The main aim of hazard management should be to reduce the effects of hazards, not manage their cause

Hazard management ultimately aims to reduce the risk that a hazard can bring to humans. This can be done through the four steps of modifying the cause, event, vulnerability and loss. I believe that the cause of many natural hazards, such as geophysical and meteorological hazards cannot prevented, thus the management of the cause of a hazard is irrelevant in the management of many hazards. As such, it should be the case that the main aim of hazard management should be to reduce the effects of hazards rather than manage their cause. The issue of reducing the effect of hazards would be discussed in the four parts of the hazard management framework. I agree with the statement to a large extent that hazard management should not be centered on managing the cause. The few ways in which the cause of the hazard can be modified will be discussed. Although the most ideal method would be to prevent the occurrence of the event in the first place, to stop a hazard from occurring entirely is a feat that usually would be only be feasible in terms of small scale, isolated phenomena, taking the example of a flood. Floods are examples of small scale hazards that can be prevented through technological means. Often, levees can be built to prevent a river from overflowing, such as the levees built along the Mississippi River in North America, or the Scheldt River in the Netherlands. Also, dams can be built to retain water in a lake, and can be used to control the water flow, thus preventing rivers from overflowing too quickly. A good example of a dam that has prevented repeated flooding occurrence is the Hoover Dam along the Colorado River. It is recorded that before the building of the dam, there was frequent flooding at the low lying areas of the river during spring. While physical methods can be employed to prevent the occurrence of these isolated hazards like floods and landslides, large scale hazards such as earthquakes, tsunamis and wind storms cannot be prevented. As such, modification of the cause is highly limited to a few hazards, thus making it more feasible to consider other approaches in reducing the effects of the majority of hazards which will almost inevitably occur. While technology cannot be used to prevent the causes of all hazards, technology can also be used to modify the event. Earthquakes is a good example of a hazard where the earthquake itself does not usually cause the loss of lives, rather, it is usually its effect on other structures that causes the most destruction, such as the toppling of buildings or causing landslides. As such, a good method of earthquake management would be to equip buildings with the ability to withstand the impact of earthquakes, using various architectural designs. A famous example of an earthquake resistant building is Taipei 101, which foundation is reinforced 80 metres deep into the ground and has a steel ball known as a tuned mass damper which balances the building. During its construction in 2002, Taipei experienced a 6. 8 magnitude earthquake, and yet the skyscraper did not topple and experienced no structural damages. Sometimes, such as in certain Japanese house designs, the houses are not built to withstand earthquakes but such that it moves along with the earthquake, using grooves rather than nails to fit the house together. Furthermore, the light wood has lower probability of killing people if it topples. These different designs show how it is possible to use knowledge of engineering and architecture to reduce the impact of hazards. Modifying vulnerability is another approach to hazard management which aims to increase preparedness of people themselves to tackle the hazard when it occur, including methods such as increasing community preparedness, planning, developing warning systems, and changing perceptions. Community preparedness is essential in all communities where hazard occurrence is frequent, to train and educate people as to how to respond to a hazard and drawing out evacuation plans, and stocking up emergency supplies of food, water and medicine. Also, people can be trained in first aid, search and rescue, and firefighting, etc. In some cases, this is much more feasible than using technology, when the cost is too high. A case study of Norway, where avalanches are frequent, is a good example. Due to the fact that neither relocation nor retrofitting buildings was a feasible option, the most cost effective plan would be to decrease vulnerability. This was done mainly through setting up a warning system, and coming up with a plan to organize an evacuation, by appointing a group of representatives from each community and training the people on how to react. The plan was highly successful, showing the merit in proper planning and preparedness. In many ways the perception and awareness of the community to hazards is very important. Changing the perception of people is also essential in reducing the impacts of hazards, for negative perception by a group of people can ultimately lead many deaths, in cases where communities, especially in LEDCs, are resigned to the fact that nothing can be done to prevent hazard occurrence and that hazards are unavoidable and look upon them as a way of life. Even in MEDCs, perceptions can cause problems. There is a case where, during the evacuation for Hurricane Katrina, some of the elderly did not want evacuate, because of fear of new living conditions, or that they do not want to leave their home. This contributed to the majority of the deaths being the elderly in these events. Thus, changing the perceptions of various peoples in different cultural contexts plays a large role in hazard management, ensuring that the community would want to save themselves in the first place. In all, modifying vulnerability can ultimately lead to people knowing how to react to hazards and thus reduces the negative effects of them. In many cases, managing the cause of natural hazards may bring certain disadvantages, for most natural hazards, while posing a threat to humans, are actually only natural phenomenon, and at times have benefits to us and the environment. A very good example is the case of a flood, where people have tried to create physical barriers to contain the flood water such as levees and dams. While this may be applicable to MEDCs, for many agricultural communities, such an approach is inapplicable, for they depend on the floodplain where there is a high amount of nutrients, deposited by flooding, and supply of water. In these contexts, such as in Bangladesh, where the people depend on these floods, the prevention of the â€Å"hazard† would uproot their way of life. In this way, floods need not always be treated as negative phenomena, causing damage in only certain contexts. In my opinion, modifying the vulnerability, not the cause should be the main aim of hazard management. This holds since there are two factors contributing to risk: hazard and vulnerability. Since eliminating the hazard is totally unfeasible in many large-scale hazards, the best thing to manage should be human vulnerability. Since the main aim should be centered on that can be applicable to all communities, it should be something feasible in contexts where there is lack of economic and technological resources, thus ruling out modifying the event as a potential main aim. As such, hazard management should not be centered on technology, such as the retrofitting of buildings, but rather something like education, which is more cost effective. In all, the main aim should be to increase the resilience of the people themselves to tackle the hazard. For example, in the case of Bangladesh, people adapt to the floods and learn to use it to their own benefit, neither seeing it as a negative phenomenon, nor something they should fear. After changing any negative perceptions of hazards in communities, community preparedness is essential. A bottom up approach equips people with the ability to save their own lives rather than being dependant on others. In fact, it has been shown that this approach works much better than international aid or rescuers from the military. For example, the rescue efforts to the floods in Mozambique in 2001 was a success, not because of anything else, but more of the fact that the people were trained in how to respond, and that there was a clearly drawn out evacuation plan and appointed leaders in the community. Mozambique, though being one of the poorest countries in the world, has managed to increase community preparedness, thus showing how this approach to hazard management, may just be the most universal method of tackling hazards, which works regardless of affluence. In conclusion, it is true that hazard management should be primarily about reacting to the hazards and reducing the damage it brings, rather than trying to prevent it. Still, as technology continues to develop, we cannot eliminate it as an essential part of hazard management, for what may not be possible to prevent now, may be in the future. So, both sides of the equation must be considered to tackle risk effectively, depending on the context.

The Beatles Influence on Rock-and-Roll

The Beatles are one of the most innovative rock bands of all time. They have not only changed the way rock and roll is looked at, but also the way that the music is recorded. They have influenced the artists of the 60s and the 70s, and also many generations later and to come. Originating from Liverpool, England, the Beatles, or the Fab Four, consists of Paul McCartney, John Lennon, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr. Topping the charts in ’63 with â€Å"Love Me Do,† and bringing in the highest rated viewing in history while performing on the Ed Sullivan Show, the Beatles are definitely a band that broke the sound barrier of rock and roll.They used unique sounds in their music and weren’t afraid of experimenting in the studio, they even welcomed accidental occurrences and toyed around to get the sound they were looking for. Artificial double tracking was invented during the recording of their album Revolver and also a new technique on miking strings. They paved the way for other British Bands in America and even had full-blown imitators, like the Monkees, that copied everything from their look, to the spelling error in their name, and their campaign. They also helped create a whole new genre of music called folk rock.Their influence is still seen in today’s musicians, such as the band Oasis, who compare their music constantly to the Beatles. The Beatles Influence on Rock-and-Roll â€Å"The impact of the Beatles – not only on rock and roll but on Western culture – is simply incalculable. As musicians, they proved that rock and roll could embrace a limitless variety of harmonies, structures and sounds; virtually every rock experiment has some precedent on Beatles records. † Said by the Rolling Stone Encyclopedia of Rock and Roll, could not be any more wrong.The Beatles had a huge impact on not just rock and roll, but music as a whole, as well as influencing the technology used to record their music. They weren’ t afraid of experimenting and instead of producing music they produced art. Their influence is seen all over the world, but no one has come close to the fame that was Beatlemania. The Beatles originated from Liverpool, England and consists of Paul McCartney, John Lennon, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr. They first started playing shows in Hamburg, Germany as a skiffle band in 1960.In 1962 they released their first single â€Å"Love Me Do,† which reached the number one spot on U. S. charts in May of ’63. Their first appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show in February of ’64 brought in over 73 million viewers, the most in U. S. history. By April 1964, they held the first five places in the Billboard Hot 100. The Beatles were one of the biggest influences on music during the 60s and 70s. Their music, to this day, remains more widely known than any other music of the rock era. They have brought new sounds and ideas in their music and revolutionized the idea of rock and roll.Their work was always invested with originality, using unique sounds in their music, which is most dramatically seen in Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. They used many studio effects on this album, including reverberation, echoes, and reverse tape effects. They experimented with sounds that no other bands used, and had great success with it. They created their own material, breaking the Tin Pan monopoly of song writing, setting in motion revolutionary changes in the music publishing industry. They wrote songs for fellow artists and even encouraged the Rolling Stones to write their own music. The Beatles were the first group to use the recording studio as a writing tool, building up complex song arrangements by multi-tracking and importing orchestral textures and avant-garde effects under the guidance of producer George Martin† (Glassman).In Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, instead of using traditional breaks in between songs, one tracked merged i nto the next, which were linked by studio talk, laughter, electronic noises, and animal sounds. They also used audio tricks involving steam organs, orchestras, sitars, and even a pack of foxhounds in full cry at the end of â€Å"Good Morning, Good Morning. The use of animal sounds were actually first used in the Beach Boys album Pet Sounds that the Beatles admired. When asked the Beach Boys where they got their innovation for Pet Sounds, the Beatles Rubber Soul album was what inspired them. â€Å"A Day In The Life,† the last song on the album, featured â€Å"what Lennon described as ‘a sound building up from nothing to the end of the world’† (Lazarescu). The song â€Å"Strawberry Fields Forever† fused two different versions of the same song and used reverse-tape cellos for an eerie effect.After George Harrison used sitar on the song â€Å"Norwegian Wood,† other bands like the Byrds, Yardbirds, and the Rolling Stones, soon followed incorporat ing Eastern-influence sounds into their work. Paul McCartney once said, â€Å"We would say, ‘Try it! Just try it for us. If it sounds crappy, OK, we’ll lose it. But it might just sound good. ’ We were always pushing ahead: Louder, further, longer, more different† (â€Å"All About Jazz†). The Beatles had complete access to Abbey Road studios free of charge, spending hours upon hours experimenting and writing music.They used the studio as an instrument in itself. They were the first band to push musical and technological boundaries. They took advantage of accidental occurrences in the recording process. You can see this in â€Å"I Feel Fine† where there is feedback and also in â€Å"Long, Long, Long† where there is a resonating glass bottle. They also deliberately toyed with situations and techniques that would further chance effects. An example of this is in â€Å"I am the Walrus,† where they used a live mixing of a UK radio broa dcast into the fade of the song, and also the chaotic assemblage of â€Å"Tomorrow Never Knows. Ken Townsend invented artificial double tracking (ADT) during the recording of Revolver because Lennon didn’t like singing a song twice. ADT is still widely used for instruments and voices; however, it is now mostly known as automatic double tracking. Other influences the Beatles had on technology were the use of close miking the strings by engineer Geoff Emerick when recording. In 1966 that was a radically new way of miking strings, and now it is common practice. The Beatles were also the firsts to use direct injection to record McCartney’s bass on Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.This is done by connecting the bass to the recording console via an impedance matching DI box. The Beatles paved the way for other British bands in America. The Beatles were the first British group to break into America and since the Beatles were able to have fame in the US, they gave other British bands the possibility of making it in America. Such bands were Gerry and the Pacemakers, Billy J. Kramer and the Dakotas, and the Searchers, who were all also managed by Brian Epstein. Other British bands that followed the Beatles were the Rolling Stones, the Who, and the Yardbirds.The Rolling Stones had a raunchier dirty bad boy look, different then the clean-cut look of the Beatles. As the 1970s began, you can see the Beatles influence in artists like Elton John and Pink Floyd. In America, the most blatant imitators of the Beatles were the Monkees, who even calculatedly misspelled the name just like the Beatles. The Monkees were four actors portraying longhaired whimsical musicians; however, their music was actually performed by studio musicians. They copied the Beatles to a tee, including their campaign.Before the Beatles came to the US, their manager Brian Epstein had Capital Records spend $50,000 on a campaign, plastering posters all over the country stating, â⠂¬Å"The Beatles Are Coming,† and gave disc jockeys records of interviews with the Beatles to feel like they were actually making personalized interviews. For the Monkees, â€Å"The band’s label spent $100,000 on an ad campaign that involved seventy-six advance men, who distributed thousands of posters proclaiming ‘The Monkees Are Coming’ and provided preview records to 6,000 disc jockeys† (Szatmary 125).After the assassination of President John Kennedy, the whole country was at a low point and the Beatles brought them back to happier times, especially the folk artists. A lot of folk artists felt like the protest was over after Kennedy was killed. Kennedy was making a change in the country, but after his death, they felt like there was no more fight left in them. Bob Dylan, one of the major folk musicians of the era, just gave it all away and went towards the more electrified sounds of the Beatles.Gene Clark, who at the time was part of the folk group the New Christy Minstrels, was on tour when he first heard the Beatles song â€Å"She Loves You. † â€Å"I must have played it 40 times in the two days the New Christy Minstrels were playing that town,’ he later enthused. ‘I knew, I knew that this was the future† (Szatmary 140). Gene Clark later quit the New Christy Minstrels and formed his own band with Roger McGuinn and a few other former folk musicians. They called themselves the Byrds, misspelling it to emulate the spelling error in the Beatles.They combined Dylanese folk, vocal harmonies and Beatles music to create folk rock. Other folk bands that switched to folk rock were the Turtles, Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel, and Scotland’s folk singer Donovan Leitch, which Paul McCartney was featured singing with him on his song â€Å"Mellow Yellow. † One other band was Lovin’ Spoonful who owed their debt to Dylan and none other than the Beatles. When new wave and punk music started in th e late 1970s, their sound and style could still be heard in artists like the Squeeze, the Police, and Elvis Costello. Their music has spoken not only to its own time but to every generation since† (Campbell, Brody 168). In the late 1980s a new style of music called â€Å"baggy† originated from Manchester. The musical devotees sported Bealte-esque haircuts and drew heavily on the 1960s. They fused Beatles psychedelic with electronic elements taken from the simultaneously developing acid house scene. You can see the Beatles influence in the guitar style and song arrangements of the Stone Roses, guitarist John Squire cited them as one of his main influences.The mid 90s saw a whole new host of Beatles influenced bands. The band Cast, which was formed by guitarist John Powers in 1994, has Lennon-esque vocals and memorable songs, which are still reaping the rewards. In 1995 a Liverpool band called the Boo Radleys had both the Beatles pop and psychedelic styles. Songwriter/gui tarist Martin Carr told Melody Maker in 1994 that, â€Å"There's never been a time when they haven't been a part of my life† (Glassman). The Gallagher brothers, who formed the group Oasis, lived and breathed the Beatles.They even named dropped the Beatles whenever they could in interviews. They would write their own melodies and then arrange them in a Bealte-esque style, but with a rocky, attitude-dowsed edge. â€Å"It's beyond an obsession. It's an ideal for living. I don't even know how to justify it to myself. With every song that I write, I compare it to The Beatles,’ Noel Gallagher told Q in 1996† (Glassman). Of the eight years that were the Beatles, no band has received more attention from fans, musicians, and scholars. Their music tells us more about the sixties than any other band.Their influence is seen in music and even the technology used to record music. From their first album Please Please Me (1963) all the way to their last album Hey Jude (1970), n o band has seen such a diverse selection of songs, going from retro one minute to folk-influenced the next. With their use of experimentation, they have opened a whole new door to the way rock is heard, converting even folk musicians, like the Byrds, to their style of music. You can still hear their inspiration in music even in today’s bands such as Oasis. Yet no one has seemed to copy the sound that was the Beatles.

Literature Review Internet Essay

A Literature Review on: An Exploration of Internet Programming Technologies for Learning Wayne State University CSC5750 Principles of Web Technology Susan Genden Susan Genden aw0809 Abstract This literature review offers a commentary on programming applications specifically in the area of emerging online technologies for learning. Included is a brief history on the growth of these instructional technologies. We explore four literature reviews that discuss intelligent tutors (used on a one-to-one basis and in a collaborative environment), and virtual reality environments. These publications show students working online successfully in a range of learning situations, where students become more active learners and exercise various choices in the process. Intelligent tutors can be designed to adapt to individual learning styles, and to other learner characteristics. Virtual reality environments offer unique immersive learning experiences. Programmers and researchers are working diligently to develop custom intelligent solutions to online learning needs. Evaluations presented show positive results to date. Obstacles still remain to development in terms of costs and other factors. Implementation and research continue. Introduction Internet technologies are changing our lives and our educational systems (Sheybani, & Javidi, 2004). This literature review presents an overview of four articles on the development of technologies used in online computer based education. The articles reflect continuing change as technology advances become pervasive. Theories about learning environments, and programming and hardware capabilities continue to change. People want educational opportunities that provide flexibility in terms of access, time management, and control (Hooper, & Reinartz, 2002). Education online will indeed become even more accessible, more convenient, and there will be learning environments tailored to the learner’s choices (Jalobeanu, 2003). Educators will have to make the extra effort to keep online learning interesting (Porter, 2005). Researchers are working hard to meet increased programming needs. There are at least two threads of development that lead to our current state in online instruction. One reflects the development of artificial intelligence or AI. The other area reflects instructional technology changes. A few milestones in AI include: in the 1950s, Norbert Weiner discussed feedback 2 Susan Genden aw0809 loops such as the way thermostats measure temperature changes and adjust their settings. He said that intelligent behavior worked in the same way, and might be simulated by computers (www. thinkquest. org, 2006). Newell, Simon, and Shaw created the first artificial intelligence program, Logic Theorist, in 1955-56 (Stottlerhenke Associates, Inc. , 2006). In the 1960s, Eliza, a computer for language between people and computers, was developed, and used intelligent agents (Piramuthu, 2005). The other area of development became apparent in the 1950s, when IBM research teams created computer assisted instructional programs for public schools. People had high expectations for educational use that were not attained. This low level of development continued though the 1960s, 1970s (the PLATO system) and the 1980s. Also in the 1980’s, Papert developed the Logo programming language and children learned to develop simple programming skills (LeFrancois, 2006). By the mid 1980’s, computer use in the schools had expanded to 40% of United States elementary schools and almost twice that in the high schools. By the mid 1990s, computers were integrated primarily in word processing or drill and practice exercises (Reiser, 2002). Since 1995, with the growth of expanded capabilities in multimedia, bandwidth, and programming technologies, the use of the Internet for instruction expanded and enrollments increased. By 1998, 78% of public four-year colleges and universities offered online classes (Reiser).

A historic succession at xerox Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

A historic succession at xerox - Case Study Example Secondly, Ursula Burns succeeded another woman. This is usually not the case since most female CEOs normally break through by taking over from other men. This is a general reflection of the fact that women, like many other minorities in America are often excluded from top level managerial positions. Reasons why Women & Minorities do not get top-level Positions There are several reasons why women are not found occupying top corporate positions around the country. Lamana & Riedman (2010, p285) identify three major reasaons why women are often excluded from such uttermost corporate positions. First of all, most women are involved at the forefront of family lives. This is because once a woman marries, she is often involved more intensely in family matters. This implies that a woman will need to do draw a balance between the raising of a family and business life. In most organizations, rising to the top demands a almost all of a person' attention and due to the divided attention most wome n have because they combine work with family life, they end up losing out to men. Secondly, historical factors play major roles in hindering women from taking up top corporate positions.

Writing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Writing - Essay Example The system accepts one’s driving license as a proof of citizenship. This move may result into many states adopting the feature into their systems; though debate keeps ranging on whether the judges shall rule against or for the case. The authorities in the state say that they shall be alert to prove on what the law stands for in Alabama. In the meantime, the A-L program will continue being effective. In the news, Elliott (2009) continues to argue that the Representative of the Revenue Department, Julie Magee is said to be very optimistic on this move to stop the earlier non-compliance concerns in the Immigration Department. Magee is quoted saying that she might not really know much on the expenditure of the A-L verify system but is very aware that the functioning of the system will benefit Alabama in a great way, from her explanation on how the system works. It may be too late for the law to restrain the move as it has already been implemented in a way, and is functioning really well. With the Hispanic population standing at about a hundred and forty five, just a minute section of the population, judge Blackburn is said to rule on the Alabama case. It is evident that the financial burden on the shoulders of the populace has been too heavy. Though the law might affect so many farmers negatively, through discouragement of the Hispanic population working on the farms, the Alabama citizens are extremely eager to get away with the

American History Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 3

American History - Essay Example The confederates lost the war because it was outclassed militarily by the north. Though it had strong generals by the book, they failed to mount an offensive that could defeat the commitment of the Northern forces. The North had a strong Navy to put blockades ion river ways and southern seaports. In terms of size, the south was not able to provide a force as big as the north (Bancroft and Nye 32). Dependency on the north for economic progress was also a weakness well exploited by the North. They had industries to produce finished goods and also make weapons. The South did not have many industries with huge economic capabilities. They even had to import their weapons and some of the finished goods. Black men serving in both the union and confederate forces had reduced roles with most of them helping in labor positions. There was the initial fear of arming black men especially in the south where they still remained slaves. They also served as nurses, blacksmiths and cooks in the army. More advanced military roles executed by the blacks included spying and scouting. The use of the black men was not widespread because the white men did not approve of their capabilities. Together with continuous racial discrimination, black men were termed inferior by fellow white men who even failed to train or equip them adequately. The black soldiers serving in the war also received lower payments for their services. The captured black soldiers received harsher punishment than the white prisoners of war. The objective of reconstruction was to make the rebel states come back to the union as well as help freedmen integrate into the society. The political wave by some section intended for those rebel states to face punishment and be subjugated. The punishment occurred but not the subjugation. The goals of the punishment were also not achieved. There were many divided opinions regarding the course of action that hampered the plan (Bancroft and

Continuity Irish Republican Army (CIRA) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Continuity Irish Republican Army (CIRA) - Essay Example The paper will be presented as a fact-finding document and will present no political bias on the issues that surround the CIRA. It is the intention to inform the public on the CIRA and present a clearer picture of the threat they may pose and who their likely targets may be. To understand the brief history of the CIRA, it is helpful to know the history of the Irish Republican Army (IRA) and its political struggle for Irish nationalism. The IRA was a military organization that grew out of the Irish Volunteers, and was recognized by the Lower House of parliament as the legitimate army of the declared Irish Republic in 1919. The Irish Republic had been established as the result of the Easter Uprising in 1916, which sought to expel British rule. A group of Irish republicans led the revolt and sought to win independence through armed conflict with Britain. Subsequent years of civil strife resulted in the Anglo-Irish Treaty, which was a compromise that established an Irish Free State within the British Empire. The resulting division between the pro-treaty supporters and the republican radicals set the stage for the Irish civil war. After suffering defeat in the civil war, the radical IRA continued to fight for an Irish Republic. They fought against the occupying British army over the next several decades using terrorist and guerrilla tactics. The IRA maintained a lo... Hard line republicans opposed this change and contended it was against the original constitution of the IRA and the Sinn Fein. The members that opposed the change in absenteeism policy split from the PIRA and reformed as the CIRA. This established the CIRA as the more radical splinter group and they proclaimed themselves to be the only legitimate IRA. Though the CIRA has been in existence since 1986, it was relatively inactive until the cease-fire of 1994. The statement by the IRA said, in part, "[...] the IRA have decided that as of midnight, August 31, there will be a complete cessation of military operations. All our units have been instructed accordingly" ("Irish Republican Army"). The CIRA did not agree to abide by the cease-fire and continued its goal of uniting Northern Ireland and Ireland in a socialist republic through armed conflict. This was the beginning of the modern and visible CIRA as it exists today. Group Leadership and Organizational Structure There has been some confusion over the terms Continuity IRA (CIRA) and the Real IRA (RIRA). Both groups have similar political goals and both advocate violence. Neither group has agreed to abide by the cease-fire as agreed to by the PIRA. Both groups consider themselves the sole legitimate IRA. The CIRA split during the 1986 debate over absenteeism, and the RIRA was formed from radical PIRA members who dissented from the cease fire agreement. Though they have some collusion and cooperation, they operate as separate organizations, leadership, and structure. Initially CIRA was led by Chief of Staff Daith O Conaill until his death in 1991. He was a hard line republican who had been active in the IRA for 4 decades. When he died in 1991, it was reported that an unnamed man from

Filtration and Packaging Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Filtration and Packaging - Essay Example the determination of the packing material depends on the nature, type, use and duration of the product. The other factors that influence packing are attractive designs, costs, customer preferences etc (History of packaging and types of packaging.2009). One of the significant determinants in selecting the ideal packing material is of course its cost effectiveness. It this regard, glass stands to be the most appropriate one because around 25% of the raw material cost can be attributable to a glass packing material. Whereas it is around 70-80% for a metallic packing material. Use of chemicals and innovations in this area has made glass one of the most popular packing materials now. But this enthusiasm is limited because due to the increased capital expenditure that is related to use of modern sophisticated glass in the packing industry (Packaging Materials. 2011). Glass has lots of interesting peculiarities to be the most popular packing material that consumers prefer. Among other thing s that make glass ideal for food and beverage packing is that they are either transparent or opaque. This makes the customers to have a first hand vision of the product before they buy it. Moreover the strength, and the ability to have a barrier to water as well as gas and inertness to toxic chemical substances, makes glass the ideal choice (PACKAGING MATERIALS. 2009). Consumers all around the globe prefer glass as packing material especially in the case of packing food and other beverages. They are reluctant to use plastic because of its non friendly environmental and health nature. The main facts that make glass popular among the consumers are purity, recyclables, quality, safety and versatility. Glass packaging supports all these things therefore consumers prefer it. Although almost ninety percentages of the consumers prefer glass to be their preferred choice for packing, it is estimated that glass accounts to only ten percentage of the market share for packaging in the food and beverage category. This clearly suggests that some thing is wrong somewhere. Glass packaging even though popular has not been seen in shelves of stores (Glass is The Consumers Preferred Packaging Material. 2011). In spite of being popular with the customers who prefer glass as a packing material, glass suffers from lots of disadvantage. Predominant among them is its disability to withstand shocks. Glass containers are easily breakable. This prompts the customer to take extra care on it. Other that that breakage of containers also creates small glass pieces inside. This if not noticed enters the body of the person who use it resulting in serious health damage and even death. Therefore use of glass containers is not at all recommended especially for children who are more vulnerable to injuries caused by glass through its use. Other main draw backs are compromise on the hermetic seal of the containers, color changes of the product due to more exposure to light. This draw back is so acu te for beverage products where glass containers permit more sunlight to penetrate inside thereby resulting in damages and loss to the product. Although glass has high barrier properties as well as inertness and adaptable to microwave processing, it is sometimes overweight. This overweight somewhat affects the moods of customers too. More and more customers prefer to carry less weighable things rather those products having more weight.

Dimensions of organisation structure & Technology Research Paper

Dimensions of organisation structure & Technology - Research Paper Example Nonetheless, Toyota experiences considerable difficulties with delegating its power to national plant branch representatives and managers. As a result, the effectiveness of change management and organizational processes within Toyota has little to do with technologies per se but implies the need to restructure the company’s organizational culture and values from the bottom. Toyota Motor Corporation is rightly considered as a gold standard of the automotive industry and a role model for other car manufacturers to follow (Bauer & Erdogan 2009). Organizational structure is believed to be one of the key factors of Toyota’s sustained commercial success. Even as its competitors were losing billions because of the recession, Toyota still managed to retain its position of a leader in the global car making industry. Recent advances in technologies contribute to Toyota’s organizational achievements and success. The organizational structure of Toyota is that of innovation, technologies, and change (Leonard 1997). With an emphasis made on just-in-time manufacturing, teamwork, and complex enterprise architectures, Toyota relies â€Å"on a series of interrelated and internally consistent choices that reflect the priorities and trade-offs in its competitive situation and strategy† (Hayes & Pisano 1994, p.18). Technologies predetermine the organiz ational structure and development pathways in Toyota; nonetheless, they do not secure the company from organizational and structural failures. That technologies are at the heart of the company’s organizational structure cannot be denied. Everything within the Toyota Corporation is built on the principles of just-in-time production (JIT). The latter is closely aligned with complex information systems and, simultaneously, guarantees that all elements of the company’s organizational structure operate to deliver raw materials and supplies at the time they are needed and used (Bauer & Erdogan 2009). JIT

The Bauhaus Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

The Bauhaus - Essay Example The ability of the artist to combine space, form, and colour as well as the culture and tradition of the people within the society tells us something about an architectural design. In line with this matter, the author of Bauhaus discussed how the school became a strong influence in the training and development of craftmanship among the modern painters, achitects, and sculptors. One of the school’s strong influence of Bauhaus started when the school decided to effectively train the painters, architects and sculptors to become artistically inclined. This was done by enabling the students to understand the importance of combining their suggested ideas, concepts, knowledge on new materials and available technology including their individual skills when creating a new concept or design. In fact, one of the many goals of Bauhaus is to enable the readers to fully understand the importance of craftmanship especially when it comes to modernization of art designs. The Bauhaus started in Weimar between the years 1919 to 1925 when the school was temporarily closed because of the lack of financial capabilities to continue its operations. Between December 1926 up to 1932, the Bauhaus in Dessau became operational. Eventually, Bauhaus in Berlin managed to served the public only between 1932 to 1933 since the Bauhaus was closed down because of the political decisions of Hitler under the Nazi regime. The training provided by the Bauhaus to its students was not limited to designing on papers.

Rule Utilitarianism Essay Example for Free

Rule Utilitarianism Essay Mills Utilitarianism brings an extended concept of Benthams philosophy and a response to Kants deontological philosophy. The basic concept of utilitarianism is to act in such a way as to create the most pleasure or the least pain. This is the guideline because, as Mill states, we desire happiness; happiness is maximizing pleasure and minimizing pain. However, is utilitarianism viable? There are many arguments for it, but just as many against. First, utilitarianism allows for the good of all. Mills wrote, Actions are right in proportion as they tend to promote happiness, wrong as they tend to produce the reverse of happiness. Because morality is based on the greatest pleasure the more people who benefit from an act, the more moral it is. This prevents a single person from only acting for his own benefit by requiring the consideration of his acts on others. It also allows difficult moral decisions to be made on a governmental level by considering the needs of the many. For example, it is policy in a hostage situation to refuse to give in to the captors. This is morally justified even if it endangers the lives of the hostages because the greater pain lies in encouraging future hostage situations by yielding to the captors. Another positive aspect of utilitarianism is that there is a purpose to the morality. One acts morally because it causes pleasure and happiness, or prevents as much pain as possible. In fact pleasure and freedom from pain are the only ends desirable in and of themselves. This differs from the deontological concept of philosophy, where an act is not good because it causes pleasure, but only when it is done out of duty from universal maxims. This also creates problems of motivation that are avoided by Mills Utilitarianism. According to Kant, saving a mans life for a reward or other personal gain is immoral because of the motivation, however Mill would find that this act is indeed moral because saving a life, no matter the intention, prevents the most pain and causes the most pleasure. Not only is there a purpose behind utilitarian morality, but there is also an inherent flexibility within utilitarianism. Because each act is examined for its moral worth, there is not the rigidity that is found within Kants universal maxims. With Kants deontological philosophy creates moral dilemmas when an act that would seem to be moral goes against a universal maxim. For example, a universal maxim of Do not kill would need to be broken in a situation of self-defense. While Kant provides for this with a universalization rule, utilitarianisms individual examination of each act allows morality to be more specific and adaptable. While a murder would almost always be immoral, killing in defense of self would almost always be moral. A negative to utilitarianism is that, though adding to flexibility, the individual evaluation of an act takes time. To do this mental weighing of pleasure and pain before every act, or even every major act, is not only time consuming but many times self-defeating. Situations that require an immediate action cannot wait while everyone ponders the morality of their potential actions. In fact, it could be posited that a person must ponder the morality of stopping to ponder the morality of the original action. That path leads to turtles all the way down. Mill does have a response to this however: the state of passive sensibility, and though originally an offshoot from it, may in time take root and detach itself from the parent stock; so much so, that in the case of an habitual purpose, instead of willing the thing because we desire it, we often desire it only because we will it. Or simply, habit will allow us to make decisions without always having to ponder the consequences. However as many people are not typically faced with emergency situations, they wont be able to develop a habit for the very situations that require the most immediate attention. Perhaps a more serious problem with utilitarianism is that it can be used to justify acts that society would consider unjust. A common example is slavery: if 95% of the population can be made happy when the other 5% is enslaved is slavery not the greatest good? Utilitarianism allows society to sacrifice the individual, or even the minority for the majority. If by speaking one lie, a person could save 4 lives than that lie would be a moral act; but if by killing one man, that same person could save 4 lives wouldnt utilitarianism find this too to be a moral act? Fortunately Mill has a response to the idea of removing an individuals rights for the good of the whole. . In chapter V of his essay he writes, To have a right, then, is, I conceive, to have something which society ought to defend me in the possession of. The reason for this, Mill states, is general utility. It is generally better to protect the rights of every man, because this will lead to the most happiness. However, it seems there is still a way to put society before the individual. Because the reason for protecting individual rights is general utility, if violating those rights will cause the least pain, as compared to pain for the whole society, it would be general utility to violate these rights. But perhaps it is sometimes necessary to sacrifice one for the good of all. Utilitarianism has some strong arguments both for and against. And it also has another out because there is a distinction between two different types of utilitarianism. Act utilitarianism examines each action for its moral worth, but rule utilitarianism creates general values of moral worth. Does rule utilitarianism help answer some of the negatives of utilitarianism? It definitely solves the issue of time. With rule utilitarianism a person no longer must consider his every single move. There are general guidelines that cover the everyday situations. That downside is that there cant be good guidelines for extraordinary situations, so the issue of time being required when there is the least time to spare is still present. Rule utilitarianism also protects the rights of the individual. Taking into account general utility allows a general rule to be made guarding every persons rights. This isnt to say the rule couldnt be broken, but it would require extraordinary circumstances that made the general utility violate the rule. Overall, utilitarianism is a viable option as a system of morality. http://www. utilitarianism. com/mill1. htm- online text of Mills Utilitarianism.

JPMorgan Chase Paper Essay Example for Free

JPMorgan Chase Paper Essay In the summer of 2012, JPMorgan Chase, the largest leading U. S. bank, announced trading losses from investment decisions made by its Chief Investment Office (CIO) of $5. 8 billion. The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) was provided falsified first quarter reports that hidden this massive loss. Discuss how administrative agencies like the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) or the Commodities Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) take action in order to be effective in preventing high-risk gambles in securities / banking, a foundation of the economy. In the summer of 2012, JPMorgan Chase, the largest leading U. S. bank, make known trading losses from investment verdict made by its Chief Investment Office (CIO) of $5. 8 billion. The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) was provided falsified first quarter reports that concealed this enormous loss. The duty of the U. S. Securities and Exchange Commission is to protect investors, uphold fair, organize, and efficient markets, and facilitate capital formation. Obligatory public companies to disclose meaningful financial information to the public is an effective move toward the SEC takes in order to assure the securities of this nation (U. S. Securities and Exchange Commission). These assist investors prevent high-risk gambles and allows them to make the right decisions when deciding on which companies to invest in. The Commodity Future Trading Commission regulates the product futures and options markets. Its target includes the promotion of competitive and efficient futures markets and the protection of investors against manipulation, abusive trade scheme and fraud (U. S. Securities and Exchange Commission). Both the SEC and the CFTC played a role in investigating the massive trading losses in the case of JPMorgan Chase. The SEC’s investigation could only focus on the suitability and completeness of JPMorgan Chase financial reporting and other public disclosures. However; SEC Chairman Mary Schapiro stated that her agencys investigation is limited, because the trades happened in divisions of the banking giant that arent subject to SEC regulation (CNN Money). The leader of CFTC, Gary Gensler, give an opinion that â€Å"JPMorgans losses are worth looking into, because as a U. S. bank, it is an entity with direct admission to the Federal Reserves discount window and federal deposit insurance (CNN Money). Determine the elements of a valid contract, and discuss how consumers and banks each have a duty of good faith and fair dealing in the banking relationship. A contract is a legally obligatory promise or set of promises (Bagley, C. 2013). If this promise is broken, either party involved can be legally responsible and take the other party to court. There are four basic elements in the creation of a valid contract. The first consist of an agreement between the parties involved, by an presented offer and acceptance. The second states that the parties’ promises must be supported by something of worth, known as consideration. The third advises both parties must have the ability to enter into a contract. The fourth element states the contract must have a legal purpose (Bagley, C 2013). The duty of good faith and good dealing is implied in every contract. In recent years the mortgage industry has been seen as a prime example of how consumers and banks need to better understand and adhere to duty of good faith and good dealings. Consumers had the responsibility of understanding the contracts involved in borrowing the money needed for their homes. Banks had the responsibility of knowing who they should lend money to, and the conditions of the rates involved on the loans provided. Relationships between banks and consumers could have been avoided if the duty of good faith and good dealing was implemented on contracts granted between the banks and consumers. Compare and contrast the differences between intentional and negligent tort actions A tort is a body of rights, and obligations that is applied by courts in civil proceedings to provide relief for persons who have suffered harm. Tort means civil wrong resulting in injury to a person or property (Bagley, C. 2013). An intentional tort action is when there is intent to cause harm to a person or property . Intentional torts include things like assault and battery, slander, false imprisonment, libel, and intentional infliction of emotional distress. These torts are often, but not always, the case that an intentional tort is also a criminal act (Bagley, C. 2013). A negligent tort action is when a person is careless to his or her own actions and did not intend to cause harm to a person or property. Even though that person is negligent, he or she is still held legally responsible because of their careless actions. To illustrate the difference between negligence and an intentional tort, let’s look at an example with two different scenarios. The plaintiff is a woman named Ramona, and in both cases, she is suing because of a broken leg. state of affair #1: Ramona is walking down the aisle of Wal-Mart store when she slips and falls on a puddle of cooking oils. The owner of the store was negligent for not cleaning up the spill. Even though the store owner did not intend for Ramona to get hurt, he is still liable for her broken led because his negligence lead to her injury. Scenario #2: Molly is walking to her car when she is assaulted by a man who wants to steal her wallet. The assailant shoves her to the ground, and she breaks her wrist as a result of the attack. The police later catch the assailant, and Molly sues him for her injuries. In both cases the end result is the same; Ramona end up with a broken leg. Both defendants can be held liable for Ramona injuries, but for different reasons. The store owner is liable because he failed to clean up the spilled of oils, which a reasonable person would have done. The assaulter is liable because they intentionally caused harm to Molly by pushing her. Discuss the tort action of â€Å"Interference with Contractual Relations and Participating in a Breach of Fiduciary duty† and, if the bank you’ve chosen were to behave as JP Morgan did, would you be able to prevail in such a tort action. The interference with contractual relations defends the right to enjoy the benefits of legally binding agreements (Bagley, C 2013). The existence of a contract at the time of the assumed interference is what separates tortuous interference with contract from the more complicated to establish tortuous interference with prospective contractual relations. If good grounds exist for the interference, such as the case with JP Morgan, then the defendant would not be liable. With the advent of mobile banking, discuss how banks have protected the software that allows for online transaction to occur through automation. The majority banks inform consumers that they are protected by the Online Banking Security Guarantee, which covers the security of your information and bank accounts. Banks hold a liability of making sure the consumers security is protected, and if dishonored most banks will guarantee up to a 100 percent against theft of your funds from online banking services. While many worry about online banking, there’s good news that mobile banking is to some extent secure just for the reason that there are so numerous variations of banking apps and methods in the market. A thief has no way of predicting which technique a possible victim might use. Cited Work U. S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission. (n. d. ). Retrieved March 1, 2013, from U. S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission: http://www. cftc. gov/index. htm CNN Money (n. d. ). Retrieved March 1, 2013, from http://money. cnn. com/2012/05/22/news/economy/jp-morgan-senate/index. htm U. S. Securities and Exchange Commission. (n. d. ). Retrieved March 1, 2013, from U. S. Securities and Exchange Commission: http://www. sec. gov/ Bagley, C. (2013). Managers and the Legal Environment: Strategies for the 21st Century, 7th Edition. Mason: South-Western, Cengage Learning.

The Accrington Pals and Strange Meeting

The Accrington Pals and Strange Meeting Compare and contrast the lack of understanding of the realities of war by the women in The Accrington Pals and Strange Meeting. To what extent do these misapprehensions affect the relationships between the male and female characters? The lack of understanding shown by the women in Peter Whelan’s The Accrington Pals and Susan Hill’s Strange Meeting makes the realities of war seem all the more sombre. Consequently, this gives a lugubrious tone to both texts, and I aim to assess the impact this has on the relationships of the characters involved. First and foremost, in Whelan’s The Accrington Pals, signing up was far from readily accepted. The women had good reason to be concerned however, as this play highlights the inevitable decimation of such a vast volunteer base such as the Accrington Pals, part of a branch of many such battalions founded as a result of Kitchener’s call to arms in 1914. The opening of the play begins in Autumn 1914, right at the beginning of the war, where attitudes to it were still largely patriotic and positive. Immediately when May Hassal enters, one of the main characters in Whelan’s play, we get a sense of foreshadowing: she is holding a pair of â€Å"iron scales†, which, although not distinctively stated by Whelan, could tie in with the cold winter morning, and her soon to be exposed cold-heart. This poses the question of why the relationship between May and Tom (a nineteen year old apprentice), is so stale and awkward, and why May has an obvious â€Å"grudge† ag ainst him. This is later revealed to the audience, as May adamantly defends her decision to refuse to join in with the â€Å"send –off† for the soldiers: â€Å"I wouldn’t waste my existence†. This is an early indicator that May did not think profoundly of the celebrations that followed the men’s’ signing up, suggesting she thought of it more as a temporary job for the men than a life-threatening act of bravery. Similarly in Strange Meeting, John Hilliard, the protagonist of the novel, is perplexed at how different his sister Beth is behaving since his return from the front. Beth too fails to understand the severity of the upcoming farewell she will have to say to her brother, and this upsets John, who â€Å"had expected to spend time with her, walking about the beach, to laugh with her, explain things, but she had been busy, going out to lunch with their mother, helping twice a week at parties for soldiers on leave, leading a social lifeâ⠂¬ . This somewhat touching passage has a tone of pathos, and evokes a sense of pity for John, as it reflects his own sister being too busy to spend time with him before he leaves for war. The women in The Accrington Pals feel that the war is changing their men, and this is having a knock-on effect on their relationships, resulting in snide remarks made about them. During a conversation between Bertha, Sarah and Eva in Scene 3, Whelan conveys a sense of detachment of the men from the women as a result of the war: â€Å"They think they’re it, don’t they?† â€Å"You just don’t know them anymore! They even walk different†, â€Å"They look so swaggery† this bitterness that the women are feeling is down to the men’s involvement with the war, but the women don’t understand that the men are actually making the most of their time in Accrington while they still can. Bertha, who says she couldn’t recognise her own father in his uniform (â€Å"I didn’t know him at first†) thinks that the men hold high opinions of themselves, yet after the introduction of Ralph to the scene, soon changes her negative ton e, and instead joins in with the Accrington Carnival, singing a patriotic song with Sarah: â€Å"†¦I hit me bum instead of me drum, I’ve joined the Boys’ Brigade†. This song reflects the innocence about the war at this uncertain time for everyone involved; the effect on the audience however would be quite the opposite, having an almost jovial mood, yet this makes it all the more ironic as obviously it highlights that the women were blissfully unaware of the events to follow their men’s departure. This innocence can also be seen with Hill’s Strange Meeting, where the women thought they were doing the right thing by throwing parties for the soldiers on leave. John Hilliard observes the soldiers’ poor â€Å"shocked and pale faces from the recollection of horrors†, yet the women thought it fitting to take their photographs. As the men stood there â€Å"looking embarrassed†, the women looked â€Å"proud and pleased†, doi ng â€Å"what seemed to them best, they knew nothing better†. By focussing on a jovial image of soldiers on leave, they show a disregard for the hardships of re-adapting to civilian life that the men faced, and this is particularly staggering because it may make these men feel as if they can never integrate back with society, who don’t understand the harsh reality of war. This therefore may permanently affect previously strong relationships as the women who thought they were doing the right thing can never fully cater for the men’s fear-stricken needs. As Whelan’s play progresses, Tom and May’s relationship continues to deteriorate, and May tells Eva that she thinks â€Å"Tom’s a dreamer just like [her] Father was†, subsequently showing that she fails to understand Tom’s motifs for joining up. He is an idealist who believes in a collective good and thinks that everyone has a duty to look after their fellow men. However May cannot see this, and instead holds a bitter outlook of the men of war, failing to comprehend the close bonds that they share, and thinks that they are â€Å"waiting to see you [Tom] stumble, slip back, and be as they are†. In contrast, John Hilliard’s mother in Strange Meeting, Constance Hilliard, shows a complete inability to understand the asperity of war at all. The only way she is able to offer sympathy to John is by fussing, despite him her reminding her â€Å"don’t fuss†, she is merely concerned with physical needs such as hunger (â€Å"you use d to be fond of muscatels and almonds, as a small boy. Mary will bake you plum cakes, of course, they are so much better than anything we could buy†), yet often these soldiers would benefit far greater from support and affection, as found in John’s relationship with David Barton â€Å"I love you John†¦yes. He was amazed at himself†. This seems to reassure John and perhaps side-track his mind from the grim realities around him. In The Accrington Pals, the Boggis family undergo the greatest changes as a result of their involvement in the war. Significantly, the return of Arthur’s pigeon that went with him to France, England’s Glory, has an unexpected and catastrophic effect on Annie. When she acknowledges the bird she is adamant that it is England’s Glory: â€Å"It’s his† It’s England’s glory!† This has an astounding significance, as it is an irrespective of the sacrifice that the men have made. The fact that is returns to the women could be an example of foreshadowing by Whelan that it is literally the glory of England winning the war that will return to them, but nothing more, not their men. The fact that its heart was â€Å"hardly beating† is a further example of foreshadowing that the men’s death is imminent, and Annie is the only one who senses this. It can also link to the relationship between May and Tom, whereby May’s heart à ¢â‚¬Ëœhardly beats’ for Tom, and this is the first time that May begins to realise her feelings for Tom were stronger than she thought. When the bird is drowned and subsequently buried, it is an example of symbolism by Whelan to represent that the relationships in Accrington are dead and will never come alive again. By comparison, in Strange Meeting, Beth’s letter to John reflects the navetà © of not just the women characters but also the civilians back home, who believe the lies being fed to them; â€Å"it seems that things are going well from what we read in the papers, and that you will be back before very long†. This in a sense shows the complete disregard for John’s feelings by Beth, because is aware of the sheer harshness of the war. If John had not have returned, Beth would have been regretful of her letters and felt rather foolish, yet because of his return, she could never be made fully aware of the suffering that John was going through. The reader is left feeling sympathetic for May by the end of The Accrington Pals, as after finally realising her true feelings for Tom, he appears to her in spirit form, and she learns the truth about his whereabouts. She blames herself for what has happened to him. As a result of the war, May begins to feel guilty about being â€Å"cold† to Tom. Upon hearing the supposedly good news about the war, many of the women assemble and march to the town hall to try to discover the truth about the men. This collectivism that these women show is the same attitude that Tom himself would have approved of, however, May declines to take part. Once the women in Whelan’s play finally discover the truth about the decimation of the Pals Battalion, they react very differently from one another; Eva reacts angrily, while May falls into a trance-like state, initially unable to function in her normal way. Right at the end of the play, May begs Eva to read a poem published in the paper. It re flects the pride felt as a result of the deaths of the town’s men, and this is not how May had felt before, thus showing her relationship with Tom and other women, and her attitude, has been changed as a result of the sudden and shocking news of the men’s deaths. Eva is â€Å"forced to continue†, thus showing she doesn’t want reminding of Ralph’s death, and so you could argue that her relationship has been destroyed by the war and her normally open personality has been completely transformed. To conclude, the lack of understanding of the realities of war in The Accrington Pals and Strange Meeting are both painful and upsetting because it ultimately results in relationships never returning to what they were. May’s fractured relationship with Tom is finally healed as a result of the war, yet almost ironically, she only realises her feelings after hearing the news of Tom’s death, and then she consequently becomes more introspective, and loses all of her previously present ambition and her high opinions of herself, along with her hopes for the future. Instead, she resumes her old life of making do. The other women struggle to cope with the news of their men’s death; Annie goes into a hysterical state, and Eva is forced to leave. Obviously this news was completely out of the blue as they were ignorant enough to believe the cover ups found in the Accrington Observer. Many families would write to senior officers and the war office, desperate for news of love d-ones, or to discover the real facts behind a death. An example of this can be seen in Strange Meeting, when David Barton’s mother writes to John Hilliard, desperate for news of her son. The signing up of these men to fight in the war, seen as a â€Å"spontaneous demonstration† by May, led to the catastrophic waste of so many young lives, who, in The Accrington Pals’ case, fell victim to the Battle of the Somme.

The Dark Side of Facebook Essay -- Social Networking, Pro Con Essays

Today, students rely on social networks such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram more than they rely on food to nourish their bodies. An average Facebook user wastes over 18.5 hours a month on social networking sites. It is noticeable that the more attention students are giving these social networks, the more poorly they do in school. Younger students carelessly expose all their personal information on these social networks. Also, as these sites continue to grow so does cyber bullying. Schools that contain grades k-12 should block internet access to social networks because they have a negative impact on the academic performance of students, they make students more prone to dangers on the internet, and they are the main locations of cyber bullying. Social networking sites frequently have a negative impact on the academic performance of students. Sanzhar Nayzabekov says in her article â€Å"Negative impact of social networking sites on academic performance of students†, found on the website Academia.edu, â€Å"Despite the fact that a relatively large number of social network sites including Facebook were initially created for learning purposes, there is some evidence that most social network site users show almost no attitudes towards finding academic information† (6). In fact, the use of these social networks often results in lower grades. For example, Naizabekov also says a large amount of Facebook users check their Facebook a significant amount of times throughout the day while updating their statuses more than 5 times per day (4). With that being said, it is quite hard for a student focusing on status updates and what’s new on the social media during class period to be focused on what is be ing taught in class... ...ality of cyberbullying laws: keeping the online playground safe for both teens and free speech." Vanderbilt Law Review Apr. 2010: 845+. LegalTrac. Web. 15 Nov. 2014 . Kirschner, Paul, and Aryn Karpinski. â€Å"Facebook and Academic Performance.† Computers and Human Behavior 26.6 (Nov. 2010): 1237-1245. ACM Digital Library. Web. 10 Nov. 2014 . Nayzabekov, Sanzhar. â€Å"Negative impact of social networking sites on academic performance of students.† Academia.edu. N.p., 20 Apr. 2012. Web. 10 Nov. 2014 . "Scams Online." All Hands 09 1999: 42-3. ProQuest. Web. 18 Nov. 2014 Tarantino, Kristen, et al. â€Å"Effects of Student Engagement with Social Media on Student Learning: A Review of Literature† StudentAffairs.com. StudentAffairs.com, n.d. Web. 10 Nov. 2014 . Wolak, Janis, et al. "Online â€Å"predators† and their victims." Psychology of violence 1 (2010): 13-35. Web. 10 Nov. 2014 .

Becoming A Doctor :: essays research papers fc

Becoming A Doctor A doctor is someone who can help someone else in need. There are many types of doctors, ranging from general pediatricians to specialists. They are respected people and are looked to when something is wrong. Everyone needs a doctor at some point, so doctors are very much in demand. I am interested in this career because I like to help people. Also, it pays well so I can live off the salary. Another reason is because many of my relatives are doctors, nurses, or dentists. Even though school and training are very hard, it pays off in the end, when someone can make a difference in someone's life. I am not sure if I would like to be a pediatrician, or a specialist. Specialists probably earn more money, but do not do as much, and are required to learn more. I do not think I will want to be a surgeon, because cutting people open and taking things out does not seem very appealing. To become a doctor, one must endure a lot of training and education. In college, one must study courses to prepare for medicine, such as biology, chemistry, and some advanced mathematics. It generally takes seven to eight years to finish his education. The first four years, one would take pre-med. classes. Then it's on to medical school, where for four years one learns about the area of medicine one chooses. After medical school, about one year of internship is needed. Then he becomes a resident and practice medicine under supervision of a senior doctor. All together, it is about 11 years before one actually become an independent doctor. Doctors will always be needed. Because of this, and because of the population growth, doctors will always be in demand and the profession will continue to grow. This way, a doctor will be unemployed less, and will be more secure, financially. A doctor can earn from $60,000 to $700,000. Pediatricians and doctors at free clinics earn the least, although they are probably the most needed. There are many doctors that want to help children, so they become pediatricians, even if they earn a little less than others. Specialists earn a little more, from $90,000 to $200,000. These specialists range from neurologists, dermatologists, and urologists to cardiologists. Of course, the ones that are in need will earn more. The doctors that earn the most are surgeons. Doctors that perform tonsillectomies will earn less than plastic surgeons, and plastic surgeons will earn less than cardiovascular surgeons and neurosurgeons. Anesthesiologists, who give the patients shots during surgery, earn around $250,000 a year.

I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings: Cages :: Know Why the Caged Bird Sings Essays

I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings:   Cages  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Maya Angelou wrote an amazing and entertaining autobiography titled I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings, about her hard life growing up as a black girl from the South.   Among the hardships are things known as "cages" as stated as a metaphor from Paul Dunbar's poem "Sympathy."   "Cages" are things that keep people from succeeding in life and being everything they want to be.   Some of Maya Angelou's cages include being black in the 1940's and her overbearing grandmother.   In my life, a "cage" is my young age, this causes problems with adults.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   A major "cage" from Maya Angelou's youth was that she was black in a prejudice southern town.   Maya has recounted in her book the times when she was discriminated against.   When she was working for a white woman named Mrs. Viola Cullinan, Mrs. Cullinan started calling her Mary, "That's [Margaret] too long.   She's Mary from now on."(pp.91) One of the most important aspects of a person is their name.   It is a great insult for someone to change your name, without your consent.   If Maya was white Mrs. Cullinan would not have changed her name and she did it only because of her racist friends and attitudes.   Even some of the white adults who supposedly supported her had hidden their racist messages in seemingly nice speeches.   Maya conveys the words of Mr. Edward Donleavy, one of the people in the masquerade, "The white kids were going to have a chance to become Galileos and Madame Curies and Edisons and Gauguins, and our boys (the girls weren't even in on it) would try to be Jesse Owenses and Joe Lousises."(pp.151)   Maya was forced to listen to Mr. Donleavy's stereotypes of how white children could be thinkers and black children can only be athletes.     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   What was supposed to be an encouraging speech, which Mr. Donleavy probably thought was sincere, turned out to be just another racist and stereotypical speech.   Perhaps it was not so much Mr. Donleavy's fault, because he was trying to be nice, but more of his upbringing.   Racism was the most prominent of Maya's "cages" and it is probably due to the society and ignorant ideas.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The second major cage of   Maya Angelou was that she has a very strict, religious, and overbearing grandmother.   It is important that a child's guardian be caring and strict but that guardian should not be too strict.

Analysis the Song “The Way We Were” Essay

There is a song—a love song that has touched several hundred thousand audiences’ hearts; it expresses the overflowing feelings of a woman who used to live in her intense true love. â€Å"The Way We Were,† by Alan Bergman, Marilyn Bergman, and Marvin Hamlisch illustrates the innermost emotions and regret of a middle-aged woman when she reflects on the youth which she had gone through. This song has a light beat and slow tempo forming delightful sensations for the listeners, but it also leaves audiences a profound message to think about. Sophisticated audiences may find themselves in the song. It brings out fervor, especially for people who have been living in love. Marilyn Bergman uses simple words, but it is very touching and emotive. Basically, it is a classical song which was played by symphony orchestras and performed by Barbra Streisand. By just looking at the lyrics, one would feel the sentimental soul and an introspective mind of a sensitive woman. In the first line of the song, she writes â€Å"Memories, light the corners of my mind. Misty watercolor memories of the way we were. These memories have been engraved in her heart; they are neither gloomy nor euphoric, but they are vivid images which she wants to repress in the most innermost sphere of her mind. It is not just something very hurtful; it is not blissful to think of either. Her feeling is a mixture of nostalgia, melancholy, and a little bit of regret that is rushing through her body. Former familiar scenes were depicted in her mind, but, somehow, t hey are both painted with watercolor and blurred, symbolizing a mystical ethereal world that solely exists in her imagination and belongs to her only. Near the middle of the song she wonders, â€Å"If we had the chance to do it all again. Tell me would we? Could we? † She already knows her former love would never come back again; the melody sounds like she is missing and regretting her loss of love. The term â€Å"Would we? Could we? † is deliberately sung slowly and softly as mumbling is also a way to convey her thoughts. Despite her haunting regret, she prefers keeping that regret to making up her love again because she knows wistful moments and romantic longings that she has right now wouldn’t exist if her love remained today. It is such an uncanny feeling and an agonizing struggle between the logic and the sentiment of a human being. The last couple lines expose changes in her mood, â€Å"Memories may be beautiful and yet what’s too painful to remember. We simply choose to forget, so it’s the laughter we will remember whenever we remember the way we were. † She used to live in love with both happiness and bitterness, but she had to learn how to forget unpleasant experiences to keep the most exquisite feelings inside herself. Does she â€Å"simply† choose to forget? It is not something easy to do. The way Barbra Streisand sings shows internal struggling when she decides to get rid of mental pains. The word â€Å"laughter† here is not simply something funny and delightful to laugh at; it is also a pang of remorse and regret about the love and the youth that are gone from her life. Marilyn Bergman used simple words to describe emotion of the woman in this song, so it is quite easy for listeners to apprehend the meaning; however, its melody and the way Barbra Streisand performs it, the most essential factor, helps the song convey the message to audiences . The intended stress in every single word of her lyrics is absolutely touching. For example, the word â€Å"smiles† in the second line was purposely lengthened to give a hint to the audiences so that they can comprehend the whole significance of the song. It is a beautiful song evoking diverse memories for listeners. Each listener will feel and interpret the song in different ways depending on their character and their personal experiences. However, one thing for sure is that these audiences will feel more appreciative of people around them so that they will not be regretful later on.

Problem Solving and Decision Making Essay

Much of what managers and supervisors do is solve problems and make decisions. New managers and supervisors, in particular, often make solve problems and decisions by reacting to them. They are â€Å"under the gun†, stressed and very short for time. Consequently, when they encounter a new problem or decision they must make, they react with a decision that seemed to work before. It’s easy with this approach to get stuck in a circle of solving the same problem over and over again. Therefore, as a new manager or supervisor, get used to an organized approach to problem solving and decision making. Not all problems can be solved and decisions made by the following, rather rational approach. However, the following basic guidelines will get you started. Don’t be intimidated by the length of the list of guidelines. After you’ve practiced them a few times, they’ll become second nature to you — enough that you can deepen and enrich them to suit your own needs and nature. (Note that it might be more your nature to view a â€Å"problem† as an â€Å"opportunity†. Therefore, you might substitute â€Å"problem† for â€Å"opportunity† in the following guidelines.) 1. Define the problem This is often where people struggle. They react to what they think the problem is. Instead, seek to understand more about why you think there’s a problem. Defining the problem: (with input from yourself and others) Ask yourself and others, the following questions: a. What can you see that causes you to think there’s a problem? b. Where is it happening? c. How is it happening? d. When is it happening? e. With whom is it happening? (HINT: Don’t jump to â€Å"Who is causing the problem?† When we’re stressed, blaming is often one of our first reactions. To be an effective manager, you need to address issues more than people.) f. Why is it happening? g. Write down a five-sentence description of the problem in terms of â€Å"The following should be happening, but isn’t †¦Ã¢â‚¬  or â€Å"The following is happening and should be: †¦Ã¢â‚¬  As much as possible, be specific in your description, including what is happening, where, how, with whom and why. (It may be helpful at this point to use a variety of research methods. Also see . Defining complex problems: a. If the problem still seems overwhelming, break it down by repeating steps a-f until you have descriptions of several related problems. Verifying your understanding of the problems: a. It helps a great deal to verify your problem analysis for conferring with a peer or someone else. Prioritize the problems: a. If you discover that you are looking at several related problems, then prioritize which ones you should address first. b. Note the difference between â€Å"important† and â€Å"urgent† problems. Often, what we consider to be important problems to consider are really just urgent problems. Important problems deserve more attention. For example, if you’re continually answering â€Å"urgent† phone calls, then you’ve probably got a more â€Å"important† problem and that’s to design a system that screens and prioritizes your phone calls. Understand your role in the problem: a. Your role in the problem can greatly influence how you perceive the role of others. For example, if you’re very stressed out, it’ll probably look like others are, too, or, you may resort too quickly to blaming and reprimanding others. Or, you are feel very guilty about your role in the problem, you may ignore the accountabilities of others. 2. Look at potential causes for the problem a. It’s amazing how much you don’t know about what you don’t know. Therefore, in this phase, it’s critical to get input from other people who notice the problem and who are effected by it. b. It’s often useful to collect input from other individuals one at a time (at least at first). Otherwise, people tend to be inhibited about offering their impressions of the real causes of problems. c. Write down what your opinions and what you’ve heard from others. d. Regarding what you think might be performance problems associated with an employee, it’s often useful to seek advice from a peer or your supervisor in order to verify your impression of the problem. e. Write down a description of the cause of the problem and in terms of what is happening, where, when, how, with whom and why. 3. Identify alternatives for approaches to resolve the problem a. At this point, it’s useful to keep others involved (unless you’re facing a personal and/or employee performance problem). Brainstorm for solutions to the problem. Very simply put, brainstorming is collecting as many ideas as possible, then screening them to find the best idea. It’s critical when collecting the ideas to not pass any judgment on the ideas — just write them down as you hear them. (A wonderful set of skills used to identify the underlying cause of issues is Systems Thinking.) 4. Select an approach to resolve the problem When selecting the best approach, consider: a. Which approach is the most likely to solve the problem for the long term? b. Which approach is the most realistic to accomplish for now? Do you have the resources? Are they affordable? Do you have enough time to implement the approach? c. What is the extent of risk associated with each alternative? (The nature of this step, in particular, in the problem solving process is why problem solving and decision making are highly integrated.) 5. Plan the implementation of the best alternative (this is your action plan) a. Carefully consider â€Å"What will the situation look like when the problem is solved?† b. What steps should be taken to implement the best alternative to solving the problem? What systems or processes should be changed in your organization, for example, a new policy or procedure? Don’t resort to solutions where someone is â€Å"just going to try harder†. c. How will you know if the steps are being followed or not? (these are your indicators of the success of your plan) d. What resources will you need in terms of people, money and facilities? e. How much time will you need to implement the solution? Write a schedule that includes the start and stop times, and when you expect to see certain indicators of success. f. Who will primarily be responsible for ensuring implementation of the plan? g. Write down the answers to the above questions and consider this as your action plan. h. Communicate the plan to those who will involved in implementing it and, at least, to your immediate supervisor. (An important aspect of this step in the problem-solving process is continually observation and feedback.) 6. Monitor implementation of the plan Monitor the indicators of success: a. Are you seeing what you would expect from the indicators? b. Will the plan be done according to schedule?   c. If the plan is not being followed as expected, then consider: Was the plan realistic? Are there sufficient resources to accomplish the plan on schedule? Should more priority be placed on various aspects of the plan? Should the plan be changed? 7. Verify if the problem has been resolved or not One of the best ways to verify if a problem has been solved or not is to resume normal operations in the organization. Still, you should consider: a. What changes should be made to avoid this type of problem in the future? Consider changes to policies and procedures, training, etc. b. Lastly, consider â€Å"What did you learn from this problem solving?† Consider new knowledge, understanding and/or skills. c. Consider writing a brief memo that highlights the success of the problem solving effort, and what you learned as a result. Share it with your supervisor, peers and subordinates. Decision making is a key role for any manager or leader. Surprisingly many people struggle when it comes to taking decisions. This might be due to: o Fear of failure o Lack of a structured approach o Procrastinating o Lack of clarity Whatever the barriers, there are 6 steps that you can follow when taking any decision. 1. Problem Definition Before you can start to take any decisions, you need to be absolutely clear the problem you are trying to reach a decision on. One simple technique is just to write out in a sentence what the problem is that you need to take a decision on. 2. Assess the implications All decisions have implications. If it is a decision at work, it has implications for you, your peers, your team and your superiors. Depending on the decision (e.g. a promotion at work) it may even have implications for your family, especially if it involves relocation. 3. Explore different perspectives Perspectives are simply different lenses through which you look at the problem. By exploring different perspectives you start to get a feel for those that you are most attracted to. 4. Get clear on your ideal outcome When you are faced with a big decision, it is easy to get lost in the detail and circumstances. An alternative is to get clear on your ideal outcome and use this ideal outcome to inform your choices. Imagine you aspire to be a CFO of a Top 100 company. By having clarity on your outcome, you can make choices on promotions and experience linked to this ideal outcome. 5. Weigh up pros and cons Another way of looking at a decision is to consider the advantages and disadvantages of each of the options open to you. Simply listing the advantages and disadvantages of each option is a powerful way of moving forward on decisions. 6. Decide and act Once you have gone through the previous 5 steps, commit to a choice or course of action and start to make it happen. To avoid procrastination, give yourself permission to be okay with any failings that might arise. At the end of the day there is no magic formula for decision making. Following some simple steps and acting can however move you into the realm of effective decision maker.

Molarity and Percent Solution Lab Essay

Objective: The objective of this lab was to determine the molarity and percent solution of a solution with an unknown concentration. Background: Molarity is the number of moles of a solute per liter of a solution. Percent solution is the percentage of a solute in a specific mass or volume of a solvent. A solute is a solid that gets dissolved in a solvent or a liquid that is a smaller amount than the solvent. A solvent is a liquid that dissolves the solute and it always is a larger amount. Solvation is when solute particles are surrounded by solvent molecules. A lab technique that was used during the lab was to boil the solution in order to separate the solute from the solvent. Materials List: – 10mL graduated cylinder – Solution with unknown concentration – Hot plate – Pipette – Hot grip – Scale – 100mL beaker Procedure: 1. Obtain the solution with the unknown concentration from Mrs. Magdaleno. 2. Measure the volume of the solution by pouring it in the 10mL graduated cylinder. Use the pipette to take out solution in the graduated cylinder until the volume was at 6mL. Record it in the data table. 3. Measure the empty 100mL beaker using the scale. Record it in the data table. 4. Pour the solution in the 100mL beaker. 5. Find the mass of the beaker and solution using the scale. Make sure to subtract original beaker mass from the mass of the beaker and solution. 6. Boil the solution to separate the solute from the solvent by using the hot plate set to nine. 7. Once all the water has evaporated use the hot grips to remove the beaker from the hot plate and let cool. Find the mass of the beaker and solute using the scale. Make sure to subtract beaker mass from the beaker and solute mass. 8. Use the data from the data table to solve for molarity and percent solution. Observations: – The water started to boil and evaporate when it was on the hot plate. – It smelt like the salt was burning. – Some salt spilled out on the lab station when the water completely evaporated. Data Table: |Volume of solution (L) |6mL=0.006L | |Mass of beaker (g) |68.95g | |Mass of solution and beaker(g) |75.06g | |Mass of solution(g) |6.12g | |Mass of solute and beaker(g) |69.41g | |Mass of solute(g) |0.46g | Results: A: Molarity B: Percent Solution Conclusion: The molarity that was calculated for the unknown solution was 1.31M. The percent solution that was calculated for the unknown solution was 7.52%. A procedural that would have led to a lower concentration value was when some salt spilled out onto the lab station after all of the water had evaporated from the beaker. Another error that would result in a higher concentration would be if the beaker was not dry when the mass was measured with the scale. Something that could be done differently to lead to a more accurate concentration would be to take the beaker off the hot plate sooner and not let the salt sit and burn or come out of the beaker.

Case 302 July in Multiplex

Case 302From this case, there are two types of errors, which the consortium can make. A Type I Error is referred to as a â€Å"false positive. † A Type I error would be made when the null hypothesis is rejected when it should be accepted. This error may occur if the consortium defends any lawsuit against them if they are using 6% (6/100) as their surveying result. The results of the sample size of 100 people indicate that the percentage range is from 1. 35% to 10. 65%. The test results can be higher than 10%, but actually it is lower. Therefore, if the consortium defends any lawsuit against them it is possible that a Type I Error can be made. The second type of error is a Type II Error, which is also known as â€Å"false negative. † A Type II error would be made when the alternative hypothesis is rejected when it should be accepted. For this to occur, the consortium must make a decision to settle the case when the survey result shows a lower percentage than 10% but in reality it is actually higher than 10%. The only error the consortium should make is a Type II error because the alternative hypothesis was rejected. As previously stated, using a sample size of 100 shows that we would not reject the null hypothesis, in other words, this would mean to settle with Tommy. If we did not create a second hypothesis test using a sample size of 300, we would not have defended against Tommy in court and a Type II error would have been made. Size of simple| Defend lawsuit| Settlement| 100| Type II Error| Right decision| 300| Right decision| Type I Error| Table 1 We have proven that 94% of the surveyed moviegoers indicated that they are satisfied that theater play commercials before movie. Only 6% of the moviegoers opposed to watch commercials before movie. This statistical analysis validates that the consortium should seek to defend any lawsuit Tommy or any other unhappy moviegoer files. In this situation, a Type II error would have been made if we decided to base our analysis only on a sample size of 100. A larger sample size always depicts a more accurate display. Statistical Analysis H0 = 10% H1 < 10% 1st Same Size N: 100 (sample size) p? : 6/100 = . 06 Confidence Interval .06 1. 96 = . 0135 — . 1065Test StatisticZ= = -1. 33, from Standard Normal Distribution table => P-value = . 0918 P-value > (alpha) .0918 > . 05 Since P-value (. 0918) is greater than alpha (. 05), we fail to reject the null hypothesis. 2nd Sample Size N: 300 p? : 18/300 = . 06 Confidence Interval .06 1. 96 = . 0331 — . 0869 Test Statistic Z= = -2. 31 from Standard Normal Distribution table => P-value = . 0104 P-value < alpha .0104 < . 05 Since P-value (. 0107) is less than alpha (. 05), we reject the null hypothesis

Case Study of Holistic Nursing Practices in Context

Case Study of Holistic Nursing Practices in Context Introduction The nursing profession has been defined as a very personal and interactive profession (Yura and Walsh, 1998) and to deliver and provide good patient care many authors have suggested that individualised care ensures that the patient is viewed as a person and as an individual within a set of certain circumstances (Meleis, 1991). To ensure patients are viewed as an individual within a set of circumstances (Meleis, 1991) it is useful for nursing practitioners to adopt a holistic approach to care. Holistic nursing is defined as a process where the patients are not simply treated due to the physical symptoms of a disease or condition, but are considered as a whole and the the totality of the person being treated is explored to include: mental, emotional, spiritual, social, cultural, relational, contextual and environmental aspects (Mueller, 2010). This assignment will focus on a patient case study and will explore the nursing intervention, assessment and individualised care t he patient received. When presenting a patient case study it is essential to acknowledge the issues surrounding confidentiality. The Nursing and Midwifery Council state in the code of standards of conduct, performance and ethics for nurses and midwives (NMC, 2008a) that it is essential to ‘make the care of people your first concern, treating them as individuals and respecting their dignity’ and this is an important consideration when writing an essay based on a case study. To ensure that this assignment complies with the Code of Professional Practice (NMC, 2008a) the author will ensure that client confidentiality will be maintained and respected throughout. To ensure that client confidentiality is upheld, the client selected for this assignment will only be referred to as Mrs P so that no personal identification or features of their care is highlighted; furthermore to ensure confidentiality is upheld, although this assignment case study has been selected from a client e ncountered by the author in clinical practice from their training and student development, no identifying hospital details, places of reference, names of service providers or dates of intervention will be supplied. Mrs P – A Clinical Case Study Mrs P is a 78 year old lady who currently lives alone in a centrally located council owned property in a town in the West Midlands. Mrs P was married in the 1950’s and her husband worked in an engineering factory until he had to retire due to ill health and he then unfortunately passed away in the mid 1990’s. Mrs P has lived alone since this time, moving in 2001 from their family home to a smaller council owned first floor flat. Mrs P was born in the West Midlands to an Irish father and English mother and she is the only surviving sibling of a family of six. Mrs P has two sons and a daughter, who unfortunately died from breast cancer, aged 56. Mrs P’s two sons who live locally. Mrs P left school age 14 and went to work as a cleaner in a factory; she left employment to raise her children but prior to this she worked in a munitions factory during the war. Mrs P did not work again once she was married and has had financial support through the governments benefit system and through a small private pension obtained through her husband’s company.

Performance Appraisals Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Performance Appraisals - Essay Example The organization therefore can easily follow up and make necessary adjustments as necessary in a case where the employee’s performance has gone down. Performance appraisal systems that provide good merit and compensation motivate workers who in turn give their best for the benefit of the organization (Grote, 2002). Through these systems, an employee get the opportunity to clarify expectations and enable them discuss issues with their managers. This system however is associated with certain bias like contrast, halo, horn, leniency and recency. Contrast sets in when managers compare the standards of an employee with other employees rather that comparing them with the standards of the company. Halo occurs when managers rank an employee as a result of one area of improvement of the employee, these managers fail to look at the overall performance but narrow it down to one area say an employee has made lots of sales. On the other hand, horn is when an employee is rated poorly when they fail in one of the area they are supposed to perform. Leniency occurs when the manager concerned gives all the employees a satisfactory rating despite their poor performance. Finally, recency occurs when the rating of an employee is influenced by the most recent activity performed by the employee, if the employee performed poorly, his or her past good achievements are highly affected and vice versa (Hamdan, 2007). This system is very important in helping an organization attain its goals and objectives. Successful organizations trace their success from well-established communication channels between management and employees. Through performance appraisal balance between management and employees is well attained. Frequent monitoring of employees, feedback and discussion lead to a good relationship that helps in attaining of the company objectives. Every company has a goal of being successful in what they do and this can only be