Article review of A Question of Balance essays

Article review of A Question of Balance essays This review is of the article A question of balance from the April 2004 volume of National Geographic. In the Hukawng Valley of northern Myanmar (what used to be called Burma), a large wildlife sanctuary was created in an uninhabited section of the valley. Now the wildlife sanctuary is being considered for expansion to become the worlds largest tiger reserve. In an earlier time, this plan may not have faced so many challenges. In the years following World War Two, the bridges leading into the valley were destroyed by nature as well as the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) who sought to keep out the central government. Now, decades later, the bridges into the Hukawng Valley are being rebuilt. Because of this, tens of thousands of people are moving into the area. They come in search of gold and wildlife for profit. The gold in the Hukawng valley has remained largely untouched for years. Because of this, people are going to great lengths just to find small amounts of it. A small amount of gold can easily equal a months pay or more. It is the methods used to extract the gold from the soil that worries environmentalists. The miners start by using high pressure water to blast a hole into the ground. The hole becomes larger and the soil is turned into sludge. Cyanide and mercury are then used to help pull the gold from the sludge. For all of the work that is involved, little gold is retrieved and the environment pays the price. The nearby streams and the ground water is damaged by the poisonous chemicals, any animals drinking water from these sources will most likely be killed. Another problem presented by the gold mining is the large increase of people in the area. There are now thousands of people living in areas were only a hundred lived before. The increase in people means a major drain on the local resources. One of those resources is the wildlife in the area. The tigers in the area must ...

Scelidosaurus - Facts and Figures

Scelidosaurus - Facts and Figures Name: Scelidosaurus (Greek for rib of beef lizard); pronounced SKEH-lih-doe-SORE-us Habitat: Woodlands of western Europe and southern North America Historical Period: Early Jurassic (208-195 million years ago) Size and Weight: About 11 feet long and 500 pounds Diet: Plants Distinguishing Characteristics: Bony plates and spines on back; quadrupedal posture; horny beak About Scelidosaurus As dinosaurs go, Scelidosaurus has a fairly deep provenance, popping up in the fossil record at the start of the Jurassic period, 208 million years ago, and persisting for the next 10 or 15 million years. In fact, this plant-eater was so basal in its features that paleontologists speculate it may have given rise to the family of dinosaurs, the thyreophorans, or armor-bearers, that included both the ankylosaurs (typified by Ankylosaurus) and stegosaurs (typified by Stegosaurus) of the later Mesozoic Era. Certainly, Scelidosaurus was a well-armored beast, with three rows of bony scutes embedded in its skin and tough, knobby growths on its skull and tail. Whatever its place on the thyreophoran family tree, Scelidosaurus was also one of the first ornithischian (bird-hipped) dinosaurs, a family that included pretty much all of the highly specialized, herbivorous dinosaurs of the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods, with the exception of sauropods and titanosaurs. Some ornithischians were bipedal, some were quadrupedal, and some were capable of walking on both two and four legs; although its hind limbs were longer than its forelimbs, paleontologists speculate that Scelidosaurus was a devoted quadruped. Scelidosaurus has a complicated fossil history. The type specimen of this dinosaur was discovered in Lyme Regis, England, in the 1850s, and forwarded to the famous naturalist Richard Owen, who accidentally erected the genus name Scelidosaurus (rib of beef lizard) instead of the Greek construction he intended (lower hind limb lizard). Perhaps embarrassed by his mistake, Owen promptly forgot all about Scelidosaurus, even though its quadrupedal posture would otherwise have confirmed his early theories about dinosaurs. It was up to Richard Lydekker, a generation later, to pick up the Scelidosaurus baton, but this eminent scientist committed his own blunder, mixing up the bones of an additional fossil specimens with those of an unidentified theropod, or meat-eating dinosaur!

Scelidosaurus - Facts and Figures

Scelidosaurus - Facts and Figures Name: Scelidosaurus (Greek for rib of beef lizard); pronounced SKEH-lih-doe-SORE-us Habitat: Woodlands of western Europe and southern North America Historical Period: Early Jurassic (208-195 million years ago) Size and Weight: About 11 feet long and 500 pounds Diet: Plants Distinguishing Characteristics: Bony plates and spines on back; quadrupedal posture; horny beak About Scelidosaurus As dinosaurs go, Scelidosaurus has a fairly deep provenance, popping up in the fossil record at the start of the Jurassic period, 208 million years ago, and persisting for the next 10 or 15 million years. In fact, this plant-eater was so basal in its features that paleontologists speculate it may have given rise to the family of dinosaurs, the thyreophorans, or armor-bearers, that included both the ankylosaurs (typified by Ankylosaurus) and stegosaurs (typified by Stegosaurus) of the later Mesozoic Era. Certainly, Scelidosaurus was a well-armored beast, with three rows of bony scutes embedded in its skin and tough, knobby growths on its skull and tail. Whatever its place on the thyreophoran family tree, Scelidosaurus was also one of the first ornithischian (bird-hipped) dinosaurs, a family that included pretty much all of the highly specialized, herbivorous dinosaurs of the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods, with the exception of sauropods and titanosaurs. Some ornithischians were bipedal, some were quadrupedal, and some were capable of walking on both two and four legs; although its hind limbs were longer than its forelimbs, paleontologists speculate that Scelidosaurus was a devoted quadruped. Scelidosaurus has a complicated fossil history. The type specimen of this dinosaur was discovered in Lyme Regis, England, in the 1850s, and forwarded to the famous naturalist Richard Owen, who accidentally erected the genus name Scelidosaurus (rib of beef lizard) instead of the Greek construction he intended (lower hind limb lizard). Perhaps embarrassed by his mistake, Owen promptly forgot all about Scelidosaurus, even though its quadrupedal posture would otherwise have confirmed his early theories about dinosaurs. It was up to Richard Lydekker, a generation later, to pick up the Scelidosaurus baton, but this eminent scientist committed his own blunder, mixing up the bones of an additional fossil specimens with those of an unidentified theropod, or meat-eating dinosaur!

Quantitative tools Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Quantitative tools - Essay Example The main problems in relation to the staff and reservations managers in particular, that the company does not have good relations with its unions, which is very important, as unions serve a kind of legal protection of managers' rights. Another problem is that employees complain about the lack of voice and the lack of professional training, which is also essential for the improvement of their job characteristics and supporting their skills at the appropriate level. (Bassett, 1992) The specifics of reservations managers' work is in the surrounding they work, which is usually represented by a large room with a great number of workers doing the same work, and thus demanding huge attention. 2 managers out of each 10 work part time, weekends, nights, or holidays. That's why, to improve the operation of this staff, it is necessary to develop a strict schedule of work, with optimization of the workers' quantity together with increasing the quality of their work. To optimize the quantity of workers, it is obvious, that some of them should be fired. To avoid psychological and legal problems with the staff shortage, I suggest using of the out placing strategy, when the Going Inc. will find new jobs for those, who are fired, with the salaries and preferences known beforehand for each worker to be fired.

A research paper on Penelope Fitzgerald and her book the Gate of

A on Penelope Fitzgerald and her book the Gate of Angels - Research Paper Example Passed on from her parents, Penelope eventually developed interest in literature. Although Penelope published her first biography at the age of 58 years old (Courtney), she officially started her literary career at the age of 60 years old when she published her first novel entitled â€Å"The Golden Child† (Courtney; Harvey-Wood). As a novelist, Penelope was knowledgeable on literature. Having written and won the Booker Prize with Offshore, she was able to catch a large group of readers. As a competitive writer, she managed to write outstanding novels that are self-sufficient (Saunders). It was in 1990 when Penelope published the book â€Å"The Gate of Angels†. In this novel, Penelope amazed a lot of people for knowing things about atomic physics and issues related to probationary nursing (Barnes). As a novelist, Penelope was an expert in making use of the right term and phrases when describing not only the main characters in the novel but also when pointing out the irony in a situation. As one of Penelope’s best novels, the story of â€Å"The Gate of Angels† is about a young Cambridge University physicist named Fred Fairly who fell in love with nurse Daisy Saunders after a bicycle accident. Basically, the accident happened when both of them were bicycling along the same road. In this novel, Penelope was able to assemble the cast of the story in such a way that the reader would clearly know how Fred Fairly and Daisy Saunders interact with each other. The fact that Penelope described the past lives of the two main characters that made the readers understood the gap between Fred and Daisy. Even though Penelope has been known as one of the most promising novelist of the olden times in England, some of her works has been a subject to positive criticism (Los Angeles Times b). As compared to the works of other novels like the English novelist Martin Amis or Evelyn Waugh, the novels written by Penelope are often

Art is life Essay Example for Free

Art is life Essay Art is life, it is beauty, it is emotion, it is you, it is me, it is everything. Art defines all that we are, and all that we could become. Art is of the past and of the future, of the influences of our daily lives, of our pasts combined with who we are today. Art is an indescribable joy, an expansion of the mind, body and soul. We are art, every last individual of the human race. Art comes in the form of music, dance, theater, painting, drawing, blowing, throwing, and even in the math equations or scientific experiments of the right brained population. Art is feeling, seeing, smelling, tasting and hearing. Art is here to titillate our senses, to create emotional and physical reactions to the viewer. Art is healing. Art is loving. Art is†¦ everything. The Value of Art After a distinctly self-contemplative night, I began to wonder what it is that attracts people to art. Certainly I consider myself an artist of sorts†¦ but what is it that makes me an artist? Why do I practice art? Why does anyone immerse themselves in abstract activities that, for the most part, do not add to financial security or other measurable values? We know that art has been around before written language. Ancient carvings and cave-wall paintings attest to an early drive to participate in artistic endeavors. I would say that our skills as artists have improved since the first cave paintings†¦ but I think there must be the same seed of creativity that connects long forgotten ancestors and modern artists. I think that the most obvious similarity is that dedicated artists tend to create art that reflects important aspects of their lives. When it comes to ancient man, what could have been more important than food and reproduction? Ancient art is ripe with images of hunting and pregnant women. As human society evolved into more stable communities, the art changed. Over time the focus on survival was supplanted with self-emulation. In ancient Egypt, for example, the art turned to worshipping the value of great kings and all-powerful gods. The same happened in most cultures. I doubt that common slaves of Egypt felt that preserving kingly honor for eternity was a motivating factor; slaves probably would have produced an entirely different art than what we  find in tombs had they the resources to create art. What is telling is that the art that survived from ancient times reflects directly the values of the people producing and preserving it: in terms of Egypt†¦ it was of the Pharaohs. European Medieval art reflects a mixture of pagan and Christian ideals. We can deduce that local kings whose roots were largely pagan mixed with the influence of Rome. The artistic work commissioned throughout this time is a constant reminder of those influences. Take this on up to our own time. An important note to take is that as the traditional religious values of historic importance in the west have been challenged in intellectual circles, the focus of art has strayed. Prehistoric art was focused on life and death†¦ ancient art turned to the afterlife and mysticism; modern art has no focus. I am confident that mass media and the internet have a large role in the change†¦ perhaps we are still too early in the new era to be able to define the motivating factor behind the art that will last; but I feel that the reality is that art has no focus in our age because it is not the secluded craft of the gifted and appointed.

Consider the implications of the title, Persuasion Essay -- English Li

Consider the implications of the title, Persuasion â€Å"Something intended to induce belief or action† is how the Oxford Dictionary defines the term persuasion. To consider the implications of the title successfully, it is essential that we first understand the term persuasion within the context of the novel. The Oxford Dictionary also defines the term ‘persuade’ as â€Å"to successfully urge a person to do; to talk into or out of an action†, â€Å"to attract, lure or entice† or as â€Å"to talk earnestly with a person to secure agreement or compliance.† By these definitions we can notice that the concept of persuasion is ever-present throughout Austen’s novel. One of Austen’s traits is that her titles appear to offer some indication towards subject content; ‘Sense and Sensibility’,’ Pride and Prejudice’ and in this novel; ‘Persuasion.’ The first of these titles seems to suggest a tone of appraisal and the second, a tone of condemnation. From this recognition, we can also notice that Austen’s novels deal with the concept of moral perameters. ‘Persuasion’ however, does not seem to provide a clear indication of the nature of the subject matter. Yet isn’t persuasion less of a moral concept than ‘Sense and Sensibility’ and ‘Pride and Prejudice’? It seems therefore, that ‘Persuasion’ can be seen to challenge the idea of social class and position as opposed to the large issues of morality which are seen in ‘Sense and Sensibility’ and ‘Pride and Prejudice’. We must not consider the implications of the title with a closed mind. When Jane Austen penned her last complete novel, ‘Persuasion’ could be interpreted in two different ways; a strong belief in the process of persuasion of one’s thinking and secondly, the act of being pers... ... Lady Russell’s moral inferiority as Anne â€Å"lost her bloom† due to the persuasion of Lady Russell. Idealised love is, in fact, performed away from the public in ‘Persuasion’ as we see that public interferences are able to turn relationships sour; â€Å"a short period of exquisite felicity followed, and but a short one. Troubles soon arose, Sir Walter on being applied to†¦Ã¢â‚¬  From Anne and Wentworth’s lasting affection, we can see that most persuasion in the novel revolves around the concept of love. At the time of writing ‘Persuasion’, there had been a change in popular taste from Augustan values to Romanticism with its focus upon intense feelings. By carefully weaving between Romantic and Augustan values, Austen leaves it up to the reader to consider the case of romance between Anne and Wentworth, determining whether we find ourselves for or against persuasion.

Department of Homeland Security Essay

Returning from a vacation to Germany in February, freelance journalist Bill Hogan was selected for additional screening by customs officials at Dulles International Airport outside Washington. Agents searched his luggage, he said, â€Å"then they told me that they were impounding my laptop. † Shaken by the encounter, Hogan examined his bags and found the agents had also inspected the memory card from his camera. â€Å"It was fortunate that I didn’t use [the laptop] for work,† he said, â€Å"or I would have had to call up all my sources and tell them that the government had just seized their information. † When customs offered to return the computer nearly two weeks later, Hogan had it shipped to his lawyer. How common Hogan’s experience is remains unclear. But an April ruling by the U. S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals found that the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees Customs and Border Protection, does have full authority to search any electronic devices without suspicion in the same way that it can inspect briefcases. Now, businesses and other organizations are pushing back, Congress is investigating, and lawsuits have been filed challenging how the program selects travelers for inspection. The ninth circuit ruling was the result of more than 20 lawsuits involving electronics seized from travelers who were nearly all of Muslim, Middle Eastern, or South Asian descent. Citing the lawsuits, customs officials decline to say how many computers, storage drives, cellphones, and BlackBerrys they have confiscated or what happens to them afterward. Officials declined to testify at a recent Senate hearing, although they wrote in a prepared statement that officers â€Å"have the responsibility to check items such as laptops and other personal electronic devices to ensure that any item brought into the country complies with applicable law and is not a threat to the American public. † But congressional investigators say that copies of drives are sometimes made, meaning customs could be duplicating corporate secrets, legal and financial data, personal E-mails and photographs, along with stored passwords for accounts with companies ranging from Netflix to Bank of America. The practice of storing and duplicating material might be something that both opponents and supporters of seizure could agree to regulate, says Kansas Republican Sen. Sam Brownback, an otherwise staunch supporter of customs’ authority. Larry Cunningham, an assistant district attorney from New York, told the hearing: â€Å"I am aware of no authority that would permit the government, without probable cause to believe it contains contraband, to keep a person’s laptop or to copy the contents of its files. † Whatever the case, the controversial practice has prompted some businesses to change their policies about traveling with corporate information. Many now require employees to access data remotely to avoid confiscations. â€Å"[Seizure] immediately deprives an executive or company of the very data–and revenue–a business trip was intended to create,† says Susan Gurley, head of the Association of Corporate Travel Executives, which is lobbying for greater transparency and government oversight of the confiscations. â€Å"As a businessperson returning to the U. S. , you may find yourself effectively locked out of your electronic office indefinitely. † Indeed, while Hogan’s computer was returned within two weeks, others say they have had theirs held for months. Customs insists that terrorism and child pornography are sufficient justification for electronics searches. And even civil libertarians agree it makes sense for customs to search luggage, which could pose immediate dangers to aircraft and passengers. But, says Marc Rotenberg, executive director of the Electronic Privacy Information Center, â€Å"customs officials do not go through briefcases to review and copy paper business records or personal diaries, which is apparently what they are now doing in digital form. These PDA’s don’t have bombs in them. † And then there are the precedents that critics say the program could set. Imagine, they say, if other nations began seizing the laptops of U. S. travelers. â€Å"We wouldn’t be in a position to strongly object,† Rotenberg says. Indeed, U. S. officials have advised visitors to this summer’s Olympics in Beijing that their laptops may be targeted for duplication or bugging by the Chinese. [Illustration] [Picture omitted]: Bill Hogan, who had his laptop seized at an airport, waits for a Senate subcommittee hearing. -CHARLIE ARCHAMBAULT FOR USN&WR

Organizational Behavior Essay

With the advancement in technology the operations and scales of most business have become global in nature. Aside from this the target market of the corporations has also increased to include regional as well as international customers. This has requires the culture in most multination enterprises to change and adapt to diversification. Corporations have as a result invested in a diversified workforce that represents the various types of customers it targets and help create a much better understanding about the constantly changing and evolving target market. With the changing market dynamics the companies have also had to change their management styles. The most apparent trend for corporations has been to create a value based culture where the values are derived from the customer and business point of view the procurement training of employees is based on this value system. The best way to do this is by hiring people who have the desired talent and values required by the company. This reduces the cost of training and development for the company in the initial stages and contributes to a much better workforce which is intone with the organizations objectives and value system. However in most cases the new employees do require formal orientations where they are specifically informed about culture in place ion the organization and how the business conducts its operations. Yet again hiring people who share similar values as the organization does provides more harmony and direction for the workforce. Organization and Culture: Before establishing on a code of conduct of devising a formal culture for the organization, it is essential to define what organizational culture is. The culture at any organization is how the operations are performed in the entity and how the employees perform their specific jobs. Whenever the company is formally writing the essence of the culture it is acknowledging the core values of its operations and the company itself. As a result the culture should be representative of everyone in the organization and the values derived from it should benefit the company and its stakeholders as a whole. Therefore it is critically important for organizations to fully comprehend and understand the organizational culture in place in their organization before defining the values for the company or hiring personnel depending on their shared values with the business. Cameron and Quinn have designed a framework for the culture based on competing values. This framework identifies that there are essentially four kinds of cultures in an organization and any company can have either one of them or a combination as their organizational structure. These cultures have been specifically identified as the market culture, hierarchy culture and the adhocracy culture and the clan culture. Companies who have a clan type of a culture are organizations that operate based on their loyalty and relationship with others. Tradition and loyalty count as high priorities here and as a result employee commitment is a strong factor. Examples of organization that have this type of a corporate culture are the Japanese Companies. The market culture is characteristic of supermarkets and those companies operating in the retail sector. These kinds of organizations are result oriented and focus on getting the job done. The people usually employed in this company are competitive and goal oriented. The new hired sought by the company are leaders who can be tough and respond to the demanding nature of the organization. The company deems the pricing policies and intense competition as integral to the business. The vision of such organizations is to attain a large portion of the market share. Another form of an organizational cultures the hierarchy culture which is formalized in nature and structured according to rank and priority. The leaders in the organization are responsible for getting the work done and there is an essence of pride amongst the employees about their positioning the company. These companies are relatively predictable and they focus on hiring employees who are dependable and committed to long term employment in the company. The perfect examples of such organization are government organizations and public institutions. The last type of culture identified in the framework is the adhocracy culture which features entrepreneurship and creativity in the workplace. Organizations have this kind of a culture are usually dynamic and harbor innovation. They seek employees who are risk takers, creative and can be focus on the long term productivity and growth of the organization. The essence of this culture is innovation and commitment to change and diversification. An example of such a company is Google. Discussion: The main hotspots for cultural integration and diversification for Multinational Enterprises exist in the European, Asian and Middle East regions. A recent study was conducted to analyze the cultural orientation of the workforce and the similarities and differences for a multicultural workforce in Oman. The data for this research was conducted from about 700 employees employed in 6 large firms in Oman. â€Å"The results demonstrate a clear link between value orientations and preferences for particular HRM policies and practices. Group-oriented HRM practices are preferred by those who scored high on collectivism and being orientations, and those who scored low on thinking and doing orientations. Hierarchy-oriented HRM practices are preferred by those scoring high on hierarchy, subjugation and human nature-as-bad orientations, and those scoring low on thinking and mastery orientations. Finally, preference for loose and informal HRM practices was positively associated with being, and negatively associated with thinking, doing and harmony orientations. (Aycan, (et al), 2007) The HR employment policies and the recruitment process comprises of job identification and job design. When the specific characteristics of the job have been identified it becomes easier to document the requirements for the job. In market oriented firms companies seek prospective employees who are competitive and willing to embrace the values of the company. Colin Shaw conducted a research in association with the Marketing forum about employment in marketing. The research showed that â€Å"71 per cent of business leaders see customer experience as the next competitive battleground to be fought in a commercial marketplace — yet few are doing anything about it. Seven out of 10 customers say that emotions count for more than half of their customer experience. But most companies have not even thought through the emotions they are trying to evoke and will, therefore, struggle to recruit people who are able to evoke the positive emotions the company has identified. †(Shaw, 2002) Aside form simply managing diversity in the work force by creating a value based culture in the organization and hiring personnel on the basis of their value characteristics, the companies in multinational sectors can also develop relationship with their strategic partners, suppliers and affiliates on the basis of their organizational values. This is formally termed as Supply Relationship Orientation. Using this approach the organization can target a much diverse target market more efficiently and can also internalize most of its operations. The internal and external integration leads to strategic advantage for the company therefore further creating barriers to entry in the industry and making the organization more competitive. Job satisfaction is highly dependent upon the values that the employees have. These values can be cultural in nature or those endorsed by the organization. A study concerning the impact of cultural diversity on the employed job satisfaction showed that it is possible for people from different backgrounds and regions to have different values and work environment expectations. This specific study studied the Chinese nd Taiwanese organizations and depicted that â€Å"’Integration’, ‘Confucian Work Dynamism’ and ‘Human-heartedness’ are significantly different between Taiwanese and Chinese employees, while ‘Moral discipline’ is not; Taiwanese employees have higher ES than Chinese employees; Taiwanese employees view ‘career planning’ is the most important, while Chinese employees think ‘management system’ is most important; For Taiwanese employees, ‘Salary and benefit’, ‘Working load’ and ‘Management system’ have effects on ES; Age and Education have effects on Chinese employees† (Chuan-Cheng & Yu-Chen, 2007) Some cases of prominent organizations taking sides on their HRM and recruitment policies are depicted in the following examples. â€Å"Sears, for example, developed a strong culture based on its successes through the 1960s that kept later CEOs from making radical changes that were needed to respond to shifting consumer preferences. On the other hand, Wal-Mart, which was less restrained by its past, prospered during the same time period. † (Powell, 1998) When hiring new employees the bottom-line is to make way for a cohesive organization which is diversified in nature and its workforce yet is united in its structure, values and objectives. This is what has been termed as a model organization with an effective organizational perspective. Essentially the organization has two roles for an employee when it is hiring prospective personnel. These are that the organization needs employees who can help the organization grow and follow what is already in place in the organization. This is required to bring continuity into the business. However the other goal of the organization when recruiting new employees is to hire those candidates who are entrepreneurial in nature, risk takers and innovative, i. e. are willing to do what has never ever been done in the market or sector. In such situations the company needs to identify what are its core values and how it can attain both of its goals simultaneously. This requires identifying which values of the company fit the personal attributes of the company, and fit the situation the company is in. Then it needs to hire those employees which are suited to the values, goals and the job description in the company. â€Å"Searching for reinforcing fit on pivotal values is a good way for an organization to preserve the key elements of its culture. In fact, adherence to similar process values such as mutual respect, openness, participation, and consideration of alternative points of view facilitates a multicultural approach to diversity. On the other hand, searching for either reinforcing or extending fit on peripheral values seems unnecessary. Employees need to be allowed to express themselves as they wish, as long as they exhibit the pivotal values that support the organization’s mission. † (Powell, 1998) Another view regarding value based recruitment of personnel is that the diversified and multinational corporations can invest in both kinds of employees by hiring those which are essential for the continuum of the organization as well as hiring those who fit the organization’s values and goals. This will enable corporations to have variety in the workplace and will aid in management of the diversified workforce by the use of actions teams. Aside from this there is another view which states that it may not be in the best interests of any organization to invest in the same values and culture over a long period of time. This is because the external and internal environment for the business is constantly changing and this requires the culture, and values of the organizations to also reflect change with the passage of time. â€Å"To be ready to play fundamentally different games at short notice, organizations need to keep themselves from being overly committed to one particular strategy. † (Powell, 1998) One way of adopting diversity in an organization and building a value based culture to sustain objectives is through the sequential process. The reason for using this process for managing diversity is due to the fact that the external environment is in a continuous change and the main stakeholders of any company are also facing similar changes in their lives. This makes the purchase decisions to be made on the basis of the vales of the company and therefore the employees and people in the organization are also required to work in accordance with the values of the company. An article by Steve Schuller in 2005 stated that merging diversification and value based culture the organization requires the company to adopt a focused hiring policy. This means that the company should strive to hire like minded people who share the values of the company. This can require employing on traditionally recruiting methods which can take the form of partnering with similar organization or organizations having similar technology and objectives. â€Å"Hiring is only the first step. Educating employees to understand and appreciate cultural differences and providing them with guidance about what diversity means to the organization is the most effective way to create an inclusive culture. Timing is critical. Don’t make the mistake of marketing to diverse groups before providing your employees with the support and training they need to service these guests, who might have unique needs. Doing so could create negative guest experiences or hurt your efforts in the community. (Schuller, 2005). This text provides answers to the question whether only hiring personnel who share the values of the company is sufficient or should they be trained or not. The article states that even for newly hired personnel who share the values of the company it is essential for the business to provide them with orientation, mentoring and customer service training for leadership development according to the business ethics and the organizational culture in place in the company. Aside from this it is also important to communicate the values of the business and the company to the customers as well as to the employees. â€Å"Values are communicated to employees via overt internal communications, the ripple effect, senior management example/involvement, HR activities and external communications. While for consumers, values are communicated via their holistic experiences of the brand, interactions with employees, external brand communications and the tangible elements of the service offering. (De Chernatony, Cottam & Segal-Horn, 2006) Conclusion: It can be derived from the above illustrated discussion that in order to manage diversity in the workplace and in the operations it is best to manage the company according to its salient nd existing value structure. This is the best recommended method for managing diversity as it does not contain any bias and conforms to the legal laws of the state and the personal values of the employees and the staff in the organization. The best way for establishing a value based organization culture is to first identify the culture for the organization and highlight its main points. The key values which give the company a comparative advantage and a competitive edge can be focused upon and these values can be derived top establish a new culture which is adaptable, innovative and in accordance with the changes taking place in the internal as well as the eternal environment of the business. Most companies seek to retain and manage the value based culture of the organization by hiring those individuals who share the commitment and the values of the organization. However it should be realized that even like minded people can end up having conflicts and as a result a base period of training has to be established in the organization for successfully managing the organization and its human capital. Organizational Behavior Essay 1. What are some of the things managers can learn by walking around and having daily contact with line employees that they might not be able to learn from looking at data and reports? A: this style of management has advantages over typical desk-round approach to management. It is an approach common to several firms that received national awards for being a great place to work. 2. As an employee, would you appreciate knowing your supervisor regularly spent time with workers? How would you knowing to executives routinely interact with line employees affect your attitude toward the organization? A: yes it can strengthens the relationship of the employees with their bosses. The executives will know the strengths and weakness of their employees and recognize them on the problems that they may face during doing their job. Also, this may increase their self-confidence. 3. What ways can executives and other organizational leaders learn about day-to-day business operations beside going â€Å"undercover†? A: there are many ways can the managers follow on, the different ways will provide all the information required by the executives that can develop their departments and the organization as well. 4. Are there any dangers in the use of a management by walking around strategy? Could this strategy lead employees to feel they are being spied on? What action on the part of managers might minimize these concerns? A: the dangers could be happened depend on the executive attitude. And overstated on that may make lose confident of the employees Some managers are exaggerating in doing the walking around strategy which lead employees to feel they are being spied on and it also may lead to loss the confident from some employees and it may decrease their innovation to their job. The action which can be doing by the managers is minimize doing these strategy like give them some tasks from time to time and follow them by themselves or  send trusted person to do that. Case incident 2: Answers 1. To what extent can individual business decisions (as opposed to economic forces) explain deterioration in working conditions for many workers? A: To me it seems the poor economy is what leads to the deterioration in individual businesses. The poor economy is making it difficult for the business to draw in a steady income and therefor they need to make decisions on what to do to keep the doors to the business open. That’s when they start doing layoffs and budget cuts for the business. Employees end up with reduced hours, pay cuts, small pay raises and poor work environments. It seems they will sink to the lowest level that is considered legal just to make sure they can still make a profit within the business 2. Do business organizations have a responsibility to ensure that the employees have secure jobs with good working conditions, or are their primary responsibility to shareholders? A: This is where Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) comes into play. The concept of corporate social responsibility means that organizations have moral, ethical, and philanthropic responsibilities in addition to their responsibilities to earn a fair return for investors and comply with the law. CSR compels businesses to implement an extensive view of the obligations that does not include just the shareholders. They also need to include other constituencies such as employees, customers, the local community, all three levels of government, and so on. However, it still does not require them to ensure job security and good working conditions. Many actually are opposed to CSR and believe that corporations only need to worry about the profit for their shareholders and if they take on the social responsibilitie s will have competitive shortcomings. 3. What alternative measures of organizational performance, beside share prices, do you thing might change the focus of business leaders? A: Business performance measurement has a variety of uses. The following reasons companies measure business performance: To monitor and control To drive improvement To maximize the effectiveness of the improvement effort To achieve alignment with organizational goals and objectives To reward and to discipline Looking at the firm as a complex organism seeking to survive or thrive in its competitive environment, performance measurement systems serve as a key contributor to the perceptual and coordination/control capabilities of the firm. 4. What do you think the likely impact of the growth of temporary employment relationships will be for employee attitude and behavior? How would you develop a measurement system to evaluate the impact of corporate downsizing and temporary job assignments on employees?

The Debra Lafave Case

The Debra Lafave Case Debra Lafave, a 24-year-old married middle school teacher in the Tampa, Florida, area was arrested in June 2004 and accused of having sex numerous times with one of her 14-year-old students. She was charged with four felony counts of lewd and lascivious battery and one count of lewd and lascivious exhibition. Here are the latest developments in the Debra Lefave case: Court Rules in Favor of Lafave Oct. 16, 2014 - The Florida Supreme Court has ruled in favor of former middle school teacher Debra Lafave in her appeal to end her probation early. The court ruled that a circuit judge was in his rights to reduce her original sentence. An appellate court had overturned Judge Wayne Timmermans ruling to end Lafaves probation early calling his decision an abuse of judicial power resulting in gross miscarriage of justice. After a year of being off probation, Lafave was again placed under supervision. The Supreme Court did not address the merits of the judges ruling, the panel wrote, Although we recognize the perceived inequality that the Second District sought to remedy, the district court lacked jurisdiction. Although Lafave is no longer on probation, she is still a registered sex offender who must check in with the sheriffs office twice a year or face felony charges. Previous Developments Court Hears Lafave AppealSept. 16, 2013The Florida Supreme Court has heard oral arguments in the case of a teacher convicted of having sex with a student who now wants her probation to be cut short. Debra Lafave is asking the states highest court to reinstate a 2011 ruling by a judge to end her probation four years early. Judge Reinstates LaFaves ProbationJan. 25, 2013Probation has officially been reinstated by a Florida judge for a former Tampa teacher who was convicted of having sex with one of her students. Debra Lafave must now finish the final four years and two months left on her sentence. Debra Lafave Ordered Back on ProbationAug. 15, 2012A former Florida middle-school teacher whose affair with a 14-year-old student shocked the nation, not to mention her then husband, has been ordered back on probation by a state appeals court. Debra Lafave was released early from probation last year by Judge Wayne S. Timmerman over the objections of the prosecution. Debra Lafave Probation Ends EarlySept. 22, 2011A former Florida middle school teacher who made national headlines by admitting she had sex with a 14-year-old student has been released from probation four years early. Debra Lafave, who is now a mother of twins, requested that Judge Wayne S. Timmerman terminate her probation early. Debra Lafave to Be Released From House ArrestApril 8, 2008Over the objections of prosecutors, a Florida judge has ruled that former teacher Debra Lafave, who confessed to having sex with a 14-year-old student, will spend her final three months of house arrest on probation instead. No Jail Time Ordered for Debra LafaveJan. 10, 2008It took a Florida judge 11 seconds to rule that conversations former teacher Debra Lafave had with co-workers at the restaurant where she worked was not a willful nor substantial violation of her probation. Debra Lafave Arrested for Probation ViolationDec. 4, 2007On the day her attorney was planning to file a motion asking that her home confinement sentence be reduced, Debra Lafave was arrested at the restaurant where she works for talking with a 17-year-old female co-worker. Debra Lafave Off the HookMar. 21, 2006Hours after a Marion County judge rejected a plea deal for Debra Lafave, the Florida middle school teacher accused of having sex with one of her 14-year-old students, state prosecutors dropped all charges against her to protect the victim in the case. Judge Reconsiders Debra Lafave Plea DealMar. 9, 2006Prosecutors joined Debra Lafaves attorneys in asking a Florida judge to reconsider their plea deal that will allow her to avoid jail time for having sex with one of her 14-year-old middle school students. Judge Rejects Debra Lafaves Plea DealDec. 9, 2005A Florida judge has rejected a plea bargain that would have allowed former teacher Debra Lafave to avoid any jail time for charges that she had sex with one of her 14-year-old students. Florida Child Molester Gets ProbationNov. 22, 2005In a blatant example of a double-standard in dealing with child molesters, a Florida judge has sentence former middle school teacher Debra LeFave to probation for having sex repeatedly with a 14-year-old male student. Debra Lafave Turns Down Plea DealJuly 18, 2005The middle-school teacher accused of having sex with a 14-year-old student has decided to turn down a plea bargain deal and opt instead of going to trial when she plans to use an insanity defense, according to her attorney. Teacher Who Had Sex With Teen Says Shes InsaneDec. 2, 2004Debra Lafave, the suspended Florida middle school teacher facing four felony counts of lewd and lascivious behavior for having sex with a 14-year-old student, will plead not guilty by reason of insanity, according to her attorney.

The Meaning of La Nuit in French S

The Meaning of La Nuit in French S La nuit, meaning night or dark(ness), is pronounced nwee. It is a frequently used French  intransitive noun that most often describes that part of the day when its dark, but its quite common, too, to hear it used figuratively, as a symbol of something dark or fearsome. Expressions Given that night is an unavoidable fact of our lives every single day, its natural that la nuit is used in so many idiomatic expressions. Here are a few: Bonne nuit.  - Good night.Il fait nuit. - Its dark.Passer une bonne nuit - to have a good nights sleepUne nuit blanche /  une nuit dinsomnie - a sleepless nightUne nuit bleue - a night of terror / a night of bomb attacksUne nuità ©e - an overnight stayLa nuit porte conseil. - Lets sleep on it.La nuit tous les chats sont gris. (proverb) - All cats are grey in the dark.La nuit tombe.  - Its getting dark.Rentrer avant la nuit  - return before dark / nightfall la nuit tombante, la tombà ©e de la nuit  - at dusk,  at nightfallSe perdre dans la nuit des temps  - to be lost in the mists of timeCest le jour et la nuit  !  - Its like night and day!Une nuit à ©toilà ©e  - a starry nightFaire sa nuit  - sleep through the nightLa nuit de noces  - the wedding nightToute la nuit  - all night longToutes les nuits - every nightLa nuit de la Saint-Sylvestre  - night of New Years EvePayer sa nuit  - to pay for the nightAnimaux  de nuit  - noc turnal animalsPharmacie de nuit - all-night pharmacy, 24-hour pharmacyTravailler de nuit - to work the night shift, to work nights Parts of the Day (le Jour) Lets make the tour of one 24-hour period, beginning in the middle of the night, when  il fait nuit noire,  its pitch-black. Chaque jour (every day) as the sun starts to come up, the day begins to go  through the following stages:   laube (f) - the dawnle matin - the morningla matinà ©e - all morning, the morningla journà ©e - all day long, the day, the daytimele midi - noon, 12 p.m.laprà ¨s-midi (m) - the afternoonle crà ©puscule - dusk, nightfallle soir - the evening, nightla soirà ©e - all evening, eveningla veille  de - the eve ofla nuit - the nightle minuit - midnight, 12 a.m.le lendemain - the next day

Study abroad Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Study abroad - Essay Example in a new country with new people means that you would have to leave your culture, food, language, attire, and way of living to adopt the host country’s way of living (DuFon & Churchill, pp. 74-85, 2006). People who have strong associations which their culture, family, friends and surroundings may find it the most difficult part of their live to adjust in a new environment. Moreover, studying abroad requires huge amount of investment and is quite expensive. Many students live alone in the new country thus increasing their cost of living to a further limit. However, this paper aims at proving that the benefits of studying abroad outweigh the costs associated with it. The rest of this paper would attempt the same by presenting a few supporting points. The biggest advantage associated with studying abroad is that it provides an excellent opportunity to the students to learn English in an entirely different way. Important here to note is that the majority of the students who decide to study abroad take the tickets for countries like United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Sweden or other western countries (Byram & Feng, pp. 14-19, 2006). Clearly, the dominant language in all these countries is English and this gives the foreign students to learn this language from the native speakers of English language. Research has shown that even the poorest speakers of English language, when live for quite some time in a western environment, showed considerable improvement at their skills of speaking and understanding the language. Experts say that there is no better way to learn anything but through constant practice and repetition. Living with new people and surrounded by them makes you learn that new language on the same mentioned principle. Important here to note is that education is not just for the sake of it. The most important goal of education remains to prepare and equip students with tools, approaches and knowledge, skills and abilities that can help them