Plato and the Allegory of the Cave Essay

The son of a wealthy and noble family, Plato (427-347 B.C.) was preparing for a career in politics when the trial and eventual execution of Socrates (399 B.C.) changed the course of his life. He abandoned his political career and turned to philosophy, opening a school on the outskirts of Athens dedicated to the Socratic search for wisdom. Plato’s school, then known as the Academy, was the first university in western history and operated from 387 B.C. until A.D. 529, when it was closed by Justinian. Unlike his mentor Socrates, Plato was both a writer and a teacher. His writings are in the form of dialogues, with Socrates as the principal speaker. In the Allegory of the Cave, Plato described symbolically the predicament in which mankind finds itself and proposes a way of salvation. The Allegory presents, in brief form, most of Plato’s major philosophical assumptions: his belief that the world revealed by our senses is not the real world but only a poor copy of it, and that the real world can only be apprehended intellectually; his idea that knowledge cannot be transferred from teacher to student, but rather that education consists in directing student’s minds toward what is real and important and allowing them to apprehend it for themselves; his faith that the universe ultimately is good; his conviction that enlightened individuals have an obligation to the rest of society, and that a good society must be one in which the truly wise (the Philosopher-King) are the ru lers. The Allegory of the Cave can be found in Book VII of Plato’s best-known work, The Republic, a lengthy dialogue on the nature of justice. Often regarded as a utopian blueprint, The Republic is dedicated toward a discussion of the education required of a Philosopher-King. The following selection is taken from the Benjamin Jowett translation (Vintage, 1991), pp. 253-261. As you read the Allegory, try to make a mental picture of the cave Plato describes. Better yet, why not draw a picture of it and refer to it as you read the selection. In many ways, understanding Plato’s Allegory of the Cave will make your foray into the world of philosophical thought much less burdensome. * * * * * * [Socrates] And now, I said, let me show in a figure how far our nature is enlightened or unenlightened: –Behold! human beings living in a underground cave, which has a mouth open towards the light and reaching all along the cave; here they have been from their childhood, and have their legs and necks chained so that they cannot move, and can only see before them, being prevented by the chains from turning round their heads. Above and behind them a fire is blazing at a distance, and between the fire and the prisoners there is a raised way; and you will see, if you look, a low wall built along the way, like the screen which marionette players have in front of them, over which they show the puppets. [Glaucon] I see. [Socrates] And do you see, I said, men passing along the wall carrying all sorts of vessels, and statues and figures of animals made of wood and stone and various materials, which appear over the wall? Some of them are talking, others silent. [Glaucon] You have shown me a strange image, and they are strange prisoners. [Socrates] Like ourselves, I replied; and they see only their own shadows, or the shadows of one another, which the fire throws on the opposite wall of the cave? [Glaucon] True, he said; how could they see anything but the shadows if they were never allowed to move their heads? [Socrates] And of the objects which are being carried in like manner they would only see the shadows? [Glaucon] Yes, he said. [Socrates] And if they were able to converse with one another, would they not suppose that they were naming what was actually before them? [Glaucon] Very true. [Socrates] And suppose further that the prison had an echo which came from the other side, would they not be sure to fancy when one of the passers-by spoke that the voice which they heard came from the passing shadow? [Glaucon] No question, he replied. [Socrates] To them, I said, the truth would be literally nothing but the shadows of the images. [Glaucon] That is certain. [Socrates] And now look again, and see what will naturally follow if the prisoners are released and disabused of their error. At first, when any of them is liberated and compelled suddenly to stand up and turn his neck round and walk and look towards the light, he will suffer sharp pains; the glare will distress him, and he will be unable to see the realities of which in his former state he had seen the shadows; and then conceive some one saying to him, that what he saw before was an illusion, but that now, when he is approaching nearer to being and his eye is turned towards more real existence, he has a clearer vision, -what will be his reply? And you may further imagine that his instructor is pointing to the objects as they pass and requiring him to name them, -will he not be perplexed? Will he not fancy that the shadows which he formerly saw are truer than the objects which are now shown to him? [Glaucon] Far truer. [Socrates] And if he is compelled to look straight at the light, will he not have a pain in his eyes which will make him turn away to take and take in the objects of vision which he can see, and which he will conceive to be in reality clearer than the things which are now being shown to him? [Glaucon] True, he now. [Socrates] And suppose once more, that he is reluctantly dragged up a steep and rugged ascent, and held fast until he ‘s forced into the presence of the sun himself, is he not likely to be pained and irritated? When he approaches the light his eyes will be dazzled, and he will not be able to see anything at all of what are now called realities. [Glaucon] Not all in a moment, he said. [Socrates] He will require to grow accustomed to the sight of the upper world. And first he will see the shadows best, next the reflections of men and other objects in the water, and then the objects themselves; then he will gaze upon the light of the moon and the stars and the spangled heaven; and he will see the sky and the stars by night better than the sun or the light of the sun by day? [Glaucon] Certainly. [Socrates] Last of he will be able to see the sun, and not mere reflections of him in the water, but he will see him in his own proper place, and not in another; and he will contemplate him as he is. [Glaucon] Certainly. [Socrates] He will then proceed to argue that this is he who gives the season and the years, and is the guardian of all that is in the visible world, and in a certain way the cause of all things which he and his fellows have been accustomed to behold? [Glaucon] Clearly, he said, he would first see the sun and then reason about him. [Socrates] And when he remembered his old habitation, and the wisdom of the cave and his fellow-prisoners, do you not suppose that he would felicitate himself on the change, and pity them? [Glaucon] Certainly, he would. [Socrates] And if they were in the habit of conferring honors among themselves on those who were quickest to observe the passing shadows and to remark which of them went before, and which followed after, and which were together; and who were therefore best able to draw conclusions as to the future, do you think that he would care for such honors and glories, or envy the possessors of them? Would he not say with Homer, Better to be the poor servant of a poor master, and to endure anything, rather than think as they do and live after their manner? [Glaucon] Yes, he said, I think that he would rather suffer anything than entertain these false notions and live in this miserable manner. [Socrates] Imagine once more, I said, such an one coming suddenly out of the sun to be replaced in his old situation; would he not be certain to have his eyes full of darkness? [Glaucon] To be sure, he said. [Socrates] And if there were a contest, and he had to compete in measuring the shadows with the prisoners who had never moved out of the cave, while his sight was still weak, and before his eyes had become steady (and the time which would be needed to acquire this new habit of sight might be very considerable) would he not be ridiculous? Men would say of him that up he went and down he came without his eyes; and that it was better not even to think of ascending; and if any one tried to loose another and lead him up to the light, let them only catch the offender, and they would put him to death. [Glaucon] No question, he said. [Socrates] This entire allegory, I said, you may now append, dear Glaucon, to the previous argument; the prison-house is the world of sight, the light of the fire is the sun, and you will not misapprehend me if you interpret the journey upwards to be the ascent of the soul into the intellectual world according to my poor belief, which, at your desire, I have expressed whether rightly or wrongly God knows. But, whether true or false, my opinion is that in the world of knowledge the idea of good appears last of all, and is seen only with an effort; and, when seen, is also inferred to be the universal author of all things beautiful and right, parent of light and of the lord of light in this visible world, and the immediate source of reason and truth in the intellectual; and that this is the power upon which he who would act rationally, either in public or private life must have his eye fixed. [Glaucon] I agree, he said, as far as I am able to understand you. [Socrates] Moreover, I said, you must not wonder that those who attain to this beatific vision are unwilling to descend to human affairs; for their souls are ever hastening into the upper world where they desire to dwell; which desire of theirs is very natural, if our allegory may be trusted. [Glaucon] Yes, very natural. [Socrates] And is there anything surprising in one who passes from divine contemplations to the evil state of man, misbehaving himself in a ridiculous manner; if, while his eyes are blinking and before he has become accustomed to the surrounding darkness, he is compelled to fight in courts of law, or in other places, about the images or the shadows of images of justice, and is endeavoring to meet the conceptions of those who have never yet seen absolute justice? [Glaucon] Anything but surprising, he replied. [Socrates] Any one who has common sense will remember that the bewilderments of the eyes are of two kinds, and arise from two causes, either from coming out of the light or from going into the light, which is true of the mind’s eye, quite as much as of the bodily eye; and he who remembers this when he sees any one whose vision is perplexed and weak, will not be too ready to laugh; he will first ask whether that soul of man has come out of the brighter light, and is unable to see because unaccustomed to the dark, or having turned from darkness to the day is dazzled by excess of light. And he will count the one happy in his condition and state of being, and he will pity the other; or, if he have a mind to laugh at the soul which comes from below into the light, there will be more reason in this than in the laugh which greets him who returns from above out of the light into the cave. [Glaucon] That, he said, is a very just distinction. [Socrates] But then, if I am right, certain professors of education must be wrong when they say that they can put a knowledge into the soul which was not there before, like sight into blind eyes. [Glaucon] They undoubtedly say this, he replied. [Socrates] Whereas, our argument shows that the power and capacity of learning exists in the soul already; and that just as the eye was unable to turn from darkness to light without the whole body, so too the instrument of knowledge can only by the movement of the whole soul be turned from the world of becoming into that of being, and learn by degrees to endure the sight of being, and of the brightest and best of being, or in other words, of the good. [Glaucon] Very true. [Socrates] And must there not be some art which will effect conversion in the easiest and quickest manner; not implanting the faculty of sight, for that exists already, but has been turned in the wrong direction, and is looking away from the truth? [Glaucon] Yes, he said, such an art may be presumed. [Socrates] And whereas the other so-called virtues of the soul seem to be akin to bodily qualities, for even when they are not originally innate they can be implanted later by habit and exercise, the of wisdom more than anything else contains a divine element which always remains, and by this conversion is rendered useful and profitable; or, on the other hand, hurtful and useless. Did you never observe the narrow intelligence flashing from the keen eye of a clever rogue –how eager he is, how clearly his paltry soul sees the way to his end; he is the reverse of blind, but his keen eyesight is forced into the service of evil, and he is mischievous in proportion to his cleverness. [Glaucon] Very true, he said. [Socrates] But what if there had been a circumcision of such natures in the days of their youth; and they had been severed from those sensual pleasures, such as eating and drinking, which, like leaden weights, were attached to them at their birth, and which drag them down and turn the vision of their souls upon the things that are below –if, I say, they had been released from these impediments and turned in the opposite direction, the very same faculty in them would have seen the truth as keenly as they see what their eyes are turned to now. [Glaucon] Very likely. [Socrates] Yes, I said; and there is another thing which is likely. or rather a necessary inference from what has preceded, that neither the uneducated and uninformed of the truth, nor yet those who never make an end of their education, will be able ministers of State; not the former, because they have no single aim of duty which is the rule of all their actions, private as well as public; nor the latter, because they will not act at all except upon compulsion, fancying that they are already dwelling apart in the islands of the blest. [Glaucon] Very true, he replied. [Socrates] Then, I said, the business of us who are the founders of the State will be to compel the best minds to attain that knowledge which we have already shown to be the greatest of all-they must continue to ascend until they arrive at the good; but when they have ascended and seen enough we must not allow them to do as they do now. [Glaucon] What do you mean? [Socrates] I mean that they remain in the upper world: but this must not be allowed; they must be made to descend again among the prisoners in the cave, and partake of their labors and honors, whether they are worth having or not. [Glaucon] But is not this unjust? he said; ought we to give them a worse life, when they might have a better? [Socrates] You have again forgotten, my friend, I said, the intention of the legislator, who did not aim at making any one class in the State happy above the rest; the happiness was to be in the whole State, and he held the citizens together by persuasion and necessity, making them benefactors of the State, and therefore benefactors of one another; to this end he created them, not to please themselves, but to be his instruments in binding up the State. [Glaucon] True, he said, I had forgotten. [Socrates] Observe, Glaucon, that there will be no injustice in compelling our philosophers to have a care and providence of others; we shall explain to them that in other States, men of their class are not obliged to share in the toils of politics: and this is reasonable, for they grow up at their own sweet will, and the government would rather not have them. Being self-taught, they cannot be expected to show any gratitude for a culture which they have never received. But we have brought you into the world to be rulers of the hive, kings of yourselves and of the other citizens, and have educated you far better and more perfectly than they have been educated, and you are better able to share in the double duty. Wherefore each of you, when his turn comes, must go down to the general underground abode, and get the habit of seeing in the dark. When you have acquired the habit, you will see ten thousand times better than the inhabitants of the cave, and you will know what the several images are, and what they represent, because you have seen the beautiful and just and good in their truth. And thus our State which is also yours will be a reality, and not a dream only, and will be administered in a spirit unlike that of other States, in which men fight with one another about shadows only and are distracted in the struggle for power, which in their eyes is a great good. Whereas the truth is that the State in which the rulers are most reluctant to govern is always the best and most quietly governed, and the State in which they are most eager, the worst. [Glaucon] Quite true, he replied. [Socrates] And will our pupils, when they hear this, refuse to take their turn at the toils of State, when they are allowed to spend the greater part of their time with one another in the heavenly light? [Glaucon] Impossible, he answered; for they are just men, and the commands which we impose upon them are just; there can be no doubt that every one of them will take office as a stern necessity, and not after the fashion of our present rulers of State. [Socrates] Yes, my friend, I said; and there lies the point. You must contrive for your future rulers another and a better life than that of a ruler, and then you may have a well-ordered State; for only in the State which offers this, will they rule who are truly rich, not in silver and gold, but in virtue and wisdom, which are the true blessings of life. Whereas if they go to the administration of public affairs, poor and hungering after the’ own private advantage, thinking that hence they are to snatch the chief good, order there can never be; for they will be fighting about office, and the civil and domestic broils which thus arise will be the ruin of the rulers themselves and of the whole State. [Glaucon] Most true, he replied. [Socrates] And the only life which looks down upon the life of political ambition is that of true philosophy. Do you know of any other? [Glaucon] Indeed, I do not, he said. [Socrates] And those who govern ought not to be lovers of the task? For, if they are, there will be rival lovers, and they will fight. [Glaucon] No question. [Socrates] Who then are those whom we shall compel to be guardians? Surely they will be the men who are wisest about affairs of State, and by whom the State is best administered, and who at the same time have other honors and another and a better life than that of politics? [Glaucon] They are the men, and I will choose them, he replied. [Socrates] And now shall we consider in what way such guardians will be produced, and how they are to be brought from darkness to light, — as some are said to have ascended from the world below to the gods? [Glaucon] By all means, he replied. [Socrates] The process, I said, is not the turning over of an oyster-shell, but the turning round of a soul passing from a day which is little better than night to the true day of being, that is, the ascent from below, which we affirm to be true philosophy? [Glaucon] Quite so.

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The Application of Operant Conditioning Techniques in a Secondary Classroom Essay The Application Of Operant Conditioning Techniques In A Secondary Classroom Background A plethora of Studies have reported the effectiveness of operant conditioning techniques in altering the behavior of children in a number of different situations. There has been many studies in which teacher-supplied consequences have had effects on preschool and elementary school children in a regular classroom, but almost none in the secondary schooling classrooms. The results of these studies were that in smaller classrooms, students’ behavior improved with consequences given by the teacher. McAllister, Stachowiak, Baer, and Conderman now take a look at the effects of these consequences on a larger scale. This study sought to take an entire class of secondary school students and apply teacher-supplied consequences for misbehavior to discover if the behavior of the students improved. Methods The subjects consisted of 51 students ranging in age from 16-19 years, who all had similar I. Q. s and economic backgrounds. The experimental group consisted of 25 students (12 boys and 13 girls), Where as the control group consisted of 26 students (13 boys and 13 girls). Also, The experimental class was 70 minutes long and the control class was 60 minutes long. The teacher was a 23-year-old female who held a bachelors degree in education. She had one year’s experience in teaching secondary level English. The basic design of the experiment was a pretest-posttest control group design combined with the use of a multiple baseline technique in the experimental class. The behaviors chosen to be targeted were Inappropriate talking and turning around due to the fact that these behaviors had a high rate of occurrence. Inappropriate talking was classified as any vocal behavior portrayed by a student without the teacher’s permission. Also, any vocal behavior required that the student raise his or her hand before speaking, unless engaged in a group discussion. Inappropriate turning around was classified as any turning-around behavior in which the student turned more than 90 degrees away from the front of the room. An exception to this was when a student was required to turn around to distribute papers to their classmates as directed by the teacher. The observations were recorded for the experimental class using a sequentially numbered, 70-box table for each behavior. The observations of the control class were recorded using a similar, 60-box table. If either of the target behaviors occurred during any minute interval of time, it was recorded by placing a check mark in the corresponding box for that interval. Any further occurrences of the target behavior during the same time interval were not recorded. Thus, each time interval represented whether or not the behavior had occurred during the time interval opposed to the number of occurrences. A daily quantified measurement of each behavior was obtained by dividing the number of checked time intervals by the total number of intervals in that class period, which gave us a percentage of intervals in which the behavior occurred at least once. The baseline condition lasted for 28 days in which the teacher was asked to behave in her usual manner. The Average reliability for talking behavior was 90. 49% in the experimental class, and 89. 49% in the control class. Average reliability for turning behavior was 94. 27% in the experimental class and 90. 98 in the control class. Also, two aspects of the teacher’s behavior were recorded. The average reliability for teacher reprimand behavior was 92. 78% in the experimental class and 94. 84% in the control class. Average reliability for teacher praise behavior was 98. 85% in the experimental class and 97. 65% in the control class. The first experimental condition began in the experimental class on the 28th day. The teacher was to attempt to disapprove of all instances of inappropriate talking behavior whenever they occurred in a direct and verbal manner. The teacher was also asked not to threaten students with or apply other consequences such as keeping them after class or sending them to the office. In addition to these guidelines, the teacher was also asked to praise the entire class with remarks like â€Å"thank you for being so cooperative today†. The second experimental condition took place after the first one had been in effect in the experimental class for 26 days and had markedly reduced talking behavior. In this condition, the contingent social consequences for talking behavior were continued as well as implementing the same system of consequences for turning behavior. Results Inappropriate talking behavior during the baseline condition in the experimental class and the control class yielded similar results (25. 3% in the experimental class, and 23. 81% in the control class). On day 28 when the first experimental condition was implemented, inappropriate talking behavior immediately reduced. This decrease continued as time went on and finally stabilized at a level below 5%. At the same time, the control class continued to portray its previous level of inappropriate talking behavior. Inappropriate turning behavior during the baseline condition in the experimental class and control class was slowly increasing (15. 13% in the experimental class, and 14. 45% in the control class). On day 54 when the second experimental condition was implemented, the inappropriate turning behavior also began to decrease. This behavior continued to decrease during the remaining days of the study. The number of times the teacher reprimanded students for inappropriate behavior during the baseline period were 25. 76% in the experimental class and 22. 23% in the control class. During the first experimental condition, the teacher disapproved an average of 93. 33% of inappropriate talking behavior. During the second experimental condition, the teacher disapproved an average of 95. 0 % of inappropriate turning behavior. Conclusions The results clearly portray that by the teacher’s actions of praise and disapproval, she was able to reduce the amount of inappropriate talking behavior as well as the amount of inappropriate turning behavior. In reprimanding the students in a more direct manner, using names and calling the students out for misbehaving, the teacher was able to make a deeper impact on the student for his or her actions. Also, in taking away consequences such as staying after class, the teacher removed fear from the tudents and instead implemented proper behavior. The teacher also used praise to decrease the amount of inappropriate behavior of her students. She would say things like â€Å"what a great class today† or â€Å"you guys were on your best behavior today† to make the students feel good about being on their best behavior.

Special Ed Essay Example for Free

Special Ed Essay People can have multiple definitions of disability, but this is the federal definition of a disability, â€Å"An individual with a disability means any person who: (i) has a mental or physical impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activity; (ii) has a record of such an impairment; or (iii) is regarded as having such an impairment† (Durhiem). In order to receive or qualify for special needs or other learning disabilities you must have a record of proof from a doctor to provide to the school. It is then the schools job then to meet the credentials needed for the disabled student. Students with varying disabilities should be given the same chances as students without disabilities. Some disabilities can require students to have separate classrooms while others might be able to operate in classes where there are students without disabilities. Each disability varies in severity and in most cases it is a student-by-student bases. It is the parents and teachers responsibility to advocate for the student and make sure their needs are met within the classroom. In fact families have certain rights provided to them and their disabled child, these rights can be provided through the 504. In order for a student to qualify for 504 the students has to have a disability. â€Å"Section 504 is a part of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 that prohibits discrimination based upon disability. Section 504 is an anti-discrimination, civil rights statute that requires the needs of students with disabilities to be met as adequately as the needs of the non-disabled are met† (Durhiem). Section 504 is a foundation for equality to people of special needs. Every student deserves the right to learn and the right to reach there full potential regardless of ability. One-way Parents and the community can be informed on their local schools progress and level of education is through the No Child Left Behind Act. No Child Left Behind or NCLB, goal is to improve the education of children with a low-income family, especially within the public school system. This act was established in 2001 and has improved education for all students dramatically. NCLB establishes goals and certain criteria to prevent failing schools, â€Å" NCLB requires that schools make steady progress toward the ultimate goal of all students performing at a proficient level in reading, math, and science by the year 2014. This progress is defined as adequate yearly progress, or AYP. Schools that fail to meet AYP goals for two consecutive years must be identified as in need of improvement. (Cortiella). If the school does not meet its goals within the given time span the school district notifies the parents that the school needs improvement. This is a great way to keep parents informed on the accomplishments and struggles of the school there child attends. For the children with disabilities NCLB provides the students with different options of schools that are not failing or â€Å"in need of improvement schools. † â€Å"Students with disabilities (covered under the IDEA or Section 504) must be offered the opportunity to attend a school that has not been identified as in need of improvement. Districts must ensure that such students are provided a free, appropriate public education (FAPE) consistent with the IDEA, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, and Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act, in their schools of choice† (Cortiella). IDEA: ADA: American’s with Disabilities Act.

What motivates employees

What motivates employees Gaining the knowledge of what motivates employees and how they were motivated was the focus of many researchers following the publication of the Hawthorne Study results (Terpstra, 1979). The literature review on this research intends to discover the current theories and issues in relations to work motivation throughout the literature sources. It is important to understand what motivation actually is, and more specially the term work motivation. The literature review will look at four major motivational theories. They are:- Maslows need-hierarchy theory, Herzbergs two- factor theory, Adams equity theory and Vrooms expectancy theory. They are Maslows need-hierarchy theory, and Herzbergs two- factor theory are needs based motivational theory, commonly known as content theories. These theories explain that human needs change with time. People have certain needs and desires to achieve and those needs and desires change over a period of time. Adams equity theory and Vrooms expectancy theory are collectively known as cognitive theories. These theories will examine the employees behaviour in terms of performance and compare their performance and rewards with others. According to Maslow, employees needs have five levels (Maslow, 1943). It is based on the hypothesis that human needs are capable of being exhaustible. Satisfactory achievement of the first level of needs leads to the next level. Once a particular need has been satisfied, that need will no longer be a driving force of motivation. Herzbergs considered motivation into two factors: motivators and hygiene (Herzberg, Mausner, Snyderman, 1959). According to this theory people are influenced by two factors. These factors are Motivators and hygiene. Achievement, recognition, the work itself, responsibility, advancement and growth were included in the motivation factors and dissatisfying factors largely from non-job related factors such as company policies, salary, co-worker relations and supervisory styles (Steers and Porter 2001). These theories will help to understand the various factors which influence the employees of the organisation. Adams equity theory focuses on peoples reactions to the fairness of outcome they receive in relations to their perception of the inputs they provide, especially when compared to the perceived outcomes/inputs that others receive. (Porter et al., 2001). According to Adams theory equity is achieved when the ratio of employee outcomes over inputs is equal to other employee outcomes over inputs (Adams, 1965). This theory will provide more understanding towards motivational difference between permanent and temporary staff of the organisation. Vrooms theory supports that employee effort will lead to performance and performance will lead to rewards (Vroom, 1964). The rewards can be either positive or negative, but the more positive reward will lead the employee to work more motivated and conversely, the more negative the reward the less likely the employee will be motivated. In MS money call centre (MS), permanent and temporary staffs are performing the same duties, expected to meet the same target and trained to perfume the duties in the same way, reword system is different in terms of bonus, pension, company discount card and other non monetary rewards. By taking this into consideration and applying the selected four theories in this environment. Both groups employees must show a difference in motivation in line with Adams equity theory and also will be on different stages in relations to Maslows need-hierarchy theory. The research will also explain what they expect as a permanent / temporary employee working for MS in line with Vrooms expectancy theory. Two factor theory will explain how much influence each motivation factor have on all the employees. 3.3.1. References: Adair, J. (1990) Understanding Motivation. London: The Talbot Adair Press. Adams, J. S. (1965) Inequity in social exchange. In L. Berkowitz. Advances in experimental social psychology. New York: Academic Press. Arkin, A. (1997) People Management, Call Centre Stress, Vol 3 Issues 6, 22-27 Arnold, J., Cooper, C., Robertson, I.T. (1998) Work Psychology, Understanding human behaviour in the workplace, third edition. Essex: Pearson Education Limited Collis, J. Hussey, R (1997) Business research: a practical guide for undergraduate and postgraduate students, second edition. New York: Palgrave Macmillan Fisher, C. (2004) Researching and writing a dissertation: A guidebook for business students, second edition. Essex: Pearson Education Limited. Fletcher, C. (1993) Appraisal: Routes to improved performance, second edition. London: IPD House. Gillham, B. (2000) Developing a questionnaire: Real world research, second edition. New York: Contimuum International Publishing group Hertzberg, F. (1968) One More Time: How do you motive employees? Harvard Business review, 53-62 Hertzberg, F., Manunser, B. and Synderman B (1959), The Motivation in Work. New York: John Wiley and Sons Ltd. Herzberg, F., Mausner, B., Snyderman, B, B. (1959) The motivation to work. New York: John Wiley Sons. Holman, D.J. (2002) Human Resource Management Journal, Employees well being in call centres, Vol 7 Jones, F., Burke, R. J., Westman, M. (2006) Work-Life balance: psychological perspective. Sussex: Psychology press. Katzell, Yankelovich (1975) Compensation Benefits Review, Pay vs Work Motivation and Job Satisfaction, Vol 8, 54-66 Kruger, D.J. (2003) The Community Psychologist, Integrating quantitative and qualitative methods in community research, Vol 36, 18-19 Lindner, J, R. (1998) Understanding Employee Motivation. Vol 36, issue 3, June. Luthans, F. (1998) Organisational Behaviour 8th edition. Boston: Irwin McGraw-Hill Marshall, C,. Rossman, G. (1999) Designing Qualitative Research third edition. London: Sage Publication Ltd Maslow, A.H. (1954) Motivation and Personality. Harper and Row Publishers, New York: New York Miguel, A,. Quinones Ehrenstein, A. (1996) Training for a rapidly changing workplace: application of psychological research. Washington: American psychology association. Mullins, L. J. (2002) Management and Organisational Behaviour, 6th Edition. London: Prentice Hall. Myers, M.D. (2002) Qualitative Research in Business Management. London: Sage Publications. Porter, L. W., Bigley, G.A., Steers R, M. (1975) Motivation and work behaviour. New York: Irwin McGraw-Hill Porter, L.W., Lawler, E.E. (1968) Managerial attitudes and performance. Homewood II: Irwin Rose, E. (2002) The Journal of Industrial Relations, The labour process and union commitments within a banking services call centre, Vol 44, Issue 1, 40-61 Rose, Ed. (2001 Employment relations, second edition. Essex: Pearson Education Limited Saunders, Lewis Thornhill (2007) Research methods for business students, third edition, Essex: Pearson Education Limited Smith, K. Toddd, M. Waldman, J (2009) Doing your undergraduate social science dissertation. Oxon: Routledge Terpstra, D. E. (1979) Theories of motivation: borrowing the best. Personnel Journal, 58. 376. Vroom, V. (1992) Management motivation. second edition. London: penguin books ltd Vroom, V. H. (1964) Work and motivation. New York: John Wiley and Sons Ltd. 5. Outline Methodology: After the literature review and background study of the call centre environment, a positivist approach has been adapted to the research. Even though, motivation is considered as a subjective factor, the background study of the call centre environment is compared and addressed similar to battery- farming condition (Arkin 1997) with characteristic of tailorism. The most important reason for selecting positivist approach is, that this research is testing the four theories of motivation mentioned in literature review in call centre in permanent and temporary employees, which falls in line with Myers, M.D (2002) argument that positivist generally attempt to test theory. The research method used to collect primary data is a semi structured questionnaire with open and closed questions. Secondary data will be gathered from organisation through human resource department on recruitment statistics and also from survey results previously conducted by the organisation. The questionnaire includes open and closed questions, both categorical and quantifiable. All the questions are statistically analysed by using codes and excel spreadsheet and will be presentable through bar charts/pie charts. The positivist approach of testing theory and using quantifiable data collecting methods falls into the deductive approach which falls in line with positivism (Saunders et al. 2007)

migration :: essays research papers

Migration   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Thinking back to my childhood, I can recall that my family moved quite frequently from place to place. Since my birth, my family has moved a total of seven times and that was only in the first six years of my life. As an ignorant child, the constant moving around did not question me to think why we moved so much. I never stopped to think that my family could have been in a troubled situation. When I now ask my father the reasons why we moved so often back then, he tells me that he was in search for a better standard of living. He mentioned that we were never forced to move because of a financial situation, but instead he wanted to find a more rewarding occupation to live more elegantly. He wanted to find a place with a good education system for his children and also wanted to live in a warm climate not too distant from the beach. With these three pull factors we moved many times during my childhood and the end result of our migration has played a positive role in my life. My parents and I lived in the over-populated city of Chicago when I was born. My father wanted to relocate in a place that was not over populated. So with this in his mind, we moved in the south direction to Kansas. He got what he wanted in the terms of a smaller population setting. But he was still dissatisfied with the cold weather. The disappointing business experience and cold weather was a push factor to move on and find a better place to live. After Kansas we moved to Ohio because were persuaded by some relatives that we knew that lived there, but again he was not successful with business there either. In search for a better occupation, my father would look in the classified section of the newspaper every afternoon in search of eye-catching businesses. After he would find a few that he was interested in, he would call them up and arrange to take a look at the businesses. In particular, my father saw an advertisement for a â€Å"Days Inn† in Atlanta, Georgia. A pull factor that encouraged my father to move to Georgia was because of the wonderful hot weather. He was attracted to the fact that the beach setting was not very far. The business turned out to be a success and we ended up settling in this state.

helmet :: essays research papers fc

Safety in the head   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  John, being around for your next birthday would be great, so you need to use this helmet, it will save me many days of grief. Please wear this helmet when you ride your motorcycle. Having you come home to the neighborhood is a better feeling then you going home to a grave. This helmet will protect your head from hard hits that you will encounter when you fall off your motorcycle. Wearing a helmet will save you from getting a mangled face.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Since you feel that you are too cool to wear a helmet, let me advise you that having an attitude like that is not smart. When you wear this helmet it offers you protection from head injuries that occur when you fall. The pictures that are in the medical files show causes of death, involving motorcycle related crashes. The pictures are not too cool to look at. The pictures show dead bodies with faces and body parts that have been grounded down to the bone so much that they are not able to be recognized. I do not want you to be part of those pictures. John, you must wear this helmet when you ride. Another advantage to wearing your helmet is the face shield, the shield protects your eyes and face from flying rocks and other debris. Not to mention all the bugs that will hit your face and get in your eyes. John, according to the morning sun, the number of people killed in traffic accidents increased slightly last year partly due to yet another jump in fatal motorcycle accidents. Federal estimates released last week show that after many years of decline, motorcycle deaths steadily increased from 97-01, and have grown 27% in the four-year period. Last year there were 2680 motorcycle deaths. According to the national highway safety administration, that is 208 more than in 1999, enough to offset the 188 additional traffic deaths. About one-half were caused because people were not wearing helmets or sufficient gear. John, these numbers do not lie. This pole shows 1440 deaths that could have been saved if those people took proper precaution and equipped themselves with a helmets or sufficient gear. Since we all care for you, please do not become one of these numbers this year. Please wear your new helmet. People that have to go threw a death in the family of a loved one is so hard.

Family Structure Essay

To day the young children of age five are more likely to end up in foreign universities with their perfect English because of their improved education due to one-child policy. They are called ‘little emperors’ in the Chinese household today. The family structure is kind of 1-2-4 formula. – one child, two parents and four grand parents. Another common expression is ‘six packets, one month’ indicating parents and two grand parents relying on the one and the only child. Socio economic development had brought about radical changes in family size and structure in China. The 4th census 1 family has 3. 97 persons on an average calculated on the 10 % sample data. .† Instead of large families consisting of several generations and many members, small families has now become a principal family type in China. According to the analysis of the sample data from the 4th Census, the family size is mainly decided by the fertility level in particular regions, and it also depends on the economic development† . The fifth census has brought about three changes in the family structures. â€Å"First, relatively stable family types represented by those consisting of lineal family members of three generations. Three-generation lineal families in cities are maintained owing to loose inner management while in rural areas such maintenance arises from a larger proportion of the only son. Second, family types apparently on the rise. The one-child-policy implemented for over two decades is the major impetus for evident growth of the nuclear family type composed of the husband and the wife. Generation-skipping lineal families have grown at the highest rate. Such families not only signify an important phenomenon in a transitional period of the Chinese society, but also reflect deficiencies of China’s social development. The number of one-person families is also on the rise. Major factors accounting for such a phenomenon are late marriage of young people, longer life expectancy of the elderly and increasing ratio of aged widows and widowers. Third, family types showing a declining trend. The number of incomplete nuclear families obviously decreases while that of standard nuclear families also falls slightly. Decline of the latter mainly results from increase of nuclear families composed of the husband and the wife, or different adjustments inside nuclear families. In the future, the structure of Chinese families will generally maintain such a situation and there will be other changes in some family types. Simplified structure and shrinking size of current families lead to changes in family function and relationships among family members, which will ultimately impose some impacts on the whole society† . Study using national data from the 1996 Life History and Social Change in Contemporary China survey (N= 3,087) to assess the effect of the economic transition on parent-adult child coresidence in urban China says that â€Å"Previous studies find that, thanks to state actions, traditional patterns in coresidence persisted in post-Mao urban China. This study still finds high levels of coresidence. China’s aging population, coupled with an underdeveloped social security system, means that the traditional role of family will remain strong. It also uncovers three new patterns, however, best explained as caused by changes in the economic realm. First, the coresidence pattern changes over parents’ life course, shifting from child-centered to parent-centred as parents age. Second, class differentials begin to emerge, most notably seen in the unique patterns of the entrepreneurial class. Last, gender differentials remain significant, but the tilt toward sons has strengthened. † Conclusion From the foregoing discussion we can conclude that China is at the cross roads and it is difficult to predict that if it abandons one-child policy, the problem of aging population and looming labour shortage could be solved. The socio-economic developments has been motivating people to resort to limited families and even without such a mandatory policy of one-child, the same trend will continue. Population is not likely to proliferate and the only solution possible is encouraging floating migration for making good the ensuing labour shortage and implementation of pension for old age people which the Government should come forward to grant for all the sacrifices that this segment of the population have made during the last several decades towards achieving the country’s goals.

Internet Security Essay

The key techniques to the most affordable website security would be the casual features of the website for the purpose of safeguarding the website content and the transactions that are to be made for fulfilling the ecommerce objectives of the website. The following can be credited to the diverse ways to secure the website and customer information for the â€Å"Grandmas Treats† website: Web content security: It forms the greater part of the security as they are aimed at non-representation or illegal presentation of false content that a user is not expected to see. The term cross site scripting (or XSS) is often used in conjunction with the web content and links that are to be secured for a website. Acunetix (2007) own product Acunetix Web Vulnerability Scanner is easily downloadable and comes free. Using that one could scan their website for any such flaws. Directory traversal attacks: The directory traversal attacks are quite common where the links are traversed to a very different path where the information flows to the hackers. It is due to the malfunction of the codes at the client and server sides. The code efficiency and link path requires to be checked periodically so that one is able to redesign and test the system for any malfunction. SQL injection: It is another method where intruders are capable to draw information from one website using SQL languages to illegally fetch customer’s data for obtaining their financial information or to manipulate information for wrong use. The website must be checked periodically for such incidents and must also make sure that customer records are encrypted using 128 bit security layers at the database side. The database security must be checked for getting sure that no such activity is evident. The customer’s financial information would be encrypted to hide it from easy access from hackers. E-commerce transactions security: The use of SSL 3. 0 makes sure that all vulnerabilities regarding the tapping of information so that ones purchases are safe in all respects. The use of this protocol makes sure that a secured channel is followed for communication between the client communicating clients. The use of Transport Layer Security (TLS) is important and can be enabled for any website for securing the communication to the communicating clients. IETF (2007) explains that TLS composes of point to point authentication techniques and communications privacy over the internet strengthening the encryption. 1. Web server checks and database security checks: The periodic checks are done to put a check on performance of the website and database usage. All the relevant links and database security is checked for overall assurance. 2. Database backup: The database backup plans must be devised accordingly for keeping the records safe to protect against unforeseen disasters (Navathe, 2002). These simple tips would be helpful for the website to take care of the affordable needs for security and customer data protection so that one is able to safely carry out transactions over the internet. References Acunetix (2007). Web Site Security Center: Check & Implement Web Site Security. Retrieved 16, December 2007 from http://www.acunetix.com/websitesecurity/

Article Review Essay

The article, School Counseling Outcome: A Meta-Analytic Explanation of Interventions, written by Whiston, S., Tai, W., Rahardja, D., and Eder, K. is research done to show if certain interventions and techniques used by school counselors are effective. The article discussed two types of studies, one with controlled comparisons and another involving pre and posttest differences. The article began with the history of counseling and the model counselors are using. Campbell and Dahir’s (as cited in Whiston, Tai, Rahardja, & Eder, 2011), â€Å"specified that school counselors should coordinate a program that facilitates academic, career, and personal social development†. Many schools and counselors have been following Gysber’s and Henderson’s model which has four program components supported by the American School Counselor Association (ASCA). They include guidance curriculum, individual planning, responsive services, and system support. There has been limited research done on these components to conclude if the interventions are effective. â€Å"A major problem with the reviews of school counseling is that they are not able to indicate the degree to which school counseling interventions influence student outcome† (Whiston, Tai, Rahardja, & Eder (2011). In the article there were some major strengths and gains. There was evidence that specific interventions work with certain groups. The research also supports the need for school counselor to be more involved with all students, since there is a positive effect when students have been working with a guidance counselor. Yet, we still need more  research in the elementary level to see how we can support the younger students more effectively. There were also some major limitations noted about the study. This included not having enough supported information on how the interventions or treatments were conducted, missing valuable information, not having reliable standardized assessments, not following up to see how the interventions helped, and the study was done with only specific interventions. They also concluded that there were specific gains in certain areas, but could not identify how they got those results. The conclusions of the studies indicate that students who receive services from a counselor scored higher on standardized test. Counseling also helped with discipline, problem solving, and career knowledge compared to students not receiving any interventions. This shows the importance of having a school counselor and the role they play in making a difference in the lives they touch. Both studies indicated the â€Å"effectiveness of a balance approach to school counseling that provides a guidance curriculum to all students and responsive services that respond to students’ issues† (Whiston, Tai, Rahardja, & Eder, 2011). In this study we can see how important a school counselor is to students facing difficult issues. It is noted how some interventions can help a student be successful with academics, social interactions, and behavior. After reading this article I can see how effective counseling can be for all students. As an elementary teacher I will try to use a strategic comprehensive guidance program and data to guide my instruction. Using information from teachers, parents and administration I can plan my lessons to better meet the needs of students. Following up with students and keeping data on interventions will be a priority. References: Whiston, S. C., Tai, W., Rahardja, D., & Eder, K. (2011). School counseling outcome: A meta†analytic examination of interventions. Journal Of Counseling & Development, 89(1), 37-55. doi:10.1002/j.1556-6678.2011.tb00059.x

Master Harold and the Boys Critical Analysis

Master Harold†¦ and the Boys Athol Fugard’s Master Harold†¦ and the Boys is an instant classic that does a superior job at encompassing the complex of racial hierarchies and interracial friendships that existed in South Africa in the mid-20th century. Set in 1950 the play follows the everyday lives of its two main protagonists: Hally, a white, seventeen year old male discontented with his schooling, and Sam, a middle-aged, black servant of Hally’s family.During this period the rigid racial structure of Apartheid remained dominant in the nation, institutionalizing the already understood separation of disenfranchised blacks and privileged whites. These de jur social classifications cannot however denounce the observable friendly relationship that Hally and Sam share. With Sam practically having raised Hally due to the boy’s drunk for a father the racial tensions of the relationship seem initially to be nonexistent.This all changes during the moment of eng agement when the primary opposing force of the work is revealed: Hally’s alcoholic father is rumored to be returning home from the hospital despite his family’s cries against the act. Distraught and trapped between his filial duties and disdain for the man who neglected him, the underlying racial tensions of the play come to light with this recognition. In order to compensate for his lack of control in the situation, Hally takes to hurling insults at Sam, who is actively trying to pacify the marauding emotions of a teenage boy to no avail.The audience is left asking themselves the dramatic question: â€Å"Will Hally cross the precariously small line between venting his anger and becoming overtly racist? † More broadly as well we can ask, â€Å"What are the implications of an oppressive racial hierarchy on interracial friendships? Within the text the protagonist Sam appears to be the voice of reason as well as the primary proponent of peace (Jacobus, 1395).From reprimanding his foil character Willie for beating his wife to restraining himself with saint-like temperance during the climax, Sam never acts illogically or violently (Jacobus, 1410). Contrarily, Sam displays inquisitive preplanning by relating a story prior to Hally’s fall from grace that serves only to color the boys shame after his regrettable act during the climax. The super-objective of Sam therefore is to maintain order and harmony in an otherwise chaotic household rooted in an already racially oppressive regime.Tactics such as relating a heartfelt memory in the form of a story (distraction), attempting to reason with Hally as to convince him to check his reaction (reasoning), and when all else fails parental-like reprimanding (appeal to authority) all reinforce the image of Sam as a peaceful, reasonable protagonist. Opposite this cool, collective nature exists our second protagonist: Hally. Hosting underlying supremacist ideology, Hally exhibits all of the emotional inconsistencies of a teenage boy along with the inability to properly handle stress.From the point of attack until the moment of engagement one can see examples of Hally talking down to Sam despite the age difference and authoritative roles between the two. â€Å"God, you’re impossible. I showed it to you in black and white. It’s the likes of you that kept the Inquisition in business. It’s called bigotry†¦ (Jacobus, 1399). The super-objective for this troubled youth is the solidification of authority as to pacify his sense of helplessness due to his father’s return.Unable to convince his mother of detaining his father at the hospital for a longer time, Hally slips from the angry boy he once was upon initially hearing the news into an irate, power-starved child (Jacobus, 1409-1410). This shift in personality further enforces the dramatic question as Hally edges ever closer to the point of no return in his language, chastising Sam and directing his an ger towards a â€Å"safe† target protected by the racial hierarchy.The introductory incident in Master Harold†¦ and the Boys is the moment when Hally receives a call from his mother stating his father’s desire to return home. Eventually convinced of the impossibility and distracted by his school work, the thought nevertheless preoccupies our young protagonist’s mind, coloring each action and reaction throughout the rest of the play. The moment of engagement is closely married to the introductory incident in this work as the audience’s intriguing moment is parallel to Hally’s emotional commitment to the idea of his father’s return.Unable to divorce his mind from this subtle inkling of helplessness, Hally’s tone sharpens considerably as he attempts to solidify his own authority through discourse with Sam coupled with sharp remarks. â€Å"Don’t try to be clever, Sam. It doesn’t suit you. Anybody who thinks thereâ€⠄¢s nothing wrong with this world needs to have his head examined. † (Jacobus, 1403). The major peripetie of the work occurs when Hally’s mother phones again to confirm his worse fear: his father is adamant about his return home.At this point all civil facades are dashed by Hally in a vain attempt to solidify his own importance though coupled with the genuine emotional struggle of a young boy at odds with his father. Searching for an outlet the rising action of the play takes a dramatic turn from a slight incline to a steep hill as Hally visibly changes gears from distraught and confused to violently offensive. â€Å"And I’m telling you you don’t! Nobody does. (Speaking carefully as his shame turns to rage at Sam. ) It’s your turn to be careful, Sam. Very careful! You’re trading on dangerous ground. Leave me and my father alone! (Jacobus, 1409). Here, the author transitions the rising action from its lackadaisical yet worrisome progression t o a full sprint towards a disastrous climax as Hally finds a socially acceptable outlet for his rage. During the climax the dramatic question posed is answered: Hally indeed steps far over the line into not only overtly racist but derogatory territory, going so far as to spit in Sam’s face when he attempts to defend himself. Sam’s super-objective of pacifying the situation is obvious as relations between the two protagonists degrade ever further as Hally relentlessly attacks Sam.From consoling Hally and letting him know he is empathetic to attempting to reason with the rogue boy, Sam can’t seem to escape the teenagers wrath as Hally goes so far as to grab Sam by the arm and force him to listen to the irate ramblings of a destitute youth. Super-objectives clash as Hally refuses to relent and release his foothold of authority despite taking the friendship into dangerously precarious territory. â€Å"†¦Then I have to ask ‘What, chum? ’ and then h e says: ‘a nigger’s arse’†¦ and we both have a good laugh. † (Jacobus, 1410).At this point the climax is in full swing, but it is not yet complete as Hally still refuses to desist. After suffering enough of the young â€Å"master’s† blatantly racist comments Sam decides to show Hally his â€Å"arse†, a reasonable action considering the stunningly distasteful joke just delivered by Hally. Instead of realizing the pain he has caused his lifelong guardian, the pious boy instead spits in the face of Sam in order to further satisfy his authority. Enraged at this disrespectful act, Sam mulls over the idea of striking the boy the put him in his place.Realizing the implications of this perceived action (either death or exile), the Basuto servant instead decides to relate the rest of the kite story to Hally, providing details that were previously omitted. It was not due to work that Sam was unable to join Hally on the park bench many years ago; it was due to the racist institution of apartheid that barred interracial friendships and meeting points. Framing the entirety of the play, apartheid was the social system in which the nation of South Africa institutionalized racism in 1948.Dividing the major cities into racial sections, the majority ethnicity, blacks, were not allowed to interact with whites other than for work opportunity. Horrendously oppressed and misrepresented, the minority of whites controlled nearly every aspect of life for the disenfranchised majority including establishing â€Å"native† provinces in the north to which many blacks were relocated despite having no affiliation with the region. As one can assume the judicial system was also heavily skewed in this atmosphere, resulting in most interracial cases being ruled in favor of the rich white minority.It is with this knowledge that one can begin to understand why Sam would take such abuse with no apparent grievance. It is not only due to his love for Hally that he restrains himself, but the racist reality in which the story takes place that drives Sam into the arms of complacency (Cornwell). This heartfelt relation completely nullifies Hally’s defenses as the young boy is left speechless and self-loathing and the falling action of the play leaves the audience stunned. Still impacted by the news of his returning father, Hally now realizes that his senseless pursuit of authority has only brought ruin to his most cherished relationship.The system of apartheid introduced a failsafe in which even a powerless white teenager could exert utmost authority over a well-spoken and respectable black man; unable to satiate his need for power elsewhere Hally instinctively turned towards this hostile system for reassurance rather than to the arms of his oldest comrades. One is left considering the implications of the thematic question: what are the implications of an oppressive racial hierarchy on an interracial friendship? The answers are obvious less glamorous than they are pitiable. Works CitedCornwell, Gareth. â€Å"’A Teaspoon of Milk in a Bucketful of Coffee:’ The Discourse of Race Relations in Early Twentieth-Century South Africa. † English in Africa 38. 3 (2011): p. 9-33. Belk Library Information Commons. Web. 2 Oct. 2012. < http://0-ehis. ebscohost. com. wncln. wncln. org/ehost/detail? sid=c33825fd-b951-4f8c-ac22-a04d51f7a864%40sessionmgr104&vid=1&hid=101&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=a9h&AN=72102587> Jacobus, Lee A. Master Harold†¦ and the Boys. 2009. The Bedford Introduction to Drama. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2009. 1394-411. Print.

Charlotte Brontes Jane Eyre :: Bronte Jane Eyre

The situation when Jane in locked in the Red Room occurs because she has retaliated against John Reed hitting her and the fact that she is being punished for doing so. The mere fact that she is being locked in the Red Room can already accumulate sympathy within the reader because she is seemingly being very unfairly punished whereas her cousin John has attacked her already and managed to escape any punishment whatsoever. However in the events leading up to being locked in the room, the reader could not feel sympathy for Jane Eyre as she did in a way bring the punishment upon herself for attacking Mr. Reed in the first place. If she has not retaliated she would have not been locked in the room. Most readers however probably do feel sympathy for her as she was acting more in self-defence. She was also unfairly spoken too as they were dragging her to the room itself as they say things like ‘she's like a mad cat' and do not seem to be letting her give an explanation at all for her ac tions, and only listening to what John had too say. They make sure that she knows her place by telling her that ‘You are under obligation to Mrs. Reed' and that she is ‘less than a servant'. These are not kind words and the reader will probably feel sympathetic as she is being treated as a worthless object. The room that she is sent too is a dark and unpleasant place with memories of the dead Mr. Reed. For a child of Jane's young age it would seemingly be very distressing for her, and with the added experience of her seemingly seeing a ‘ghost' of some kind, it would be a terrible experience. Even if the reader has not felt sympathy for Jane before this incident they would surely feel so now, as she is in a distressing situation alone. When Jane first screams out for help from someone it does seem as though people are coming too help her as Bessie and Abbot come to open the door and ask her what is wrong and what has made her cry for help.

Research Topics with Explanation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Research Topics with Explanation - Essay Example The provision of the maintenance of the group health benefit of the employee, at the time he or she is on leave, is an added advantage in the provisions of the law. A change in the FMLA, therefore, shall serve justice to employees who, given these reasons, need to take leave from their work. The law provides 12 weeks unpaid leave of assured protection of the employee’s job within any given twelve months time (United States Department of Labor, 2010). I chose the topic because among the provisions in the law are issues that relate to health. Health is an invaluable need for every employee should have a job-protected leave to attend to health matters. Given the inevitability of the reasons for the leave, it should be a paid leave. The target audience is the labor department that needs to make considerations of changing the law into paid leave (Perritt, 2004). Standardization of regulations regarding the use of cells phones while driving is an inevitable need for ensuring safety in the transport sector. Drivers of commercial motor vehicles should be subject to restrictions in the use of mobile phones while driving. They should abide bythe provisions by the FMCSA. Failure to comply as per the provisions of the law should attract a new disqualification sanction the drive or the commercial driver’s license upon multiple convictions for violation. Imposing restrictions on drivers of motor vehicle carrier relating to their use of mobile phones while conducting operations in the interstate commerce would further strengthen such regulations (FMCSA, 2010). Safety in the highways would gain improvement with standardization of regulations regarding cell phone use while driving. Driver-related crashes on the highways would reduce significantly. Cases of injuries that involve these drivers would be low (Wyllie, 2007). I chose this topic becaus e of the increasing concern over several lives lost in accidents involving drivers of commercial motor vehicles. The target

Ethic of globalization Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Ethic of globalization - Essay Example The present-day developments demonstrate that a good number of business organizations now tend for the movement of globalization. Since worldwide struggle in business extends and the financial systems of the world grow to be more and more mutually dependent, this development is estimated to continue. Hospitality industry is a chiefly inconsistent element in this movement of globalization. The reason is that hospitality companies begin to explore fresh marketplaces on the universal horizon. Furthermore, numerous corporations are launching interior "codes of conduct", so that principled conduct for their organizations can be encouraged. This is the method by which such business enterprises now demonstrate to their employees (administrators and other workers) that exceptional moral performance is important for the business firm. With the above observation, it is noteworthy to bring forth the figures that exhibit the entertainment of business ethics by a great deal of schools and a numbe r of business firms. This tells us that business ethics is escalating in importance as a subject matter of learning and research. The kernel of the discussion thus unfolds: ethics on the international horizon is momentous to the world's upcoming course of events and to the hospitality business. Discussion Advancement in the direction of globalization now carries along a mutual reliance among business organizations and nations. Sequentially, mutual reliance is likely to frequently yield outcome in disagreements among international business organizations and the host countries; however, disagreements among countries alone cannot be sidelined. It is highly predictable that these disagreements will stand on a small number of issues of ethics only. The dictionary definition of the expression ethics informs us that is it an area where good and evil forces come into contact and carry ethical duty on their sides; moral values or practice. However, the dictionary semantic exploration of the phrase and the relevance of this definition are probably dissimilar from society to society. Ethics, for the moment, is not used in the universal discourse. Although there possibly exist a number of models which maybe alike, each nation's manipulation of the term bears the depiction and observance of it rather exclusive. It may not be a surprise to consider ethical business dealing in India as corruption in the U.S. At this very point, there is a stark need for canon of an international code of ethics: a global ethic-constitution which is recognized by the whole world and cultures in order that the worldwide business practices continue to flourish. The significance of a worldwide code of ethics is obvious for any hospitality firms which see thei r existence as global organizations. The higher degree of similarity prevails across societies, the more straightforward it would be for common citizens from diverse cultural backgrounds to put hands together for mutual production. Another view that this observation registers is the initiative that establishment of a homogeneous system of ethics will give birth to originality and innovation. This present point of discussion maintains that providing each person practices things in the same fashion, the

Performance of Mythic Oil Le Parfum and for it Coursework

Performance of Mythic Oil Le Parfum and for it - Coursework Example This research will begin with the statement that for companies to sustain in the current global scenario, it has become necessary to focus on aggressive innovation strategies, as it would permit constant extension to the product lines and help preserve brand image to retain competitive advantages. As Porter & Kramer notes, in today’s capitalist market, producing shared values for stakeholders through innovative strategies is too necessary for organizations to ensure their long-term success. This particular trend has already influenced many organizations around the world, including Unilever, Nestle, Johnson & Johnson, and many others. As a matter of fact, indeed, product innovation is quite easily associable with the brand name of The LOrà ©al Group. Almost every year, the company launches new products as per the review of the market changes, which reflects the current consumer demands and preferences. It is thus that the company obtains competitive advantages by serving the c ustomers’ needs through continuous product innovation. It was in the year 2013 that the company launched a new range of products for its global customers, targeting both men and women. Among the newly launched products, one was the Mythic Oil Le Parfum, which has gained much appreciation since its launch in 2013. In the discussion henceforth, emphasis will be laid on the performance of the product selected, i.e. Mythic Oil Le Parfum since its launch. Special emphasis will also be delivered to identify the drivers’ responsibilities to trigger such performance of product along with its challenges applying theories relevant to the context. The objective of the discussion is thus to evaluate the performance of the product chosen and identify the reasons for its success in the global market after its launch. There is a wide-ranging product line introduced by L’Oreal in the global market targeting its male and female customers. Every year the brand intends to extend i ts product line with the introduction of new products as per the market preferences, needs, and trends. Therefore, it can be stated that the company emphasizes continuous innovation in its product line to enhance its competitive position.

Mutually Assured Destruction Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Mutually Assured Destruction - Research Paper Example Their own children fought the first man versus man battle with Abel as the first human casualty. From then onwards, from the Book of Genesis to the Book of Revelation, every chapter exposes the wars human beings have had to win. On the other hand, the theory of evolution paints an even more difficult birth for the human kind. It is survival of the fittest. Perhaps the Homo sapiens specie is indeed the fittest because it had survived the tests of time and nature. Sadly though, we did survive millions of years of evolution only to stand at the brink of total annihilation on our own hands. Apparently, Armageddon would come not through the Beast of the Book of Revelation or through a colliding giant asteroid. Contrary to the prophecies of prophets and filmmakers, the end of days would be brought by the beast of man called nuclear weapon when the interests of the world’s powers collide. Worse, there is no need for a world war three in order for the world to be in chaos. All it need s is a war between two nuclear superpowers and the earth will stand still, or whatever is left of it. War in this day and age is unthinkable but we need to think about it. War in the twenty first century is simply mad. Well, as a matter of fact, it is MAD. This paper shall look into the theory of war called Mutually Assured Destruction (MAD) and its role in the World War I, World War II and the Cold War. Moreover, this paper shall explore into the future of weapons and war in light of the technological advancements of our time. The MAD Theory When John F. Kennedy took over the reins on January 20, 1961, he declared in his inaugural address: "Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we will pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe, to assure the survival and the success of liberty.† Essentially, this was a confirmation that from then onwards, the USSR will never catch up on the mighty USA. The government will do everything in its power and utilize all available resources to ensure that the USA shall remain the world’s guardian of democracy and anyone who chose to disagree and oppose shall feel its power. True to his words, the President brought in Robert McNamara from the business sector to help him pound the competition and ensure its monopoly on world power. And McNamara managed the Department of Defense like he would a multinational company – always with a sharp eye on profit and always calculating the odds with the aid of cost-benefit analysis. The US developed more products that would be a big hit in the world market (read: weapons that would destroy the world). And the business of war was indeed good. President John F. Kennedy’s Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara introduced the world to the concept of Mutually Assured Destruction otherwise known as simply MAD. In his own words: â€Å"Mutual Assured Destruction is the foundation of deterrence†¦ If you want a stable nuclear world†¦ it requires that each side be confident that it can deter the other. And that requires that there be a balance and the balance is the understanding that if either side initiates the use of nuclear weapons, the other side will respond with sufficient power to inflict unacceptable damage. Mutual Assured Destruction. So Mutual Assured Destruction is the foundation of stable deterrence in a nuclear world. It's not mad, it's logical.† (Interview) Robert McNamara is credited with the doctrine of Mutually Assur

Competition Policy and a Single European Market Research Paper

Competition Policy and a Single European Market - Research Paper Example Being a member of the European EMU (Economic and Monetary Union) may be defined on the basis of four aspects. First, the members are defined by a single currency. Secondly, they not only enjoy a common monetary policy, but they also share similar interest rates. Then there is the issue of budget deficit limits, which in this case has been set at 3 per cent of a member country’s GDP. Finally, members enjoy capital; market integration. Talk has been rife that CEECs (Central and Eastern European Countries) may enlist for membership of EMU. However, there are a few elements that hinder such a move. These countries are poor, with low wage and income earner. They have low populations, and their economy may at best be said to be transitory. In addition, they are also industrially different, relative to the EMU countries. In the event that the CEECs become EMU members. Chances are that price, wage and cost transparency of industrial products may be experienced (Oudenaren 2005). In add ition, there will no longer be a market barrier that exists between EMU members and non-EMU members (Ackerman 2006). This in effect will lead to an expanded market to East and Central Europe. Without a doubt, the idea of CEECs joining EMU shall have far-reaching repercussions. For starters, we might very well witness a rise in migration to west EU, because of the availability of better-paying jobs and living conditions. On the other hand, the risk of doing business could as well increase, because of the industrial differences in doing business between, on the one hand, the CEECs and on the other hand, the countries in west EU (Oudenaren 2005).

Managing People Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words - 1

Managing People - Essay Example Ineffective leadership, poor organizational culture, poor management styles, poor working conditions, lack of work life balancing, lack of career development opportunities etc. are some of the major reasons that prevent employees from delivering their bests. This report analyses the importance of employee engagement, employee involvement and leadership styles, taking McDonalds Corporation as an example. Founded by Maurice and Richard McDonald in 1940 and operating in 119 countries, McDonalds is world’s largest the fast food business group now. Around 1.7 million people were employed by McDonalds in its 14000 restaurants operating at different parts of the world (Reward Gateway UK, 2014). The 1.7 million workforces of McDonalds are extremely diverse since the company is operating in different parts of the world. Management of diverse or multicultural workforce is not as easy as the management of a single cultural workforce. The leaders and the managers of the company should implement effective HR strategies to bring out the maximum productivity of the employees. According to Torrington et al (2011), HRM is all management activities that help an organization to use its workforce to make things happen in a productive way. Even though an organization may have many resources such as machine, money and materials, none of them are as important as manpower resources. It should be noted that manpower is the only active resource of an organization and it is necessary to mobilize all other resources. Ineffective workforce may waste all other organizational resources whereas effective or skilled workforce may use all other resources in an efficient manner. In short, manpower resource is the most important resource for all organizations. According to Boxall & Purcell (2012), effective utilization of manpower resource is one of the most important HR functions. The success and failure of an organization depends on how well the leaders

EXAM Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

EXAM - Assignment Example The impacts of the United States Tax Code on the amount of capital held by the insurers The United States code has reformed in such a way that the individuals who are eligible for paying the insurance fee receive much of the benefits from the insurance companies. The tax codes instituted by the United States have increased the number of people covered in the insurance plans. This enhances a lot of capital tied up in the insurance issues. This increases the amount of capital held by the insurers. Reason why workers are willing to accept the pay as you earn plan instead of the private pension plan One of the fundamental reasons why workers would prefer the pay as you go unfunded pension plans to the private pension plans is due to the cost burden associate with the private pension plan The Pay as you go pension plan offers provisions that allow a regular deduction of a specified amount from the worker’s salary. This would enhance a long run cost benefit to the workers. Private p ension plans also do not have any subsidy and; therefore, the workers may not prefer it. Benefits planners and statutory laws The benefit planners ought to understand the statutory laws provided in the carious sources in order to facilitate an effective plan design and management within the various sectors. Statutory laws are essential to the benefit planners since they are the basis of all other rules, court cases, and regulations affecting the planners. Sources of statutory law in the benefit area The internal revenue code is one of the sources of statutory laws in the benefit area. This involves the taxation that pertains to the amount of deductibles and taxation pensions to the employee benefit programs. This is essential in the determination of the amount of funds deductible from the different employees. It contributes the pay as you go pension plans. Security laws are another statutory law in the benefit area. It involves the protection of the investors. This benefit plan is e ssential in the protection of the amount of money that the employees have. It is, therefore, essential in ensuring the protection of the employee’s excess funds placed forwards as investments. Civil rights laws are also a given law designed for the statutory sectors. This part of the employee compensation policies prohibits different discriminatory elements in employment. This is essential in enhancing fair employee practices during operations. Employee Retirements Income Security Act also affects the benefit planners. This involves the provisions set aside to safeguard the employees’ funds set aside for future benefits. This act ensures protection against fraudulent actions on employee benefit funds. Realized rate of return John’s salary= $20,000 Contribution= 3% Pre-tax return= 15% Tax bracket= 28% John contribution = Yield/dividend after 1year= Final yield= $600+$90= $690 After tax rate of return = Tax deducted = Final amount = $690-$74.52= $615.48 Realized r ate of return = Realized rate of return= 2.58% Mr. Miller’s Illness Mr. Miller’s illness falls under critical illness. By medical diagnosis, to the extent that Mr. Miller have been bedridden for the last three months and does not take solid food, he must be have been diagnosed with histological conformation shown by rapid growth of malignant cells and invasion of tissues of the digestive system. Insurance policies treat these conditions as critical illness. Part A question 1 The liability in this case may be