Final Gay Marriage Essay

Gay marriage should be legal because as woman and man, all individuals have the same right in society; because same-sex couples can constitute a good based family; because it is just a way to make official a common union nowadays, even with the religious issue; because it is not related to polygamy; and because love matters and it does not differ in nature according to the sex of its object or the person who experiences it. The first reason why same sex marriage should be legal is because it is fair for all individuals to have the same rights in society. With the end of sodomy laws, a recent decision of the U.  S. Supreme Court, conservatives have lost their last excuse to write off gay lives and love as unworthy of social accommodation. But whatever ones feel about the reasoning of the decision, its results is clear: gay Americans are no longer criminals. Even if they were, as murderers on death row that have the constitutional right to marriage, they should have too. Marriage is a very sacred arrangement. It is a lifetime commitment said to be only between man and woman. These two people should love or be in love with each other. Over the years homosexuality has come to the forefront. The question of should homosexuals be allowed to marry each other has had the world in an uproar. Homosexuals, indeed should be able to marry each other with the same benefits as man and woman. Homosexual marriages was made legal for the first time in 2001 by the Netherlands. Canada was the first country to marry Homosexual couples from all nations to formally commit. Extending recognition to non traditional relationships is not an attempt to undermine the family. But rather an effort to recognize today’s realities and to end decimation. Legalizing gay marriages help change and help the lives of so many struggling gay teens. It will reduce depression in gay teens and children. It will give children and teens hope knowing that its okay to marry someone of the same sex. The majority of teenage suicides today are being committed because the child was bullied in school as a result of his/her sexual orientation. The same acceptance that will come about due to legalizing gay marriage will show teens that homosexuality is accepted and respected in society. We need to explain to younger generations that being different (in any aspect of our lives) is not a social disability, so that they will never feel the need to take their own lives because they are gay. In Christianity, marriage is a life long commitment under god. It is well known to many Christians that practicing homosexuality is a major sin. How can a union, which is created for man and woman, under god, bond two partners of the same sex if it is stated in god’s book that it is morally wrong? Homosexuals should be allowed to make a lifetime commitment to their partners, but it should be called something other than marriage and should not be under god. The biggest problem the gay population faces regarding legal marriage is the Christians. A true Christian doesn’t want a married gay couple to have the same title as he and his wife have, because they take the vowel under god seriously. A firm believer would say that a gay marriage is absurd. Homosexuality goes against nature because we were given sexual organs for the purpose of reproduction, not for pleasure. It is believed that homosexuals will be forsaken for committing abominable acts and, through some misinterpretations, also deserve death. When gay pride walks are taking place, some Christians protest this in the name of Jesus. The story of Sodom and Gomorrah, in the bible, is one filled with vivid pictures of the cities’ destruction mainly because of the overindulgence of homosexual freedom. Some Christians believe that can happen again and that the lord will show no mercy. Many diseases can be inherited through anal sex; some say this is a punishment sent from god for the injustice. Legalizing gay marriages will help increase the adoption rate. A lot of gay couples male or female also want to have children but have trouble conceiving. By legalizing gay marriage across all states, adoption agencies will be forced to grant the same respect and rights to homosexual couples. There are over 500,000 children currently living without parents in the United States; gay marriage will increase the chances for thousands of foster children to gain loving parents and families. Americans have negative beliefs about homosexuality. Same sex marriage is a particularly fruitful case for several reasons. Same sex marriages in the USA impinges on deeply held views about sexual morality, family religion and equal rights. A March 20–24 CBS News Poll shows that 53% of Americans support same-sex marriage, 39% oppose, and 8% are undecided. The same poll also finds that 33% of Americans who now think same-sex couples should be allowed to legally marry say they once held the opposite view and have changed their opinion. Homosexuals should have the same privileges as heterosexuals. Need to be allowed not only to get married in any state they live in. According the NCSL (National Conference of State Legislatures) June 27, 2011 here is a list of states that issue marriage licenses to same sex couples. Hawaii was the first state to recognize same-sex marriage. Massachusetts, Connecticut, California, Iowa, Vermont, New Hampshire, New York and the District of Columbia. States that recognize same-sex marriage from other states are Rhode Island, New York, and Maryland. States that grant nearly all state-level spousal rights to unmarried couples (domestic partnerships) are California, Oregon, Nevada, and Washington. Obtain insurance and benefits through their place of employment. They should be about to make decisions in hospitals for their spouse in case of emergency. States that provide some state level spousal rights to unmarried couples (domestic partnerships) are Hawaii, Maine, Wisconsin and the District of Columbia. With all this being said, I feel you still can’t help you fall in love with whether it be heterosexual or homosexual. In today’s society your going to be judge on a lot of things you do so, I feel that if you care happy with yourself and your sexuality why shouldn’t you be able to express in out in the world. You are no different from anyone else, so you should be treated as a equal. Gay rights are human rights.

Economic Ideas of Mercantilism in Comparison

Mercantilism was an early capitalistic economic concept, which was based on the following principle: the only sources of a country’s wealth are the money funds and precious metals it possesses, so the more money a nation has the richer it is supposed to be. According to this theory, the government has to follow the policy of protectionism and keeping the money inside of the country, encouraging only domestic trade and the exports, at that reducing the imports and creating maximum trade surplus. This theory was severely criticized by an outstanding Scottish philosopher and economy theorist Adam Smith, who argued that the welfare of the country can not be measured only with money. The main difference of Smith’s theory from mercantilism is his conclusion that not only money accumulation, but also free market and vivid international trade, healthy industrial competition, make-work activities, product exchange and other factors of free market economy are essential for boosting national welfare. In addition, Smith was against the necessity of tough governmental control of the exports and imports, as well as against of any sorts of trade barriers, market limitations and restrictions imposed by government.   He claimed that only market forces have to determine the types and volumes of manufacturing, the directions of international trade, etc. He was convinced that national economy itself will find the most effective ways of own development. Undoubtedly, the findings and ideas of Adam Smith are more influential and important for modern economy, because now the majority of the countries practice one or another form of free market economy. But there are still supporters of the mercantilist ideas, who argue that exports bring more positive outcomes to national economy (new working places, new incomes, etc.) than the imports do, and that is why the exports have to be encouraged. References: Ball, D., McCulloh, W. H., Geringer, M., Frantz, P.L. & Minor, M. S. (2005). International Business. 10th Ed. Columbus, OH: The McGraw-Hill Co.

Baroque Architecture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Baroque Architecture - Essay Example The design of Sant’Ivo all Sapienza may look very easy to understand but the techniques used by following the rules of baroque architecture clearly made it technical. To start with, the designers and creators followed the existing palazzo to revamp and reintroduce the architectural techniques to the Church. The basis of architecture or the baroque techniques utilized Star of David or also known as the modern Jewish society symbol to undertake concealing. It should be noted that the design of the Sant’Ivo all Sapienza was carved and fully merged with the help of the hexagonal Star of David with faà §ade of the church. In addition, it can be well stated that the Church created an exemplary detail of lantern which was never used before in the baroque architecture. In simpler words, it can be said that the designer of the Sant’Ivo all Sapienza actually allowed the baroque architecture to take a roman stylistic in its grasp. It was for this reason that a corkscrew la ntern was used in the midst of the dome. The critics have claimed that the building of Sant’Ivo all Sapienza is a good example of rational design. Such claims were posed in order to define the complexity of the design which can only be noted on the paper. Apparently, the design of the building does not seem intricate. However, with the focus on the layered shapes, it becomes easy to understand that the focus has been kept on the clear structures and wider stances to make new variations. This makes it evident that baroque architecture allowed architects.

Contemporary Issues in Western Religions Research Paper

Contemporary Issues in Western Religions - Research Paper Example The followers of Islam are called Muslims. Islam is based on monotheism, like Christianity and Judaism, and Hazrat Muhammad (Peace Be upon Him) is believed to be the last prophet. The concept of worship in Islam is that every act can be considered an act of worshipping if it does done the way Allah has commanded His believers to. Apart from that, there are also five pillars of Islam, which are compulsory for every Muslim. These are ‘Kalima Tayyaba’ the authentication of faith, five prayers a day, fasting, Almsgiving or Zakaat, and pilgrimage called Hajj (once in a lifetime). As contrary to what is portrayed, Islam is not an extremist religion. It does not teach the followers to submit themselves completely either to the religion or to the worldly affairs, but to take a middle road between them and take care of their worldly matters in accordance to the religion. Islam, Judaism and Christianity are called Abrahamic religions. Islam is theologically and historically conne cted to other Monotheist religions Judaism and Christianity. To Muslims, Jews and Christians are ‘People of The Book’ and are respected for it. Belief in Injil (The Gospel of Jesus) is very important to Muslims, and Jewish history is taught in Islam as its own (ReligionFacts, 2012). But still Muslims believe that Jews and Christians have incorrect beliefs based on incomplete revelations. Jews believe that Islam and Christianity are wrongly interpreted extended forms of Judaism. Christians consider Judaism as a religion with partial revelation but consider Islam to be a false religion. Islam and Christianity were originated in the same geographical location, in the Middle East. Islam was founded in 622 CE in Arabia and Christianity in 33 CE in Palestine. Even though both Islam and Christianity believe in monotheism, Christian’s belief is slightly different. They believe in Trinity Monotheism which divides God into three sanctified persons and Jesus as the son of G od. Muslims however believe that Jesus’ birth was a miracle and Mary was a Virgin yet they do not believe that Jesus is the son of God and that is considered as a Shirk in Islam. In spite of this both believe in one God. The other spiritual entities in Islam and Christianity are angels and demons (and Jinns in Muslims). The humans who preach their respective religions are called prophets in Islam and Saints in Christianity. Regarding Jesus Muslims believe that he is a true prophet of God and his teachings were misinterpret, Jesus did not die but his spirit got lifted to the heavens and that he will be come again but can not be resurrected as he did not die In the first place. Christians believe that Jesus died when he was being crucified and then rose from the dead after three days and after resurrection and is believed to come back on the Day of Judgment. Holy revelations were through prophets and compiled into the Holy Quran in Islam and into the Holy Bible in Christianity. According to Islam, humans have the ability to do bad as well as good whereas in Christianity it is believed that man tends to be attracted by evil by nature. In Islam escape from hell is achieved by doing good actions and having true beliefs as well as by maintaining and upholding the Five Pillars of Islam. In Christianity salvation can be achieved by having true beliefs, and through performing sacraments. Wrongdoers will go to eternal hell and good people will go an eternal heaven in both Islam and Christianity. Islam and Judaism are also similar in theology and history. Like Islam, Judaism follows strict monotheism and believes in one God and believes in angels and demons

Integrated Communication Marketing Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 3

Integrated Communication Marketing - Assignment Example hat can compel me to participate is that I will get a bonus point for sending an email to a prospective customer who in turn will also pass on the message. These bonus points can be redeemed for a product that is being marketed. I think viral marketing campaigns are effective with customers given that the recipients of messages are likely to respond if they realise that the information is coming from their peers. The consumers become anxious to read the message if they realise that it is coming from a close friend. When they find the message appealing, they are likely to pass on to their peers and friends. This means that viral marketing becomes inexpensive because the customers pass along the message to others. This is a very effective marketing strategy among a targeted market segment given that the consumers will get information about a product which compels them to respond. They can do this by trying the product and once satisfied, they can also convince their peers to purchase

Monitoring Performance unit 3 Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Monitoring Performance unit 3 - Research Paper Example In the similar context, motivation power is the ability to encourage the team members in order to put their best efforts and encourage them to work towards a shared goal with a purpose to achieve the desired objectives of an organization. It is in this context that a leader can motivate its followers providing rewards as well as recognitions. Rewards consist of bonuses, overtime pays, incentives, and gifts among others. On the other hand, recognition refers to the promotion, flexible working hours, special assignments, and increased responsibilities (Lindemann, & Reiser, 2000). The capability of taking right decision at the right time as per the requirement is considered as a decision making ability of a person. Therefore, a good leader should be capable to take the right decision at right time in order to achieve the desired goal of an organization (Lindemann, & Reiser, 2000). A good leader should also have the ability to be cooperative and make coordination within team members. It can help the leader to take the team in one direction and coordinate them to work in the same goal (U.S. Merit System Protection Board, 2006). Furthermore, sense of justice is considered as the quality of dealing with the team members through fair and justified approach. In this regards, check on all the facts and figures should be considered with due significance to the opinion of employees before passing the judgement rather than being partial and biased. The quality of listening to others problems and difficulties along with passions is considered as good listening skill of the leader. A leader should always listen to his/her followers and also provide solution which in turn can assist the organization to create an effective and efficient working environment (U.S. Merit System Protection Board, 2006). Goal oriented approach directs a leader to make coordination within its team members in order to develop

Marketing management Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Marketing management - Research Paper Example 2. A company that has a well-executed branding strategy will enjoy the good aspect of marketing. This is because customers will be able to identify themselves with the good due to its color, brand name and even the price. Consumers will enjoy the benefits of easy selection and budgeting of their selected brand. With regard to a newly launched product, the brand name provides the advantage especially due to the customer base already created by pioneer brands. 3. Most of the new products fail in the market because of several reasons. One of the reasons is the level of competition. Most of the newly launched products are unable to compete effectively in the market hence fail. Most of the marketers also fail in conducting feasibility tests before launching their products in the market. In addition to this, poor branding strategies and failure to connect the new product with pioneer brand creates a loophole which eventually leads to the failure. Marketers are therefore under obligation to conduct a proper feasibility test before they introduce a new product. They must ensure that the product is appealing to the customers and meeting their demands in terms of price quality and quantity. 4. Most marketers are have engaged in understanding the psychological behavior of the consumers and are now utilizing the strategy of perceived value. This means that the value of the price of the goods or services are according to what the customers thinks they are. The key to perceived value pricing is providing the customer with what they want in form of size, quality, quantity, and price. Once this is done customer loyalty follows and this is the most important aspect of perceived pricing. The marketer is able to predict the price to be paid through customer loyalty, customer demands and customer cares services. 5. One of the strategies is to increase the compensation such that the highest marketer gets the highest commission. This will act

Case study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 13

Case study - Essay Example ologist, that brought to light the issues surrounding ethics, and with the help of American doctors William Osler and William Welch, wrote the Berlin Code of 1900. The Berlin Code gave a list of ethical conditions that needed to be met before humans could be used in medical experimentation. Adolf Hitler, not to our surprise, decided that the Berlin Code had exceptions, people that were not considered to meet the standards that were set down by the Code. He felt that Jews, gypsies, homosexuals, and mentally disabled people did not count as citizens and, as such, did not have the same rights as others. It was because of this that Hitler allowed cruel and unethical experiments to take place in the concentration camps of World War II. These were not as much medical experiments as they were series of various tortures. In 1947, the Nuremberg Tribunal condemned Nazi doctors for their acts of torture and murder as opposed to medical experimentation. Due to what took place at the hands of Hitler and his Nazi doctors, the Nuremberg Code was created (Marrus, 1999). The Nuremberg Code hardly differs from the original Berlin Code, except that it made it clear that the guidelines extended to all human beings. Ten guidelines were outlined to ensure the utmost protection for humans during medical experimentation, including under certain conditions that it is not safe to use humans for experimentation, which would be situations that could cause injury, disability, or death. More guidelines were also added in the Nuremberg Code, as opposed to what was in the Berlin Code, to ensure that risks would be tended to before taking on a human subject in experiments; if risks would arise during the experimentation, the study would have to be terminated. The greatest change in the alteration of Codes as a result of Hitler’s actions is the consent that must now be given by the human subject (Vollmann & Winau, 1996). If they do not wish to participate in the experiment, they do not have

Enhancing Employability in Marketing Assignment

Enhancing Employability in Marketing - Assignment Example Particularly, the banking and finance industry has witnessed this and there is since a vacancy hence the need to employ more marketers and advertisers in London as its the country’s hub. Financial services, professional services, not-for-profit and media are hiring the majority of marketers in London (Anderson & Marsh, 2011). Also, another current trend worth taking note of in the marketing and advertising industry in the U.K is high demand for digital marketers. Technology has revolutionized the traditional way of doing business. Companies are now hiring personnel who can compete globally and those who are techno-savvy. For example, online marketing is a tool used by most companies that want to gain a global audience. This therefore means that there will be a very high demand for digital marketers who can use various online methods as channels of communication. Another significant trend in this industry is demand for marketers driven by regional specific industries. Each region in the U.K has a specialized marketing need. They will therefore hire marketers who they think will be most appropriate for those various needs. An example would be Leeds is dominated by retail, financial and professional services; Sheffield by manufacturing and public sector; Greater Manchester has a diverse mix of industry, com merce, public sector, as well as dominating the creative agency sector outside of London. The location of the port cities of Liverpool and Newcastle mean they operate almost as separate economies in their own right. This means that the demand for marketers will vary greatly and will definitely depend on the demand and supply rule otherwise known as Adams invisible hand theory. (CBI employability report 2010). Finally, the industry has also experienced a high turnover in the fast moving consumer goods sector.

Design Methodology Essay Example for Free

Design Methodology Essay A design methodology is series of phases that guide a project lifecycle. Generally speaking there are an uncountable number of design methodologies, but the two most utilised are the predictive and the adaptive approach. The predicative approach assumes that a project can be planned in advance and the adaptive approach assumes the opposite. These design methodologies are also referred to as traditional or waterfall approach and spiral or iterative approach respectively. The phases involved generally fall into the categories of planning, analysis, design, implementation and support. Whether implementing the predictive or adaptive approach, each phase is an important step in the design methodology but can differ depending on the approach taken. Additional, depending on the design methodology implemented, the phases may not exist as separate entities and can be combined, split up or even removed all together. During the planning phase the problem and scope are defined, a work breakdown structure and schedule is developed, a feasibility study is undertaken, team members are assigned and official approval is sought for commencement. The analysis phase involves gathering information relevant to the scope of the problem, constructing models or prototypes to assist information gathering, defining the goals or requirements and assessing and prioritising those goals or requirements. Information gathering techniques involve interviews, observation, reviewing industry standards, questionnaires, joint application design (JAD) sessions and general research. The design phase includes designing and integrating the system controls, designing the system and designing the system interfaces. The implementation phase involves constructing the system, verifying and testing the system, data conversion, training users, documenting the system and installation of the system. Finally, the support phase encompasses maintenance of the system, improving the systems and providing continual support for users of the system. The traditional or waterfall approach follows a sequential set of phases that need to be complete in order, one after the other. In most cases the waterfall approach does not contain overlapping phases and each phase must be completed before beginning the next phase. On the other hand, the adaptive approach involves repeating phases and/or overlapping phases. Usually the phases are repeated in a looping or spiral fashion but can also follow the more traditional linear pattern with overlap or loopbacks to only a few of the phases. Design methodologies encompass not only how the project lifecycle is planned out but also the models, tools and techniques used to assist the project lifecycle. Models can include anything from diagrams and charts to real world representations and abstract representations. Tools range from simple programs to produce models to complex Computer Aided Software Engineering (CASE) tools. Finally, techniques consist of step-by-step instructions, guidelines or advice to assist the completion of the phases or the project lifecycle. Design methodologies are mostly notably applied to project management and technological industries such as software development. In project management, design methodologies allow projects to be directed to achieve the expected goals within the given constraints. Technological industries also follow a very similar approach to project management. Methodologies can also be applied to everyday tasks, especially within the area of business. In retail, staff are often given guidelines on how to deal with customer complaints. Most notably, ALARA involves the steps of acknowledge, listen, ask questions, recap and act. This is in essence a design methodology which begins with the planning phase (acknowledge), the analysis and design phase (listen and ask questions), the support phase (recap) and implementation phase (act).

Hotels in Bangkok

Hotels in Bangkok The Regency Grand Hotel is one of the most prestigious and luxurious hotels in Bangkok, Thailand. Since its inception, it has earned a brand name in the industry owing to the exceptional salaries and benefits offered. The hotel staff and managers felt privileged being a member of the hotel, and perceived that they were being taken well care of under the leadership of the then General Manager. The following case study illuminates the dilemma of the employees undergoing the management changeover following its acquisition by an international group. In the earlier set-up, the employees were expected to follow the orders of their managers without questioning them. Initiatives to solve problems at personal level were discouraged and it led to lack of innovation and risk-averse behavior. Eventually, the hotel staff got accustomed to the style of management over the past fifteen years, and it made the work go smoothly with minimal number of conflicts. However, the recent sale of the hotel to a new American group introduced an altogether new style of administration to the employees. The management style of the new GM was entirely opposite to what the staff was familiar to, and it caused problems bringing the hotels performance and reputation down the drain. Problem symptoms and indications The former style of management gave limited authority to the front line employees and did not permit them to take any action on the spot without referring to their superiors. On the contrary, the new General Manager (John Becker) encouraged them to perform beyond their routine duties to provide customized services and thus make them feel special. This is directly related to empowerment, which is a key aspect in the service industry especially the hotels (Hubrecht Teare, 1993). Beckers motive in employee empowerment was linked with his intention to achieve competitive advantage through upgrading the staff competencies. As stated by Wall, et.al (2002, p.147) employee empowerment results in motivation, inventiveness, implied knowledge, participation, and enthusiasm necessary to survive in todays cutthroat competition. Although, Becker saw empowerment as a means to enthuse employees and delight the customers (Barbee Bott, 1991, p. 27) the hotels current managers expressed their disappointment. They were discontented with the idea of giving bottom line employees more authority and decision powers. The disparity in management approach is attributed to the cultural differences in these countries, for instance power distance, and uncertainty avoidance (Hofstede, 1980, p.45-55). Thailand and USA fall in the extreme ends of the cultural continuum presented by Hofstede (1980). Efforts are generally focused towards equal distribution of power in USA, while only a few people are given authority in Thailand given the larger power distance in the latter. Also, there is strong uncertainty avoidance in Thailand, calling for more written rules regulations, whereas uncertainty is easily accepted in USA and emphasis is laid on minimal formal rules (Hofstede, 1980, p.51). Becker failed to recognize these cultural differences while implementing his theories into practice. Joining a new organization and country demands awareness about the various social and cultural issues involved before transforming the existing practices (Lane Beamish, 1990, p.88). What worsened the situation further was his previous experience in places with poor performance and low employee morale. It is noticeable that his new assignment was doing sound business; therefore, his approach ought to be different in this case. Becker spent a great deal of time with the employees in an effort to elucidate his expectations from them. The role theory (Bush and Busch, 1981; Teas et al., 1979) mentions that the frontline employees have a greater need for role precision to carry out their duties efficiently. Role clarity perceived by the customer-contact employees is not only advantageous for customer satisfaction, but is also associated with employees job satisfaction, organizational commitment, and performance (de Ruyter et al., 2001). Yet, he did not succeed in putting a clear demarcation between complex and small issues. This kind of uncertainty was a continuous threat and led to higher anxiety and stress among the employees since strong uncertainty avoidance prevails in Thailand (McShane and Travaglione, 2007, p.47). The employees did not have a clear role perception due to role ambiguity. In this regard, Saks (1996, p.301-23) states that role perception is a result of role ambiguity, and with time this may result in stress specially when working under a new management. In addition to that, the employees were not able to distinguish between a major and a minor problem because of the lack of training (assumption). They had never been assigned a decision-making role before, and unfortunately did not receive a proper guidance from their seniors in such difficult situations. A further study into the Regency Grand Hotel shows that in quest of employee empowerment, power was transferred from the middle-line managers to the lower rank staff. Daft (1995) suggested that the recent trend of flatter organization structures have considerably altered the traditional role of supervisors. Consequently, the managers found their job meaningless and reversed employees decisions by terming them complex issues. They insisted that upper managements approval is required to address such problems and thus, tried to regain their supremacy. The managers reactions are associated to their control needs, achievement needs, and recognition needs () that forced them to maintain their grip on routine decisions. Furthermore, the employees did not receive any kind of support, feedback or appraisal for taking initiatives and going out of their way to enrich customers experience. As per Herzberg (1959) theory, motivation techniques such as superiors support and a positive and timely feedback have enduring productive influence on the employee behavior and resulting performance. In this context, experts have referred to the ABCs of behavior modification theory (McShane and Travaglione, 2007, p. 85-86) which states that employee behavior can be modified by managing its antecedents (for example encouraging staff to take initiative) and its consequences (for instance approving their decisions and constructive feedback). The theory further states that people have a propensity to repeat behaviors and actions that are followed by pleasant consequences, and extinction occurs when no consequences follow at all. Since the managers did not provide any support to the employees engaged in the desired work behavior, their self-driven decision-making process disappeared. The absence of motivation from the superiors eroded the employees self-confidence and they started to totally rely on their superiors to make decisions on their behalf. This is because of the high collectivism in Thailand (Hofstede, 1980, p. 45) where there is a strong need for consensus. The overall problem with the Grand Regency Hotel is directly linked to the MARS model, which identifies four key factors that have a direct effect on employee behavior, viz. motivation, ability, role perception, and situational factors. The employee performance levels drop if any of these factors is absent from the organizational context (McShane and Travaglione, 2007, p. 36). It is apparent from the study that the employees were not motivated to continue the new task behaviors, and they lacked the ability to define the complexity of the decisions, which again led to ambiguous role perceptions. Moreover, the dissatisfaction of the hotels staff affected their work behavior as evident by the increase in the number of turnovers and absenteeism. These are undoubtedly identifiable with the EVLN model of employee responses to dissatisfaction at work. It is found that exit is the most frequently used response of the four reactions in a notion that no better alternatives exist. (Withey Cooper, 1989, p.533). As indicated by (Lau et al., 2003, p.77) role conflict and a low degree of job involvement leads to a higher absence rate. Low levels of supervisory support and immediate social control resulted in increased absenteeism. (Price, 1998, p.227-246). The number of employees mistakes reported to upper management increased; this is because of the lack of training, feedback and motivation. With passage of time, an organization wide culture emerged in the hotel where lower level employees throw their work over the wall to upper level employees indulging in counterproductive act (Lau, et al., 2003, p.75). As a result, the performance of the employees dragged the overall hotel performance down leading to an increase in the number of guest complaints.(Heskett, et al., in Koys, 2001, p.113) This was demonstrated in the heightened criticism in the newspaper and magazine reviews where the hotel was named as one of the Asias nightmare hotels. The hotel General Manager and the employees experienced high levels of stress. Beckers stress was clear from his statement unless the hotel is on fire dont let anyone disturb me. He was annoyed by the increasing number of consultations from managers regarding minor issues, which otherwise were supposed to be sorted out by themselves. This reflects lack of training on the managers front as well. The role ambiguity was the main reason behind the employees stress as they misunderstood their roles. Role conflict and role ambiguity have been found to be the major causes of role stress (Boles Babin in Siegall, 2000, p.427). The ever-increasing stress levels experienced by the employees weakened all the good relationships that were existent under the older management. The employees were no longer united, and because of that, counterproductive behaviors surfaced in the form of backstabbing and employees not taking responsibility for their actions. In brief, even though Becker introduced empowerment with kind intentions, his plan failed because of poor implementation. He acted too fast that the spontaneous empowerment in fact snatched power from everyone involved. He did not give sufficient time to the newly empowered to be trained or get mentally prepared for their new roles. The next blunder Becker made was of believing that the managers would readily pass on their powers to their subordinates the minute he declared empowerment program. In his zeal to initiate empowerment, he ignored all other factors to support his decision. RECOMMENDATION The recommendations for improving the performance of Regency Grand Hotel are presented for all the three hierarchal levels mentioned in the case study. General Manager The current managers of the hotel backlashed on the new General Managers decision of giving more decision powers to the front line employees. Those dissatisfactions were the consequences of cultural differences (low power distance in America, while high power distance in Thailand). Obviously, dealing with cultural clashes is difficult since cultural patterns change very slowly (Hofstede, 1980, p.53). Therefore, Becker should consider these issues and address them beforehand. We would recommend higher degree of compatibility in his leadership style. In this situation, he should conduct meetings with the managers in order to clarify their doubts, and communicate the same down the hierarchal levels. It would be logical to check on their performance on regular intervals of time. Next, he should try to lessen the power distance between the managers and the front office staff by means of social events and gatherings. It would definitely ease out the managers egos and identify the hidden potential of their subordinates. In the end, this would help them to act like mentors to facilitate change rather than being directive in their approach. As said by Quang William (1998, p.361) influence of multicultural leadership on flexibility, empathy, understanding problem solving, and communication leads to a successful organizational change. Moreover, emphasizing on trust, communication and mutual objectives should be taken into account. Becker should train the managers in their new roles as coaches to assist the employees in taking independent decisions. Goal sharing for improving customer service and hotels overall performance should be implemented to bring them together as a team. In order to have a successful implementation of empowerment we must have strong self-determination, meaning, competence and impact. If any of those four dimensions is weak then it reflects directly on the empowerment process. (Forrester, 2000) Though Beckers idea of empowerment was positive in itself, yet his plan proved disastrous. One way to make the process more effective is selective empowerment, which limits delegating power to employees who display the appropriate competencies. Invest in enhancing their knowledge and skills through formal training, mentoring, and self-learning because rightful application of power depends on ones capabilities. Employees should be given a chance to demonstrate expertise by employing simulations, case studies, mentors, and supervised trials. They should be assigned low-risk decisions first, and progressively work up to challenging judgments since achievement at the safer levels would boost confidence through expectancy of success. The employee pe rformance could be improved due to the self fulfilling prophecy of the managers. (McShane and Travaglione, 2007, p.80) Becker should influence the managers perceptions that better results are obtained through empowerment than not. This may be done by following a sequential approach. First, focus on empowerment that does not steal complete authority from the mid level managers. Instead, enhance employees power by widening their knowledge set and providing them with more training and development opportunities. Second, begin the process from the top levels of management and trail down the changes to the subsequent lower ranks. This would allow the seniors exercise greater power and, going through a successful empowerment experience would raise their expectations from the change. Finally, concentrate on specific materialistic results, for instance initiating a performance appraisal and reward system based on the level of power demonstrated by a managers subordinate and reward more generously to team work as compared to individual performance. For successful implementation of empowerment, managers need to believe that they are in control of their outcomes. Middle Managers The employees were confused in differentiating major and minor problems, which originated from their lack of role clarification. Role clarity implies the required information that is provided for employees in order to do their jobs efficiently (Kelly and Hise, 1980 cited in Mukherjee and Malhotra, 2006, p.446). In the given case study, it could be prevented by following the three key essentails of role clarity, i.e. feedback, participation and finally team support. The effectiveness of employees depends on their perception about wielded power by superiors. (Yukl, 1981). Managers should focus on providing their employees with feedback, paying more attention to normative feedback as it positively affects the individuals performance by improving either perceived competence, competence valuation (Sansone 1989) performance pressure (Butler . Nisan, 1986; Ryan, 1982) or a combination these factors. The effect of positive normative feedback on the performance would not be relevant unless employees were well trained in a way that their skills would match the tasks they were entailed to handle. This would enhance their perceived competence (Sansone 1988), which is handling customers minor problems without referring back to their supervisors. The employees were uncomfortable in their newly assigned role and hesitated to accept the responsibilities. In addition, lack of motivation from the seniors wore down their confidence. Instead, the performances should be followed by adequate rewards to ensure staff that they are on the right track (Locke and Latham, 1990, p.241). Providing on the job training to employees should be one of the middle managers priorities, as it has been proven a good way to learn (Wood, 1994). Also, well-trained employees will be better prepared to face the organizational change (Lange, 2006) occurring at the Regency Grand Hotel, which will in return help them overcome the challenges involved with the process of empowerment. Employees Apart from General Manager and the managers, the front line employees should also share responsibilities for making the empowerment program successful. McShane Tavaglione (2007, p.186-89) identifies four core necessities in employees behavior, namely competencies, self-monitoring and designing natural rewards. To participate in the empowerment process, employees should possess adequate capabilities to deal with the additional decision making roles. Another suggestion for the employees proposes practicing self-leadership. Certainly, it was the managers duty to provide the employees with proper training and feedback, but we should not overlook the part of employees themselves. They should try to set goals for themselves to create self-direction and self-motivation required to execute the new tasks. Self-leadership incorporates five key elements that is personal goal setting, constructive thought pattern, designing natural rewards, self-monitoring, and self-reinforcement. Employees who indulge in all the above-mentioned practices would perform jobs better than the ones being supervised by others, and as Larkin asserts, high self-monitor generates more confident individuals to adapt to the empowerment approach. In addition, speaking up of the employees should be regarded as an important solution (Premeaux Bedeian, 2003, p.1537). They should express their point of views about work related issues, recommendations, or requirement of changes and alternative approaches. The problem rose in Grand Regency Hotel because employees were hesitant to speak out their positions due to the fear of punishment. McShane Travaglione (2007) argue that the voice of employees should be established as a way to communicate dissatisfaction and to propose ideas to the manager to improve situations. Finally, employees who possess self-awareness, as one of the four dimensions of emotional intelligence, would have better emotional responses. Higher level of working emotions and attitudes would help employees attain better performances and prevent the tensions among the hotel employees. REFERRENCES Barbee, C. Bott, V. (1991). Customer treatment as a mirror of employee treatment, Advanced Management Journal, Vol. 5, p.27. Boles, J.S., Babin, B.J. (1994). in Siegall,M., 2000, Putting the stress back into role stress: Improving the measurement of role conflict and role ambiguity, Journal of Managerial Psychology, Vol. 15 (5), p.427. Retrieved from www.emerald-library.com on 25 September 2009. Butler, R., Nisan, M. (1986). Effects of no feedback, task-related comments, and grades on intrinsic motivation and performance, Journal of Educational Psychology, Vol. l, p. 210-216. Cohen, J., Ryan, R. (1982). Control and information in the intrapersonal sphere: An extension of Cognitive evaluation theory, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, Vol. 43, p.450- 461. Daft, R. (1995). Organization theory and design, 5th Edition, West Publishing Co., St Paul, MN. Forrester, R. (2000). Empowerment: rejuvenating a potent idea, Academy of Management Executive, Vol. 14 (3), p.67-80. Herzberg, F., Mausner, B., Snyderman, B. B. (1959).The motivation to work(2nd Edition) New York: John Wiley Sons, p.134. Heskett, J.L., Sasser, W.E., Schlesinger, L.A. (1997) in Koys, D.J., 2001, The effects of employee satisfaction, organizational citizenship behavior, and turnover on organizational effectiveness, Personnel Psychology, Vol. 54(1), p. 113. Hofstede, G. (1980). Motivation, Leadership and Organization: Do American Theories apply Abroad? American Management Association, p.45-55. Hubrecht, J. Teare, R. (1993). A strategy for partnership in total quality service, International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, Vol. 5 No. 3. Lange, T. (2006). Knowledge and Innovation for New Zealand: Dynamic Benefits of a Two-Stage Wage Strategy an Its Unlikely Application, Policy Studies, Vol. 27(1), p.71-85. Mukherjee, A., Malhotra, N. (2006) Does role clarity explain employee-perceived service quality? A study of antecedents and consequences in call centres, International Journal of Service Industry Management, Vol. 17 (5) p.446. Price, J. L. (1998). Estimation of Causal Model of Absenteeism, Indian Journal of Labour Economics, 41(2), p.227-246. Lau, V.C.S., Au, W.T., Ho, M.C.J. (2003). A Qualitative and Quantitative Review of Antecedents of Counterproductive Behaviour in Organizations, Journal of Business and Psychology, Vol. 18(1), p.75-77. Saks, A.M., Ashforth, B.E. (1996). Proactive Socialization and Behavioural Self- management, Journal of Vocational Behaviour, Vol 48, p.301-23. Sansone, C. (1989). Competence feedback, Task feedback, and Intrinsic interest: An examination of process and context, Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, Vol.25, p. 343-361. Wall, T.D., Cordery, J.L., Clegg, C.W. (2002). Empowerment, Performance, and Operational Uncertainty: A Theoretical Integration, Applied Psychology: An International Review, Vol 51 (1), p.146-169. Withey, M.J., Cooper, W.H. (1989). Predicting Exit, Voice, Loyalty, and Neglect, Administrative Science Quarterly, Vol. 34 (4), p. 533. Wood S. (2004). Fully on-the-job training: Experiences and steps ahead, National Centre for Vocational Education Research. LARKIN, The implicit theories approach to the self-monitoring controversy, European Journal of Personality, Volume5, Issue1, Date:March 1991, Pages:15-34 Premeaux and Bedeian, Breaking the Silence: The Moderating Effects of self-Monitoring in Predicting Speaking Up in the Workplace, Journal of Management Studies 40:6 September 2003 p1537-1562

Intertextuality in Buffy The Vampire Slayer :: Television Shows TV Essays

Intertextuality in Buffy The Vampire Slayer A vivid and 'realistic' subjective experience of TV dramatic fiction is almost axiomatic of viewer enjoyment. To feel a personal engagement with the depicted events, to experience a sense of the fictional space as subjectively real and to become drawn into that space are arguably defining features of enjoyable television viewing, as they are of film and of literature. In this paper, I will argue that certain forms of intertextuality play a key role in producing this experience. In cult TV shows like Buffy the Vampire Slayer (BtVS), these forms of intertextuality are used in abundance, and BtVS is therefore an excellent vehicle for exploring their psychological impact. Krzywinska (2002) notes that BtVS demands a sophisticated level of engagement by viewers, and that this is encouraged by a number of strategies, including intertextual references. She notes that the show makes many references, for example to shows such as Xena and the novels of Anne Rice, and that these are 'Part of a common cultural vocabulary that connects characters to a broader "real" world culture. Such references lend the series a greater sense of meaningfulness, and textual richness, further encouraging discussion between viewers and helping to interlace the Buffyverse with everyday life' (p 190). Other references to the 'real' world (for example the fact that Giles is said to have brought many of his books from the British Library, and the frequent use of the Internet): provide an important way of linking the diegetic world to other texts, to history, and to viewers' cultural knowledge This is important to the series' project of making connections with viewers' lives: the aim of which is to build a cultural vocabulary gleaned from the "real" world that is common to both viewers and characters' (pp 192 3). For Krzywinska, such devices make the audience attentive and make the viewing experience richer and more rewarding. However, the argument presented here will be that such intertextuality has further psychological effects that serve to draw the viewer into the fantasy world of BtVS and to intensify the feeling of involvement. So that the rewards for the viewer go beyond merely 'catching the references'. At this point, it seems necessary to enter into a brief discussion of what I am assuming by the term 'the viewer'. What follows is fundamentally a textual analysis of the positions that BtVS makes available or offers us, and invites us to take up (however, as will become clear, I am in no way suggesting that these subject positions are identificatory in the usual sense.

Dynamics of Change in International Relations Essay examples -- Intern

Dynamics of Change in International Relations The Oxford dictionary defines the act of migrating as meaning: â€Å"to move to settle to a new area in order to find work.†1 This seems to be presupposing that the primary motivation of migrants is employment. However, as I will go on to highlight, economic social and political factors in various combinations have always affected the various constant waves of migration throughout history2. I will look at how past and modern flows compare and their effects on global society. There are two main issues around migration: firstly how states can control and regulate migration levels. States are after all sovereign and reserve the right to be able to choose who to allow in and out of its boundaries. The second issue that has come about in the modern era is how to deal with the minority communities that migrants form within host states. This depends on the causes that it perceives the people migrated for and the political, social and economic circumstances of the receiving state itself. If the migrant community has strong links with its previous community in the home state still and actually works to affect political and social affairs over there, perhaps even using the power and protection of the host state, they are known as diasporas. They will be discussed further on. Causes of migration can be divided initially into whether the migration was involuntary, or political due to war, natural disasters, ethnic, persecution, coercion or exploitation, or voluntary. State responses to involuntary migrants are under the ruling of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights of 1948 and the Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees of 1951. However, all an applicant state is obliged to do is to consider all applications for asylum, not grant them. There is though the clause which states that a host state cannot turn the asylum seeker back to their country of origin if there is evidence their life is in danger. Voluntary migrants on the other hand have no such guarantee as their motives for migration are social or economic, not deemed to be necessary or they are illegal migrants. This definition of illegal depends on the circumstances of the host country and who they choose to allow in according to their laws or not. The mixing of political and economic though would seem to be more inevitable in future as socie... ...ised that monitoring and regulating migration will become almost impossible if the EU enlarges any further. To discourage the right wingers in their country, traditional host states have taken a hard line on migration to maintain social stability. In actuality, it can be argued that by doing so, the governments have undermined the very stability they sought as, people will not stop being persecuted and seeking shelter, whether legal or not14. Works Cited: Sita Bali, ‘Migration and Refugees’ in Brian White, Richard Little, and Michael Smiths (ed.), Issues In Politics (London, Macmillan Press Ltd., 1997) David Held et al., Global Transformations (Blackwell Publishing Ltd., Cambridge, 2003 S. P. Huntington, â€Å"The Hispanic Challenge†, Foreign Policy, Volume 141 (March/April 2004) p. 30 – 45 A, McKeown, â€Å"Conceptualising Chinese Diasporas, 1842 - 1949†, The Journal of Asian Studies, Vol. 52, No. 2 (May 1999) p. 306 – 337 Yossi Shain and Aharon Barth â€Å"Diasporas and International Relations Theory†, International Organisation, Vol. 57, (Summer 2003) p. 449 – 479 Compact Oxford English Dictionary [http://www.askoxford.com/concise_oed/migrate?view=uk] 25th November 2004

Era of Globalization

This century is an era of globalization and with the high technology and transformation. As of 2011, one-third of the 2.26 billion of the world's population are having internet access and this will be risen up to 40% by this year 2016 as projected by the Broadband Commission (Dron, J. ; Anderson, T., 2014:3). The development of technology today and the integration of this modern technology into the learning process lead to educational evaluation and enhancement (Ataie F. et.al, 2015:47). The impact of the technology in the education of today is not new in the education process. The internet and other related technologies bring information, research, and literature direct to the classroom (Fewkes A. M. ; McCabe M., 2012:93). Technology gives the students free access to information and resources twenty-four hours in seven days (24/7), that enables them to create multimedia content and share it with the world, and that allows them to participate in online social networks and communities where people from all over the world share ideas, collaborate, and learn new things (U.S. Department of Education, 2010). Most of the students today are defined by their reliance on social media, their technological multitasking capabilities, and their propensity toward all things new (Mills N., 2011:345).The social media has become an integral part of modern society (Web Designer Depot staff, 2009) and also known as Web 2.0 (Dewing M., 2010 ; Cann A., Dimitriou K. ; Hooley T., 2011).). Social media are computer-mediated technologies that allow individuals, companies, NGOs, government, and other organization to view, create, and share information, ideas, career interests, and other form of expression via virtual communities and network (Wikipedia contributor, 2016). There are many kinds of social media, social networking (Facebook), micro blogging (Twitter), video sharing (YouTube), news aggregation (Google reader), social search (Google), and instant messaging (Yahoo! Messenger, Skype) (Zafarani, R., Abbasi, M. A., ; Liu, H., 2014). These social media tools produce information every day (Cann A., Dimitriou K. ; Hooley T., 2011; Al-rahmi, W. M., Othman, M. S., Yusof, L. M., ; Musa, M. A., 2015:267) and provides collaboration learning process by looking at the contributions of other students in the collaborative working space and by reflecting on their own contributions as well (Hopkins B., 2016, Balakrishnan, V., 2016:36). Through social media the students are able to interact with one another, build a sense of community, develop content, as well as require students to be active in their own learning through participating, thinking, and contributing (Casey and Evans, 2011; Al-rahmi, W. M., Othman, M. S., Yusof, L. M., ; Musa, M. A., 2015:265). The students are able to upload their ideas in a social media sites and receive feedback from others (Balakrishnan V., 2016:35). Social media become both medium of formal and informal learning process (Balakrishnan V., 2016:35).Collaboration becomes easy because social media makes connection and interaction of one another easily anytime, anywhere and it provides the chance to understand individuals and human behavioral patterns (Zafarani R. et.al, 2014). Learning through social media with others, therefore, is an opportunity, Dron J. ; Anderson T., 2014:9). Facebook specifically can be considered as way of communication for learners to exchange information (Al-rahmi, W. M., Othman, M. S., Yusof, L. M., ; Musa, M. A. 2015:266). Facebook is a social networking service launched on February 4, 2004 and was founded by Mark Zuckerberg. He founded Facebook while studying psychology at Harvard University (Phillips, S., 2005). Facebook has gained extreme popularity among the internet users over the past few years. This social network was intended for personal communication among individuals yet today many other organizations use it for their advantage (Alhomod, S. M., ; Shafi, M. M., 2012:52). In the first quarter of 2015 Facebook revealed that it had more than 1.44 billion monthly active users (up 13 percent year-over-year). Of those, 1.25 billion were mobile users; an increase of 24 percent year over year (Protalinski, E., 2015). Facebook was the first social network to surpass 1 billion registered accounts and currently sits at 1.59 billion monthly active users (Statista site, 2016). As of the fourth quarter of 2015, Facebook had 1.59 billion monthly active users. In the third quarter of 2012, the number of active Facebook users had surpassed 1 billion (Statista site, 2016). Mostly, people use Facebook for chatting, for sharing photos, for posting videos, for staying in touch and sharing personal news, plan meetings and get-together, do homework and business to gethers, find and contact long-lost friends and relatives (Collier, A., ; Magid, L., 2010:2). For the young users, they use Facebook for day-to-day news about their friends, acquaintances, relatives, and peer groups, collaborating on school work, validation or emotional support, self-expression and the identity exploration and formation that occurs in adolescent development (Collier, A., ; Magid, L., 2010:2). There are a lot of studies already conducted to know the connection between Facebook and educational process and these studies have established that Facebook can act as a tool of communication in the modern educational system (Alhomod, S. M., ; Shafi, M. M., 2012:52). Facebook, as social network, provides positive impacts in the educational sector. It creates a group or network, builds educational, integrates into current educational tools, and develops an educational application, shares topic information with other users of the Facebook (Alhomod, S. M., ; Shafi, M. M., 2012:53).A recent study of the attitudes of 107 students toward Facebook provides some insights and this study found out that Facebook was preferred over eLearning Commons as a classroom supplement. Many of the students were already familiar with Facebook, used it frequently and found it easy to navigate (Barczyk, C.C. ; Duncan, D.G., 2013:2). This means that one contribution of Facebook in the educational system is it serves as the source of knowledge and information outside the classroom where formal education process is done. Furthermore, the study provided that if used appropriately, Facebook may help to increase student engagement by cultivating classroom community and stimulating intellectual discourse, (Barczyk, C.C. ; Duncan, D.G., 2013:2). This means that Facebook can be used effectively for academic discussions (Barczyk, C.C. ; Duncan, D.G., 2013:2).Facebook enhances the learning process. This is the reason why most Facebook widely used by college students and colleges. As we mentioned already, the students can upload videos, pictures, post to bulletin boards, and participate in communication via e-mail and instant messaging (Toland, R., 2013:41). Then Facebook is a social network that connects students with other students and creating an indirectly learning community which is vital components of educational process (Toland, R., 2013:41). Finally, Facebook can be used as learning tool to develop cognitive learning skills of the students (Toland, R., 2013:41). How does collaboration happened in social media, in Facebook to be specific? According to Cann A., Dimitriou K. ; Hooley T. (2011) collaboration in social media involves academic research cycle, namely:Identification of knowledge,Creation of knowledge,Quality assurance of knowledge, and  Dissemination of knowledge.Cann A., Dimitriou K. ; Hooley T. (2011) defined collaboration as the work of all the people who might be involved in research including researchers, librarians, funders and the general public. Identification of information in social media is possible because of the connection with other people. Information also can be obtained through comments coming from the people you are connected through social media. Creation of knowledge is possible in social media through share ideas and/or advices coming from learned individual. Quality assurance of knowledge in social media is possible because of peer scrutiny and/or peer review. Dissemination of knowledge involves communication and/or engaging with the public and discussing related controversial issues.

Science for Shaping the Future of India

The theme of this Congress, `Science for Shaping the Future of India`, reflects the dream of every generation of Indian scientists. Faster growth over the next few decades, more sustainable development based on food and energy security, and socio-economic inclusion made possible by rapid growth of basic social services, such as education and health, are all crucial for defining India’s future. Science, technology and innovation all have an important role to play in achieving these objectives.Science and technology development have been central to the phenomenal material advancement and efficiency in the use of resources seen in the last hundred years. The pace of change has only accelerated in the last few decades, as globalization and new technology have enhanced people’s access to knowledge and their ability to leverage it through collaboration. India has benefited from this epochal transformation by embracing these trends. Since technological changes typically emanat e from established structures, they may at times re-inforce them and inhibit the advancement of equity and equality.As India seeks a sustained growth of its national income, we must endeavour to harness the tools of science to cater to the needs of the underprivileged and to bridge the gap between the haves and the have-nots. Nearly 65 percent of our people live in rural areas. The increase in their living standards depends greatly on the growth of agricultural production and productivity. The Twelfth Five Year Plan assumes that a sustained growth of our agriculture at the rate of 4 percent per annum is essential for the achievement of food security for our country.This growth is constrained by shortages of water and also of land. We need new breakthroughs in water-saving technologies of cultivation, enhancement of land productivity and development of climate-resilient varieties. This transformation of agriculture must be the top priority concern of our public policies, including sc ience and technology policies. In keeping with the theme of this Congress, the question naturally arises as to what we should do to build our future through science? I would like to share a few ideas.First, we must, as a society, enhance the spread of what Jawaharlal Nehru used to describe as the scientific temper. Our younger generations must adopt a science-based value-system in order to benefit from what science can offer and to make up for lost time. Complex issues, be they genetically modified food or nuclear energy or exploration of outer space, cannot be settled by faith, emotion and fear but by structured debate, analysis and enlightenment. A scientific approach and understanding of these issues are therefore as vital as our core scientific capabilities.For this, we must invest in popularizing science, not only in our schools and colleges – as we are doing through the INSPIRE programme – but also in our homes, workplaces and communities through all available co mmunication methods, like the high-speed optical fibre National Knowledge Network. Eventually, science must help in establishing an inclusive society that seeks to solve major social problems through the application of science. Second, our scholarship and research must be informed by a keen awareness of our basic social and economic realities.Given the limited resources that we, as a nation, are able to devote to scientific research, it is imperative that we give priority to meeting those challenges which are fundamental to the transformation of our economy. I have already referred to the need to transform India’s agriculture. But there are other equally valid concerns as well which require priority attention. The quest for energy security, sanitation, provision of safe drinking water, labour intensive manufactures and universal healthcare at affordable cost are other areas of high priority concern.Our effort should be to carve out a niche for India’s leadership in som e of these areas. Indian industry must play an active part in this process through in-house research centres and, more importantly, through enhanced academia-industry interaction. Third, a holistic organizational approach is essential. There was a time when science took a lonely road, driven by individual enterprise rather than collective effort. This is sub-optimal in the innovation and knowledge-intensive world that is empowering the growth process today.We need cross-fertilization of disciplines and synergy among stakeholders. Government-sponsored research must be supplemented by research in private labs. Academic and research systems must foster innovation and entrepreneurship and therefore link up with those interested in commercial development. In the last few years, we have taken some policy measures in this direction. We have encouraged sharing of and access to Government-owned data for research.We have also created new mechanisms like Innovation Complexes, Technology Busine ss Incubator and Innovation Universities in an effort to bring about convergence of interests among the various players in science. Fourth, international collaboration is vital for increasingly resource-intensive modern science to progress. Economic liberalization and economic growth over the last several years have made it possible for our scientists to collaborate meaningfully and confidently in the international arena.Let me cite only two outstanding examples. There was significant Indian collaboration with the European Centre for Nuclear Research on the Large Hadron Collider, which led to the discovery of what is believed to be the elusive Higgs boson. The other example is our work with a select group of countries on the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor. We must partner not only with established leaders in science and technology, but also with emerging innovation powerhouses, many of them in our region.We must also offer our expertise to our neighbours for collec tive prosperity and progress. Finally, the quality of our scientific institutions will depend upon the quality of the students we can attract into science, the freedom we give them in pursuing scientific research and the human resource policies we follow in selecting leaders. We must select only the best and we must expand our search to the many Indian scientists abroad who may wish to return to India at least for some years.The solution of even the simplest of problems related to humanity’s pressing needs often requires first-rate fundamental research. During the last eight years, we have tried to fill this gap by expanding the infrastructure of our scientific research and innovation. We have established five new Indian Institutes of Science Education and Research, eight new Indian Institutes of Technology, sixteen new Central Universities, ten new National Institutes of Technology, six new R&D institutions in the field of biotechnology and five institutions in other branche s.It is my hope that all this will significantly raise the quality of scientific research in our country. Given that science-led innovation is the key to development, the National Innovation Council has also brought the domain of innovation to the foreground, helping translation of knowledge into usable solutions. The Science, Technology and Innovation Policy 2013 released here today aspires to position India among the top five global scientific powers by the year 2020. It is an ambitious goal.It aims to produce and nurture talent in science, to stimulate research in our universities, to develop young leaders in the field of science, to reward performance, to create a policy environment for greater private sector participation in research and innovation and to forge international alliances and collaborations to meet the national agenda. The Twelfth Five Year Plan, which was approved by the NDC a few days ago, outlines a number of initiatives which will make this possible.An importan t step in this direction in the Eleventh Plan was the establishment of the National Science and Engineering Research Board as an autonomous funding body. As pointed out in the Twelfth Plan, this institution proposes to invest in researches of proven track record and establish about 200 to 250 centres based on a grant model with performance reward linkages. I would like to conclude by recalling Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore’s immortal lines in which he prayed for a future India where, among other things, a â€Å"clear stream of reason† would prevail.I am confident that, in the next five days, this confluence of leading lights of science from home and abroad will throw up useful ideas on how science will shape the future of India. As the Indian Science Congress crosses another milestone, let us pledge to keep alive the passion of its architects for truth that is eternal and beautiful and their dream to lead India to greater heights of knowledge. Let me also take this occas ion to wish all those gathered here a very Happy New Year. †

Organizations Become More Global

To some the word â€Å"Globalization† may seem a clichà ©. To others, it may appear an end in itself. Competitive pressures are creating the need for most companies to become Global.Globalization is one means for  becoming and remaining a world-class competitor — a goal encased in the mission statements of most corporations.When developing a globalization strategy, it is clear that the emerging markets present the greatest opportunity. The growth projections for Europe, Japan and the United States pale in comparison to some of the emerging markets.Emerging MarketsThroughout the emerging markets an unprecedented consumer market boom is driving up demand for western-style goods and services. The largest segment of consumers in these markets is a decade short of its peak spending years. In India alone, sales of consumer goods are rising at 14% per year, while China is growing at almost 20% per year. Couple the consumer-spending boom with the still burgeoning need for in frastructure improvements and you’ll have a range of opportunities that extends into the trillions of dollars. Projects are planned or underway in many of these countries to upgrade transportation and  telecommunication systems, explore energy resources, build power generation facilities and provide health care facilities.In addition, the privatization efforts are presenting an incredible range of opportunities for investors, lending institutions, service providers and manufacturers.Four key trend influence emerging market potentialThere are four key trends that are influencing the emerging market potential:1. Demographics: Overall world population growth is now concentrated in the  developing world. Where industrial nations are facing an  increasingly older population, the emerging markets remain  young. The developed world comprises only 11% of the world’s population.2. Governments: Many countries that once relied on centrally planned economies are becoming m arket-driven. Industries that governments  previously restricted to foreign companies are now opening to foreign investment.3. Communications: Access to the emerging markets is increasing due to huge  developments in communications technology such as the Internet and electronic commerce. Cyberspace represents a profound shift in the nature of communications as well as our perception of distance.4. Urbanization: As infrastructure improvements are made, urban growth in the emerging markets will continue to explode.  Estimates indicate that the emerging markets' share of world imports will double by the year 2010, rising to over 38%. Companies dazzled by the magnitude of these numbers must be equipped with the appropriate knowledge, information, and strategy to make its market forays successful.MACRO LEVEL Industry Globalization is due to such factors as :†¢ Level of international trade †¢ Intensity of international competition †¢ Worldwide product standardization †¢ Presence of key competitors in all key international markets. †¢ Intra-firm trade †¢ Technological intensity †¢ International linkages of value-added activities among countries †¢International integration of value-added activities among countries †¢ WORLDWIDE FREETRADE AGREEMENTS †¢ WORLDWIDE ECONOMIC REFORMS †¢ WORLWIDE FINANCIAL REFORMS †¢ REMOVAL TARIFF BARRIERS BY COUNTRIES †¢ REMOVAL OF SUBSIDIES COUNTRIES †¢ ETC ETC ====================================================THE PUSH FACTORS OF GLOBALIZATIONMarket Drivers†¢ Per capita income converging among industrial nations †¢ Convergence of lifestyles and taste †¢ Growth of global and regional channels †¢ Establishment of world brands †¢ Spread of global and regional mediaCost Drivers†¢ Continuing push for economies of scale ( but offset by flexible manufacturing) †¢ Accelerating technological innovation †¢ Advances in transportation (e.g., use of FedEx to deliver urgent supplies from one continent to another) †¢ Emergence of newly industrializing countries with productive capability and low labor costs (e.g., China, India and Indonesia)

Ethnic Notions Essay

Ethnic Notions is a documentary directed by Marlon Riggs. The title itself explains what the movie is about-impressions of race. Throughout the documentary, Riggs presents the history of stereotypes and shows how they still exist. In today’s society we have become so accustomed with stereotypes that they are considered normal. The movie Ethnic Notations introduces the problem of stereotypes by explaining their origin and history, giving examples, and showing how they still exist today, so that we are no longer fooled and unaware of stereotyping and racism. During the early and mid 1900’s black people were depicted on television and media as ignorant, ugly, violent and inferior to white people. These negative, degrading and horrible images of black people over time shaped people’s views and thoughts about black people and this was how stereotypes were created. Media used caricatures which are exaggerated representations of people to get racist views across to whit e and black American people. One example of a caricature is The Sambo. The Sambo was a caricature created to depict the black male as being lazy, child like ignorant and care-free making the black male seem more like a child than a male. Another example of a racist caricature is pickaninnies which are black children. Pickaninnies were depicted as ugly kids with rough wooly hair, big eyes, dark black skin, big mouths and bright red lips. Pickaninnies often resembled animals in children cartoons and were viewed as savage by white people. One of the most popular caricatures of the 1900’s is the mammie caricature. The Mammie was an older black woman who took care of the white man’s family. Mammies were shoed as loving mother figures who were fat black and unattractive. Mammies were created to show that some blacks were happy as slaves and loved black people. These stereotypes were disturbing, degrading and in most cases poor representations of black people. It saddens me how whites could think so low of black people or any other human being at all. Sadly stereotypes still exist today in television, media and society. One stereotype I feel definitely still exist today ids the Sambo stereotype although there are great black actors that play dramatic roles most black men in the media are still shown as being careless and immature. However not all stereotypes today are exactly the same as the caricatures from the 20th century but a new modern version. For example instead of black women being depicted as unattractive mammies on television, they are now ghetto loud and un-lady like. Sometimes I even find myself acting out a stereotype, like being loud or cursing in public. After watching Ethnic Notions I feel like stereotypes are too deeply rooted in Americas culture to ever be completely gone. Although this conclusion is unfortunate I do believe that we could make people believe in stereotypes less and less through media, by depicting blacks in a more positive light.

Performance Management Essay

1. Summarize the seven (7) components of the framework for coaching and performances management, and identify which ones you require development in and why. The seven components of the frame work for coaching and performance management are the coaching relationship, insight, motivation, capabilities, real-world practice, accountability, and organizational context. The first and most important step in the performance management process is to communicate what is expected. The should also be identifications of any job related learning needs and possible ways to address these needs. There also needs to be a performance review periodically to make sure that job expectations are relevant and appropriate and revise them if needed. Managers are encouraged to do this jointly with their employees which observing and documenting their performance. Throughout the performance management cycle, you should observe your employees’ performance and identify instances of both good and poor performance. Specific events and details are important for employees to clearly understand the impact, results, and consequences of their performance. Thorough documentation will enable you to recognize good performance and help you to correct poor performance. Provide feedback you should provide frequent feedback and coaching to your employees regarding performance throughout the year. This is especially important for the employee who is performing poorly. To be effective, feedback needs to be immediate, specific, and expressed in relation to a particular outcome and expectation. Deal With Performance That Does Not Meet Expectations. You may wish to enlist the support of your manager. He/she can give you the benefit of his or her experience and provide input and support before proceeding. Also, you can use the services of your Human Resources or Labor Relations Components especially if you are contemplating disciplinary action. They will provide the procedural and regulatory guidance as well as assistance in looking at alternatives and providing resources, intervention strategies, and other support.† (Public service commission) 2. Evaluate the validity of each of the reasons provided for failure in performance management. The reasons provided for failure in performance management versus performance appraisal discipline gap, accountability, measurement scarcity or overload, lack of balance and failure to assess impact. â€Å"There are two primary purposes of performance appraisal: evaluative and developmental. The evaluative purpose is intended to inform people of their performance standing. The collected performance data are frequently used to reward high performance and to punish poor performance.† (Smither, 2009) The developmental purpose is intended to identify problems in employees performing the assigned task. The collected performance data are used to provide necessary skill training or professional development. â€Å"The purpose of performance appraisal must be clearly communicated both to raters and rates, because their reactions to the appraisal process are significantly different depending on the intended purpose. Failure to inform about the purpose or misleading information about the purpose may result in inaccurate and biased appraisal reports.† (Cascio, 1998) 3. Identify two (2) of the barriers of success that are evident in preventing successful execution of performance management in a company you know well and recommend a solution to the problems. If you have not worked with or for a company that evaluates employee performance through performance management, imagine what the problems would be based on your knowledge of the company. Be sure to provide your rationale. Future scenarios allow organizations to explore multiple potential futures and generate robust strategies and early warning signs to understand how the future is unfolding. Where a vision articulates a â€Å"preferred future,† future scenarios describe how an organization might achieve its mission in different circumstances or environments. Organizations identify a focal issue or major decision the organization faces and the critical uncertainties in the macro environment, such as social, economic, political, environmental, and technical forces. Scenarios are developed based on combinations of these forces and robust strategies are identified to address multiple futures. Finally, indicators are identified to help understand how the future is affecting the organization’s decisions. In-order to fully understand the rationale past, present, and future analysis would have to be done on different work environments in-order to generally process the full computation of how and HR performance management society would work to stay in constant communication with the employee’s skill set.

Masculinity and Fight Club Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Masculinity and Fight Club - Movie Review Example Masculinity allows Palahniuk to unveil problems and weaknesses of pop culture and place a modern man in this new society. The main character, an unnamed narrator, suffers from depression and anxiety caused by poor job conditions and low salary. It assumes that a line of demarcation can be clearly drawn between tyranny and liberation, between inside and outside, and works to reify these binary oppositions. To some extend, fatally mortgaged to bourgeois individualism, it insists (like so many twelve-step programs) that one can obtain a cure by an act of will (which looks to me far more like an act of repression). Thesis The theme of masculinity helps the author to depict the culture of violence, cruelty and oppression created by pop culture and its values. For as the narrative makes clear, the sexual identity is finally revealed to be fictive, which is to say, strictly relational and dependent upon the roles assigned the participants by a particular scenario. The narrator describes his state as: "This week the insomnia is back. Insomnia, and now the whole world figures to stop by and take a dump on my grave "(Palahniuk 1999, p. 88). In becoming a spectacle, "another man," the main character accedes to the new economy of desire that insists on the unique nature of identities. It also bears witness to the vexed relation between the political and the sexual in American culture and the fact that queer identities at once disrupt the binary opposition between the public and the private and reinforce the belief that the private is the central determining feature, not just of subjectivity, but of the social as well (Connell, 2005). The symbol of the fight club is the main image of masculinity which reflects a true nature of human relations and social values. The rules of the Fight Club are described as: "The first rule of fight club is you don't talk about fight club. The second rule of fight club is you don't talk about fight club" (Palahniuk 1999, p. 87). According to the logic of identification, the male subject, as Palahniuk so clearly suggests, can be defined as identifies with and is possessed by '"an other". For as a subject, the narrator is always split into a masculine-and sadistic-half that delights in displaying his prowess and his marksmanship, and a feminine-and masochistic-half that delights in being used as a target. His project, as man and as writer, is to master the femininity that constantly gets in his way, the femininity at which he aims and does not aim, to write his way "out." Similar to the narrator, other characters are also involved in masculine culture and cannot avoid its impact and social significance. Tyler Durden and Robert "Bob" Paulson reflect masculinity and become a part of mass culture. For Tyler Durden, among all the ostensibly revolutionary projects, none is more important than their subversion of the differences between the public and the private spheres. The new settlement, especially under the terms of the domestic revival, works to

Congress Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Congress - Essay Example The CES was claimed to have unilaterally enacted a series of rules and regulations that required all students to undergo a search of their clothes, backpacks, lockers, and desks each morning. The rules also permitted random searches to take place. A hidden provision in the regulation allowed for enforcement officials to target their investigations more towards female students than male students, since studies had shown that females talk on cellular phones more often than males. Penalties for violating CES rules and regulations include the following: for a first offense, no hearing is held and the student receives a written warning; for a second offense, a hearing conducted by school officials is held and an automatic suspension is handed down; for a third offense, a full hearing is held by a board for the CES, after which a guilty finding results in expulsion, arrest, and incarceration for 30 days. School officials are also permitted, under the regulations, to permanently keep any cellular phones they confiscate. It is alleged that there were no notice was given or hearings held prior to the enactment of the rules and regulations. Lastly, there was an incident where a student was immediately expelled from school, arrested, and incarcerated without the opportunity to appear and defend herself against the charges, and that the cellular phone was taken by the authorities, never returned to such student nor her parents. The Fourth Amendment of the United States Constitution provides that there shall be no violation of the right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, and that no warrants shall issue, except upon probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation, particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized (U.S. Const. amend. IV.). The Fifth Amendment of the US Constitution further

Research on the finches native to the Galapagos Islands by Charles Essay

Research on the finches native to the Galapagos Islands by Charles Darwin - Essay Example This research study combined both qualitative and quantitative measures in order to gather data in order to support the concept of allopatric differentiation through the use of genetic analysis, environmental exposure, and behavioral observations. When Darwin was originally studying the species, he hypothesized that at one point there was a singular ancestral specie of finch that were spread out over the island chains through adaptive radiation. As the result of genetic mutation and diversification of the environment, different subspecies of finches developed in order to become adapted to that environment. Due to the fact that there are numerous species of finches that inhabit this isolated island chain, the specifics of taxonomic and evolutionary research have not been conducted. The researchers collected a wide spectral range of data regarding the differences between the species in order to be compared. One of the sets of data involved the recording of the sonic sounds that are cre ated by each distinct species of finch for communication. These vocal patterns were then analyzed by frequency and pitch in order to determine what characteristics were similar and which weren’t for showing evolutionary progress. ... In order to conclude whether there was any significance or validity to the study, statistical tests were used to determine the trends in the data. Some of the results showed that there was no statistical significance such as morphological traits, however there was statistical significance in the analysis of the sonic and genetic factors. The study that was conducted had a thorough way of exploring many of the different features that could impact allopatric differentiation of the species. The reason that finches are such a popular tool for biological study is because they a model organism in biology. This means that the things that are studied about the organism serve as a good model not only for just the study, but can be applied to a broad range of organisms. They are also good because they are a unique species that is native only to the Galapagos Islands, which helps control some diversity factors that could be seen biologically, behaviorally, etc. The scientists took into account not only the possible genetic factors that played a role, but also the role in which the environment played. The wealth and range of the types of data gathered allows the scientists to look on multiple fronts in regards to evolution. One of the problems with the study is that many of the variables that they are looking for cannot be controlled very well and some of the data was only the result of naturalistic observation. Therefore, it would be very difficult for scientists to replicate the studies in a lab for closer examination, lowering the internal validity. In order to gather more data on the study, the scientists should conduct a controlled longitudinal study in order to see how the finches could change over time or see if interbreeding within the populations occur

Leadership and Communication Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Leadership and Communication - Research Paper Example This research paper is developed utilizing an interplay of factors which shape leadership development. The researcher discusses leadership, that enables people to go beyond the confines of mediocrity and tread into the realm of excellence. In the process, it induces people to define their desires and to pursue them with passion. Ultimately, leadership transforms potential into reality. In any organization, especially in the academe, the influence of leadership in its operations of has evolved from a simple theoretical framework to the complex structure we have today. The development of leadership theories and communication opened a whole spectrum of information which enhanced the interaction and interrelationships among personnel. In conclusion, the researcher states that the ways to solve human resources problems depend on factors that currently influence the workforce. An examination of these factors would assist the leader and decision maker in arriving at the most appropriate sol ution. At NCO Academy, the problem that was discussed and ensued between the administrators and the instructors necessitated a review and assessment of each set of personnel’s position and role in the academe. By realizing that each personnel’s active contribution to organizational goals, the rift between them would be properly addressed. It just requires the keen governance of NCO Academy’s leaders to steer the organization into an efficiently operating academe focused in the achievement of its organizational goals.

Nature Conservancy Organization Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Nature Conservancy Organization - Research Paper Example Most news that alarmed us recently or the past few years were the unforgettable natural calamities or what they call incidents of â€Å"when nature strikes back†. These are commonly a surge of typhoons, earthquakes, tsunamis that destroy many lives and properties that leave people with almost nothing. Though each incident has a unique gravity and casualty stories, what is common to all would be the fact that all these are undeniably caused or triggered by irresponsible acts of man. These have kept man wondering how to avoid them from happening again while little is done to reach this goal. However, one of those that start to step up and make a change would be the Nature Conservancy Organization. The Nature Conservancy is one of the leading conservation organizations that works all over the world to initiate programs that would seek to protect our mother earth that would, in return, protect all of us in the long run. What sets them apart is the fact that they do not only provid e help, manpower, and funds during an immediate need such as after an intense tsunami swept almost all of Japan, instead, they are an organization that continuously champions ecological projects to give solution to the most pressing conservation threats at the largest scale (The Nature Conservancy - Organizations - TakingITGlobal. TakingITGlobal - Organizations. N.p., n.d). Having knowledge on the organization’s mission and vision, I would greatly encourage people to donate their time or money to the Nature Conservancy organization. There are a lot of reasons why I would. First of all, with the growing knowledge of people towards the worsening condition of our earth today, as the damage done to it already exceed the efforts people slowly initiate, one of the strongest reasons why most people do not get involved is that they do not have the venue where they could extend help and not because they do not have much time or have no money to spare. Thus, by studying the Nature Cons ervancy Organization which has been doing what they do since 1951 and has already proven consistency in conserving lands and waters, one would be sure that one’s time and money would not go to waste if invested with them. This is because this organization has already established certain processes that are proven to work throughout all the years, have had established significant connections with other organizations and parties that would be helpful in reaching their goals, and at the same time already have great knowledge on how to improve the condition of our nature. Aside from that, seeing their organization as a whole, I would say that they are more flexible and welcomes different ways that people can extend help. This is because of the fact that it has always opened its doors to youth who want to get involved temporarily or permanently in three ways, which are by being a part of the team, being a supporter, or perhaps helping through resources. Thus, if you are someone who wants to make â€Å"saving the earth† your career, you can easily be part of the team by being a member who would physically address conservation challenges all over the world. If you are someone who wants to take a step in saving the earth and yet you have a job that you love, you can be of help by being a supporter through helping promote nature conservation, gather probable funders of their

Coral Reefs in the Philippines and the trophic levels and organism Research Paper - 1

Coral Reefs in the Philippines and the trophic levels and organism localization and interaction specific to this area - Research Paper Example Moreover, they provide food security and livelihoods to people in the country. However, the stability of reefs in the region is under threats. This has occurred due to destructive fishing methods and overuse of resources (Unico Conservation Foundation, 2012). The threat in this ecosystem is seen as a threat to Philippines livelihoods due to a higher level of reliance on reefs. In coral reefs, there exists a feeding relationship between various organisms. The relationship helps in the transfer of energy from one level to another (Rose, 2009). A reef in a normal environment ensures stability and sustenance of these organisms. In the lower level of the reef are the producers. These ensure there is a creation of food for other organisms up in the system. There are a number of producers in the coral reef ecosystems. The most common are phytoplankton, algae, and species of seaweed (Rose, 2009). However, the major producer in the system is the phytoplankton (Rose, 2009). The organisms at this stage live in close association with the corals. Hence, they contribute to the make up of the reefs. Consumers occupy the second level (Rose, 2009). However, the consumers are divided into primary, secondary, and tertiary. The first level in this stage is occupied by primary consumers (Rose, 2009). The consumers at this level are herbivores (Rose, 2009). Some of the major herbivores in the marine environment include zooplankton, invertebrate larvae, benthic grazers, sea urchins, some corals and crabs as well as green sea turtles and herbivorous fish (Rose, 2009). However, the most abundant consumers at this stage are zooplankton (Rose, 2009). However, the feeding mechanism of creatures at this level varies. For example, the benzic grazers and some coral species adopt a different mechanism in which they feed through filtration (Rose, 2009). The form of feeding helps them to filter phytoplankton out of the water. Other creatures eat algae and seaweed directly. The