Distance Learning Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Distance Learning - Essay Example The online enrollment estimations made in the late 1990s have been exceeded and continues to grow at amazingly high rates. Thus, the number of online students reached 2.6 million in the fall of 2004 (Allen, and Seaman, 2004). Despite the tremendous success of distance technology-mediated learning (this term covers not only fully online courses, but also various blended approaches that integrate online components into traditional classes), experts suggests that it still remains at an early stage of development (Smart, and Cappel, 2006). The conventional concepts and theories of education were reported to retain their suitability in the web-based learning environment. Numerous research studies demonstrated that cognitive factors such as performance, learning, and achievement in distance education classes are comparable to those observed in traditional classes (Russell, 1999). ... s enrolled in an introductory psychology course performed better in distance education courses, although the level of their satisfaction with them was lower. Students in the web based course consistently scored an average of five percentage points higher on the final exam than did those in the lecture course, but they consistently reported less satisfaction than the students in the lecture course (Hagel, and Shaw, 2003). Student satisfaction is currently believed to be one of the major indicators of student development in conventional higher education. The mission of higher education is not only to impart knowledge but also to enhance the student's total development (Astin, 1993). One of the ways higher education institutions accomplish this mission is by continuously collecting information on student satisfaction, defined by various authors as an "everpresent campus variable" (Betz, Menne, Starr, and Klingensmith, 1971: 99), the key outcome of higher education (Astin, 1993), and the 'quality enhancement tool designed to improve the quality of the student experience' (Harvey, Plimmer, Moon, and Geall, 1997: 3). Traditionally, the institutions of higher education have used the data on student satisfaction to improve understanding of the educational environments. This understanding, it its turn, allowed to create settings more conducive for student development. Student satisfaction is an indicator of higher education institutions' responsiveness to the needs of students. Also it is a measure of institutional effectiveness, success, and vitality. Measuring student satisfaction is also important for maintaining and increasing enrollment, managing attrition and retention problems, and making better-informed decisions in the area of student affairs (Beltyukova, 2002).

Leading & Managing People - Expatriate Essay Example for Free

Leading Managing People Expatriate Essay Multinational firms throughout the world are increasingly concerned about hiring, developing and retaining managers with international experience and global perspectives† quoted by Briscoe and Schuler in 2004. This report will be focusing on variety of issues relating to Human Resource implications which faced by the expatriate working in MNC located in Malaysia as well as Malaysian working in overseas. The extraction will be from the most recent newspaper, journal and articles relating to the following topics in human resource management. 1) Expatriate Failure and the Selection policy 2) Training and development for cross-cultural 3) Performance appraisal for expatriate The expatriation was subjugated by professionals sent by their employers to foreign subsidiaries or headquarters. 3. 0 KEY ISSUES AND ANALYSIS 3. 1 Expatriate Failure and the Selection policy Expatriate facade many new challenges both in the workplace and the community. For instance, culture shock differences in work-related norms, isolation, homesick, housing, schooling, language, customs, cost of living and coping with his/her spouse’s problems of adapting to new environment. According to Stone(2008), research indicates that a manager’s inability to adapt or their partner’s inability to adapt is the major cause of expatriate failure. Harvey(1983) cited the consequence include premature return from a foreign posting and high resignation rates, with expatriates leaving their company at about twice the rate of domestic managements. Tung (1987) expounded the three main reasons contributing to the failure of expatriates in US MNC is as follows:- * the inability of the manager’s spouse to adjust to a different physical or cultural environment; * the manager’s inability to adapt to a different physical or cultural environment; * other family-related problems. One study by International Orientation Resources, an HRM consulting firm, found that 60 percent of expatriate failures occur due to these three reasons too(Solomon,1994). Besides the above mentioned reasons, include inappropriate selection practices, inadequate preparation and training as well as the stresses associated with expatriation which identified by New Zealand research (Enderwick and Hodgson, 1993). Another critical reason is the cross-cultural communications can be a struggle for the international manager. Gestures, facial expressions, behaviour and words can have different meanings and connotations. China, Korea and Japanese have high-context cultures where considerable importance is given to non-verbal and situational cues. In contrast, Australia, Canada, the US and Britain have low-context cultures where what is said is what it meant(Stone,2008). In contrast, some Malaysians who work aboard feel that the grass is greener on the other side. In Appendix A, this article highlighted the reasons why some Malaysian prefer to remain overseas. Due to higher paid, to widen their horizons, the prestige of working in a foreign company and the quality of life is unbeatable. The expatriate is unable to adapt in the foreign environment due to lack of cultural skills. According to HRM consulting firm, this is because the expatriate selection process at many organisations is essentially flawed (Solomon, 2000). Expatriates failed because these three focal reasons which mentioned by Tung that have not been part of the selection process. The underlying message was that the family is the basic unit of expatriation, not the individual. The MNC needs to look into this matter seriously in order to reduce expatriate failure. 3. 2 Training and development for cross-cultural Many companies including MNC have been ignored on providing training for employees whether local or global organisations. MNC recruits expatriate based on technical competence and past job performance as the key selection criteria and assumed the expatriate is able to adapt in the country where he was posted. MNC should not take them for granted. They should be pre-prepared by providing orientation, training on the cultural, language and living skill in the host country. Shown in Appendix D, expatriate reports interviewed an expatriate working in Nanchang, China on how significant was the culture shock he experienced when he moved abroad? He replied that quite significant and hard to adapt to the Chinese food and people spitting on the streets. Certainly, at the initial stage every expatriate will face cultural shock difference which may lead to miscommunication, misunderstanding and misinterpretation. Then directly he will be unproductive, inefficiency and faces expatriate failure. The MNC has to recruit a new manager to replace him which will be time consuming and have to repeat the process of selection and hiring. The MNC requires the expatriate to train the local employees in the host-country by transferring his knowledge and skills to them so that they are able to be independent and step into the positions/responsibilities within the shortest possible time. The article in Appendix B highlighted Malaysia government will review the education system to produce talent needed for an advanced nation and also perks to lure home highly skilled Malaysians (brain drain) and retain global talent to develop a quality workforce. Even our government recognise the essential of education/training to develop our highly skilled employees that are not only vital to the companies but also making the nation into globally competitive and transforming it as the high-income economy for instance Singapore, HK and Shanghai. 3. Performance appraisal for expatriate Stone (2008) cited that performance appraisal is a matter of serious concern for many expatriates. This is because performance appraisal is often handled badly. Companies fail to take into account the added complexities that come with international appraisals. Key issues involving performance expectations, performance measures and who will be responsible for the conduct of the appraisals are left vague or undecided. Worse, some head office managers ignore the international appraisal and do not incorporate it into the career development process. The end result is that expatriates perceive the appraisal process as unfair and as a source of never-ending frustration. Groeschi (2003) quotes that a number of comparative international and cross-cultural management research projects have concluded that HRM is influenced by culture. He also highlighted the same HRM policy is likely to be attributed quite different meanings by different cultural groups for instance performance appraisal. An organisation’s performance appraisal systems are an important element of its control systems, which is a central component of organisation architecture (see Figure 1 as below). In many international companies, the thorny issue is how best to evaluate the performance of expatriate managers (Hill, 2009). During the appraisal evaluation for the expatriate, there are two groups who evaluate the performance of expatriate managers. They are host-nation manager and home-office managers whom are subject to bias. The host-nation managers may be biased by their own cultural frame of reference and expectations. On the other hand, home-country mangers’ appraisals may be biased by distance and by their own lack of experience working abroad. Home-office managers often not aware of what is going on in a foreign operation and they tend to rely on hard data in evaluating an expatriate’s performance, such as the productivity, revenues, profitability or market share which reflect factors outside the expatriate’s control. Due to such biases, many expatriate managers believe that headquarters management evaluates them unfairly and does not fully appreciate the value of their skills and experience. It also one of the reasons many of them believe a foreign posting does not benefit their careers (Hill, 2009). 4. 0 RECOMMENDATION 4. 1 Expatriate Failure and the Selection policy Managing a MNC provides a diversity of challenges which the crucial one will be how the parent-company will recruit potential expatriate to manage their off-shore operations affiliates/subsidiaries. Selection of the expatriate must be right at the first time although time and resources consuming in reviewing and evaluating all the potential candidates follow by filtering them. The expatriate should not be selected based on technical competence and past job performance as the key selection criteria. Expatriate failure in many cases is the result of a lack of personal adjustment rather than a lack of technical skills. Harvey (1997) cited furthermore, research shows that in many companies expatriate selection is often haphazard and irrational. Organisations need to understand that in choosing expatriates, they should take into account differences in the business, social and cultural environment in the specific country and the impact on the potential expatriate, spouse and dependants (Stone, 2008). Stone’s (1991) study found that both local managers and expatriate managers perceive the essential selection criteria as the expatriate’s ability to adapt and the adaptability of the partner and family. 4. Training and management development for cross-cultural According to Hill (2009), superior performance requires not only strategy must also be supported by the right organisation architecture. Strategy is implemented through organisation. In Figure 1, people are the linchpin of a firm’s organisation architecture. For a firm to outperform its rivals in the global marketplace, it must have the right people in the right postings. Those people must be trained appropriately so they have the skill sets required to perform their jobs effectively and so they behave in a manner that is congruent with the desired culture of the firm. The following trainings are recommended for MNCs’ expatriates:- * Cross-Culture Training prior to departure The purpose of this training allows individuals to more rapidly adjust to the new culture before departing to host-country, and therefore, to be more effective in their new roles (Black and Mendenhall, 1990). It has been widely recognised for more than 20 years that the partners and children of expatriates play an important role in contributing to the success of expatriate assignments (Fukuda and Chu, 1994; Rahim, 1983) Cultural, Language and Practical(Living Skill) trainings * These trainings are helping to control and reduce expatriate failures. There is no question that comprehensive cultural training can have many benefits for MNCs. For starters, it can help orient and develop expatriates to better communicate, understand, and work effectively with people from different cultural, religious, and ethnic backgrounds. Comprehending and valuing cultural differences can al so help expatriates in the effective management of multi-cultural teams. Understanding global markets, customers, suppliers, and competitors is another indirect benefit. Pragmatically, cultural training can have a positive impact on combating very expensive expatriate failure (Luthans, 2002). Their spouse adaption problem, it is important that the spouse and the whole family to be included in this training * Language training usually conducted in host-country’s language. When the expatriate willing to communicate in the host-country language(even not fluent), can help build rapport with local employees and improve the manager’s effectiveness. * Benefit of practical training in helping the expatriate manager and family ease themselves into daily life in the host country. The expatriate community group can be a great source of support and information sharing in helping the expatriate’s family adapt to a foreign culture. 4. 3 Performance appraisal for expatriate To overcome the expatriate’s frustration and problems, the HR manager needs to ensure that the following key issues are clarified before the expatriate begins an overseas assignment:- * What are the organisation’s performance expectations? * What criteria and standards will be used to measure performance? * Who will conduct the evaluation – a local manager, a head office manager or both? * What will be the frequency of the appraisals? What consideration will be given to local environmental influence? (for example, volatility of foreign exchange rate fluctuations, availability of skilled labour, political instability, corruption and so on) * Is the appraisal positively incorporated into the career development process? * Are head office managers cognisant of the local business environment? * Are there any cultural influences that may distort the measurement of the expatriate’s performance? In order to overcome the biases of the two groups who evaluate the expatriate managers’ performance, it is recommended to implement 360-degree feedback.

The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz :: The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz

The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz Duddy's obsession with land lies within his grandfather, Simcha. When Duddy was small, he spoke those unforgettable words to him, "A man without land is nobody." When it seemed as if nobody cared or respected him, Simcha did. Duddy did not receive the same kind of love from his father or uncle as Lennie did.   When Duddy comes back from work at, he asks, "Why [Max] didn't answer any of [his] letters?"   He replies he wasn't "one for letters." "But Duddy remembered that when Lennie had worked as a camp counsellor one summer his father had written every week.   He had driven out to visit him twice."(pp. 104 & 105) Duddy did not have the same kind of affection and devotion Lennie and Max shared.   The same situation came from his uncle, Benjy. At first sight, Benjy described him as having a "thin crafty face, the quick black eyes and the restlessness_the grain so shrewd and knowing, all made a bad impression on Uncle Benjy." (p. 61)   Benjy supported Lennie, giving him money for his education.   With the exception of Simcha, he had no other parental support which is the reason why Simcha words had such a great effect on him. Duddy gains what he had wanted in its acquisition, respect. Everyone except Simcha, Mr. MacPherson, and Uncle Benjy thought he was going to be a nobody.   He wanted so much to prove them wrong and he has.   We may say he has gained self assurance, restating the fact he was a somebody important.   Since his days at Fletcher's Field High School, he ran a gang based on respect, not friendship.   Things do not change when he becomes an adult. Virgil is just one of the people Duddy uses to get money for his land.   He feels no grief for hurting his so called friends because he has never experienced true friendship.   His purchasing of land would push him into higher step in society.   What he gains is nothing compared to what he loses. Duddy has lost his innocence.   No longer is he the pure and na†¹ve

Scholarship Essay

For the longest time, I displayed an interest in the educative arts. It has always been a matter of how I would be able to succeed in my goal that would put the complete cherry on top. To obtain a scholarship of such quantity would open up so many doors for me that it would not be difficult in the slightest to find a way to pay my way through college. There are several reasons why I would be an ideal candidate for this scholarship opportunity, so let me delve into the many aspects that will show why I deserve this opportunity to aid me in completion of my present and future goals.It has not been too much of a struggle to work long, laborious hours and also pay for my education, while learning and absorbing as much knowledge as I could. This is true because I have displayed qualities such as responsibility and perseverance that consume my personality. However, these qualities are still present. I have adapted myself to these conditions to allow me to keep working at my goal without gi ving up. However, if I had a scholarship to appease my needs, I would definitely be able to focus on my education even more than I already do.The one thing that would be on my mind would be learning, which in the end is the most important thing. I have harvested a determination for this program that may be quite unbelievable. To teach and educate others is nothing less of a dream, in my view. To be honored and awarded with an aid to help me in my endeavors would not only motivate me even more, but I would make the most of it rather than treat it less than what it is. In all honesty, it is not a fact that may be denied that those who are partaking in the educative system are not paid extremely well.However, I chose this profession because I have a passion that is unimaginable. It is something that I have wanted to do for a very long time and deserve the aid to have an opportunity to make that vision come true. A scholarship should always be awarded to someone who is deserving of it. I have paved my way for my own edification and to have support to make it easier on myself would be not only a chance to focus on other important aspects of my work, but will allow my future to be clear of debt and worry.Education requires complete focus. To be educated is already an opportunity in itself, and to educate is quite a noble profession, and I would appreciate to be a part of that. In summation, I believe that I am a qualifying candidate for the scholarship from the College of Education because I display qualities such as passion and motivation that will allow me to work with the utmost concentration that will bring me face to face with success. Scholarship Essay For the longest time, I displayed an interest in the educative arts. It has always been a matter of how I would be able to succeed in my goal that would put the complete cherry on top. To obtain a scholarship of such quantity would open up so many doors for me that it would not be difficult in the slightest to find a way to pay my way through college. There are several reasons why I would be an ideal candidate for this scholarship opportunity, so let me delve into the many aspects that will show why I deserve this opportunity to aid me in completion of my present and future goals.It has not been too much of a struggle to work long, laborious hours and also pay for my education, while learning and absorbing as much knowledge as I could. This is true because I have displayed qualities such as responsibility and perseverance that consume my personality. However, these qualities are still present. I have adapted myself to these conditions to allow me to keep working at my goal without gi ving up. However, if I had a scholarship to appease my needs, I would definitely be able to focus on my education even more than I already do.The one thing that would be on my mind would be learning, which in the end is the most important thing. I have harvested a determination for this program that may be quite unbelievable. To teach and educate others is nothing less of a dream, in my view. To be honored and awarded with an aid to help me in my endeavors would not only motivate me even more, but I would make the most of it rather than treat it less than what it is. In all honesty, it is not a fact that may be denied that those who are partaking in the educative system are not paid extremely well.However, I chose this profession because I have a passion that is unimaginable. It is something that I have wanted to do for a very long time and deserve the aid to have an opportunity to make that vision come true. A scholarship should always be awarded to someone who is deserving of it. I have paved my way for my own edification and to have support to make it easier on myself would be not only a chance to focus on other important aspects of my work, but will allow my future to be clear of debt and worry.Education requires complete focus. To be educated is already an opportunity in itself, and to educate is quite a noble profession, and I would appreciate to be a part of that. In summation, I believe that I am a qualifying candidate for the scholarship from the College of Education because I display qualities such as passion and motivation that will allow me to work with the utmost concentration that will bring me face to face with success.

Answers to queries on Orwell’s 1984 Essay

In the essay Why I Write, Orwell explained that all the serious work he wrote since the Spanish Civil War in 1936 were â€Å"written, directly or indirectly, against totalitarianism and for democratic socialism. † (Orwell, 5) What can you add by looking at his life and his mental state when writing the novel? The author wrote the novel in 1947–1948 while critically ill with tuberculosis. The writer himself wrote about the stages of his life leading to the period when he wrote the novel: First I spent five years in an unsuitable profession (the Indian Imperial Police, in Burma), and then I underwent poverty and the sense of failure. This increased my natural hatred of authority and made me for the first time fully aware of the existence of the working classes, and the job in Burma had given me some understanding of the nature of imperialism: but these experiences were not enough to give me an accurate political orientation. Then came Hitler, the Spanish Civil War, etc. By the end of 1935 I had still failed to reach a firm decision (on political position)†¦. † (Orwell, 6 parenthetical interpretation mine. ) What was the world like in 1949 (the immediate post-WW II era) in terms of politics, economics, and particularly the media? After Allied victory, two opposing world views and ideology—capitalism ( that termed itself democracy) and socialism (that called itself the democracy of the working class) characterized the previously unified Allied Forces, the former led by  America, on the latter by the Soviet Union. The two worlds have polarized economic systems: capitalism (which espoused free enterprise) and socialism (which espoused economic central planning). The two blocks also had opposing media philosophy: the so-called free libertarian press, in the tradition of the US revolution, and that of the Marxian school which saw media as the tool of the socialist revolution. This was the cold war era, and the world was politically bipolar: the United States and the Soviet Union were the superpowers. Orwell’ s once mighty Britain had become an impoverished crumbling has-been, even as its newspapers were reporting false triumphs. When he wrote 1984, Orwell saw the betrayal and perversion of socialist ideals in his country, and his hope of â€Å"English Socialism† had crashed. The novel is aimed primarily as a critique against totalitarianism. But what kind? As his dream of â€Å"English Socialism† turned into a monstrous ideology of oppression, Orwell saw its dehumanization even as its source model has become oppressors of the Soviet nations. Many of the characters in the novel in fact are believed to be depicting real figures from the Soviet Union. He was focused on the British socialists but obviously he had the Soviet politburo in mind as well. And he was obviously sure the British-American partnership would be heading towards the same direction. Why is the novel perhaps even more relevant than it when it was first written Al Gore in his Assault on Reason panned against us present-day Americans in our failure to oppose Bush when he led us to a baseless war against Iraq, against the advice of his own policymakers and using fabricated lies. Through the power of the media and the arousal of fear in us, our leader and his media spinners led us to embrace his war without us raising a whimper. (Gore, 2007; Bossard, 2007) He also warned us against any future effort to gag the internet, in the manner China is now doing it—arguing that the internet is our last hope of interactive democratic dialogues through which an informed nation can guard itself against the media and other manipulative technologies of a ruling demagogue. There have been many instances when even the most intelligent of nations have een misled by their leaders—the example of Hitler for the German people, and the recent example of the Philippines (1986) where a dictator ruled for 30 years until a unified people power ended a despotic rule, incidentally American-supported. Initially, warnings of intellectuals like Orwell may be voices in the wilderness in, but as proven by world events, at the appointed time nations would heed them, and people will move against their oppressors. Tell me why you think the novel can be used to teach students about media, history, and what we think we know. What does the book teach us about how to respond to political campaigns and advertising? What does it say about us? Against the backdrop of experience, the novel tells us how revolutions devour their sons and fail their fathers. But what Orwell warns against is the use of our skills as media men in the overall scheme of Big Brother. In the novel, the main character Winston Smith, was a revisionist writer of history who wrote it according to the whim of Big Brother’s officialdom. The propaganda machines of Big Brother were staffed by media professionals. Media churns out materials tainted by political motives. Media people are potential instruments of oppression and deceit. Lastly, how is the novel truthful, original, and human? In Why I Write Orwell said : â€Å"(I write )†¦. because there is some lie that I want to expose, some fact to which I want to draw attention, and my initial concern is to get a hearing. † (p. 5) Yevgeny Zamyatin’s novel We was a primary influence for 1984. He also included the following as influences of the novel: Darkness at Noon and The Yogi and the Commissar by Arthur Kostner, The Iron Heel (1908) by Jack London, among other books. (Shelden, 1991) Surname 5 The humanity in this novel rests in its vigorous warning against falling into the trap that will lead humanity to the nightmare of 1984. The inhumanity of its characters ironically dramatically aroused a fear in us, so we its readers recoil in the lost of such human sensibility — which the novel helped recover for us, in its aspiration for a society of equals where people are human beings and not Big Brother robots.

Understanding and Managing Resistance to Organisational Change

Understanding and Managing Resistance to Organisational Change Introduction In the ever changing dynamic world, change is inevitable. Businesses have to be adjusted with the changing environment. Change in a business is a gradual process that must be well planned. The management should be actively involved in the change process since support is required from all corners.Advertising We will write a custom critical writing sample on Understanding and Managing Resistance to Organisational Change specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More When an organization or a country at large, wants to make a change in the way things are done then the start point is understanding the need that require a change. People are not willing to change, they tend to be in a state of inertia; however if well implemented then it can be a smooth transition. Change in organizations is greatly favoured by the mode of organizational culture, if a company has a freelance culture; this is a culture that embraces a system that the employee s feel free to air their views to the higher leadership, then change can be smoothly implemented. In large organizations, there can be a division into various departments and the departments are supposed to face a certain area; the same departments can be undergoing varying changes. As much as there are departmental meetings, and departments are supposed to come up with their own way of doing things, there are meeting with the larger managements that are not restricted to the team managers alone. Views from all are weighed equally and no one is supposed to be seen as the sole holder of wisdom when a change policy is being discussed. Views from all stake holders must be considered. Though decisions in this type of organizations take a long period of time, in most cases they make informed decisions. They are firms that embrace change and keep changing gradually. Innovations in the organizations are seen as the order of the day and entrants are highly encouraged to be innovative and em brace change. This paper discusses how to manage change effectively. Change The world is undergoing different transition; these translations require organisations to align themselves with the changes in the world. Change can be to improve the current conditions, take a complete strategy or adopt a different way of doing things. Change management is a process where the management learn, understand, and critically think about alterations they are supposed to make in an organization.Advertising Looking for critical writing on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More However, for an effective change process, change should not be imposed to employees but they should be involved in the change system. When undertaking a change, the employees are the immediate people who will be affected and thus they need to be engaged from the earliest stage. To remain competitive in the changing environment, there is need to a dopt new mechanisms which ensure that a business is up to the task with the changing environments. When a business has taken the path of change, there are mechanisms that must be adopted for a smooth transition from the traditional method, of doing thing to a new mechanism. This takes the form of psychological needs, technical expertise, and structure of a business, suppliers and other stakeholders. To undertake this task, the management need to do their homework well for a smooth ride. The power of inertia will act negatively to the management since people generally do not want to be moved from their areas of comfort to adopt a change. This is where the need for a psychological approach is required. Objectives of a change management program Change is taken for different reasons; each reason has some objectives that it aims at meeting; the universal objectives are; Improve current working condition and strategies Adopt a different way of doing things Make new combinations of resour ces in an organization Adopt new technology Change of business, target market, production formulae, management, job schedules, and job description among others Have a different human resource management system, computer system among others Change process Before a company adopt a new system of doing things, there is need to appreciate that the new way can only succeed if the employees are positive about the change. This calls for a gradual way process of implementing the change. The organizational culture is one of the factors that can affect the change negatively or positively. The change agents should understand this well before implementing the change program. Generally a change follows the following procedure. Problem identification and analysis This is where the agents of change realize that there are / is some process that has to be made. After this there is the looking for the probable solution to the problem that must be alighted with the mission and vision of the organizati on. The staffs that will be affected as well as the entire team should be given the detailed analysis of what the organization want to do.Advertising We will write a custom critical writing sample on Understanding and Managing Resistance to Organisational Change specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More At this stage the management brain storms the effect of the program with the employees and let the employees learn how they will be affected. If there is any learning needed it is done at this stage. Generally to have a job well-done, it is of great importance that people involved start from the beginning. Change management is not an exemption. In this stage, a good context of the problem is grasped. It is only after getting the correct understanding of the problem that he/she can make a good decision. Pilot study There is always no guarantee that the new system is going to be more effective than the old system, thus there is the need for the system to be run as a pilot study alongside the old system. This also offers the employees the time to have a hand on experience on the new system. They learn more about it and may even improve on it. If the program is seen as a better one, then the final stage is done. In this stage the manager should gather all relevant data and facts. It is from the facts and data that he develops various alternatives of choices that can be used to solve the problem at hand. The statistics will also be the ones that will support the final decision. There are various methods of collecting data; they include researching, brainstorming, and experimentation. It is the manager’s duty to choose the right method to adopt because different problems call for different methods. Depending on the problem, the people to be consulted differ. However, an effective manager should ensure that he/she consults those who matter and those who know. Consultation assists in making a more informed decision and as sists in generating more alternatives of choice. Their opinions and viewpoints should be considered in the final decision making, but the manager should always keep in mind that it is his/her responsibility to come up with the right decision. Choosing the best alternative After taking time and pondering over the issues (time taken depends on the urgency of the decision on the right change to be adopted), he/she chooses and implements the best alternative. At the initial stage a lot of support of the decision is required to ensure that the whole organization or the departments concerned have adopted it effectively.Advertising Looking for critical writing on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More It is not always that a decision made bring the expected results; thus feedback from the people on the ground and the general performance of the business should be sorted, so as areas that need improvement are recognized. In-case an area that needs improvement has been recognized, it should be addressed appropriately Full adoption, control, and monitoring At this stage, all things are alighted to follow the new system and the old one is switched off. All the employees are supposed to adopt the system. Improvement of the system is the major thing that follows this. Manager’s role in change Management Leaders are the people who are mandated with the task of pioneering a business to its desired objectives. In transitional period the leaders is the one who guides subordinates to the desired path. They jointly make rules and policies to be followed in attaining the goals. The role of the leader in this case is to oversee the performance of the roles of subordinates and giving guid ance in various areas. Change needs to be planned at all times when it is being implemented and conducted in such a way that it will be accepted in the business. The role of the leader in such case is the change agent. His (charisma) is put to test. He is supposed to guide his subordinate in a way that will inspire them and give intellectual stimulation. He will consider what is referred to as individualized consideration, where by the focus will be on making each individual in the business comfortable with the change and be able to contribute to decisions as expected. One of the major hindrances of change is organizational culture. A manager when pioneering a company from one wave of leadership to another should first of all understand the culture of the company. The use of opinion leaders is another way that a manager can use. Change is inevitable however it is one of the things that need to be planned by the concerned change agents since human being repel change; but when well de veloped and implemented it is adopted freely. Major barriers to an effective change system The first step in successful business change is to identify the communication channels to use in coaching employees. This can be through brainstorming where challenges facing the business can be identified. Such challenges can be obtained through reviewing the day to day activities of the business. Some questions may serve as a guideline, these include: Have employees been provided with a good working environment? Are they happy with what they are doing? Has the business been able to satisfy all the clients? Is proper information provided to all stakeholders? Is there good flow of conversations? Four communication weaknesses or barriers at any company are overload of messages, failure to share information among major stakeholders, failure to include employees in decision making processes, and personal attributes. Employees are given many instructions and they are not given room to practice the m nor to show their expertise. Communication means more than just giving out messages; it involves speaking, listening, sending, and receiving messages. In communication, listening is the key to success and most of the time listening gets people into problems because they do not practice it. For business communication to be successful, listening has to be proficient. Listening simply means holding back one’s judgment and allowing answers to come from outside. Sharing of important information is poor and most of the time it is withheld from the staff. The top managers are responsible to make different ideas and views concerning the development of the organization which may be influenced by their knowledge and culture. If incompetent decisions are made effecting a change is a hard task. Good communications will assisting employees embrace change effectively, transition period will also be reduced and efficient. Change and Organizational culture Organisational culture is a set o f belief that exists in an organization and determines how the employees interact with each other as well as how the workers respond to a certain situation. Culture of an organisation determines how employees are going to perceive change. The culture like any other society defines issues and expected response to them. It is worth saying that the culture is not written down somewhere but is exists and controls the behaviour of the organization. There are some values that the organization holds, and for one to be seen as a â€Å"compliant† member of the larger group, you need to act in line with the expectation. As individuals we have our personality that is different from others, the same happens with other organizations; they have an organizational personality that is can be termed to as the organizational culture. An organisation which has a freelance culture adopts change more easily than one with a power culture. A certain language is developed, signs and symbols start def ining situation in the organization. As much as there is no set way of punishing those who don’t act in line, with the culture, it is self reinforcing. The culture after it has developed is very hard to change. The entire entity seems to have deep roots in the culture and anybody who goes against is seen as an outcast and don’t interact smoothly with the other colleagues. There are different issues of organizational culture and have different effects on the leadership of the organization as well as well as the conduct of the employee (Jones 12). Eight steps to successful change by John P Kotters Increase urgency This is involving all the people affected by a change in understanding the current position and the need for change. The management should let their employees understand how the change will affect them. One of the barriers to an effective change is negative perception of employees. The perception is brought about by lack of people understanding of change effect s. Build the guiding team Depending with the kind of change to be implemented, management should develop a team of change agents. They are people who should be well informed about the change to occur and used to train others on the way forward. They are opinion leaders. The most effective people for this task are leaders in departments. Get the vision right This is the stage where objectives and timeframes for change are set and discussed with the people who will be affected by the change to occur in a business. Objectives should be attainable. Communicate for buy-in This is the most important stage where there is communication to employees on the change. It is the time for training of the new way to employees. An effective communication strategy should be prepared to be proactive. This is a plan that is prepared after defining a business’s success and getting solution from the listening activities. Things to be included in the plan includes: taking employees to seminars that cover topics such as customer care, organizing get together between employers and employees, rewarding employees, holding regular meetings, including major stakeholders in business decision, assurance to personal service, among others. This plan does not concentrate in solving past troubles but in laying down a good foundation that guarantees business future success. A communication plan should take into consideration the availability of resources and whether the business aims at a long term or short term objective. Once a communication plan has been prepared, the company now focuses on its implementation. The expected result should be kept in mind and the main constitute of the plan reviewed to make sure they are in line with the expected result. The implementation process should involve as many people as possible but it should have one person who is answerable to it. Empower action This is the stage where practical change is undertaken although operated with the traditional syste m. This stage assists in polishing any issues which may have been ignored in the initial stage. Employees learn more about the new system and its operations. Create short-term wins This is timely evaluations of the system to ensure that it is efficient and can replace the old system. There is no need to wait for long periods for results but can even be done on daily basis. Dont let up This is polishing any deficits recognised as the new system is undertaken. This is support from all angles where the system is made more understandable to the users. At the same time polishing of areas and people who have not grasped the system well is done. Make change stick Monitoring and sticking to change. This is where the old system is forgotten and focus is put on the new system. Those people who are repelling the new system are expelled from a company and those entering it will only hear of the old system as some stories of the company (Kotter 57-78). Conclusion In the ever changing environment , change is inevitable. Business processes need to be adjusted with the changing environment. Change is a gradual process that must be well planned. Management should be actively involved in the change process since support is required from all corners. The main objective in a change management process is to facilitate better methods of doings things for a cost effective business. For an effective change, employees should be involved right from the start. They should understand how the change is going to affect their employment; this is through training and good leadership. Leaders are the people who are mandated with the task of pioneering a business to its desired objectives. In transitional period the leader is the one who guides subordinates to the desired path. They jointly make rules and policies to be followed in attaining the goals. One of the major barriers of change is communication barrier and organisational culture. Jones, Helen. Managing Change. Businessdate 11.1 (2003 ): 1. MasterFILE Premier. EBSCO. Web. Kotter, John P. Leading change: Why transformation efforts fail. Harvard Business Review, 73(2), 59. 1995. Retrieved from ABI/INFORM Complete. (Document ID: 4470386).

Disrespect and Dr. Fell

Disrespect and Dr. Fell Disrespect and Dr. Fell Disrespect and Dr. Fell By Maeve Maddox I’ve always enjoyed this cheeky translation of Martial’s 32nd epigram: I do not like thee, Dr. Fell, The reason why, I cannot tell; But this I know, and know full well: I do not like thee, Dr. Fell It reminds me of the continuing outcry against the acceptance of disrespect as a verb in standard English. Like many speakers, I reacted to the use of disrespect as a verb with surprise and disapproval the first time I heard it. It still pushes my â€Å"sounds wrong† button when I hear it used in a formal context. Apparently this reader feels the same: Seriously peeved with the use of â€Å"disrespect† as a verb as in â€Å"He disrespected me†.   What is that?   Please make them stop. I had to smile at the â€Å"Please make them stop.† When it comes to usage, who can hold a fire in his hand By thinking on the frosty Caucasus? –Richard II A word that fills a need for millions of speakers will find its way into standard speech, despite such objections as these: Im fine with it [disrespect] being used in, for instance, meaning no disrespect. , but it drives me wild when I hear dont disrespect me or she disrespected my space. It makes me want to scream! As far as I’m concerned, the word disrespect should be treated as street slang and nothing else. Disrespect should be banned as a verb. Its a cultural thing, one to which I do not subscribe. Occasionally, someone counters objections to disrespect by citing the OED: Look in the Oxford English Dictionary. Disrespect has been used as a transitive verb since the early 1600s. This defense that disrespect is in the OED as a verb cuts no ice with true objectors: â€Å"Disrespect† as a verb or adjective, however old and prehistoric the word may be, make me cringe. I hate the word, and anyone using it in conversation with me is sure to receive no respect from me. â€Å"Disrespect† is indeed correct when used as a verb. But I still think it sounds wrong that way so I refuse to use it. Instead of You disrespect me, I would choose to say, You show me disrespect. The Google Ngram Viewer shows that the expression â€Å"disrespect me† was in moderate use earlier, but that it really took off in the 1980s, about the same time American hip hop music hit the mainstream and it became necessary to explain the word diss (as in â€Å"Diss me and don’t diss my daddy†). Like it or not, the use of disrespect as a verb is grammatically unobjectionable. If one may â€Å"respect one’s elders,† one may also â€Å"disrespect one’s elders.† If people are respected, they may be disrespected. The only justification I can see for the intense dislike felt for this usage by so many commenters is that–like the speaker in the Dr. Fell rhyme–they do not like it. For them I have written a manifesto: I do not like thee, Disrespect, Perhaps it is your sound effect, That causes me to so object And makes you sound so incorrect. But this I more than just suspect: I do not like thee, Disrespect. Related post: That Annoying New Verb â€Å"disrespect† 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 Misused Words category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:7 Types of Narrative ConflictRules for Capitalization in TitlesHow Do You Determine Whether to Use Who or Whom?

You Can Buy Our Book On The Kindle Now

You Can Buy Our Book On The Kindle Now You Can Buy Our Book On The Kindle Now You Can Buy Our Book On The Kindle Now By Daniel Scocco The Kindle fans out there can now buy our book on that platform. Just visit the official Amazon page, and youll be able to purchase and download it immediately. If you end up buying we would appreciate if you could write a review on Amazon, as these help to give credibility to the book. You can also buy it as a PDF download if you prefer, by clicking here. How To Get Your Book on The Kindle I was surprised regarding how easy it is to get a book for sale on the Kindle store. The process took literally five minutes, and after 24 hours of review period the book was already live and available for sale. One small problem I faced was to get the formating right though. Simply uploading a PDF document wont work. Luckily one of our readers, Ray Fowler, emailed us offering his services. He converted our PDF into the .mobi format used by the Kindle, and when I uploaded it to Amazon it worked like a charm. Ray told me he is willing to give a 10% discount to all DWT readers looking for eBook conversions, audio book productions and so on. Just check his services page for more details or to get in touch with him. It will be interesting to see how the Kindle sales compare with the standard PDF sales, so Ill probably write a post updating you guys soon. 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:What Is Irony? (With Examples)English Grammar 101: Verb Mood20 Classic Novels You Can Read in One Sitting

Ludwig Wittgenstein Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Ludwig Wittgenstein - Essay Example However, his role as the chief influence on the development of analytic philosophy and the studies on logic, language, perception, intention, ethics, religion, aesthetics, and culture etc cannot be outshined by many in the modern philosophy. "Considered by some to be the greatest philosopher of the 20th century, Ludwig Wittgenstein played a central, if controversial, role in 20th-century analytic philosophy. He continues to influence current philosophical thought in topics as diverse as logic and language, perception and intention, ethics and religion, aesthetics and culture." (Biletzki) Therefore, it is obvious that Ludwig Wittgenstein has left his imprints on the philosophical thought of the contemporary world and his significance as a great philosopher of logic, Mathematics, mind, and the language needs to be appropriately recognized. A profound analysis of the life and works of this great genius helps one in recognizing the true merit of his philosophies and in admitting that Wit tgenstein was exact and correct about the philosophical positions he held. This paper takes up such a reflective analysis of the philosophical ideas of Wittgenstein who needs yet to be understood exactly and properly and it is an endeavor to recognize this philosopher as acceptable in what he propagated. To comprehend t

Technology & Students of Dyslexia Dissertation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Technology & Students of Dyslexia - Dissertation Example This report stresses that Interactive Metronome is one of the most commonly used programs accessed by the dyslexic students. Experts have regarded as one of the innovative and improved program among many others designed for helping dyslexic people with their disabilities and difficulties. Effective utilization of this program has indicated much betterment in focus and concentration, motor control, and body's coordination with the mind. The Interactive Metronome service providers administrates and supervise the dyslexic patients, this also includes extra efforts and endeavor to carry out at homes of the students. This paper makes a conclusion that usually graphical hints or clues also accompany the repeated impulses, as a result the child starts moving its hand or feet or toe in exactly the same rhythm as the automatically generated tone he hears. In this way, the processing speeds of child and responses gradually become fast and rapid using Interactive Metronome. Conclusively, the paper has discussed some of the significant aspects of technology and its role in the development of students diagnosed with dyslexia. The paper has identified and analyzed different studies related to the topic; however, it is anticipation that future researches in this regard will allow a more comprehensive and updated understanding of the impact. It is an expectation that the paper will be beneficial for students, teachers, and professionals in better understanding of the topic.

Hucksters in the Classroom Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Hucksters in the Classroom - Case Study Example In drawing a one to one relationship between education and business, a number of moral issues arise. Chief among these and as pointed out by Saddler (2011) is the treatment of school going children as a means to an end. This means that the purpose of commercial activities in schools is not to better education but to boost profits for corporations. Commercial intrusion in schools alters the purpose and nature of education, which is meant to empower an individual in making the sound judgment (Sharma, 2012). Sharma further notes that education is meant to bring out qualities that are locked within an individual and not impress values upon them. Contrary to this, commercial intrusion in schools aims at creating brand loyalty in the children, and not to empower them to exercise the power of choice. It would only be right to conclude that students do have a â€Å"moral right† to receive an education that is free from commercial indoctrination. This is more so the case considering that promotion of commercial indoctrination undermines the sole aim of education, which is to empower an individual to practice independently of making choices (Sharma, 2012). If I was a parent of school-aged children I would be concerned about their exposure to commercial and corporate propaganda. This is because as a parent I would have enough reasons to be concerned over the welfare of my child. Having held the school as an environment where my children will be free from the reach of such exploitative activities, as a parent I would feel uneasy with the position which my school going child is put by being exposed to commercial and corporate propaganda. In the event that I take on the role of a board member in a school, I would be faced with the task of making a decision regarding the type of promotional method to be used in the school. As per the options, of either taking on industry-sponsored materials or channel one, I would opt for the industry-sponsored materials. This method does not employ  activities that are farfetched from the school curriculum.   

Theories and ideologies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Theories and ideologies - Essay Example In other words, democracy promotes the involvement of citizens in projects or activities that affect their lives within a country. Such projects or activities cut across voting, making laws, participating in public policy formulation, and general country governance.1 It is important to note that democracy has its liberal and conservative sides. Conservative democracy is relatively restrictive in some issues. For example, both men and women could be voters within a given jurisdiction, but this right may not necessarily promote property ownership among women. Even though an aspect of democracy is identifiable in such a case, property ownership remains under a traditionalist approach. In other words, traditional factors result in conservatism even though the society could be said to embrace democracy. Human nature, beliefs, and culture are critical components of conservative democracy. In contrast, liberal democracy is characteristic of widespread exposure to international concerns, interests, or developments. Liberalism does not only promote equal voting rights for both men and women, but also advocate for the practice of free and fair elections.2 The ideology of liberal democracy, therefore, encompasses more than just participation in elections. In addition, liberal democracy practices support the realization of equality and civil rights in society. The idea is to treat all persons as equal in a Free State or society. Most importantly, liberal democracy advocates for press freedom, free practice of religion, private property, and free trade.3 While democracy is its simplest form is easy to comprehend, conservative democracy is relatively reluctant to accommodate the aforementioned aspects of liberal democracy. In this respect, there is clear-cut difference between liberal and conservative democracy. The theory and ideology of democracy gives rise to

St. Augustine would suport Dr. Marin Luther King Jr. ideas of civil Essay

St. Augustine would suport Dr. Marin Luther King Jr. ideas of civil disobdience - Essay Example St. Augustine illustrated his interpretation of unjust laws with his argument that the motivations of man, that being lust for authority and self-determination, undermined Gods precepts of morality and social equality. Augustine relates Gods law as that of "supreme reason" to which all men should conform (Evodius and Augustine dialogue), even those leaders who Augustine deems unreasonable for implementing legal systems that defy Gods intentions. Having established St. Augustines comparisons of laws which he considers unjust, that is, those laws which defy Christian values, Augustine promotes the concept of "temporal law" under which civilians often turn over their rights as Gods citizens to corrupted leadership who act for private interests. Moreover, these temporal laws can be changed when they are unjustly established without securing the public good, thus Augustine suggests that Christian values can be considered the supreme reason by which society can justifiably refuse adherence to corrupt laws. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., a renowned civil rights activist in the 20th century, further supported the idea of unjust or immoral laws by promoting the necessity for civil disobedience, or a somewhat passive approach to refusing immoral or un-Christian laws, through protest and refusal to comply with any law that destroys the civil liberties of society. Moreover, King was inspired by the Eastern philosophy of utilizing truth and love as an instrument to resist injustice, rather than promoting violence (Smith, 1970). In accordance to Christian beliefs, truth and love became the cornerstone for Kings support for civil disobedience. Dr. King also substantiates the viewpoint of St. Augustine in terms of relating moral law to that of corrupt law, thus both Christianity proponents support the premise that any law which destabilizes Christian morality is a law which cannot be supported by blind compliance. This project is designed to not only

The Lord of Flies, by William Golding Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Lord of Flies, by William Golding - Essay Example Through this conflict between good and evil, and civilization and savagery the novel moves on from one step to other till it reaches the end. Lord of the Flies, being an allegorical novel, puts forward his main ideas and themes through symbols. Throughout the novel Golding uses his characters and objects symbolically. The conflict between civilization and savagery is handled by showing the conflict between his two main characters Ralph and Jack. In the novel, Ralph is a protagonist and is the symbol of governance and order. On the other hand, Jack is the Antagonist representing violence, savagery and has thirst of exercising power. In the novel, the writer shows the way people are influenced by these instincts of civilization and savagery to different levels. As for example Piggy is extremely peaceful and does not possess any instinct of savagery but on the other hand, Roger is unable to understand civilization and its rules. For Golding the instinct of savagery is more primitive and central in humans as compared to the instinct of civilization. Golding infers that if humans are left to make their own decisions, the behaviours of cruelty, savagery and violence is mostly shown by them. In the whole novel, the only character who shows natural and innate goodness is only Simon. In Ring of Gyges, Plato by narrating the story of Ring of Gyges raises the question that if one has no fear to be caught then why should one be moral? His character Glaucon through arguments shows that the person who is unfair is better-off as compared to the person who is fair. Apparently there does not appear any disproof of Gyge’s arguments. But on the other hand there are also strong reasons to believe that a person who is truly moral will behave morally in most of the circumstances and even if he is gifted the power of the ring. Philosophers since ages have been debating on the origin of human

St. Augustine would suport Dr. Marin Luther King Jr. ideas of civil Essay

St. Augustine would suport Dr. Marin Luther King Jr. ideas of civil disobdience - Essay Example St. Augustine illustrated his interpretation of unjust laws with his argument that the motivations of man, that being lust for authority and self-determination, undermined Gods precepts of morality and social equality. Augustine relates Gods law as that of "supreme reason" to which all men should conform (Evodius and Augustine dialogue), even those leaders who Augustine deems unreasonable for implementing legal systems that defy Gods intentions. Having established St. Augustines comparisons of laws which he considers unjust, that is, those laws which defy Christian values, Augustine promotes the concept of "temporal law" under which civilians often turn over their rights as Gods citizens to corrupted leadership who act for private interests. Moreover, these temporal laws can be changed when they are unjustly established without securing the public good, thus Augustine suggests that Christian values can be considered the supreme reason by which society can justifiably refuse adherence to corrupt laws. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., a renowned civil rights activist in the 20th century, further supported the idea of unjust or immoral laws by promoting the necessity for civil disobedience, or a somewhat passive approach to refusing immoral or un-Christian laws, through protest and refusal to comply with any law that destroys the civil liberties of society. Moreover, King was inspired by the Eastern philosophy of utilizing truth and love as an instrument to resist injustice, rather than promoting violence (Smith, 1970). In accordance to Christian beliefs, truth and love became the cornerstone for Kings support for civil disobedience. Dr. King also substantiates the viewpoint of St. Augustine in terms of relating moral law to that of corrupt law, thus both Christianity proponents support the premise that any law which destabilizes Christian morality is a law which cannot be supported by blind compliance. This project is designed to not only

Widows in Hinduism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Widows in Hinduism - Essay Example eatly be pegged on different traditions, content and themes of various contexts in history and authenticity and authority of texts and other sources of information that they rely on for history purposes. For instance, some traditions in Hindu kingdoms which used Manusmrti texts to refer their history advocated in many occasions to restricting women rights whereas the modern Hindu society has a new perspective on women and their roles in the society. In general, different traditions within these kingdoms dictated the roles and position of women in that while some advocated male chauvinism, some kingdoms included respected courtesans; sacred women to worship and service their deities, educated and trained women in their kingdoms and those who could perform extra ordinary activities such as magic (Fisher & Adler, 2011). Books and other literary works have been written on the subject matter, women and Hinduism, with majority concentrating on the treatment of women before and after the Br itish colonial rule, and this article will reflect on the Hinduism’s understanding of widowhood and traditional treatment of widows. During British colonial rule, child marriage was a common practice in India where girl children as young as below ten years could get married to an older man; a practice/ tradition of some societies where women were treated as sex slaves or believed to have a role of a â€Å"house wife† irrespective of their age. The major problem was when a husband dies as the widows had a diminished role and position in the society and were required to spend their lives languishing in poverty and constantly worshiping God; restricted to the right of re-marrying and having a happy family with another man. Re-marrying being treated like a taboo, the widows had to be confined in an ashram for Hindu widows to spend their lives in renunciation, segregation from other society members so as to expiate bad karma and to relieve their families of financial and emotional burdens.

Mobile Phones Essay Example for Free

Mobile Phones Essay My cell phone is my best friend. Its my lifeline to the outside world. Carrie Underwood Like every body here my cell phone is my best friend. Thanks to martin cooper who has invented such a lovely gadget which has stored a mini world in it. and thanks to Android Inc who has given such a beautiful OS where we can download many apps. And coming to the topic now I am basically not so extrovert so that it helps me a lot in passing my time especially when I feel lonely. I never feel bad that I am staying away from home because whenever I want where ever I am I can Speak to my Parents and fight with my brother. And I can access to FB and can chat with all my friends. Where ever I go If I can see some thing beautiful I don need to worry that I am not carrying may camera with me. I have my mobile phone which can replace the camera and will give beautiful pictures. Unfortunately, although it may be a good idea for youngsters to have them, not one of them would accept a simple basic cell phone that only made calls and sent SMS would they? Although the increase in cell phone popularity may not have been expected to reach such a high level, the manufacturers have improved the cell phone enormously in a very short space of time. Manufacturers and Computer Experts have introduced the possibility of giving your phone personality by introducing cellular phone wallpapers. The internet has been a big help with obtaining wallpaper directly available online. Now, using the cell phones own camera, images can be used as wallpaper and even sent to other phones. If you prefer you can use an image you have captured previously on your own digital camera but the process takes a little longer to install. Why not add some text as well, possibly something funny to your cellular phone wallpaper, just to add a little more of your personality. Those people that have older models may not be able to do this but it really shouldnt matter or make you feel as if you are missing out on something. Cell phone ring tones are another way of giving you phone that individual feel so even if your phone cannot change its background, you may find that the ring tone can be changed to make your model more individual. You must never forget what the cell-phone is actually for and remember that sending a SMS text does not need the most popular background or ring tone to help it on its way! Functionality does not necessitate cellular phone wallpapers; their use is only to dress up your phone and for the purpose of flaunting your cell-phones high technology features, nothing more. Try to bear in mind that not everyone is interested in your life and conversations so as a final point try to think of others when you use your phone. Many people will judge you by how you use your cell-phone as it shows what type of person you are. There are many locations where it is not suitable, or accepted that a cell phone should be used, and you will have more respect from others if you turn it off when you are in this type of situation. Good behavior can be catching and yours may lead others to do the same, be different, do not do what others do just because it is easier. It is a two-way thing, if you exhibit telephone etiquette, the people around you will do the same. Now with the fast paced life that most of us live with in juggling work and family we have entered into the mobile Internet era. I, myself thought I would never need a mobile phone with internet access so when I purchased my current phone which is a smart phone I was surprised how much I rely on the internet use.

The Rime of the Ancient Mariner :: essays research papers

The Rime of the Ancient Mariner Coleridge's poem â€Å"The Rime of the Ancient Mariner† is written about a Mariner telling his tale of sin and forgiveness to a small group of young men on their way to attend a wedding. The Mariner claims to be responsible for the deaths of everyone on board of a ship he once sailed because he killed a creature that was supposed to bring them the wind they needed to resume sailing after hitting a plateau in the ship’s movement. Through the writing style in â€Å"The Rime of the Ancient Mariner,† Coleridge tries to convince the reader that the events told in the poem could possibly have been real, thus leaving the reader to partially believe the strange story and Coleridge is right to do so. The theme of â€Å"The Rime of the Ancient Mariner† is God’s forgiveness. The Mariner believes that God has forgiven him for his sins and is telling his tale to the young men on their way to a wedding. The Mariner explains that he killed an albatross, and the entire crew dies because of it. The Mariner, however, survives and asks God’s to forgive him for his sins. When the Mariner prays for forgiveness, the curse preventing the souls of the crew from entering Heaven is broken, the Mariner’s life is spared and Angels from Heaven escort the souls of the dead crewman to the afterlife. In closing, the whole point of the story becomes clear in the following lines. "Farewell, farewell! but this I tell To thee, thou Wedding Guest! He prayeth well, who loveth well Both man and bird and beast. "He prayeth best, who loveth best All things both great and small; For the dear God who loveth us, 03 He made and loveth all." The Mariner, whose eye is bright,

Invent Your Own Technology :: Writing Essays

Invent Your Own Technology When my grandmother used to tell me that I took everything for granted, I think that she was right but in an even bigger way than she could have imagined. This experiment could be compared to when we would lose our electricity as a result of a storm. While this loss really only lasted a couple of days, it seems like eternity when you are without such modern conveniences such as a refrigerator, a microwave, and even your blow-dryer. Sometimes, it is hard to really understand the connivance of something until you are left without it. This assignment was on my mind for days. As we were discussing what this project would entail, the wheels in my head started turning and even before leaving class that day, I had a good idea of what my utensil would be. However, the tricky part came when I had to find the material to write on. I want to begin with what I found to use as my utensil. Knowing that I had to give up my trusted PC, I began to think of ideas that would make a good substitute. To accomplish this, I looked to see what was done in the past. As Dennis Baron states, as far back as Plato and Socrates, there was no other way of recording thoughts, etc., than the memory. â€Å"†¦Writing itself was once an innovation strongly resisted by traditionalists because it was unnatural and untrustworthy. Plato was one leading thinker who spoke out strongly against writing, fearing it would weaken our memories† (Baron 39). To think that something that we do on a daily basis was at one point in time labeled controversial is hard to imagine. I could not envision what I would accomplish without the â€Å"innovation† that was writing. To think of writing as an innovation or technology is baffling to me, and to fear it, none the less is a concept that we today could not understand because of our dependence on the technology. However, I think that Plato and others of his time hold a strong argument that the loss of memory is an issue to consider. Think of the fact that in many cases, the purpose of writing is to preserver the memory, for example: note taking and writing in journals.

Making Biases in Management Essay

A decision criterion defines what is relevant in a decision. (True; moderate; p. 158) 4. The fourth step of the decision-making process requires the decision maker to list viable alternatives that could resolve the problem. (True; easy; p. 159) 5. Once the alternatives have been identified, a decision maker must analyze each one. True; moderate; p. 159) 6. The step in the decision-making process that involves choosing a best alternative is termed implementation. Studies of the events leading up to the Challenger space shuttle disaster point to an escalation of commitment by decision makers. (True; moderate; p. 163) 12. Managers regularly use their intuition in decision making. (True; easy; p. 164) 13. Rational analysis and intuitive decision making are complementary. (True; moderate; p. 164) 14. Programmed decisions tend to be repetitive and routine. (True; easy; p. 165) 15. Rules and policies are basically the same. A policy is an explicit statement that tells a manager what he or she ought or ought not to do. False; moderate; p. 166) 17. The solution to nonprogrammed decision making relies on procedures, rules, and policies. (False; moderate; p. 166) 18. Most managerial decisions in the real world are fully nonprogrammed. (False; easy; p. 167) 19. The ideal situation for making decisions is low risk. (False; moderate; p. 167) 20. Risk is the condition in which the decision maker is able to estimate the likelihood of certain outcomes. (True; easy; p. 167) 21. Risk is a situation in which a decision maker has neither certainty nor reasonable probability estimates. (False; difficult; p. 168) 22. People who have a low tolerance for ambiguity and are rational in their way of thinking are said to have a directive style. (True; moderate; p. 171) 23. Decision makers with an analytic style have a much lower tolerance for ambiguity than do directive types. (False; moderate; p. 171) 24. Individuals with a conceptual style tend to be very broad in their outlook and will look at many alternatives. (True; moderate; p. 171) 25. Behavioral-style decision makers work well with others. (True; easy; p. 171) 26. Most managers have characteristics of analytic decision makers. (False; moderate; p. 171) 27. According to the boxed feature, â€Å"Managing Workforce Diversity,† diverse employees tend to make decisions faster than a homogeneous group of employees. (False; moderate; p. 172; AACSB: Diversity) The anchoring effect describes when decision makers fixate on initial information as a starting point and then, once set, they fail to adequately adjust for subsequent information. Answer a. When decision makers tend to think they know more than they do or hold unrealistically positive views of themselves and their performance, they’re exhibiting the overconfidence bias. b. The immediate gratification bias describes decision makers who tend to want immediate rewards and to avoid immediate costs. For these individuals, decision choices that provide quick payoffs are more appealing than those in the future. c. The anchoring effect describes when decision makers fixate on initial information as a starting point and then, once set, fail to adequately adjust for subsequent information. First impressions, ideas, prices, and estimates carry unwarranted weight relative to information received later. d. When decision makers selectively organize and interpret events based on their biased perceptions, they’re using the selective perception bias. This influences the information they pay attention to, the problems they identify, and the alternatives they develop. e. Decision makers who seek out information that reaffirms their past choices and discount information that contradicts past judgments exhibit the confirmation bias. These people tend to accept at face value information that confirms their preconceived views and are critical and skeptical of information that challenges these views. f. The framing bias is when decision makers select and highlight certain aspects of a situation while excluding others. By drawing attention to specific aspects of a situation and highlighting them, while at the same time downplaying or omitting other aspects, they distort what they see and create incorrect reference points. g. The availability bias is when decisions makers tend to remember events that are the most recent and vivid in their memory. The result is that it distorts their ability to recall events in an objective manner and results in distorted judgments and probability estimates. h. When decision makers assess the likelihood of an event based on how closely it resembles other events or sets of events, that’s the representation bias. Managers exhibiting this bias draw analogies and see identical situations where they don’t exist. i. The randomness bias describes when decision makers try to create meaning out of random events. They do this because most decision makers have difficulty dealing with chance even though random events happen to everyone and there’s nothing that can be done to predict them. j. The sunk costs error is when decision makers forget that current choices can’t correct the past. They incorrectly fixate on past expenditures of time, money, or effort in assessing choices rather than on future consequences. Instead of ignoring sunk costs, they can’t forget them. k. Decision makers who are quick to take credit for their successes and to blame failure on outside factors are exhibiting the self-serving bias. . Finally, the hindsight bias is the tendency for decision makers to falsely believe that they would have accurately predicted the outcome of an event once that outcome is actually known. They are alert to the smallest deviations and react early and quickly to anything that does not fit with their expectations. Another characteristic of HROs is that they defer to the experts on the front line. Frontline workers—those who interact day in and day out with customers, products, suppliers, an so forth—have firsthand knowledge of what can and cannot be done, what will and will not work. Get their input. Let them make decisions. Next, HROs let unexpected circumstances provide the solution. The fourth habit of HROs is that they embrace complexity. Because business is complex, these organizations aim for deeper understanding of the situation. They ask â€Å"why† and keep asking why as they probe more deeply into the causes of the problem and possible solutions. Finally, HROs anticipate, but alto anticipate their limits. These organizations do try to anticipate as much as possible, but they recognize that they can’t anticipate everything.

Emission Reduction Essay

In every economic activity, both positive and negative implications compound such activities. The positive implications include employment increase, supply of goods and market, supply of public goods, environmental control above others. However, every economic activity is as well a compound of negative implications. These are called negative externalities. They include pollution, environmental degrading, increase in crime, and social evils above others. Emission reduction like any other negative externality calls for a very dynamic tools of control. Generally, the basic control of negative externalities by corporations in the economy is through the government taxation imposition. The government would impose a corporate tax levy which is substantially equivalent to the cost of the emission to the environment. Through such levy, the government uses passive methods of compensation to the community over such impacts of the emission. Through the tax levy, the cost of operation to the plant is increased. (Prencipe, Davies, Hoboday, 2003) Economically, taxation provides two cost related variables with which the plant should choose from. Firstly, through higher cost of production which may perhaps outweigh its level of market profits, the plant may be forced out in the market. This is because high tax levy is synonymous to an increase in the cost of production. With high cost of production the plant is at a competitive disadvantage in the highly competitive market. It may then opt to choose an alternative method of investment. (Prencipe, Davies, Hoboday, 2003) Elsewhere, such tax is a disincentive in the choice of production method. From the broad alternative of energy production e. g. use of electric turbines to generate power. Use of environmental friendly method would then call up such tax levied formerly. The basic purpose of higher taxes by the government towards negative externalities is to provide a disincentive in specific lines and methods of operation which are harmful to the environment. It is a tool for choosing alternative methods of production.

Nice Guys Always Finish Last

Nice guys is a term in the popular culture and general public discourse describing a male, young or adult, with friendly yet unassertive personality traits in the context of a relationship with a woman. Nice guy is said to be who puts their interest aside and out others first, avoids confrontation, does favors, gives emotional support, tried to stay out of trouble and generally be nice towards women. Although many people would agree with the generalization of â€Å"nice guys always finish last† I would disagree and side with nice guys because bad guys may get the girls and sleep around but in the end of the day they end up with the nice guy. There is a discrepancy between preference and the actual action of women in choices in men. They say that they want â€Å"nice guys† but in reality, they go for â€Å"bad boys† or â€Å"jerks† in the end. Stephan Desrochers claims, in a 1995 article in the journal Sex Roles, that many â€Å"sensitive† men, based on personal experience, do not believe women actually want â€Å"nice guys†. Desrochers, 1995). And Urbaniak & Kilmann write that, â€Å"Although women often portray themselves as wanting to date kind, sensitive, and emotionally expressive men, the nice guy stereotype contends that, when actually presented with a choice between such a ‘nice guy' and an unkind, insensitive, emotionally-c losed, ‘macho man' or ‘jerk,' they invariably reject the nice guy in favor of his ‘so-called' macho competitor. † (Urbaniak & Kilmann, 2003). They all both say that what they want and what they actually do is totally different. Women say they want â€Å"nice guys† but they want nice guys to be attractive, well built but those guys are either taken or jerks. Then they go for the jerks, who are attractive and challenge themselves to make them to become nice guys but that rarely happens. Nice guys do not always finish last. The difference is how one defines or take word â€Å"last† as. Bad boys or jerks do always get the girls because they know the game and most of them are attractive in different ways but when one looks at long-term, many can see that women tend to choose nice guys. Herold and Milhausen claim that â€Å"while ‘nice guys' may not be competitive in terms of numbers of sexual partners, they tend to be more successful with respect to longer-term, committed relationships. † (Herold & Milhausen, 1999). No women wants to be treated badly or be used and that what bad boys or jerks do. Thats is why they prefer nice guys and be will to go out on second date or go in a relationship with them. McDaniel constructed vignettes of dates with a stereotypical â€Å"nice guy† vs. a stereotypical â€Å"fun/sexy guy,† and attempted to make them both sound positive. Participants reported a greater likelihood of wanting a second date with the â€Å"nice guy† rather than with the â€Å"fun/sexy guy. † (McDaniel, 2005). People may think that nice guys finish last but for to them the â€Å"last† is the goal for the women. The women may take a detour but most of them reach the goal to the nice guy. It is like the story of the rabbit and the tortoise, the rabbit is the jerk and tortoise the nice guy. My best friend is a bad boy who gets all the girls he wants and I was always the nice guy. He always told me to be like him but I could not and never be someone who I am not and comfortable with. I always thought that generalization was true until recently but not anymore. It took me three years but I am finally in a relationship and I am happy. From past to present, the women's preference has not changed and that means something. Women do and always will desire nice guys because they care and think about them. Thats is what women is looking for at the end of the day. Nice guys does not finish, they finish first.

How to prepare for a job interview PowerPoint Presentation

How to prepare for a job interview - PowerPoint Presentation Example When you get your interview call instead of thinking how will you dress for the interview you need to do some homework. The goal of a job interview is to present your best possible self to the employer. Most importantly is to show how you are an excellent match for the vacant position at the company. Having a casual attitude towards the job interview and thinking that you can wing it won’t help much instead you will land hard on your face on the day of the interview because nervousness causes huge deal of trouble and the only way to get rid of that nervousness is to prepare well before hand. The employer’s panel is looking for qualified applicants who show a serious commitment to their work and this commitment starts right from the interview phase. Employers seek out candidates who know the industry well and understand the mission of the company. They want someone who is eager to learn, open to new challenges, competitive and knows what to do in critical situations. All it takes is a few minutes for an employer to decide if one possesses these qualities or not. The very first thing before you start preparing for the interview is to gather all your confidence and get your mind right. Remember you are the best person for the job and you have to show them. First of all do some research on the company, know their markets, products and goal. Look for the smallest detail that might help you during your interview session. You should have an in depth knowledge of the position you are applying for. Know some facts about the company and make sure to cite them during the interview. Make a list of your skills or knowledge that would be valuable to them. You can even take help from your friends who are willing to list some traits about you which they have admired most. Rehearsals for the interview can be done with friends, career counselors or even in front of a mirror. The more you practice, the better you’ll get and the more comfortable you’ll feel. Self-assessment of your achievements, weaknesses, goals, interests, strengths, and vision (long term and short term both) is another very important thing that one should be prepare before the big day. Prepare yourself for all the questions that an employer might ask you after having a glance at your cv/resume or you. Be prepared to discuss anything on your cv/resume even if there are questions that you don’t want to answer to. Your answers should always be concise, to the point and clear. If you are given the opportunity ask questions that reflect your future prospects. Next thing to look for is your personal appearance.   You have to dress right for the job interview; don't wear anything that’s too vibrant. Decent, neat and clean are more important than fashion. Write down what you need to take with you. Your cv/resume, qualification papers, copies of references, samples of your work or anything else that they may want to see. Make sure everything is well orga nized and in a presentable manner and is error free. Hand gestures, body language, facial expressions, your voice, energy and enthusiasm in your answers should be checked and re-rechecked several times. Improvements and developments should be made to them where necessary since they might turn out to be a major turn over in the interview. Work on non-verbal’s to control anxiety or nervousness. Read articles about how you can polish

Obamacare Laid Bare - Charles Krauthammer Essay

Obamacare Laid Bare - Charles Krauthammer - Essay Example Obamacare Laid Bare - Charles Krauthammer Apparently, the enforcement of Obamacare is a national issue that stimulates a wide range of political debate given that such law is perceived as a means of transporting enormous amount of wealth under the present American political system. Despite this perception, US government officials cannot fully express the benefits associated with the health care policy so they could avoid the risk of losing in the elections. As such is the case, they merely implement the law through deception being carried out in the form of hidden taxes, mandates, and penalties that generate excessive payments. Although Obamacare seems to be beneficial since it imposes an affordable health care program, the vested interests of government officials will only heighten the clamor of the citizens to eliminate the cancellation of the law. It seems that majority of the Americans considered the legislation as unfavorable knowing that they will only face an additional burden of financial responsibilities. This is pa rticularly unfair for those Americans who have low income considering that most political leaders support the law only to exercise political control and influence of governing their nation’s wealth. The disadvantages of Obamacare only outweigh its advantages as the cancelled policies are more politically-driven in falsifying the essential nature of implementing the law. Certainly, the insurance buyers would later on realize that their taxes and premiums have been raised.

In countries that do not have an Islamic Legal system, disputes Research Paper

In countries that do not have an Islamic Legal system, disputes related to Islamic financial transactions can lead to outcomes t - Research Paper Example Sharia law, as a moral code and religious law for Muslims; addresses various perspectives of human activities such as economics, crimes and politics, as addressed by secular laws, and it seeks to differentiate intentions, interactions and decisions between those that are good and those that are bad (MacEoin and Green, 2). Just like the secular laws, Sharia code of ethics touch on various interactions of the human race giving the prospects and punitive aspects whenever the codes are breached, though from the secular observation of Sharia being a religious law, it has provisions that make the laws holistic in guiding and governing human interactions making it fall under and satisfy individual legal systems. Economically, just like Christian finance, Sharia economics presents the economic systems that conform to the Islamic scriptures and traditions; behavioral norms and foundations, Zakat tax as the basis of Islamic fiscal policy and other economic provisions that holistically covers t he economic and finance sector (Bonner, 397). Though close and similar to the secular and other traditional laws, in countries that there is no Islamic Legal System, disputes related to Islamic Financial Transactions can lead to outcomes that contradict Sharia Principles. Sharia principles like the secular laws have provisions that govern the Islamic Investment Funds; where investors pool their surplus money for the purpose of its investments to earn profits, Halal, but governed and in strict conformity with Sharia laws, and the subscribers receive certification entitling their pro- rated profits accrued from the fund. The Islamic banking phenomenon is based on sector of profitable for investor that represents growth for positive reputation and responsible management, and by fueling growth that is necessitated by increasing demand stimulated by rising number of Muslims in common law and civil law countries (Imady, Omar and Hans, pp.4-6). The conflict is bound to occur especially on the business ethics provided for by Sharia laws in relation to these countries’ provisions whereby the Islamic economic systems are neither socialists nor capitalist, conflicting interests of natives and the economic outlook of these countries. For instance, Sharia provides for Zakat; a practice of charitable giving by Muslims based on the accumulated wealth, and obligatory to all that are able to do so, contravenes with capitalists economies where in most cases taxation is mandatory to all irrespective of economic background and/ or social class. This would further lead to conflicts especially if certain sections of Sharia have to be incorporated in these countries’ laws such as contractual agreements and financial transactions due to different expectations from both sides and the conflict to the national interests. Capitalist societies/ economies rely on creation of value which can be tangible, for physical goods and/ or intangible for services; which involves transa ctions that mutually benefit the parties, the consumer gets the added value to the product/ service, and the retailer or the producer gets the entrepreneurial profits and royalties which may include interest on shares. To the contrary, the Sharia provisions for legal entity or a business that is Halal as a company that does not borrow money on interest and/or keeps their surplus in interest bearing accounts; and that one being a shareholder of such a company becomes a Sharik, agent for the partners in the matters of

Heroic Paradigms from Iliad to Aeneid Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Heroic Paradigms from Iliad to Aeneid - Essay Example The Aeneid does not explicitly deal with Roman politics in fact it is a story about a mythological figure Aeneas who lead Trojans to Italy after the Greeks destroy their homeland. Unlike Homer’s Aeneas who is portrayed as a warrior who boasts about his prowess on the battlefield and then proceeds to lose in every one of them since he was a bad warrior Vergil projects him as a tragic figure who is in search of a rational explication about the actions of God who destroy human beings and make them suffer, The same Gods who love and protect him. Some of the major heroic paradigms that are explored in â€Å"The Iliad† include the ideals of heroism: bravery, courage, super-strength, intelligence and nobility. The Homeric Hero is a man of action who is never incapacitated because he survives on his instinct. Unhindered by doubts he soars above humanity and performs action that ensures his ever lasting fame and glory. Achilles fits this description of Homeric Hero although it i s observed that his character develops gradually through out the text. The readers realize that Achilles of Iliad 22 is a man with a higher mission, who is ready to stake everything, including his own life in order to fulfill his mission. Hence he acts totally differently from the man of Iliad 1 who acts as a petulant child with a short temper and has the tendency of making irrational decisions. Therefore it can be inferred that the glory associated with Homeric Hero lives up to the definition of a hero of the Greek times. So it is perceived that the audience of the time believed that a hero should be an individual above all other human beings with special qualities of bravery, strength and intelligence. On contrary Aeneas is introduced in the poem as, â€Å"And suddenly Aeneas felt his limbs go numb with cold †¦I envy your fate†¦Why didn't you kill me on the plains of Troy When you had the chance and free my soul with your strong hand?† (Vergil 3). In the very begi nning the protagonist has surrendered his will to fate and desires death. This explication is in complete contrast to the heroic paradigms set by the Greeks. Hence from this it can be inferred that Vergil’s Aeneid enlightens the readers about the cultural trend during the Vergil’s time had shifted from hero worship to a character more closely related to a common man who suffers pain and is not above the rest of mankind. Western Thought According to Plato and Aristotle the best way of learning is through communicating with others or collectivization. Socrates ‘Dialectic Method’ is a common technique that is employed in most of the classes. According to which he sat in the market place, started of a conversation on a certain topic and then picked up their flaws out of the ensuing argument and then brought each conversation to a proper ending or conclusion. A similar style of discussion and study is also implemented in this course of philosophy. This method h elps the students to not only think about and share their personal ideas but also it enlightens them about the thoughts and feelings of their fellow students as well hence providing them with an opportunity to learn from the experiences or the point of views of other individuals. The Early Western thought processes of each writer vastly differ from one another. For example although Homer and Vergil in their respective epic poems deal with same mythological figures yet