Faith of Children by Proxy Essay

In response to the query as to how an infant can be capable of making an act of faith, which is regarded as being necessary for baptism; Catholics refer to faith of infants born into Christian home, as guaranteed by faith of their parents and sponsors. The parents of such infants have the bounding duty to bring them up as Christians. When such children have grown in the faith their baptism is now given ‘confirmation’. In Mark 2: 1-5, an example of faith by proxy, sufficient for salvation of another is often cited by Catholics. ‘And after some days, He again entered into Capernaum. And it was heard that He was in the house. And so many gathered that there was no room left, not even at the door. And He spoke the word to them. And they came to Him, bringing a paralytic, who was being carried by four men. And when they were not able to present him to Him because of the crowd, they uncovered the roof where He was. And opening it, they lowered down the stretcher on which the paralytic was lying. Then, when Jesus had seen their faith, he said to the paralytic, â€Å"Son, your sins are forgiven you. †Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ {Mark 2:1-5} In this passage, the Lord Jesus offered salvation and remission of sins to a paralytic man, based on the faith of those who brought him to Jesus, not necessarily on the faith of the sick man himself; because he was obviously incapable of professing his own faith. Therefore in like manner, Catholics who take their infants to Jesus for baptism are substituting their faith for that for the faith of their children. Another example of faith of one person guaranteeing salvation for another is found in the book of Matthew: ‘And when he had entered into Capernaum, a centurion approached, petitioning him, and saying, â€Å"Lord, my servant lies at home paralyzed and badly tormented. † And Jesus said to him, â€Å"I will come and heal him. †And responding, the centurion said: â€Å"Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof, but only say the word and my servant shall be healed†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬  And, hearing this, Jesus wondered. And he said to those following him: â€Å"Amen I say to you, I have not found so great a faith in Israel†. And Jesus said to the centurion, â€Å"Go, and just as you have believed, so let it be done for you. † And the servant was healed at that very hour. { Matthew 8: 5-13} Salvation for Whole Household Examples abound in the Holy Scriptures where the faith of the head of a household led to salvation of the whole household, children included. In Acts11, we read about a man being saved along with his entire household after Simon Peter had preached the gospel to them. ‘†¦. And he described for us how he had seen an Angel in his house, standing and saying to him: ‘Send to Joppa and summon Simon, who is surnamed Peter. And he shall speak to you words, by which you shall be saved with your whole house. ’ And when I had begun to speak, the Holy Spirit fell upon them, just as upon us also, in the beginning. ’ {Acts 11:13-15} Therefore, Catholics take the informed Biblical view that since a whole household can be saved by the profession of faith of the head of the house and consequently all members of the household are baptized including little children, the Bible supports the Catholic practice of baptism of infants. Authority from Church Accepted Tradition The second major source of authority for the Catholic practice of baptizing infants is the accepted practice dating back to the very beginning of Christianity, the Apostolic Church. Right from the earliest days of the Christian Church, infant baptism has been an accepted practice. One Church authority, Origen wrote in the third century AD: â€Å"Baptism is given for the remission of sins; and according to the usage of the Church, Baptism is given even to infants. And, indeed, if there were nothing in infants that required the remission of sins and nothing in them pertinent to forgiveness, the grace of Baptism would be superfluous. † (Origen, Homily on Leviticus 8:3 — AD 244) The Roman Catholic Church which succeeded the early Apostolic Church reaffirmed the correctness of the practice of baptism for infants and has continued the practice to this day. WORKS CITED Origen, Homily on Leviticus 8:3 — AD 244 The Sacred Bible: The Acts of the Apostles http://www.catholicdoors.com/

Coke vs. Pepsi: An Economic Analysis Essay

Executive Summary In this case study we will do an economic analysis of two major competitors; Coke ® and Pepsi ®. We will look at the history of these to competitive giants and discuss how they have evolved over the years to become rivals in the 21st Century. In this case study we will also look at the supply and demand of each company’s products. Coke and Pepsi are not only in the beverage business they have branched out into other arenas to continue being the leaders in their market. Both companies do business all over the world; we will also look at how they size up internationally as well as nationally. We will look at production and cost in the short run and long run by analyzing each company economically. Each company has forecasted where they will be financially in the 21st Century and in this analysis we will calculate if they have forecasted close to where they are today. Management is a big part of the success of large firms such as Coke and Pepsi so we will look at the management styles of each one. By looking at management will analyze the strategic decision making of each firm and note any issues they have had in the past or present with upper management. Finally strategic decisions in oligopoly markets with regards to profit maximization is vital to the firm and the shareholders alike, we will analyze those strategies as well. After reading both of these competitive giants’ histories it is clear to see they are both trend setters in their own rights. Coca-Cola ® was being formulated in Atlanta in a pharmacy and selling about 9 drinks a day to now selling over 1 billion servings of Coke products a day. With Coke the product has always been an advertisement junkie from its beginnings when the founder put the Coca-Cola name on everything to now having global ad campaigns. Pepsi has also been a media giant and has soared in the market because of its huge ad campaigns. Pepsi has been known to use mega stars like Michael Jackson and Brittney Spears to be spokesmen for the brand which has been a big success over the years. Both Coke and Pepsi have evolved and changes in look at take over the years. Coke in the early 90’s tries to change the formula to New Coke and was soon back to what is known now as Coca-Cola Classic ®. Pepsi has also tweaked its formula only to revert back to the original. Both of these companies have many many brands and brand extensions. The competitive nature is apparent in each of these companies and will continue on. Coca-Cola seems to have a slight lead in the market and has always been a leader but not by a landslide Pepsi is always running close behind. There is both loyal Coke and Pepsi customers and some who enjoy both products and go back and forth. Coke has many brands like Minute Maid, Vitamin Water, Aquafina, Sprite, and many more. Pepsi also has many of the same or similar brands like Tropicana, Sobe Life Water, and more to coincide with Coke. Brand extensions are very important in the success of these companies. Pepsi Cola and Coca-Cola were both started in the late 1800s by pharmacists in the south Pepsi in N.C. and Coke in GA. Pepsi Co was formulated in a merger with the Frito Company which became Frito Lay. Brands like Frito Corn Chips and Lays Potato Chips and Pepsi together were formed in 1965. Though apart Frito was started in 1932 and Pepsi in 1895. This 1965 merger began a lifelong relationship and successful partnership. Doritos emerged in 1965 adding to the success and Pepsi enters Japan and Eastern Europe as well. In the 70s Pepsi acquires things like Pizza Hut and Taco Bell, which adds to the brands solidity and its market value. Looking at these companies financially is where you can see how they stack up against each other. Coke has a good positive outlook on the future. Pepsi also has a good outlook on future endeavors in the US and abroad. Coke being a huge international company brought in $27.8 billion of net operating revenues from operations outside the United States. (United States Securities and Exchange Commision, 2011) Coca-Cola also created 4,700 jobs in 2011 in the opening of the Great Plains Bottling Company in the US. These leaps and bounds made by Coke are nothing abnormal it is a huge marketer. One big issue for both Pepsi and Coke is water scarcity and that most likely will have an effect on the companies’ productions costs which are in turn passed on to its consumers eventually. Coca- Cola is concerned with the water scarcity issue and reports I its 10-K filings that the water sustainability problem will more than likely have an effect on the company and reposts this, †from overexploitation, increasing pollution, poor management and climate change as the demand for water continues to increase around the world, and as water becomes scarcer and the quality of available water deteriorates, our system may incur increasing production costs or face capacity constraints which could adversely affect our profitability or net operating revenues in the long run† (United States Securities and Exchange Commision, 2011) The PepsiCo Company faces the same type of troubles when it comes to externalities. The negative effects of these externalities will take a toll on t he profits of all bottling companies since they will have to begin to develop ways to be productive without corrupting its external environment. In India drought has made water a scarcity and some of the blame is being put on Coca-Cola Bottling Plants in the area. In a village in India protest caused a $25 million a year plant to shut down. Some protestors say â€Å"drinking Coke is like drinking a farmer’s blood† Groundwater is not the only problem reported high levels of pollution have been reported as well and sludge fertilizer offered to farmers as a peace treaty high in levels of cadmium-laden in the sludge fertilizer. Protestors say why they would do that and nothing about depleting water, Coke responds that those accusations have no merit. (Ehl, 2011) PepsiCo has had the same bad reputation for depleting water resources around the globe. Coalitions like Council of Canadians and Food and Water Watch work to ensure the food, water, and fish we consume is assessable and sustainable. They also make sure the government does its job at protecting those resources as well. In conclusion Coke and Pepsi are both equally competitive and equally challenged with today’s problems. Seeing the value in both of the companies is easy they have both been models for the beverage market and for the world market alike. By looking at the history of the companies it is clear to see they run neck and neck with on another. I think going forward with the companies that there has to be greater concern for the world economics and water depletion is part of that economical problem. Learning new ways to safely produce the products in areas that have an abundant supply of resources is the key to success here. Investing in the research and development of safe ways to bottle is on the forefront of both of the bottlers’ agendas. These are two extremely successful companies that have been around for over 100 years they are not going anywhere anytime soon. Works Cited Ehl, D. (2011). Coca-Cola Charged with Groundwater Depletion and Pollution in India. Centerville: Earth Talk. United States Securities and Exchange Commision. (2011). ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES. 10-K Filings , 12-13.

Freedom Rider Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Freedom Rider - Essay Example It may be that we are in poverty- after all, we were once slaves. Our ancestors left us with no riches to inherit and no lands to claim but their legacy remains skin deep: our freedom to voice out what we feel and think. This legacy has been brought about by the history of our people who have been burdened by issues such as slavery and persecution and yet we have chosen to rise from our conditions. Our history has made us strong and persevering in the face of obstacles and in times of crises. All these we inherited from our ancestors and with all these attributes that I have called into mind, I ask you not to fear for my life in my participation of the freedom rides. Like our ancestors, I am strong, I will persevere, I shall rise above our prejudiced conditions, for the main reason that I want to voice out what I feel and think is right. Being a â€Å"freedom rider† is a paradox of some sort. As you might know already, we will be riding interstate buses into the segregated southern United States. I assure you that we’re not riding with the flow of current events, that is, were not just riding on the issue about segregation in the south just to get mileage. Instead, what we really aim to do is to challenge the status quo of having racially segregated waiting rooms and terminals. Though we know that we face arrest by authorities and possible attacks from mobs, we choose to fight back with non-violence and willful determination. We choose not just to go above our social conditions such as racial bias and injustice, but we choose to be above those who have fought with much bloodshed and violence, precisely because we have freedom. We are free to choose our goals and our means to achieve those goals, and we choose to be peaceful just like many who have come before us. This is a learning experience for me as it is a learning experience for our society. Our very ways will show society that the end doesn’t necessarily justify the means. On my part, I hope to realize

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

Race - Essay Example the features of a quadroon in the baby and ultimately abandons his wife and the child only because he thinks Desiree does not have a pure white inheritance: It is also important to note the significant line which defines the entire theme of the story: â€Å"Moreover he no longer loved her, because of the unconscious injury she had brought upon his home and his name (Choplin 664)†. Moreover, the high handed emotional reactions incited by racialism is echoed by poems of yore such as Let America be America Again by Langston Hughes. Strong laments over their fate for being black can be seen in such works: However, the question that still seems to persists is whether the dream of letting â€Å"America be America Again† is now fulfilled. Whether or not the dream of seeing America in its original beauty and Letting â€Å"†¦America be the dream the dreamers dreamed/ Let(ing) it be that great strong land of love/ Where never kings connive nor tyrants scheme† has been fulfilled (Huges 6-8). Perhaps it has. The America that we look at today is the America of diversity, democracy and racial multiplicity. There is perhaps not a single race of this earth that hasn’t walked the street of New York. There is no race that has not had the privilege of calling itself an American. That is because there is no more an identity associated with being an exclusive â€Å"American†. People are African-American, Japanese-American, Chinese-American, Indian-American and numerous others. Whatever country or race we add as prefix to â€Å"American† is an American! The question of apartheid is now almost dead. Being read in the eyes of the world as one of the most diverse civilization of this earth, America is in its best today as far as its wholesome nature of unification and equality is concerned. That is because, there is no culture of this world that America does not have. African is one of them. And any instance of even slight consideration of blacks as primitive to white seems to be a

Hazards Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Hazards - Essay Example Because of the large area that the fire covered, as many as 563 fire personnel, 39 fire engines, 20 fire crews, a helicopter, five dozers, up to nine water tenders, and four fire departments were working side-by-side in order to put a large fire under control. The management responses as well as recovery efforts were deemed successful because compared to other reported incidents in areas up to 400% smaller, the time spent in managing the fire in Flynn Creek Road was comparable in brevity, considering the large area where the wild fire occurred. California Wild Fires as Environmental Hazards Fires have been an integral part of ecosystems and human societies for as long as history has been known. When properly used, it can give a lot of benefits such as clearing lands for agriculture, oxidizing all possibly flammable organic materials, hastening the decomposition process of detritus, and inducing growth in forests (Omi, 2005). However, when fires are left to burn on their own and uncon trolled in rural or woodland areas, fired could gain enough power to destroy nearby buildings, acres of land, or large parts of forest areas, causing numerous damage not just in human settlements but also in the natural environment as well. Thus, it is essential that fires occurring in places that contain many flammable materials and things such as forests and woodlands be controlled as much as possible in order to prevent damages (Omi, 2005). One of the most well-known places often seen in news having reported incidents of uncontrolled fires is the State of California. Fire ecology has been most extensively studied in California, mainly due to its numerous and diverse ecosystems (Sugihara et al., 2009). Wildfires occurring during the hot summer months have been reported as a part of the complex interactions between the environment, the atmosphere, and the climate of California. Due to the natural occurrence of fires in its forests, many plants in California have evolved into fire-t olerant species, some of which even need the fires to complete their life cycles (Sugihara et al., 2009). Still, these wild fires are still needed to be controlled because aside from the potential dangers posed to humans and settlements, entire ecosystems could also get wiped out, disrupting the balance of nature. It is good to know that the number of ignitions reported each year is less important than the size of the area burned, due to the wild fires being controlled at the earliest time possible (Omi, 2005). The knowledge that wild fires are attended to by the Fire Departments give assurance to residents not just in California but also in other places that most wild fires are stopped before extending over larger areas. In one of the most recent reported and managed wild fires by the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, or CAL FIRE, a large area had to be attended by numerous fire personnel in order for the fire to be controlled at the least time possible. In Men docino County in California, an area 195 acres and enclosed by Flynn Creek Road and the Comptche Ukiah Road near the Comptche Community caught fire October 1, at around 2:20 PM (California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, CAL FIRE, 2012). It was fully controlled October 4, at around 6:15 PM, 75 hours after it was first reported. Despite

New Employment Relationship vs. the Manual Investment Approach Essay

New Employment Relationship vs. the Manual Investment Approach - Essay Example The new relationship that was now formed is one that employers give their employees challenging tasks, fixed salaries and opportunities to increase their expertise so that they can be benefit their businesses (Losey, Meisinger, & Ulrich 45). Therefore, this obligates employees to pay the employer with job performance, and this somehow undermines the employee commitment to the organization. This new relationship between employers and employees has changed from the loyal one that existed before globalization and increased competition, to one that based on economic exchanges. The authors urge organizations to uphold the mutual investment relationship so as to gain competitive advantage because workers will be committed to attaining the organizational goals. They argue that many organizations today are focused on achieving high profits and are not considering the welfare of their employees. I believe that organizations should take care of the needs of their employers and offer them job s ecurity. This will be a motivation for the workers to work hard and achieve the goals set by the organization because they are comfortable. Organizations need to invest in their employees because they are the ones who make the organization make profits and if everyone in the organization is catered for it will thrive. Research shows that the human resource department should take the responsibility of catering for the needs of their employees. Motivation of employees is key to success of any organization. Rewarding and giving employees benefits goes a long way in creating commitment to the job and this increases efficiency operations (Losey, Meisinger, & Ulrich 50). Job security and satisfaction are vital for any employee because it makes them comfortable in the job environment and they are able to undertake their duties efficiently (KnowWPC). Employers need to invest in their workers by offering benefits and training to improve their skills, so that efficacy in business operations c an be attained. This mutual investment employment relationship has been supported by other professionals in human resource as they see employee job security and skill advancement as vital in ensuring business success (S.R. de Silva 6). Chapter8: Life after Outsourcing: Lessons Learned and the Role of Human Resources as a Strategic Business Partner (Mirian M. Graddick-Weir) In the recent past, human resource management activities outsourcing has grown tremendously and more in the manufacturing and service industries. Outsourcing is in the payroll, benefits, recruiting and training sections of most organizations. The major reason for companies to outsource is because they have limited internal investment in the area of concern. Outsourcing is done in the light of ensuring business operations go on smoothly without interruptions because of lack of efficient resources to carry out assigned tasks (Losey, Meisinger, & Ulrich 71). However, it is evident that most organizations use outsourc ing to make use of external experts who will see that efficacy in operations is achieved. Emerging and already established organizations are continuously outsourcing various human resource activities from providers outside the business. Outsourcing is beneficial to the organization for various reasons, the

Philosophy- Business Ethics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Philosophy- Business Ethics - Essay Example of the business is to protect the environment than a business shall be held accountable on ethical, moral as well as legal grounds however, if this is not the case, an organization shall only be bound by the violation of laws rather than violation of its implicit responsibilities. The businesses are only responsible to the extent of the law and it is the responsibility of an organization to follow the law in its true spirit however, externalities can result into significant deviation in the roles and responsibilities of the organizations. Bowie’s arguments are convincing due to the fact that there is an implicit difference between a consumer and a citizen. Segoff’s distinction between a consumer and a citizen is largely based on the ability of each to derive the value and is correlated with the preferences of both. However, Bowie does not make this distinction because a consumer and a citizen are considered as both the mass consumers of the goods and services produced by the organization. The distinction made by Segoff is firmly based on the assumption that an individual at one point in time can be a consumer as well as a supporter of the environment also. This potentially overlapping role of a consumer and a citizen therefore results into the i nstitutional change which can ultimately force the authorities and government to pass laws which can protect the environment and redefine the role of organization with the external world. Bowie’s ideas are however slightly different because of the distinction made between the legal and ethical responsibilities of the organization. Further, Bowie also attempted to define the role of organization from the perspective of its core competencies i.e. if an organization’s role is to protect the environment than any violations shall be the moral as well as legal responsibility of the organization however, if it is not than an organization shall not morally and ethically held accountable. What is also important to consider

Marcet Conversations in Political Economy Essay

Marcet Conversations in Political Economy - Essay Example The format that this paper will utilize is to first give a precise definition of what is identified above followed by a brief discussion of what the government might try to do in order to solve said problem including a personal evaluation of the effectiveness of the proposed policy measures. Thirdly this paper will discuss some alternative means by which this problem might be solved with a particular emphasis on informal social arrangements drawing on some real life examples of said arrangement. The above passage illustrates some fundamental issues of economics and political science. In one respect one could refer to this issue is illustrating the importance of scarcity in its regard to the laws of supply and demand, secondly there is the issue of ownership insofar as it may be the case that who would protect what is free and available to everybody. As one can boil down the entire issue it is arguably the case from an anthropological and sociological perspective that without the feeling of ownership people are not often compelled to take care of any particular resource. A great case is presented by Diamond (2005) in which it is postulated that the Greenland Norse faced their collapse as a result of over grazing of pastureland, a reluctance to trade with their neighbors and a reluctance to adapt in the wake of a potential societal collapse. What this illustrates is that when resources are relatively free for the taking the wake of poor crop yields it is invariably in the hum an spirit to over consume other resources which could theoretically bring with it the risks of a total collapse in society. When one examines the case as illustrated above one could draw the conclusion that if everything were free people would not take a sense of ownership and as such there would be a case of over consumption. From an economics standpoint one could bring

Divorce Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Divorce - Essay Example It is only the interpretation of Islamic law on marriage and divorce from a religious perspective. But a neutral and unbiased sociological interpretation of the Islamic laws related to marriage and divorce will necessarily reveal that Islamic laws are devoted to highlight a balanced support to both the individuals and the society. On the other hand, English law depends on a secular view of man and his existence in human society. This secular view assumes that man is essentially a self-sufficient structural functional entity who can decide his own life choice. Therefore, English law regarding marriage and divorce necessarily solely emphasizes on the individuals’ freedom and choice. It considers that individuals are the sole decision-maker in important matters like marriage and divorce. Indeed, this philosophical disparity determines all basic difference as well as similarities between the two laws. An in-depth analysis of divorce in Islamic Law necessarily demands a substantive description of how this legal systems view marriage. In Islam, a marriage is endowed with two facets: divine facet and social facet. The religious aspect of marriage necessarily assumes that it is a divine duty of every Muslim to marry and lead a peaceful and sacred conjugal life. According to Muhammad, it is a part of a Muslim’s faith in the divine. Simultaneously, it is his or her social duty also. In this regard, Mian Muhibullah Kakakhel (2008) likes to view the Islamic concept of marriage and divorce as following: It is well settled that marriage amongst Muslims is not a sacrament, but in the nature of a civil contract. Such a contract undoubtedly has spiritual and moral overtones and undertones but legally, in essence, it remains a contract between the parties which can be the subject of dissolution for good cause. (paras. 1) In order to a life of sanctity and prevent the social anarchy caused by promiscuous sexuality, a man must marry a woman, if his situation is physi cally and economically affordable to lead a conjugal life. Therefore, the primary requisites of marriage in Islam are that a Muslim must be able to fulfill the demands of sexuality as well as the economic needs of his family. If any person can fulfill these demands, he can enter marriage which is essentially considered as a social contract in Islam. The requisite for women to enter the marital contract is much easier than men. Since the economic expense of conjugal life sole pivots on men, women are free of the economic obligations. Hence, these prerequisites of Islamic marriage, in fact, determine those of divorce in Islam. Divorce in Islam is considered as the most heinous legality which empowers a man to divorce his wife without showing any reasonable cause. It is because Islam demands the unquestionable loyalty of women to their husbands. In this regard, a man will not be accountable to the Sharia council or the Islamic Legal system which consists of the elders and the religious authority of the society, unless his wife brings a charge of sexual perversion against him. On the other hand, a Muslim woman seeks divorce, she must appeal to the Sharia Council with the charges that her husband is sexually impotent or missing for years (Kakakhel, 2008, paras.2-7). The rule of divorce for men is different from that of women. If a man seeks divorce, the term, ‘

American education Essay Example for Free

American education Essay Education in China is growing. Over the past years Chinas education system has been attempting, and been successful in improving the education in China. China for many years did not put much emphasis on education. China was more traditional, meaning they were more interested in farming and working. Prior the 1840 education in China was only for the elite, the high class. The main purpose of education was to train what China called gentlemen or high officials. This is the time of Confucius, a Chinese philosopher who introduced China to the Royal Examination System, which is used to select imperial officers. Chinas education was very rigid and it focused highly on technology thus China has a high rate of illiteracy. Early Chinese students were not very well rounded; they were limited in what they could study. For example a student of science would not know much about Humanities, and vice versa, a student of Humanities would not know much about science. This approach of learning narrowed the range of knowledge that a Chinese student might have. This would limit the students thinking and restrict their future development. When a student is limited in what he of she can do then that will dramatically decrease the number of jobs that they have to chose from. American education is a lot different than the early Chinese education. In America, school is for developing critical thinking skills. American education teaches students to apply what they learn in the class to the outside world. They teach students to think outside of the box and how to think deep and to apply critical thinking skills. Critical thinking is expected in America, as for China they are more knowledge focused. The Chinese function more on memorization of knowledge and facts, again this limits them in their thinking. Chinas education is based on training for entrance exams for college; this time of exams is known as black July. They memorize a lot of facts and then repeat them on a test. In America they teach how to apply what we learn to many different problems, to see if the students can figure them out. Chinas system is very competitive. The students compete with each other because there is limited space in college and there are limited jobs, in their marrow fields. This increases the pressure on the students, students at times commit suicide or run away from home and often suffer form depression because the pressure is so great on them, form their family and also themselves. Unlike most American students Chinese students are eager to learn and work really hard, they want to be the best that they can be for themselves and also for their family. China is making a lot of reforms on their education approach today. They are slowly adopting some of the western worlds principles. They are beginning to encourage students to study in more than one field, such as if a students is studying mathematics they also can, and often do study another subject such as science. This is broadening the students horizons and allowing them to be more rounded in their capabilities. This also increases the job types that they might be able to do. The Chinese are beginning to put more of an emphasis on critical thinking than they have in the years past. This takes some of the pressure off of the students and evens it out a little more, because if the cant find a job and all they have is one skill then they will suffer and be left out working maybe a low rate job. If a student has more flexibility in what he or she can do then there will be more options for them in the job field. The education systems of China and America are more and more beginning to resemble one another. A few differences that still exist today are that the American schools are more centered on the students and interaction learning while the China schools are more teacher- focused and lecture oriented. American schools also encourage the students to debate with the teacher and ask questions during class. China has a phrase called saving face; this means that the students would rather not know the answer than to ask a dumb question. Teachers dont encourage questions during class and dont allow much debate. There are both strengths and weaknesses to both Chinese and American education methods. Chinese students study hard and often. They are viewing school as a privilege and a competition while most Americans view school as boring and tiresome. While Americans struggle with memorization and discipline, they are strong in critical thinking. American students are more rounded and able to apply what they have learned too many different things, whereas the Chinese are somewhat limited. I would have to say that all in all both systems have their positives and their negatives but as the years progress, improvement in each country will also.

The Importance And Definition Of Inclusion Education Essay

The Importance And Definition Of Inclusion Education Essay There are many reasons for the success of teaching process. One of these is inclusion. Inclusion is one of the most widely studied topics in the teaching and learning process in the educational fields. A lot of researches have been done about its importance, its effect and the way it is applied. The Chinese proverb, (irc, 2006), says, Tell me and I forget, teach me and I remember, involve me and I learn. The classroom is built upon interaction, cooperation, group work, and participation. These can be done through inclusion. If there is exclusion, teaching process would not be successful. Inclusion is one of the elements which, if applied properly, school achieves success. Inclusion lexically means the act of including or the state of being included.Therefore, Hudson (2009) explained that successful teachers should include their students as well as making their students included. Inclusion is about equal opportunities for all pupils. Pupils should all be included regardless of their a ge, gender, ethnicity, attainment and background. It gives attention and concentration to all pupils. In my opinion successful inclusion is a must inside the classroom. When pupils are included properly, they will equally have the same chance to achieve, learn and acquire new experiences inside their school. But exclusion means bias, failure and drawback. Pupils should be taught, assessed, evaluated and supported equally. But teachers should consider that some pupils need more support or provision to have an equal chance of success. Inclusion needs planning and teaching inclusively. Therefore, each unit gives supported tasks to reach inclusion inside classrooms. To achieve a high rate of inclusion, teachers should put no limit for pupils involvement. Broadly, inclusion not only means to include pupils inside their classrooms but it also means to include classrooms inside their schools. (Hudson 2009) The inclusion of pupils with special difficulties: Focusing on including pupils with special difficulties, there are many routes to achieve inclusion. Steele, J. (1998) p. 203 says that: The inclusion of pupils with learning difficulties within their communities depends on many complex factors, with educational placement being only one of these. Concepts of integration and segregation are not poles on a linear continuum, but even if they are, the concepts of true inclusion would not appear anywhere on such a line. The elements that affect inclusion, especially with special difficulties pupils, change with the passage of time as these changes happen in different aspects of community provision. As Steele (1998) explained that attitude is one of the major factors which can affect inclusion. Most pupils cant get adapted easily to a slight change in their environment or placement. Variations of inclusion for these pupils can be apparently witnessed within the same school, when they get a new teacher, or within the community when something happen suddenly. Creating a link between their community and the school can help motivate and boost inclusion. Inclusive practice for special needs pupils can be supported through using community facilities. For example, athletics clubs, sports facilities, youth clubs. In my opinion the school should get strong links with the community to create inclusion which will help these pupils when they finish study and face community. Thus, these pupils can interact with t he community easily and may prefer to run their own businesses by depending on themselves. Inclusion starts from home: Hudson (2009) asserts that the school/home/student remains a major triangle for the school to achieve success. He also indicates that parents become less involved in following up their students in schools when these students grow up. However, he asserts that inclusion should be even when pupils become adults or in high school. I agree with Hudson as parents and students should work together to help create a fit environment for the performance of the school. Two years ago, there was a school near mine which got bad results for years. When I asked some teachers, parents and people connected with the school, I knew that most parents there are rich and busy. They can find no time to follow up their childrens course. The result affected the whole school because the fit environment was not there. The upbringing of the kids help positively or negatively in supporting the concept of inclusion inside them as some parents don not share their kids ideas and some are apart from them. In the booklet: pedagogy and practice: teaching and learning in secondary schools. Unit 4: lesson design for inclusion,(2004) the researcher explains that pupils in inclusive classrooms will have equal opportunities to make success. They will be taught according to their life experiences and needs. Their progress and achievement will be evaluated. Through support, any barriers they face will be overcome. I agree with that because inclusion needs support as some pupils might be shy or introvert. It also requires that chances of learning must be equal. But I also think it needs great effort from the teacher himself. As classifying the class and understanding their behaviours and potentials is not an easy matter. Teachers may not have all data to know all the needs of the pupils. In addition to that, not any lesson is helpful to the teacher to include all the pupils. The researcher puts some solutions for these problem that might stand in the way of introducing inclusion. The researcher indicates that planning and teaching inclusively is badly needed. In my opinion this is very important. Because when the teacher prepares his/her lesson, they must prepare it inclusively to save time. Therefore, taking account of the varied experiences and needs of pupils is necessary to apply inclusion. How to achieve inclusion of the gifted and the school: There has been a lot of research into the effectiveness of inclusion for the gifted and talented. Though it seems that inclusion can be difficult to use with talented pupils, it can be very effective with this category. Smith (2006 p.53) says: It can work, and can work very well. Evidence to support this claim can be found in thousands of classrooms around the world. Not only can inclusion work well for the gifted and talented, it has to work well for this groupà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. I agree with Smith but to apply inclusion with the gifted, it needs hard work. The talented are not easy to include them in a classroom as they appear to have high level of understanding. They can be included when the subject taught is not easy. In my school in Egypt, I teach A class which is for the talented. I include them in the teaching and learning process. They react, argue and co-operate each other. On (articles. famouswhy 2008) there is a report about inclusive schools. It says that: Effective schools are educationally inclusive schools. This shows, not only in their performance, but also in their ethos and their willingness to offer new opportunities to pupils who may have experienced previous difficulties. An educationally inclusive school is one in which the teaching and learning, achievements, attitudes and well-being of every young person matter. The most effective schools do not take educational inclusion for granted. They constantly monitor and evaluate the progress all pupils make. I agree with this report that effective schools are inclusive schools. Schools can not be educationally professional unless they include all students whatever their level, ages, environments and interests are. The most effective schools do not take educational inclusion for granted. On the contrary they experiment all possible criteria to achieve inclusion. They constantly record and evaluate the progress each pupil makes inside his/her school. They take care of and identify any pupils who may be missing out, stubborn to engage, or feeling apart from what the school aspire to provide. They take active practical steps in the classroom and beyond to meet pupils needs effectively and they enhance and strengthen tolerance and understanding in a varied society. Inclusion can be achieved even by changing strategies inside the school. Strategies in the promotion of inclusion: Booth and Ainscow (2002) put down three strategies in the promotion of inclusion concerning the early years: to create inclusive cultures, develop inclusive practice and produce inclusive policies. I think that creating inclusive cultures can be achieved by building community values. In the early years, every pupil should feel welcomed and should feel no difference from home. Parents and the whole community should be contacted so that they can play a role in the inclusion system. All should have expectation to reach. Staff of the school should work on that. Inclusion strategy is a supreme one, so child, parents, community and school staff cooperate to achieve it. Pupils can be inclusive in their school through practical ways. Pupils should do a lot of activities inside their schools to feel they are a part and parcel of it. Pupils can feel included through the school police formed from pupils themselves through strong sports competitions, through school trips, through decorating their classrooms, through having private lockers inside their schools, through participating in the curriculum and exams timetables, through having meals at school and through holding competitions among schools. The challenges that face achieving inclusion: Peer (2001) talked about inclusion as the decrease of inequality while exclusion as the increase of inequality. He added that there are a lot of challenges for achieving inclusion in our schools as its difficult to reach equality by which every learner takes his right to have acceptable level of learning. What makes matters worse is that every pupil has different learning needs, abilities, interests and characteristics. To consider this wide range of needs the education system should be designed according these needs. In addition to that those pupils with special needs should find access to pedagogy and curriculum. The problem is that most public schools which have most pupils can not satisfy all pupils needs of inclusion. In my school inclusion is impossible to achieve for many reasons. Firstly, most schools do not have enough space or facilities to include all pupils. The society is very diverse; therefore it is difficult to include different classes. Besides that, the big numbers of pupils inside the classrooms and the deficiency of education system. Furthermore, the high ratio of unemployment among graduates makes inclusion -inside the whole education system- very low. Teachers themselves are not fully included in the education system. They just do a job. They justify that by their low salaries and the high cost of living. Conclusion: To conclude, though inclusion in our classrooms is a must, it can not be applied easily. It is difficult to include adult students as they have many other things that occupy their minds; but with young pupils it can be applied easier. The big challenge is with special needs pupils. Because they are not able ones, they need special requirements in placement and methods. Good schools are the ones that can include not only pupils but also classrooms. There are different ways through which we can apply inclusions; school facilities and the link to outer community are the most obvious ones. Inclusion is an inner interact with the school. Shy and introvert pupils suffer a lot to reach inclusion. Teacher here play an important role. The gifted need a great deal of efforts from their tutor on applying inclusion. In few words, inclusion is one of the most important goals of the school to reach success.

Ernest Hemingway’s Portrayal of Masculinity Essay -- Hemingway Code He

Ernest Hemingway’s Portrayal of Masculinity When thinking of masculinity in literature, one author has who has become synonymous with manliness comes to mind, Ernest Hemingway. Critics have spent countless hours studying his writing in order to gain insight into his world of manly delights, including his views on sex, war, and sport. His views can be seen through his characters, his themes and even his style of writing. The characters in Hemingway’s stories reveal much about how he feels about men and the role they should play in society. Most of Hemingway’s male characters can be split into one of two groups. The first of which is the â€Å"Code† Hero. This is the tough, macho guy who chooses to live his life by following a â€Å"code of honor, courage, chivalry, honestly, and the ability to bear pain with resistance and dignity, and does not whine when defeated† (Scott, 217). This hero is Hemingway’s ideal man, whom every man should want to become. Robert Penn Warren writes of the â€Å"code† hero: [Hemingway’s] heroes are not squealers, welchers, compromisers, or cowards, and when they confront defeat they realize that the stance they take, the stoic endurance, the stiff upper lip means a kind of victory. If they are to be defeated they are defeated upon their own terms; some of them have even courted their defeat; and certainly they have maintained, even in the practical defeat, an ideal of themselves – some definition of how a man should behave, formulated or unformulated – by which they have lived. They represent some notion of a code, some notion of honor, that makes a man a man, and that distinguishes him from people who merely follow their random impulses and who are, by consequence, â€Å"messy.† (Warren, 79) Hemingway also seems to associate acts of violence with masculinity. Nathan Scott Jr. writes of Hemingway’s manliest characters: Whatever they do, whether it be bullfighting or fishing or prizefighting or hunting lions in the African bush or blowing up bridges as a military saboteur – is done with consummate skill and with pride of craft; they are tough and competent: they can be counted on in a tight squeeze, and they do not cheat or squeal or flinch at the prospect of danger. (Scott, 217) Examples of the â€Å"code† hero in Hemingway’s work include Manuel the bullfighter, in â€Å"The Undefeated† he fights with a noble dignity even when he is je... ...lso the idea that because the hero lives by his code, he is able to â€Å"live properly in the world of violence, disorder, and misery in which he inhabits† (Baker, 15). The young waiter who hopes to one-day become a noble bullfighter in â€Å"The Capital of the World† illustrates this point. After performing gallantly, he takes his defeat with a sense of pride and chivalry allowing him to die the only real death in Hemingway’s mind, the death of a real man. Sources Baker, Carlos. Ernest Hemingway: A Life Story. New York: Scribner’s, 1969. Fiedler, Leslie A. Love and Death in the American Novel. New York: Criterion Books, 1960. 304-09. Strychancz, Thomas. â€Å"The Sort of Thing You Never Should Admit.† Boys Don’t Cry: Rethinking Narratives of Masculinity and Emotion in the US. Eds. Millette Shamir, Jennifer Travis. New York: Columbia University Press. 2002. 140-72. Wagner, Linda Welshimer, Ed. Ernest Hemingway: Five Decades of Criticism. Michigan State University Press, 1974. Holder, Alan. â€Å"The Other Hemingway.† Wagner. 103-08. Scott, Nathan, Jr. â€Å"Ernest Hemingway, A Critical Essay.† Wagner. 210-18. Warren, Robert Penn. â€Å"Ernest Hemingway.† Wagner. 77-101.

Terrorism Essay -- essays research papers

A gunshot, an explosion, and screaming heard. That is what is generally thought of when one hears the word "Terrorism". In most cases it is true, but there are many other types of terrorism. Most terrorist incidents in the United States have been bombing attacks, involving explosive devices, tear gas and pipe bombs. (Collins, B. 1)The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) categorizes terrorism in the U.S. as either; domestic or international terrorism. Terrorism is the use of force or violence against persons or property in violation of the criminal laws of the United States for purposes of intimidation, coercion or ransom. Terrorists often use threats to create fear among the public, to try to convince citizens that their government is powerless to prevent terrorism, and to get major publicity for their causes. (Hancock, L. 1) Terrorism has been around for many years. A recent mass act of violent terror occurred during WWII. Terror was released on Germany and many neighboring countries because of one mans belief in how people should be and how they should live. Hitler was elected chairman for the National Socialist German Workers (Nazi) party in 1920. Adolf climbed his way to power over Germany. An Enabling Act passed by giving legislature, allowed him to "Nazify" the bureau, and replace all labor unions with one Nazi-controlled German labor front, and not allow any political parties except his ...

Self-Managed Work Teams

SELF-MANAGED WORK TEAMS Class: Human Resource Management November 29th, 2012 CONTENTS INTRODUCTION___________________________________________________________1 SELF-MANAGED WORK TEAMS DICIPLINES_________________________________2 LEADING A SELF-MANAGED WORK TEAMS_________________________________5 THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN CONVENTIONAL TEAMS AND SELF-MANAGED WORK TEAMS____________________________________________________________6 SUCCESS FACTORS OF SELF-MANAGED WORK TEAMS______________________8 ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF SELF-MANAGED WORK TEAMS____10CONCLUSION___________________________________________________________13 REFERENCES____________________________________________________________14 INTRODUCTION: Self-managed work teams are work teams that are given permission to organize and control the work that they do. Self-managed work teams are independent and interdependent as the self-managed work teams itself is independent while the members are interdependent. The team is self-regul ating, operating with few external controls. Team members determine schedules, procedures and the need to make adjustments.Self-managed work teams delegates specific responsibility and decision-making authority to the team itself, it is expected that the individual will set their own goals, monitor progress, adjust behavior to increase the chances of attaining goals and in some instances even self-reward or punishment comparing to the traditional work team, in where it is control completely by the management. By Self-managed work teams, each independent is given freedom and responsibility to accomplish tasks in an efficient way as the main idea of self-managed work teams is positional authority.By adopting self-managed work teams, the individuals can create synergy through the contribution of several team members all engaged on the same task, while psychological well-being arises through increased opportunities for interaction between team members and involvement in job-related deci sion making. In general, self-managed teams have considerable discretion over: * The work done and setting team goals * How work is achieved – which processes are used and how work is scheduled * Internal performance issues – distributing the work and the contribution made by each member of the team * Decision making and problem solving.SELF-MANAGED WORK TEAMS DICIPLINES: In order for an organization that wanted to establish and achieve the self-managed work teams from the traditional teams, there are disciplines of the self-managed work teams that need to be follow. These disciplines are a set of skills, approaches, insights, and practices that are not typically mastered by more conventional teams. As the disciplines itself, is evolutionary rather than revolutionary, the teams need to move toward self-management along a continuum from â€Å"other-directed† to becoming self-directed.By mastering the self-managed work team’s disciplines, it is the main key to achieve and understand the concept of self-managed work teams itself. These disciplines also ensure the long-term success of the teams. A self-managed work teams discipline consists of: * Establish & Communicate the Boundaries of Team Authority: Aside from defining the boundaries of the team authority, a self-managed work teams must clearly communicate to its members, to the steering committee, to other teams, and to the entire organization the specific boundaries of its ole and authority. When a self-managed work teams can’t uphold its communication it can cause a self-destruction, as it fail to negotiate a clear and agreed-upon charter up-front. Aside, to maintain the communication between members, a consistent measurement or checking is required to ensure its relevancy. * Develop Cross-Functional Skills or Knowledge: Another difference of self-managed work teams and conventional team is that all members of the team are intimately familiar with all of the tasks done wit hin the team.All members on a self-managed work teams must not only understand the variety of jobs and tasks performed within the team, they must also have the capability to perform each of these jobs or tasks. Training all team members in each other's tasks is an important component of the self-managed work teams skill or practice set. * Develop Critical Thinking Skills: A self-managed work teams must critically evaluate its role in the organization, its charter, and its goals, its evolving norms of behavior, its performance, its successes and others.A self-managed work teams must always examining its processes, its environment and its results. The skills of critical thinking include identifying our mental models or assumptions, challenging the â€Å"context† within which the team operates imagining and exploring alternative realities, and becoming â€Å"reflectively skeptical. † * Become Self-Directed Learners: Conventional work teams often depend upon the learning p riorities set by management or the training office; self-managed work teams break this dependency and define for themselves what they need to know.Aside from learning their job, the team also learn to handle responsibility for identifying needed skills and knowledge essential for their and the company's long-term success. The team assumes full responsibility for exploring what they must know and master next year, and the year after that, and the year after that. The self-managed work teams’ works with the training office to discover new methods and approaches for learning what the team needs to become self-directed, long-term learners. * Manage Team Performance:Conventional teams may be involved in goal setting and performance evaluation, but management still plays a major role in molding these goals and in evaluating the team's performance. A self-managed work teams assumes full responsibilities for these tasks, the self-managed work teams, therefore, must be trained in the skills and knowledge of team performance management. This includes the skills of goal setting, establishing benchmark standards, evaluating performance against standards, developing plans for performance improvement. Manage Human Resources: In traditional work teams, management usually assumes the primary responsibility for defining needed positions, recruiting the right candidates, establishing criteria for evaluating the candidates, selecting the new worker, and orienting him or her to the job. Further, once the employee is on the job, management then monitors and evaluates the employee's performance and takes corrective action if required to improve performance. However, the self-managed work teams assume full responsibility for managing its human resources.Following guidelines established by the HR department, the self-managed work teams usually performs all of the functions that result in a new hire. It also assumes responsibility for resolving individual performance problems t hat occur when individual members don't meet team expectations. As a result, team members must learn to master such HR skills as recruiting and selecting new hires, monitoring individual performance, and then taking action to correct performance problems. While it might be true that SMWTs will approach performance problem solving quite differently than traditional management approaches (e. . , looking for cause not blame), the team must be capable of dealing with the team member who fails to work effectively with the team. This may even include the difficult task of disciplining or even terminating a team member. Although managing its human resources may be the hardest skill for the team to master, it is probably the most critical to the team's long-term success. Self-directed work teams, also known as self-managing teams, represent a revolutionary approach to the way work is organized and performed.Instead of organizing work based on the traditional Taylor model — reducing a process to individual steps — work becomes restructured around whole processes. There must be interdependence and joint responsibility for outputs if there is to be a self-directed work team. Whereas the traditional system reduces the required skill at every level of work, producing boredom in the bottom-level jobs, the new system integrates the needs of the people with the work to be done, and those closest to the jobs help design the job. LEADING A SELF-MANAGED WORK TEAMS:The leadership role in a self-managed team is very different from that of a team leader in a traditional hierarchical team such as a functional team. In a hierarchical team the team leader allocates work. In contrast, in a self-managed team, the leadership role involves taking on more of a supporting role, which includes identifying the long-term career and personal development needs of the team within the context of the overall organization. The team leadership role in a:| Hierarchical team| Self-managed team| The role is vested in one individual. | The role may be shared. | To manage the team. To support the team by providing (or arranging others to provide) coaching and advice. | To plan and allocate the work done by the team. | To agree, in discussion with the team, the standard of work and the aims, objectives and targets of the team. | To monitor and appraise the performance of team members in carrying out the tasks allocated to them. | To monitor the achievement of the team as a unit. To appraise individual performance. | To motivate the team members. | To provide the conditions for high motivation. | To act as the main contact point for communication between the team and the rest of the organisation. To facilitate the creation of channels of communication with the rest of the organisation. | THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN CONVENTIONAL TEAMS AND SELF-MANAGED WORK TEAMS: In an organization, there are many types of work teams that is apply in the organization itself, each of the work teams have different structure and way of communication with their members. The differences of work teams’ structure * Managed Team: A group of people working together toward a common goal. The ‘what’ will happen, ‘where’ it will happen and ‘how’ it will happen is set by the organisation and/or the manager. Self-Managed Team: Is a group of people working together in their own way toward a common goal which is defined outside the team. The team decides their work schedule, in what order, when to deliver, how, to what standards, and by whom. * Self-Directed Team: A group of people working together in their own way toward a common goal which the team defines. They will perform all of the above but in addition also have input on recruitment to the team, training, compensation, performance management, discipline, and acts as a profit center by defining its own future.The difference of self-managed work teams with conventional teams is self-ma naged work teams complete an entire piece of work, whether it's a product, a service, or part of a large product of service. The team assigns tasks that individual team members perform. In other words, the team plans, organizes, and controls work activates with little or no direct involvement of a higher status supervisor. Self-managed work teams control most work inputs, flow, and output. Aside, they are responsible for correction work flow problems as they occur.On other words, the teams maintain their own quality and logistical control. Self-managed work teams receive team-level feedback and rewards. This recognizes and reinforces the fact that the team – not individuals – is responsible for the work, although team members may also receive individual feedback and rewards. Characteristics of a mature self-managed work teams SUCCESS FACTORS TOWARDS SELF-MANAGED WORK TEAMS: There are some factors that need to be considered by the organization as those factors are the s uccess factors towards self-managed work teams.When an organization neglects those factors, there is a high possibility that the organization will not achieve an effective self-managed work teams. * Learn: A key success factor for self-managed teams is to be open to, and continuously gather, information about how other self-managed teams are operating, through meetings and other forms of communication. These may be teams within the organization or within other organizations. Even if the self-managed teams learn about work in other organizations whose business is very different to the original organization, there may still be valuable lessons to learn.Aside, the organization should consider involving representatives of successful self-managed teams as mentors to the team, if possible. * Structure Just because a team is self-managed doesn't mean it can work with a nebulous structure where nobody is clear about who does what. There is a need to structure the team in the most efficient way. This will depend on the organization's business, the team's function and the individuals within it. Some self-managed teams work best where one member serves as a leader. Others are successful where all members are of equal status.However, the common success factor is that everyone is very clear about roles and accountability's within the team. * Achieve Most likely, a self-managed team will be endeavoring to achieve outcomes agreed with the organization's management team. However, within the team, each employee have different goals, like they wanted to try and achieve more than the agreed outcomes, as an indication that the self-managed team is functioning to a commendable level of efficiency and success. A self-managed team's achievements are particularly important where elements within the organization are dubious about the wisdom of implementing the teams. Evaluate Evaluation is an important part of a successful self-managed work teams. Just as in any organizational structu re, evaluation is the way of discovering to what extent aims and objectives have been achieved. A critical success factor of all self-managed teams is the ability to respond positively to evaluation, identify where improvements can be made and develop a plan to implement the changes needed to deliver them. ADVANTAGES VERSUS DISADVANTAGES: There is nothing perfect in a work teams, there are always limitations of it but aside of limitation, there are benefits of the work teams.The organization can decrease the impact of its limitation by improving in that certain weak area. The advantages of self-managed work teams are: * Job Satisfaction: With self-managed teams, employees have more job satisfaction because they are directly involved in the day to day running of a company and are more independent. This direct involvement helps them to identify more closely with a company's objectives. Employees also derive a sense of satisfaction from developing new decision-making and problem-solvin g skills and working as part of a close-knit team. Improved Productivity: According to â€Å"Business Week,† companies that use self-managed work teams are 30 to 50 percent more productive than those with a traditional hierarchy. This is because workers have a greater commitment to company goals when they are more closely involved in helping to achieve these goals. Having a greater share in the results ensures that teams quickly address a product's problems and defects and are sensitive to customers' needs and requests. Self-directed work teams have a wide range of skills because of the diverse backgrounds of individual members.This helps teams to develop innovative products and services and to take a creative approach to problem-solving. * Increased compatibility between employers and employees: Self-managed teams can relieve stress for the leader, who is then able to concentrate on other tasks. The team is mutually supportive and members learn from each other instead of app roaching the team leader for advice. * Commitment: Team members can become more involved in projects as a direct result of having increased autonomy and responsibility. * Motivation: Team members have shared or equal responsibility so members are accountable for their actions.The disadvantages of self-managed work teams are: * Extensive Training: Companies making the transition from a traditional management structure to self-managed work teams must invest considerable time and resources in training people in management skills. Training goes through several stages and this process can last between two and five years. Employees get additional training in providing customers service and satisfaction and must learn how to work effectively as part of a team. * Managing Managers: Managers may actively resist the concept of self-managed work teams because it makes their role effectively redundant.Organizations may have to offer additional professional training to managers before they can r eassign them to jobs that offer the same level of pay and status. Managers being reassigned need to receive highly specialized technical training. CONCLUSION: The introduction of employee empowerment through self-managed teams program can provide the necessary edge required to remain competitive in today's global market. However, no empowerment program can be successful in the long term if management does not take adequate steps before the program is introduced and utilize an adequate management strategy once the program has been initiated.The pre-program steps and the management strategy must be more than words on paper. Management must be sold on the idea of employee empowerment and develop a management strategy that fully supports the empowerment program or it will eventually fail. If management supports its self-managed teams, they will foster its success. In Asia itself, companies are not familiar with the terms of Self-Managed Work Teams as in Asia having a particular leader a re viewed as the best option in a management. There is still a high importance of hierarchy in the Asian society. REFERENCES: 1.Career Track, â€Å"Implementing self-directed work teams† (Newsletter, SV-No. 16), 1995, pp. 1-8. 2. Ankarlo, L. , â€Å"The best value in training†, Career Track, 1994, pp. 12-16. 3. Pett, T. and Miller, T. , â€Å"Employee empowerment: old wine in a new bottle†, Southwest Academy of Management, Proceedings, Mescon Group, Dallas, TX, March 1994, p. 153. 4. Fisher, K. , Leading Self-directed Work Teams, McGraw-Hill, Chesterfield, MO, 1994, pp. 1-26, 164-70. 5. Conger, J. A. and Kanungo, A. T. , â€Å"The empowerment process: integrating theory and practice†, Academy of Management Review, Vol. 13 No. 3, 1988, pp. 471-82. 6. Madonna, J. C. Allaire, P. A. and Drew, E. H. , â€Å"Leadership and empowerment for total quality†, The Conference Board, Vol. 24 No. 2, 1992, pp. 9-25. 7. Mears, P. and Voehl, F. , Team Building, St. Lucie Press, Delray Beach, FL, 1994. 8. Dumaine, B. , â€Å"The trouble with teams†, Fortune, 5 September 1994, pp. 86-92. 9. Stokes, Jr and Stewart, L. , â€Å"IS without managers†, Information Strategy: The Executive's Journal, Fall 1991, pp. 11-15. 10. McKee, B. , â€Å"Turn your workers into a team†, Nation's Business, July 1992, pp. 36-8. 11. Barry, D. , â€Å"Managing the bossless team: lessons in distributed leadership†, Organizational Dynamics, Summer 1991, pp. 1-47. 12. Brucker, D. , â€Å"Spurring on reengineering†, Fortune, 26 June 1995, p. 15. 13. Sirkin, H. L. , â€Å"The employee empowerment scam†, Industry Week, 18 October 1993, p. 58. 14. Dean, J. and Evans, J. , Total Quality: Management, Organization, and Strategy. West Publishing Co. , St Paul, MN, 1994, pp. 197-26. 15. Overman, S. , â€Å"Saturn teams working and profiting†, HR Magazine, March 1995, pp. 72-4. 16. Grates, G. F. , â€Å"The subtlety and power of com munications in corporate renewal initiatives†, Public Relations Quarterly, Spring 1994, pp. 40-3. 17. Holpp, L. â€Å"Applied empowerment†, Training, February 1994, pp. 39-44. 18. Bowen, D. and Lawler, E. E. III, â€Å"The empowerment of service workers: what, why how, and when†, Management Review, Spring 1994, pp. 31-9. 19. Flanagan, P. , â€Å"IBM one day, Lexmark the next†, Management Review, January 1994, pp. 38-44. 20. Burrows, P. , â€Å"Playing ball without the coach†, Business Week, July 1993, p. 99. 21. Spanbauer, S. J. , â€Å"A quality system for education†, Quality, Vol. 6 No. 4, 1990, pp. 55-65. 22. Macher, K. , â€Å"Empowerment and the bureaucracy†, Training and Development Journal, September 1988, pp. 41-6. 23.Dumaine, B. , â€Å"Who needs a boss? â€Å", Fortune, 7 May 1990, pp. 52-60. 24. Caudron, S. , â€Å"Are self-directed teams right for your company? â€Å", Personnel Journal, December 1993, pp. 76-84. 25. Be nnett, S. , â€Å"Turnaround at Kodak Park†, Business Quarterly, Spring 1994, pp. 31-41. 26. Ferero, M. , â€Å"Self-directed work teams untax the IRS†, Personnel Journal, July 1994, pp. 66-71. 27. Wellins, R. , â€Å"Texas Instruments gets from here to there†, Training ; Development, June 1995, pp. 26-41. 28. Hopp, L. , â€Å"If empowerment is so good, why does it hurt? â€Å", Training, March 1995, pp. 53-7. 29. Stein, R. E. Next Phase of Total Quality Management, Marcel Dekker, Inc. , Boston, MA, 1994, pp. 103-23. 30. Pasmore, W. A. , â€Å"An approach to successful integration†, Self-Managing Work Teams, July/August 1994, pp. 15-23. 31. Andrews, G. , â€Å"Mistrust, the hidden obstacle to empowerment†, HR Magazine, September 1994, pp. 66-70. 32. Thibodeaux, M. and Faden, S. , â€Å"Organizational design for self-managed teams†, Industrial Management ; Data Systems, annual 1994, pp. 20-6. 33. Giordan, J. and Ahern, A. , â€Å"Self-mana ged teams: quality improvement in actions†, Research Technology Management, May/June 1994, pp. 33-5.

How Steinbeck Presents the Character of Curley’s Wife

eys Examine how Steinbeck presents the character of Curley’s wife in ‘Of mice and men’ . Refer closely to the text in your answer to support your views. Throughout the novel Steinbeck presents the character of Curley’s wife in a number of ways. Initially he tells us that she is a beautiful girl who is lonely and she is the only female on the ranch. Steinbeck explains that she is presented as a sexual object for Curly. Even though she is the boss’s son’s wife she is still low in the hierarchy within the ranch. She clearly uses her sexuality as a weapon and is seen as a sexual predator.This is shown as she wears a lot of red and ostrich feathers. The red signals love, danger and sex. Unfortunately her sexuality has no impact on the farm because everyone is scared of being friendly or seen with her due to her husband’s power. She is flirtatious ‘you guys seen Curly anywhere? ’ She asks this just to be able to enter the stable to be with the men and this is used a decoy to get her to be able to socialise with the men. Stein beck is giving the reader a negative image of her, almost as a sex slave.We see this negativity in other character’s description of her: George states she is a ‘rattrap and a tramp’ , Lennie calls her ‘ purdy’, Candy states ‘ well that gloves full of Vaseline’ this refers to the idea that Curley wife is merely viewed by all as an object of sexual desire yet men are wary of her and avoid contact where possible. She seeks out greater weaknesses in others in order to protect herself or to survive. This she does with her appearance: ‘full rough lips, heavily made up eyes, finger nails red, her hair hung in little clusters’ . Her choices of clothes are very feminine and tempting desire.She wants to be admired and noticed. Her actions and mannerisms are also very sexual ‘leans against the door frame so her body is thrown forwar d. ’ Steinbeck is trying to present the character as a tease and an object of desire. This however clearly shows that she is a beautiful and desirable women who is merely seeking reassurance and love. Steinbeck presents Curley’s wife as not being important. This is evidenced by the fact she has no name and is only defined by her relationship with Curley. This is quite sad and emphasises that she has no real family, friends and is the only female.She is Curley’s possession and is used in the novel to show his masculinity and that she is trapped in a loveless marriage. Yet despite being unimportant she has a big impact on George, Lennie and Candys future dreams – they disappear on her death. Steinbeck shows the hierarchy of people clearly in the novel. Curley’s wife has little power as men are portrayed as more important. This is shown when Curley orders her to go back to the house and he treats her as a possession. Sadly the novel refers to her back ground as not being happy as her mother instructed her not to marry Curley but she did.Curley’s wife is shown as a lonely character who is desperate for companionship. She flirts with the men on the ranch and forces her company on them. Sadly she pays the price for her need of company when she encourages Lennie to stroke her hair and he overpowers her and accidently kills her. The American dream is key to the novel – this means everyone should have equality and hope for the future. Curley’s wife has a dream of becoming a Hollywood star, ‘says I was a natural’ and ‘I could have been in the movies’ This is still her dream to escape from the ranch.This emphasises her innocence as she still believes she will get her chance in life and these were her last thoughts before she was killed by Lennie. Steinbeck shows Curley’s wife as a victim – sweet and innocent in death. No one is sad for her – they only worry about Lennie- George is only worried about Lennies mistake, Curley wants revenge and to be seen as a strong man ‘I’m gonna shoot the guts outta the big bastard’ Throughout the novel no one shows her any sympathy: Candy is angry as his dream has been shattered now ‘you god damn tramp†¦. you messed things up’. She has lived a life without love and without achieving her dream.

Characteristics of Expository

Essays I read were on Lucy Stone and Cochlear Implants. Author Jone Johnson Lewis wrote a mini-biography about Lucy Stone using â€Å"time order† technique. She had lots of facts on Lucy Stone, starting with how Lucy Stone was the first woman in Massachusetts to earn a college degree and first to keep her own name after marriage. She then wrote when and where Lucy Stone was born and went into more details about Lucy Stone’s Life from her childhood till her death. Author Jamie Berke wrote about Cochlear Implants. He implemented â€Å"Topic† technique to write on Cochlear Implants. He began his introduction with how long Cochlear Implants have been around, and what Cochlear Implants (also known as internal hearing aid) are. He clarified on how Cochlear Implants work and for whom it is made for. In the end the author introduced himself, and explained the reasons he had for getting Cochlear Implants. Each author, Jone Johnson Lewis and Jamie Berke, preferred different approach in order to write a well written paper. The techniques, Jone Johnson Lewis used â€Å"time order,† so she can write about Lucy Stone’s struggle from birth till death for woman’s right. â€Å"Time order† organization helps in arranging information according to date or a specific time line. In this case, Jone Johnson Lewis did just the same. She used dates to help set up the writing process. On the other hand author Jamie Berke used â€Å"Topic† technique to get his audience's attention and to inform his audience about Cochlear Implants. Writing an expository essay using topic technique helps organize information about the subject you chose to write about. In this case, Jamie Berke did the same, by collecting all the information on Cochlear Implants and starting his paper with when they were first introduced. If author Jone Johnson Lewis and Jamie Berke would have decided to used another type of organization technique to write their essay, it might not have received as much attention from readers as they would have liked to or hoped for. Both essays are similar because they both used evidence and examples. Information was presented in a non-biased manner. These two expository essays are tailored to capture different audiences. Essay on Lucy Stone tries to capture the attention of female audience, and essay on Cochlear Implants tries to capture the attention of people who are hearing impaired.

Installing Openmrs Essay

There are two ways to install OpenMRS: Standalone, and Enterprise. You must have Java 6 or higher installed on your system to run OpenMRS. OpenMRS Standalone provides a simplified installation option with an embedded database and web server. It is a great way to evaluate and explore OpenMRS, letting you get a local version up and running within minutes, and includes download options with sample data. OpenMRS Standalone should run fine for smaller installations (fewer than 10,000 patient records), but if you are setting up a larger installation, we recommend using the Enterprise installation. If you are not sure which makes sense, you can start with a standalone installation and migrate your data to the enterprise version later. OpenMRS Enterprise is appropriate for larger installations. If you already have a Java servlet container and a database installed, and you want to set up OpenMRS to use these resources, you should also use OpenMRS Enterprise. OpenMRS Standalone To install the standalone version, download the ZIP file and decompress it, then double-click the openmrs-standalone. jar file to run it. The first time you run this file, it will install OpenMRS and open your browser to the new OpenMRS instance. Do not delete or rename any files or folders after decompressing the ZIP file. These files and folders are required by the standalone installer. Alternatively, from the command line, you can navigate to the decompressed folder and run the following command: java -jar standalone-1. 1. jar On Linux, you can also double-click on the file named run-on-linux. sh. If you are prompted for how to run it, just select run. Alternatively, you can use a command line shell to navigate to the decompressed folder and run the following command: ./run-on-linux. sh Upgrading Standalone To upgrade a copy of OpenMRS Standalone, do the following: Stop the previous version of OpenMRS Standalone and exit the application. Download and extract the most recent version of OpenMRS Standalone. Copy your database directory from the previous version to this new OpenMRS directory. Copy your openmrs-standalone-runtime. properties from the previous version to this new OpenMRS directory. Install OpenMRS Standalone as described above. The new version of OpenMRS will run with your old data. Logging in By default, the initial username and password are as follows: Username: admin Password: Admin123 You must immediately change the admin password after installation for security purposes. To change your password, click My Profile in the upper right of OpenMRS, and choose the Change Login Info tab. Update your password, then click Save Options. You can also change your username, and provide your real name, on this screen. Stopping and Restarting As long as OpenMRS is running, you can return to the application by opening the following URL in your browser. http://localhost:8081/openmrs-standalone/ Before you change certain preferences, such as the port on which MySQL or Tomcat runs, you must stop the application. To stop the application, use the Stop button in the user interface, or choose File > Quit. Alternatively, run the JAR file on the command line with a -stop parameter. You can restart the GUI by clicking Start, or double-clicking on the JAR file again. Alternatively, you can run the JAR file with a -start parameter. By default, OpenMRS runs the MySQL database on port 3316, and the Tomcat server on port 8081. To use a different port, stop the application, then change the port number in the openmrs-standalone-runtime. properties file or in the GUI, and restart. To override the port from the command line, run the JAR file with a -tomcatport or -mysqlport parameter. Changing the port number will change the URL used to access the application. To access the application, you can choose File > Launch Browser, or run the JAR file with a -browser parameter. OpenMRS Enterprise You must have Apache Tomcat and MySQL installed on your system before installing the enterprise version of OpenMRS. Download the Enterprise WAR package from http://openmrs. org/download/ Navigate to the Tomcat Web Application Manager and enter your Tomcat administrator credentials. http://localhost:8080/manager/html Browse to the location of the openmrs. war package, and deploy it. The initial setup which follows may take some time. At the end of the process, the Web Application Manager will refresh, and /openmrs should be displayed in the list of applications. Tomcat should also start the application (Running = True). Open the OpenMRS web application to complete the initial setup process. http://localhost:8080/openmrs Getting Started with OpenMRS Enterprise The first time you run OpenMRS, the setup wizard will help you configure your installation. Follow the instructions in this wizard to set up your database, and populate it with test data if necessary.

Mathew Restall’s Seven Myths of the Spanish Conquest Essay

Mathew Restall’s Seven Myths of the Spanish Conquest is a well-written book that serves an important purpose. That purpose being: the debunking of generally accepted falsehoods about the Spanish Conquest beginning in the 15th century. Restall’s book is separated into seven chapters that specifically address general myths most historians and students perceive as basic — universal truths. Restall uses the term â€Å"myth† to describe the inaccurate/fictitious depiction of history â€Å"commonly taken to be true, partially or absolutely.† These â€Å"myths† are the progenitors of unintentionally self-centered perceptions of events historically recorded in subjectivity. The Self-absorption, relating to the over exaggeration and mystification of the Spanish Conquest, germinated over time. Excitements about the â€Å"New World† took Spain by storm and subsequently lead to a heterogeneity of mythical depictions. The chapters of the book discuss seven myths; the myth of exceptional men, the king’s army, the white conquistador, completion, (mis) communication, native desolation, and superiority. Too much credit is given to the men who were apart of the conquest. These men are credited for innovating a unique skill set that allowed them to conquer the natives when in reality, they were merely utilizing strategies and techniques the Spaniards had been using for years in their conflicts in North Africa and other regions. Restall relied heavily on the writings of the conquistadors and natives to determine the truth behind all of the myth and folklore. A common myth is that the conquistadors were sent directly by the king of Spain to conquer the Americas as soldiers but Restall proves this myth to be incorrect based off of the writings of the conquistadors themselves. These men had a variety of â€Å"identities, occupations, and motivations—and were far more interesting than that.â⠂¬  Another common misconception speaks of the exclusivity and efficiency as to which the conquest was achieved. The myth is that the conquistadors conquered the America’s relatively quickly in a sovereign effort but Restall explains that the Spaniards had a lot of help from the Natives and African’s and the â€Å"completion† of conquest was anything but; as mass portions of the land remained unscathed by the conquest. Restall effortlessly explains how the conquistador myths of superior communication between the Spaniards and Natives were just as fabricated as the modern misconception of inferior communication by historians. The communication between the two, or lack thereof, fell somewhere between both myths. Restall uses his concise writing style to explain the resilience of the Natives, debunking the myth of Native desolation and how the myth of superiority derives from Eurocentric beliefs of racial dominance which lead to racist ideologies that â€Å"underpinned colonial expansion from the late fifteenth to early twentieth centuries.† Restall’s work in this book administers a revitalizing dose of truth to historic and modern misconceptions of the Spanish Conquest. The book is not very long but it is written in an entertaining prose that fluidly transitions between concepts. The arguments are solid and detailed making it almost too easy to follow. Restall’s research seemingly taunts historic perspective and makes you question how you could have ever believed the contrary. His clear and concise depiction of events paint an obvious picture of subjectivity on the part of the conquistadors and embellishment on the part of historians. The book challenges all major explanations of the Spanish Conquest and blames them on Eurocentric ideologies that boast racial superiority. It was this racist misconception that lead to an embellishment of circumstances over time. Historians rewrote history in a way that made them look far more superior then that of the Natives but Restall lays those misconceptions to rest. The book focuses on the big ideas that are – and have been – generally accepted as common knowledge, which is a much larger task than tackling ambiguous points that could be argued either way. Although this book isn’t very long, it is a very ambitious and bold correction of facile arguments that have stood the test of time. Restall’s critique and correction of the Spanish Conquest should be read on all levels of education. High school students should read this book as they begin to establish a basic level of understanding of these historical events. College students can use this text to challenge their established beliefs and grow their knowledge of the subject matter by gaining a new and exciting perspective. Teachers and professors can gain to learn more about the subject so that they may foster engaging debates and discussion in class on the course material. While this book challenges the accuracy or lack-thereof, of a specific historical event, it subsequently forces us as student, teachers and historians to view all events in history with a healthy sense of skepticism. Restall’s attempt to debunk common misconceptions or â€Å"myths† was very successful. Overall, his arguments were crisp, concise and convincing. The writing style of Restell made for an especially easy read that was as entertaining as it was informational. The ease at which he navigates through the subject matter makes you question your understanding of all major historical events. Not only should students on all levels who are interested in the subject be required to read this text but their teachers and professors as well. It’s important that teachers and professors make themselves familiar with the historical inaccuracies of this subject so that they won’t make the same mistakes and continue to proliferate the mis-education of the Spanish Conquest.

Educating Young Adults about Sex Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Educating Young Adults about Sex - Essay Example The learning stresses on both the vices and virtues of sex. It gives a background alongside which one develops into responsible and health grown-up capable of utilizing the inborn sex nature to the fullest capability, without getting obsessed by it. It allows one to recognize and become comfortable with individual’s sexuality. The rise in a number of young adults infected with Human Immunodeficiency Virus according to the World Health Organization is attributed to the lack of sexual understanding by the young adults. This understanding can only be fully achieved through the introduction of sex education in the society. Successful sex Education plans for the young adults have common elements necessary for a healthy living in the modern world. Wieland and Jeune (pg78) the current world was formed by traditional people. Such people considered sexuality and sex as an offensive topic of discussion for people who are not married. On contrary Kirdy and Moira (pg 90) asserts that there is great need to have sex education offered to the young adults. Young adults do engage in sexual practices and therefore sexual education should not be meant for the married only. Initially, there was little importance attach to sex education for the young adults. Klein and Measor (pg 47) assert that it was until early 20th century that the world and the society started giving attention to the females. They started receiving more appreciations from their male counterparts. As a result, they started receiving same education in a school with the male students. The traditional role they played in the society was further uncalculated by introducing some added curriculum for the female students.According to Fielder (pg 44), the average marriage age has been delayed due to the carrier –oriented advance in life.  

E-commerce market Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

E-commerce market - Essay Example In the past, critical success factors were typically related to business infra-structure. One significant issue was that of internet speed-with the majority of Internet users connecting to the Internet via dial-up modem, file transfer speeds were extremely low. This presented a problem when attempting to transmit large files such as multi-media files. With steady financial investment from both the government and private business enterprises, the rapid advance of technology in this area has led to the increasingly-widespread use of high-speed Internet connections such as cable modems, ISDN and XDSL, which increase file transfer speeds substantially. With communication speed being a limiting factor for the growth of electronic commerce, these developments in information and communication technology have initiated a marked reduction in infra-structural problems for electronic commerce. More recently, however, new success factors such as security and copyrights have increased in importan ce. Another significant issue for many Internet businesses is related to expenses. Traditional corporations are able to strengthen business strategies, enhance their image, provide efficient customer service, and create new Internet sales methods. However, popular Web sites have proven to require more resources than was once thought. According to recent research, Web sites which sell products collectively spend approximately 240 Won per year, while sites which sell content spend approximately 1 billion Won per year. Internet sites such as shopping malls, where actual transactions take place, spend around 3.35 billion Won every year. Companies which plan to move into electronic commerce must plan and invest efficiently in the initial stages of development in order to create profit within a reasonable period of time. There are several success factors which should be considered. E-businesses must provide good value for their customers, not only in terms of the products they sell, but also through ease of Web site navigation. They must differentiate themselves from other electronic commerce corporations to create a unique identity, and at the same time take care that they maintain the important characteristics of e-business. It is also particularly important to manage resources carefully and control initial expenses through the gradual introduction of new technologies, while allocating enough resources to brand management to win and maintain the trust of their customers. Research on business models has shown that these success factors are critical. Companies that survive the rapidly-changing electronic commerce environment have unique business fields and business models. The results of research on approximately 30 business corporations are presented here. Above all, successful electronic commerce corporations value for their customers. Through fluctuating markets, these companies continue to be competitive and profit from e-commerce. Many of these companies also successfully compete in off-line markets as well as on-line markets. They manage their brands effectively to maintain consumer trust, and use differentiated services and unique profit models to succeed in what is become a very competitive market-place. Finally, they have organized themselves in such a way that with flexible attitudes and infra-structure they can cope with a changing business environment and introduce new technologies at the most appropriate times. The results of this exploratory research indicate

The achievements of Generals are in the long run more decisive than Essay

The achievements of Generals are in the long run more decisive than the achievements of diplomats. Access the validity of this generalization for the United States in the period 1800-1825 - Essay Example main functions of such diplomats are to find ways round to the protection and representation of their states interests and at the same time to promote and foster communication and friendly relations. Generals on the other hand, are general state officers of the highest military rank usually belonging to the army or the air force. Such general’s main function is the use of military force and regulations to enforce their nation’s interests and representation. This is more often than not through war tactics (smith, 1980). According to Smith (1980) the use of generals in the achievement of objectives during the times considered to be a more sure mode of action and fairly quicker than diplomatic tactics. Where diplomats tactics dragged on for long periods of time, most generals military tactics would take much shorter time periods provided the availability of the required access of resources such as during the period of the trial of tears. The â€Å"casualties† were immense but, the objectives of the general’s orders subsequently met, and thus land obtained. Taking the example of U.S generals Andrew Jackson and William Henry who went to war against Britain in the year 1812, they won against states that used diplomatic means to face them and where some of the U.S diplomats had failed. After the carrying out of various diplomatic resolutions to solve the American problems at sea and to end Indian raids in the west, the state decided to finally employ the services of the generals. Though employing the techniques of invasions and divisions of alliances, they were able to achieve their objectives. They repulsed invasions by the British and broke off alliances between the British and the Indians and hence made the enemies weaker to suppress. The federalists and diplomats who were against the war to the extent of trading and threatening succession with the enemy devastated by the U.S general’s triumphant ending of the war. As a result, the U.S sea interests and the