The Role of Human Resource Knowledge in establishing Performance

Introduction The workplace today is in a condition of metamorphosis of workers’ motivation, customers’ satisfaction, human-resource development and customer relation management with a global mindset of penetrating every aspect of the organization. Effective workforce is a pillar in an organization as it is a great player in accomplishing the firms’ objectives and service delivery.Advertising We will write a custom case study sample on The Role of Human Resource Knowledge in establishing Performance-Based Work environment: The Case of â€Å"Flambo Plast Gmbh† specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More According to Aspatore Books, human-resource management is the organizational function that enables efficiency, innovation, creativity and flexibility of the workforce to transform them into productive assets.1 Therefore, many institutions have emphasized on the need to consider (HRM) human-resource management as a co urse. However, it is also important to note that it is one of the demanding knowledge, especially in a workplace.2 An orderly managed well-organized human-resource department assists the organizations to attain the desired goals and competitiveness in the industry. Background of the study In the present century, the human-resource management departments are facing unlimited challenges. As paradigms have changed in various dimensions and the factors affecting human-resource management are not exceptional. The human-resource management must re-examine the organizational structure and functions in order to cope with relevance, new trends and challenges in the contemporary business setting. In the current business context, the most affecting and challenging issue to an informed man is time’s nature of setting things in order and in place in the best and most effective way3. Advanced technology, through the use of computer and smart phones, assist man to deal situations in the mos t effective and efficient manner. The state of human-resource management is a system that attracts strengths, encourages, and maintains employees who are responsible for the successful operation and existence of the organization.4 The main and important function of human-resource management circulates around workforce planning, recruitment and selection, job specification, dismissal, employee motivation, customer relation management (CRM), performance evaluation and employee development.Advertising Looking for case study on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Has life changed alongside developments in technology, so, is it the human-resource management to occupy more responsibilities? These conceptual issues have established fundamental principles for the foundation of human-resource management. Fundamental of human development The training function of human-resource management is contemporarily termed as huma n-resource development. It is an orderly effort towards facilitating the workforce within the firm to acquire the required knowledge in the desire for organizational success. This revolves around three areas- employer and employee development, performance development and work environment improvement. There are important laws that the human-resource management must equip itself with during the training. The teaching and the process must be interesting so that the trainee is motivated to grasp the important information. 5 In addition, the training and development must target at the performance improvement to help the organization attain stronger organizational efficiency, greater competitive practices and enhance profitability. Objective of the study In this paper, the primary objective is to examine and determine the value of employer’s knowledge in human-resource management. I seek to: Ascertain the relevance of human-resource management knowledge and skills and the workplac e. To analyze the functions of human-resource management in an organization Ascertain the relevance between motivation and job performance. Discussion The reorganization of the human-resource administration for â€Å"Flambo Plast Gmbh† The human-resource departments are vital players responsible for attracting, developing, motivating and maintaining best employees the human-resource management departments are required to make well-detailed organizational charts for their firms to assist the managers and executives carry their duties responsible.6 In addition, the organization charts enhance the employees to understand the company strategy and structure, and their roles in delivering the organizational goals.Advertising We will write a custom case study sample on The Role of Human Resource Knowledge in establishing Performance-Based Work environment: The Case of â€Å"Flambo Plast Gmbh† specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn Mor e Organizational charts aid a company in ensuring effective and efficient communication of its objectives, employee expectations, and responsibilities. In demonstrating commitment to excellence, the company needs to develop an ideal organizational chart that is efficient in mapping the company’s communication lines. The organizational chart is essential tool and is necessary in circumstances where management is in pursuit to identify areas through the enterprise that presents opportunities for downscaling. The organizational structure needs to be flexible and the one that reflects the immediate requirements of the organization. The â€Å"Flambo Plast Gbhm† company must make sure the human-resource management chart allows the management and the employees to: existence of co-operation between the employees and the management at large. Perfect relation and communication among the employees and the management Clear and easy understanding of the processes Flexible and re alistic nature Clear definition of roles and responsibilities within the organization The structure that allows smooth teamwork among the employees and the management The human-resource department organizational chart The â€Å"Flambo Plast Gmbh† shall be organized in a manner that it constitutes the outlook of a modern human-resource department.7 The chart shall address the three-main sections namely: HR front office HR back office HR excellence centers The HR Front office This office shall be the main interaction point for all HR team members and shall be an internal source for the employees. The HR Back office This office is important and responsible for HR services offered both internally and externally. This office is also in control of legal procedures, in an organization. The office will ensure that all procedures and actions are compliant with law. Indeed, all the administrative functions like payroll, bonus, and benefits are in control in this office. The HR Excel lence center This section in human-resource management shall be responsible for maintaining policies, processes and products developed. The office will ensure and oversee the employee training, recruiting and staffing roles.Advertising Looking for case study on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Flambo Plast Gmbh Human Resource Organiization Chart This is a hierarchical type of organizational chart. In this chart, the employees are under certain functional departments headed by a different manager. For instance, we have the front office, back office, and the excellence center headed by different managers. The main reason for choosing this kind of chart is that it clearly explains the organizational structure in simple terms. In addition, the use of organizational charts saves an organization from problems of communication loops.. 8 These calls for another management team to assist manage the organization. The main functions of human-resource department The human-resource department is in control of several duties that deal with the employees of the company. Unfortunately, some managers assume HRM as a simple office with less work.9 The office has a lot of work and requires great attention to address these issues. However, the main duties and responsibilities of human reso urces management are: Recruitment of employees Compensation and remuneration Training and development Planning Recruitment of employees The human-resource department is vest with power to recruit and oversee the selection of employees. This involves the process of choosing few qualified candidates out from many unqualified. The function ensures that the company under consideration selects the most skilful and competent taskforce from plenty of applicants. This function involves selection of the best individuals and evaluation of their ability in relation to the company requirements. The recruitment can be through various processes that may include interviews, educational, psychological measurements and written interviews. Compensation and remuneration A capital resource is one the most important assets that the company can rely on. For efficient production, the company needs to address the issue of compensation and remuneration in details. This deals with the motivation of the emp loyees. The human-resource department has a task of evaluating the performance in turn rewarding those who did well or exceeded the expectation of the company.10 The compensation packages can be in terms of salary increment, holiday offers, awards, equities etc. Training and development This function is important and necessary since it adds value to the organization. Employees’ training is in relation with improvement of skills and attitudes of the employees. It is also significant in motivating the works as well as boosting their energy. Training enables the employee to be familiar with duties that he/she supposed to work on. Some jobs require work experience or training before some can undertake the task. The can be characterized by attendance of seminars, conferences, workshops and formal talks among others. Planning Every manager must plan regardless of the section under his or her command. The human-resource department has the responsibility of ensuring that adequate pla ns are in place for the success of the organization. The department plans how the organization structure will look like, the duties and responsibilities of each employee, the chain of command and several others. The department is also bestowing with the responsibility of planning the future organizational goals in relation to people or clarifying the same goals to staff members. Planning is a useful tool in putting the organizational goals in safe basket.11 Adviser It refers to a professional or a consultant providing expert advice to his or her clients concerning a certain field. Customer relationship management In my own understanding, CRM is an information house or database responsible for monitoring, valuing, developing and retaining excellent relation to the customer. Simply, observing the principles of customer relationship.12 Problems regarding employees’ motivation In the turn of a century, the business setting has gone through various changes touching the style in hu man-resource management. Some business managers are not aware of these inventible changes. This has led to the failure of many stable businesses. However, motivation has both positive and negative effects to the business. Therefore, it is important they learn, understand and are familiarized with factors that promote positive motivation at the workplace. The objective of this paper is to assist the manager to understand the need for motivation at the workplace. This can be through identifying factors that may occur because of lack of motivation in the workplace. According to Fredrick Herzberg, motivation is the force that makes us do things: this is a result of our individual needs being satisfied so that we are inspired to accomplish our tasks.13 Motivation is essential in achieving the best from human capital. Motivation has a great impact on the output of the business in terms of quality and quantity. Production staff is the pivot that the business relies heavily regarding the ou tput. When motivation is not satisfied, the company suffers a huge loss hence there is the failure of business to perform effectively. A de-motivated workforce ultimately results in high absenteeism and employee turnover rates always accompanied by poor customer service. Fredrick Herzberg came up with two main divisions that deal with motivation. Those factors that motivated work staff at the workplace and, Hygiene Factors The motivators enhanced excellent performance in an organization leading high output and works’ friendly working environment. However, the hygiene factors, if not met, has a negative impact on employee’s efficiency and immeasurable loss to business. There are a number of problems regarding the employees’ motivation. These may include: Poor pay Work conditions Supervision Inadequate recognition Poor pay Many companies have failed to demonstrate excellent efforts towards workers’ remuneration. Though money is not the only reason why e mployees cause unrest at the workplace, in most cases, it is the main reason. In the recent world, most of havoc caused at the workplace results from poor pay. If the workers’ effort is unappreciated, they feel low sometimes boycotting the work or bringing unrest in the company. Worker’ salary must be revised regulated according to ensure the equity. Employees are equally motivated to achieve the organizational objectives when salary is perceived as enough. The output of the employees must match the salary. Poor pay of workers to some extend causes sick leave and inefficient works. Work condition The prevailing working environment of an employee is very critical issue in the contemporary business context. Though motivation is something that comes from the inner force of a person, management has a big role in creating an environment that encourages employee motivation. The employer must eliminate risks that de-motivate the workers at the workplace. Workplace safety must be the point of concern to management and shareholders as a whole. Most of the workforces consider this as a motivator. 14 Supervision Supervision direction is wrong in certain organization leading qualified employees quitting their jobs. According to the recent research, it reveals that some managers have poor leadership and management styles in stabilizing the work of an efficient employee. It is certain that some workers quit the managers but not the job. Supervision should give direction but not cause disharmony at the workplace. Recognition failure Recognition failure is one of the main reasons why employees get hurt. Recognition is one of the important factors that fuels personal motives. Recognizing employees for the efforts made towards achieving the organizational goals not only make them proud but also promote self-esteem and cultivate spirits of more innovations. Motivation can be through promotions, pay increase, comments and many unlisted. Theories on connection betwee n motivation and job performance Several psychologists have come with theories supported by empirical evidence to show the relationship between motivation and job performance. The world known psychologists like Fredrick Herzberg, Abraham Maslow, Elton Mayo, Douglas McGregor, among unlisted through different researches have tried to show the relation that exists between motivation and job performance. This paper will examine through the two theories the relationship prevalence between the job performance and motivation. It is going to focus on a two-factor theory by Herzberg and the theory by Maslow. Two-factor theory According to Herzberg, motivation is in two motives. He also refers to this theory as â€Å"the dual structure theory.† From his theory, Herzberg believed that two sets factors influence people. He classified these two sets into motivator and hygiene. The hygiene referred to as dissatisfied, as their absence causes dissatisfaction while their presence does not mo tivate. The hygiene included pay and benefit, supervision, job security, personal life working conditions, status and relationship with co-workers. However, on the motivator side, he includes recognition, promotion, achievements and growth. According to him, hygiene factors operate separately or independently from the motivators. He argued that the hygiene factors were of short-term effects and that a little improvement would be to their removal. According to him, motivation was important and necessary for achievements. The theory Z Abraham Maslow developed another important theory to link relationship between motivation and job performance. Maslow (1971), named his final theory â€Å"Theory Z.† Maslow tried to relate motivation and job performance by using theory z, to explain the self-actualization. In his study, Maslow said less than 1%of the adult population was self-actualizing. Abraham Maslow focused his life’s work on the study of human potential, development an d motivation.15 Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, visible deference was given to people who had a value focused. He reveals that the level of unhealthiness exists in all areas of development. He refers to being self-actualized as becoming more fully human who responds to the inner forces for development. Most recent authors with the present leadership style concur with him. According to him, before one becomes self-actualized, he must first meet the physiological needs. He demonstrated his ideas using the hierarchy of needs. Theory Z was clearly an indication of unhealthy people in unhealthy organization.16 Critical review of the theories The two theories developed by the two psychologists ultimately relate job performance to motivation. From the dual research, it is evidently that motivation is ideal in improving work efficiency. Motivation leads to high output and works that motivate results in high production. For example, in the work of Herzberg, he believes that when hygiene is not satisfied, they cause dissatisfaction. This is actual true because when employees’ hygiene is not met, they cause underproduction. On the other hand, Maslow work supports the connection between the job performance and motivation. In his work, â€Å"Those serving customers must be longer range in time and longer range in space and wider thinking in terms of causes and effects and holistic relationships. Why is this? It’s because the relationships†¦are very different when these customers are supposed to be kept for a century or two.† 17 Recommendations First, I recommend the manager to enroll for the MBA course in human-resource management. This course will assist the manager in acquiring managerial skills and knowledge that will enable him or her to demonstrate quality leadership style in management. Secondly, I recommend the management to revise and uphold the importance of motivation and strongly put it in practice. This would motivate the workforce leading to efficiency production. It will also create a good rapport between the customers and the business. Finally, the human-resource organizational chart requires another structure with well-defined duties of the concern. Conclusion Human-resource management is an important resource to any organization set up. The current managers require to be trained in this field to ensure they utilize this capital. This will have a positive impact on the output of the business. For any milestone development, this pillar department of the organization must be vested with responsible and knowledgeable persons. Bibliography Ahmad, Shoeb. Human Resources Management and Technical Changes. New Delhi: Gyan Publishing House, 2004. Anderson, Charles. Tool Kit for Human Resources. Lincoln: iUniverse, 2004. Anderson, Kristin and Carol Kerr. Customer relationship management. McGraw-Hill Professional, 2002. Armstrong, Michael. Strategic Human Resource Management: A Guide to Action. London: Kogan Page Pu blishers, 2008. Aspatore Books. The Role of Human Resources: Top Executives on Using HR to Drive Business Results and Add Value to a Company (Inside the Minds). London: Aspatore Books, Incorporated, 2005. Green, Jerry W. Exploring the needs of teleworkers using Herzberg’s two-factor theory. New York: ProQuest, 2009. Ionazzi, Daniel A. The stage management handbook. New York: Writer’s Digest Books, 1992. Knox, Simon. Customer relationship management: perspectives from the marketplace Butterworth-Heinemann, 2003. Koontz, Harold and Heinz Weihrich. Essentials of Management. New York: Tata McGraw-Hill Education, 2006. Lawler, Edward and John Boudreau. Achieving excellence in human resource management: an assessment of human resource functions. Stanford University: Stanford University Press, 2009. Rothwell, William J and Kazanas Hanze. Planning and managing human resources: strategic planning for human resources management. New York: Human Resource Development, 2003. Saiya dain, Mirza. Human Resources Management. New York: Tata McGraw-Hill Education, 2009. Mathis, Robert and John Jackson H. Human Resource Management. New York: Cengage Learning, 2010. Ulrich, David. Human resource champions: the next agenda for adding value and delivering results. New York: Harvard Business Press, 1996. University of Nebraska (Lincoln campus). Dept. of Psychology. Current theory and research in motivation. University of Nebraska: University of Nebraska Press, 2003. Wilson, John P. Human resource development: learning training for individuals organizations. London: Kogan Page Publishers, 2005. Footnotes 1 Aspatore Books. The Role of Human Resources: Top Executives on Using HR to Drive Business Results and Add Value to a Company (Inside the Minds). (London: Aspatore Books, Incorporated, 2005), 45-53. 2 Mirza, Saiyadain. Human Resources Management. (New York: Tata McGraw-Hill Education, 2009), 1 3 Robert, Mathis and John Jackson H. Human Resource Management. (New York: Cengage Learning, 2010), 27. 4 Edward, Lawler and John Boudreau. Achieving excellence in human resource management: an assessment of human resource functions. (Stanford University: Stanford University Press, 2009), 21. 5 Kristin, Anderson and Carol Kerr. Customer relationship management. New York: McGraw-Hill Professional, 2002), 2. 6 Shoeb, Ahmad. Human Resources Management and Technical Changes. (New Delhi: Gyan Publishing House, 2004, 185. 7 Charles, Anderson. Tool Kit for Human Resources. (Lincoln: iUniverse, 2004),108. 8 John, Wilson. Human resource development: learning training for individuals organizations. London: (Kogan Page Publishers, 2005), 26-35. 9 William, Rothwell and Kazanas Hanze. Planning and managing human resources: strategic planning for human resources management. (New York: Human Resource Development, 2003), 478. 10 Michael, Armstrong. Strategic Human Resource Management: A Guide to Action. (London: Kogan Page Publishers, 2008), 72. 11 David, Ulrich. Human resource champions: the next agenda for adding value and delivering results. (New York: Harvard Business Press, 1996), 25. 12 Simon, Knox. Customer relationship management: perspectives from the marketplace. (New York: Butterworth-Heinemann, 2003), 3. 13 Daniel, Ionazzi. The stage management handbook. (New York: Writer’s Digest Books, 1992), 165. 14 Jerry, Green. Exploring the needs of teleworkers using Herzberg’s two-factor theory. (New York: ProQuest, 2009), 56 15 Harold, Koontz and Heinz Weihrich. Essentials of Management. (New York: Tata McGraw-Hill Education, 2006), 291 16 University of Nebraska (Lincoln campus). Dept. of Psychology. Current theory and research in motivation. (University of Nebraska: University of Nebraska Press, 2003), 175. 17 Jerry, Green. Exploring the needs of teleworkers using Herzberg’s two-factor theory. (New York: ProQuest, 2009), 56 This case study on The Role of Human Resource Knowledge in establishing Performance-Based Work environment: The Case of â€Å"Flambo Plast Gmbh† was written and submitted by user Rayden G. to help you with your own studies. 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How to Write Numbers (With as Little Confusion as Possible)

How to Write Numbers (With as Little Confusion as Possible) As with several other English grammar rules (capitalization of titles, were looking at you!) relating to how to write numbers will vary depending on the sources you use. For example, in AP style, you would spell out whole numbers up to (and including) nine but write the numerals for 10 and above. In Chicago style, you would spell out whole numbers up to (and including) one hundred but write the numerals for 101 and above. Alternatively, you can spell out whole numbers up to (and including) nine and use numerals for the rest.So, is there a way to remember the rules without having to consult a style book each time? Yes, but it depends on the nature of your writing and for whom you are writing. For example, if you are writing a dissertation that follows a particular style, it is best to consult the style book when any number comes up in the text. However, for general business writing, fiction and most nonfiction (unless its technical writing), there are some standard rules to follow, wh ich we will cover here.Rule #1Spell out whole numbers up to and including nine.Examples:Zerofour10110Rule #2Spell out numbers that begin a sentence unless it is a year. When doing so, avoid using and such as One hundred and one Dalmatians.Examples:1975 was a great year for music.One thousand dollars is a lot of money to pay for that watch.One hundred one Dalmatians.Rule #3When you have multiple numbers within the same sentence, consistency is key if the items are in the same category. If the items are in different categories, use numerals for one category and spell out the other.Examples:She bought the car that seats five instead of the minivan that seats nine.I read four books with over 300 pages each and two articles that were 12 pages each.Rule #4When numbers are next to each other in the sentence, it is best to write out one and use a numeral for the other in order to differentiate them.Example:We bought four 7-inch frames.

Teching ICT for Special Need Pupil Between Theory and Practice Essay

Teching ICT for Special Need Pupil Between Theory and Practice - Essay Example To make ICT practical in addressing the needs of students with special needs, there is need to sensitize the community on the role that ICT can play in education of those with special needs. INTRODUCTION There are pupils faced with all manners of learning disabilities whether physical, educational, emotional, mental, or may be a combination of all the above problems. Problems like autism, cerebral palsy, Down syndrome, epilepsy, spinal bifida, and others present compounding disabilities which teachers find difficult to deal with. These problems present various kinds of learning disabilities ranging from mental problems to behavioral problems. Behavioral problems make it difficult for student to associate with others in the learning environment which defies the order of learning as an associative activity. It is good to realize that the world has moved from early problems of deafness and blindness which has defined learning disabilities for along time, and has moved to addressing the previously mentioned problems. The world is coming to realization that disability is no inability. There has been a vigorous campaign from all over the world in a bid to encourage the education of those with special needs. For a long time disabled children have been considered as unfit to pursue higher levels of education as compared to their normal counterparts. Students with learning disabilities have faced a lot of problems integrating in the same classrooms with other students. This has led to development of special teaching classrooms for those students with special needs. In a learning environment, teachers are faced with various problems of addressing the needs of the students which are as diverse as the students themselves. Those with physical disabilities will require... This paper stresses that to make ICT more practical to students with special needs, it is also good to start with training the community first of the importance that ICT can play in education of these children. This will involve mobilization of the community which turns out to be holding teachers, parents and the children themselves. This report makes a conclusion that the use of ICT in the learning process of students with special needs is very vital. It is very important models of learning that can help student with learning disability achieve the same education calibre like other children. It is beneficial not only to the students but also to the community as a whole. However we have seen the many hurdles that make the process impractical. This is the point that all the authorities in the world should strive to address right now. Implementing ICT in special schools should not be seen only as a burden of the parents and teacher alone nor should it be taken as a problem to be tackled by the authority alone but rather it should be seen as burden that everybody has to tackle. All of us have an input that can make the process more practical. It is time the world moved from the theoretical mentioning of the process and moves to make it more practical. Going by its benefits, it is worth our trial. There is need for t he world to move fast and address the digital divide that has currently rocked the world. The ICT gap between the developed and the developing world has increased with a huge gap and there is need for it to be addressed fast. This can only be done through increasing access to ICT facilities to the developing world. This will also involve involving students with learning disabilities more in the digital world which will help in their holistic development.

The causes that lead to the crisis and discuss how it has affected the Essay

The causes that lead to the crisis and discuss how it has affected the New Zealand financial system and economy - Essay Example However, even wealthiest governments were forced to declare diverse rescue packages in order to bail out and thereby ensure the safety of their financial systems. The decade witnessed a series of collapses in the American banking sector, which were directly attributed to the crisis. The most challenging issue associated with the global crisis was that the institutions responsible for the financial difficulties were the ones being largely bailed out. This paper intends to explore the major causes that led to the crisis and how it affected New Zealand’s financial system and economy. Facts of the financial crisis Davies (2009) says that the financial crisis widely struck the global financial markets and its first impacts were seen in the United States’ sub-prime mortgage market. As a result of this crisis, the prices of bonds and other financial assets were considerably declined by which the generated losses largely hit the financial system. In the view of Davies (2009), i n this period, number of financial institution underwent bankruptcy mainly due to the collapse in credit; this situation adversely affected the economic confidence of business houses/entrepreneurs and thereby the overall economic growth of nations. A gigantic expansion in credit and asset prices just prior to the collapse increased its severity. This adverse credit as well as asset price expansion was more visible in the housing markets of US. Davies (2009) points that the situation of immense global imbalances between corporate giants created huge reserve accumulations. The aftereffects of these accumulations led to the fall of real and nominal interest rates. Naturally, this economic condition produced an environment that offered excess liquidity and very easy credit; hence, borrowers began to take advantages of this favorable situation. Subsequently, companies also increased their leverage with intent to exploit the situation. In the view of Davies (2009), households got the oppo rtunity to borrow more and more under this economic situation; and consequently, the ‘household debt rose to unprecedented levels in relation to GDP’. The banks and other financial institution were willing to approve this increased demand for credit and allowed credit even to vulnerable and very risky borrowers. Obviously, this massive and thoughtless credit creation hurt the financial stability of the credit sector. Causes of the global financial crisis Prior to the emergence of global financial crisis, it seemed that America had struggled with productivity and competitiveness in the Asian markets. The speculative economy has also notably contributed to this financial turbulence since the relationship of the international money supply did not commensurate with the actual production of goods. We know that energy consumption significantly increased by the beginning of 21st century. Since the existed reserve levels could not meet the increasing energy requirements, it cau sed energy crisis. Scholars opine that this energy crisis has also played a vital role intensifying the crisis. Davies (2009) argues that the irresponsible and passive trade room practices have also contributed to the crisis. Many of the economists are of the opinion that severe feeding problems or food crisis are also factors that fueled the global financial crisis. However, the major cause of the 2007 global economic crisis can be directly

The Positives of Gaming and Addiction Term Paper

The Positives of Gaming and Addiction - Term Paper Example One of the things that have worried many people and especially sociologist is the fact that computers have made people be less social. With computers being interconnected through networks such as the internet, a lot of people have realized that they can do much of the things they need to do from the comfort of the their homes without having to go out to the world. These days, people can take their education online, buy things online and have them delivered to their doorsteps, even socialize online using social media such as facebook.com and Twitter. Because of this, people have less face-to-face communication with each other and this is feared to be a negative impact of the information technology of today. As more people continue to disappear behind their computers and have fewer social interactions as they use the computers and computer networks to interact with the rest of the world, they are going to be less social and the social fabric will be ripped apart, leading to the end of civilization as it is known today (Hjorth, 2008). However, with regard to this, there is a debate with regard to whether this is a good thing or a bad thing. On the one side of this debate are the people who believe that just because people are spending more time with their computers does not necessarily mean that the social fabric has lost its structure, but that this is just one more phase of the evolution of the society with regard to how people relate with each other. Others, on the other hand, feel that this is a risk that must be avoided as much as possible. The fear of technology and especially computer technology has been seen for some time now and in the USA, it even attracted some kind of fanatics with the rationalist who believed that everything must be done to prevent further development o such technology. In the 1970s, there were some terrorist actions carried out by an American who was determined to make sure that technology could not grow further.

Cultural myths detrimental to american society today

Cultural myths detrimental to american society today A cultural myth is a traditional story that has a meaning attached to it. These myths have an effect in they way people lead their lives and even how they interact with each other. It is notable that myths have a role to play be it personally, or to the wider society. In as much as one may believe or doubt such myths, they still continue to exist in different ways, and are shaping destinies of many. Myths can be full of truth or falsehood and depend on the interpretation a person may prefer. Many societies and races in the world have diverse myths which may encourage or discourage certain patterns of behavior. Rituals and customs are explained in myths and their merits or demerits laid down for everyone to discern. The Greek mythology (Detienne, 18) is most notable especially in the way they exhort ancestors to be like gods. Myths came before science and this makes it impossible to discredit them. Long time ago, people depended on myths to explain the mysteries of creation and they accepted them with a lot of zeal. Many other questions were answered including the origin of man and his eventual destiny after death. Evil is also brought under the scrutiny of myths and they expound its cause and reason for its existence. The rise of modern civilization can too be traced in myths ranging from agriculture to industry to settled life in cities. The modern world has continued to embrace myths in one way or another. Modern technology has given rise to much development in mass media which in turn has enabled many myths from different parts of the world to be collected together for study. Books have been printed and availed to anybody with interest to read and either agree or disagree with the subject. From an individual to a community, some cultural myths seem worthy in the sense that they encourage or uplift the spirit (Wessels, 92). Others may not necessarily be so and may seem unrealistic especially if they are prejudicial or implying immorality. Happily Ever After; the American society as any other society has not been left behind in embracing myths. Many of them believe that happiness can be sought and achieved despite the hardship one may go through. Happiness is attributed to material possessions whereby those who do not have ample material wealth are considered unhappy. The ideology of possessions can be traced through ancient myths some of which are still followed today. Hard work is associated to prosperity and lack of it therefore leads to a lowly life. Studies have shown that happiness is not related to material or money possessions (Veenhoven, 5). The old notion which led many people to acquire as much as they could has been proven false. Traditionalists believed that it is out of what you possess that gives you the feeling of happiness. People then would strive so much in order to have money so that they may live the rest of their lives happily. In did not matter the means or the extent to which this was sought as long as one could proudly claim he had money. Americans forgot that happiness is never permanent and mostly is derived from being comfortable with what one has, however little. Obsession with possessions created greed in American people which can never be satisfied. Someone even came up with a term National Happiness, a system that oversaw people overlook other important issues in order to acquire happiness. Ironically, this myth has wrought greed, selfishness and immorality in the Americans (Alesina Tella, 3). The Nuclear Family has been a basis upon which nations are built. The nuclear family is composed of a father, mother and their children. This family set up has been criticized for a very long time due to its lack of universality, essence and modernity (Chester, 111). Industrialization brought out the need to move away to work places and obviously the nuclear family was affected. When the heads of the family began moving to far away places in search of job, there remained a question as to whether those left should still be considered as a nuclear family. The myth that every nuclear family should cater for itself has contributed negatively in its essence. Most Americans may prefer to be in such families in contrast that whole societies need to live together and cater for each other. Another aspect which makes the nuclear family fail is failure of it being universal. Since other societies in the world have extended families, the notion in Americans mind that only the nuclear family is perfect could be wrong. This is another cultural myth that has pulled back the Americans in their pursuits and has isolated them. The western culture took the nuclear family as a symbol and went ahead to portray it in art and media. But statistics show that there has been a decline in the number of nuclear families in the America over the past few years. Divorces and remarriages are common and therefore the true definition of a nuclear family has eroded. This goes on to show that the ideal nuclear family that was projected was just another cultural myth which has no place in modern society. It becomes a myth in the sense that sometimes ago; departure from this family set up was seen as immoral and unhealthy by many Americans (Uzoka, 34). Most Americans have shunned the extended family setup which encouraged communal responsibility, and have upheld nuclear families which promote individualism. The extended family comprises of the nuclear family and the relatives. This type of family is mostly concerned with building relationships which in turn play a role in the wide community. It is only when people begin to care for each other, the immediate community benefits as well as the whole country. It is therefore important that the Americans embrace extended family and break from their cultural myth of nuclear families. Racial Stereotyping There have always been contentious issues in regard to racial conflict existing between the whites and the blacks in America. The problem can be traced in the colonial times whereby black slavery was a norm. Blacks then were considered superstitious and primitive. Such a myth has seen them being oppressed for so many years that even now there exists a small percentage of whites who regard them so. They have also been associated with every negative aspect in society from crime, violence and laziness. An important fact to note is that, were it not for a tradition of viewing black negatively, they too are human and have all the abilities as white have. The cultural myths have engineered a trend that is difficult to deal with in modern society. Some instances where these myths have brought about are cases where people are discriminated according to their skin color. They are denied jobs and other government services just because of their skin color. A recent case during Hurricane Katrina where the government failed to act speedily is a case study for this. It attests to the fact that cultural myths still have a place in the modern society; albeit the American society ought to shun this evil (Palmer, 75). Americans have stereotyped many other races. The, Americans have stereotyped many other races and the most affected are the African-Americans. African -American simplification of individuals behavior is the African-American Stereotyping. They came about into the American culture from the period of colonial settlement, specifically after the collapse of Slave Trade. The minstrel of the earlier blackface illustrates blacks as ignorant, superstitious as well as naÃÆ'Â ¯ve in addition to been joyous which are the same characteristics which were associated with the slaves. Additionally the African-American have been stereotyped as a race which consists of people who are only good at sports. The act of stereotyping has got to its peak in the media through movies in addition to television. The media has contributed in passing negative information regarding the lifestyle of African-American to the young people. Certain shows aired on the T.V channels demonstrate the false personalities abo ut the African Americans. To make the matters worse, there is a specific video game which has been developed whose main character is an African American who plays only the role of killing, robbing alongside having sexual relations with persons. This indicates an example through which the media has been involved in stereotyping. It is because of these cultural myths that have behaved in negative ways towards each other. They have refused to move away from such myths ignoring the fact that such cause hatred amongst each other. Mark Twain analyses myths in a perfect way by showing in the characters the effect myths can have on people. The main themes of past, slavery, chivalry are expressed well in the book. Self-destruction and or preservation are another aspect that is brought about by the book. Hank Morgan is a prisoner who has traveled back in time to the sixth century and is sentenced to death before Arthurs court because of his strange dress and appearance. Before the execution is carried out, he is able to buy his freedom by convincing the Arthur that he is a magician. He relies on knowledge that a sun eclipse will take place before he is executed and he convinces the King that he is the cause of it. Hank is given the highest title in the land and he does not fail to ridicule the people who fear him. Morgan sooner learns about superstitions embraced by the natives and he capitalizes on his superior knowledge to outdo them. Through the magician Merlin, Hank is later discovered as a fake and people start to spread rumor about him. Using his wit he is able to outsmart Merlin again by calling fire from above. Hank uses his influence to bring about industrialization to that country and also set up schools. She becomes familiar with the territory he begins to understand the people and their way of life, which are still much in superstitions and myths, and even befriends a girl named Sandy. Hank outsmarts Merlin again in rebuilding a broken water fountain and thus retains power and respect. He convinces all present on his ability to summon the demons. Morgan has a way with the natives lives and together with the king he continues the hold of power. Sandy gives birth to a baby with Hank and upon the childs illness he is lured to leave the country thus leaving a gap in the countrys leadership. The King and Lancelot fight over Guinevere infidelity. The church provokes a revolt over Hank the people start a war. The story ends with the present day where Hank is found dreaming about his lover, Sandy, almost a millennium later. It is argued by some people that the book is an attack on Americans values which include materialism and technology. American sentimentalism about the past is also criticized (Twain Thompson). In conclusion myths, however good they might be still remain myths. In the modern society, we should be keen to understand the truths about life and work together towards a common goal. The real goal in our cultural diversity should be to see everybody gets food, clothing and shelter and that they can fit in every situation. Twain in his book looks in the effect myths have on our culture and day to day live. The mythic Arthur is associated with the past in contrast with Hank who symbolizes the present. The church is also brought into perspective and is seen as an evil and an enemy which conspires with political figures to oppress people. Slavery as another social menace should also be done away with. Slavery was embraced by many people in the past since they saw in it a way to get cheap labor and monetary gain. It becomes a cultural myth that Americans now should abolish. Magic is contrasted with reality in form of industrialization. People in the past relied on magic to achieve their needs but the book shows that such a myth can be done away with through use of technology. Industrialization should be a factor in civilization rather the magic of yesteryears. Many more achievements can be found by training people since human nature allows it. Training determines the behavior of a society unlike when people rely on myths. They are then able to differentiate between what is right and wrong (Umland Umland 25). Besides stereotyping being hurtful, it is wrong as well. Even though the stereotype can be correct in some occasions; relentlessly putting an individual down on the basis of predetermined perceptions cannot assist in motivating one to succeed. Stereotyping only gears people to lead lifestyles of hatred and in some situations stereotypes victims live in fear. It should be noted that all these myths have had a place in American society and some have tarnished its name. Americans should therefore move away from negative cultural myths, as discussed above, in order to continue as a nation. Above all, all other nations look towards America for guidance and support.

Growing Up With Greek Literature Essay -- Greece Mythology Essays

Growing Up With Greek Literature Say â€Å"Greek Tragedy† to an English major and you’re likely to elicit a groan, or even perhaps a screech of terror. For me however, Greek tragedy, as well as Greek mythology, has always fascinated me. When I was younger, the Greek God’s always captured my interest, and I could never get enough of them. As I grew older, I became interested in the more refined aspects that Greek literature had to offer. Sophocles and The Three Theban Plays in particular, left me awestruck. I quickly began to realize that many of the new and inventive books and movies I had seen, had actually been written in one form or another, generations ago. I suppose my interest was first piqued when my father brought home the movie Hercules in the early 80’s. As a young boy, I was entranced by the idea of a god-like man, with superhuman powers, doing remarkable things on earth. Of course, my knowledge of Greek gods and goddesses was limited, but watching Hercules fight mythical creatures and perform heroic acts was all it took to get my young mind interested. While other kids read comic books about Superman and Spiderman, I delved into the world of Greek mythology. I was entranced by the idea that people believed that god’s actually played a first hand role in people’s lives. Unlike superheroes in the comic books, which I knew from an early age didn’t really exist, these Greek god’s were an everyday way of life centuries ago. Although I didn’t think they were real, it fascinated me that others did. Thus began my journey into the Greek culture. Of course, as a kid, I was mainly interested in fantastic stories of god’s with superhuman powers who either helped mankind, or fought against them in some form or ano... ...mocracy, Pericles was a great leader who was eventually impeached. Oedipus life, while being much more tragic then Pericles, made sense to me finally. The democratic themes presented by the chorus began to take on new meaning, and I had an entirely new perspective on the plays. An awakened mind is wondrous thing. Although I was fascinated by Greek mythology and literature as a young kid, I never understood the complexity involved in them until entering college. Perhaps it was maturity, or a well rounded education that opened my eyes to the reality that Greek literature is designed not only to tell a story, but to open the hearts and minds of the reader. Like a fine wine, Greek literature only gets better with time. The next time someone mentions the subject, instead of groaning, ask what they thought of it, and you may just be step into a whole new reality. Growing Up With Greek Literature Essay -- Greece Mythology Essays Growing Up With Greek Literature Say â€Å"Greek Tragedy† to an English major and you’re likely to elicit a groan, or even perhaps a screech of terror. For me however, Greek tragedy, as well as Greek mythology, has always fascinated me. When I was younger, the Greek God’s always captured my interest, and I could never get enough of them. As I grew older, I became interested in the more refined aspects that Greek literature had to offer. Sophocles and The Three Theban Plays in particular, left me awestruck. I quickly began to realize that many of the new and inventive books and movies I had seen, had actually been written in one form or another, generations ago. I suppose my interest was first piqued when my father brought home the movie Hercules in the early 80’s. As a young boy, I was entranced by the idea of a god-like man, with superhuman powers, doing remarkable things on earth. Of course, my knowledge of Greek gods and goddesses was limited, but watching Hercules fight mythical creatures and perform heroic acts was all it took to get my young mind interested. While other kids read comic books about Superman and Spiderman, I delved into the world of Greek mythology. I was entranced by the idea that people believed that god’s actually played a first hand role in people’s lives. Unlike superheroes in the comic books, which I knew from an early age didn’t really exist, these Greek god’s were an everyday way of life centuries ago. Although I didn’t think they were real, it fascinated me that others did. Thus began my journey into the Greek culture. Of course, as a kid, I was mainly interested in fantastic stories of god’s with superhuman powers who either helped mankind, or fought against them in some form or ano... ...mocracy, Pericles was a great leader who was eventually impeached. Oedipus life, while being much more tragic then Pericles, made sense to me finally. The democratic themes presented by the chorus began to take on new meaning, and I had an entirely new perspective on the plays. An awakened mind is wondrous thing. Although I was fascinated by Greek mythology and literature as a young kid, I never understood the complexity involved in them until entering college. Perhaps it was maturity, or a well rounded education that opened my eyes to the reality that Greek literature is designed not only to tell a story, but to open the hearts and minds of the reader. Like a fine wine, Greek literature only gets better with time. The next time someone mentions the subject, instead of groaning, ask what they thought of it, and you may just be step into a whole new reality.

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The American Revolution is one of the most important eras in American history. It was the period that fashioned the American society and influenced the making of the constitution in readiness for the conceived independence. It refers broadly to the war fought by the 13 American states against his majesties army in a bid not only to reject the influence of the English parliament over American land but also to severe all forms of allegiance to Britain.There were many factors that led to the war yet it was clear that such recourse was inevitable due to the growing American society and the difference in ideologies between the leadership in American and that in Britain. One of the main issues that led to the war and consequent declaration of independence is the British imposition of higher taxes over the American Brits as passed by British parliament. Americans felt that since they did not have any representation within that parliament, then such a move was unconstitutional.The British ne eded to raise money and therefore decided that colonies must pay more as a cost of their upkeep by the British Empire. The American leadership tried to have those decisions lifted by appealing to the king since although hey did not recognize parliament authority over them, they still felt that they owed their allegiance to the king. However, the king did not intervene but instead called them rebellious and declared war on the.Another reason is the fact that the British Empire had made legislations restricting trade thus leading British traders to benefit more form trade than their American counter parts a move that was greatly resented. This in turn slowed growth in America and led to its leadership agreeing that a drastic measure was important to redress this situation. Another factor that led to the revolution was a shift in ideologies influenced by thinkers like Locke whose ideologies in liberalism led to the growth of a republican mood and a strong distaste to values that oppres sed some while benefiting others.Furthermore, most felt that Britain was corrupt and unfair which fuelled a need to break away in order to establish a state that recognized certain rights of the people to decide the direction their country took. These and many more factors, including the Boston massacre led congress to declare America’s independence from British rule and thereby starting the American revolutionary wars. The war was won by the Americans with the help from the French armies and navy and later more help from Spain and the Netherlands (Cohen, 2004).Andrew Jackson’s popular brand of politics was a distinct break from the previous administrations. Why was it different? What was his legacy for both good and bad? Support your answer with specific examples. Andrew Jackson was the 7th president of the United States of America and the last to have been a captive of war. He has a rich history which together combined to make him one of the most important men in the American history. He was known for being a tough man both as an administrator and as an army commander.He was born third born of a family of Irish immigrants and was born in South Carolina. His birth of an immigrant family is simply another testament to the great opportunity that America is since it offers people, from all background the chance to realize their dreams; no matter how ambitious they might be. Jackson’s military carrier started when he was fourteen when he joined the army as a courier which saw him captured by the British and consequently lost his brother as a result of that imprisonment.He later went on to distinguish himself as a military commander rising to the rank of major general due to his heroic act in the Battle of New Orleans defending the country against British attack. It is clear from observing Jackson’s history that he was a very determined man and his endeavors earned him popularity among the people. In the 1824 elections he lost to Adams although he had won the popular vote but congress chose the former since the Electoral College could not decide on one man to lead the nation.This election might have called in question the prudence of an electoral system of elections that runs against the feelings and decisions of the majority and that installs a leader voted for by the minority. Such a move might be seen to be contrary to the fundamental pillars of democracy that America so holds dear and might even run contrary to the provisions of the constitution that guarantees certain rights to individuals. This is because the decisions of the majority should reflect the greater good and to have such a decisions quashed by a small group of citizens is simply not right.Traditional democrats including Jefferson differed greatly with jack son on several fronts. They opposed increased federal strength fearing that it might lead to a centralization of power by the federal government. They also opposed plans for the formation of a central bank to offer regulations to all other banks and in doing so preferred that states retain most powers over their affairs. They also opposed plans to have a large national army and navy. They also favored low tariffs probably one of the areas that Jackson concurred with an opinion greatly opposed by the federalists.Jackson found the Democratic party after he broke off from the one led by Adams after he lost the election to Adam. Unlike his former allies, he favored a strong army probably because he had a good military carrier. However, his controversial life was because of his support for slavery and the Indian removal which is a contradictory to the bills of right and the American constitution. It is curious to note that as president he would be expected to defend the constitution yet he had shown his oppositions against such fundamental issues raised by the very constitution he would be expected to uphold.Nonetheless, the splinter Democratic Party he helped to make would co me to dominate American politics for many decades to follow a trend that continues even to today (Ward, 1962). During the first half of the 19th century, America became increasingly industrialized. It is important to understand what the industrial revolution was in order to relate it to how it affected the American society in the early 19th century. The industrial revolution first started in Britain in the 18-20th century and there were great changes in the area of agriculture, transport, industry and manufacturing and in the transport sector.These changes were experienced in other parts of the world including America and they changed society completely. The initial stages of the revolution saw an end to manual and animal labor and an adoption of machines in farming and in other sectors. The pioneering industries included textile, transport and the mining and development of metal including iron. The industrial revolution in America set the country on a course to become the greatest economic power in the face of the planet with wealth and industries unmatched by none.There are many factors attributed to America’s rapid industrialization among them being presence of capital, vast resources that could be used in industries and the presence of fast and reliable transport system to aid in trade. Before the 18th century American relied on primitive agricultural methods for it’s agricultural out put. However, the revolution changed all this and great technological advancement led to better and innovative methods to farm lands and more advance machines to be used in the production of various outputs.This led to the growth of other sectors, creation of employment and an increase in the per capita income of the people fuelling growth in all sectors. There are many factors that are credited with accelerating the pace of industrialization in American during this period. Firstly, there was not adequate labor to work in the utilizations of the vast resources f ound in American pushing efforts to create machinery that would make work effective and easier. Secondly, America was endowed with many rivers that could be used to transport products and also as sites for building mills and many other industries.Other inventions that accelerated industrialization included the steam engine that made transportation faster and the cotton gin that brought huge profits to plantation owners. Another factor that helped greatly to increase trade in this period was the building of roads and canals to improve transport within the country especially to those states that were landlocked. The invention of the steam engine was used to manufacture steam boats that revolutionized travel.Furthermore, steam engines were used on trains which saw the building of a rail way line that connected various parts of the country easing movement of people and goods. The invention of thee telephone and telegraph would also prove to be a major factor contributing greatly to the development of service sectors like banks. Lastly the presence of oil in the country was a contributing factor since oil provided useful products in the homes for lighting and in industries for lubricating machines. It would later become even more useful with the invention of the combustion engine.The industrial revolution not only saw many Americans acquire land but also improved the way they farmed increasing their output greatly. This is because they stopped relying on manual labor and used machinery that helped them keep the soil fertile while reducing the cost of production. Industries provided jobs for people and led to growth of urban centers whereby companies were based and suburbs were people lived. The great technological developments continued in many sectors including arms which saw an improvement in the status of the army (Hudson, 1992).The causes of the Civil War are many and complex There are many causes of the American civil war but three reasons stand out as the maj or causes. The American civil war was fought during the period 1861-1865 and was caused by the secession of the southern Sates for the union. It pitted Jefferson Davies commanding the confederate forces against the union forces under the guidance of the president Lincoln. The first reason is the issue of slavery since many differed on the issue depending on which part of the country one came from.Most northerners were against slavery since they claimed that it went against the constitution that identified that all men are born equal and all had certain rights guaranteed them by the constitution. They therefore could not understand how people calling themselves Americans and subject to the same constitution could own other people and thereby contradict the constitution in such a blatant manner. In this regard they were agitating for an end to slavery a motion that was not well received in the south.The southern economy was dependent on agriculture and Southerners felt that they neede d slaves to work on their large plantations. The election of Abraham Lincoln as president was the last straw for the southerners since they saw it as a clear move of bad things to come since Lincoln was one of the staunch supporters of the motion to abolish slavery. Lincoln and congress however tried to avert the problem by not formulating immediately a law ending slavery but instead drafted one stopping the spread of it.Southerners felt that if the growth of slavery was stopped hen slavery would die slowly and the effect would still be the same. Furthermore, Northerners gave States powers to hold referendum whereby citizens chose whether those states should keep slaves or not. Another factor that caused the civil war is the economic differences between the South and the north and the various legislations passed by Northern legislators to benefit them in the expense of Southerners. The North depended more on industries and service industry while the South depended largely on agricul ture especially in cotton.This largely meant that need for labor in the form of slaves was increasing and this in turn polarized the two sides of the country against each other. Furthermore, most merchant ships form the south exported cotton and returned with finished products from Europe. Most of those products were similar to those made I the northern part and hence northerners felt that they should purchase from them and not import them . This led to the formulation of higher taxes on imports in order to force them to purchase them from their northern counterparts and this angered them since these products were more expensive.Another important factor that led to the civil war was the debate of whether to have a strong federal government since most in the south favored strong states with a weak federal government. They felt that they should have the power to make their own regulations and have the authority to veto federal laws that they felt were not good for their states. They a lso felt that they should have the right to secede from the union and form independent countries if their populace felt so.However, the president and the north saw this as rebellion and could therefore not grant them such a request (Catton & McPherson, 2004). These reasons led to the Confederate states launch a secession war against the north for the right to self governance. As the war progressed Lincoln freed all the slaves held by the South a move aimed at strengthening support for the union and stopping Britain from intervening in the war. The end of the war saw a great period of reconstruction that saw great involvement by federal and state governments.With the end of the war came an end to slavery and an upholding of the constitutional provision that â€Å"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. † We ho ld these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of HappinessThe issue of human freedom has been an important subject from time immemorial and hence the presence of the phrase â€Å"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal† in the American constitution. There are several factors that led American leaders among them Thomas Jefferson to include this provision in the declaration for independence since their efforts to win America’s independence from Britain was motivated by a need for governance that respects the rights of the people.There are several factors that led America to fight for its independence but most of the included a need to stop British parliament from imposing its legislative authority over the American people. Most importantly was the act by British parliament to pass a law increasing tax over the American Britons a move that many felt was a violation of their sovereign rights since many felt that America owed its allegiance to he king but was not subject to legislations by the British parliament.Furthermore American leaders during the time preceding the declaration of independence felt that all people have certain natural rights which cannot be taken from them. These rights guarantee people certain rights conferred upon them which cannot be surrendered to the state and which allows men to decide their lives. Natural rights were argued from many schools of thought with religion playing a major part in leading to believe and adoption of the same in the constitution. Furthermore, natural rights could b traced to Britain whereby they were used to challenge the divine powers of kings and therefore remove kings who ruled unjustly.Therefore, the acts of Britain to dictate various laws upon the American public and levy taxes on them were considered to be breach of such rights since natural rights prohibited a party to gain while causing pain, harm or misery to the other. In this regard, the American constitution after independence went ahead to grant American citizens certain rights that could not be surrendered to the state and clarified that any law made in contradiction to these provisions would be void. This philosophy continued to grow and influence American society in years to come and this was evidence with the thirteenth amendment that abolished slavery.The issue of slavery was always a very controversial issue all over the world with many questioning the morality of some forcing others to work for them and be subject to their control. The Amendment was preceded by the emancipation proclamation by Abraham Lincoln during the civil war and was aimed at ruining the economy of those states which were trying to leave the union. As expected, the move won the Lincoln administration support from foreign nation especially the United Kingdom and dim inishing the rebellious state’s chance of recognition.However, the proclamation only freed slaves from Southern sates and it became necessary to enact a law ending slavery in the whole country. In this regard, it became illegal for any person to force any person to involuntary servitude guaranteeing the rights of all citizens to liberty. However, the end of slavery was not the end of problems related to minor groups who were mainly blacks in the American society. They were treated as second rate citizens and they did not have most of the rights enjoyed by the white majority.Though they were no longer slaves they were forced to work under deplorable conditions for their white employers and the same time receive meager earnings as the price of their labor. They were not allowed to vote since they were considered minority citizens and most were even subjected to violence and were not given access to justice to redress these violations of the rights. The American constitution gua rantees that all men are born equal and therefore guaranteed rights that cannot be denied them and this led minority groups to fight against such breach of constitutional guarantees.The situation escalated in the 20th century when segregation became widespread with black citizens not allowed to use white citizen’s facilities. These meant that minority groups were discriminated upon in employment, were not allowed in various establishments, and had separate schools with their white counterparts. This pushed these minority groups deep into poverty, a condition that will continue to be a big factor to the living stands of black people later on in the future.However, the 1900’s were an era of great civil movements that saw the granting of voting rights to all minority groups including women. The subsequent amendment to the constitution wanted to clarify that since the constitution clearly spelt that all people have certain unalienable rights, then any discrimination based on gender or race was contrary to the provisions of the constitution. Therefore, various governments continue to ensure that laws made do not infringe on the laws of individuals with the court reviewing laws and removing those that violate citizen’s rights.On the international arena, the adoption of the bill of rights have helped lead to more rights and freedoms for people all over the world (Vorenburg, 2001). References Catton, B. & McPherson, J. (2004). The Civil War. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. Cohen, S. (2004). British supporters of the American revolution, 1775-1783. Boydell press. Hudson, P. (1992). The Industrial Revolution. Oxford Publisher. Ward, J. (1962). Andrew Jackson. New York: Oxford Publishers. Vorenberg, M. (2001). Final freedom. New york: Cambridge university press.

Role of Middle Management and Motivation

Role of Middle Management and Motivation Free Online Research Papers ROLE OF MIDDLE MANAGEMENT (a) WHAT IS MANAGEMENT? Management is a process or function that co-ordinates the activities and operations within an organisation, with the aim of producing a saleable product safely and at a more cost effective rate than similar organisations targeting the same market. WHY IS MANAGEMENT IMPORTANT? The main aim of an organisation is to produce a saleable product with the aim of making a profit. To achieve this objective it is imperative that the activities or operations necessary to produce the required product in terms of safety, quality and cost are conducted in a controlled and goal orientated manner. Hence, management is the critical factor in an organisation that optimises the utilisation of men, machines, money, materials and minutes to ultimately maximise profit. Effective management in a successful organisation will result in the communities within which they operate to prosper, as it will be a vehicle for job creation should the company expand and a general uplifting of the standard of living. (b) FIVE ESSENTIAL CHARACTERISTICS THAT MANAGEMENT LOOKS FOR IN SELECTING A SUPERVISOR, EXPLAINING WHY THEY ARE SO IMPORTANT. Qualifications – Formal and Informal In the new South Africa and the introduction of the National Qualifications Framework, the experience and tested expertise of a person will be taken into account, should he possess no formal qualification. To this end, depending on the nature of the work to be done, the level of formal/informal qualifications required may vary considerably. However, it is essential that the right man is selected for the job, thus a proven minimum requirement of his technical knowledge of the field would be critical in the eyes of management. Basic management skills and principles Management place a high premium on the prospective supervisors ability to the planning and organising of the work, leading and controlling a team performing the work and evaluating the performance of that work relative to specific objectives. This characteristic is important as the potential supervisor displays his cognisance of the overall objectives of the organisation and acknowledges his input in the overall success thereof. Interpersonal skills Management in most industries have come to realise that their most important asset is in fact the people constituting an organisation. When selecting a supervisor, management focuses heavily on the individuals’ ability to relate and communicate effectively with both sub-ordinates and management alike, as this is the level at which most interactions between the general workforce and management occurs. Safety record Identifying with the fact that people are the organisations most important asset and that the mining industry is stringently regulated, management deem a supervisors ability to achieve the required objectives safely of paramount importance. Management also realises that poor safety performance in any team of the organisation is a demotivating factor that could detrimentally affect the performance of the organisation as a whole. Problem solving abilities For the organisation to operate effectively, management requires supervisors to operate independently by solving problems in their area of responsibility, timeously and correctly. (c) FIVE JOB RESPONSIBILITIES OF SUPERVISORS AND THE RELEVANCE TO MY WORK RESPONSIBILITIES. Planning and organising the job Ensure the daily production statistics from the three production units are captured correctly by the data-capturing clerk. Project the production performance to month end. Meet with the technical manager and production overseers daily to discuss the operation and the performance relative to the targets of the month. Monthly perform the physical planning of the operation for three months and present to the organisation’s management team. Achieving results through motivation Maintain a high level of motivation in the section is relevant to my line of work in that the operation I am employed at has only three years before closure and future job security creates uncertainty in workers. In addition, the organisation is one of six similar organisations under a single parent organisation and delivers the same outputs as them, yet they have a minimum of five people performing the same work as my section, where only two people are employed. Furthermore, the gradual downsizing of the operation due to closure in three years allows little in the form of opportunities for promotion in the foreseeable future. Thus, motivating the workers in the section is an ongoing issue to promote on a daily basis. Review previous planning On a monthly basis it is required to survey the actual production effort in the field and compare these results with the expected results of the previous planning meeting. This review meeting is held with management so that problems with regards geological models, machine efficiencies and previous planning can be identified and a workable alternative to the plan is found, so that the organisations goal can still be achieved or surpassed. Safety communication Meetings are conducted daily, before work commences, to communicate incidents or accidents and the primary causes, which had occurred in other areas of the organisation, or entire mining industry. These meetings ensure that effective controls can be put in place to prevent such injury in my section, if such control does not already exist. Training of sub-ordinates To remain abreast of technology and to ensure the best technology is employed in my work situation requires constant on-the-job training of my sub-ordinates. This training intervention allows me to identify inefficiencies in the section and invites worker participation in perfecting the system. (d) ANALYSIS OF A NORMAL DAYS WORK Technical / Operational skills – (45% of day) ? Safety meeting and daily task distribution 0.5 hours. ? Analysis of previous days production performance before production meeting – 1 hour. ? Production meeting with mine overseers and Technical Manager – 1 hour. ? Field visit – 1 hour ? Make alterations to plan based on above outcomes – 1 hour. Management skills – (55% of day) ? Attend operations meeting with Technical manager – 1 hour. ? Resolve issues raised by individuals in section – 2 hours. ? Review / analyse section cost reports – 0.5 hours. ? Strategic mine planning session 2 hours. This is the most effective situation under current conditions. This statement is substantiated by the fact that my section has produced sustained above average results over a prolonged period and by and large each member knows what is expected of him. This allows myself the chance to apply my skills, in conjunction with senior management, to exploit other potential opportunities of strategic value, which may prevent closure within the next three years. (e) THE RESOURCES I MANAGE AND HOW MANAGEMENT MEASURES MY PERFORMANCE. ? I have the direct control over two individuals and the accuracy of their efforts is audited on a daily basis by management. The daily statistics are distributed to ten management level employees who are acutely aware of their unit’s performance and relate inaccuracies on reports without hesitation, on a daily basis. ? The performance in the production field is compared on a monthly basis with tabled plans and forecasts I present (i.e. does the actual linear advance of particular machines correlate with planning at the previous planning meeting). ? I am furthermore measured on a monthly basis as to whether my section has operated within the financial budget constraints as determined at the start of the financial year. ? The safety performance of my section is measured against objectives set for the section at the start of the financial year. PART 2 MOTIVATION (a) IDENTIFY A MEMBER OF MY TEAM WHO IS UNMOTIVATED AND WHO IS DETRIMENTALLY AFFECTING THE PERFORMANCE OF THE TEAM. The individual whom I identified for this exercise will remain anonymous. (b) ‘SIGNS’ I USED TO INTERPRET THAT THE INDIVIDUAL IS UNMOTIVATED. He was always an outspoken and cheerful person, who had become sullen and prone to mood swings. He had become progressively more withdrawn, displaying a ‘don’t care’ attitude. Of late he had begun to make excuses to have time off from work or to leave work early. He did only what was expected of him, whereas he was an individual who would search for additional work in the past. Without any additional work responsibilities, it began to appear as if he could no longer get the work done in time. The normal impeccable presentation of his work had deteriorated. He elicited suggestions that he should possibly seek alternative employment. (c) DEVELOPING A PROGRAM TO ADDRESS THE PROBLEM. How I determined what the problem was. When the employee started withdrawing and became exceedingly moody, I approached him directly, bearing in mind that we had always prided our section as having open channels of communication. The employee receded into a state of anger and did not invite further dialogue towards resolving the problem, which he perceived to be a figment of my imagination. He further commented that if I was unable to find fault with his work, that I should leave him alone. I subsequently enquired as to why his work was not of the normal high standard and that the work all appeared to be rushed. The employee asked if his efforts were not good enough, if he does not mean anything to the organisation and what future was there for him in the organisation. This is how I determined the root cause of the employee’s lack of motivation. What instrument(s) / actions I used to determine this. I used situational leadership as a management tool to resolve the issue. I made use of the Developmental Task Analysis 11 to determine which specific style would be required to effectively manage the efforts of this employee. By identifying the employee’s high development level and obvious future aspirations, I realised that I would have to adopt a highly supportive management style to resolve the issue effectively. What instrument I used to determine what motivates this individual. I relied on effective interpersonal communication skills as an instrument to ascertain what motivates this employee. Management interventions I determined to address the problem and why. ? Providing opportunities to make presentations As an immediate intervention to prove to the employee that his contribution is valued and that the due recognition and criticisms becomes him, I made him responsible for presenting the planning schedules and review comparisons to the management team on a monthly basis. The presentations are however scrutinised in the section by all relevant role players. ? Job enrichment This intervention was added to his existing tasks to enhance the employee’s understanding of long term strategic planning and the implications poor planning could have over an extended period. ? Special assignments The organisation’s aspiration to become a benchmark company in the mining industry world-wide has caused a host of specific operations to be closely monitored. On an annual basis certain information / data collected over the period of a year is required to be submitted for comparison with other benchmark companies statistics. This task involves a serious learning curve, which is bound to broaden the individual’s technical knowledge. ? Job rotation I instituted a program whereby employees in the technical department relieve mine overseers in the field when they are on leave. The aim of this intervention was to afford both parties the exposure in different environments and hence develop a mutual respect for each other’s work and abilities. ? Career path development A career development path was designed with the employee by utilising the services of professional consultants. The advantage of a professional external opinion is that the results depicted are free of bias and highlight the potential ability and also the weaknesses of the employee. ? Understudy training The intervention of understudy training was a direct development undertaken from job rotation except the aim was to hone the skills of the problematic employee in his current field of expertise. What interventions were successful and why. ? Providing opportunities to make presentations This has been highly successful in that this intervention provided management with an additional control that ensures the organisation gets the planning right the first time. ? Job enrichment The effects of this intervention were dramatically successful in that the total methodology of operation has been changed, not with the purpose of extending the life of the organisation but operating at a lower cost in the last few years before closure. Interventions with limited success. ? Job rotation This intervention was successful from the point of the technical employee (the employee whose problem we were resolving) as he was able to quickly adapt to the production operation. The production mine overseer however did not possess the level of computer literacy to perform the most basic of planning functions. This practice was subsequently aborted and alternatives for this method of training are currently under investigation. ? Career path development The career development path that was formulated was in itself a success, but the employee was still not convinced of his possible advancement in the organisation since, according to his perception, less accomplished members of his peers in other mining houses were far ahead of him in the promotional route. ? Special assignments This intervention has been relatively unsuccessful in that no feedback has been given to the organisation or individual and the exercise does not cater for physical differences in the methodology and operation at different mines. The employee has felt that this exercise was time consuming with no real benefit to the organisation as such. Research Papers on Role of Middle Management and MotivationThe Project Managment Office SystemBionic Assembly System: A New Concept of SelfIncorporating Risk and Uncertainty Factor in CapitalResearch Process Part OneDefinition of Export QuotasOpen Architechture a white paperMarketing of Lifeboy Soap A Unilever ProductAnalysis of Ebay Expanding into AsiaPETSTEL analysis of IndiaInfluences of Socio-Economic Status of Married Males

Critical Lens Essay on Rime of the Ancient Mariner Essay Essays

Critical Lens Essay on Rime of the Ancient Mariner Essay Essays Critical Lens Essay on Rime of the Ancient Mariner Essay Paper Critical Lens Essay on Rime of the Ancient Mariner Essay Paper Essay Topic: The Rime of the Ancient Mariner The Romantic period. which lasted from 1780 to 1837. was a clip of invention and imaginativeness. particularly in the field of literature ( hearts-ease. org ) . Not merely was literature changing. but so was the whole universe. There was a strong sense of patriotism. self-expression. inquiries were asked. and people were more concerned with beauty than logic. â€Å"The Lyrical Ballads† was the first romantic piece published. and paved the manner for the Romantic Movement which left a permanent impact on literature. civilization. and manner of life. After the joint attempt of William Wordsworth and Samuel Coleridge in the creative activity of â€Å"The Lyrical Ballads. † Samuel Taylor Coleridge wrote â€Å"Rime of the Ancient Mariner† in the 1790s. Coleridge used his imaginativeness to make superb imagination. supernatural existences. composing that was abstract instead than realistic. and subjects of nature. All of these elements combined to make the most celebra ted verse form during the Romantic Time period. Frost of the Ancient Mariner† is a originative verse form due to it’s glorious usage of imagination. Imagery helps to do Coleridge’s poem romantic because it is a powerful tool that articulates a message in originative and descriptive item. Imagery is frequently referred to as â€Å"the esthesiss that linguistic communication creates in the mind† . Harmonizing to dictionary. com. imagination is the usage of vivid or nonliteral linguistic communication to stand for objects. actions. or thoughts. One illustration of a quotation mark from â€Å"Rime of the Ancient Mariner† that has imagination is the following. â€Å"The death-fires danced at dark ; the H2O. like a witch’s oils. burnt green. and bluish and white. † ( 5 of 20 ) . This is imagery because the reader can visualise the death-fires. and grok what Coleridge was seeking to demo the reader. This is really inventive. and would non happen in existent life. Because of imagination. Col eridge was able to make a really romantic temper. which helped beef up his verse form. Another manner that Coleridge’s verse form is romantic is through intense item and linguistic communication that makes the supernatural appear to be existent. and combines it with the known universe. All who read it inquiry if these supernatural existences truly do be. One illustration of how Coleridge uses the supernatural component is in the undermentioned citation. â€Å"Is that a DEATH? and are at that place two? Is DEATH that woman’s mate? Her lips were ruddy. her expressions were free. Her locks were xanthous as gold: Her tegument was every bit white as Hansens disease. the Night-mare LIFE-N-DEATH was she. Who thicks man’s blood with cold. † ( 7 of 20 ) . This quote uses superb inside informations and descriptive linguistic communication that makes DEATH and LIFE-N-DEATH appear to be existent. Coleridge uses his extraordinary imaginativeness to make two supernatural existences that appear existent and terrorization. Because the Romantic period had mu ch more artistic freedom than the periods before it. Coleridge was able to utilize supernatural existences as a major subject in his verse form. Last. â€Å"Rime of the Ancient Mariner† is romantic because it is abstract and uses the subject of nature to demo that people must love all living things. Coleridge created this abstract atmosphere by utilizing literary elements such as subject and symbol. One illustration of Coleridge’s usage of symbolism is in the undermentioned quotation mark from the verse form. â€Å"At length did traverse an Albatross. Through the fog it came ; As if it had been a Christian psyche. We hailed it in God’s name. † ( 3 of 20 ) . Symbolism is. harmonizing to dictionary. com. the pattern of stand foring things by agencies of symbols or of imputing symbolic significances or significance to objects. events. or relationships. The usage of symbolism in the above subdivision is apparent when Coleridge compares the Albatross to a Christian psyche. such as Jesus. The Albatross therefore symbolizes a holy figure. such as Simon in Lord of the Flies. The linguistic communication in which Coleridge describes the Albatross is besides really abstract. Rather than the ordinary manner of stating â€Å"then came an Albatross. † Coleridge uses his sense of passion. and non ground to compose this verse form. He says â€Å"through the fog it came ; As if it had been a Christian psyche. † Coleridge besides uses the literary component of subject by utilizing nature to demo that all existences should demo â€Å"love and fear to all things that God made and loveth. † ( 20 of 20 ) . This subject is addressed when Coleridge says. â€Å"O happy life things! no lingua Their beauty might declare: A spring of love gushed from my bosom. And I blessed them unaware: Certain my sort saint took commiseration on me. And I blessed them unaware. † ( 10 of 20 ) . This citation takes topographic point when the Mariner sees H2O serpents and blesses them. This is when the enchantment on the Mariner begins to interrupt. because he has begun to appreciate nature. alternatively of destructing living things. In â€Å"Rime of the Ancient Mariner. † Coleridge’s usage of linguistic communication is really original and imaginative. The reader can understand precisely what the Albatross represents. and how the Mariner felt about the serpents. Besides. the Mariner’s emotions flooded the text. which made â€Å"Rime of the Ancient Mariner† a fantastic piece of poesy. By holding an abstract sentiment. â€Å"Rime of the Ancient Mariner† was able to carry through its end in going a romantic piece. In decision. â€Å"Rime of the Ancient Mariner† is a romantic verse form because passion. non ground. ruled. and imaginativeness was more of import than logic. Coleridge was able to utilize his imaginativeness to bring forth eye-popping sentences filled with imagination. supernatural existences. and all of which included authorship that was elusive as a replacing for the logical and mathematical diction. Due to the usage of imagination. Coleridge expressed a message in originative and graphic item. By utilizing nature. Coleridge was able to learn the reader of the major subject in the narrative. to love all living things. Because of his imaginativeness. Coleridge created an abstract narrative that people have come to esteem for 100s of old ages. Because of that. Coleridge became known as the male parent of the romantic period. and one of the greatest poets of that clip period.

The Foundation of French Literacy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Foundation of French Literacy - Essay Example It relates to historical incidents of battle of August 15, 778 in which the rear-guard of Charlemagne’s retreating Frank forces is attacked by Basques. A large number of top knights and Duke Roland of the Brittany Marches were killed in the massacre. Ganelon was the master architect of this great act of betrayal. When he was picked by Roland for the peace mission, his relatives and other knights expressed their sympathy as they firmly believed that his life would not be safe. Ganelon accepted the task, certain that he would die. He threatened Roland, "If God should deign that I come back again then I shall stir up such a feud with you that it will last as long as you're alive!" (Anonymous, 1957, 20, pp. 289-291). Emperor Charlemagne was firm about sending Ganelon and said his command must be followed implicitly. Ganelon had no other option, but to comply with the order. In the fight against Muslims in Spain Charlemagne made great strides and Saragossa was the only surviving ci ty ruled by the Muslim King Marsile. Knowing the might of the army of Charlemagne, he dispatched messengers to Charlemagne promising his conversion to Christianity and submission of treasure. In return, he urged him to go back to France. Charlemagne too wished to buy peace as he and his men were tired of the long war. The issue was about selection of a messenger who would represent the King at Marsile’s court. The choice fell on Ganelon, stepfather of Roland. Ganelon, however, viewed this selection with suspicion and feared that he was being sent deliberately to die in the hands of the cruel pagans. He had always hated his stepson and he thought that he had an opportunity to settle scores with Roland. Joining the Saracen peace ambassadors, Ganelon talked at length with Blancandrin as they rode together back to Saragossa. He spat venom against Roland and blamed him for inciting the Franks for the war that was fought without intermission. â€Å"If someone killed him," said Gan elon, "we might all have peace" (Anonymous, 1957, 29, pp. 391). Blancandrin was greatly excited about this observation and both of them pledged to each other and decided to design a plot to get rid of him. Roland was brave but failed to gauge the consequences of his actions and due to this weakness, treacherous Ganelon succeeded in outwitting his knightly companions and his army. Roland’s flaw was his superlative confidence and pride, and he was unwilling to reacquire aid for him and for his army at the time of war, when the situation demanded it. Viewed from this angle he was a poor tactician. Ganelon departed with his retinue. While travelling to Saragossa, he got enough time to talk with his accomplices about the intended plot to kill Roland. Both of them reached to the outdoor assembly of Marsile, who was seated in surroundings that displayed his grandeur. As planned, the meeting began with a stormy start as Ganelon told Marsile that if he failed to accept the terms and c onditions set forth by Charles, he would be doomed to meet his death after the capture. Marsile reacted violently and moved to attack Ganelon, but controlled himself well in time. Ganelon stuck to his assertion and was able to impress the Saracens with his candid disposition. Marsile read Charlemagne’s letter aloud for the benefit of those present in the court, in which he mentioned Basan and Basile, the executed Frankish representatives, and, if interested in saving his life, he must depute his uncle the caliph as the hostage. He warned him about the impending death if he failed to comply and he might have to die "in squalor and disgrace." (Anonymous, 1957, 33, pp. 437) Ganelon told them about the danger posed by Roland and to the question when the war would end he categorically stated