP Journal on Wireless Communications and Networking,2012(1), pp.1-10. Gerstel, O., Jinno, M., Lord, A. and Yoo, S.B., 2012. Elastic optical networking: A new dawn for the optical layer?.Communications Magazine, IEEE,50(2), pp.s12-s20. Guo, S., Xie, H. and Shi, G., 2012. Collaborative forwarding and caching in content centric networks. InNETWORKING 2012(pp. 41-55). Springer Berlin Heidelberg. Habib, B., Zaharia, G. and El Zein, G., 2012, April. Hardware simulator: Digital block design for time-varying MIMO channels with TGn model B test. InTelecommunications (ICT), 2012 19th International Conference on(pp. 1-6). IEEE. He, X., Lee, P.P., Pan, L., He, C. and Lui, J.C., 2012. A panoramic view of 3G data/control-plane traffic: mobile device perspective. InNETWORKING 2012(pp. 318-330). Springer Berlin Heidelberg. Katsaros, K.V., Fotiou, N., Vasilakos, X., Ververidis, C.N., Tsilopoulos, C., Xylomenos, G. and Polyzos, G.C., 2012. On inter-domain name resolution for information-centric networks. InNETWORKING 2012(pp. 13-26). Springer Berlin Heidelberg. Livingstone, S., 2012. Critical reflections on the benefits of ICT in education.Oxford review of education,38(1), pp.9-24. Mann, V., Gupta, A., Dutta, P., Vishnoi, A., Bhattacharya, P., Poddar, R. and Iyer, A., 2012. Remedy: Network-aware steady state VM management for data centers. InNETWORKING 2012(pp. 190-204). Springer Berlin Heidelberg. Tran, T.T., Shin, Y. and Shin, O.S., 2012. Overview of enabling technologies for 3GPP LTE-advanced.EURASIP Journal on Wireless Communications and Networking,2012(1), pp.1-12. Yu, F., Li, P., Song, P., Wang, B., Zhao, J. and Han, K., 2012. An ICT-based strategy to a colorimetric and ratiometric fluorescence probe for hydrogen sulfide in living cells.Chemical communications,48(23), pp.2852-2854.

Mary Shelleys Frankenstein an Example of the Topic Personal Essays by

Mary Shelleys Frankenstein Every literary piece that a writer creates is unique in its own way. This uniqueness could be attributed from the writer's style of writing, the topic being explored, and most especially the inspiration or driving force that enables the writer to create a particular work. Inspiration could come from many means and one dominant factor that influences a writer is his/her family background and experiences in life. This thinking holds true in the situation of Mary Shelley. Need essay sample on "Mary Shelley's Frankenstein" topic? We will write a custom essay sample specifically for you Proceed Mary Shelley is the author of the famous book Frankenstein that is responsible for her instant popularity as a writer. The driving force that aids her in the creation of this book is based upon her interaction with the people around her. The influences of her parents way of thinking as well as her husband inspired her to the creation of Frankenstein. To be able to fully understand this, a narration of her life and a summary of the novel are needed. Mary Shelley is born on 30 August 1797 at Somers Town, Great Britain. She is the only daughter of two popular personalities, the feminist Mary Wollstonecraft and the philosopher William Godwin who have been well-known thinkers during their time. Her mother died due to complications after giving birth to her. This is the reason why she was raised by her father and her stepmother whom she hated very much. She acquired education primarily at home where she follows her father and mother's ideologies. Besides the formal instruction that she had, she also experience interacting with her father's famous friends. Intellectuals ranging from poets and philosophers to scientists (The Literature Network). During the age of sixteen she met the poet Percy Bysshe Shelley, who has been a loyal fan of his father's philosophical beliefs. Percy Shelley later on became her romantic interests despite her father's contentions about it because of the fact that Percy was already married to someone else. The two eloped and went to Europe with Mary's step sister in tow. They returned in September 1814. Mary Shelley still feels the wrath and disapproval of his father for what she did. The situation was even aggravated by the fact that she was unmarried and pregnant. Years later, when she returned to England after staying in Italy, Mary still bears the disapproving looks of other people because of her actions that are against the usual norms back then (The Literature Network). In the year 1816, the couple went abroad again in Geneva to meet with Byron. During their stay there, Byron suggested that they all write a ghost story. It is during this time that the story of Frankenstein was born. This story that Mary Shelley wrote was later published as a novel. Later on at that same year, Percy's wife committed suicide by drowning herself, which is why Percy and Mary's wedding took place in December. The last years of Mary's married life are characterized by tragic incidents. She lost her half sister as well as two of her children. This eventually becomes the reason of her depression but the born of Percy her only son and surviving child helped in making her condition better. The married couple moved to Italy. Unfortunately, Mary's husband died during a sailing trip. In order to keep the memory of her husband alive, she published several editions of his writings. She also continued creating her own novels but none equalled the popularity that her Frankenstein novel achieved (Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley). Mary spends the last years of her life with her son and two good friends. She tried to live a simple life that could give her the freedom she never experienced by having such popular parents. She still holds dear her liberal perspective about life but she toned it down to be able to fit in a conservative society that she is in (Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley). Mary Shelley's Frankenstein revolves around the story of a young Swiss student named Victor Frankenstein who discovers how to give life to inanimate objects through his meticulous studying and experiments. He was able to produce a creature by assembling various body parts of different people. This entity that he made was almost similar to a human being but it is far bigger and stronger. Upon the moment that this creature opened his eyes, Frankenstein realized that he actually created a monster. It was also this same demon who murdered his brother, which made Frankenstein realized the mistake he has done (Frankenstein). The creature has to endure a very cruel life after he left Frankenstein laboratory. He experienced being insulted, attacked, and mob by the villagers who were terrified by his grotesque appearance. After experiencing such cruelness, he decided to look for his creator. In doing so, he met his younger brother. After establishing the man's relation with his creator he strangled him to death. When the monster and his creator meet once again, the only request of the creature was for Frankenstein to create a female being with that would be his companion. Frankenstein was hesitant at first but the monster managed to convince him. As he was in the process of creating the monster's female counterpart he started questioning the choice that he made. He was afraid that these creatures might produce a whole race of monsters. When the monster returned to update his progress, he decided to destroy his female creation. The monster cries out in rage and promised that he would be present at Frankenstein's wedding day (Frankenstein). Frankenstein believed that during his wedding day the monster would kill him. However, he was mistaken as her soon to be wife, Elizabeth was the one murdered by the monster. He vowed revenged and started his search for the monster until he found himself in the Arctic region. It is in this place that he met Walton whom he narrated all the incidents that took place. Frankenstein asked Walton to kill the monster if ever he failed to do so due to his worsening condition. Eventually, Frankenstein died due to his illness. After his death, Walton found the monster at the side of Frankenstein's body wherein the creature tells the hardships that he had encountered. The death of his creator made the monster realized that it is also time for him to rest in death as well. Finally, he left the side of creator and disappears in the darkness (Frankenstein). The novel Frankenstein is a product of the literary lifestyle of Mary Shelley in a sense that her life heavily influences the creation of this novel. Shelley's home schooling that greatly focused on the literary works of both her parents enabled her to put their philosophical views in her work. William Godwin, Mary Shelley's father is one of the forerunners of anarchism. He believes in the idea that the evil actions of human beings are only influenced by the corrupt environment that they are in. There is no such thing as innate values or vices; these are just merely acquired through the experiences of human beings in their life history. Being the case, if inpiduals would act accordingly to what they deem as right this would eventually be beneficial for the whole community as well (William Godwin). This is greatly seen in Frankenstein. She points out that the state of the society during the time of the monster's creation greatly influenced who he has become. He was exposed to the cruelties and harshness of society. They immediately judged him based on his appearance and was treated badly because of it. He was not even given the chance to prove himself or established the kind of identity that he wants. Being the case, he acquired this inhumane treatment that he saw in his surroundings and thus also influenced him to commit murderous acts. Shelley also highlighted the idea that it is not the creature's fault that he eventually became a monster but rather the blame should be upon its creator. Frankenstein has too much expectation upon his creation that was not met by the monster when it came to life. Then, he just decided to leave him and eventually the monster has to wonder on his own in the unfamiliar world that he is in. Lacking the guidance or direction of his creator the monster eventually acquires the wrong doings of the people around him. Similarly, Mary Shelley also experienced the same thing because of the high expectations that she has to endure by having two well-known people as her parents. Moreover, the death of her mother also affects her growth. During her childhood nobody guided and nurtured her because her father didn't really have time for her and she resented her stepmother. Losing her mother was also one of the reasons why she felt confused during the early parts of her life. The feminist perspectives of her mother also influenced Shelley to make the importance of females in our society felt in her book. This is seen in her novel through the reaction of Victor Frankenstein while his creation was coming into life, which is very similar to the idea of giving birth. This symbolizes the miscarriages that Shelley has to go through. This also evoked the guilty feeling within her because of the death of her mother due to giving birth to her. Another point that Shelley emphasizes is the idea that ones' identity could be lost when he/she is overpowered by his/her environment. The creature was called by various names by the people around him like monster or the demon. He did not have a name of his own that is uniquely his. This symbolizes the idea that the identity of a person of who he or she would become is often dictated by the society. The norms, values, perceptions, and even the biases and stereotypes that are present within it could very much influence a person. This is exactly what happened when the creature eventually became the monster that the people think he is. Furthermore, the novel also served as a warning in the inpiduals' maximization of potentials through rational thinking. It is during the age of industrial revolution that this novel was made. The lesson that it wants to impart is that people's over utilization of science could in fact have adverse consequences just like what happened to Victor Frankenstein and the monster that he created. Lastly, this novel embodies Mary Shelley's liberalism. She also put into discussion different contemporary issue like the industrial revolution, the corrupt society, as well as the feminist idea that gives due importance to women. Being the case, Mary Shelley proved that she indeed goes beyond societal norms. This is not only reflected in her written works but its very embodiment is seen in her way of life. The kind of lifestyle that fights for what she wants like what she did when she eloped with Percy Shelley and is again proven when she stand up against the disapprovement of the people around her. Mary Shelley tries to be what Frankenstein's creation failed to do and that is to establish ones' identity amidst the dictate of society. The life of a writer affect the outcome of his/her work. Mary Shelleys life history enabled her to create not only a popular novel through Frankenstein but also a narration of her own experiences. This book holds in it a piece of Mary Shelleys very existence. Works Cited Frankenstein. 2008. My Hideous Progeny: Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. 19 May 2008 Merriman, C. D. Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley. 2006. The Literature Network. 19 May 2008 Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley. 2008. My Hideous Progeny: Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. 19 May 2008 . William Godwin. 20 May 2006. Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. 20 May 2008 http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/godwin/>.

Cross-Cultural Negotiations essays

Cross-Cultural Negotiations essays Cross-cultural negotiations is the interactions, typically in business, that occur between various cultures. These negotiations are typically viewed as occurring between various nations, but cross-cultural studies can also occur between different cultures within the same nation, such as between European-Americans and Native Americans. As the world becomes more and more interdependent as a result in the expansion of globalization and international business relations, cross-cultural negotiations are becoming a common feature in business and political transactions. This being the case, understanding how cross-cultural negotiations occur is an important skill to have. Thus, there has been an abundance of research and literature conducted and written on the topic. What follows is a brief review of the current literature available on the topic of cross-cultural negotiations. I.Hendon, Donald W., Herbig, Paul and Rebecca Angeles Hendon. (1999). Cross-Cultural Business Negotiations. New York: Greenwood Publishing Group, Inc. This book focuses on cross-cultural negotiations as they apply to international business. Its premise is that many business opportunities have been lost due to cultural misunderstandings. To prevent this problem from occurring, special emphasis needs to be placed on adequate attention to details and a better understanding of the cultural heritage of the other negotiating team. What is most beneficial of this book is that it is written by international business practitioners and comes with a country-by-country profile containing relevant cultural advice. II.Magala, Slawomir. (2005). Cross-Cultural Competence. New York: Taylor This work focuses on successful cross-cultural management as being the key to international business. At the most basic level of cross-cultural negotiations is cultural competency, or a cultural literacy. In other words, the first step to successful cross-cultur...

Even Grammar Gurus Make Mistakes

Even Grammar Gurus Make Mistakes Even Grammar Gurus Make Mistakes Even Grammar Gurus Make Mistakes By Mark Nichol I’ve noticed that I’ve been overlooking more mistakes in these posts recently or perhaps it’s just that I haven’t been making fewer errors as I go along, as I would have expected after six months’ worth of almost daily submissions. Thanks to astute site visitors who (usually) politely point out typographical errors, I note that occasionally I type the wrong form of a word (necessary instead of necessarily, for example), or that, when I provide a sample sentence with an error and then provide an annotated correction, sometimes I forget to actually correct the sentence. (Does that jive I mean, jibe with your observation?) I’d like to be able to tell you, â€Å"I meant to do that I just wanted to see if anybody was paying attention,† but the truth is, I make mistakes. And, like most bloggers, I don’t have an editor to sweep up after me. And, as I’ve often said, especially to people unfamiliar with the professional publishing world’s writing-editing-proofreading protocol, everybody needs an editor even editors. But before you send me your resume, note that we’re not hiring blogs are, by their nature, a more or less spontaneous medium of communication (though I try to review my work carefully), and, anyway, DailyWritingTips.com doesn’t have the resources to implement a more traditional editorial procedure (not yet, at least). I realize all too well that in my advisory capacity, I have a responsibility to strive for rigorous flawlessness a nearly impossible task I will nonetheless continually attempt to accomplish, but I also thank you in arrears and in advance for your (good-natured, I hope) comments about each lapsus clavis. Speaking of slip-ups, there are mechanical errors, and there are errors of fact. I do not claim to be an unimpeachable authority on every topic I write about. But I have spent many years intensively acquiring a practical knowledge of language, and by teaching editing (which I used to do), writing about composition (which I do now), and researching language usage (which I have always done), I have learned and processed much about writing and editing. In this forum, I welcome the opportunity to share that knowledge and insight with you, and in this forum, you are welcome and encouraged to respond in kind. Note this well, however: If you disagree with anything I write about writing, that’s your prerogative. But don’t rely on your assumptions or your education. (Those influences often coalesce imperfectly, and educators make mistakes, too.) The best way to learn is to consult multiple sources and develop your own understanding at a point where those sources intersect and note that I didn’t refer to a fixed point. I endeavor to be consistent yet flexible, and I heartily recommend that attitude to all. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the General category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Comparative Forms of Adjectives34 Writing Tips That Will Make You a Better WriterTypes of Plots

Andy Warhol and Yasumasa Morimura Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Andy Warhol and Yasumasa Morimura - Essay Example The essay "Andy Warhol and Yasumasa Morimura" discusses Andy Warhol’s Marilyn Diptych and Yasumasa Morimura’s Self-Portrait (Actress)/ White Marilyn. Andy Warhol’s Marilyn Diptych and Yasumasa Morimura’s Self-Portrait (Actress)/ White Marilyn depict the cult infatuation with Marilyn Monroe. This infatuation goes deeper than Monroe’s physical beauty. Warhol’s Marilyn Diptych and Morimura’s Self-Portrait (Actress)/ White Marilyn have the same subject; Marilyn Monroe. The works were done thirty-four years apart, Marilyn Diptych in 1962 and Self-Portrait (Actress)/ White Marilyn in 1996. Yet both have the same theme. Both are about Marilyn Monroe, but not about her as a whole person. The person portrayed in Warhol’s piece is â€Å"more than twenty silkscreen paintings of her, all based on the same publicity photograph from the 1953 film Niagara† (Tate Collection). Hollywood publicity photographs are airbrushed. They wanted to present the best makeup and hairstyle possible on Monroe. This was not the real Monroe. She did not always look perfect, because like everyone else, Monroe was human. Similarly Morimura’s photograph of three figures did not portray the real Monroe. His figures are posed like Monroe in The Seven Year Itch, where her white dress is following up at an air vent. This is once more a movie posed. Monroe had wardrobe, makeup, lighting, and other Hollywood magic. So the Monroe both artists wanted to capture were not realistic, but based on her Hollywood image.

Sir Richard Branson, Chairman, Virgin Group, Ltd. Case Study Research Paper

Sir Richard Branson, Chairman, Virgin Group, Ltd. Case Study - Research Paper Example One is to remember that it is difficult to make use of one particular leadership style for different types of contexts. However, the leader may demonstrate the best style or a combination of styles for each exclusive leadership context. From the case study, it has been apparent that Sir Richard Branson is one of the most influential, successful and enduring business leaders. Among numerous leadership styles such as autocratic leadership style, participative leadership style and laissez-faire style as well as in terms of authentic leadership model, expert power and referent power models, it can be analyzed that the leadership style demonstrated by Richard Branson is a laissez-faire leadership style. He has been successful in genuinely serving his employees and customers by means of his leadership. He has been interested in empowering the employees that he leads in order to make a vital difference. Richard Branson has natural leadership gifts and, thus, he makes use of his natural abil ities. It has been apparent from the case study that Richard Branson always believed in building long-term relationships with people. Authentic leaders generally learn from their failures. Richard Branson has focused on preparing himself to have another attempt at any failed activity with the required knowledge that he gained from his previous failure. One of the well known facts regarding authentic leaders is that they draw encouragement from their own lives. Richard Branson seems to be inspired by his mother who taught him not to look back in regret but rather to move on to the next task. An authentic leader is someone who is not frightened to admit his mistakes and, therefore, makes efforts to overcome his limitations. By facing weaknesses and declining to compromise with them, Richard Branson tends to identify ways to beat the weaknesses, which helps him to become a strong leader. Richard Branson also seems to possess expert and referent power. He has been capable of influencing others’ behaviors owing to the recognized competencies, talents and knowledge. He is capable of influencing others because his employees respect, admire and like him as a person. Whenever Richard Branson experiences any kind of setbacks, he chooses to pick himself up and try again. His principles are based on the belief that entrepreneurs will only succeed if they have good people around them and they listen to the superior’s advice. Authentic leaders such as Richard Branson care for themselves as well as the people that they lead, and their compassion is genuine (Harvard Business School, 2012). Richard Branson practices self-discipline by incorporating balance into his personal and professional lives. While most of the executives focus upon serving their customers as well as stockholders, Richard Branson believes that the correct hierarchical system in any organization is to have ‘employee at the first position’, ‘customer next’ and ‘s tockholders at the end’. It is because of the effectiveness of Richard Branson’s leadership style that Virgin Group Limited has been capable of becoming a multibillion-dollar worldwide conglomerate and one of the most recognized brands in the world. It has been identified that most of the US leaders tend to have participative leadership styles. Therefore, it can be stated that although Laissez-Faire leadership style tends to

The Validity of the Developmental Theories Essay Example for Free

The Validity of the Developmental Theories Essay Introduction   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Human nature and its varying and complex behaviors fascinate almost everyone. Although not all are inclined to be able to understand and explicate the details of individual personalities those who do find themselves in confusion many times why some people do things that are at times difficult to comprehend. However, the science of human behavior has indeed helped facilitate thus far, an understanding of human conduct and its nature at various lengths through the theories of human development by prominent theorists (Plotnik, 1996). This paper attempts validate their works by citing the researcher’s own personal timeline and/or development. For a proper and organized treatment of this paper, it will answer the following problem statements: What are the descriptions of Freud (psychosexual), Erikson (psychosocial), and Piaget’s (Cognitive) stages for childhood and adolescent years of development? Are developmental theories applicable to real-life and if so, based on your personal timeline, how (and if not, how not)? Discussion What are the descriptions of Freud (psychosexual), Erikson (psychosocial), and Piaget’s (Cognitive) stages for childhood and adolescent years of development?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Development does not end once a person reaches maturity, but continues throughout life. Developmental psychologists seek to describe ad analyze the regularities of human development across the entire life span. It focuses primarily on these aspects of development that make us similar to one another (Atkinson et al., 1993).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Sigmund Freud hypothesized that each of us goes through five psychosexual stages. These are five different developmental periods – oral, anal, phallic, latency, and genital stages – during which the individual seeks pleasure from different areas of the body associated with sexual feelings. Freud emphasized that the child’s first five years are the most important to social and personality development (Atkinson et al, 1993). The stages of oral, anal, phallic, latency and genital stages are controversial and highly debatable concepts which Freud originated. Freud pointed out that satisfying one of the child’s needs becomes a source of potential conflict between the child, who wants immediate gratification, and the parent, who places restrictions on when, where, and how the child’s needs should be satisfied. Freud believed that interactions between parent and child in satisfying these psychosexual needs for example, during breastfeeding or toilet training – greatly influence the child’s social development and future social interactions. Freud’s psychosexual stages are part of his larger psychoanalytic theory of personality (Hilgard et al., 1983, Atkinson, 1993).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Secondly, the psychosocial stage of development is best explained through the theory developed by Erik Erikson. According to Erik Erikson, a child will encounter different kinds of problems in infancy and childhood, which will shape one’s social and personality development. Erikson gave eight psychosocial stages. A child according to Erikson will encounter a particular psychosocial problem at each stage. If he successfully resolves the problem, he will develop a good social trait that will help him/her solve the next problem. If he/she is unsuccessful, he/she will develop a bad social trait that will hinder his or her solving a new problem at the next stage (Atkinson, 1993). His stages include Trust versus mistrust, Autonomy versus Shame doubt, Initiative versus guilt, Industry versus Inferiority, Identity versus Confusion, Intimacy versus Isolation, Generativity versus Stagnation, Integrity versus Despair, comprise each of the description of the periods and the potential problems that may arise during each of the particular period (Halonen Santrock, 1996).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Piaget’s theory of cognitive development refers to how a person perceives, thinks, and gains an understanding of his or her world through the interaction and influence of genetic and learning factors. He has identified the cognitive stages and refers to four different stages – sensorimotor, preoperational, concrete operational, and formal operational stages – each of which is more advanced than the preceding stage because it involves new reasoning and thinking abilities (Piaget, 1963; Hurlock, 1964). Piaget’s work led to the current view that children are actively involved in their own cognitive development. By active involvement, Piaget meant that children are constantly striving to understand what they encounter, and in such encounters, they form their own guesses or hypotheses about how the world works (Hurlock, 1964). Are developmental theories applicable to real-life and if so, based on your personal timeline, how (and if not, how not)?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   This paper just briefly introduced three differing explanations of certain aspects of human development and these were the currently accepted theoretical perspectives of human-behavior development. Relating these with the author’s personal development, yes, I could say that the developmental theories are in most cases applicable. Looking at my personal timeline, the observations and generalizations made by Freud, where the struggles in later years such as getting married at an earlier age, joining the army etc., were concerned, many of his concepts had pointedly identified those that are linked with during the early years of my development as compared to Freud’s five psychosexual stages. Terms like fixation and those that may have something to do with his conceptualization of instincts helped me understand many of my personal confusions regarding certain inner/internal struggles in my life (Halonen Santrock, 1996). In addition, Erikson’s description of the psychosocial stages where these are best illustrated during the adolescent years such as identity versus confusion, remembering those carefree years and the subsequent important transition and decision making abilities that need be developed helped me relate a lot to many of my adventures and misadventures as a youth, His apt and keen analysis of these stages helped me then and makes me feel at ease concerning   the anticipated times or periods of years ahead (Atkinson et al., 1993; Hurlock, 1964). In addition, Piaget’s poignant attention to children’s cognitive development helped me realize why I was so interested in peewee wrestling at such a tender young age.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   It is always worthwhile to spend ample time thinking and studying the many-faceted dimensions of human persona, from physical to cognitive and psychological areas among others. It has contributed a lot to my personal understanding of self-awareness and the development of the consciousness and sensitivity of what other humans like me are going through. It caters to a deeper understanding as well as acceptance of people’s frailties, and also their strengths. Freud, Piaget and Erikson’s theories indeed were validated basing on my personal timeline/story; no wonder that these three theories are almost forever cemented as classics in the understanding and predicting of human behavior.       Reference: Atkinson, R.L., R.C. Atkinson, E.E. Smith, D.J. Bem, and S. Nolen-Hoeksema. 1993. Introduction to psychology. Orlando, FL: Harcourt Brace and Company. Halonen, J.S. and J.W. Santrock (1996). Psychology: Contexts of behavior, Dubuque, IA: Brown and Benchmark, p.810. Hilgard, E.R., R.R. Atkinson, and R.C. Atkinson, (1979)1983. Introduction to psychology.7th Ed. New York: Harcourt brace Jovanich, Inc. Hurlock, E.B. 1964. Child Development. New York: Mc Graw-Hill Book Company. Piaget, J. 1963. The conception of reality in the child. New York: Ballantine Books. Plotnik, R. 1996. Introduction to psychology. 4th ed. Pacific Grove, California 93950: Brooks/Cole Publishing Company. Appendix MAJOR POINTS ON MY PERSONAL TIMELINE: -Birth date is April 28, 1983 -start walking at 14 months; -Travel to Costa Rica with Grandparents at age 40; -start peewee wrestling at age 8 -graduate from junior high at age14/ enter high school; -Got license and buy own car at age 16 -graduated high school at age 18/start college; -Joined the army National Guard at age 19 -got married/have first child at age 21; -Deployed to Iraq at age 23- have twins at age 23 POSSIBLE FUTURE OUTCOMES (age represented is my possible age) Graduate and become nurse by age 27 -move to new city by age 30; -daughter start high school at age 35 -twins start high school at age 38 -daughter graduates high school/starts college at age 39; -Twins graduate high school/start college at age 42 -daughter gets married at age 45 -first grandchild at age 48

William Faulkner’s short novel, The Bear Essay -- Bear

William Faulkner’s short novel, The Bear "The Bear" is a short novel in an anthology that begins in Yoknapatwpha County sometime after the Civil War. The story deals with loyalty, honor, truth, bravery, courage, fear, nature, history and choices. Cleanth Brooks best described this story by saying, "Faulkner's villains do not respect nature and their fear of it has nothing in common with the fear of the Lord or with awe in the presence of the divine." (Brooks 149) In the story, we find a bear that has learned to outwit and survive hunters for years. It wasn't until they took a beast of the wild and tamed it before they could even come close to the bear. They took a beast of nature to kill a beast of nature for their own personal pleasure, for sport...a conversation piece. When looking into the history aspect of the story, think of human actions and how People make radical decisions that may affect the rest of their lives, or even the lives of others, not even giving a second thought to the consequences. This book deals with a radical decision made by one man that changed the lives of many. The author of this story, William Faulkner, was a white southern male born "September 25, 1897, in New Albany, Mississippi. He died July 6, 1962." (Compton's CD) Faulkner had a way with Christianity, but more with the nature of man. He believed that man was nature. We can see how this affects the story with the statement "It was of the men, not white nor black nor red but men, hunters, with the will and hardihood to endure and the humility and skill to survive..."(Faulkner 327) The story begins with Ike and C who are going on a hunting trip to try to catch Old Ben, t... ...ficient utilization of it, or when he ceases to love it and to carry on his contention with it in terms of some sort of code, then he not only risks destroying nature but risks bestializing his own nature. (270) This novel is a wonderful book to read for those who like nature and the wilderness. It is through nature that one can achieve their highest level of love for the world. Although it may be hard to get through a few of the chapters, once you truly understand the meaning of the book, it will stick in your heart forever. Work Cited Brooks, Cleanth. "On the prejudices, predilections, and firm beliefs of William Faulkner." [Baton Rouge] LSU Press, 1987. "Six great modern short novels." New York Dell, 1982. 328 Brooks, Cleanth. William Faulkner The Yoknapatawpha County. London Yale University Press, 1974

Big Ideas in Science Essay

Food, it has become the final frontier. No longer are the days where oranges come from Florida or California, and cheese from Wisconsin. We are a global society and can export and import food from anywhere. As you are reading this, you might be enjoying some grapes from Argentina or drinking water from Iceland. Let’s see where a couple of meals came from, shall we? I’m not much on breakfast, mostly because I don’t get up in time to eat anything. Today though, I had a bagel with cream cheese. There’s not a lot of information on where the cream cheese is made or where the ingredients come from. Its Wal-Mart brand, so I’m guessing they outsource to some local company. The bagels are from Lender’s, and there is some information on them. The wheat that is used in the bagel is from the Western prairies of the United States and the water is found locally at the plant (Lender’s, 2012). I have to have something to wash this down with, and my breakfast drink of choice is Sunny D. According to the website, Sunny D’s juice is sourced from Florida (Sunny D, 2012). So far, I seem to be having a pretty American day as far as meals are concerned. After breakfast, most of my day is spent at work. I normally have to include both lunch and dinner because I work twelve hours or more a day. I work at Pizza Hut, so getting something to eat is easy. Unfortunately, there isn’t a lot of information on the origins of the food. I know the wheat used in the pizza crust is from the Midwest and I believe the cheese is from California (Pizza Hut, 2012). My beverages are an assortment of Pepsi products that are bottled at different plants around the United States. I guess I’m not much of an international eater, but at times I can be, it’s just been a busy week. Since it seems that most of my meals are processed foods or from a restaurant, my food arrives about the same way. The wheat or fruit is harvested and loaded onto trucks. These trucks take the produce to the factory where it is milled or juiced and mixed with other ingredients and preservatives, until the final product is reached. It is then bagged or bottled and shipped to a warehouse. It sits in the warehouse until picked and delivered to the store where they can be purchased. When I was in college getting my business degree, we talked a lot about the global market and its benefits. One of these benefits is more competition. Yes, competition is a benefit. It not only provides more choices, but competition means that companies will try different things to keep its customers. This can range from promotions to new lines of product. Lender’s bagels for example, not only have plain bagels, but also blueberry, strawberry, and cinnamon raisin. Another benefit of a global market is that it gives companies a broader market size. With a bigger market, companies are able to receive income from multiple sources rather than just locally. The internet has really helped the global market. You can order products direct from Germany, even though they’re not sold at your local store. You have to love our digital age. Being a global market can also have its negative impacts. Being from the south, I can remember my mom telling me, â€Å"You’re getting too big for your britches.† I know, it’s a weird saying, but it holds true for a lot of things. Companies that try to be global can sometimes â€Å"get too big† and lose sight of what his happening locally. The expansion in China and Europe become such a priority, that their backyard gets overgrown with weeds. It can also produce poor products. How many times have you received something from overseas that breaks within its first week? Or, you call technical support for a company based in Dallas, TX and get someone in India? I’m not saying that to be racist or anything, but a local company should take care of its local people. â€Å"Think Globally, Act Locally†. This can be interpreted many ways because we all think differently. For me, it means that you should consider the â€Å"big picture† and the benefits of introducing your product or service to a broader base. While doing this, however, you should take care of those around you. I had a former supervisor that would tell us, â€Å"Dance with the one that brought you.† I don’t know where he got that phrase from, but he was trying to tell us that we may get promoted or moved to a busier store, but don’t forget what brought you to that point. Go ahead and expand your operations to Europe and Asia, but don’t forget the people of St. Louis (or wherever) that supported you while you were growing. After all this research, my way of choosing goods really hasn’t changed. Even after studying the global market back in business classes, I still looked at products the same. While I appreciate the local producers and will buy their stuff, I’m also a cheapskate that goes for the best deal. I am willing to pay more, for example, I’ll shop my hometown drug store before going to Wal-Mart, even though it might cost a little more. The service and convenience will make up for the slightly higher price. I also like to try new things. I’ll try a new beer that’s imported from Mexico or Australia, but I’ll still keep some Bud Light in the fridge. I will agree that we should buy American, but we don’t always make the best stuff. The global market has its ups and downs. It’s like a marriage, most of the time it’s a wonderful union that makes people happy and provides the needs for each other. Other times, it seems like mommy (global company) and daddy (local company) just can’t get along. If the children (consumers) make the right decisions and try to â€Å"Think Globally, Act Locally† themselves, it might help the marriage. Then again, maybe we should just cut ties with the rest of the world and â€Å"Think Locally, Act Locally†, what do you think about that?

Employee Portfolio: Management Plan Essay

Employee Portfolio Amy, one of the employees has a very negative outlook on usual daily basis. She is not very satisfied with her current job which prevents her from showing her full potential at work. Her personal emotions take over and carry on to any tasks. There is something preventing her from being satisfied in the work. From her assessment it seems as she feels it is hard to grown and show her real ability to work to satisfaction of the company. On the other hand, Daisy is very happy with her current position in the company she is working for. She is happy which reflects in her work because she is able to use her full potential. She is able to accomplish whatever comes her way and is always open to new things. Finally, Lynnet is in some way like the other employee Daisy. She as well is happy with her job and can use own methods on the job to grow. She is good at noticing mood changes between others and herself and can think clearly about how to manage emotions. My recommendations on future assessments for Amy might be taking are like one, she needs to find a way she can control her emotions and feelings. Another recommendation is she needs to know she can take break before starting just so she can refresh her mood and attitude. Sometimes since she lets things around her take control taking a walk can help before taking any kind of assessments. Assessments can be stressful to an employee especially if they are afraid it can affect their pay, work schedule and future promotions. Both Daisy and Lynnet, are able to handle their emotions and surroundings and does not affect or interfere when taking assessments, therefore; they can just keep doing the same things they are currently doing that is working just fine. When Daisy was taking the assessment I noticed she took her time and even talked to herself about certain things she even knew about how she is. Lastly, Lynnet was quicker at doing the assessments  because at the moment she was just g etting off work and I believe since she loves her job it was just really easy to answer the questions. I believe Daisy and Lynnet should keep up what they are doing and working for them.

15 Stock Characters †and How to Restock Them

15 Stock Characters - and How to Restock Them 15 Stock Characters and How to Restock Them 15 Stock Characters and How to Restock Them By Mark Nichol Does the cast of characters in your novel or short story fall under some of these categories? Take care that your characters don’t fall into the clichà © trap: If you find that they resemble one of the stereotypes below, reconsider your characterization or at least provide the dramatis persona with a distinguishing personality characteristic that’s a twist on the same old, same old. 1. Antihero: This character, a protagonist (typically seen in detective and adventure genres) whose personality flaws distinguish him or her from a standard hero, is inherently much more interesting than the upstanding counterpart. The key characteristic is usually misanthropy, but that’s not enough to round a character out. An antihero must have a solid foundation on which to stand. 2. Absent-minded professor: Perhaps Professor Fumblebuttons is just pretending to be a shock-haired scientist who can’t remember where he put his glasses (â€Å"Um, the glasses you’re wearing?†). What’s his motive for his deception? 3. Boy/girl next door: Is John or Mary really what he or she seems? What dark secret does that wholesome countenance conceal? This character easily pales in comparison with a complicated villain or sidekick, so make an extra effort to invest your protagonist with personality or relegate the squeaky-clean persona to a secondary role. 4. Clown/fool: Traditionally, the court jester often someone of fragile mental stability or feigning the same was the only person allowed to mock or question his powerful patron, and his antics involved not only lighthearted entertainment but also sometimes barbed satire or veiled criticism. A comic-relief character needs to be more than just a wisecracking or mischievous type. Perhaps he’s the omniscient narrator, or he’s pretending to be a smart-aleck to divert attention from his true purpose. 5. Damsel in distress: The helpless young maiden is one of the most tired tropes in storytelling and so is the helpless young maiden turned butt-kicking babe. Better yet, imbue your ingenue with the characteristics of another character type, either one on this list or another stock persona. 6. Everyman: The peril of presenting a character designed to represent everyone is that he will appeal to no one. Make sure your everyman (or everywoman, or boy or girl edition) possesses enough distinguishing characteristics to be interesting, even intriguing. Remember: Relentlessly virtuous characters are boring, and stories in which they have no real challenges fail to engage readers. 7. Femme fatale: The enduring appeal of the deceptive villainess is whether she is in fact aiding or thwarting the protagonist. It’s a balancing act to keep readers guessing to the very end of the story- and that may not be enough. What if your femme fatale is herself deceived, either by the protagonist or by a third character? Twists within twists keep this trope fresh. 8. Hooker with a heart of gold: The bad girl turned good girl is a nice repudiation of moral intolerance, but it’s a stale stereotype. As in the case of her sister the femme fatale, readers shouldn’t be able to predict how she will behave. Is a second-act act of kindness part of a climactic ruse? Is she pressured to betray the protagonist, or is it part of her own plot? 9. Knight-errant: This bright-eyed variant of the hero can drag down a story with him (or her) take care that the conscientious crusader is not too glistening of tooth and sparkling of eye. The most interesting knight-errant in literature is Don Quixote, who was an abject failure (and was all the more appealing for his indefatigable idealism). 10. Manic pixie dream girl: This phrase, coined relatively recently, refers to the offbeat and seemingly off-her-rocker character who upends the protagonist’s carefully ordered world. The problem? She’s done and overdone at least in films. For the stereotype to not be stale, there has to be more to her than quirk. Why is she such a goofball? 11. Nerd: Geek, dork, nimrod been there, done that. But, for example, in the brilliant film Brick (film noir meets adolescent angst), the school brain is not an object of scorn but an awkward, laconic human database for the teenage gumshoe and there’s a touch of empathy for him in the way the lead character keeps him at arm’s length. What makes a nerd a nerd? And what makes him (or her) interesting? Hints of depth, or of deviousness, or both. 12. Sidekick: The protagonist’s right-hand man or woman serves as a counterpoint: intrepid vs. timid, serious vs. silly, and so on, one way or the other. Make sure your lead character’s attendant complements him or her, but also keep their relationship fresh by introducing some vulnerability in the main character the subordinate can exploit. 13. Tomboy: The tomboy transformed is a tired trope, not much better than the mousy maiden who becomes a blithe beauty just by taking off her eyeglasses. Resist the urge to go the Cinderella route: If an androgynous or athletic woman or girl refuses to conform to societal standards for feminine appearance, go with it. But why does she rebel against such norms? That’s the key to her character. 14. Tortured artist: In literature as in real life, complicated creative types are tiresome. A broadly comic tortured artist may be an effective device, but the writer must handle this type with care. 15. Wise man: The scholarly mentor is a time-tested element of many classic stories (think Merlin, or Yoda), so any such character must possess distinct traits. Perhaps your story’s wise man is brilliant about some things but inept concerning others he needs his protà ©gà ©Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s help in affairs of the heart, or, like the absent-minded professor, with whom he shares some characteristics, is a sage when it comes to intellectual areas but is at a loss when it comes to practical matters. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Fiction Writing category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:50 Synonyms for â€Å"Leader†Email EtiquettePredicate Complements

Causeway - Ancient Man-Made Ritual and Functional Roads

Causeway - Ancient Man-Made Ritual and Functional Roads A causeway is a human-constructed functional and/or ceremonial roadway or a set of roadway fragments. In ancient history they are made of earthen or rock structures that typically- but not always- bridged a waterway. Causeways may have been constructed to cross defensive structures, such as moats; irrigation structures, such as canals; or natural wetlands, such as marshes or fens. They often have a ceremonial element to them and their ritual significance can include symbolic passages between the mundane and the sacred, between life and death. Key Takeaways: Causeways Causeways are early types of human-made roads which have practical and ritual functions.The oldest causeways are about 5,500 years old, built to cross ditches and provide access to peat bogs.The Maya people created causeways up to 65 miles in length, crossing miles of forests in a nearly straight line. Causeways are remarkably different in function. Some (like those of the classic Maya) were almost certainly used for parades for diplomatic visits between communities; others such as the 14th-century Swahili coast were used as shipping lanes and ownership markers; or, in the European Neolithic, as trackways assisting navigation through uncertain landscapes. Some causeways are elaborate structures, elevated several feet about the ground such as at Angkor civilization; others are built of planks that bridge peat bogs, those of the Irish bronze age. But all of them are human-constructed roadways  and have some foundation in the history of transportation networks. Earliest Causeways The earliest known causeways are Neolithic bridges, constructed in Europe and dated between 3700 and 3000 BCE. Many Neolithic enclosed settlements had defensive elements, and some had concentric ditches or moats, generally with one or two at most bridges with which to cross. In some special cases, more causeways were built across the ditches then seems necessary, usually at the four cardinal points, allowing people to cross into the interiors from several directions at once. Since such configurations would not be easily defended, enclosed settlements with multiple causeway entrances are considered likely to have had a ceremonial or at least a shared communal aspect. Sarup, a Funnel Beaker site in Denmark occupied between 3400–3200 BC, had a ditch that encircled an area of about 21 acres (8.5 hectares), with several causeways which allow people to cross the ditches. Bronze Age Causeways Bronze Age causeways in Ireland (called tochar, dochair, or togher) are trackways which were built to allow access across and into peat bogs where peat might be cut for fuel. They varied in size and construction material- some were built as a line of planks laid end to end, flanked on each side by two round timbers; others were made of flat stones and gravel laid on a foundation of brushwood. The earliest of these date to about 3400 BCE. Early Dynastic and Old Kingdom pyramids in Egypt often were constructed with causeways connecting the various temples. These causeways were explicitly symbolic- there was no obstacle to be crossed- representing a route that people could use to travel from the Black Land (the land of the living and a place of order) to the Red Land (a place of chaos and the realm of the dead). Beginning in the Old Kingdoms 5th Dynasty, pyramids were built with an orientation following the daily course of the sun across the sky. The oldest causeway at Saqqara was paved with black basalt; by the time of Khufus rule, causeways were roofed and the internal walls were decorated in fine relief, frescos that depicted pyramid construction, agricultural scenes, craftsmen at work and themes of battles between Egyptians and their foreign enemies, and the pharaoh in the presence of gods. Classic Period Maya (600–900 CE) The sacbe (white lane) that leads to the Palacio, Labna, Puuc, Yucatan, Mexico. Mayan civilisation, 7th-10th century. De Agostini / Archivio J. Lange / Getty Causeways were a particularly important form of connection in lowland areas in North America such as those settled by the Maya civilization. There, causeways (known as sacbeob, singular sacbe, connected Maya cities for distances up to about 63 miles (100 kilometers) such as the Late Classic Yaxuna-Coba sacbe. Maya causeways were sometimes built from the bedrock up and can rise as high as 10 feet (3 meters; their widths range from 8 to 40 ft (2.5 to 12 m ), and they connect major Maya city-states. Others are barely above ground level; some cross wetlands and have bridges constructed to cross streams, but others are clearly only ceremonial. Medieval Period: Angkor and the Swahili Coast Short round pillars support the causeway leading to the Baphuon, in Siem Reap, Cambodia. Jeremy Villasis, Philippines / Moment / Getty Images At several sites of the Angkor civilization (9th–13th centuries CE), elevated causeways were constructed as later additions to the immense temples by king Jayavarman VIII (1243–1395). These causeways, perched above the ground atop a series of short columns, provided walkways connecting the major buildings of the temple complexes. They represent only one part of the enormous Khmer road system, a network of canals, pathways and roads which kept the Angkor capital cities in communication. During the height of the Swahili coast trading communities on the east coast of Africa (13th–15th centuries CE), numerous causeways were constructed out of blocks of reef and fossil corals along 75 mi (120 km) of coastline. These causeways were pathways, elevated just above sea level, that extended out perpendicularly from the coast into lagoons at Kilwa Kisiwani Harbor, ending in circular platforms at the seaward side. The fishermen today call them Arab Roads, which is a reference to the oral history which credits the founding of Kilwa to the Arabs, but like Kilwa itself the causeways are known to have been African constructions, built as navigational aids for ships plying the trade route in the 14th-15th centuries and complementing the Swahili urban architecture. These causeways are built of cemented and uncemented reef coral, up to 650 ft (200 m) long, 23–40 ft (7–12 m) wide and built up above the seafloor up to 2.6 ft. (8 m) high. Selected Sources Abdallatif, T., et al. Discovery of the Causeway and the Mortuary Temple of the Pyramid of Amenemhat Ii Using near-Surface Magnetic Investigation, Dahshour, Giza, Egypt. Geophysical Prospecting 58.2 (2010): 307-20. Print.Abramiuk, Marc A. The Discovery of an Ancient Maya Causeway System in the Southern Maya Mountains of Belize. Antiquity 91.357 (2017): e9. Print.Chase, Arlen F., and Diane Z. Chase. The Ancient Maya City: Anthropogenic Landscapes, Settlement Archaeology, and Caracol, Belize. Belize: Institute of Archaeology, NICH, 2016. Print.Chinchilla Mazariegos, Oswaldo Technologies of Urbanism in Mesoamerica: The Pre-Columbian Bridges of Cotzumalhuapa, Guatemala. Antiquity 92.362 (2018): 456-71. Print.Pollard, Edward. Safeguarding Swahili Trade in the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Centuries: A Unique Navigational Complex in South-East Tanzania. World Archaeology 43.3 (2011): 458-77. Print.Uchida, E., et al. A Reconsideration of the Construction Period of the Cruciform Terraces and the Elevated Causeways in the Angkor Monuments, Based on the Magnetic Susceptibility of the Sandstone Blocks. Archaeometry 55.6 (2013): 1034-47. Print.

Managing change by managing risk Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Managing change by managing risk - Essay Example The essay starts with the definition of change and ends with some recommendations on how to ensure successful change without risks. Keywords: change, risks, organisations, individuals, manage Table of Contents Page Executive summary 2 Introduction 4 What is change? 6 Why change is necessary? 8 Why risks are associated with change? 9 How to ensure successful change without risks? 10 Conclusion 11 References 14 Introduction In the advancement of almost everything today, change has become the fundamental issue in order to integrate better understanding on how situations have been created and on how to respond to them. In addition, how to cope with change in order to optimise productivity is another major consideration not just among individuals hooked on business, but every organisation trying to make sure of a continuing operation, competitive advantage and a remarkable market share through strategies for adapting, transforming and succeeding in the new business reality (Schoemer, 2009 ). Nokia for instance decides to jump off a burning platform right before it is too late for them to explore areas of possibilities where everybody seems to be moving around and embracing the need for change. Nokia has finally decided to initiate changes in its sales and marketing activities, which include the possibility of interacting with potential customers with its new Windows phones (Nokia Research Center, 2012, Reisinger, 2012). Today, almost everything around is changing and in the business environment this needs remarkable considerations. Let us cite the case of communication and technology advancement and the influence of the media on the business arena that has just headed to an upward spiral. As observed, it would now be much easier among companies to promote latest developed product offerings because of the increasing users of fast-speed internet connections having accessibility from almost everywhere, an event of the human history that could be ascribed to advanced mob ile gadgets that are able to surf the World Wide Web from roughly anywhere. Thus, it is clear that the information technology and communication system have altogether risen to a new level of applications. What is most important about these newly formed applications is the thought that individuals and even organisations are learning to rely on them on a daily basis. For instance, bank transactions are nowadays integrated with the fast-speed internet connections in order to serve more than the desired number of customers from across the world at a fast pace, which must be a move way much beyond compared from the past. With the advancement of technology that is integrated with information and communication system, organisations are finding the comfort of using these advancements for their advantage such as increased profitability. In fact, advancement strategies are proven to secure future profitability (Von Krogh et al., 2000, p.72). People from the past were bombarded with ideas abou t globalisation, but the actual face of it today is tantamount to creating one big market over the internet. This is a remarkable change in the century that everyone particularly those who are in the business realm have observed and considered both risky and an opportunity at the same time. These changes have indeed triggered corresponding opportunities to embrace change, but there are also some challenges and even risks involved. The business is faced with various

Theory final Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Theory final - Assignment Example pp.19-25). The three theories differ in complexity and the concepts they put forward. Grand theories are comprehensive, middle-range theories have a middle view reality, and practice theory is on a narrow view of reality. The prepositions in grand theories are not always explicit, middle-range theories are whereas in the propositions are well defined. Grand theories are more general in terms of the setting; middle-range theories are more particular to practice areas, and practice theories are to special populations or an identified field of practice. The similarities that exist between the three approaches is that they all view nursing as a profession that involves administration of care. Also, all the theories are aimed at improving service delivery for the general well being of human beings (Koshar, n.d. pp.35-42). An interactive-integrative framework involves viewing phenomena as having multiple, interrelated parts in relation to a particular context. Virginia Henderson concepts of the nature of nursing will be most helpful. It describes the role of a nurse as that of facilitating the activities of a sick or well person that contribute to general health or recovery. The theory states that a nurse should help patients recover and regain independence as soon as possible. The nurse to fit into the shoes of patients so as to identify and relate to their actual needs. This theory will suit the workplace as the hospital is a centre for the senior citizens who need special attention and follow up. The theory will be helpful, therefore, in addressing the needs of the elderly in a more personalised manner (Fawcett, 2005). Roy’s six-step nursing process would be most appropriate for development of Marys care plan . The model was established via the concept of an open system for human beings. The concept can respond to environmental stimuli through the development of survival

A brief of taxation case Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

A brief of taxation case - Essay Example In 1938, the property was sold a net sales of $2,500.00 (after deducting $500.00 sales expenses).The petitioner reported 50% of the net sales value ($1250.00) as taxable income (Bittker 277). Analysis: According to the petitioner, the property she had inherited was in the form of equity which according to the tax laws was zero tax based. The amount collected from the sales should have been treated as her net gain from the sales of equity (Yin 208). The IRS commissioner to the contrary argued that the petitioner had inherited land and building and not equity. He cited that before the selling, the petitioner was allowed depreciation deductions of $25,000 in excess on the premises. Likewise, the commissioner pointed out that the petitioner received money equivalent to the net sales on top of the debt amount transferred to the buyer of the property (Yin 214). First, the court addressed the meaning of the word ‘’property’’ and whether it was a synonym of ‘’Equity’’. The court agreed with the IRS commissioner in addressing how to treat inherited ’’property’’. In the ruling the court agreed that there was no evidence whatsoever to conclude that both words meant the same thing. Secondly, court said that by replacing the word ’’property’’ with ‘’equity’’ under the tax law would attract negative complications in the future cases. The major problem would have occurred while determining the value of depreciation to be subjected on a property. Subsequently, the action would undermine some of administrative rules in existence (Yin 250). The court secondly determined that the value the petitioner realized from selling the ‘’property’’ should be subject to the conclusion made under the first issue. The court maintained that there must exist actual money receipt or receipt of any other property on a transaction for it to be subjected to a taxable gain. Finally, the court ruled

Performance Appraisal: Functions and Implementation

Performance Appraisal: Functions and Implementation Chapter 1: 1.1 Introduction This dissertation project has been undertaken for the fulfilment of the business degree MBA, General Management from the University of East London. The findings of this dissertation will contribute to concerned company and the author to complete the MBA degree. At the beginning, a leading mobile tele-communication organisation in Bangladesh named Banglalink was chosen as the research organisation. In the middle of the study, the management refused to cooperate with providing information. As a result the author had to find and choose a suitable company to collect research information and data to finish the study. Secure Facilities Management Company Ltd. (SFM) was the new company chosen to finish the research. The introduction chapter gives an overall idea about the study. In this part, the background, objectives and research questions and the structure of this dissertation will be discussed. 1.2 Background of the Study The study discusses about the functions and the implementation of performance appraisal in the new era. The concept of ‘Welfare Personnel was developed in the end of the British golden colonial history by the humane concerns of some business families like Cadbury and Rowntree. Then within the next century, the concept had changed and became Personnel Management and later on Human Recourse Management. Now the world has just entered into a new millennium and the concept of human resource management has become a strategic partner for the business organisations. (McKenna Beech, 2008:2 3) Organisations require many things in order to be effective, a method for producing a product or service, financial resources, a way of marketing and human resources. While all of these are important to organisational effectiveness, the only factor that represents a potential competitive advantage is human resources. This is why the concept of human resource management is s important to every organisation.. The basics of managing people are getting people, preparing them, stimulating them motivate them. To manage human resources in any organisation the following questions are to be considered: (Dessler, 2005:4-5) Are the persons hired for the job wrong? Is the organisation able to milk out the best from the employees? What is the most frustrated area of human resource management? Is the rewarding system working properly? The above refers to how people worked in the past, what changes are required in future to make the production system effective, what are the weaknesses of the system and how to improve. These actually refer to the evaluation of employees of job which is called Performance Appraisal. Performance appraisal system is an important function of personnel department in any organisation. The system has a close relationship between organisation goals and individual performance. The performance appraisal system represents a year round exercise of managing individual performance in an integrated manner with a view to enabling employees to perform at their performance standards. (Dessler, 2005:310) With the view of increasing organisational effectiveness through the effective management of human resources, the organisations use different methods of appraising performance of their employees. For this research a small security service company named ‘Secure Facilities Management Company Ltd. (SFM) a private single owner security service company has been chosen. SFM became a successful organisation in the last few years. Their high standard efficient employees are one of the key factors for their success. For that, SFM has been chosen to practice the theoretical knowledge and to get familiar with the existing system of Performance Appraisal of a small private company. 1.2 Research Question In general, most of the organisations have a kind of formal or informal performance appraisal system. Through the performance appraisal system, the employees get to know their performance standards, which area of their performance needs to be developed etc. The supervisor also provides them with feedback, development and incentives to help them eliminating their performance deficiencies. If performance appraisal system is effectively used, it can improve attraction motivation of the employees on the job. If inappropriately used the appraisal process can have disastrous effects (Dessler, 2005:310). Hence the discussion leads to the research questions: What is the level of understanding and compliance of the employees on performance appraisal? What are the reactions of the employees regarding the performance appraisal? What are the constraints of the performance appraisal in practical life? 1.3 Aims and Objectives of the Study The research has been undertaken for the fulfilment of the requirement for completion of MBA, General Management for the year 2008/2009. This is mainly aimed to develop the job expertise in the performance appraisal activities under the guidance of expert faculty member of University of East London. It is really a difficult task to assess consistency, relevance and reliability of the tools and techniques of the system, however and effort is made to have some ideas about the matter. 1.3.1 Aims The study mainly aims at knowing about the awareness, the level of understanding and compliance of the employees of SFM regarding performance appraisal system. The study attempts to analyse the present performance appraisal system and the role of both appraisers and appraises in connection with the implantation of the system in real life situation. 1.3.2 Objectives To be acquainted with and acquire practical knowledge regarding performance appraisal system of an organisation. To relate the theoretical knowledge of performance appraisal with practical implication. To determine the acceptability and reliability of the performance appraisal system in a certain organisation. To assess the constraints/factors which influence the performance appraisal system. 1.4 Scope of the Study Target group includes officers of all level. The working forces those who are working in the head office and also in the other sites. Value Perception of both appraisers and appraises of the organisation under study. 1.5 Limitations of the Study While preparing this report, the following limitations had been faced: At the beginning a renowned mobile Tele-communication company in Bangladesh, Banglalink, was chosen for the study but they refused to deliver any information and cooperation just one and half month before the submission date. As a result, the author had to choose a small security company, Secure Facilities Management Company Ltd. (SFM) to carry on and finish the study within such a short time. SFM has a master plan on performance appraisal, but at present implementing a part of it. As a part of the business strategy, SFM did not provide all information on their performance appraisal procedure. The major limitation of the study was the lack of time for such an intensive work which compelled the author to narrow the scope of the study. All officials were very busy with their own assignments. As a result, they had a little opportunity for giving much time in this regard. Limitation was faced on the volume of the report due to which many relevant and important things will remain unexplored in detail. 1.6 Organisation Profile Introduction to Secure Facilities Management Company Ltd. (SFM): Since its formation SFM has built its reputation by providing security personnel of the highest calibre. This has been achieved by combining sound management with sensible terms and conditions for all staff. SFM strives to ensure that their clients and staff benefit from a focused and well-defined professional approach, the ratio of management to client is kept to no more than one manager per 10 clients. SFM strives to provide the highest standards of efficiency to all its clients, both large and small. SFM understands the importance of first impressions and that their personnel are often the first point of contact for their clients visitors and residents. 1.7 Structure of the Research This structure of this study has the following five chapters: Chapter 1 is the introduction chapter where the background, research question and rationale, objective, company profile and structure of the research are stated. Chapter 2 contains a brief literature review on performance management, history and meaning of the performance appraisal, purposes, functions, types of performance appraisal, MBO, 360 degree appraisal, problems and solutions of performance appraisal and essentials of a good performance appraisal. This chapter will provide a basic understanding about performance appraisal which is related to the research questions. Chapter 3 contains Research Methodology which includes research framework, the design of the research, population and sampling, and questionnaire. Chapter 4 provides Data analysis, statistical analysis and findings of the research. Chapter 5 describes the critical review of the findings. Chapter 6 discusses on recommendation and conclusion of the study and reflection summery. Chapter 2: Literature Review 2.1 Introduction Organisations require consistent levels of high performance from their employees in order to survive in a highly competitive environment. In a view of this, performance appraisal can be a systematic system through which evaluation of an employee is done analyze effectively to determine required performance. It plays a key role in rewarding systems. It is the process of evaluating the performance of employees, sharing information with them and searching for ways to improve their performance. Appraisal is necessary in order to: Allocate resources in a dynamic environment; Motivate and reward employees; Give employees feedback about their work; Maintain fair relationships within groups; Coach and develop employees; and Comply with regulations. It is also a formal opportunity to do what should be done much more frequently in organisations to express appreciation for employee contributions. Companies must administer their employee performance reviews, at all levels, fairly and without discrimination. Since all appraisals can be used against a company in an appraisal employee lawsuit, it is critical that these reviews should be completely accurate. This practice of performance appraisal has been given a variety of titles. The academicians call it performance appraisal, performance review etc. In Government services in Bangladesh, it is known as ACR (Annual Confidential Report). In private organisations, it is often described as merit rating, personnel rating, progress rating, annual performance, etc. Performance appraisal plays a major role in Human Resource Management. The subject is a part of Performance Management. It is necessary to discuss the performance management briefly before proceeding to performance appraisal. Performance Management The primary concern of performance management is the improvement of individual and collective performance. It is a continuous cycle of self-renewing. The aim of performance management is make direct link together individual goals, departmental purpose and organisational objectives. It integrates the major elements of HRM like appraisal and employee development, performance-related pay and reward management, individualism and employee relations. In other way it can be called as day-to-day management activity as it deals with organising works to get the best result. â€Å" a strategic integrated approach to delivering sustained success to organisations by improving the performance of the people who work in them and by developing the capabilities of tams and individual contributors†. Armstrong (2001:467) According to Armstrong (2001:475) the main activities of performance management are Role Definition, The Performance Agreement or Contract, The Performance Development Plan, Managing Performance Throughout the Year and Performance Review. These activities are a continuous cycle. According to Marchington Wilkinson (2004:187), the process of performance management system involves Induction and Socialisation, Reviewing and Appraising Performance, Reinforcing Performance Standards and Counselling and Support. Beardwell and Holden (2001:538) stated â€Å"Performance Management is not simply the appraisal of individual performance: it is an integrated and continuous process that develops, communicates and enables the future direction, core competencies and values of organisation, and helps to create an ‘horizon of understanding†. Performance Management is an effective tool by which the employees work behaviours are aligned with the organisations goals. There is no one way to manage performance. Whatever system is adopted needs to be similar with the culture and the principles of that organisation. However, most system of performance management has several parts: Defining Performance: Carefully defines employee performance so that it supports the organisations strategic goals. Setting of clear goals for the individual employee is a critical component of performance management. Measuring Performance: Measuring performance does not need to be narrowly conceived, but can bring together multiple types of performance measured in various ways. The key is to measure often and use the information for mid-course corrections. Feedback and Coaching: In order to improve performance, the employee needs information (feedback) about their performance, along with the guidance in reaching the next level of results. Without frequent feedback, employees are unlikely to know that behaviour is out of synchronization with relevant goals, or what to do about it. The major aim of performance management is to find ways of continual improvement of levels of both organisational and individual performance and performance appraisal is the perfect weapon for that improvement. The Rise of Performance Appraisal The performance appraisal has a long history which started China in the third century, the reign of Wei Dynasty. It was mainly used for the civil servants, army officers and managers until recently. Now it is very much wide spread all over the world and has become a popular management tool. In the UK most of the private sector organisations has introduced and are practicing performance appraisal during the last decade or two. Some people suggested that the reason behind for its growth is to use the individualised performance-pay system. Some other factors like market competition, managing change, organisation goal, milk out the best from the employees etc. are also important. Now the terminology ‘performance appraisal is changing to ‘personal development review and ‘performance review and development. (Taylor, 2004:247-248) Meaning of Performance Appraisal Performance Appraisal (PA) is a methodical, on the job-review of an employees abilities and accomplishments. Performance appraisal functions as a valuable management assessment tool and a superior employee motivation weapon. It enables us to strike a workable balance between organisations need for qualified and trained personnel and employees need for feedback and motivation. Performance is the contribution and appraisal is the procedure of measuring the contribution. Performance appraisal is an integral part of a system of managing individuals working in an organisation. Performance appraisal is an inevitable inspire of modern technology and all the systems and controls coming into widespread us, people remain the most important factor in all kinds of business, government agencies, charitable organisations and all other organisation. Performance appraisal is a process of bringing together the approaches of performance management like counselling, training, improving performance etc. that helps the managers to exercise them to achieve the goal of the organisation. It is a procedure of rewarding and disciplining the employees to improve the over performance of the organisation. It is the process of evaluating performance or contribution of an employee to the organisation during a specific period of time by his or her supervisor with relation to his or her job requirements. An effective, reliable and valid performance appraisal system recognizes the legitimate desire of employees for progress in their professions. Integration of organisational demands and individual needs through career management is the part of performance appraisal. Therefore, the performance appraisal program is inevitable for measuring the contribution of both â€Å"employees and managerial personnel†. Performance appraisal program is the basis of determining who is profitable to higher position and who is to be rewarded for better contribution to the organisation he or she belongs to. Performance feedback lets employees know how well they have performed in comparison with the standards of the organisation. Performance appraisal program is the administrative and employee development tool, which is the domain of the management not shared by the employees. Opponents of the performance appraisal attack it on a variety of grounds but without appraising performance of the employees career development, organisational development, recently a number of organisations have revamped their appraisal system in a bid to reduce possible negative outcomes. Appraisal, no doubt is a complex issue and it is clear that to be effective, a system must be designed and implemented with great care. â€Å"Performance appraisal means evaluating an employees current and/or past performance relative to his or her performance standards†. (Dessler, 2005:310) Michael Armstrong (2001:486) says â€Å"Performance review discussions enable a perspective to be obtained on past performance as a basis for making plans for the future.† He explains that the five elements of performance management (measurement, feedback, positive reinforcement, exchange of views and agreement on action plans) can be achieved through performance review. In the conclusion it can be said that, performance appraisal is the process by which an employees contribution to the organisation during a specific period of time is assessed. Performance Feedback then lets the employee know how well they have performed in comparison with the standards of the organisation. Who Should Do The Appraisal? By traditionally a managers authority typically has included appraising subordinates performance. The logic behind this tradition seems to be that since managers are held responsible for their employees† performance, it only makes sense that these managers do the evaluating of their performance. The employees immediate boss conducts about 95 percent of all performance appraisals at the lower and middle levels of the organisation. Purposes Purposes of Performance Appraisal: HRD Employees View Performance appraisal or evaluation serves a number of purposes for Human Resources Department and for the development of the employees. Management uses performance appraisal for general human resource decisions. Evaluations provide input into such important decisions, transfers, and terminations. Performance appraisals identify training and development needs. They pinpoint employee skills and competencies that are currently inadequate but for which programs can be developed to remedy. Performance appraisal can be used as a criterion against which selection and development programs are validated. Newly Hired employees who perform poorly can be identified through performance appraisal. Similarly, the effectiveness of training development programs can be determined by assessing how well those employees who have participated do on their performance appraisal. Performance appraisals also fulfil the purpose of providing feedback to employees on how the organisation views their performance. Furthermore performance appraisals are used as the basis for reward allocations. Decisions as to who gets merit pay increases and other rewards are frequently determined by performance appraisal. Purposes of Performance Appraisal: Organisations View Identify the successful less successful aspects of the employee needs organisational goals. Assist decision makers in allocating resources in planning for future. Assist managers in just frying expenditure accounting for those expenditures. Monitor employee activities to detect any change in activities or the quality of services. Serve as a benchmark, i.e. identifying best practice performance, using that performance as a goal, investigating the factors that led up to that performance, then trying to replicate that level of performance. Functions / Uses of Performance Appraisal Multiple uses of Performance Appraisal are: Development uses. Administrative uses/decision makings. Organizational maintenance/objectives. Documentation. Types of Performance Appraisal There are various types of performance appraisal which includes Alternation Ranking Method, Graphic Rating Scale, Management By Objectives (MBO) etc. (Dessler, 2005:315) These are explained below. Alternation Ranking Method It is the oldest simplest of formal systematic rating is to compare one person with all others for the purpose of placing them in a simple rank order of worth. In doing this, the appraiser considers person and performance as an entity; no attempt is made to systematically fractionize what being appraised into component elements. Graphic Rating Scale This method is widely used in merit rating is similar to the techniques in point-evaluation plan. This involves the supervisor to rate employee performance in terms of prescribed traits i.e. quality of work, quantity of work, initiative, dependability, knowledge of work etc. Each trait is defined various degrees of each are prescribed in some way. From traits degrees over-all rating can be obtained. Forced Distribution Choice Another attempt to counteract the tendency of raters to give average ratings or even sometimes to â€Å"twist† a report to bring about a desired result is the forced-choice technique. Here the rater is faced with groups of three of four statements, he must tick the one, which applies most nearly to the employee under assessment. These statements are so devised that it is impossible for the rater to know which will give the most favourable rating. Grading It is a further development to the guideline approach which attempts to provide a frame work of reference by defining a number of levels at which the characteristics is displayed asking Managers to select the definition which most closely describes the individual they are assessing. For example, in rating effective output the Manager in a typical grading scheme is asked to choose between: Outstanding Outstanding output of high quality work Satisfactory Satisfactory level of output effort Fair Completes less than the average amount of effective work Poor Low output poor worker. Critical Incident Method The critical incident method requires every Supervisor to adopt a practice of recording in a note-book of those significant incidents in each employees behaviour that indicate effective or poor behaviour. These are recorded in a specifically-designed notebook that contains characteristics under which the various behaviours can be recorded. Management by Objectives (MBO) Management by Objectives (MBO) is a critical process that often consists of four steps as a way to attain desired performance: Objective setting-joint determination by manager employee of appropriate levels of future performance for the employee, within the context of over-all unit goals resources. These objectives are often set for the next calendar year. Action planning-participative or even independent planning by the employee as to how to reach those objectives. Providing some autonomy to employees is invaluable; they are more likely to use their ingenuity, as well as feel more committed to the plans success. Periodic reviews-joint assessment of progress toward objectives by manager employee performed informally sometimes spontaneously. Annual evaluation-more formal assessment of success in achieving the employees annual objectives coupled with a renewal of the planning cycle. Some MBO systems also use performance appraisal to tie rewards for employees to the level of results attained. MBO had been taken likened to a modem form of scientific management. It is also subject to the same possible criticisms of too great an emphasis on individual job definition together with a management authority structure, the assumption of no conflict between individual organisation goals. MBO should not be applied simply as a pressure device by which management apply increasingly demanding targets which Staffs are expected to achieve. MBO draws attention to the objectives for individual members of the organisation as a whole. MBO is a potentially attractive system. It provides an opportunity for staff of accept greater responsibility to make a higher level or personal contribution. There is much to recommend it to both the organisation individual managers. 360 Degree Appraisal or Evaluation The latest approach to performance appraisal is the use of 360 Degree evaluations. It provides for performance feedback from the full circle of daily contacts that an employee might have, ranging from mailroom personnel to customers to bosses to peers. The number of appraisals can be as few as three or four evaluations or as many as 25; with most organisations collecting five to ten per employees. The appeal of 360-degree appraisals is to fit well into organisations that have introduced teams, employee involvement, and TQM programs. By relaying on feedback from co-workers, customers and subordinates, these organisations are hoping to give every one more accurate reading on employee performance. Appraising Performance: Problems and Solutions Few of the things a manager does which are more risky than appraising subordinates performance. Employees in general tend to be overly optimistic about what their ratings will be, and also know that their raises, career progress, and peace of mind may well hinge of how they are rated. This alone should make it somewhat difficult to rate performance; even more problematic. There are more numerous structural problems that can cause serious doubt on just how fare the whole process is. Some of the main appraisal problems and their solution are explained below. Dealing with the Five Main Rating Scale Appraisal Problems Five main problems can undermine appraisal tools such as graphic rating scales: unclear standards, halo effect, central tendency, leniency or strictness, and bias. Unclear Standards: The problem of unclear standards is illustrated. Although the graphic rating scale seems objective, it would probably result in unfair appraisals because the traits and degrees of merit are open to interpretation. For example, different supervisors would probably define ‘good performance, ‘fair performance, and so on differently. The same is true of traits such as ‘quality of work or ‘creativity. Halo Effect: The halo effect means that the rating of subordinate on one trait (such as ‘gets along with others) biases the way that person is rated on other traits (such as ‘quality of work). This problem often occurs with employees who are especially friendly (or unfriendly) towards the supervisor. For example, an unfriendly employee will often be rated unsatisfactory for all traits rather than just for the trait ‘gets along well with others. Being aware of this problem is a major step toward avoiding it. Supervisory training can also solve the problem. Central Tendency: Many supervisors have a central tendency when filling in rating scales. For example, if the rating scale ranges from 1 to 7, they tend to avoid the highs (6 to 7) and lows (1to 2) and rate most of their people between 3 and 5. In a graphic rating scale, this central tendency could mean that all employees are simply rated ‘average. Such a restriction can distort the evaluations, making them less useful for promotion, salary, or counselling purposes. Ranking the employees instead of using a graphic rating scale can avoid this central tendency problem because all employees must be ranked and thus cannot all be rated average. Leniency or Strictness: Some supervisors tend to rate all their subordinates consistently high (or low), just all some instructors are notoriously high graders and others are not. This strictness/leniency problem is especially serious with graphic rating scales since supervisors arent necessarily required to avoid giving all their employees high (or low) ratings. On the other hand, when the raters rank subordinates, they are forced to distinguish between high and low performances. Thus, strictness/leniency is not a problem with the ranking or forced distribution approach. In fact, if a graphic rating scale must be used, it may be a good idea to assume a distribution of performances-that, say, only about 10% of the people should be rated ‘excellent, 20% ‘good, and so forth. In other words, try to get a spread (unless, of course, the raters are sure all their people really do fall into just one or two categories). Bias: Individual differences among raters in terms of characteristics like age, race, and sex can affect their ratings, often quite apart from each rates actual performance. In one study, for instance, researchers found a systematic tendency to evaluate older rates (over 60 years of age) lower on ‘performance capacity and ‘potential for development then younger employees. The rates race and sex can also affect the persons rating. However, bias is not necessarily consistently against minorities or women, as it seems to be in the case of older workers. In one study, high performing females were often rated significantly higher than were high performing males. An interesting picture of how age can distort evaluations emerges from a study of registered nurses. When the nurses were 30-39 years old, they and their supervisors each rated the nurses performance virtually the same. In the 21-29 category, supervisors actually rated nurses higher than they rated themselves. However, for the 40-61 nurse age categories, the supervisors rated nurses performance lower than the nurses rated their own performance. The conclusion here may be that supervisors are tougher in appraising older subordinates. Specifically, they dont give them as much credit for their success, while attributing any low performance to their lack of ability. A related problem is described in the Diversity Counts feature. An employees previous performance can also affect the evaluation of h