Society And Schooling Essays - Abuse, Anti-social Behaviour

Society And Schooling Discrimination has many different meanings, but the most specific meaning is the exclusion from membership in any group. This results in unfair treatment or judgements. Any type of person can be discriminated against from women to minorities. Also, there are many different areas where one can run into discrimination such as public facilities or even just trying to get onto the bus. One of the first places that one learns about discrimination is in the school systems. Children do not usually know what discrimination is, and a lot of adults do not even realize that they are discriminating against others. I believe that discrimination is one of the major problems in the schools today, because no one realizes that it is a problem. Children in schools have their own clicks or groups that they like to be around. When a student is not involved with this group a lot of times they will be made fun of. Kids can be really harsh with one another, and they just continue to be rude and mean. A lot of kids get made fun of if they are not considered as "cool" as the other kids. There are so many different kinds of groups from the "preps", and "nerds", to the "jocks". Also, children can be made fun of for being overweight or just not pretty enough. Most of the time, students discriminate against other races or origins. They do this because the outside looks different, and most of the times they do not get to know the real person. Discrimination against different races has been a problem for a very long time. I think that since it has been a problem for such a long period of time that a lot of kids just learn to act that way. Handicapped are also discriminated a lot because they are different. These students can be physically, mentally, or just emotionally handicapped, but still students will not give them the time of day. The teachers themselves can also discriminate against their students with out even knowing it. Students are discriminated against for their gender or their grades. Teachers will put students in groups with the same types of people, so that the children who have difficulty learning do not have the opportunity. When I get my own classroom, I will try my hardest to not have discrimination in it. When I assign them group projects, I will pick their groups to give them the opportunity to get to know their fellow classmates. Also, I will make sure that there are no friends in the same group. The groups will remain the same for a couple of weeks, and then they will get new groups. Another option I would try is teaching them about the other nationalities, races, and religions. I would do this by devoting one day a week to the students to tell something about their origins, race, religion, etc.. Discrimination is a major problem in today's society, but we can do something about it by beginning in the schools. We need to educate these children about the different cultures in society so they will give people a chance.

viloence in military Essays

viloence in military Essays viloence in military Essay viloence in military Essay Name: Instructor: Course: Date: Violence in military The high rate of violent incidents among military men and personnel retired from active duty is alarming. The highest instances of military violence have been recorded in the least expected areas like military towns, such as Schofield Barracks, that have been categorized as the world’s most dangerous areas. The high number of domestic violence cases among military families serves to aggravate the situation and bring more attention to stopping the violent rampage. The core activity within military circles involves operations that inevitably require a soldier to be violent. While this may be the job description, it does not necessarily mean that good soldiers need to have a violent predisposition. The various manifestations of violence within military circles raise various questions that can be answered through a combination of sources. First, what are the various forms of violence exhibited by military personnel? In her article, Szegedy-Maszak, mentions domestic violence and torture as the two main forms of violence. Other authors mention these two, but also include rape, mass slaughter and murder. Another vital question is what are the major causes of military violence? Violence among military personnel may be as a direct result of their job description that may involve restoring peace and order through force (Bojanski 18). Although this is the argument given by George Orwell, in his book Shooting an Elephant, even he had mercy and great respect for human life and strived to preserve it at any opportunity he grasped. This proves that military work might be violent but does not mean that violence is necessary or acceptable. The article â€Å"Was it conditions at Abu Gharib or perverse human nature that led to these atrocities† by Szegedy-Maszak Marianne focuses on the innate aggression within human natures as one of the major causes of excess aggression and violence among military personnel in modern day warfare, as was witnessed in Abu Gharib and other war-torn areas (Szegedy-Maszak 38). She argues that exposure to violence among young American recruits transformed them from peaceful liberators into merry sadists. Szegedy-Maszak Marianne provides two psychological solutions that try to discover the ability for wickedness that resides in normal military men. She referred to the simulated prison experiments in 1971 by Philip Zimbardo that resulted in the mock guards indulging in forms of torment and degradation. In conclusion, she narrowed down the excess violence within the forces to the environment, overzealous personnel and other minor factors such as racism and imperialism (Szegedy-Maszak 19). The situation witnessed by George Orwell in Burma was slightly different. He was a government official with the British Government in India where they were exceedingly oppressive, discriminative and dominant over the natives. Obviously, violence was a main tool in instilling discipline and compliance (Orwell 27). This source is critical since it brings out the fusion between violence and authority that makes the issue of military violence exceedingly difficult to analyze. A more focused approach toward the expression of violence among military personnel was capture by Justin McCurry in his article â€Å"Arrests of US Sailors in Okinawa Reignites Opposition to Bases† that talk about violence against women by military men (McCurry 78). In this case, military men allegedly raped a woman in Okinawa. Once again, the combination of authority and violence makes it difficult to determine whether the two American sailors committed the atrocity under the pressure of active military duty or purely out of the need to exploit an opportunity. Whatever the case, it is evident that the training methods employed by the US military (Watson 37). The issue of violence within the military and the different manifestations of violence outside the boundaries of the military have been on for many years without much intervention from governments and other stakeholders. Locals have had the worst experiences at the hands of military people, and this situation needs to be changed through the development of new solutions. Bojanski Heather. Domestic violence and the military. Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services. Accessed on 7 December 2012. Retrieved from http://dhhs.ne.gov/behavioral_health/Documents/Bojanksi-DomesticViolence.pdf The article Domestic violence and the military were published to expose the situation of domestic violence in the context of military families. The article revealed that soldiers were at risk of having adjustment issues after they were done with the wars and had to go back to their families. The military officers displayed signs of heightened anger and petulance when it seemed that the adjusting process was becoming very difficult. The changes to the family that happened when they were away also served to aggravate the situation. The article gave examples of military officers who perpetrated acts of domestic violence due to their inability to adjust to the normal life. In such situations where soldiers have been unable to fit in to their new lifestyles, there are several solutions that could be attempted. One, the soldiers should be place under a monitoring program to study their behavior. In this way, uncooperative and violent behavior can be controlled before they cause casualties. The military should also provide peer-to-peer support programs that will allow soldiers going through the same issues to help each other sort their problems. McCurry Justin. Arrests of US Sailors in Okinawa Reignites Opposition to Bases. U.S. Military Violence against Women. Accessed on 7 December 2012. Retrieved from csmonitor.com/World/Asia-Pacific/2012/1018/Arrests-of-US-sailors-in-Okinawa-reignites-opposition-to-bases-video In the article, two soldiers were arrested in connection with raping an innocent young girl when they were on duty in the quiet neighborhood of Okinawa in Japan. The two officers, Christopher Browning and Skyler Dozierwalker angered the Japan government who termed the incident as â€Å"egregious and vile† (McCurry 38). However, the American government which is responsible for the training of the military personnel and who promoted the use of aggression and violence took a softer stand and promised to investigate into the matter. The response was a clear indication that violence among military soldiers was condoned and cultivated by the military system. This increases the argument pointing at the military academies for producing flawed training modules that nurture violent tendencies among soldiers. Orwell, George. Shooting an Elephant: And Other Essays. New York: Harcourt, Brace, 1950. Print The book Shooting an Elephant by George Orwell was based his real life experiences as the sub-divisional police officer of the town of Moulmein. In the book, Orwell openly displays his disgust with the British method of governance in India. His contempt and guilt put him at crossroads because, as the police officer, the government required him to engage in some potentially violent activities against the natives. On the other hand, the natives also treat him with distrust and hatred that makes their relationship highly volatile and malicious. Orwell uses the metaphor of â€Å"killing the elephant† to show the destructive strength of imperialism, and in the metaphor, he expresses the guilt, hatred and anger that developed within him as he shot the elephant. The Orwell story illustrates the effect that violence has on the military which serves to exacerbate the violence within them. Modern day soldiers are most of the time forced to act against their will in the same way that Orw ell was forced to kill the elephant, though he thought it was a harmless and misunderstood animal. Szegedy-Maszak Marianne. Was it conditions at Abu Gharib or perverse human nature that led to these atrocities? US News. Accessed on 7 December 2012. Retrieved from usnews.com/usnews/news/articles/040524/24torture.htm The American soldiers in Abu Gharib were reported to have used excessive force in securing the territory during the Gulf War. This excessive display of violence caught the interest of Marianne Szegedy-Maszak who attempted to address the reasons behind the behavior by the soldiers. She argues that every individual has the potential to become violent and torture another. Within Abu Gharib, the soldiers were however letting of the anxiety, stress and helplessness of their work on the innocent community members. These difficult conditions increased the anxiety and stress. She even mentioned sexual tension as a reason for the pent up energy that was translated into violence. Watson Bruce. High crimes: Military towns are among the country’s most dangerous. Daily Finance. Accessed on 7 December 2012. Retrieved from dailyfinance.com/2009/11/16/most-dangerous-military-towns/ The author of the article Bruce Watson discusses the violent and aggressive behavior exhibited within military towns and areas that experience regular military activity. He explains that the military bases and the surrounding neighborhoods exhibit peaceful, safe and organized environment, but in reality, the serene atmosphere harbored high levels of criminal and violent activity. The Schofield Barracks topped the list as the most violent military neighborhood in America. It reported about 759 property crimes per 1,000 people, which represents 20 times more than the average crime rate for other parts of the world. Military men are expected to be at the forefront in promoting law and order, and it is understood that military bases and their neighborhoods should experience the highest levels of security. Military bases have a tendency to comprise of high concentrations of youthful, solitary men living together in close lodgings. One likely reason for these increases in crime rates could be that young soldiers, detached from parental and communal supervision feel more tempted to perpetrate various types of crimes.

Learning Organization and Human Motivation Essay - 1

Learning Organization and Human Motivation - Essay Example By focusing on the performance measures, the companies have received knowledge of the processes. If the knowledge is used properly, improved goods and services and lower costs of rejection will be attained. Process improvement has often been accomplished through an integrated approach, using problem-solving techniques such as total quality management (TQM) tools and classic statistical analysis (Wiklund & Sandvik Wiklund, 1999a: pp. 101- 115, b: pp. 434- 443). Aspects related to the knowledge transformation where important approaches such as training and practice in the personal working situation have been discussed frequently (Wiklund & Sandvik Wiklund, 1999a: pp. 101- 115). Another aspect is how the company should change and act when disseminating methods and support quality improvement, where the structure of the company, strategies and education performance and content are considered essential factors for a successful implementation. An interesting question is how an improvement programme should be designed to support changed attitudes and result in changed behaviour and learning, which is a central necessity, among others, in such an implementation process. Six Sigma as an improvement programme has received considerable attention in the literature during the last few years (e.g. Bergman & Kroslid, 2000: pp. 260- 266; Breyfogle, 1999: p. 21-42; Harry, 1994: pp. 112-131, 1998: pp. 60- 64; Hellsten & Klefsjo , 2000: pp. 238- 244, Hoerl, 1998: pp. 35- 42; Klefsjo et al., 2001: pp. 31-35). Motorola launched Six Sigma in 1987 and was also the first to win the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award (MBNQA) in 1988. Today, companies like Motorola, Texas Instruments, ABB, Allied Signal, General Electric (GE) and 3M have been striving to achieve Six Sigma quality, and as a result they have become known internationally as best-in-class companies (e.g. Fuller, 2000: pp. 311- 315; Sanders & Hild, 2000: , pp. 303-309). Although many success stories have been reported in the literature, the ultimate objective is to understand Six Sigma and place it in an appropriate context to reap the benefits. Well-known statistician and quality consultant Ron Snee (2000: pp. ix- xiv) has indicated that Six Sigma should be a strategic approach that works across all processes, products, company functions and industries'' and Bajaria (1999: n/a, 2000: pp. 15- 17) reinforces this idea as a nuts and bolts' point counterpoint discussion of each of 14 key Six Sigma ideas. In these papers by Bajaria an examination is made of the heads and tails of the Six Sigma concept and some warnings are also given against limitations and misuses. The technical aim of Six Sigma is to keep the distance between the process average and the nearest tolerance limit to at least six standard deviations and thus reduce variability in products and processes in order to prevent defects. The original motivation for Six Sigma at Motorola was centred on manufacturing improvement, and this was also how Six Sigma was introduced in many other organizations. To meet this aim, Six Sigma methods have been based heavily on the use of statistical methods to understand product and process performance.

Assignment 01 Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

01 - Assignment Example Corinthian Colleges, Inc also misrepresented its likely outcomes by promising employments which were not actually achieved. The college also used deception to lure students into the college by promising them a better career in future but just ended offering opportunities for temporary employment. Corinthian was also charged for falsifying its job placement rate and statistics by bribing employers to hire its graduates temporarily. The company was also accused of using deceptive means to promote the use of its career services. The government wants the court to stop the illegal and predatory practices of Corinthian in order to protect past and current students of the Corinthian colleges. The government wants the school to stop lying about its future employment prospects, luring consumers to take loans, and using illegal means to collect debts. The plaintiff is also asking the court to grant relief to affected students who have collectively contributed to about $500 million in student loans (Consumer Financial Protection Bureau 2014). If the court grants these remedies, several businesses will be affected. First, the Corinthian Colleges Inc will incur a lot of losses because it will lose its loans lent to students. The company will also have a bad image which means that it may fail to get customers (students) in future. The third party which bought the debts from Corinthian will also be affected because it will not be able to collect the debts if the students are granted relief. Other colleges in United Sta tes will also benefit by enrolling students who defect from the school. Businesses which have agreed to help the school in its deceptive actions after being bribed will also be affected. It can be concluded that the CEO and the top five officers of the Corinthian do not sleep well at night because they are facing a serious case in court which would completely ruin their business. They constantly think of ways to

The impact on business continuity from the failure of outside Essay

The impact on business continuity from the failure of outside utilities - Essay Example When Hurricane Sandy swept across New York City shut down many businesses, Goldman Sachs is one business which managed to mitigate and protect itself from the adverse impact of the disaster. When it was apparent New York City would not be spared of the hurricane menace, the business owner stacked bags around its head offices (The Economist). By the time storm was settling, Goldman Sachs’ headquarters was one of the few offices that remained safe, dry and with proper illumination in the downtown Manhattan area. Even as firms such as Goldman Sachs prepared themselves to counter the disaster, a block away was a completely disrupted and flooded headquarters of Verizon with all its services interrupted. Verizon had its phone and internet cables all submerged, cutting off millions of services of the company. However, the firm managed to reroute most of its traffic through their other networks. ConEdison, an electricity utility company which serves the city of New York had nearly a million of its customers with no electricity when their underground equipment and power lines destroyed. Although the company had designed its facilities to sustain up to 3.8 meters of any tidal surge, the Hurricane Sandy surpassed this and hit 4.3 meters (The Economist). This interruption went for more than nine days, causing massive losses to businesses and individuals homes that relied on their services. Hurricane Sandy is one of the disastrous events that clearly tested various firms’ ability to cope with unexpected disasters.

Change Rosabeth Moss Kanter

Change Rosabeth Moss Kanter Change Management Organisations Must Change and Change quickly INTRODUCTION Rosabeth Moss Kanter is the professor in business at Harvard Business School, where she holds the Ernest L. Arbuckle Professorship. She is known for her classic 1977 study of Tokenism. As a business leader and expert on strategy and leadership for change, she was nominated as the top ten on the list of the 50 most influential business thinkers in the world, and she is on the list of the 100 most important women in America and the 50 most powerful women in the world. Her main concepts include changing organisations, bureaucracy and characteristics of resistance to change. (drfd.hbs.edu, 2007) In 1989, she argues that: todays corporate elephants must learn how to dance as nimbly and speedily as mice. (Burnes, 2004) In other words, she points out that big organisations should change and change quickly to meet the changing environment. This report is going to analyse the key drivers for this statement and find out the reason behind change. This report contains three sections. Section 1 will give definitions to change management and the importance of change. Section 2 is discussions, which is divided into two sub-categories, first part is concerned with the models of change management, and part 2 goes on to show examples of how big organisations keep up with change and the possibilities of failure. This section contains examples of big organisations successfully changed to meet their goals and objectives, while some other organisations stay the same and fail to maintain their strong market position. Section 3 is conclusions. CHANGE MANAGEMENT Todays corporate elephants must learn how to dance as nimbly and speedily as mice if they are to survive in our increasingly competitive and rapidly changing world (Burnes, 2004) According to Paton McCalman (2004), managing change is about evaluating, planning, implementing, operational, tactical and strategic changes. As Siegal et al (1996) points out that rapid change is a pervasive part of our lives as human beings; it is no surprise that change is also a fact of life within human systems. Recent developments in the global economy have catapulted this fact to the forefront of management concerns as well. Therefore, even though Professor Kanters statement was mentioned about 18 years ago, it is still valued today. Additionally, Kanter (1989) mentioned that in order for organisations to change, it requires faster action, more flexibility and closer partnerships with employees and customers than typical in the traditional corporate bureaucracy. To quote from her, Corporate giants, in short, must learn how to dance. Therefore, the corporate elephants represents big companies while mice, on the other hand, represents small firms. To summarise her statement above, we could conclude that small firms are more flexible in changing compare with big organisations, because big organisations have more management levels and more bureaucracy; therefore, corporate giants should adapt this ability to change and change quickly. More over, the most important reason for organisations to change, is to keep pace with the ever changing business environment and give a good company image to the public that they are keep up dating themselves and stay competitive. DISCUSSION To cope with a changing world, an entity must develop the capacity of shifting and changing. It is not the strongest species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the ones who are most responsive to change (Beitler, 2006) Corporate elephants with change Marks and Spencer is a well known British retailer, which was founded in 1884. It is one of the most iconic and widely recognised chain stores in the UK and it is the largest clothing retailer in the country. (wikipedia, 2007) Marks Spencer is one of the typical examples for change management, and as Rippin (2005) proposed in her research that when, in Autumn 2003 I needed a case study on organisational change, without too much deliberation I chose Marks and Spencer. This corporate giant has developed through its golden years, the crisis, its change in leadership and its recent change management attempts in its response to its changing environment. (Rippin, 2005) Kurt Lewins model of change In the early 20th Century, psychologist Kurt Lewin identified three stages of change that has come to be known as the unfreezing-change-refreeze model. (Nilakant Ramnarayan, 2006) The graph below shows more detail about this model: Unfreeze This is the first stage of this model that to make system receptive to change. (Nilakant Ramnarayan, 2006) People feel comfortable and safe about the current situation and it is hard for them to change. It takes long time to unfreeze the environment and the first thing to do at this stage is to make people aware of the change and let them know the reason and needs for change. Moreover, organisations should involve employees in the decision making process by asking them how would they feel about a certain matter and what do they thing is necessary to change. In 1998, Marks and Spencer became the first British retailer to make a pre-tax profit of over  £1 billion and this is the peak time in the companys history. (marksandspencer, 2007) Few years later, it plunged into a crisis which lasted for around several years. The problems Marks and Spencer faced were: The rising cost of using British suppliers Losing customer loyalty Increasing rival companies with cheap production to lower down their cost, therefore to lower down the price Refuse to accept the credit card As a large company with a long term history, Marks and Spencer has its weak side that the bureaucracy management system (Rippin, 2005) made it lose its touch with the real buyer and lost potential younger customers. In 1984, the companys priority is to provide high quality clothing to working class women. As time goes on, peoples taste changed that we no longer chase quality products but disposable clothes with a cheaper price. At that time, Marks and Spencer didnt realize this shortage until they found themselves struggling to compete in the changing environment as the fashion trend changes. As a result, the companys share price went down by more than two thirds and profit fell from  £1 billion in 1998 to  £145 million in 2001, which was only 10 per cent compare with its golden age. (wikipedia, 2007) As Rippin (2005) described in her research that Marks and Spencer is a sleeping beauty as the organisation is in suspension waiting for the right prince to come and reanimate the bo dy. Change The second stage of the model is change to achieve the desired results. At this stage the actual change happens which can be either to acquire desired behaviour or technological change. (Burnes, 2004) It is a hard journey that the organisation might go through several stages before it successes. This is the stage that the real changes take place and the organisation applies the plans to action in practise. At this stage, Marks Spencer conducted another model-Planned model of change (step change) that issues are dealt with stage-by-stage and built to transformation over time. (Cummings Worley, 2004) Marks and Spencers change management was implemented step by step over time. To quote form the Stuart Rose Chief Executive: We continue to improve our core business†¦We are ahead of our space growth target†¦We are stepping up our investment in the business†¦ In addition, the Board is announcing a step change in the investment this year. These decisions reflect our confidence in the strength and future prospects of the business. (finfacts, 2007) In order to successfully apply this Step change model, Marks and Spencer is constantly working on the progress. In 1999, the company launched online shopping and issued credit cards payments in store or online to make transactions simple and faster for customers. In order to lower down the costs and have more sales, the company decided to switch to overseas suppliers, open store on Sunday and added self-check outs to tills. (wikipedia, 2007) Secondly, it changed its business focus from quality fabric for working classing to the new sales of fashion clothes, and the company launched the Per Una clothing range, which recovered some market share to the younger consumer group. Additionally, it changed the womens bras to machine washable while there are many designer brands that still need to be hand washed. (Rippin, 2005) More over, the company realized its strength and weakness, therefore, it sold the financial service to HSBC Bank Plc and stopped the expanding of its simply food line of stores. As a result of those changes, by 2005, its share price went up and doubled from 319p to 766p as the highest in 2007. (Bloomberg, 2007) Refreeze The last step is to refreeze and make changes permanent that cement change into the organisational culture. To quote from Cameron Green (2004), for change to be effective, it needs to be implemented at all levels and embedded in the culture of the organisation. Change management should be merged with the organisational culture that all the changes should be developed according to its culture with shared objectives and common goals. At this stage, organisations meet their goals and objectives and waiting for new changes. (Paton McCalman, 2000) Marks and Spencer today, has 760 stores in more than 30 countries around the world. In 2007, it is growing again and rapidly increasing profitability with revenue of  £7.8 billion. In Nov, the company reported that the profit before tax rose 11.5 per cent, which is slightly ahead of analysts expectation. (finfacts, 2007) Corporate elephants dance speedily Flexible Elearn (2005) explains the four key processes for success when implementing change within an organisation, they are: Pressure for change A clear and shared vision Capacity for change Action To summary from Flexible Elearn (2005), organisations need the driving forces for change and a clear/shared vision. In order to successfully implementing change, organisations need to identify the resources that will be required and make sure they are provided. The last stage is action and implementing the planned changes. At this stage, organisations should keep checking and monitoring the process, and ensure the progress is operated well. Organisations like the benefit of change but they are afraid of failure. In order to successfully launch the change within organisations, Flexible Elearn (2005) suggest organisation to follow this stages, but on the other hand, changing could be difficult according to the change stages model as it is time consuming and costly. To quote from Saka (2003), one of the main boundaries for big organizations to change is the one which separates the model-builders from recipe-givers, the theoreticians from the practitioners. Organisations understood the need for change, but they dont seem to be able to respond quickly, especially for those big firms as they have many layers of management level that all the decisions need to run through the top to the bottom. It takes time to inform everyone in the organisation about the change and keep them up-dated with the progress. As Saka pointed out that there is a lack of interaction between decision and action. Organisational members, who are not onl y potential change-makers, are likely to be more questioning about the value of change. CONCLUSION Change management plays an important role in any organisations regardless its size. It means to make change in a planned and systemic way. (Cummings Worley, 2004) Moreover, it helps to lower risks associated with change, eliminate resources conflicts and redundancies. For Marks and Spencer, its problems include: business too complicated, competition, downsizing, and management system. The Marks and Spencer story shows that changes are essential for all the organisations regardless its size and reputation. Staying in the same place without considering the changing environment will leads to losing profit or failure. Moreover, Marks and Spencer went through three stages of change, which are: Unfreeze: feel the needs to change as the market share and profit was going down Change: going through changes with the planned model of change that allows the company to change step by step with continuously changing progress. Refreezing: met the goals and objectives that Marks and Spencer successfully changed itself from an old, transitional British retailer to a new look, fashionable icon. To sum up, small organisations are more flexible when they facing changes, while big organisations have bureaucracy management system and more layers of management level, hence, it is harder for them to response to the changing environment. Therefore, big organisations should adapt the ability to change and change quickly. REFERENCE Beitler. M, 2006., Strategic Organisational Change: A Practitioners Guide for Managers and Consultants, Practitioner Pr Intl. Burnes. B, 2004., Managing Change: A Strategic Approach to Organizational Dynamics (4th Ed), Pearson Education. Cameron. E Green. M, 2004., Making Sense of Change Management: A Complete Guide to the Models, Tools Techniques of Organizational Change, Kogan Page. Cummings. T Worley. C, 2004., Organizational Development and Change, Thomson South-Western. Flexible. P Elearn. L, 2005., Change Management: Management Extra, Elsevier. Kanter. R, 1989., When Giants learn to Dance, Simon and Schuster. Nilakant. V Ramnarayan. V, 2006., Change Management: Altering Mindsets in a Global Content, Sage Publications. Paton. R McCalman. J, 2000., Change Management: An Guide to Effective Implementation,, Sage Publications Inc. Rippin. A, 2005., Marks and Spencer-Waiting for the Warrior: A Case Examination of the Genddered Nature of Change Management, Journal of Organizational Change Management,, Volume 18, p578-593 http://www.emeraldinsight.com/Insight/ViewContentServlet?Filename=Published/EmeraldFullTextArticle/Articles/0230090605.html [Accessed 17/11/07] Saka. A, 2003., Internal Change Agents View of the Management of Change Problem, Journal of Organizational Change Management,, Volume 16, p480-496 http://www.emeraldinsight.com/Insight/ViewContentServlet?Filename=Published/EmeraldFullTextArticle/Articles/0230160501.html [Accessed 22/11/07] Siegal. W et al, 1996., Understanding The Management of Change: An Overview of Managers Perspectives and Assumptions in the 1990s, Journal of Organizational Change Management,, Volume 9, p54-80 http://www.emeraldinsight.com/Insight/ViewContentServlet?Filename=Published/EmeraldFullTextArticle/Articles/0230090605.html [Accessed 20/11/07] http://drfd.hbs.edu/fit/public/facultyInfo.do?facInfo=biofacEmId=rkanter [Accessed 17/11/07] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marks__Spencer [Accessed 20/11/07] http://www.biomedcentral.com/1472-6963/6/62/figure/F1?highres=y [Accessed 20/11/07] http://www.marksandspencer.com/gp/node/n/46010031?ie=UTF8mnSBrand=core [Accessed 21/11/07] http://www.finfacts.com/irelandbusinessnews/publish/article_1011718.shtml [Accessed 21/11/07] http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/quote?ticker=MKS:LN [Accessed 19/11/07]

Bicycle Helmets Mandatory? :: Argumentative Persuasive Essays

Bicycle Helmets Mandatory? Should bicycle helmets be made mandatory for all cyclist? That is what two elementary students asked for from their city council, an ordinance enforcing the use of Bicycle Safety helmets for children under 12. So on April 25, 2002, in Richardson, Texas, the city council had decided against an ordinance requiring bicycle helmets for children under 12. Of course they had their reasons for not passing the request made by two young girls. If they would have taken a serious look at the issue, they may have viewed it differently. Assistant City Manager Mike Wanchick said, "A helmet seems to give a false sense of security to the cyclist, who feel less vulnerable and may ride less cautiously," He then went on to add. "As a result, riders wearing a helmet are more likely to have an accident." (Post) Now, the Bicycle Helmet Safety Institute (BHSI) statistics show four states accounted for 40 percent of bicycle deaths in 2000, With Texas as one of them. Yet, Wanchick says that "our basic position is that bicycle safety is a parents' primary obligation," adding " What hurts kids are cars and we need to be working the traffic citations out there* people who are licensed to drive cars, not kids learning to ride bicycles." (Post) Even though 10 of the largest cities in Texas have bicycle-helmet ordinances including Dallas and Fort Worth. But, Richardson Texas choose to not act on this issue, but turn a blind eye to one of the silent injuries and the prevention of it by wearing a simple helmet. The BHSI say s the statistics show about 800 bicyclists die in the US every year. Plus another one in eight of the cyclists injured has a brain injury. The city also cited U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission data reports that the number of head injuries to cyclists has increased by 10% percent since 1991, even with the rise in helmet use. Cyclist has declined at the same time, the data indicated, increasing the rate of head injuries per active cyclist though the decade by 51% percent. The commission's data also shows a substantial reduction in cycling where helmet laws are in effect.

Liberalism remains hugely influential in British Politics Essay

Liberalism remains hugely influential in British Politics, moulding the value systems and policies of all the mainstream political parties.’ Discuss. The prime focus of Liberalism is freedom and liberty; the type of liberty they strive for depends, however, on which of the two types of Liberalism is being referred to. Firstly; classical Liberalism, believing in negative freedom and progressive Liberalism leaning more towards positive freedom. I would argue that Liberalism does still have an influence in British politics; however I would not go as far as to say that it is ‘hugely’ influential. Firstly, I would outline that the Labour Party is possibly the least liberal in their political approach. Their manifesto does not set out many liberal policies due to their economical stance. The fact that Labour is traditionally a moderately socialist party, concentrating on equality within society and for this reason, they would steer away from the free-market and limited government intervention approaches that liberals may take to politics. The limited government that Classical liberals see as ideal would not appeal to the Labour party as they strive for the equality of their citizens and would feel that they need to impose policies, such as their policy on housing set out in their 2010 manifesto ‘No stamp duty for first-time buyers on all house purchases below  £250,000 for two years, paid for by a five per cent rate on homes worth more than  £1 million.’ This policy shows a socialist side to New Labour, highlighting a ‘from each according to his ability, to each according to his need’ ideology within Labour politics. However, progressive liberalism may be seen to have had more of an influence on Labour Party politics. The fact that the Labour party believes in imposing policies of equality on society implies that they value positive freedom. Policies put forward such as the Equality Bill; which has been justified as a consolidation measure bringing different strands of anti-discrimination law together while implementing EU directives; highlight the controlled aspect of the Labour party’s equality regime. It could be argued that in the past, aspects of Liberalism, although neither truly Classical or Progressive, such as Neo-Liberalism have had a significant influence on British politics as well as the policies and value systems of the Conservative party in particular. During Thatcher’s time in office, she highlighted an ideal of a pragmatic means to progress. The Thatcherite Conservative party saw Neo-Liberalism as an obvious way to adapt to the constantly changing nature of modern political thought. Tony Blair’s New Labour could also be seen as a Neo-Liberal third way government, on both a social and economic scale. The current Conservative party however, seem to be significantly less affected by Liberalism. Arguably, the free-market ideals that Cameron appears to hold are seen as Neo-Liberal; however, it is apparent that in the current coalition government that Britain is currently led by, this free-market and Neo-Liberal philosophy has been limited to the catch-all demands of mainstream politics. This is apparent in Conservative economic policies such as that put forward in their 2010 pre-general election manifest: ‘A five per cent pay cut for Ministers followed by a five-year freeze, and a 10 per cent reduction in the number of MPs.’ This policy in itself shows how Cameron’s Conservative party are trying to appeal to the masses in controlling the pay of ministers. This does not necessarily denote a free-market approach to the economy and does not play into the meritocratic values that have been seen in the Conservative party in the past. It could also be argued however, that more prominent economic policies put forward in the Conservative manifesto pre-2010 have shown that Cameron’s Conservatives are moving toward the Neo-Liberal, Thatcherite ideology that the Conservative party once had. Although this may not have been the case when Cameron first became the leader of the Conservative party in 2005, aspects of his party’s general election manifesto in 2010, such as: ‘Reduce welfare dependency’ and ‘Stopping tax credits to families with incomes over  £50,000’ have proven to have shown the party’s shift back towards Thatcherite economic politics. These policies show a move back towards meritocratic society and a distinct step away from the ‘something for nothing’ culture that has emerged in modern Britain. Finally, the Liberal Democrats; both by name and by nature; are arguably more influenced by Liberalism than any other mainstream political party. Progressive Liberalism can be seen clearly in certain aspects of their recent policies, on education for example: ‘Cutting class sizes to ensure children get the individual attention they need.’ This is a fine example of how the Liberal Democrats would like to impose positive liberty and freedom on its citizens; cutting class sizes would increase individual attention and therefore arguably create more freedom and liberty for pupils in the long-term. It could also be argued however, that the Liberal Democrats are no longer such a liberal party, but more of a third way political party; much like the Conservative and Labour parties who have shifted towards the centre of political ideals and values in order to also become more ‘catch-all’ and appeal to the masses. In conclusion, I would argue that broadly Liberalism is not hugely influential in British politics as a whole and does not necessarily mould the value systems and policies of all the mainstream political parties. However, I would argue that liberalism still remains influential in certain specific parts of each party’s policies and value systems; therefore remaining an influential force, to an extent, in British politics.

Hack, Hacker and Hacking

Hack, Hacker and Hacking Hack, Hacker and Hacking Hack, Hacker and Hacking By Maeve Maddox A reader is puzzled by a new permutation of the word hack: The word hack, until recently, meant to break into someones Internet account or system. Now I see it meaning tips or suggestions.   Am I correct? Like this reader, the only meaning that hack held for me in regard to computers was as a verb meaning â€Å"to illegally enter a computer system.† I too was surprised to come across headlines like the following: 100 Life Hacks That Make Life Easier 23 Inventive Hacks That Every Parent Should Know Millennials Are Ditching Delivery for This Dinner Hack Best Travel Hacks 17 Thanksgiving Hacks For The Best Meal Of Your Life How did hack go from â€Å"illegal computer activity† to â€Å"a tip for making things easier to do†? Looking a little further, I find that hack and hacking to connote only malicious unauthorized access to computer files may reflect general usage, but not that of programmers who are proud to be known as â€Å"hackers.† The OED has ten entries for the word hack: five as a noun, four as a verb, and one as a combining form. The verb hack in the sense of â€Å"to cut with heavy blows† has been in the language since the early 13th century, but the use of hack in the context of computer programming dates from the 1970s. Note: Hack in the sense of â€Å"to cope with† dates from 1955: â€Å"I can’t hack all this extra work.† The etymology of the computer term hack is not certain. According to one theory, it derives from the noun hack used as tech slang for â€Å"one who works like a hack at writing and experimenting with software, one who enjoys computer programming for its own sake. (OnlineEtymologyDictionary). The noun hacker does not carry a connotation of illegal activity in the following OED citations from 1976: The compulsive programmer, or hacker as he calls himself, is usually a superb technician. The compulsive programmer spends all the time he can working on one of his big projects. ‘Working’ is not the word he uses; he calls what he does ‘hacking’. The earliest citation that associates the word hacking with illegal activity is dated 1983: Hacking, as the practice of gaining illegal or unauthorized access to other peoples computers is called. Because hack, hacker, and hacking have such varied connotations, writers should consider the intended audience when using them. In the programming community, hacker and hacking are good things, or at least neutral. Using an adjective to describe the bad kind might be useful when writing for programmers, for example, â€Å"malicious hacking† or â€Å"illegal hacking.† As for the noun hack meaning â€Å"tip,† â€Å"suggestion,† or â€Å"work-around,† I expect the usage will become embedded in computer-speak. The trendy use of hack in the context of cooking, parenting, and other non-computer-related fields, however, will probably eventually revert to tip or suggestion. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Possessive of Proper Names Ending in Sâ€Å"As Well As† Does Not Mean â€Å"And†The Difference Between e.g. and i.e.?

Cloning Essays - Cloning, Molecular Biology, Genetics, Biotechnology

Cloning Essays - Cloning, Molecular Biology, Genetics, Biotechnology Cloning Shortly after the announcement that British scientists had successfully cloned a sheep, Dolly, cloning humans has recently become a possibility that seems much more feasible in today's society. The word clone has been applied to cells as well as to organisms, so that a group of cells stemming from a single cell is also called a clone. Usually the members of a clone are identical in their inherited characteristics that is, in their genes except for any differences caused by mutation. Identical twins, for example, who originate by the division of a single fertilized egg, are members of a clone; whereas nonidentical twins, who derive from two separate fertilized eggs, are not clones. (Microsoft Encarta 97 Encyclopedia). There are two known ways that we can clone humans. The first way involves splitting an embryo into several halves and creating many new individuals from that embryo. The second method of cloning a human involves taking cells from an already existing human being and cloni ng them, in turn creating other individuals that are identical to that particular person. With these two methods at our desposal, we must ask ourselves two very important questions: Should we do this, and Can we? There is no doubt that many problems involving the technological and ethical sides of this issue will arise and will be virtually impossible to avoid, but the overall idea of cloning humans is one that we should accept as a possible reality for the future. Cloning humans is an idea that has always been thought of as something that could be found in science fiction novels, but never as a concept that society could actually experience. Today's technological speed has brought us to the piont to where almost anything is possible. Sarah B. Tegen, '97 MIT Biology Undergraduate President states, I think the cloning of an entire mammal has shown me exactly how fast biology is moving ahead, I had no idea we were so close to this kind of accomplishment. Based on the current science , though, most of these dreams and fears are premature, say some MIT biologists. Many biologist claim that true human cloning is something still far in the future. This raises ethical questions now as towhether or not human cloning should even be attempted. (usnews.com/usnews/issue/). There are many problems with cloning humans. One method of human cloning is splitting embryos. The main issue as to whether or not human cloning is possible through the splitting of embryos began in 1993 when experimentation was done at George Washington University Medical Center in Washington D.C. There Dr. Jerry Hall experimented with the possibility of human cloning and began this moral and ethical debate. There it was concluded that cloning is not something that can be done as of now, but it is quite a possibility for the future. These scientists experimented eagerly in aims of learning how to clone humans. Ruth Macklin of U.S. News & World Report writes, Hall and other scientists split single humans embryos into identical copies, a technology that opens a Pandora's box of ethical questions and has sparked a storm of controversy around the world (usnews.com/usnews/issue/). They attempted to create seventeen human embryos in a laboratory dish and when it had grown enough, separate d them into forty-eight individual cells. Two of the separated cells survived for a few days in the lab developed into new human embryos smaller than the head of a pin and consisting of thirty-two cells each. (usnews.com/usnews/issue/) Although we cannot clone a human yet, this experiment occurred almost two years ago and triggered almost an ethical emergency. Evidence from these experiments received strange reactions from the public. Ruth Macklin states, Cloning is a radical challenge to the most fundamental laws of biology, so it's not unreasonable to be concerned that it might threaten human society and dignity. Yet much of the ethical opposition seems also to grow out of an unthinking disgusta sort of yuk factor. And that makes it hard for even trained scientists and ethicists to see the matter clearly. While human cloning might not offer great benefits to humanity, no one has yet made a persuasive case that it would do any real harm, either. (usnews.com/usnews/issue/). Theologians contend that to

A Good Man is Hard to Find Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

A Good Man is Hard to Find - Essay Example He was demanding respect because he thought that he was almost a man and should be respected irrespective. The story of â€Å"A Good Man is Hard To Find† speaks ironically of how hard it was to find a good man. The irony comes out clearly from the start to the end of the story. The grandmother is trying to draw the son’s attention about why they should not go to Florida as usual but should change to east Tennessee. She was reading a journal about the man â€Å"Misfit† and the harm he was causing. According to the report â€Å"Misfit† was headed to Florida that same day. She had thought it would be a good idea to let her son read the article as well. Bailey instead ignored his mother and did not even care to look at the article. Later, as they travel to Florida, they get an accident and the â€Å"Misfit† comes across them. He kills the whole family just like he does. The two stories, â€Å"A man who was almost a man† and â€Å"A good man is hard to find† both reveal the character of the two men in question. They were big headed and disobedience. Dave did not listen to his mother that he should not get a gun. Instead, he thought that a gun would protect his title –almost a man. In his quest to protect his image, he killed Jenny. Bailey on the other hand, could not listen to his mother. Even when she spoke, Bailey kept ignoring her. He thought that now he was a grown man and did not need his mother’s advice. In the end, the whole family perished under â€Å"Misfit’s† hands. Their deaths would have been avoided had Bailey listened to his mother and read the article prior to their departure from their

Labor Turnover in HK's Hospitality Industry Essay

Labor Turnover in HK's Hospitality Industry - Essay Example There is no denying that each manager in the hospitality industry wants to control the rate of employee turnover in order to ensure the stability of their organization. Managers have also found that hiring and training new employees cost more than retaining and promoting current employees. Employee turnover can cause bad effects, not only the cost of training and be hiring but in other areas as well. The hidden costs to the company are even greater due to bad customer service, poor brand projection, lower morale in the organization, loss of experience and lack of building a corporate legacy (Branham, 2000: 93). The hospitality industry depends on the relationship between customers and employees, because the employee is on the front line serving the customer directly. One expert points out: ‘the hospitality industry is one in which there is a high need to ensure customer loyalty as when a customer experiences good quality service, he tends to visit the same hotel again. However, if the employee turn over is fast, there is difficulty in building the customer loyalty as well as the quality of service.’ (Marder, 2006) Sometimes even some loyal customers can be swayed to switch to a competitor’s business because a senior employee quit. In fact, this is especially true for the banquet and event services. Another problem is when senior employees, like managers or supervisors, jump to other organizations they might be disclosing some confidential information to their competitors. These techniques can range from training to recipes. The conclusion about the control the rate of employee turnover is very important due to the high rate of employee turnover impacting the delivery of efficient services in hotels and restaurants. The trend of employee turnover should be investigated to enlighten managers about the value of retaining employees.