I'm not sure Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

I'm not sure - Essay Example In addition to honoring elders, the path to virtue is found through restraint. This means that the individual must not indulge for personal satisfaction in order to stay on the path that will bring him/her to higher levels of achievement. When the individual behaves in a manner that expresses his/her position on the path as he/she is following the Way, the development of the community is achieved through right and moral good which in turn contributes to social betterment. Finding the Way is the path to finding virtue. The term virtue refers to moral worthiness, specifically and is referring to the power within the individual to act along the path. As Kong and Slingerland suggest, during the Shang period virtue was about the personal power within someone. This referred to charisma and the way in which the individual attracted people to them so that they would follow (242). This does not always mean that someone is good, however. A good example is that of Fidel Castro. One of the comme nts made by Barbara Walters when she had interviewed him was that she was wildly attracted to him and sexually compelled by his personal power (Ratcliff 130). In some interpretations of the Shang period of virtue, this would make Fidel Castro virtuous. The mark of this power was envisioned as a part of the divine right that was given to a leader as a blessing. The intention was to make the ruler seem that they were not to be questioned. The ruling position was deserved. The Zhou shifted this to mean that the observance of ritual was recognized by Heaven through which a ruler was then given divine blessing. What Confucius did was then place this not only within the power of the ruler, but into the power of the individual. This can almost be seen as the action that Martin Luther took when he opened up the path to God through the individual with the intervention of the priests no longer necessary. The sense of Heaven could be felt through the Way, and the way was accessible by the indi vidual (Kong and Slingerland 242). Dao is a reference to the Way. The Way refers to a path, which Confucius defines as a literal way of doing things in order to meet certain expectations of what it means to be a good and wholesome person. The Way is distinctly defined by a means to morality, the path through which the individual must go in order to move towards living a moral life. Kong and Songerland write that â€Å"this Way is manifested in the ritual practices, music and literature passed down from the Golden Age of the Western Zhou† (243). This means that culture is highly important in fulfilling the path of the Way. Culture is of high importance to the practice of morality. In passage 1.6, the â€Å"Master said, ‘A young person should be filial when at home and respectful of his elders when in public. Conscientious and trustworthy, he should display a general care for the masses, but feel a particular affection for those who are Good. If he has any strength left over after manifesting theses virtues in practice, let him devote it to learning the cultural arts† (Kong and Slingerland 3). This task is both difficult and easy, the mandate depending on the nature of the individual and their position within the world. The individual who is inclined to have respect for their elders and is consistent in showing respect for the people in his or her environment and who has a desire to seek the learning about the cultural arts can accomplish this goal. The

Ethics Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Ethics - Case Study Example The police officers of every nation are empowered to ensure the safety of their communities and to arrest people that they suspect of being criminals. This level of power, for some officers, gives them the facility to abuse the authority accorded them by enaging in corrupt activities. The issue of ensuring police accountability is probably one of the hardest to achieve for police leaders (Miller, 2010). This is because police officers are in the first place empowered to use coercive tactics when enforcing the law. The law enforcement profession, in contrast to other proffesions, has numerous opportunities for acts of corruption. Corrupt acts in the police profession include taking bribes, giving false witness against a suspect, or pilfering itmes from a scene of crime. There have also been many cases in the past of police officers misusing physically battering suspects to get quick albeit wrong confessions. Such acts are then hidden by coworkers. These are just some of the problems t hat are faced by police leaders. The challenges that many police organizations face at present could be categorized into three groups; as administrative, operational, and political issues (Kaariainen, Lintonen, Laitinen and Pollock, 2008). Operational challenges are basically focused on order maintenance and crime control police operations. These operations include controlling drug-trafficking, prosecuting organized crime, and gangs, violent crime, and controlling social disorder. It is in these areas where most corrupt practices such as the use of brutality and bribe taking are prevalent. Administrative challenges have to do with allocating resources, engineering the transfer of officers, defining service quality, and handling daily administrative issues. Police leaders have in the past dealt with challenges in the officially prescribed manner. This can affect the induction of new regulations that will positively affect the police force. The hierarchical structure which stipulates that all direction flows from the top down can actually stifle any efforts of ordinary officers to improve their departments. Political challenges have to do with being affected by the community’s political environment. There have been many instances in the past when police actions were compromised by the influence of owerful political players who interfered criminal investigations. Such realities put a lot of pressure on police leaders because they know that they can be adversely affected by refusing to accede to the requests of powerful politicians operating within their jurisdictions. Reasons why these Challenges Need to be Addressed in Light of the Organization’s Mission, Values and Culture Police corruption basically refers to any acts that contravene the very rules that police officers are expected to uphold. Police officers, like all other members of communities, have basic needs and wants. Some police officers simply enter the force in order to earn a good livi ng whle serving their communities. Morever, their idealistic views of what is right and what ois wrong might be negatively affected once they are exposed to the world of crime and discover that criminals actually make more money than they do. Once this point is reached, it takes an extremely dedicated officer to refuse the temptation of large bribes in order to allow criminal elements in the society to

Toyota’s problem revealed

Toyota’s problem revealed 1. Abstract A system can be defined as a collection of interrelated parts that taken together form a whole system such that the collection has some purpose and a change in any parts leads to or result from change in some other part(s). Information system is organized system which comprises input unit, process unit and output unit with a feedback mechanism that receives raw data and converts into a sensible information. Management information system is a system that provides information for the management activities carried out within the organization. This system consists of hardware and software that accept data and store, process, and retrieve information. This information is selected and presented in a form suitable for managerial decision making and for the planning and monitoring of the organizations activities. Essential to the idea of a management information system is the ability to retrieve data and use it for the production of targeted information for different purposes. Much data will be stored as the result of transaction processing operations. It is important that this data is seen as a central resource for the entire management information system and not tied to the application that produced it. In order to achieve the objective of common availability, the data needs to be managed as a central resource. The software that creates this database and handles access to it is called a Database Management System. This ensures the data is controlled, consistent and available to provide information. The database serves as a permanent store for the results of transaction processing, as a temporary store during processing and as a store for the records of the transaction processing and the database is handled by the database management system software. This protects the database from direct contact with the application programs and maintains data consistency. 2. Toyotas Problem Revealed Toyota is all about the customer. Technology does not drive business processes at Toyota but the various systems employed in it like Toyota production system(TPS),Corporate Customer Information System, Just-In-Time System, Customer Relationship Mangement,Enterprise Resource Planning are, few systems to name ,which drive the business processes on Toyota.Psabilla (2006). Major problems faced by Toyota can be broadly classified into Organizational/Technical and Management Problem. 2.1 Organizational/technical problems at Toyota: 2.1.1 Problems with Corporate Customer Information System (CCIS) CCIS is a central repository of up-to-the-minute customer information linked to all transaction systems. CIS is designed around customers, providing information about the products and services they use and their relationships with other customers and the organization. CCIS can reduce the costs associated with redundant systems by functioning as a single, central point of entry for creation, inquiry and retrieval. Because it readily accepts information from a variety of systems, CCIS easily accommodates virtually any financial institutions system environment. In order to build and sustain a competitive edge, service organization need to strive to maintain a superior quality of services in an effort to gain customer loyality, hence improving customer retention rates.(Kadampully,1998) Many organizations find they are surrounded by data that come in variety of forms: records, instructions, design, blueprints, maps, image, sounds, metadata, detailed data, and summarized data, to name just a few. Yet much of it does not truly satisfy their information need. This information may be stored in places ranging from file cabinets to databases and from library shelves to the Internet. Todays organizations have achieved quantity of data and information, but not necessarily quality of either, meaning that the data or information lacks one or more vital characteristics necessary for it to be fit for use. Problems with the quality of data and information are further compounded by the struggle many organizations are experiencing as they try to improve their systems for knowledge management and organizational memory. This is the main area where Toyota had crucial problem. Toyotas database had several million records that had to be checked. Some database had wrong addresses, wrong vehicles, and wrong motors. 2.1.2 Information- and Data quality challenges Toyota relied on its Corporate Customer Information System to provide the information about its customers and other service problems. Data from system identified Lexus owners with troublesome tyres, and Toyota began mailing the owners cheques for $400 or more to replace troublesome tyres. But some of these cheques went to the people who did not even own a Lexus and one was mailed to a Toyotas auditor for a vehicle he no longer owned. These mistakes pointed to a massive data quality problem because the Corporate Customer Information System used customer data stored in 15 databases in different parts of the company. So the company had to bear a huge financial loss. 2.1.3 Root causes of poor data quality in the Corporate Customer Information System Multiple data sources: Multiple sources of the same information can contain different values for information, including values that were accurate at a prior point in time. Subjective judgment in data production: data collected using subjective judgments and technique can lead to biased information being recorder. Bypassing input rules and too strict input rules: bypassing database edit checking without careful examination may produce missing or error nous information when individuals either arbitrarily change a value to pass the edit check or skip entering the field. Input rules that are too strict may further encourage data entry clerks to seek ways to bypass onerous edit checks. Volume of data: Large volume of stored information may make it difficult to access information from multiple system Distributed heterogeneous systems: distributed heterogeneous systems can lead to inconsistent definitions, formats, and values as well as excessive time spent to select and aggregate information from multiple systems Researcher and practioners are continuing to discover and explain the roots causes of poor quality data so that the systems that collect, process, and disseminate data can be improved. One of the best examples of this type of research is an article by strong, lee, and Wang (1997) that identifies ten key problems that often lead to data-quality problems 2.1.4 Cost of poor data and information quality are difficult to quantify The costs associated with poor data and information quality are often difficult to quantify because they involve both tangible and intangible components. Without accurate cost estimates, organizations may not realize the impact that poor data and information quality is having on their bottom line and, therefore, improvement is not a priority. Knight(1992) Redman (2003) estimates that without an active quality program in place, the cost of poor data and information quality for a typical organization is about 20% of the revenue. Although the fear of bad publicity keeps many companies silent about this issues,Knight(1992).thats why,Toyata also suffered a huge financial loss due to decline in its sales revenue. The presence of poor quality data and information can lead to higher costs in several ways. First there is the cost of remedying the mistake caused by the poor quality data or information along with the cost of correcting the data or information problem itself. rectifying the harm caused by poor data and information quality may involve dealing with cleanup effort, loss of lives, valuable equipments or production time, rework, lawsuit or penalties, and costumer appeasements such as offering rebates or issuing apology letters. Redman (1996,1-16) also cities other quality-related expenses such as different department within the same organization maintaining their own stores of redundant information because no one trusts the information in the others data base: managers forming poorer, less-confident decisions that take longer to make; and organizational difficulties in adopting new technologies such as data warehouse or business- re- engineering projects. Beside causing additional expenses, the presence of poor quality data may cause revenue reduction due to dissatisfied customers and partners opting to do business with someone else.Dealing with the effects of poor quality data and information can frustrate employees, lower job satisfaction, and raise levels of organizational mistrust. In a tight labor market, organizations may find that poor quality data and information inhibit their ability to attract and retain skilled employees. All these findings are echoed by Hansen and Wang (1991), who found that data and information quality impact corperate profits by interfering with an organizations ability to deliver customer service, management support, and productivity gains. 2.2 Management Problem at Toyota â€Å"In Toyota, Technology plays a critical role by supporting, enabling and bringing to life on a mass scale the processes derived by adhering to Transaction Processing System(TPS).Over the years, Toyota refined a number of other concepts and production methods that support the two central TPS pillars.They are Just-in-time and Genchi Genbustsu(meaning- Go and see for yourself) . And behind each of those pillars are information systems, supporting and enabling the processes†-Evans,P(2002). Data and information quality represent an important and maturing area in the field of management information system. This pursuit is fraught with the challenges as organizations discover the difficulties surrounding the definition, measurement, analysis and improvement of quality for data and information. For the help in dealing these challenges, organizations can turn to a growing body of research on data and information quality. (Coleridge,S.T 2003). The major management challenges face by the Toyota is as follows: Financial Loss: The Company had a huge financial loss due to error on the customer information system. Company had to pay huge value for the customer service resulting into tangible loss for it. This introduced a financial risk to the company. Ineffective customer service and support: The Company offered monetary compensation to Lexus owners with troublesome tyres but unfortunately, it reached to such group of people who never owned such vehicles. On other side of the coin, the incentive never reached to deserving candidates. This action gave wrong message to the public. Customers were totally dissatisfied with the customer service and support system of the company resulting a problem in the customer retention program of the company. Ineffective decision support system: the poor quality data led to inaccurate information to transaction processing system. This resulted poor reports which are tools for decision making in the Management Information System. This entire problem resulted its effect on the company on its strategic planning area i.e. Executive Information System. Human Resource Problem: Huge number of employee had to recruited throughout various branches distributed in different geographical locations. Laying off these unnecessary workforce was a big problem to the company as they had to handle the distributed information system. 3. Management Initiative to solve the problem 3.1 Installation of Centralized Database: Toyotas management called for a single centralized customer database to solve the problem regarding the data quality. The advantages of a centralized database approach can be summarized in that it leads to a system where data management and control are more effective and the ability to share data is increased. Advantages of database can be summarized as follows: Data redundancy is reduced: In the application led, file based approach; data such as employee name may be unnecessarily duplicated in various files. This is a waste of storage and can be reduced, if not entirely eliminated, in a database system. Data consistency can be maintained: A corollary of the elimination of redundancy is that update inconsistency is reduced. Some inconsistency may result unless care is taken in database design, because some duplication of data is not eliminated. Independence of data and programs is possible: In the file based approach, the application programs are closely interdependent with the file structure. For example, the payroll programs will need to ‘know how the employee file is organized in order to access to records. It makes a great deal of difference whether the file is organized sequentially by employee# or organized with an employee# index. At the level of the record, the order of the fields and the length of each will probably need to be ‘known by the program. It is not possible to change the file organization or change the record structure without changing the program or program that access it. The program is dependent on the data. In a database system, many programs will share the same data. It is not desirable to require each program to be changed when there is a change in the physical form of storage of data.( changes in physical storage can be made for reasons of technical efficiency.) The database management system maintains the same view of the data to the accessing program no matter how the data may be reorganized physically on the disk. A logical view is presented to the user or user programs: following from the last point, it is clear that the view of the data presented to the users or user programs must be independent to the physical storage details it must be logical. Many database management systems allow different logical views of the same data to be presented to different users or programs. This is important as it frees programmers from a need to pay attention to the physical details of storage and allows them to concentrate on the applications to be coded. In the example covered earlier in this chapter, it is much easier for programmers to develop the cost allocation program if it is not necessary to consider the physical details of data retrieval. Program can concentrate on how to do a task, not on how to obtain the data to do Applications development is enhanced because data sharing is possible: The ability to use the database management system to retrieve data across the database in any required form once it has been stored opens up the range of applications for which the existing data can be used. Standards can be enforced: The factor that all access to data occurs via the database management system allows the individual responsible for this , the database administrator (DBA), to ensure that applications standards are followed in the representation of data. Security is more easily implemented: The DBA will control access to the database. The DBA can ensure that authorization code for users are set restricting their access to only parts of the database and for only for the functions (read,write,copy)that are legitimate to their data purposes. Databases allow more effective control over access than the dispersal of responsibility associated with file- based systems. However, a breach of security may lead to a greater risk, as more data is accessible than with a traditional file- based system. (Curtis,G.,Cobham,D.(2002) 3.2 Application of Informaticas Power Mart: Informatica is data integration software. Thousands of companies rely on the informaticas platform to lower the IT costs and gain greater business value from all their information assets both on-premise in traditional IT computing system and in the internet cloud. Two main elements of this software are : Data mining It is a collection of tools and techniques. It is one of the several technologies required to support a customer-centric enterprise. In broader sense, data mining is an attitude that business actions should be based on learning that informed decisions are better than uninformed decisions, and that measuring resulting is beneficial to the business. Data mining is also a process and methodology for applying the tool and techniques for effective relationship with its customers. (Berry, Michael J. A.Linoff, Gordon S. 2004) Data mining helped Toyota to identify the hidden trends in the database. Various software modules present in the data mining were used to realize the dependency of data and its relationship with other entities in the database repository. This helped Toyota to make decision in the real-time. Data Warehousing Data warehousing is a logical repository of an organizations electronically stored data. It fulfills the organizations need for reliable, consodiated,unique and reporting and analysis of its data at different levels within the organization. The practical reality of Toyota is that their data infrastructure was made up by a collection of heterogeneous systems like customer relationship management, Enterprise Resource planning, transaction processing system, decision support system etc, throughout all the branches distributed in different geographical locations. so same information of different entities were repeated all over in the database. Data warehousing tools and module helped to keep these information in more scientific way in the form of data marts. Some of the benefits that a data warehouse provided are as follows: A data warehouse provided a common data model for all data created whatever the datas source may be. So it was easier to report and analyze information Before storing data into the data warehouse, inconsistent data were identified and resolved which made it easy to report and analyze the trend of data. The information in the warehouse can be stored safely for long periods of time. Data warehouses provide retrieval of data without slowing down operational systems because they were separated from operational system. Data warehouses added the value of operational business applications especially CRM. Data warehouses helped decision support system applications to produce trend reports, exception reports, and reports that show actual performance versus goals. 4. Conclusion: By implementing a new information system, Toyota was able to maintain data quality within the database. As we know â€Å"Too much of Information kill information†, the main challenge in every business is not creating and storing the information but the challenge lie on the capability of company to manage it and use it as par need. Efficient management of the database helped Toyota to increased its annual vehicle sales revenue from 750000 to 1.7 million. This is a huge financial benefit to the company from market share viewpoint. Toyota also gained the intangible benefits of ‘first-mover advantage which made them a leader in using a new process or system that were difficult for competitors to follow yielding strategic competitive advantage. This helped them to stay in the business despite of the huge system failure. Other intangible benefits like staff morale, customer satisfaction,reputation,customer-management, value chain management, organizational learning were also o bserved by the management.

Lucy Liu :: Charlies Angels

Lucy Liu Lucy Liu is an important figure in the Asian American community. She is one of the few Asian actors who sas made it big in the film world. She has starred in a television series, "Ally McBeal," and also in movies. Her biggest impact in the film world has been the movie Charlie's Angels, in which she instills strength in being a woman and also brings in elements of her Asian background. Lucy Liu has indeed broken the stereotype of Asian Americans as she is not passive or submissive. Lucy Liu has become an important figure in the Asian American community. In a quote by AskMen.com, â€Å"Lucy Liu has broken the mold that Asian actors are prone to passivity, and made herself a veritable star.† She is seen as a serious actress because her popularity is soaring in Hollywood. Hollywood has a very minimal Asian influence, but Lucy Liu has made it as a sought-after star. One of her most memorable characters is her being one of the three agents in Charlie’s Angels. Typically, most of the Asian women in the past have been created to have stereotypes such as the â€Å"dragon lady†, who is a beautiful evil villain, and other characters that are passive and submissive to their men. Lucy Liu’s character in Charlie’s Angels is a strong, powerful woman. Although this is just a fictional character, the way her character is perceived is that she is in control of her situations and she is able to â€Å"kick butt.† It gives me pride knowing that a person of my ethnicity can become so successful, and it gives me hope that I can accomplish great things as well. Her character shows that Asian women are not just two dimensional.

Personality Psychology and People

Monique Contero INFJ Tu. Th. 8 pm 10/23/2012 I learned that I am â€Å"The Protector† my primary focus of living is internal; I take things in through intuition. I also learned that my secondary mode is external; I deal with things according to how I feel about them and how they fit with my beliefs. I am a gentle, caring, complex person who is very intuitive. I am also artistic and creative. I put great importance on keeping things orderly and systemic. I put most of my energy into finding the best system in getting things done. I am usually right and I usually know I am but sometimes I don’t know why.I put a lot of faith and trust into my instincts and intuitions because most of the time I can sense things most people can’t see or feel. I get strong feelings and I can understand people. When someone is going through something I can usually feel it inside myself. I am a deep and complex individual but I am usually quiet and very observant. Most people don’ t understand me and I don’t open up much to people I don’t know. I hold a special place in most people’s heart to the people whom I am close to because I have a big heart and compassion for them.I usually care more about people’s feelings then I care about my own. I don’t like conflict and when conflict arises I am sensitive towards it. I get irritated or angry when there’s conflict and I don’t know how to tolerate it and I get stressed out over it. I am a stubborn and I don’t like listening to other people’s opinions. I am also a perfectionist. I am never at peace with myself because I know I can do better. I believe that change happens with us before it can happen in the world. I am easygoing though.I am devoted, patient, protective around people I care about who get hurt by others, and I am a natural nurturer. In the workplace I am always coming up with creative ideas and I like working alone. The field I am best in i s fields that are self orientated and allow me to use my creativity and instincts to help the world. I am the type of person that belongs in social work or working in law because I am a natural protector and I believe in growth. I can use my personality traits to help people to come up with new ideas to help the company expand.

Coptic Christians Essay

As one of the most dominant sources of primary readership in the world newspapers have a great deal of power over what their recipients read and believe; with this being the case it is no surprise that it is the editorial standpoint of the articles presented in your local newspaper that dictate how you feel about particular subjects, especially those of international appeal, not unlike the varying views of the recent pig culls in Egypt. With tensions in the area high and ready to boil over the Egyptian government has started a controversial pig cull that has left outside nations confused and poverty stricken pig farmers throwing stones. After having learned some very hard lessons with mad cow disease and bird flu fatalities, the Egyptian government began the cull to prevent the infestation of swine flu and it has since been deemed a general health measure of great concern and unending debate. People consider newspaper articles to be almost as valid a source as a first-hand account, often viewing news reports as individuals writing â€Å"live† from the location of the story as if a part of the incident taking place; it is never taken into account the fact that a great deal of newsprint stories are taken down from the Associated Press and reported in the way that the writer and editors of newspaper should see fit. Thus, with the story being reported and relayed differently the perceptions of readers in France, America, the United Kingdom and various other parts of the world are likely to be very different when it comes to stories like this one. Although the story has been reported all over the world, the only way to get the mixings of the real story with all of its elements would be to include the information obtained in every newspaper that has covered the story, or to at least take representative samples from varying parts of the world like what has been done here. Where one country may report predominantly on the religious aspects of the dispute another country may focus more on money and another on class, so in order to get the full story you must put together the pieces that you receive from the sources you review. In presenting information like the fact that the World Health Organization reports that the swine flu outbreak was spread through a person-to-person system of transmission and that in none of the more than 700 cases reported worldwide was there believed to be any animal-to-person transmission, nor were there any fatalities or serious cases reported outside of Mexico it is clear that BBC News is attempting to portray the views and understandings of various international organizations like the United Nations and their World Health Organization. This newspaper is attempting to present how the issue is being perceived by international health officials. BBC News also spent a great deal more time presenting the religious argument than on the monetary aspects and the class issues over the controversy of physical disputes. They reported that most people living in Cairo are Muslim, so it is the belief of the pig farmers, as Coptic Christians, that the pig cull is a personal attack on them as a direct insult against their chosen faith. With Muslims having taken a vow against pork, the pig farming and consumption that takes place in Egypt is enacted by its Coptic Christian minority, which constitutes only about 10% of the Egyptian population. BBC News is trying to make clear here that the Coptic Christians are being unfairly targeted as the lower class minority, an element not very well touched on in some of the other periodicals.

Dyslexia and Multisensory Teaching Approaches

Dyslexia and Multisensory Teaching Approaches Multisensory learning involves using two or more senses during the learning process. For example, a teacher who provides lots of hands-on activities, such as building a 3-dimensional map enhances their lesson by allowing the children to touch and see the concepts she is teaching. A teacher who uses oranges to teach fractions adds sight, smell, touch and taste to an otherwise difficult lesson. According to the International Dyslexia Association (IDA), multisensory teaching is an effective approach to teaching children with dyslexia. In traditional teaching, students typically use two senses: sight and hearing. Students see words when reading and they hear the teacher speaking. But many children with dyslexia may have problems processing visual and auditory information. By including more of the senses, making lessons come alive by incorporating touch, smell and taste into their lessons, teachers can reach more students and help those with dyslexia learn and retain information. Some ideas take just a little effort but can bring about big changes. Tips for Creating a Multisensory Classroom Writing homework assignments on the board. Teachers can use different colors for each subject and notations if books will be needed. For example, use yellow for math homework, red for spelling and green for history, writing a sign next to the subjects students need books or other materials. The different colors allow students to know at a glance which subjects have homework and what books to bring home.Use different colors to signify different parts of the classroom. For example, use bright colors in the main area of the classroom to help motivate children and promote creativity. Use shades of green, which help increase concentration and feelings of emotional well-being, in reading areas and computer stations.Use music in the classroom. Set math facts, spelling words or grammar rules to music, much as we use to teach children the alphabet. Use soothing music during reading time or when students are required to work quietly at their desks.Use scents in the classroom to convey differe nt feelings. According to the article Do scents affect peoples moods or work performance? in the November, 2002 issue of Scientific American, People who worked in the presence of a pleasant smelling air freshener also reported higher self-efficacy, set higher goals and were more likely to employ efficient work strategies than participants who worked in a no-odor condition. Aromatherapy can be applied to the classroom. Some common beliefs about scents include: Lavender and vanilla help promote relaxationCitrus, peppermint and pine help increase alertnessCinnamon helps to improve focus You may find that your students react differently to certain scents, so experiment to find which works best using a variety of air fresheners. Start with a picture or object. Usually, students are asked to write a story and then illustrate it, write a report, and find pictures to go with it, or draw a picture to represent a math problem. Instead, start with the picture or object. Ask students to write a story about a picture they found in a magazine or break the class into small groups and give each group a different piece of fruit, asking the group to write descriptive words or a paragraph about the fruit. Make stories come to life. Have students create skits or puppet shows to act out a story the class is reading. Have students work in small groups to act out one part of the story for the class. Use different colored paper. Instead of using plain white paper, copy hand-outs on different color paper to make the lesson more interesting. Use green paper one day, pink the next and yellow the day after. Encourage discussion. Break the class into small groups and have each group answer a different question about a story that was read. Or, have each group come up with a different ending to the story. Small groups offer each student a chance to participate in the discussion, including students with dyslexia or other learning disabilities who may be reluctant to raise their hand or speak up during class. Use different types of media to present lessons. Incorporate different ways of teaching, like films, slide shows, overhead sheets, P owerpoint presentations. Pass pictures or manipulatives around the classroom to allow students to touch and see the information up close. Making each lesson unique and interactive keeps students interest and helps them retain the information learned. Create games to review material. Create a version of Trivial Pursuit to help review facts in science or social studies. Making reviews fun and exciting will help students remember the information.   ReferencesDo scents affect peoples moods or work performance? 2002, Nov 11, Rachel S. Herz, Scientific AmericanInternational Dyslexia Association. (2001). Just the facts: Information provided by the International Dyslexia Association: Orton-Gillingham-Based and/or Multisensory Structured Language approaches. (Fact Sheet No.968). Baltimore: Maryland.

Definition and Examples of Prepositional Adverbs

Definition and Examples of Prepositional Adverbs In English grammar, a prepositional adverb is an  adverb  that can also function as a  preposition. Unlike an ordinary preposition, a prepositional adverb is not followed by an  object. An adverb is a word used to describe or modify a verb, an adjective, or another adverb. Adverbs can help describe how an action is performed (carefully, happily, quickly), when an action takes place (before, after, daily, weekly), or where an action takes place (here, there, inside, outside). A preposition, meanwhile, is a word used to show direction, location, or time (on, at, over, near). It is a word that introduces a prepositional phrase, which usually ends with an object. Prepositional phrases include expressions such as on the ground, by the store, and near the wall. English words that can function as prepositional adverbs include the following: about, above, across, after, along, around, before, behind, below, between, beyond, by, down, in, inside, near, on, opposite, out, outside, over, past, round, since, through, throughout, under, up, within, and without. Phrasal Verbs Prepositional adverbs  (also called  adverbial particles) are also used to form  phrasal verbs. These are idiomatic expressions, usually consisting of a verb and an adverb or a verb and a preposition, that form a single semantic unit. Examples include phrases such as see to, pulled up, call on, give in, and hold back. Phrasal verbs are also known as compound verbs or multiword verbs. What makes them unique is the fact that their meaning is not the sum of their parts, as Grover Hudson points out in Essential Introductory Linguistics. Hudson offers the example of throw[ing] up, an action that doesnt involve either throwing or a direction up. Another good example is call off, meaning to cancel. The meaning of the verb call is transformed by the addition of the prepositional adverb off, creating an entirely new meaning. A single verb can be made into several different phrasal verbs, each with their own distinct meaning, by adding different prepositions. For example, the verb come can be turned into come up (with) (to think of an idea), come in (to enter), come across (to find), or come forward (to offer information).   Examples One way to spot prepositional adverbs is to look for prepositions that do not have corresponding objects. In many cases, these words are serving as adverbs: We were playing records, Mama, listening to the radio, just hanging around. Mama, just hanging around.(Annie Lou in Waiting for MacArthur, a play by P. Paullette MacDougal. Dramatic Publishing, 2003)Ring-a-ring-a-roses,A pocket full of posies;Hush! hush! hush! hush!We’re all tumbled down.(Kate Greenaways Mother Goose or the Old Nursery Rhymes, 1881)He called her up, she said oracularly, he called her up, and asked her to keep you at the telephone, so he could talk to Miss Louise. A thankless child is sharper than a serpents tooth.(Mary Roberts Rinehart, The Circular Staircase, 1908)After he finished wiping his shoes, he stepped inside.In the last quarter of the game, their fans cheered them on.In the middle of the investigation, an informant came forward with valuable information.As they passed by, they saw all kinds of amazing sights through the window of the train. In each of these examples, the adverb (around, down, up, inside, etc.) is a word that can also serve as a preposition. In each case, though, the word is not used to  form a prepositional phrase. In other words, each preposition (which functions as an adverb) appears without an object, making it a prepositional adverb. Pure Prepositions vs.Prepositional Adverbs In The Elements of English Grammar, George Philip Krapp writes that [t]he difference between the pure preposition and the prepositional adverb is illustrated by the following two sentences: He ran up the stairs.He ran up a bill. In the first sentence, stairs is the object of up. The expression up the stairs is a  prepositional phrase  modifying the verb ran. In the second sentence, however, bill is not the object of up, and up a bill is a not a prepositional phrase modifying the verb ran. Rather, the word up is acting as a prepositional adverb modifying the verb ran. Together, the two words form the phrasal verb ran up, an expression whose distinct meaning has nothing to do with the act of running.

Organic Chemistry Survival Tips

Organic Chemistry Survival Tips Organic chemistry is often considered the hardest chemistry class. Its not that its impossibly complicated, but there is a lot to absorb, in both the lab and classroom, plus you can expect to do some memorization to succeed at exam time. If youre taking o-chem, dont stress! Here are survival tips to help you learn the material and succeed in the class. 1) Choose How To Take Organic Chemistry Are you more of a mental sprinter or is distance running your style? Most school offer organic chemistry one of two ways. You can take the year-long course, broken into Organic I and Organic II. This is a good choice if you need time to digest and learn material or master lab protocols. Its a good choice if you tend to ask a lot of questions, because your instructor will be able to take the time to answer them. Your other option is to take organic over the summer. You get the whole shebang in 6-7 weeks, sometimes with a break in the middle and sometimes straight through, start to finish. If youre more of a cramming, run-to-the-finish type of student, this may be the way to go. You know your study style and level of self-discipline better than anyone else. Choose the learning method that works for you. 2) Make Organic Chemistry a Priority Your social life may take a hit while youre taking organic. It wont be your first chemistry class, so you already expect that. Try to avoid taking other challenging courses at the same time. There are only so many hours in the day to work problems, write lab reports, and study. If you load your schedule with sciences, youre going to get pressed for time. Plan to give time to organic. Set aside time to read the material, do the homework, and study. Youll also need some downtime to relax. Getting away from it for a while really helps the material click. Do not expect to just go to class and lab and call it a day. One of the biggest survival tips is to plan your time. (3) Review Before and After Class I know... I know... its a pain to review general chemistry before taking organic and to review notes before the next class. Reading the textbook? Agony. Yet, these steps truly help because they reinforce material. Also, when you review the subject, you may identify questions to ask at the beginning of class. Its important to understand each part of organic because topics build on those you have already mastered. Reviewing builds familiarity with the subject, which builds confidence. If you believe you can succeed at organic chemistry, you will. If youre scared of it, youll probably avoid it, which wont help you learn. After class not necessarily right away, but before the next class study! Review your notes, read, and work problems. (4) Understand, Dont Just Memorize There is some memorization in organic chemistry, but a large part of the class is understanding how reactions work, not just what structures look like. If you understand the why of a process, youll know how to approach new questions and problems. If you simply memorize information, youll suffer when its time for tests and you wont be able to apply the knowledge to other chemistry classes very well. (5) Work Lots of Problems Really, this is part of understanding. You need to work problems to understand how to solve unknown problems. Even if homework isnt picked up or graded, do it. If you dont have a firm grasp of how to solve problems, ask for help and then work more problems. (6) Dont Be Shy in Lab Learning techniques is an important part of organic chemistry. If you are unsure what to do, speak up. Ask lab partners, watch what other groups are doing, or find your instructor. Its okay to make mistakes, so dont beat yourself up if an experiment doesnt go as planned. Youre learning. Just try to learn from your mistakes and youll be fine. (7) Work With Others Any modern science career involves working as part of a team. Start honing your teamwork skills to survive organic chemistry. Study groups are helpful because different people may understand (and be able to explain) different concepts. Working together on assignments will probably get them completed more quickly. You may have gotten through general chemistry on your own, but theres no reason to go it alone in organic. Wondering why you should care about organic chemistry? Consider these examples of organic in everyday life. Learn Organic Chemistry Online

Discussion - Pandemics and Epidemics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Discussion - Pandemics and Epidemics - Essay Example Since then, various different types of H1N1 viruses have been causing pandemics across globe. It is caused by virus which spread fast. It can be spread by coughing or sneezing and therefore everyone is at risk. The major methods used for prevention is keeping nose and mouth covered with disinfectant cloth. It is advisable to keep indoor when pandemics occur. Schools are closed and avoid going to public places where one is more at risk. Anti vital drugs are also used during influenza pandemics which help to cope with disease. During pandemics, it is important that you build up your resistance through proper eating and nutritious intake of vitamins. Lots of boiled and filtered water should be taken. Indeed, total mortality rates of pandemics have huge adverse impact on population and health initiatives must be planned for such eventualities so that advance knowledge can restrain its spread to some

Synthesis of Research Problem, Method, and Design-Hypothetical Designs Paper

Synthesis of Problem, Method, and Design-Hypothetical Designs - Research Paper Example These challenges, which include dishonesty and plausible misjudgments, threaten the quality of results obtained through this process. Certain measures have, however, been put in place, to ensure high quality, and error free results. There is little or no attention given to the efficiency and throughput of the crowdsourcing process or the integrity of the results obtained. It is argued that the numbers of task workers and tasks are always small, thereby, resulting in crowdsourcing techniques that are not conscious of the number of tasks, potential worker behavior and efficiency of the process. This research aims at proposing a crowdsourcing, result-improvement technique that is independent of task complexity and sizes and ensures result quality, integrity, as well as efficiency and throughput of the process. The hypothesis being studied in this case is that crowdsourcing result-improvement techniques that are task size and complexity independent ensures result integrity, quality, effi ciency as well as throughput. Hypothetical Designs Quantitative design This design will utilize experimental research method - methods that aim at maximizing replicability, generalizability, and objectivity of results; mostly concerned with prediction (Creswell, 2009). The focus will be to test several existing crowdsourcing techniques including r-Redundancy, v-Voting, and Vote Boosting techniques on a large number of tasks that will be handled by a large number of users. These techniques will be considered as experiment participants. The independent variable in this case would be the crowdsourcing techniques, including r-Redundancy, v-Voting, Vote Boosting techniques and the technique that this research will propose. The independent variables will be studied in two level; low task, less complex task level, and high number of tasks, and complex tasks level. Consequently, the dependent variables will be integrity, quality, efficiency as well as throughput. The experiment will be set in such a way that, the tasks set for testing, will have two definitive parameters including the accuracy of the tasks initial states and the number of options available per decision. 8 sets of 100,000 tasks with 3, 4, or 5 options and 75%, 85%, and 95% as the accuracy for the initial set tasks. There are about 4 to 10 decisions distributed normally. The user network or population tested also has two parameters including mean probability for committing errors and for dishonesty. Values of 3%, 6% and 20% are used for both dishonesty and making of errors. These probabilities were distributed exponentially over [0, 1] around their mean values. Simulations for about 40 input-aggregation functions with each one receiving one input are run repeatedly. For this experiment, the proposed quantitative hypothetical design is deemed to be extremely expensive even in the event that only few points in a parameter space are covered. Qualitative Design In this case, this research method will aim at understanding and discovering the perspectives, thoughts and experiences of previous researchers and participants in the same field in order to understand reality, purpose and meaning (Trochim & Donnelly, 2008). The focus will be to review and evaluate literature on previous and current research

Final project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 4

Final project - Essay Example Unless controlled, these conditions constantly prompt more noteworthy ethnic and racial competition and to more noteworthy political, social, and economic oppression. According to Barusch (264) racism is a modern phenomenon that has been in place for a longer time and it aims at alienation and exploitation of both economic and social state of the victims. I come from a metropolitan area and for that reason the area is home to all races of the world. In the past years, there has been conflict between different races living within the area. The situation around the area can trace its roots back to the time when the area was growing with establishment of industries and other social amenities. There was a huge movement of people from other regions of the country seeking employement and better social amenities. In return, there was an increase in population which was made up of different races. With time, differences started rising among individuals from different races. There are those who felt to be more superior to others. The main races that have greatly been affected are the African-American and the Latinos. The racism is highly manifested in the places of work, educational facilities, and among social amenities like restaurants and places of worship. The African-Americans particularly have been victimized more than other races as th ey are the minority within the area. The plan against racism will take place in three main area; Educational institutes, social places, and in the public places. The idea is to create social awareness and ask people to stand against racism. The following people will be involved in the program; The program will run for a month and will be taking place daily running from Monday to Saturday. The use of the Ying Yang will be very instrumental as our tool or instrument of communication. The Yin Yang is known globally to represent two

Business statistics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Business statistics - Essay Example This is given that Professionals and Managers frequently are attentive to their measures level like mode, sums, and means. This is a way of communicating of the measure level and numbers use. In comparing of descriptive and inferential data, the two define the data variation in terms of the probability or dispersion distributions/patterns describing the data. This is where both rely on the same set of data. The only difference between the 2 is that inferential data aims to draw general conclusions about a big population (Richard, 69). This way its clear organizations look at results in many ways: quality, time, expenses etc. The dispersion learnt earlier helps to recognize the data information being tracked/measured. In order to decide of results and outcomes, we ought to understand the data variation or consistency (Richard, 44). This means data variation results to dissimilar results understanding. Descriptive statistics method of calculating data is for instance, function of Excel Analysis ToolPak function which produce salary data that is descriptive in statistics. The example of calculations in statistics is the Employee Salary Data set. In research, we categorize the collected data by the GEN1 (G variable) for females and males and then get each gender average and standard deviation for these variables in terms of age or other quantity measure (Richard, 78). It is possible to use for one gender descriptive and the functions of FX for (MEAN and STANDARD DEVIATION) for the other. The paper has looked at the numbers and measurement as well as descriptive and inferential data as a way of analyzing data collected. This way the paper has discussed how inferential data differs from the descriptive data where as seen, inferential depend on the data to draw general perspective of big populations. Lastly, the paper has viewed some research application of descriptive data in contrast to inferential

Problems of identity in the modern middle east Essay

Problems of identity in the modern middle east - Essay Example lt, the existence of such evidences is considered a rarity and must be evaluated for its authenticity, credibility, and basis for furthering assimilation knowledge. Rifa’a Rafi’ al-Tahtawis An Imam in Paris is one such document which is considered to be a comprehensive record of European society observed and narrated by an Arab. It is a descriptive narrative of the Middle Eastern scholars view of the West which has been used by many for the basis of constructing modern Egyptian collective memory. In the following report the researcher shall investigate how effective has al-Tahtawis An Imam in Paris been in endorsing collective memory of Egyptians, and its endorsement of Egyptian modern identity. The report shall explore how al-Tahtawis knowledge has helped Egyptians in streamlining and coming to terms with the Western culture through education, intellectual leadership and collective memory. During the early 19th century Muhammad Ali, an Egyptian ruler was motivated by the knowledge of its influential neighbor Europe and its impact on the world. Muhammad Ali devised a program for sending students to France or Italy to bring back Western knowledge to the Egyptian community. Muhammad Alis mission was to assimilate the knowledge fields, language, logic and arithmetic of the West to the East (particularly Egypt) to better comprehend European society. He was of the view that adaptation to European civilization would benefit the 19th century Muslims in becoming more intelligent in worldly history, and streamline their own perspective of the same. Among those who went on the mission to Paris, Rifaa Rafi al-Tahtawi was perhaps the most knowledgeable, who benefitted from the program, which was evident from his book or record of the French state (al-Tahtawi 32). From his description of the French state, al-Tahtawi learned much from the studies, discussion and knowledge gained from reading of the various fields. Al-Tahtawi describes the French as a modern state, with

Slave Culture Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Slave Culture - Assignment Example h of slavery, as Couvares and Saxton state, â€Å"had plunged him deeply into social history, that is, into the realm of group experience and collective fate that seemed very far away from the world of intellectuals and political leaders that had once so occupied him† (16). Morgan found no conflict between the ideas of liberal democracy as espoused by America’s founding fathers and the country’s dependence upon slavery. Instead, he believed that slavery minimized class conflict, thus making the experiment of social democracy easier to accomplish in the late seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries. Unlike other historians of his era, Morgan believed that racism had little to do with the origins of slavery. Rather, he felt that its existence had more to do with â€Å"elite English attitudes towards manual labor, a short supply of indentured servants, and an elite fear of their unruliness† (111). In other words, slavery was used by the English colonists of the U.S. to control the lower classes. For Morgan, slavery was more of a class issue than a race issue. Black slavery developed out of a response to a serious labor shortage in the colonies, not due to violent feelings towards Africans. Morgan pointed to the English treatment of Native Americans earlier and stated that they were not enslaved as Africans were because their attempts to exploit Native Americans failed. Consensus about other beliefs, Morgan held, had more to do with the origins and development of slavery in

Problems of identity in the modern middle east Essay

Problems of identity in the modern middle east - Essay Example lt, the existence of such evidences is considered a rarity and must be evaluated for its authenticity, credibility, and basis for furthering assimilation knowledge. Rifa’a Rafi’ al-Tahtawis An Imam in Paris is one such document which is considered to be a comprehensive record of European society observed and narrated by an Arab. It is a descriptive narrative of the Middle Eastern scholars view of the West which has been used by many for the basis of constructing modern Egyptian collective memory. In the following report the researcher shall investigate how effective has al-Tahtawis An Imam in Paris been in endorsing collective memory of Egyptians, and its endorsement of Egyptian modern identity. The report shall explore how al-Tahtawis knowledge has helped Egyptians in streamlining and coming to terms with the Western culture through education, intellectual leadership and collective memory. During the early 19th century Muhammad Ali, an Egyptian ruler was motivated by the knowledge of its influential neighbor Europe and its impact on the world. Muhammad Ali devised a program for sending students to France or Italy to bring back Western knowledge to the Egyptian community. Muhammad Alis mission was to assimilate the knowledge fields, language, logic and arithmetic of the West to the East (particularly Egypt) to better comprehend European society. He was of the view that adaptation to European civilization would benefit the 19th century Muslims in becoming more intelligent in worldly history, and streamline their own perspective of the same. Among those who went on the mission to Paris, Rifaa Rafi al-Tahtawi was perhaps the most knowledgeable, who benefitted from the program, which was evident from his book or record of the French state (al-Tahtawi 32). From his description of the French state, al-Tahtawi learned much from the studies, discussion and knowledge gained from reading of the various fields. Al-Tahtawi describes the French as a modern state, with

Growing Importance of the Global Economy Essay Example for Free

Growing Importance of the Global Economy Essay How has the growing importance of the global economy affected your organization’s competitiveness? The global financial crisis continues to be a severe shock to most enterprises. The initial economic downturn, the worst since the Great Depression, has affected almost all sectors of the economy. Everyone and every organization that has felt the pain. The company I work for serve the basic insurance needs of the fast-growing but largely under-served American middle income market. While many insurers have moved up-market, we are firmly committed to helping working families and retirees get basic protection through long-term care, life and supplemental health insurance products, as well as annuities How has your organization responded to this? My company offer consumer’s choice in how they buy insurance products. They can buy direct from Colonial Penn, which has special expertise in direct sales. They can purchase products across the kitchen table through career agents from Bankers Life and Casualty Company, independent agents of our Washington National Insurance Company unit or through its Performance Matters Associates marketing arm, both of which also offer voluntary benefit products to employees at the workplace. What recommendations would you make for your organization to improve its strategic decision-making? I would have consolidated and integrated all operations under a single resource with the goal of delivering improved customer service even as we reduced costs. A streamlined application and straight-through processing system has shortened customer and agent turn-around times and lowered application costs. 2013 CNO Financial Group, Inc. http//www.cnoinc.com

Issues faced in BHP billiton and infosys

Issues faced in BHP billiton and infosys BHP Billiton and Infosys, though both successful in their own right, have emerged from different industrial sectors, and hugely contrasting geopolitical environments. BHP Billiton is the worlds largest mining organisation, and was formed in 2001 by the merging of the Australian Broken Hill Proprietary Company, and Billiton of the UK. The companys primary interests are in Iron ore, Manganese, Petroleum, Aluminium, Base Metals, Metallurgical Coal, Thermal Coal, Stainless Steel resources, and Diamonds/Speciality materials. BHP Billitons scale and diversity appear to have cushioned it from the worst ravages of the contemporary economic downturn, although, as will be discussed, this has not necessarily helped all of its employees and stakeholders. Unconcerned by such vagaries, Chief Executive Officer Marius Kloppers has recently judged that à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Commercial market mechanism will ensure that developing nations raw material demand is met, that suppliers obtain sufficient investment to meet demand and that new deposits of raw materials are discovered. (Smith BHP chief 2009) However, as other reports concede, BHP expects the majority of this demand to come from developed, rather than developing economies. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Despite the low metals inventories in developed economies, there is little evidence yet of sustainable demand for metals emerging post the northern [hemisphere] summer. (MacNamara 2009) 2009 has seen mining profits depressed by the fall in commodities prices: however, BHP has confoun ded this trend by paying a final dividend which matched its interim payment, i.e. 41 cents. As MacNamara points out, BHP has been à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦one of the more successful players in the sector, bigger and better able to handle difficult market conditions than rivals such as Anglo American and Xstrata, which have suspended their dividends until further notice. (2009) Uniquely amongst British mining concerns, BHP has the advantage of a petroleum division, which is now its third most profitable business. (MacNamara glass 2009) During 2009, BHP also abandoned plans to create a joint marketing company with Rio Tinto, which was to sell up to 15 per cent of Western Australian iron ore production. (Smith BHP Rio 2009) Infosys is another company which has made comparatively good progress during the economic downturn, and claims to have emerged from it already. Infosys is Indias second largest software services exporter, reporting a 17 per cent rise in first-quarter profits during 2009. Its UK clients include the UKs Waitrose supermarket chain and many leading international banks. Its business has now developed to the point where it is a viable competitor to long established IT providers, such as IBM, Hewlett-Packard, and Accenture (Fontonella-Khan 2009). Along with other Indian-based outsourcers, such as Wipro, Genpact, and Tata Consultancy Services, Infosys has a macro-economic significance far beyond its own industrial sector, having helped power the Indian economy to 9 per cent growth prior to the 2008-9 financial crisis. (Lamont 2009) London School of Economics analysts attribute this partly to the status of English as an official language in India, making the industrys services highly scaleabl e in western markets, and constituting a competitive advantage over new entrants such as China. As Ilan Oshri of the LSE Outsourcing Unit observes, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦India is not a powerhouse because it is cheap but because it is smart. Thats not the same with Chinaà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦We dont see Chinese vendors emerging to be powerhousesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦China is much cheaper than India. But the game is not about cost, its about accessing talentà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.(Lamont 2009). Section 1: Similarities and Differences. Mitchell et al. identify three possible themes within stakeholder saliency: power, legitimacy, and urgency. (1997: p.853) Both of the companies in question have extended stakeholder chains, but they are rather different in character. It is this contrast which has determined the behaviour of each: altered in one case, unaltered in the other. Of the two, the company which has moved most swiftly to change and signal that change is Infosys, a series of events which may be interpreted according Mitchell et al.s saliency model. Infosys power is intrinsically linked to its legitimacy, and this in turn rests squarely on its relationship with important stakeholders. In the first instance, the companys fortunes are interdependent with the Indian government in its role as an economic facilitator and arbiter of structured growth: significant investor cooperation is contingent upon this relationship. If the emerging Indian economy wavers, the latter will worry about the skills base, infrastruct ure, and political stability which is necessary to grow Infosys shareholder value. Moreover, in a globalised economy, influence of investors upon customer attitudes cannot be underestimated. Infosys is an exemplar business to business operator, so its corporate responsibility profile impacts directly on that of its corporate customers. For example, Waitrose of the UK, which markets itself as a profit-sharing, employee friendly, ethical retailer, could not maintain its own CSR status whilst in cooperation with a pariah multinational. Infosys, therefore, must avoid such status at all costs. Things are different for BHP Billiton, whose corporate responsibility effort, as will be discussed, rests on engagement rather than action. The most striking recent fact pertaining to BHP Billitons social responsibility profile is its dismissal of six thousand employees and contractors in 2009 alone. (Smith axe 2009). However, for complex reasons, its stakeholder profile can accommodate such crises relatively comfortably. Section 2: Responsible business approach, has it increased/decreased, and why? As it is the worlds principal extractive company, it is not surprising that the areas of contention surrounding BHP Billitons operations span the environment, ecosystem, climate change, human resources, community disruption, land rights, political lobbying, and financial malpractice, to name but a few. It is far beyond the scope of this discussion to engage meaningfully with the empirical circumstances of all of these issues and concerns. It may be argued however, that its strategy is one of maximum engagement, and minimum change, a dynamic whose provenance lays in the nature of its stakeholder networks. The important point here is that BHP Billitons is not a unique position. As Brewster reports, an ever higher proportion of blue-chip organisations are joining the ranks of those who publish regular CSR reports. (2007). However, the only thing which this signals in absolute positivist terms is the willingness to open a dialogue with concerned stakeholder groups. At the same time, it can usefully reassure less concerned stakeholders i.e., conventional or unethical investors that the corporate responsibility issue is being fielded in an acceptable way. This is not to say that such reports merely convey a facile dialogue of inaction: however, as will be discussed, they do define and confine responsibility within certain manageable parameters. It may be argued that Infosys has adopted the same kind of logic in its corporate social responsibility effort: its 2008-9 report states that We understand the implications our business has on the economy, environment and society. We also recognise that there is much to learn and engage with our stakeholders to improve our performance in all areas. (Infosys 2009) It goes on to remind the reader that its board members participate in advisory councils, governments and not-for profit organisations à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦to formulateà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦policies on topics such as corporate governance, healthcare, education, climate change, and other key sustainability areas. (Infosys 2009: p.9) The over-arching message is clearly that Infosys is representing itself as a learning organisation, in the defined sense of that term. As Lane et al. point out, each organisation, whether formally constituted or otherwise possesses its own learning culture, subsumed within compatible norms and values, operatio nal priorities, or dominant logics. (2001: p.1143). Of the two organisations however, Infosys has exhibited by far the greatest degree of change in its behaviour. Along with Tata Consulting Services and Wipro, are at the centre of a controversy concerning the importing of non-EU IT workers into the UK: Infosys has itself brought in 3,030 of these employees. The transfer route is, as a consequence, being tightened by the UK Home Office, with the result that temporary workers will no longer have any rights of settlement: in addition, employees will have to have been with a company for a minimum of one year, before transferring to the UK branch (Boxell 2009). However, as both companies as the government are aware, such transfers are sometimes the only means by which specific human resources shortages may be addressed: as Phil Woolas, the immigration minister, concedes, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.Intra-company transfers are an important part of making the UK an attractive place in which to do business, and therefore keep industry and the economy mov ing. (Boxell 2009). The point here is that Infosys extended stakeholder chain implies pressures which must be balanced out through this, and other, important structural issues. It cannot afford to be less competitive than its rivals in terms of corporate responsibility, or it will simply lose business. Conversely, BHP Billiton will not. Its stakeholder chain is wider, more diffuse, and far less responsibility-dependent: in short, the world knows what kind of organization it is, and it grows no poorer. Section 3: Contrasting Viewpoints. There are various theoretical frameworks which might be employed to assess the relative corporate responsibility efforts of BHP Billiton and Infosys, despite their intrinsic differences. These range from the extreme Kantian ethical position, which argues that a corporation can have no duty other than to shareholder, or the virtue or Confucian ethical position, which argues that innately good practice will eventually ensure rewards. Two modified positions which might allow a more measured assessment are Tinged Shareholder theory, as posited by Moore and others, and utilitarian ethics. As Moore has argued if tinged shareholder theory were to become a normative model , there would be a greater concentration on the ideal type virtues required of a good manager, and a good organisation. Consequently, a focus on the area of virtue ethics might prove central to the visualising of a corporate responsibility ideal (Moore 1999: p.126). Meanwhile utilitarian ethics arguably provides a useful pe rspective because of its outcome-focused, bottom-line orientated assessment of events. As Fisher and Lovell point out, utilitarianism, combined with cost-benefit analysis, tends to focus on a good rather than the general good, and is therefore very valuable to organisations who wish to manage corporate responsibility, rather than be managed by it. Infosys has indicated a heightened awareness of its stakeholder responsibilities and potential vulnerability by hastily re-constructing its corporate governance image in the aftermath of recent problems. Principal amongst these has been the financial scandal at Satyam Computer Services, its main rival in the software outsourcing sector. As the Financial Times reports, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦B. Ramalinga Raju, the former chairman of Satyam who is now in police custody, undermined confidence in the sector when he confessed to manipulating the companys accounts last week, including by inventing a cash pile worth more than $1bnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦'(Leahy reassures 13.1.2009). Acutely sensitized to the negative fall-out from this, Infosys CEO S. Gopalakrishnan has reportedly judged that the entire IT outsourcing sector needs heightened transparency, adding that he himself had been receiving increasing requests for fiduciary details from clients and investors. As he put it, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦The reason we need to take some confidence measures at this point is that some queries have come in from customersà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ If you look at our disclosures, we have listed every single bank account and the amount of money we have in the bank so if investors are interested they can check and call the banksà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. (Leahy reassures 2009). The important point here is that Infosys is attempting to avoid a utilitarian, outcome-orientated model of stakeholder analysis, by adopting a position informed by virtue ethics. It has not been accused of any wrong-doing yet and is attempting to avoid that contingency by exhibiting transparently good behaviour. It has sound business reasons for doing so: as western companies reconstruct themselves following the recent economic downturn, they are downsizing by outsourcing, and Infosys is well placed to capture such business, if it is untainted by corporate responsibility problems. As Chief Executive Officer, S. Gopalakrishnan explains, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦You want to be cautious because its not completely out of the woods but we clearly see some growthà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ (Leahy 2009) Like that of many similar Indian companies, the stability and expansion of Infosys is contingent upon the expansion of outsourcing from client companies in the developed world. Infosys itself added a further 35 companies to its client portfolio in the second quarter of 2009. These combined factors have resulted in the addition of 1,548 new employees in the same period, bringing the total on its books to 105,500. As well as reassuring its direct stakeholders, Infosys has also proved itself attentive to the needs of the wider social and political constituency. One example of this lays in the denouement of the Tata Nano car plant dispute, in which protesters alleged that the rights of farmers had been usurped in order to facilitate the development in West Bengal. Orchestrated by Indias principal opposition party the Trinamool Congress, the movement physically besieged the Singur site, drawing down foreign media attention and threatening to dampen foreign investment. CEO S Gopalakrishnan was initially à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦impressed with the efforts of the state government in attracting such investments: however, he now concedes that à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.Singur has created fear in the minds of India Inc and like all other companies we are watching the developments very closely We will rethink and re-examine our proposed investment if need be.. The bottom line is that Infosys may not proceed with its own Wes t Bengal development plans if the situation is not resolved (Leahy nervous 2009). BHP Billitons needs in terms of communication and responsibility are quite different, and it has arguably opted for a utilitarian, relativist interpretation of good. This approach allows it relative freedom to pursue its vast portfolio of extractive activities in way which might be more difficult if it took a more obstructive stance. In its detailed deposition on BHP Billiton, the Ecumenical Council for Corporate Responsibility reported that it felt, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦in general, with a few exceptions outlined below, the company has developed a relatively advanced set of policies, which give consideration to many of the issues that our partners have raised in the Bench Marks document. (ECCR 2004: p.7) Moreover, an important part of its dialogue with ethical regulators such as the ECCR lays not in the discussion of specific or practical acts of corporate responsibility, but the demonstration of stakeholder awareness in the abstract. As it explains, The company provides regular reports to all stakeholders that are independently verified on a plan detailing how the company and the suppliers have shared responsibility for complianceà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ and à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦adopts a transparent policy and reports publicly to all stakeholders on its compliance programme, the findings, and what changes have been made at the factory level. (ECCR 2004: p.63). This is central to BHPs entire CSR strategy: monitoring bodies are left facing a multi-headed hydra of good, bad, or indifferent practice across the companys vast array of activities and geographical reach. As one area of neglect arises, another is dealt with, a process through which the dialogue of engagement and improvement is maintained. The other constant is shareholder value: as the regulators succeed in limiting less equitable practices in one area, less ethical investors may take comfort from the fact that more profitable centres elsewhere retain their potential for dividends. As Moore points out, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦it is a common feature of theories of the firm that they regard the firm as a nexus of contracts. Theà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦theories differ as to the extent of these relationships, with shareholder theory restricting this to legal and implied contracts, while stakeholder theory takes a broader definition to include social/moral as well as legal and implied contracts. (Moore 1999: p.122) The point here is that the utilitarian approach adopted by BHP Billiton has, for the time being, balanced these two forces. Conclusion A common theme in the fortunes of these two different companies lays in their successful emergence from a difficult economic period. BHP has recently asserted that there are à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦signs of stabilization in the developed economies, with positive signs of improvement in industrial production. (MacNamara 2009) Moreover, BHP will soon be free to refresh its takeover bid for Rio Tinto, under the terms of the UK takeover code. (Smith BHP and Rio 2009) BHP also told shareholders that market conditions had improved since it held its annual meeting in London. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦The velocity of the recoveryà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦has indeed been surprisingà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ CEO Kloppers said, whilst cautioning that à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦BHP was expected to emerge from the downturn less strongly than in previous cycles. (Smith 2009). This may be interpreted as a restraining hand upon corporate responsibility: things are OK, but dont interfere. Meanwhile, Infosys has also benefited from its more public, virtu e-driven responsibility stance. Research by the London School of Economics indicates that western executives in western companies opted for outsourcing à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦on quality of service more than price. It also pointed out that Egypt, Hungary and Romania were most likely to join the shared service centre sector as key players in the near future (Lamont 2009). Infosys has of course already laid the foundations for such diversification, stating that à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦As we grow further, we have to make sure our workforce reflects the regions from where we derive revenue to whatever extent possibleà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ (Leahy 2006). In conclusion, it seems reasonable to argue that corporate responsibility and stakeholder concerns are at their most harmonious -for better or worse when the hegemony of liberal economics prevails. As Collier points out, In the modern world of globalisation there are some fabulous ladders: most societies are using them. But there are also some chutesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ (2007: p.5) If classical economics is afforded hegemony, then any expectation which does not implicitly recognise that snakes can swiftly become ladders -and vice versa  ­- is inherently flawed. The collection of papers on globalisation edited by Timmons Roberts and Bellone incorporates commentary by some rather older commentators, who observed that, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦the bourgeosie cannot exist without constantly revolutionising the instruments of production, and thereby the relations of production, and with them the whole relations of society. (Timmons Roberts and Bellone, 2007: p.27) As unfashionable as they may be, Mar x and Engels may have distilled an essential truth here, regardless of the fact that they did so through observation of an earlier period of structural economic change. The unavoidable function of companies, including Infosys and BHP Billiton, is to serve shareholder value. When they cease to do so, they will also cede their position to other who will.

Emily Dickinson :: essays research papers

Dickinson, Emily Elizabeth (1830-1886), America’s best-known female poet and one of the foremost authors in American literature. Born in Amherst, Massachusetts, Dickinson was the middle child of a lawyer and one-term United States congressional representative, Edward Dickinson, and his wife, Emily Norcross Dickinson. From 1840 to 1847 she attended the Amherst Academy, and from 1847 to 1848 she studied at the Mount Holyoke Female Seminary in South Hadley, a few miles from Amherst. Dickinson remained in Amherst, living in the same house on Main Street from 1855 until her death. During her lifetime, she published only about 10 of her nearly 2,000 poems, in newspapers, Civil War journals, and a poetry anthology. The notion that Dickinson was extremely reclusive is a popular one, but it is at best a partial truth. Although she never married and certainly became more selective over the years about the company she kept, Dickinson was far more sociable than most descriptions would ha ve us believe. Biographers are increasingly recognizing the vital role of Dickinson’s sister-in-law, Susan Dickinson, in her writing. For more than 35 years the two women lived next door to each other, sharing mutual passions for literature, music, cooking, and gardening. Emily sent Susan more than 400 poems and letter-poems, twice as many as she sent to any other correspondent. In 1998 Open Me Carefully: Emily Dickinson’s Intimate Letters to Susan Huntington Dickinson was published, documenting the two women’s friendship. Dickinson enjoyed the King James Version of the Bible, as well as authors such as English writers William Shakespeare, John Milton, Charles Dickens, Elizabeth Barrett Browning, George Eliot, and Thomas Carlyle. Dickinson’s early style shows the strong influence of Barrett Browning, Scottish poet Robert Browning, and English poets John Keats and George Herbert. In the early stages of her career, Dickinson’s handwritten lyrics imitated the formalities of print, and her poetic techniques were conventional, but she later began to attend to the visual aspects of her work. For example, she arranged and broke lines of verse in highly unusual ways to underscore meaning and she created extravagantly shaped letters of the alphabet to emphasize or play with a poem’s sense.

Graduation Speech -- Graduation Speech, Commencement Address

Years ago there was a traveler who came upon an old-fashioned pump from which he would have to pump the handle in order to retrieve the water. Beside the pump there was a pitcher full of water, and on the pump there was a sign. The sign instructions were to prime the pump with the water in the pitcher, pump the water for use, and then refill the pitcher. The thirsty man looked at the pitcher, the pump and the sign. He thought to himself, "If I pour this water down the pump, and it doesn't work, I will have no water to drink and it will be wasted. But, if I drink the water, I will be satisfied, but the next traveler will have nothing. We as graduates are like this traveler and we have decisions to make. We have the potential to be contributing members of society -- we are the doctors, nurses, farmers, servicemen and pastors of tomorrow. We can use the water in the pitcher that is like the education and resources this country has given us, and we can prime the pump for others, providing them with the opportunities that we have already been given. We can give back to society with our...

Justification of theory Essay

When talking to Matthew it is essential the teacher makes him feel comfortable, the teacher does this by talking in a clear but soft voice but also being careful that its not just Matthew that she talks to like this as this could single him out from other students. Verbal communication can say a lot about how your trying to speak to the client, as the pitch and tone can create atmosphere when speaking. It is important to speak in a soft voice to Matthew as when shouting or telling him of in a loud voice this makes him aggressive and he can become violent as this would upset and make him feel uncomfortable. Non-Verbal Communication: non-verbal communication can mean many thing suck as moving hands when you speak, posture, how you sit or even facial expressions. Non-verbal communication is very important in any interaction. When interacting with Matthew he likes to be made to feel at ease. To do this the teacher should sit in an open posture with no objects blocking communication, also slightly leaning towards him being careful not to invade his personal space and keeping good eye contact at all times. Matthew’s teacher does not alas do this as when he is being aggressive she ignores him and does not keep any eyes contact, this makes Matthew more aggressive as he is trying to gain the teacher attention by being aggressive and disruptive so therefore his behaviour worsens. Facial expression also helps the interaction, as positive expressions such as smiling when Matthew is talking make him feel the teacher is interested in what he is saying so therefore may contribute to class discussions more in the future. Prompts can also be very helpful as when Matthew is uncomfortable speaking such prompts as ‘carry on’ or ‘that’s right’ may give him confidence when he is speaking. Outcome of Patterns: When all of the above have been taken into consideration a successful interaction will come of it. The above ways are how Matthew likes to be communicated with, as this way is the most effective as it does cause aggression. Overall Matthew has shown less aggression in the class and is interacting appropriately with his teacher and other student around him. E3: Identify and clearly describe relevant psychological theory for clients with the chosen behaviour in a particular health and social care setting. Theories: 1. Bowlby. Attachment/Separation theory 2. Berkowitiz. Aggression theory How theories relate to specific behaviour The first theory Bowlby’s maternal deprivation relates to Matthew as he is the oldest of four children and his father left when he was only seven, since then he has lived with his mother and has been the only male in the house. In studies using the strange situation Bowlby found that infants maybe securely attached to one parent but not the other or in securely attached to both. Bowlby also agrees that man are capable of providing adequate parenting and becoming attachment figures for there young children, and the ‘mother does not even have to be female’. Bowlby’s separation theory relates to Matthew as his parents divorced when he was seven and since then he has had no contact with him. Bowlby calls separation anxiety, namely the fear tat separation will occur again in the future. This can result in aggressive behaviour and greater demands towards the mother, which has been shown by Matthew in the case study. It’s also shown that the consequences of divorce are more serious and damaging then those following the death of a father. Which is why children who commonly experiencing parental divorce show separation anxiety, and they may begin to question the security of their remaining relationship, since if the father can leave, why not the mother too? Children usually deeply resent their parents separation and may retain fantasies of reunion for many years to come. They experience separation as a course that has been chosen by the parents in the knowledge that they do not want it. This especially applies to Matthew as he resents he mother for his father leaving. This makes children feel powerless, disregarded and angry. Where as Matthew has become very aggressive towards his mother because of his father leaving. Divorce has a far greater negative effect on the child’s school work then the death of a parent. As a result of these factors, the relationship between the child and the custodial parent is bound to suffer. Mothers become more authoritarian, increasing the number of demands and restrictions and becoming less affectionate. The children (especially boys) become more aggressive and inflexible. Berkowits aggression relates to Matthew as he has show violence towards his mother, which his father display to his mother in front of him before he left. Berkowits describes aggression as ‘behaviour which is physical or symbolic, that is carried out with the intention to harm someone’. He reserves the term violence for an extreme form of aggression, a deliberate attempt to do serious injury. Freud sees aggression as instinctive, with aggression energy needing to be released regularly if it is not to built up to dangerous levels. The frustration-aggression hypothesis see instinctive and learned reactions as involved, while the social learning approach deindividuation emphasize cognitive aspects of learning from others behaviour and the influence of others on the individual behaviour respectively. Berkowits aggressive-cue theory is bases on the fact that aggressive or violent behaviour is at least partly a reaction to specific features of the surrounding situation which ‘pull out’ responses that heighten the strength of the behaviour. This happens when the aggressive meaning for the aggressor and or when they some how remind the aggressor of decidedly unpleasant experiences; this is the aggressive-cue theory. This theory will relate to Matthew as when he’s reminded of his fathers aggressive behaviour towards his mother he then becomes aggressive himself and uses violence in the same way as his father. Justification of theory: I chose to apply these theories because it supports the behaviour that I am applying them to. As the case study shows aggression and separation the two theories will explain why such thing as aggression is caused and will also back up my work. E3. B Describe your chosen research technique, methods and sample size. Population size: The people involved in my research will be a total number of three. This will include Matthew his mother and teacher.

Literary Villains: Iago and Krogstad Essay

In â€Å"Othello† and â€Å"A Doll House†, the two plays resulted in destruction of two families due to one’s jealousy and revenge. The antagonist in â€Å"Othello† is Iago who served as Othello ancient in the play was against him from the start. Iago had several motives for plotting against Othello, because they did not give him the rank of Lieutenant and he did not approve of the marriage between Othello and Desdemona. In â€Å"A Doll House†, Krogstad was an employee of Mr. Helmer and he knew that he was going to lose his job. These two characters had motives, which resulted in them to develop plots that were not similar, but they both had the same life-altering outcome and were successful. In the play, â€Å"Othello† Iago provided clues that he was going to destroy Othello. In Act I, Scene 1, Iago and Rodrigo (a gulled gentle man) were talking about the promotion of Michael Cassio (Othello’s Lieutenant) and he (Iago) should have been the one to receive the promotion. Iago states â€Å"One Michael Cassio, a Florentine (A fellow almost damned in a fair wife) that never set a squadron in the field, nor the division of a battle knows more than a spinster; unless the bookish theoric, wherein the togged consuls can propose as masterly as he†. He means that Cassio is not married and that he has no experience of leading troops into the battlefield, because Cassio has not gone into war. Iago is jealous that he was did not receive that promotion and he his disloyalty towards Othello. Othello were reference as him, Moor (black) and thick-lips according to the definition in the play it means â€Å"An Elizabethan epithet for blacks, including Moors†. Iago did not approve of Othello and Desdemona’s elopement. Iago informed Brabantino (Desdemona’s Father) of her daughter’s marriage to Othello, he states, â€Å"I am one, sir, that comes to tell you your daughter and the Moor are now making the beast with two backs†. Iago is also an instigator; he wanted to get Brabantino angry over his daughter’s marriage. In Act I, Scene II, Brabantino states â€Å"O thou foul thief, where hast thou stowed my daughter? Damned as thou art, thou hast enchanted her! † Everyone was against Othello with the assistance from Iago. In â€Å"A Doll House† Nils Krogstad knew that his employment at the bank was ending and that Nora’s husband (Torvald Helmer) is now in charge of the bank. Nora took out a loan from Mr. Krogstad without Mr. Helmer (Nora’s husband) knowledge and he threatens that he will tell her husband about the loan. Mr. Krogstad is also aware that there are forged signatures on the loan documents. Nora tried to convince her husband not to fire Mr. Krogstad, but Mr. Helmer is appalled at his wife for taking Mr. Krogstad’s side. The conversation between Nora and Helmer resulted in him sending Mr. Krogstad’s notice immediately. Iago and Krogstad were successful in their plans. In â€Å"Othello†, Iago used numerous schemes to turn everyone against each other. The first one was to turn Othello against Cassio; the second was to make Othello believe that Desdemona and Cassio were having an affair and thirdly his plan for the death of Cassio with hopes of them killing each other. The outcome of Iago’s plan was the death of Rodrigo (who was set up to kill Cassio), Othello killing Desdemona, the death of Emilia (wife to Iago and Desdemona’s friend) and the death of Othello (suicide). In â€Å"A Doll House†, Ms. Linde (Nora’s friend and ex friend of Krogstad) convinced Krogstad that they should belong together and he no longer wanted to blackmail Nora. Ms. Linde was going to convince Krogstad to take his letter back, but she decided that it is best for Nora to be honest to her husband. Mr. Helmer read the letter and was furious. He stated that â€Å"Oh what an awful awakening! In all these eight years- she who was my pride and joy- a hypocrite, a liar- worse, worse- a criminal! † Mr. Helmer reconsiders when he reads the apology letter from Krogstad, but Nora declines. The two plays were similar in the plots to ruin lives, but they do not share the same outcome, because Krogstad apologized for threatening Nora but this revelation opened a door for Nora to end her marriage with Mr. Helmer.

The idea of anti-sexism has hardly scratched the surface of the popular male imagination

The usual view of men's anti-sexism is that it centres around men who find it personally important to challenge the pressure to conform to a ‘macho' image plus a handful of politically aware men wanting to assist on what are seen as feminist issues. In fact any man giving it serious thought will come to see domestic violence, rape, care of their children and suchlike as being men's issues. However, the average man will not be drawn into men's groups by these issues, and will tend to see men's anti-sexism as a movement without a cause. But I believe it's a movement which has remained marginal by failing to acknowledge its biggest cause. Men's groups tend to look for a personal response to the contradictions their members face – THEY are the problem, they must change. This seems to be unrelated to the impersonal world of politics and the hard realities of jobs, pay, working hours and conditions, etc. But this is exactly the area where anti-sexism could have its greatest impact. Because, in spite of the effects of massive unemployment, little has changed men's ideas about work. The classic picture of man-as-incomplete-person that men's groups invoke – emotionally retarded, distant from his children, competitive at work and dominant at home – describes a man well moulded to the career world. The stereotypical male values closely match the qualities desirable in competitive work. Despite the ‘personal politics' of a few men, the nature of work itself has not changed and continues to reinforce the same traditional male values. But there are now women working successfully in most professions – so why should male values continue to dominate? It is because of the strict division between full-time and part-time work. It's in full-time work in the majority of occupations that men and traditional values prevail – women in these jobs work on men's terms. Part-time work on the other hand is clearly the province of women – over 90% of part-timers in Britain is female. In fact, much of the recent increase in women's employment has been in the part-time sector. So what are the differences in these two areas of work? Full-time jobs are valued more highly, often paid a ‘family wage', and require the specialisation of skills and continued commitment that would merit the title ‘career' (though the principle is the same from bricklaying to brain surgery). This continuity is very important – women (in Britain) are permitted usually only a token break for maternity and men generally none for paternity. Outside this career world, there is both unpaid domestic work, including childcare, and formal part-time work – with pay, conditons, prospects and job interest generally worse than full-time work. There are two results of this duality of working situations. Firstly, because of women's unavoidable involvement in caring for their babies, career work favours men. Full-time work has changed little to accommodate the increasing number of women in it, who have to accept the limitations imposed by men such as avoiding children or delegating their care to the domestic/part-time sector. Secondly, the domestic and part-time workforce is not only economically inferior to the career sector but actually services its interests and sustains it. This relationship is the framework for exploitation of both capitalist and patriarchal nature. So, women having children must be free from work from late pregnancy until the baby is weaned at the very least. As men are generally not permitted any reasonable paternity leave it is necessarily the mother who continues to look after the child at least until school age (unless the parents are willing and financially able to pay someone else to do so). If these considerations did not keep the woman out of full-time work in the first place, they are likely to do so for some years at this stage, especially since this whole situation increases the likelihood that the father will be earning more than her at this financially critical time. While this rigid division of work exists, therefore, women wanting children will be disadvantaged in full-time work, and many women having children will have to accept the limitations of part-time work. Men, if they are able to get full-time work, will almost always take this in preference to part-time work – and when they become fathers are likely to be under financial pressure to keep their full-time job, at the expense of their involvement with their children. Some European men, notably in Belgium, have come up with ideas that could break down the rigidity of this full-time/part-time division. They have lobbied the European Parliament for the establishment in the EEC Constitution of what they call the Flexible Work Right. This would be the legal right of anyone to choose how many hours a week to work, being paid accordingly. It would be a move against the binding domination of full-time work and the undervaluing of part-time work, which would allow a balance of working and domestic life to suit the priorities of individual men and women. In particular, parents would be free to share childcare and earning according to their own values. A practical shift in the distribution of the tasks between the sexes would open the door to many other changes. If the responsibility for financial support was no longer borne principally by men this could undermine the damaging tendency for manhood to be measured by economic success – which is often won at the price of being a second rate parent. And for women, work on these terms would mean not only an increase in real economic power and independence, but with this a greater participation in public and political life. Also any overall reduction in average hours worked could help to reduce unemployment in the right circumstances. So how might these ideas be realised in practice? Three possibilities for change are better provision for job sharing, more flexibility of working hours (especially total hours worked) and better parental leave allowances. As far as trade unions are concerned, defending the interests (primarily financial) of those in work comes before freeing members to work less. So small reductions in the working week, (which would probably serve mainly to increase overtime payments), take priority over genuine flexibility of hours and job-sharing provisions. Some forward-looking unions ARE seeking better paternity leave – most men take some time off whether it is officially available or not (94% in a recent Equal Opportunities Commission study). Better parental leave entitlement would go some way toward the goals of this anti-sexist men's politics, especially since the right to flexible work will surely only be won in slow stages. And here the EEC is already playing a part. The EEC Commission has issued a directive aiming to set minimum standards for parental leave in all member countries (three months for men and women during the child's first two years, in addition to maternity leave and at no extra cost to employers). Despite agreement of all other members, and within Britain support of the House of Lords and the Equal Opportunities Commission, the British government has so far vetoed the passage of this Directive into Community law. So there's no doubt that some aspects of anti-sexist thinking are as political as they are personal. But the anti-sexist angle on work doesn't end there. Poor working conditions and occupational safety may be sustained by ideas of what is ‘manly'. The notion that men who complain of bad conditions and danger are soft is sexist and encourages mistreatment of workers – not to mention alienating and excluding women. The response to noise, pollution and heavy lifting may be headaches, ulcers, heart disease and backache; human conditions too are important – if work is a hostile or authoritarian place men may take it out in drinking or violence outside work. A humane workplace is essential for a humane world. The goals of this ‘men's politics' in fact complement those of feminism despite their separate and apparently selfish motivation. This motivation is crucial since the issue of work as a major limitation in their lives is one with which many could identify. This idea – men seeing themselves as ‘work objects' – paves the way for a wider view of anti-sexism, encompassing the aspects of personal change and ‘feminist' causes important to men's groups now. It would suggest too, a positive attitude of relating some of the less desirable trappings of maleness to the situations which shaped them, rather than blaming them on maleness itself. If men looked objectively at the unnecessary sacrifices they make on the altar of work, anti-sexism would suddenly seem relevant to many more men than the few involved at present. (C) Five Cram POSTSCRIPT The above article considers one interesting proposal for breaking down the male-dominated character of paid work. For example, as this issue went to press, a Bill introduced by the Labour MP Harry Cohen, which would introduce a statutory right to a period of parental care for parents of young children, was due to receive a second reading in the House of Commons. Under this Bill, employees with children under two years old (five if the child is disabled or adopted) would be entitled to 13 weeks paid leave if both parents are in paid work, 26 weeks if he or she is a single parent and 4 weeks if the other parent is ineligible for parental leave, for example because of unemployment. The entitlement is not transferable between the parents. The scheme would be paid for by employers and the Government. Under this Government – and probably any currently realistic alternative – it is unlikely to become law. I think it is an important step forward, but how can we as men help it to happen? Schemes of this sort, although less generous, already exist in ten of the twelve EEC countries – why not here? Even if employers, unions and the Government could be persuaded that this sort of parental leave provision is in their interests, there is a danger that it would divert attention away from the need to extend workplace nurseries and local authority childcare provision, and further privatise the provision of ‘care' in our society. Another important issue is how, ‘parental' schemes like this should be linked to more general ones like a Flexible Work Right. Which should have higher priority, and what would their effects be on the level of unemployment? Finally, I doubt if such voluntary schemes would be enough to bring about major changes in the distribution of labour between the sexes. Particularly in times of high unemployment and low wage increases, when the perceived priority of maximising the ‘breadwinners' earnings is greatest, many men would not willingly reduce their hours worked. Schemes involving paid leave avoid this problem, but inevitably involve smaller changes in hours worked so as not to be prohibitively expensive. Compulsory schemes, such as legal limits on basic hours of work and overtime (to encourage men to invest more time and effort in the home) would probably also be needed, but care would be needed to avoid reducing low-paid workers' wages oven further. But, to end on a positive note, it is true that there is a long-term trend towards fewer hours spent in paid employment by each male worker – the average has fallen by over one third in the last 100 years. Let's hope it continues and that employed men make good use of the growing part of their lives spent outside paid jobs.