Teacher Descriptive Essay

Lily Campbell Block 3 Mr. Watrous 18 September 2012 Who is Mr. Watrous? When we initially meet someone, we immediately tend to judge by physical appearance. This is somewhat of a natural instinct, although the way someone looks does not necessarily reflect the individual’s true self. When I first strolled into Mr. Watrous’s classroom, my first impression was that he’d be a stern, serious teacher. Soon after I heard him speak to our class, and even more after having him for a few blocks, I found that he is an amiable and whimsical man.My first impression of Mr. Watrous is nothing at all as his true personality. He’s actually quite an interesting teacher and very different from the majority. Mr. Watrous appears to be middle aged, as his dark brown, short hair is filling in with gray. He doesn’t seem to have wrinkles. Instead he has a clear, healthy looking face, impressive green eyes, and dark stubble from his beard. He’s about medium height fo r an adult man and has a thin, yet muscular frame. Mr. Watrous dresses different than most teachers at Central West.His most stylish outfits consist of â€Å"tablecloth† print, button up shirts, green pants, and two-inch heeled shoes. But what he regularly wears are collared or button up shirts, jeans, and dress shoes. In my opinion, Mr. Watrous’s appearance makes him appear as a strong, harsh kind of guy. But in reality, he’s far from that. In class Mr. Watrous is a mixture of both formal and informal. When lecturing, or directly asking questions he speaks and behaves quite formal. However, when he casually speaks with a student he’s more informal.Outside of the classroom Mr. Watrous’s speech is Campbell 2 more informal with the use of a lot of slang. For example, he refers to the people he’s speaking to as â€Å"man† often, despite their gender, as part of his normal vocabulary. In our class Mr. Watrous acts as he wants the best pos sible out of us. He seems really focused on preparing us for the future. He talks to us about college and our future constantly. He also teaches us the importance of speaking in formal and informal manner, and indirectly teaches us life lessons.One example I’ll never forget was that on the first day of school he assigned an almost impossible task of answering about 40 questions in 15 minutes, in attempt to teach us that we need to speak up and recognize ridiculous tasks requested of us. It seems that Mr. Watrous’s thoughts are really clever and strategic. Yet, when one asks him to describe how he thinks he says little of it is based on logic and he usually just ends up going with his gut. This is consistent with how Mr.Watrous teaches, he presents himself as a really smart, all-knowing guy, but as he’s teaching he is thinking of new things to say. In our classroom Mr. Watrous thinks a lot about his students and how to help them succeed, but outside of school he has more important priorities. He owns an art gallery and ranch, plus he has a family. Mr. Watrous probably thinks about his ranch very often since it needs maintenance. Since he is an artist, he is very creative, I’m sure he is constantly thinking of new things to paint. Just like any other husband/father Mr.Watrous is going to constantly think about his family. Students look up to Mr. Watrous and treat him very respectfully. He is appreciated by his students who trust him, and want to learn from him. Students will joke around with Mr. Watrous since he’ll joke around with us often also. Mr. Watrous treats his student in a respectful manner. Although he will be honest, and tell someone what is exactly on his mind. He holds our class up to high standards and wants us to be the best possible. If a student says â€Å"Um† he’ll mock them Campbell 3 very single time, hoping that we will eventually stop being unsure of ourselves and think before we talk. He doe s this so we will think before we speak and not be unsure or ourselves. Mr. Watrous is a different kind of teacher, but in a good way. His appearance is deceiving since he looks scary and mean. He’s really actually super nice and a laid back teacher. He acts different in his classroom and home settings. As a teacher his interest is in what’s best for his students. His students realize that so they respect and appreciate him very much.

Advantages of Retaining Older Workers

Encouraging older workers to remain in the workforce has many advantages along with some disadvantages for both the employee and the workforce in general. The term older worker refers to workers aged sixty-five and over. Older workers are an invaluable asset to the Australian workforce. Through age and life experience older workers hold great knowledge and wisdom in which they are able to pass onto the younger generation. Traditionally there was an age where people retired, however people these days people are now living longer. Therefore the time spent in retirement has also increased. This means people today will have to work longer than ever before to cover the costs of their retirement. This essay will outline why Australia needs to retain older workers in the workforce, why older people are staying in the workforce for longer and discuss some of the advantages and disadvantages associated with encouraging older workers to stay in the workforce for longer. Australia’s decreasing birthrate and an ever-increasing life expectancy has caused the Australian Government as well as employers to become increasingly concerned about how the distribution of the population within the workforce will affect the Australian economy. Presently the net growth of the Australian workforce is 170,000 people each year. Access Economics has estimated that over the decade 2020 to 2030, the Australian workforce is expected to only grow by only 125,000 people. That averages a mere 12,500 people per year. The ramifications for Australia are clear, new entrants will simply not provide enough manpower to the workforce to meet expected demand. (Andrews, K 2003) This demographic shift means the workforce will need to rely more on older workers in the near future, as Australia can no longer afford to waste the valuable resources that older workers contribute to businesses, the economy and society in general. Older workers will be crucial to the success of many companies in the future, and contribute greatly to the profitability and the survival of these companies. Australia’s need to encourage older workers to stay in the workforce for longer, will mean employers will need to structure the work environment in such a way as to fit in with the activities that older people are wanting to do. â€Å"The main reason why older workers retire or leave the workforce is to pursue new activities. † (Future of Work) While the government is encouraging people to work longer if they can, beyond traditional retirement ages, older workers are unlikely to respond to that call unless work can be more flexible and better organised to take account of what they want to do with their time. Many older workers don’t want to give up working all together and would prefer to work part time so they can still earn an income whilst having the flexibility to peruse new activities. The Government as a policy-setter and as an employer will need to meet this demand, just as the corporate sector will, by increasing workplace flexibility in order to encourage older workers to remain in the workforce for longer. 2005 figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics shows that grandparents are delivering childcare services to more than 660,000 children nation wide. This information has lead the ACT Chief Minister Mr John Stanhope to agree with the need for the restructure of workforce practices inorder to encourage older workers to remain in the workforce for longer and in particuar older workers within the ACT public service sector. Mr Stanhope says that â€Å"Our ageing workforce, and our need to retain older workers for longer, means that over time we will need to provide working conditions that better suit mature-age workers. Mr Stanhope also believes that a side benefit of having more flexible working arrangements will also encourage retention of younger staff because they will see that their employers can be open and adaptable to change and work-life balance. â€Å"We need to ensure younger employees can also see the benefits of older workers in their workplace, not as competition for jobs, or barriers to promotion, but as the leaders who will help redefine work practices. (Changing working conditions to suit, 2007) (ACT Chief Minister Exploring Grandparental Leave, 29th August 2007) Encouraging older workers to remain in the workforce for longer has endless advantages for the workforce in general, as older workers possess more life experience and work experience than their younger counter parts. Older workers are a great on the job training resource as they have a greater willingness to share experiences with their younger co-workers and have fewer external responsibilities and distractions as their children have all grown up. According to research conducted by Australian Health Management, workers aged 55 or above are more productive than under-35s because they suffer less depression and headaches, and have no childcare problems. While the younger group of workers had an average of 19% reduction in productivity due to childcare responsibilities, allergies, depression, headaches, and asthma. A recent case study conducted by DMS Glass found that the employers considered that their older workers provided higher quality standards, which in turn encouraged younger employees to improve, as experienced staff passed on the benefit of their years of knowledge. Mature workers will also stay longer at an organisation, especially after receiving training, reather than younger workers, who are five times more likely to change jobs than a mature age worker. Older workers also have less absenteeism and sick leave and, fewer accidents than their younger colleagues. (The Australian, 2006) Influencing older people to remain in the workforce not only benefits the workforce and the economy, but it also has advantages for the worker themselves. As people age they want to remain as physically, mentally healthy and as socially active for as long as possible, and for many, work serves as a means of being able to do so. â€Å"Research tells us that there is a correlation between staying in the workforce and good health. † (Managing Your Ageing Workforce Conference, 2005. ) work also provides individuals with a sense of purpose, income and status. The reality that people today are spending longer in retirement than ever before emphasises the point that individuals will need to remain in the workforce for longer to ensure that they are financially able to live out a comfortable retirement. Some disadvantages to having older workers remain in the workforce for longer include the risk of health problems associated with older workers and their ability to perform as efficiently as their younger counterparts. As people get older they are more subject to deteriorating health, this is a part of life, and something that we have little control over. With deteriorating health these older workers may have to take time off work to attend medical appointments and may even have to restrict some of their work activities for health reasons. With older workers being restricted in their ability to perform certain tasks that are part of their job description this could prove costly to the employer as the employer will have to bare the costs of employing someone else to carry out these tasks that the older worker can no longer perform. Another problem with older workers being limited in their ability to perform certain tasks is their ability to be allocated another job within a firm or seek employment else ware as â€Å"a high proportion of older workers lack qualifications and have acquired their work skills on the job and these work skills may be specific to their occupation. (Managing Your Ageing Workforce Conference, 2005. ) Older workers are also more likely to be resistant to change, less willing to work long hours, and less willing to train. However this fact is debatable as professor McGregor from the University of Surry has found that older workers saw themselves as being â€Å"committed to the job with employees seeing themselves as eminently willing and able to be trained. † Encouraging older workers to remain in the workforce will be crucial to the success, profit, and survival of many Australian businesses in the future. The decline in Australia’s birthrate means the Australian workforce will grow an estimated 125,000 people over the decade from 2020 to 2030, which clearly it is not enough workers to meet demand. With this in mind employers will need to rely more on older workers in the future and have to find ways to restructure the work environment in such a way as to fit in with the activities that older people are wanting to do as it has become a known fact through much research that many older workers leave the workforce in pursuit of new activities. If the workplace were restructured as to fit in with the wants and needs of older workers, older workers would be able to have the best of both worlds by being able to still earn an income whilst having the flexibility to peruse new activities. Generally there are more advantages than disadvantages in having older workers remain in the workforce for longer; within the near future, older workers will prove to be an invaluable asset to the Australian workforce and play a crucial role in sustaining Australias economic stability. Bibliography Andrews, K 2003, opening address at the Ageless Workforce Symposium, Sydney, 7 August 2003, Viewed 9th September 2007, . Davies, M 2005, Labour Force Participation by Older Workers, What Influences Decision-making, Victoria University of Wellington, Viewed 29th August 2007. . Mercer Human Resource Consulting, The Productivity Commission’s Draft Report, Economic Implications of Ageing Australia, February 23, 2005, Viewed 29th August 2007, . Fr anklin, M 2006, November 14, Older workers more productive, The Australian, Viewed 10th September 2007, . Facing an Ageing Workforce, Information for Public Service HR Managers, State Services Commission, April 2004. Executive summary, updated 12th May 2004, Viewed 29th August 2007, . Hayden , C Boaz, A and Taylor, F 1999, Attitudes and aspirations of older people, a qualitative study, Viewed 6th October 2007, . Minister for Ageing, The Hon Julie Bishop, addresses the Managing Your Ageing Workforce Conference in Sydney, Viewed 29th August 2007, . Changing working conditions to suit, 2007, August 28, The Canberra Chronicle, p. 5. ACT Chief Minister Exploring Grandparental Leave, 29th August 2007, Viewed 9th September 2007. . Work and ageing 2005, Causes of our ageing population, Viewed September 9th 2007, .

Disaster management approaches for libraries in India

Abstraction The present paper highlights the catastrophe and its direction in general and in libraries in electronic age. The paper besides suggested the direction methods of catastrophe in libraries. Libraries are the keeper of our history, civilization and civilisation. They are maintaining the heritage of the state in safe for last 1000s of old ages. The precaution against catastrophe for the libraries is really of import. Safeguard should be in such planned ways that save the resources of library without any harm. In India libraries are non concentrating on catastrophe direction due to unawareness and dearth of financess. Libraries and reputed Information Centres should organize plan on catastrophe direction in libraries. There should be developing and workshop plan for library forces every bit good as for library users. Library and pull offing authorization should do necessary agreement for the effectual plan of catastrophe direction in libraries. Disaster direction plan should be implement ed from the initial phase ( from the building of edifice for any administration ) . Key-Words:Catastrophe, Disaster Management, Natural Disaster, Man-Made Disaster, Disaster Management – Libraries, Artificial Disaster 1. Introduction: Now libraries of India transforming themselves from traditional library to modern library or we may state automated, electronic, digital, practical or intercrossed libraries. With the development of engineering alterations, the development of hardship besides increased. Adversity or catastrophe may be natural an artificial besides. Disaster and its direction ( Disaster Management ) now becomes the firing subject in many field due to natural catastrophe as cyclone, twister, temblor, fire due to heavy rain, H2O inundation etc. and unreal catastrophe as power grid failure, web failure, fire, waiter fail, short -circuit etc. In libraries, governments and libraries are non giving their attending for direction of any sort of catastrophe. In India except some progress libraries, most of libraries have no prearrangement for catastrophe. Libraries have our history. Civilization and civilization in books and in electronic signifier, if any catastrophe occurred they will lose valuable history, Civilization and civilization. 2. Catastrophe Catastrophe is an unexpected, black go oning transporting inordinate mutilation, harm, and devastation and desolation to life and belongings. The mutilation caused by catastrophes is incalculable and differs with the topographical location, clime and the type of the Earth surface/degree of susceptibleness. These effects may be mental, socio-economic, political and cultural province of the affected country. Catastrophe may be work forces made ( Artificial ) and natural. Some definition of catastrophe as follow: An happening doing widespread devastation and hurt ; a catastrophe.† Emergency â€Å"A serious state of affairs or happening that happens out of the blue and demands immediate action [ 1 ] .† ( American Heritage Dictionary. 3 rd. ed. , 1996 ) In modern-day academe, catastrophes are seen as the consequence of jeopardies on vulnerable countries. Hazards that occur in countries with low exposure do non ensue in a catastrophe ; as is the instance in uninhabited parts. ( Quarantelli 1998 ) [ 2 ] . Acatastropheis a natural or semisynthetic ( or technological ) jeopardy ensuing in an event of significant extent doing important physical harm or devastation, loss of life, or drastic alteration to the environment. A catastrophe can be extensively defined as any tragic event stemming from events such as temblors, inundations, ruinous accidents, fires, or detonations. It is a phenomenon that can do harm to life and belongings and destruct the economic, societal and cultural life of people. [ 3 ] 2.1 Natural Catastrophe A natural catastrophe is an deduction when a natural danger touches creatures and/or the built atmosphere. The resulting harm is governed by on the capacity of the population to back up or contend the catastrophe: their resiliency. This apprehension is concentrated in the preparation: â€Å" catastrophes occur when jeopardies meet defencelessness † . A natural danger will hereafter ne'er consequence in a natural catastrophe in countries without exposure. Numerous uniquenesss like, landslides, temblors, eruptions, volcanic, cyclones and inundations are all natural jeopardies that kill 1000s of people and destroy moneys of district and goods every clip. Followings are the chief natural catastrophes:EarthquakesFloodsVolcanic eruptionsCyclonesBiological agents ( micro-organisms, insect or vermin infestation )Fires ( wildfires )Rain2.2. Artificial ( Men Made ) Catastrophe With the technological development the jeopardies besides grows. Artificial catastrophes besides can be caused by worlds. Dangerous stuffs exigencies include chemical tumbles and groundwater pollution. Workplace fires ( caused by short-circuit etc. ) are more common and can arise significant belongings mutilation and loss of life. Communities are besides defenseless to these menaces posed by overzealous groups who use fierceness against both people and belongings. In Artificial catastrophe, marks may include military and civilian authorities installations, international airdromes, high-profile landmarks and big metropoliss. In Cyber-terrorism involves onslaughts against computing machines ( server down, virus onslaught, choping and unauthorized entree etc. ) and networks done to intimidate or coerce a authorities or its people for political or societal aims. 3. Disaster direction It is a subject that includes devising, armed robbery, and reconstructing society when natural or human-made catastrophes occur. In general, any Crisis direction is the ageless procedure by which all persons, groups, and communities manage jeopardies in an attempt to avoid or hone the impact of catastrophes ensuing from the jeopardies ‘Disaster direction can be defined as the organisation and direction of resources and duties for covering with all human-centered facets of exigencies, in peculiar readiness, response and recovery in order to decrease the impact of catastrophes. [ 4 ] 4. Catastrophe in Libraries Catastrophe either natural or manmade may happen in any administration and at any topographic point of the universe. Its earnestness may be distinguished on preventative, pre-arrangement and other security methods. Now, libraries have entered in the age of electronic age but with the coming of engineering in libraries, the technological ( Artificial ) catastrophe has besides generated. Natural catastrophe like implosion therapy, temblor, cyclones, rain and Volcanic eruptions etc. are indistinguishable and non changed but traveling toward uncertainness due to planetary heating. Day to twenty-four hours semisynthetic catastrophe as power cuts, web failure, cooling- warming, larceny of books, web tower failure, struggle, noise, and force may happen in libraries. Besides these, fire, sever failure, crashing of computing machine besides are major catastrophe in libraries. Sometimes some misshaping may change over in major catastrophe in libraries. 5. Disaster Management in Libraries: Libraries are our guardian or custodian of our history, civilization and civilisation. They are maintaining these records in printed and non-printed papers. Students, scholar outlook are besides linked with libraries. So maintenance and security of libraries are indispensable from catastrophe etc. In this concern Indian libraries ( particularly authorities and public libraries ) frustrated us. Libraries are non so secured in this concern. Most of the libraries have non installed fire dismay system in their libraries. If installed, the care of these systems is zero, merely they became show peace. Libraries are besides faces many twenty-four hours to twenty-four hours catastrophe like power-cuts ( No holding generators ) , no heating-cooling system etc. Libraries are information Centre are besides organizing many workshop, conference and seminar of ICT but neglected the subject like catastrophe direction in libraries [ 5 ] . This is doomed of Libraries as they are supplying reading stuff ( books, diaries and encyclopaedias etc. ) on catastrophe direction to their users for research but for them, there is no such ageless plan in this concern. Fundss are besides a barrier in this concern as libraries non acquiring equal financess for purchase books etc. and these catastrophes are the secondary stage for the libraries. I personally observed in many libraries that there was no such preventative equipment and measuring for this catastrophe ( natural and semisynthetic ) . Catastrophe commanding program is a must be assimilated in preliminary planning of establishing a library and information Centre. Numerous minor arrows for a complete catastrophe direction program, which are independent of each other but are interwoven. Libraries either academic or public and authorization ( Government- Non-Government ) should do the undermentioned proviso in their libraries against catastrophe direction: Fruitful Plan: Each catastrophe has three stages: earlier, during and after. A variableness of programs is required to pull off with each of these stages. There should be fruitful program for catastrophe direction. Catastrophe program must cover complete of the library and information Centre including staff, readers, beginnings of information, equipment and substructure and it must be a concerted squad attempt. Mirror Server/ Backup:There should be agreement of mirror waiter and day-to-day backup of work should be taken on regular base by the competent library staff. Data backup should non maintain in library and be placed at minimal two topographic points. A responsible staff may take this backup with them. AMC of library waiter and UPC may be an alternate security step for this. Power Supply:There should be one chief switch of light system of library and topographic point to put MCV- Light accountant should be installed in the library to avoid short-circuit in light system. Duty:There should be arrested development of duties on staff and suited should be identified and sequence should be fixed in written and verbally. Suitable senior and junior staff should be incorporated in catastrophe planning. Power-Cuts: There should be installing of Solar Power System and UPS to provide the the uninterrupted power supply. Sound proof power generator may be installed for this system. Fire:Fire dismay system and fume sensor should be installed in library on each degree so that any type of fume and fire is detected. The staff preparation is indispensable to manage such system and should openings for staff to be qui vive of what is expected of them in the event of catastrophe. Library should placing imperative parts of the edifice, aggregations, apportioning deliverance primacies, acknowledging utility storage sites, supplying satisfactory fire protection. Extra Fundss Agreement: There should be an extra fund agreement to secure the preventative equipment and for doing such catastrophe agreement in libraries. Rain- Floods: It is impartial as of import to find where the H2O is coming from and should to halt it at its cause as it is to cover up the books. There should be agreement of H2O security out system around the library. The entree of H2O should travel in direct to toss off to earth. User Awareness Program: There should be a user consciousness plan sing the catastrophe direction. This plan may be included in user education/ orientation plan of the library. Workshop/Training and Conference: Time to clip library and information centres should form preparation and workshop plan on catastrophe direction in libraries. Disaster Management Agency:Library and information centres may engage Disaster Management Agency for catastrophe direction. Library may contract with such type of bureau ( Government and Private ) . There are many such types of bureaus are available ( on-line – offline ) for catastrophe direction.6. Decision:Now the scope of catastrophe has increased, natural catastrophe is increasing due to planetary heating and unreal catastrophes ( man-made ) are increasing with the coming of Information Communication Technology. Pre-planning for catastrophe is really of import as this direction is inter-linked on each other. These planning should be implemented from the initial stage ( from the point of building of edifice of any administration like libraries ) . Time to clip mock drill should besides implement for proving of the plan. Care of such process is besides really of import. Government, non-government and pull offing governments should besides pay more attending on this issue. Go vernment should besides do such positive policies for libraries and information sing the execution of catastrophe direction.Related BibliographyAparac-Gazivoda, T. and Katalenac, D. ( 1993 ) Wounded libraries in Croatia, Zagreb: Croatian Library Association. Archives, Aldershot: Ashgate.Featherstone, Robin M. , Lyon, Becky J, and Ruffin, Angela B. ( 2008 ) .Librarian’s Role in Disaster Response: an Oral History Project. Journal of Medical Library Association, 96,256-282.doi 10.3163/1536-5050.96.4.009.Golrick, Michael A. ( 2009 ) . Disaster direction: Stairss in the procedure. Retrieved from: hypertext transfer protocol: //michaelgolrick.blogspot.com/2009/03/disaster-management-plan-steps-in.html.Saint matthews, G. and Eden, P. ( 1996 ) Disaster direction in British libraries. Project study with guidelines for library directors, London: The British Library.Saint matthews, Graham, & A ; Eden, Paul. ( 1996 ) â€Å" Disaster direction preparation in libraries † , Library R eview, Vol. 45 Iodine: 1, pp.30 – 38Riedlmayer, A. ( 2007 ) ‘Crimes of war, offenses of peace: devastation of libraries during and after the Balkan wars of the 1990s’ , Library Trends 1 ( 56 ) , 107-132.1

Comparison between NGOs and GOs, that work to conserve or preserve Essay

Comparison between NGOs and GOs, that work to conserve or preserve biodiversity and the environment - Essay Example A good example of such an organization is the United Nations Environmental Programme. Lastly, there is the Non-governmental organizations that work independently from the government to protect the endangered and threatened areas and species such as the Greenspace and WWF. This essay will focus on the Intergovernmental and non-governmental organization where they will compared and contrasted to understand their role and activities in the restoration and preservation of biodiversity and ecosystems. United Nations Environment Programme is one of the agencies in the United Nations that organizes its environmental activities helping developing countries in implementing sound and practical environmental policies and practices (Gunter, 2004). World Wide Fund for Nature, on the other hand, is a non-governmental organization that works globally on issues relating to the research, conservation and restoration of the environment. Additionally, the Greenpeace is another nongovernmental organization, which ensures that the earth has the ability to nature lifecycle in all its multiplicity. Moreover, it focusses on campaigning on international issues such as deforestation, climate change, commercial whaling, anti-nuclear issues and genetic engineering. Therefore, although the organizations are managed by different organizations they all works towards the same goal and that is conserving the environment. Additionally, the both non-governmental and intergovernmental organizations helping in creating awareness over global issues that affect the environment and the species that live in it. However, although conveying several similarities there are various differences that include the methods on which the goals of each organizations are reached (Swiderska & International Institute for Environment and Development, 2008). For example, Greenpeace uses research, lobbying, and

Empirical paper assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Empirical paper assignment - Essay Example The accuracy of estimation is subject to various factors some of which are beyond control of economists. However in most cases there are counterweights that help balance an error in estimation. This means that in a normal estimation there are over and underestimations that cancel out partially or completely. The fact that stands out in the economists’ estimation is that these overestimations occur year after year and indications point at misinformed estimates. Overestimation of interest rates on government bonds has some serious results. Higher borrowing costs imply that the government sets aside more funds to cover this cost. The end effect is that the government will reduce budgets for other functions and allocate more funds for paying up its public debt. According to the article, economists have a duty come up with ways to increase economic growth. The reasons for this overestimation could be an increase in the amount of funds available for borrowing and to avert any stagnation of bond rates. According to Jared, increased funds available for loaning have the effect of pushing down the costs of borrowing. This can only mean that the estimation techniques used by the economist could be overlooking the increase. Secondly, cost of borrowing is reduced by economic forecasts that indicate growths and inflation. In instances where inflation or reduced economic growth is predicted, costs of borrowing fall. In order to prevent this fall, economists overestimate bond rates so that this acts as a stimulant that will prevent significant drop in borrowing rates. Another aspect of effects of bond rates overestimation is that they give a wrong impression of economic performance. The cost of borrowing influences calculations on Gross Domestic Product since in effect it influences the rate of economic growth. Later in this assignment we shall have a graphical representation of the public debt expressed as a

Legalization of Marijuana for medical use (persuasive research paper ) Essay - 1

Legalization of Marijuana for medical use (persuasive research paper ) - Essay Example As Sages has it: â€Å"If you think legalizing medical marijuana would be a Reefer Madness-style catastrophe for society, dont tell Oregon grandmother Stormy Ray. For Ray, who was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 1985, Oregons legalization meant something entirely different: Instead of being forced to use a harsh, legal medication-one that left her in a constant haze-she can now gain pain relief much more easily. Medical marijuana, she says, ‘has literally saved my life.’† (Sager 1999, np) That is why, even though the legalization of marijuana for medical use has such obvious disadvantages as the emergence of side effects from its use, many researchers claim that marijuana should be fully legalized as doctors can use it as painkillers and antiemetic, it has excellent quality/price ratio, and its full legalization will bring additional money to the budget. Marijuana can help people suffering from depression or migraine. However, marijuana has its side effects: e.g. the patients who are taking this substance are not recommended to perform tasks demanding particularly focused attention because they are likely to have coordination problems and slow reaction. Whereas many people get into the state of euphoria after taking marijuana, others might feel panic or experience hallucinations. Notwithstanding these possible side effects, the use of marijuana for medical purposes can be justified because marijuana can effectively be used as a painkiller and antiemetic, and its value for money is excellent and much better than of many other drugs. On the other side there are people who object to the legalization of marijuana, even for the medical purposes, and they claim that the legalization might result in an increase in the number of drug addicts. It is not a secret that some of those people who are addicted to cocaine, heroine or other â€Å"heavy† substances began as merely marijuana smokers. It is important to consider how the legalization of

Issues of Faculty Training for Online Courses Research Paper - 1

Issues of Faculty Training for Online Courses - Research Paper Example Second, the approach provides a window of opportunity for innovation (Noor, 2008). Third, the method can be perfectly suited for studying novel and rare phenomenon (Seidman, 2013).  Finally this method is good for challenge (Bogdan & Biklen, 2007). The disadvantages include the following; first, the approach is difficult to derive a definite cause effect inference (Lichtman, 2006). Second, the method is hard to generalize from a single a case and finally it is possible to get biases in data collection and interpretation (Merriam & Merriam, 2009).   The study shall employ semi structured interviews during th process of data collection as they are characterized by topical guidance that contain main questions that are used in a similar manner in every interview. Further, the sequence of the questions is intended to be also following a similar pattern. The choice of semi structured interview had been arrived at due to the fact that there were certain elements within the topic in relation to the sample to be chosen that this researcher might have grasped. Nonetheless, since this is a novel inquiry, the study shall be allowed to take its own course and the questions shall not be imposed upon the participants as a way of imposing the meaning as consequence. Interviews are also comparatively cheaper if done on a relatively small

Present problems will not be solved without successful organizations, Essay

Present problems will not be solved without successful organizations, and organizations cannot be successful without effective leadership. - Bennis & Nanus, 199 - Essay Example Thus leadership behavior can come from an individual, a collective group of leaders, or even from the disincarnate — if not mystical — characteristics of a celebrity figurehead. Followers often endow the leader with status or prestige. Aside from the prestige-role sometimes granted to inspirational leaders, a more mundane usage of the word "leadership" can designate current front-runners that exercise influence over competitors, for example, a corporation or a product can hold a position of "market leadership" without any implication of permanence or of merited respect. Note that the ability to influence others does form an integral part of the "leadership" of some but not all front-runners. A front-runner in a sprint may "lead" the race, but does not have a position of "leadership" if he does not have the potential to influence others in some way. Thus one can make an important distinction between "being in the lead" and the process of leadership. Leadership implies a relationship of power — the power to guide others. In 1994 House and Podsakoff attempted to summarize the behaviors and approaches of "outstanding leaders" that they obtained from some more modern theories and research findings2. Power obviously is a pervasive reality in the life process of all modern-day organizations. Leaders regularly acquire and use power to accomplish specific work goals and to strengthen their own positions vis-Ã  -vis the reading of general or organizational goals. It is possible to see every interaction and every social relationship in an organization as involving an exercise of power3. Hence the term power, influence and Leadership are full of ambiguity for a layperson, or within political contexts. Control under organizational change can be transformed into opportunity that exercise influence over the organization of work, and thus create

Lipids Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Lipids - Essay Example Many of these important molecules are vital to our very existence, and without them we would not be able to survive. At the same time however, to many lipids has recently been proven to give rise to bad health conditions, so it is important to keep a proper balance of these molecules, as to few or to many of these vital molecules can be extremely harmful, even deadly. Our bodies need these fats in their system, and we also need them in our diet. Without these important fats, our body would not be able to function; our cells would not have the right layers needed for most of their processes, and we would eventually die. Lipids are extremely important molecules, that are vital to our existence, and we need to make sure to keep a proper amount of them in our body. Lipids are just one of the many molecules that help our body tick. Often unseen or unknown by the majority of the community, most people take these highly important molecules for granted, not even knowing what they are as they keep their body working properly. The lipid molecule is vital to human life, and without it we would not be able to function. Understanding this complex molecule is also important, so one can know exactly how this versatile molecule helps keep our body working, and how they help our body partake in many of its important life functions and reactions. By a scientific definition, lipids are â€Å"an amphiphilic class of hydrocarbon-containing organic compounds†( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lipids). They have several important qualities that give rise to their importance in the human body and cellular construction. One of these qualities is the importance of the structure of lipids. Lipids have a long hydrocarbon tail, which is hydrophobic and does not like water. On the other end of the lipids however, is a hydrophilic head, which does like water.

Columbian exchange Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Columbian exchange - Essay Example Nevertheless, in October 1492 when Christopher Columbus together with his team docked in the Bahamas, the two long-separated worlds: Afro-Eurasia and the Americas were rejoined. Together with the various voyages that ensued, Christopher Columbus’ voyage led to a great disruption of much of the biological separation that the continental drift caused. Following Christopher Columbus’ arrival in the Americas, these two worlds’ plant, animal, as well as bacterial life started mixing. This process is known as the Columbian Exchange. It reunited formerly biologically distinct landmasses and had lasting and dramatic impacts on the world (McNeill 1). This paper describes the Columbian exchange in its four aspects namely biological, demographic, cultural and economic aspects as well as its impacts on Europe, Asia, the New World and Africa. For a long time, the prevailing pattern of biological growth on the globe has been one of geographical variation dictated by the clear fact of the separateness of continents. Rather than identical, organisms have had the tendency of becoming more dissimilar, even in the Amazon, Congo basins among others where climates have been similar. This is owing to the fact that they had little or no contact with one another. People have gone to and lived, or at least spent time the world over. They always carry with them their weeds as well as disease organisms unintentionally, and their crops and domesticated animals knowingly. Because of this, humans have overturned, in the very most recent tick of time, the ancient trend of geographical bio-diversification. The Columbian Exchange was appreciably an extensive swap of fauna, flora, transmissible diseases, customs and ideas between the Western and Eastern hemispheres. It was, in the entire human history, one of the most important events with reference to traditions, the natural environment and farming. Christopher Columbus, who was the first to take a voyage to the Americas in

Devotion of St Augustine to the Sacrament of Penance Essay

Devotion of St Augustine to the Sacrament of Penance - Essay Example At a very impressionable age Augustine was quite impressed and influenced by Cicero’s dialogue â€Å"Hortensius† and therefore left to Carthage for further studies in rhetoric. He was very unfortunate as he gave up his Christian faith and practiced the Manichaean faith which really broke his mother’s heart when she heard about it. Augustine lived a hedonistic lifestyle in his youth and hence developed a close relationship with a young woman who remained his concubine for fifteen years and got a son by her named Adeodatus. By the age of thirty, Augustine had carved an enviable niche for himself in the Latin world. â€Å"Confessions† written by Saint Augustine, gives us a vivid account of the pagan life he had led as well as his spiritual transformation as a devout Christian. The word â€Å"Confessions†, take on two meanings – one is to confess ones sins before God and the other is to acknowledge the truth about God. Therefore â€Å"Confessions†, can be taken as praise and glory to God Our Father. (Warner, Rex 1963) Augustine is considered as one of the most steadfast and important figures in Christianity and is considered as a great saint and a patron of the St. Augustine religious order. In Book One, Augustine tells us of how he hated going to school and used to get beaten by his elders. He also claimed dishonest victories and pilfered things from his parents and traded them with other children. He was also gluttonous and had other disgusting habits. Finally, when realization comes to him he cries out to the lord in despair saying, â€Å"Oh, God! Woe to the sins of men! When a man cries thus, thou showest him mercy, for thou dids’t create the man and not the sin in him†. In his ‘Confessions’, St. Augustine tells us of how he lived a dangerous and precarious life and it was only because of Ambrose that he was brought back to the Christian faith. Referring to the topic of

I Have a Dream Essay Example for Free

I Have a Dream Essay Martin Luther King Jr. was born in Atlanta, Georgia on January 15th 1929. He was a pastor, activist and the prominent leader in the African American civil rights movement and is often presented as a heroic leader in the history of modern American liberalism. He is most famous for his speech called â€Å"I have a dream†. It is about not being segregated or discriminated against and to have equal rights between white and black people. It is now recognized as one of the greatest speeches in history. Martin Luther King used a number of rhetorical devices in his speech. The main rhetorical device used throughout the speech is repetition and parallelism. In each paragraph he repeats different sentences to emphasize what he is saying. He repeats phrases such as ‘one hundred years later’, ‘we can never be satisfied’, ‘I have a dream’ and ‘now is the time’ to make the listener remember the parts he wants to emphasize. It is effective because the people are anticipating it so then they can join in. Also later on in life people will look back at the speeches and remember it for certain phrases because of the repetition. Martin Luther King also uses inclusive pronouns in his speech, for example we, our and addressing the audience as brothers and sisters. ‘The sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.† He makes the audience feel as though it is there duty as well to overcome the discrimination and try and make all the southern states of America united and equal. He also makes the audience feel like it is their dream too and not just his. Martin Luther used different parts of the English language to enhance the meaning of his speech and bring out the details. The different rhetorical devices, allusions to historic documents, and metaphors seemed to have brought about the emotions that King was trying to arouse in his listeners. This helped him influence his listeners towards wanting equality for all and changing what was happening in the present so they didnt repeat things in the past.

Personality Traits And Leadership Abilities

Personality Traits And Leadership Abilities Admittedly, the relationship between Personality traits and leadership effectiveness has generated a lot of interest from researchers in different fields. Many a times, a consensus has been reached suggesting that an individuals successful leadership is determined by his/her personality traits (Matthews, Deary, Whiteman, 2003). In such situations, personality traits are used to measure the leadership performance of such individuals. The assessment criteria typical in such a situation are usually based on the Five-Factor framework, which is often employed as a framework account for analyzing individual traits of individuals. Other ways that have been used to identify whether an individual includes using trait approach to determine charismatic leadership (Goleman, 2004). Over and above, the general question that needs to be explained is whether personality tests can be applied to determine the leadership abilities of individuals (Hackman, Wageman, 2007). Although research studies have showed that aptitude with respect to leadership can ascertained through the evaluation of personality traits, the tools that can be employed to determine their personality traits are faced with common errors and therefore subjecting the findings to warrant a discussion. Nonetheless, the extent to which personality traits can be used to predict an individuals leadership abilities is a matter that is still open to debate. Worse still, there are no proven universal characteristics or character traits used to measure leadership success of individuals. As certain clear characteristics can be seen in excellent leaders, other traits are acquired naturally. In addition to the Five-Factor Model and Charismatic leadership traits, other methods that can be used to predict leadership characters include the application of narrow verses broader perspectives of success in leadership with respect to how personality traits are applied in leadership activities. The Relationship between Leadership and Personality Traits Arguably, leadership ability comprises of various skills that can be acquired throughout an individuals career. It entails the process that makes an individual to be in a position of influencing the attitudes and behaviors of others. As opposed to leaders whose role is to exert influence upon the behaviors of fellow individuals, an effective leader not only exerts influence but also accomplishes organizational goals assigned to his/her leadership role (Robbins, and Judge, 2009). Generally, leaders are concerned with creating a visionary approach to their followers and in turn improving communication and coordination channels that are essential for the completion of the organizational goals while at the same time motivating their subordinates. There are several theories that have been put forward to aid in the measurement of leadership effectiveness. This includes but not limited to cognitive approach, situational approach, the behavioral approach, and lastly the trait approach. For purposes of the topic under discussion, the trait approach can be evaluated with respect to its concept of emphasizing an individuals abilities, personality, and other dispositions that can be used to characterize his/her personality (Matthews, Deary, Whiteman, 2003). The trait further proposes that majority of individuals with leadership capabilities are born with characteristics that are innate thereby giving them the ability to exert influence over other individuals. The Big Five or Five-Factor Model In addition to the issue of intelligence being the most effective trait in measuring managerial effectiveness, five dimensions that are based on personality traits can be used to identify and/or evaluate leadership traits of an individual. It is commonly referred to as the Big Five Model or the Five-Factor model, which is comprised of conscientiousness, extraversion, openness, agreeableness, and emotional stability. Each of these factors is made of individual clusters that enable it to acquire specific traits that are closely related. However, all of these dimensions of personality comprising the model are used to describe the personality of human beings. Several advantages can be associated with using the Five-Factor Model as a choice of explaining leadership abilities based on personality traits (Judge, and Bono, 2000). Firstly, it enables researchers to achieve orderliness in the research field that has been in need of such a model for a long period. Secondly, findings from numerous studies can be compared side by side to using elements of meta-analysis. Lastly, the big five elements are often considered to be a common language when it comes to describing the personality of individuals given that the probability of researcher agreeing over personality aspects is very high. Limitations of the Big Five-Factor Model Although the Five-Factor model seems to be a convincing approach of evaluating leadership abilities based on personality characteristics, a number of conceptual and utility drawbacks limits its application. This includes but is not limited to unavailability of agreement between the different aspects that make up the model. For instance, naming of the elements that make up the five personality factors differ significantly in terms of defining each factor (Judge, and Bono, (2000). Additionally, these aspects do present a broad and cumbersome situation when it comes to describing personality when applied in the field of research. This is applicable when data is collected from the field and researchers have to determine the level of detail that needs to be applied in such a situation. Narrow and broad aspects have to be defined in order for the researchers to come up with a more detailed explanation of how personality traits affect leadership abilities. Lastly, this model has been criticized for its failure to explain all aspects that relate to human personality because it does not consider factors such as manipulativeness, honesty, sense of humor, and religiosity among others (Harris, 2006). Narrow vs. Broad Personality Aspects as Applied in Predicting Leadership Abilities In light of the evidence presented in the above analysis, it can be concluded that the application of the Five-Factor analysis to predict leadership capabilities of individuals failed to provide sufficient results. Therefore, narrow and broad personality factors can be applied in different situations to predict leadership abilities of various individuals (Harris, 2006). Narrow personality traits include primary factors whereas broad factors include global factors both, which are measured based on predictive power and utility aspects. Admittedly, personality has been used for a long time as form of measuring the performance and behavior of individuals in the workplace scenario. As such, narrow and broad aspects of personality do have an impact on the ability of leaders to do whatever they feel is right (Matthews, Deary, Whiteman, 2003). For this reason, a number of personality aspects, which determines the level of forcefulness that a leader will employ, realize his/her goals. In turn, an indication will be established to show how well a leader is prepared in attending to leadership priorities. The primary factors established include dominance and social boldness, both of which are very important in determining leadership skills. On the other hand, broad factors include those that affect independent leadership abilities such as openness to change and vigilance. However, they are not so important personality traits that influence leadership abilities of such individuals as compared to narrow aspects. As it can be seen from the above discussion, understanding the factors that influence leaders to do actions that must be done in order to achieve their goals in addition to their independence. It is useful in getting an overall picture of the nature of abilities in leadership and the corresponding relationship to personality. Primary factors enable an individual to determine the qualities that will enable him or her to specify his abilities that will enable him to succeed as a leader. Additionally, the predictive power of leaders are often distinguished in terms of broad and narrow personality perspectives. In turn, competencies in different leadership scenarios can be ascertained by comparing the factors that determine their personality traits. Conclusion Admittedly, for a long time, personality traits have been employed to predict the extent to which an individuals leadership abilities can be ascertained. In fact, the issue has been subjected to numerous debates but over and above all, a consensus that has been agreed upon is that personality traits do predict leadership abilities (Block, 2010). From a managerial point of view, management officials not have a say in the general performance of an organization but also do play an important role in influencing the performance of their seniors or subordinates (Robbins, and Judge, 2009). Conversely, theories have been put forward to explain ways in which personality traits influence leadership performance. A good example is the application of the Big Five model or Five-Factor model as a method of assessing the impacts of personality traits on leadership performance. This framework has been used to account for reasons as to why individual trait differences exist. Generally, the dimensions used to construct this model differ in terms of the dimensions used to describe it but also the nature in which they are constructed. However, the model failed to consider all personality aspects that make up the general humanity perspectives. This led to the explanation of personality traits from a narrow and broad perspective. Additionally, these factors were found to influence leadership abilities of individual using primary and global factors. Generally, what matters the most is the value of a personality trait in influencing the personality trait of an individual (Hackman, Wage man, 2007). In light of evidence presented in this paper, the extent to which personality traits can be used to influence leadership abilities is dependent on the value of the trait in influencing the decision of the individual (Block, 2010). This can be assessed using narrow measures in order to ascertain the effect that the trait brings with respect to the choices made.

Terrorism and the Media

Terrorism and the Media Mass Media has always historically been recognised as newspapers, radio, and television, also dramatic arts, through film and theatre, and books. Since the advent of the Internet, global media has been revolutionised with new ways to broadcast information and the speed at with which that information is conveyed. Terrorism requires media publicity in order that the political message they wish to convey reaches the target audience thus influencing and swaying public opinion. The Media seek to provide information to their audience to meet their need for information and news stories. The more dramatic and spectacular the news coverage then the greater an audience the Media will attract. A greater audience brings intrinsic benefits to the Media. I will discuss the symbiotic relationship between Media and Terrorism and whether it exits and to what degree it is symbiotic. I will also examine how the internet has affected the symbiosis between Terrorism and Media. Introduction I am a passionate believer in freedom of speech. I would not support anything which would impinge on aggressive robust freedom of the British press. Nick Clegg, British Deputy Prime Minster (as cited in Chorley, 2012). Nick Clegg made this comment in the wake of the Leveson enquiry into the Culture, Practices and Ethics of the Press. Freedom of the Press has always been part of the foundation of a democratic society; however it is this democratic society that enables the terrorist to deliver their message through the media. democratic society make the tasks of terrorist propaganda, recruitment, organisation, and the mounting of operations a relatively easy matter (Wilkinson, 2011, p. 22). As Wilkinson rightly argues a democratic society is an enabler for terrorism to exist, especially in regard to delivering their propaganda and political message. In late March 2001, three simultaneous car explosions killed twenty-three and injured more than one hundred civilians in southern Russia. If this had happened in the old Soviet Union, the state-controlled mass media probably would not have reported the incident. (Nacos, 2007, p. 36). In the old USSR state-controlled mass media would simply deny the terrorists the propaganda of their attack. Former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher had it right when she proclaimed the publicity is the oxygen of terrorism (Ibid., p. 36). Nacos correctly reminds us of what Mrs Thatcher said, and it is this oxygen that the terrorists seek to obtain when they plan an attack. without the medias coverage the acts impact is arguably wasted, remaining narrowly confined to the immediate victim(s) of the attack, rather than reaching the wider target audience at whom the terrorists violence is actually aimed. (Hoffman, 2006, p. 174). Hoffman reinforces that terrorists require publicity form the media. It is clear from the above that terrorism and the media are in some form of relationship. This essay discusses the interactions of the relationship between terrorists and media, if it is symbiotic, and how does advent of the internet affect the relationship. Definitions Defining terrorism has been difficult since it has first been studied. Laqueur states More than a hundred definitions have been offered (including a few of my own) for the phenomenon. (Laqueur, 1995, p. 5). There are characteristics that can be found in the majority of the definitions and these have been highlighted by Wilkinson: It is premeditated and designed to create a climate of extreme fear. It is directed at a wider target than the immediate victims. It inherently involves attacks on random or symbiotic targets, including civilians. It is considered by the society, in which it occurs as extra normal, that is, in the literal sense it violates the norms regulating disputes, protest and dissent. It is used primarily, though not exclusively, to influence the political behaviour of governments, communities or specific social groups.(Wilkinson, 2011, p. 1) These characteristics will define terrorism for the discussions within this essay and specifically the act being premeditated, designed to create a climate of extreme fear, and being directed at a wider target than the immediate victims. Wilkinson also comments on the meaning of symbiotic In sociology the term symbiosis is taken to mean relations of mutual dependence between different groups within a community when the groups are unlike each other and their relations are complementary (Ibid., p. 145). The relationship between terrorism and media will be examined and discussed to assess whether it is mutually dependent and complementary, and if so, does this remain true in the era of internet media. The mass media are taken to encompass newspapers, radio and television and other important forms of communications, including books, films, music, theatre and the visual arts. (Ibid., p. 144). Wilkinson defines the meaning of mass media, for the purpose of this essay and discussion For the purposes of this essay I will separate mass media from new media technology including the internet. Terrorist interaction with media The Assassin Sect of Shia Islam which attempted to sow terror in the Muslim world and Middle Ages, relied upon word of mouth in mosques and market places to relay news of their attacks (Ibid., p. 144). Wilkinson informs us that terrorists need to spread the news of their attacks is not a modern phenomenon, but as terrorism has increased, their need for publicity has also. Without being noticed, in fact, terrorism would not exist. The sheer act of killing does not create a terrorist act: murders and wilful assaults occur with such frequency in most societies that they are scarcely reported in the news media. What makes an act terrorism is that it terrifies. The acts to which we assign that label are deliberate events, bombings and attacks performed at such places and times that they are calculated to be observed. Terrorism without its horrified witnesses would be as pointless as a play without an audience. (Juergensmeyer, 2003, p. 141). Juergensmeyer states that the terrorists need to horrify witnesses, if the act is not sufficiently terrifying then it will not achieve the publicity any further than the initial audience. Schmid and de Graaf concur, the immediate victim is merely instrumental, the skin of a drum beaten to achieve a calculated impact on a wider audience. As such, an act of terrorism is in reality an act of communication. For the terrorist the message matters, not the victim (Schmid and de Graaf, 1982, p. 14). When transmitting this message what are the terrorists trying to achieve? Nacos argues that there are four media objectives that terrorists seek to achieve when they commit/threaten an act of violence. First, terrorists want the attention and awareness of various audiences inside and outside their target societies and thereby condition their targets for intimidation. Second, terrorists want the recognition of their motives. They want the media and the public to explore the question: Why do they attack us? Third, terrorists want the respect and sympathy of those in whose interest they claim to act. Fourth, terrorists want a quasi-legitimate status and the same or similar media treatment that legitimate political actors receive. (Nacos, 2007, p. 20) Nacos has neatly packaged the objectives, not all these objectives will be achieved in every attack by terrorists, but generally they will be trying to achieve the majority of them. On the 12 April 2010, the Real IRA attacked Palace Barracks in Northern Ireland, the Headquarters for the British Security Service in Northern Ireland. The date of the attack was not chosen at random, it was the day that justice and security powers were devolved from Westminster to the Northern Ireland Assembly. Mark Simpson BBC Northern Ireland Correspondent stated On a day when a new political era is starting at Stormont, dissident republicans wanted to highlight one of the weaknesses of the peace process the threat of further violence. (Simpson, 2010). The Real IRA succeeded in achieving media coverage of the incident and took the headlines rather, than the devolution of justice powers. When we examine Nacos objectives we can see that the Real IRA achieved certainly the first three objectives, and the fourth being open to debate if whether it improved their claims to be legitimate political actors. On 14 June 1985 TWA Flight 847 was hijacked by Lebanese Terrorist enroute from Athens to Rome. The flight contained a considerable number of United States citizens. This incident provides a good example of how terrorists optimise their media exposure and how perhaps unwittingly the media played into their hands. Schmid (as cited in Wilkinson, 2011. p. 155) Schmid observes that National Broadcasting Company (NBC) devoted no less than two thirds of their total news time to the crisis over the fate of the American hostages taken to Beirut throughout the 17 days of the hijacking. The US media brought its considerable might to bare upon the coverage of the drama. The focus of the coverage was on the hostages and their families, which proved detrimental to the Reagan administration A gross imbalance therefore emerged: soft, human-interest feature stories predominated (mostly interviews with the hostages and their families), accounting for slightly more than a third of all reports, with few er than half as many stories addressing real issues (Hoffman, 2006, p. 175). The media coverage achieved what the terrorists desired, in that the concentrated effort was the safe recovery of the hostages at any cost. The domestic demand for the release of the TWA Flight 847 hostages placed such pressure on the US government that it led them to press their Israeli allies to release over 700 prisoners demanded by the hostage-takers, thus conceding an enormous political and psychological victory to the terrorists (Wilkinson 2011, p. 106). The effect that transpired was that terrorism was seen to produce results. As Hoffman states the most pernicious effect of the crisis was its validation of terrorism as a tactic. (Hoffman, 2006, p. 175). The terrorist manipulation of the media was no coincidence. According to John Bullock, a British journalist who covered the story, throughout the crisis the terrorists knew exactly what they were doing. (Ibid, p. 176). It can be seen from the above how additional media pressure influenced US foreign policy and ultimately achiev ed the terrorists goals. Do all terrorists seek publicity? Sendero Luminoso (Shining Path, Peruvian Terrorist Organisation) long remained quite uncommunicative and seemingly uninterested both in the wider media and in creating an underground press through which to broadcast its ideology on a media level (Wieviorka, 2004, p. 43). Wieviorka argues that The Shining Path terrorist group had no expectation of any mediation whatsoever on part of the press (Ibid. p. 43). Wilkinson disagrees with Wieviorka assessment arguing This category is totally unreal because even for the purpose of creating terror in an intended set of victims, the perpetrator relies on some channel or medium of communication to relay the threat. If there is no aim to instil terror, then the violence is not of a terroristic nature. (Wilkinson, 2011, p. 145). Nacos further highlights that it doesnt matter if the terrorists do not directly seek media coverage But whether terrorists claim responsibility for their deeds does not matter at all with respect to media coverage. (Nacos 2007, p. 18). The media, if they become aware of the incident, will provide coverage to the public. Nacos further states that most terrorist groups dont just want their terrorist act publicised They typically want their political causes publicized and their motives discussed. For this to happen the perpetrators do not necessarily have to do the explaining themselves- the media do it for them. (Ibid., p. 21). It can be seen from the above analysis how terrorists use the media to their advantage and to convey their political message. In the vast majority of terrorist incidents the terrorists rely upon media coverage of their attack to ensure that they reach a wider audience. English aptly summarises the role of the media in the eyes of the terrorists media provide a crucial amplifier for the terrorists cause, case and deeds (English, 2009, p. 44). Media interaction with terrorists. I will now discuss why and how the media interact with terrorism. Why the media interacts with terrorism is relatively simple. a cynical aphorism in the newspaper business holds that if it bleeds, it leads.' (Mueller, 2006, p. 40), this holds true as the media require headline news to attract viewers. Media in an open society are in a fiercely competitive market for their audiences, are constantly under pressure to be first with the news and to provide more information (Wilkinson, 2011, p. 147). It is the drive to attract more viewers that places media under pressure to report terrorist incidents. A high drama incident is the ideal news story to attract a greater audience, in the first three weeks of the Tehran Hostage crisis in 1979 all the major television networks achieved an 18 per cent increase in audience rating. (Ibid., p. 150). According to Hamin Mowlana (As cited in Wilkinson 2011, p. 150) the networks were able to secure, in 1979, an annual increase of  £30 million for each percentage point of audience rating increase. From this argument we can see where the advantage for media is in covering such incidents, there is however no suggestion that the media are constantly hoping for a terrorist incident, as outlined by Nacos While I do not suggest that the news media favour this sort of political violence, it is nevertheless true that terrorist strikes provide what the contemporary media crave most drama, shock, and tragedy suited to be packaged as human interest news. (Nacos, 2006, p. 81-82). Laqueur further states It has been said that journalists are terrorists bes t friends, because they are willing to give terrorist operations maximum exposure. This is not to say that journalists as a group are sympathetic to terrorists, although it may appear so. It simply means that violence is news, whereas peace and harmony are not. The terrorists need the media, and the media find in terrorism all the ingredients of an exciting story. (Laqueur, 1995, p. 44). It has been shown why media pay so much attention to terrorist incidents, but is the coverage disproportional to the actual threat that the terrorists pose in comparison to other threats that the public face daily, and thus giving an uneven balance of threat to the public, which in turn may be assisting the terrorists? Jenkins argues it makes no difference that ordinary homicides vastly exceed murders caused by terrorists. The news media do not allocate space or air time proportionally according to the leading causes of death in the world. (Jenkins, 1981, p. 2). Jenkins further states Content analysis of coverage of terrorist incidents in The New York Times and the Times of London shows that the news media provide little context in which the public can judge the events Ibid., p. 2). Iyengar gives additional evidence Between 1981 and 1986, more stories were broadcast on terrorism than on poverty, unemployment racial inequality, and crime combined (Iyengar, 1991, p. 27). The media have the unhealthy habit of being anecdotal rather than factual, skewing reality and the threat. It is my opinion that this only aids the terrorist by inflating the threat that is posed. From the analysis it is evident that terrorism can be overrepresented and overemphasised by the media; this in turn only aids the terroris t in the broadcast of their political message. To additionally aggravate the situation is pressure upon media to get the Scoop before competing media channels. As Nacos states In this competition, terrorists seem to start out with a significant advantage because their violent deeds are a powerful message that commands the mass medias attention and thus that of their target audience(s). (Nacos, 2007, p. 198). Shpiro states Speed plays a critical role in global news coverage. While the newsreels of World War II could be edited and censored for several days or even weeks before being publicly screened, the audience of present-day con ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å¡icts demands media reaction time measured by hours and even minutes. Media outlets that, for technical, political or  ¬Ã‚ nancial reasons, cannot supply the most up-to-date news coverage lose out in a  ¬Ã‚ eld saturated by intense competition. (Shpiro, 2002, p. 77). Shprio points out that unless the media outlet gets the story out quickly they will lose to the competition, but does this then affect the coverage? Nacos argues Given the all-out competition between news organizations, the pressure to present breaking news, the determination to report some new angle although a terrorist situation has not changed, and the tendency to sensationalize even genuinely dramatic situations, the hastily reported and often unverified news is likely to contain inaccuracies, mistakes, and problematic features. (Nacos, 2007, p. 207). We can see from Nacos that there is the possibility of inaccuracies and mistakes to become apparent in the rush to release news, this can potentially influence the true perspective on the incident and ultimately may play into the terrorists hands. I have now discussed how terrorist interact with the media and in turn how the media interact with terrorist, I will now discuss whether this relationship is symbiotic. Is the relationship between media and terrorism symbiotic? If we take Wilkinsons earlier view of what a symbiotic relationship is then in order for it to exist the relationship must have mutual dependence between terrorism and media and the relationship is complementary. Hoffman notes that Clearly, terrorism and the media are bound together in an inherently symbiotic relationship, each feeding off and exploiting the other for its own purposes. (Hoffman, 2006, p.193). Wilkinson also comments that once terrorist violence is under way, the relationship between the terrorists and the mass media tends inevitably to become symbiotic (Wilkinson, 2011, p. 145). There is dependence in both cases, the terrorist dependence on the media to publicise the incident, and the medias desire for spectacular news stories to broadcast and attract viewers. Wieviorka offered a counter argument refuting that terrorism and the media are in a symbiotic relationship, stating that terrorists relate to the media in any of four different ways, from pure indifference to media, through relative indifference, then to a media-oriented strategy, and finally to coercion of the media (Wieviorka 1988, p. 43, as cited by Wilkinson, 2011, p. 145). Paul Wilkinson questioned Wieviorkas four categories of the relationship, saying that channels of communication always are used by any terrorist. The first of Wieviorkas categories is pure indifference to any desire to terrorize a population beyond the immediate victim of violence. Wilkinson states that This category is totally unreal because even for the purpose of creating terror in an intended set of victims, the perpetrator relies on some channel or medium of communication to relay the threat. If there is no aim to instil terror, then the violence is not of a terroristic nature (Wilkinson, 2011, p. 145). In Wieviorkas second category relative indifference Wilkinson dismisses Wieviorkas argument that terrorists are disinterested with regard to communicating through powerful media when they have other channels already existing to communicate and explain their position. Wilkinson argues that The kind of channels he lists that already exist are a legal and relatively free press, radio transmitters and centres for free expression such as universities, churches and mosques. But what are these channels that already exist if not alternative media? (Ibid., 2011, p. 146). The third category media-orientated strategy is the only category the Wieviorka believes that terrorists are actively engaged in a relationship with the media. Wilkinson counter argues that this type of media-orientated strategy in reality it is intrinsic to the very activity of terrorisation that some form of media, however crude, is utilised as an instrument to disseminate the messages of threat and intimidation (Ibid., 2011. p. 146). The final category offered by Wieviorka, total break is described by Wilkinson Wieviorka is referring here to cases where the terrorists come to view the media organisation, editors, journalists and broadcasters as enemies to be punished and destroyed. Those working in the media have often been the targets of terrorist violence (Ibid., 2011, p .146). Wilkinson dismissed the total break category for the same reason as media-orientated strategy. It is clear that there is a relationship between terrorism and media, but is it always complementary? Wilkinson lists a number of incidents where the media irresponsibility aided the terrorists or came very close to aiding them with adverse coverage; Firstly the Iranian Embassy siege in 1980, where a news team defied police instructions and filmed the SAS Assault, if this had been broadcast live in would have severely endangered the hostages and rescue team, Secondly the hijacking of a Kuwait airliner in 1988, whilst on the ground at Larnaca Airport, media coverage was so intense a rescue mission was impossible to launch, and finally the media coverage of an IRA trial in 1997 collapsed after media published material that prejudiced a fair trial. (Ibid., 2011, p. 151). The above examples are not to illustrate that the media consciously aid terrorists, Wilkinson further states There is no evidence to suggest that the Western-dominated mass media organisations share the political aims of the terrorist organisations, but sophisticated media-wise terrorists can certainly exploit and manipulate the power of the mass media for their own malevolent purpose. (Ibid., 2011, p. 151). Media attention also brings with it unpredictability for the terrorist organisation, as Wilkinson rightly states, Western-dominated mass media do not share the political ideals of terrorist organisations, therefore are unlikely to give positive coverage of the terrorist incident, Hoffman further points out While most terrorists certainly crave the attention that the media eagerly provide, the publicity that they receive cuts both ways (Hoffman, 2006, p. 188). Wilkinson notes Terrorists like to present themselves as noble Robin Hoods, champions of the oppressed and downtrodden. By showing the savage cruelty of terrorists violence and the way in which they violate the rights of the innocent, the media can help to shatter this myth. (Wilkinson, 2011, p. 152). If we break the symbiotic relationship down to the fact that terrorists require coverage and the media require an audience to produce revenue, it is my opinion the symbiosis does clearly exist. If believe this relationship can aid the terrorists, as the analysis has shown, unless the media report is more balanced and less anecdotal. I will now discuss how the internet may affect the symbiotic relationship. New media and the symbiotic relationship For the purpose of this discussion I will limit new media to terrorist use of the internet and the publicising of their attacks. Lumbaca and Gray define the internet as The internet is an information tool used in namely all parts of the world. The internet has made life a lot simpler for the average person who is looking to earn a degree, engage in commerce exchanges, make purchases, write friends and look up information. Unfortunately while it wields these benefits, this capability is a double-edged sword; these benefits are also open to terrorists. Whether right-winged or left, terrorists view the internet as a powerful too; it is inexpensive, easy to set up and can be found just about anywhere. (Lumbaca, Gray, 2011, p. 47). Hoffman informs us that Few technological innovations have had the impact of the Internet and the World Wide Web. Beyond any doubt, in a comparatively short span of time, they have revolutionized communications, enabling the rapid (often in real time), pervasive, and-most important-inexpensive exchange of information worldwide. (Hoffman 2006, p. 201). Weimann contends the internet is ideal for terrorists-as-communicators: it is decentralized, it cannot be subjected to control or restriction, it is not censored, and it allows access to anyone who wants it (Weimann, 2006, p. 25). Lumbaca, and Gray, Hoffman, and Weimann point out the distinct advantages the internet and World Wide Web offer to terrorists, namely speed, non-censorship and ready access to anyone who wants it. So does the advent of the internet and World Wide Web affect the symbiotic relationship between terrorism and media? As discussed earlier in the essay, the terrorists wish to garner as much publicity regarding their attack as possible, Hoffman reinforces this The overriding objective for the terrorists is to wring every last drop of exposure, publicity, and coercive power from the incident (Hoffman, 2006, p. 180). With regard to terrorist use of the internet Weimann correctly states that it can be accessed by anyone who wants to, this in my opinion is the key to how the internet affects the symbiotic relationship. In order for the terrorists to maximise the exposure of their incident they are still somewhat reliant upon mass media to pick up information they place on the internet, this practice by mass media is becoming known as information laundering for example, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi was one of the first jihadist terrorists to optimise the use of the internet and World Wide Web Zarqawi went straight to the internet, which enabled him to produce graphic videos that would have never been shown on mainstream media Katz as cited in (Shane, 2006, p. 1). As these videos were breaking news they were picked up by the mainstream media, and reported upon, thus Zarqawi achieved his publicity. The symbiosis between terrorism and mass media is still apparent in the internet era although the balance is shifting in that the relationship is blurring from the traditional symbiosis in that terrorist can now influence and dictate what information they choose to be available and when. Conclusion Terrorists require publicity of their attack or incident in order to reach a wider audience. The wider audience is essential if the terrorist political message is to have any impact. It has been argued that not all terrorist groups seek publicity; however they have no choice if the media decide to provide coverage of it and thus the relationship is still present. Media is about revenue, it has been shown that terrorist incidents have all the human interest factors that attract a wide audience, with this comes additional revenue through advertisements. The detrimental effect of coverage is that it can skew public and governmental approaches to terrorism, disproportionately over emphasising the threat posed and undermining government policy. Media however seldom portray terrorists well, and this can readdress some of the detrimental effect. The symbiotic relationship is evident in that the relationship between media and terrorism is complementary, however with the advent of the interne t there is less of dependence by terrorist upon media to pick up incidents when the terrorist can publicise their own acts.

Vergangenheitsbewältigung in The Reader :: Reader

Vergangenheitsbewältigung in The Reader Germany's history is different from all other countries in the world. From 1933 to 1945 Adolf Hitler and the Nazis ruled the people. Everyone was forced to follow the Nazis rules and individuals were stripped of all of their freedom. The Nazis were also committing mass executions of certain classes of people. Jews, Gypsies, homosexuals, handicapped, and other groups of people were treated unfairly and stripped of all their rights. This cruel treatment attracted the attention of countries from all around the world. The events taking place in Germany and neighboring countries led to the outbreak of World War II. Many Germans are not proud of their country's history. It is hard for individuals to do, but everyone must cope with it. Coping with the past, or Vergangenheitsbewältigung, has influenced the way people in Germany have lived their lives. In The Reader there are many examples of individuals having to cope with the past. Hanna Schmitz was a member of the SS during the Holocaust. She served in concentration camps in Auschwitz and a camp near Cracow. Although Hanna never killed anyone herself, she was involved in taking people to be executed. She must go to court for her actions while being in the SS. When Hanna was a guard she would pick certain girls to read to her. "Yes she had favorites, always one of the young ones who was weak and delicate," says a survivor of the Holocaust during Hanna's trial (Schlink 116). Hanna knew the younger, weaker girls would not tell anyone what they were doing for her. Hanna was illiterate so she enjoyed being read to by the girls. Hanna's entire life is being influenced by all the actions that happened in her past. Hanna is involved in a love affair with a boy less than half her age named Michael Berg. Their relationship is kept secret from people and is rather strange, mostly because of Hanna's past. Their relationship is based around the same principles as Hanna's special prisoners in the concentration camps. After many meetings together Hanna and Michael do not know each other's names. When Michael asks Hanna about her name she suspiciously replies, "Why do you want to know?

Homelessness in Public Schools Essay -- Education

In the United States nationwide public schools are faced with dilemmas. The choices schools make has to be effective, serve the students, and have the best outcome. Well known problems such as bullying, special educational needs, budget cuts, new standards, and job cuts. Some of the problems are well known to the public while other problems are left in the background. According to the National Association for the Education of Homeless Children and Youth (NAEHCY) reported that the U.S. Department of Education collected data stating â€Å"during the 2008-2009 school year that 954,914 homeless children and youth were enrolled in public schools.† This problem affects the child socially, mentally, and most importantly academically. The National Association for the Education of Homeless Children and Youth (NAEHCY) defines Homelessness â€Å"is a lack of permanent housing resulting from extreme poverty and/or unsafe or unstable living environments† (NAEHCY, 2011, p. 2). In the year 2004, it was required that all states were to report to CSPR (Consolidated State Performance Report) of data collected of children and youth enrolled in any educational services (Bowman, Dukes, Moore, 2012, p. 6). The table presented below shows reports the school years of 2004-2010. Number of Homeless Students Reported by States in the CSPR 2004-2005 2005-2006 2006-2007 2007-2008 2008-2009 2009-2010 655,591 906,680* 679,724 794,617 956,914 939,903 The National Center on Family Homelessness (NCFH) conducted research and collected data and found during a three year research of CSPR reports. (Bowman. ET al.’s, 2012). In the school years 2006-2009 â€Å"41% increase in the number of homeless student enrolled in schools across the nation† (Bowman... ...2). Summary of the state of research: On the relationship between homelessness and academic achievement among school-aged children and youth (ED-04-CO-0056/0002). Retrieved from U.S. Department of Education website: http://www.serve.org/nche Carter. Samuel, C. (2000). No excuses; lessons from 21 high performing high poverty schools. Washington, DC: The Heritage Foundation. Murphy.Joseph, F. & Tobin.Kerri, J. (2011, November). Homelessness comes to school. How homeless children and youths can succeed, 93(3), 32-37. Retrieved from http://kappanmagazine.org National Assocation for the Education of Homeless Children and Youth. (2011). Facts about homeless education. Retrieved from http;//naehcy.org/facts.html W&B School of Education. (2012). History of the mckinney act. Retrieved from http://education.wm.edu/centers/hope/resources/mckinneyact/index.php

What’s so Amazing About Grace Book Report

Cameron Peterson Mr. Oswald Romans Period 4 11 January 2012 What’s So Amazing about Grace? Book Report What’s So Amazing about Grace? is a book written by Philip Yancey. It begins with a twisted story of a prostitute living on the streets. She is unable to feed her two-year old child and has to find another way to earn money. She could not think of any other alternatives and began selling her child out for prostitution. She could make much more money this way than she could in one night.The woman began counseling and when asked if she had ever considered going to church, her response was that attending church would only make her feel worse about herself. Yancey describes Earth as a place full of â€Å"ungrace†. This is a term that Yancey uses to describe the absence of grace. He goes on to talk about grace, calling it one of the last â€Å"unspoiled† words today and highlighting the lack of it among the church. Yancey says that the world is filled with ung race and that we live in an atmosphere full of it. We are in danger of it becoming normal to us, and being desensitized to the lack of grace in the world.Yancey uses a few examples to show us what grace should be like in the world we live in. He gives an example using the movie Babette’s Feast. He shows that grace is something given with no strings attached or charge. In the movie, grace is given to those who definitely do not deserve it. In fact, these people barely know how to receive grace in the first place. Yancey also uses Jesus’ parables as examples for grace. One example he uses is the parable of the lost sheep. He explains that the shepherd shows grace to the one sheep that was lost among the other ninety-nine sheep.He points out that grace is not mathematical, and that it is not logical. Yancey tells us that this is what grace is truly about. Illogical giving with no strings attached. Yancey also talks about how grace is for everybody. He uses Jesus as an exa mple many times. Never did Jesus tell someone that they could not be forgiven if they only came to Him. This all-extending property of grace is important to remember. Because Jesus extended grace to all, we should do the same. There are none who are not deserving or worthy of our grace. This is important for us to remember.It is true that grace does not come easy, and that it is not necessarily easy to give. Grace is not a small display of kindness; it is a sacrifice and a gift to others. Just as Jesus gave us the gift of grace by suffering and dying on the cross for us, we should be able to give gifts of grace at our own expense to others. I very much enjoyed this book and was spiritually moved by it. I agree with most of what Philip Yancey has to say about lack of grace not only in the church, but in the world also. In today’s day and age, it seems that everyone is in it for themselves.Most do not take the time of day to stop and give their grace to the needy. It helped to strengthen my view that all of deserving of grace and that we, as Christians, should be reading to give our grace to others. While I do support that idea that we need to cure the world of â€Å"ungrace†, I do not feel that we need to do this in order to earn God’s grace. This is a view that Yancey supports in the book and I do not happen to agree with it. Grace is in fact, a gift and it is not something we have to earn by giving other’s grace.By following God’s example, we should also give others this same grace God gave us, but it is not a requirement in order for us to receive His grace. Overall, I feel spiritually strengthened by this book and would encourage others to read it. While it was difficult to understand sometimes, a little wordy, I find that many would also enjoy this book. It offers a lot of insight into grace and how it can be a blessing in our lives, both by receiving it and giving it. Works Cited Yancey, Philip. What’s So Amazing about Grace?. Zondervan, 1997.

Human Resources and Management Control Essay

An International bank, Santander Ltd. Has taken over the Abbey National bank, due to this take over, the Abbey National bank has been subjected to change you are the nominated senior managers at Abbey National bank ( at strategic level) using the available public domain information kindly execute the following takes in your role as strategic HR manager / change consultant. Human Resource Management (HRM) is the function within an organization that focuses on recruitment of, management of, and providing direction for the people who work in the organization and also HRM is the organizational function that deals with issues related to people such as compensation, hiring, performance management, organization development, safety, wellness, benefits, employee motivation, communication, administration, and training. As Abbey National Bank is one of the largest banks in UK. The bank provides banking and insurance services nation-wide and is the backbone for country’s banking infrastructure despite arrival of a dozen other banks, including giants like Barclays and Nat west. The characteristic of human resource management are by no means universal. There are many models and practices within different organizations are diverse. The most significant feature of HRM is importance attached to strategic integration, which follows from top management‘s vision and leadership and which require the full commitment of people to it. There are different models of HRM Fiedler Contingency Model The contingency theory allows for predicting the characteristics of the appropriate situations for effectiveness. Three situational components determine the favourableness of situational control: Leader-Member Relations: Referring to the degree of mutual trust, respect and confidence between the leader and the subordinates. To build a strong team: There should be a great relationship among the employee, manager and the general manager because it is the foundation of the organization. Without a great relationship, the general manager or the manager cannot qualify to speak into the lives and influence the employees. It is communication that brings life into relationships. When communicating a lot with a particular person, the person will grow closer. From the case, there’s a lack of communication leads to a breakdown in relationship which leads to a loss of leadership. The manager needs to rebuild the relationship with his staffs and also communicate much more effectively than before. That is why if you want to make any organization work, communication is the key. David Guest’s (1989, 1997) model of HRM it has 6 dimensions of analysis * HRM strategy * HRM practices * HRM outcomes * Behaviour outcomes * Performance outcomes * Financial outcomes The model is prescriptive in the sense that it is based on the assumption that HRM is distinctively different from traditional personnel management (rooted in strategic management, etc.). It is idealistic, implicitly embodying the belief that fundamental elements of the HRM approach (essentially those of the Harvard map) such as commitment have a direct relationship with valued business consequences. However, Guest has acknowledged that the concept of commitment is ‘messy’ and that the relationship between commitment and high performance is (or, perhaps, was – given the age of this material) difficult to establish. It also employs a ‘flow’ approach, seeing strategy underpinning practice, leading to a variety of desired outcomes. We have discussed two model of HRM both are good but as Abbey National is a growing company so that the D.Guest’s model of HRM is best for Abbey National so if Abbey National follows this model it must be succeed to ach ieve its goal. HRM leads to improvement in organizational performance. HR practices have the quality to improve the employee attitude and behaviour, impact of technology, increase the efficiency of employees , higher levels of productivity, quality and customer services, Assess the impact of strategic human resource management activities in Abbey National and evaluate the contribution of strategic human resource management to the achievement of a Santander’s objectives at Abbey National In today’s businesses, the right approach and management of the company’s employees can greatly affect the company’s overall performance. A strategic approach in Human Resource Management is vital especially in growing companies. Through the adoption of best human resource management practices the Abbey National bank aims to make a real difference in people’s lives. Skilled people combined with other resources have the capacity to generate value. First and for most , people in work organization set over all strategies and goals , design work system , produce goods and services , monitor quality , allocate financial resources and market products and services. Human beings therefore become a â€Å"Human resource â€Å". The efficiency and performance of staff and their commitment to the objectives of the Abbey National bank are fostered by good human relationship at work. Due to this fact, it is necessary to give proper attention to human resource management and harmonious employee relations. The human resource management of Abbey National not only helps to establish, develop, maintain and communicate office policies throughout the entire company and also to represent, help, advice and consult with the most important asset of the company â€Å"the employee†. Abbey National ‘s human resource management team develop hiring plans and recruiting policies, it also works for employee relations, separations, contracts, performance, reviews, benefit and pension plans. The purpose of Abbey National’s human resource management team is basically to utilize an employee‘s ability effectively by coaching them to improve those abilities and at the same time improving their working environment so that they feel satisfied with their job. The purpose of an organization is to accomplish the goals and objectives which indicate within the organization and human resource management indicates how they plan on reaching those goals and objectives. Strategy planning is indicating where Abbey National is going over the next year or more, the focus of a strategic plan is depending on the entire organization. There is a verity of perspective, models and approaches which used in strategic planning. The strategic plan is developed on the nature of the Abbey National’s leadership, culture of organization, complexity of the organization’s environment, size of the organization, expertise of planner etc. Companies fail because a number of reasons and mismanagement can be one of them. Operations may spin out of control if personal agendas and politics are placed, and in growing companies, this should be monitored and prevented. Developing not only management but also its employees is significant. To keep up with competition, employees should be given with a number of reasons to stay with the company, and do their jobs exemplary well. Their continuous growth, the right compensation and benefits, and Work-life balance is just some of the things that motivate employees to perform better, producing better results for the customers and ultimately, the company. Abbey National‘s human resource management should increase the interest return on the investment in the organization’s human capital and decrease the financial risk. According to Armstrong 2006 human resource management policy refers to â€Å"the continuing guidelines on the approach the organization intends to adopt in managing its people† Abbey National‘s human resource management policies reflect the values and philosophies of the organization. Abbey National‘s human resource management policy is notably a reference point when employment practices are being developed and during decision-making regarding the people in the organization. Abbey National ‘s human resource management provides guidance on implementation of procedures and what actions should be taken in line with the policy to effectively carry out day to day taken. Before establishing a new work system or change process, a careful evaluation of operating policies is vital to determine their impact on employee attitudes and behaviors. It is important to note that human resource policy is the key to a successful change effort, resulting in greater acceptance and a more positive, motivated workforce. So first Abbey National evaluates the operating policies of change and after that they can apply the same and for this purpose Abbey National mu st know the following:- Analyse the business factors that underpin the new human resource planning in Abbey National and assess the human resource requirements for next two years for the process of developing a human resource plan for Abbey National Ans. Human resource planning is a process of evaluation and identification of HR requirement to achieve the organizational goals to ensure competitive advantage in the market place. Human resource planning is a key component of every corporation’s strategic business planning. Human resource planning describes the organization’s objectives and plans and helps the workers to achieve these objectives. HR Planning involves gathering of information, making objectives, and making decisions to enable the organization achieve its objectives. HR have an enormous task keeping pace with the all changes and ensuring that the right people are available to the Organization at the right time. It is changes to the composition of the workforce that force managers to pay attention to HR planning. The changes in composition of workforce not only influence the appointment of staff, impact of technology increase in productivity but also the methods of employee development and changing nature of work. It becomes very critical when Organizations merge, plants are relocated, and activities are scaled down due to financial problems. The most important reason why HR Planning should be managed and implemented is the costs involved. Because costs forms an important part of the Organizations budget, workforce planning enable the Organization to provide HR provision costs. When there is staff shortage, the organization should not just appoint discriminately, because of the costs implications of the other options, such as training and transferring of staff, have to be considered. There are many business factors in Abbey National bank that underpin human resource planning, some of them are the stage of business, business growth, business change and decline, labour cost control, labour budgeting, labour market trends and regulations and demographic trends etc. Human resource requirement HR Planning requires that we gather data on the Organizational‘s goals and objectives. Once Abbey National understands where the Organization wants to go and how it wants to get that point. The needs of the employees are derived from the corporate objectives of the Organization. They stern from shorter and medium term objectives. Therefore, the HR Plan should have a mechanism to express planned Company strategies into planned results and budgets so that these can be converted in terms of numbers and skills required. The HR profession has undergone some changes in recent years. There has been some movement away from staff welfare and administration-centered activities towards strategy and planning. HR departments are now expected to add value to the organization they support. The exact nature of the work varies according to the organization, but is likely to include: Working closely with departments, increasingly in a consultancy role, assisting line managers to understand and implement policies and procedures; Developing with line managers HR planning strategies which consider immediate and long-term staff requirements; Planning, and sometimes delivering, training, including inductions for new staff; the human resource management also know the government policies and internal and external requirement of the organization like labour requirement, skill requirement, labour market and competition. Present a critical evaluation on how the human resource plan can contribute to meeting an Abbey National objectives in your evaluation, analyses the impact of organizational structure and organizational culture? People are the greatest asserts in any Organization. The Organization is at liberty to develop its staff at full pace in the way ideally suited to their individual capacities. The main reason is that the Organization’s objectives should be aligned as near as possible, or matched, in order to give optimum scope for the developing potential of its employees. Once Abbey National in action, the HR Plans become corporate plans. Having been made and concurred with top management, the plans become a part of the company’s long-range plan. Failure to achieve the HR Plans due to cost, or lack of knowledge, may be serious constraints on the long-range plan. Child (1997) defined organizational structure as comprising â€Å"all the tangible and regularly occurring features which help to shape their members behavior†. The structure of an organization can be regarded as a frame work for getting things done. It consists of unit, functions, divisions, departments and formally constituted work, teams into which activities related to particular processes, projects, products, markets, customers, geographical areas, or professional disciplines are grouped together. The structure indicates who is accountable for directing, coordinating and carrying out these activities and defines management hierarchies, the chain of command as who is responsible to whom for what at each level in the organization. The organization has to design the organization structure. It may be hierarchical or flatter. It may, also, be, traditional, line and staff organization, Functional organization Or modern viz, Project organization, Matrix organization etc. Weber‘s bureaucratic theory emphasized the need for a hierarchical structure of power. It recognized the importance of division of labor and specialization. In functional organization a form of departmentalization in which employees engaged in functional activities such as marketing or finance are grouped into one unit. In divisional organization under the structure, activities and people are grouped into divisions according to products, market or a combination of both with each division self-managed and operating as a profit centre. However, there is overall control which comes from the corporate headquarters. In here, financial as well as R&D activities are centralized in order to profit from economies of scale and reduced cost. In project organization a team is formed temporarily which works with restricted resources within a defined time to accomplish a certain task and after the task is achieved the team is disbanded. Matrix structure involves dual hierarchy that is balance between project and functional departmentalization. In a matrix organization each employee reports to both a functional or divisional manager and to a project or group manager. Research has shown that structure plays a vital role in human resource performance, for example, the level of management, grouping of people and tasks will determine the amount of relationships and co-ordination in the organization. However, structure does not act in isolation as the link to performance. According to Galbraith and Nathanson, they noted that high performance is achieved by congruence between structure and other variables such as culture, reward system and business strategy. Therefore, organization should align all these factors in order to enhance organizational performance. Organizational culture is the pattern of values, norms, beliefs, attitudes and assumptions that may not have been articulated but shape the ways in which people behave things get done. There are a number of ways in which to classify different types of organizational culture. Handy (1981) describes four main types of organizational cultures * The power culture is one with a central power source that exercises control. There are few rules and the atmosphere is competitive. A power culture is frequently found in small entrepreneurial organization and relies on trust, empathy and personal communication for its effectiveness. Control is exercised from the centre by the selection of key individual. * Role culture is one in which work is controlled by procedures and rules and the role description, is more important than the person who fills it. Role culture rests on the strength of strong organizational pillar. For example, finance, purchasing and production. * Task culture is job oriented or project oriented. It is one in which the aim is to being together the right resources and people and utilizes the unifying power of the group. * Person culture is one in which the individual is the central point. The organization exists only to serve and assist the individuals in it. For example architects, doctors or consultant. Culture is an important factor in successful technology, implementation, innovation, mergers, job satisfaction, organizational success and team effectiveness and to the importance of determining whether organization has an organic or mechanistic culture. Culture impacts most aspects of organizational life, such as how decision are made, who makes them, how rewards are distributed, who is promoted, how people are treated, how the organization responds to its environment and so on. Culture is clearly an important ingredient of effective organizational performance. Chatman and Cha refer to the use of the following three managerial tools for managing and changing culture and if Abbey’s human resource management follow these tools they should succeed in achieving its goals and objectives. Examine how the effectiveness of human resources management could be monitored in Abbey National and make justified recommendations to improve the effectiveness of human resources management The goal of human resource management is to help an organization meet its strategic goals by attracting, developing and retaining employees and also by managing them effectively. It aims to achieve a fit between managing the organization’s employees and the overall strategic direction of the organization. Abbey National‘s human resource planning deals with recognizing and fulfilling the human resource needs of the organization. In order to meet the effectiveness objectives of management control, Abbey National’s human resource plan should be formulated in such a way that it conforms to the organizational strategies and corporate plan. At the micro level, Abbey National needs to do career planning for employees and succession planning for key positions in the organization. At a macro level, Abbey National needs to carry out workforce planning and salary planning; the nature of the human resource planning process is primarily dependent upon the organizational size and the hierarchical structure within the organization. For the Abbey National‘s human resource plan to be successful, it has to be supported fully by the top management, the Abbey National‘s human resource department, and the line managers. Recruitment and selection, training and development and compensation management are some of the areas over which the organization needs to exert control. One of the effective ways of assessing human resource functions is to use metrics in the control process. Abbey National ‘s evaluation of the recruitment process will help in exercising control over certain aspects of the recruitment process like the costs incurred on the recruitment process, the people involved in the process, the quality of the new recruits, the final number of recruits selected, and the success rate of each sourcing channel. The effectiveness of training and developing activities of the Abbey National can be assessed by monitoring job-impact indicators. The returns on the investment made one the training activities can also be measured by using quantitative tools like benefit to cost ratio. The attrition level in Abbey National can be assessed by using two metrics employee turnover rate and employee retention rate. These metrics are periodically computed and the values compared with the industry average and with the past records of the Abbey National. Abbey National‘s human resource auditing/ accounting refers to the process of identifying measuring, and communicating the value of the human resource of the Abbey National. Various human resource accounting models have been developed to aid managers in valuing their human resource assets. Employee engagement has to distinct yet related main factors employee satisfaction and employee commitment. Employees who are both satisfied and committed to the Abbey National are said to exhibit a high degree of engagement with their employer. Employee’s engagement levels can be periodically assessed through surveys. High levels of employee engagement are characteristics of the Abbey National which is considered by employee s as a great place to work or as an employer of choice. The workforce scorecard approach views the workforce in term of the contribution made by it instead of cost incurred on it. It makes use of metrics instead of benchmarking. It also makes the line managers jointly responsible with the human resource professionals for execution of the Abbey National‘s strategy. The workforce scorecard has four dimensions. Workforce success, leadership and workforce behaviour, workforce competencies and workforce mind set and culture. All these four dimensions help in assessing workforce effectiveness. Abbey National’s human resource information systems are specialised application software built for implementing, monitoring and benchmarking human resource processes in Abbey National. At an operational level, the HRIS is used for transaction processing and administrative purpose. With a change in the competitive scenarios Abbey National is using the HRIS for strategic human resource management and decision making. The HRIS is useful for controlling human resource management in the Abbey National and achieving its management control objectives of efficiency, effectiveness, disclosure and compliance. 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