Disabled Monologue

Disabled Monologue Setting: [Fruit Man walks to the center of the stage] Fruit Man:I remember the day he left and the day he returned. Crowds cheered him off but only a few welcomed him home. The fact was that nobody had cared enough to go out of their way to see the negative aspects of the war they once had encouraged. I saw them return, one by one, leaving the ships, almost all of them broken in a way, physically or mentally. They deserved thanks, so I gave them fruits, an action that would mean little when they left, but means the world to them now.This soldier, I was there as he went and came, and I have seen everything. Today, unlike a year ago, no big welcome home for them. They were not welcomed home as they had expected they would be. Thousands came to send them off and cheer them on. Soldiers happily marching down the streets, waving to cheering crowds, accepting flowers from pretty girls. Some cheeky soldiers may even steal a kiss here and there. It was so joyous, proud and honourable. Everything was rosy and good. Everyone thought it would be a short war and a happy one and of course we will win.No one gave a thought about anyone getting hurt or killed. He had once been so young and virile. Now he is crippled, unattractive. He had been foolish when he was young; the media persuaded him that the war was glorious, fun and glamorous. It was cool wearing an army uniform and carrying a rifle. It was exciting, an adventure and maybe returning a hero with a medal. AAH, the pretty girls and the kisses, the good things to come. The young soldier isn’t thinking about getting hurt or killed. Then, the reality! It is wrong that society does not appreciate the hardships and sacrifices that were made on their behalf.Almost none of the soldiers’ work was grand, glorious or fun. Their work was necessary. Most of this work goes against what we cherish in our society. We were taught that ‘life is valuable’ and ‘violence is bad’. This war, a war nobody wants. He was such a handsome man, a ladies man before he joined the army. Now, broken, haggard and older than his real age. No women will look twice at him. They much prefer healthy ones. Heroes are strong and big. Heroes do not get injured. Girls do not want to be with cripples. How he must hate this.He used to get so much attention from the girls. What a hopeless life. He does not want pity or disgust. He wants admiration and love. Memories can be so cruel. It is quite depressing to see that he will be sent to an army hospital. I am sure experiments after experiments will be done trying to fix him until they decide that they are nothing they can do for him. He will be discharged and live alone on government handouts. What a terrible life lies ahead. He will be alone, helpless and he will never experience the love of a woman or have a family. The poor man, how much he has LOST.

For the Triumph of Time

Explore how the poet makes vivid his feelings of loss in the poem. A. C Swinburne intelligently directs the readers of his poem towards his own thoughts by naming his piece ‘From The Triumph of Time’. The poet effectively creates a contrast within two ideas; Time itself triumphing by taking away a loved one, or Swinburne’s own triumph of being capable of healing his grief and wounds throughout the passing of time. Making unrequited love and the separation of two souls perfect for each other two very important themes in the poem.Swinburne uses the ottava rima to structure his poem, following the pattern of ‘abab’, but this structure is misplaced in the first stanza following a pattern of ‘ababccab’. We can see how the poet has thoughtfully arranged his ideas in this structure to honour her soul mate. Even though he is trying to arrange his ideas, we sense that he has a lack of clarity since he has failed to structure it perfectly, effectiv ely portraying his feeling of desesperation and grief since he is not able to think clearly.Swinburne decided to give his poem a type of rhyme which made it have a slow rhythm, creating a very sorrowful tone, setting it at the very start of the poem. A. C Swinburne was seen as very religious important figure, but his feelings of faith are not foreshadowed in the poem, creating a very big contradiction, since he does not see his faith as any type of help when going through the loss of the woman she loved. Before our lives divide for ever’, at the very start of the first stanza the poet strictly states that they will never be together again, even though his religion believes that he will be able to encounter her in heaven once dead: Swinburne does not see this as an option, he believes that once they have been separated their ‘lives divide for ever’ contradicting the idea of eternal serenity in heaven with her loved one.By stating that ‘time is with us and ha nds are free’ the poet creates an image of his hands being tied, not being able of doing anything creating a feeling of impotence as he cannot reach out to join her soul mate. Swinburne tries to explain the different stages of their relationship throughout the use of imagery and metaphor in the second stanza, making the readers position in the poets situation, therefore being much easier to comprehend his thought and pain. Time shall not sever us wholly in twain’, portraying time as a brutal weapon, the poet sees time as being a ‘shower’ that will not be able to abolish their eternal love. But we can also perceive the metaphor of their relationship portrayed as a ‘harvest’, and how their problems have been piling up, and not even a dreadful ‘shower’ can be able to wash the bad experiences away, meaning that even though the outside of their love has been cleansed by the rain, it is still tarnished in the inside, but only them two k now.

Immigration Asylum Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Immigration Asylum - Case Study Example "A requirement of promptness and reasonable expedition is implicit in all cases but where the possibility of removing the individual from the harmful situation is available, the investigation must be undertaken as a matter of urgency. The victim or the next-of-kin must be involvedto safeguard their legitimate interests" ("Human Trafficking Under the ECHR," 2010, p. 1). Being forced into prostitution is unacceptable according to the ECHR. One of the articles of the ECHR states that, "No one shall be held in slavery or servitude" ("European Convention on Human Rights," 2010, p. 1). With regard to the amount of people being granted asylum, "the number of people from outside the EU who were allowed to join spouses or other close family members fell from 10,950 in 2001 to 3,835 last year. Only 1,607 people were granted asylum in 2004 - down from 6,263 three years earlier" (Conradi, 2010, p. 1). Unfortunately, what the Home Office does not realize and take into consideration is that if they make the wrong move, and send Margarita back to Ecuador, this mafia gang will no doubt kill her. This is a life or death situation. She already received a death threat, and honestly it is not understood how they could not take that into account. Additionally, since this is a mafia gang and not just any gang, a mafia gang operates differently than a normal gang. Mafioso gangs are not only more likely to, but they will track Margarita down once she enters Ecuador again in order to force her into prostitution again. This is a bare fact. Once the Home Office realizes that they are not just dealing with some home-grown street gang, they would do good to accept Margarita's plea of asylum. As previously mentioned before, the difference between a home-grown street gang and a mafia gang is that the mafia will kill you. In other words, wherever Margarita went were she to return to Ecuador, her life would continually be in danger. This would be no way to live. She would have to go from house to house searching for a new place to live everyday. The mafia would track her down like a dog and they would find her. Then, they would kill her. How is this a known fact Speaking from the experience of having studied Latin American history, when a Latin American mafia gang-very much like the terrorist group The Shining Path Guerillas in Peru (El Sendero Luminoso)-decides to kill you, basically your life is over. These types of guerilla-slash-terrorist operations are very efficient. Basically, if they want you dead, they are not going to waste time trying to find you so that they can kill you. Several people are living in exile due to the fact that they cannot live in their own countries because of these horrible people who would stop at nothing to see them dead. These mafia gangs are most dangerous because, anywhere you try to go in in-country, they will try to find you and kill you. What is most dangerous about gangs like these is that they will stop at nothing to make sure the targeted person is dead. This means that if Margarita goes back to Ecuador, the Home Office would basically be

Project, operations and supply chain management Essay - 1

Project, operations and supply chain management - Essay Example In this respect, projects adopting the traditional approach are designed in a way that the exact results expected from the project are defined with precision. As such, definite results are agreed upon between the project team and the client. On the other hand, projects adopting the agile approach start with the expectation that there may be changes in the features and requirements of the project over time. As opposed to the traditional approach, the only agreement that is set between the project team and the client is the time to the taken as well as the resources in order to deliver the most optimal results (Carroll, 2012, p. 8). Differences between the two approaches can also be noted in the implementation phase. That is, the traditional approach follows a route that is predictable and linear; the tools and techniques that are used in sequencing, organizing and assigning various tasks in the project are very inflexible. On the contrary, the agile methodology is more adaptive and follows a less linear route. Emphasis in this project management approach is put in on the people, collaboration, effective communication and customer solutions, while seeking to bring about dynamism in the project aimed at adapting to the external environment (Singh, 2012, p. 205). The leadership and management styles that are applied in projects while using the two approaches also differ greatly. In this respect, the traditional approach to project management adopts a bureaucratic, top-down approach to leadership. The leaders in such projects rely on control and command in passing instructions to their subordinates, while having clearly set roles for each of the project members. On the other hand, the agile methodology adopts a transformational leadership style whereby leaders seek to inspire their subordinates in carrying out their respective tasks. The assigning of duties among

The Success Story of Toyota Comapny in Qatar Essay

The Success Story of Toyota Comapny in Qatar - Essay Example Current paper focuses on the performance of Toyota in Qatar. Toyota is one of the major competitors in the global automobile industry. The success of the firm has been highly related to its supply chain management system. The relatively low prices of the firm’s products, compared to the products of competitors, is another factor that has highly benefited the performance of Toyota worldwide. In Qatar, Toyota has followed similar goals and strategies. The history of Toyota in Qatar are presented and evaluated. Also, reference is made to the automotive industry of Qatar, at the level that the external environment can highly influence organizational performance. It is revealed that the prospects for Toyota in Qatar are significant. However, it is necessary for the organization to review its strategic framework periodically ensuring that the competitiveness of the firm towards its rivals is kept at high levels. A brief history of Toyota Toyota Motor was established in Japan in 1937 (Toyota Corporation 2012, History). Toyota Motor Corporation has resulted from the merge between Toyota Motor Co and Toyota Motor Sales Co in 1982 (Toyota Corporation 2012, History). Through the decades the firm established production units worldwide; still, the firm’s critical strategic decisions have been traditionally developed in Japan. Of particular importance have been the organization’s production units in USA, established in 1988, in UK, established in 1992 and in China, established in 2000 (Toyota Corporation 2012, History). Toyota Corporation focuses on the ‘Motor Vehicle Production and Sales’ (Toyota Corporation 2012, Overview). In 2011, the firm’s employees worldwide were estimated to 317,716 (Toyota Corporation 2012, Overview). In 2011, the firm’s profits reached the 18,993.6 (in billion yen), slightly increased from 2010, when the firm managed to achieve a profit of 18,950.0 (in billion yen, Toyota Corporation 2012, Overview). In 2009 the firm’s profits were estimated to 20,529.5 (in billion yen, Toyota Corporation 2012, Overview). In other words, the firm faces delays in regard to its profitability. This problem is made clear by reviewing the firm’s performance for the years 2006 to 2010 in US and Europe (Graph 1). Still, the performance of the firm in other markets is quite encouraging. For example, reference can be made to the case of China and Brazil (Graph 2). Graph 1 – Toyota Corporation in USA and Europe, for 2006-2010 (Source: Toyota Corporation 2012, Figures) Graph 2 - Toyota Corporation in China and Brazil, for 2006-2010 (Source: Toyota Corporation 2012, Figures) How it all started in Qatar The presence of Toyota in Qatar is closely related to Abdullah Abdulghani & Bros. Co. (AAB), a firm that was established in 1958 (Qatar 40 Years Organization 2012, Attendees).

Economic arguments for further enlargement of the EU Essay

Economic arguments for further enlargement of the EU - Essay Example The paper tells that the enlargement of the EU is one of the most debated topics presented to relevant councils. When the European Union was first formed in 1952 there were only six member countries. Today, there are 27 member countries in the European Union, and this number is scheduled to be increased in 2013. The European Union has been inducting newer countries into its council on an irregular basis since 1952, after subjecting applicant countries through a long process requiring pre-accession treaties, assessment conditions and a set of criteria – the Copenhagen criteria – that must be met before membership is granted. The process can take a number of years and after the induction of Bulgaria and Romania in 2007, Croatia is set to become a member of the EU in June 2013. Other countries like Turkey, Iceland, and the Western Balkans are in accession negotiations to follow suit. Membership generally offers great benefits to member countries, particularly those struggl ing to make the move from being developing nations to being developed ones. The European Union provides an economic and political support that smaller countries, or at least countries with smaller economies, can use to enhance their global standing, both within and outside Europe. But what is the impact that this expansion has, whether on the currently existing members of the European Union, the European Union as a whole, or even, in fact, Europe in general? Surely there must be certain economic and political impact such a membership must have, and economic advantage is generally gained at the expense of another party’s disadvantage. While that may be true, and in fact is to a certain point, it is not quite as limited as that. The results of many surveys, reports, and inquests have shown that the general perception among Europe’s public seems to be that membership offers great benefits to newer members while offering little to no benefit to older members. This percepti on might not be in the majority – with statistics varying from country to country – there is no doubt that it is a sizable portion of the public, any country or sample considered. Evidence supporting this matter is given further in the report, built generally upon information provided by the British Parliament in 2006. As negative as general perception might be, however, expansion has always shown to result in positive economic and political impact. This is true of any series of expansion, but this report will particularly center its focus on countries inducted in 2004, as they have had sufficient time to determine the effect of membership on their economy, as well as the impact of their membership on the European Union members in general. In fact, not only are the arguments brought forth against expansion generally baseless, with little evidence to support their claim, inverse evidence shows that economic arguments supporting the expansion of the European Union are la rgely misunderstood, or otherwise overlooked.

Corporate personality Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Corporate personality - Essay Example ive Officers (CEO) of large corporations as well as marketing managers of even smaller organisations are not hesitant to spend large sums of money in creating brand awareness through advertisements which also helps create the identity of the organisation among its customers. Against this background, it can be noted that the concept of â€Å"corporate personality† is topical and is indispensable especially to organisations which are seriously concerned about making profits as well as ensuring their survival and viability in an environment characterised by stiff competition. In order to get a clear understanding of the concept of corporate personality considering the attitude of the courts to this important part of company law, it is imperative to begin by explaining what corporate personality is. Corporate personality is mainly concerned with establishing and maintaining the identity of a company (Gibson 1998). This involves creating the brand name or logo of the company which will be used as its identity to distinguish itself from the other companies operating in the same industry. In a free market, competition by various players is so intense such that there is need for companies to come up with strong brands that will make them different from the other players. This is particularly very important in that it will allow the customers to choose and identify with particular products which can help generate more revenue on behalf of the customer. This also helps the organisation to position its unique brand in the market which can give it a competitive a dvantage. However, gaining competitive advantage is not the only purpose of corporate personality but there is more to that than what is generally believed by many people. The operations of different companies are guided by the legal framework obtaining in that particular country. The laws in different countries are also particularly designed to protect the citizens from losing their money when they enter into

Greek-Orthodox religion Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Greek-Orthodox religion - Research Paper Example Byzantine Christianity, which is the base of Greek Orthodoxy, is built with a combination of Christian and Hellenic heritage and is marked by â€Å"its liturgy, use of religious images (icons), veneration of saints and relics, monastic practices, and imperial grandeur† (Laderman and Leon, 294). The term orthodoxy represents, â€Å"proper glorification of God through appropriate worship† (Makrides, 66). The â€Å"defining feature† of Orthodox Christianity can be put more precisely as, â€Å"doctrinal correctness† (Makrides, 66). It also has its own â€Å"ritual tradition and institutional structures† (Makrides, 66). The basic theological premise of this strain of Christianity is not completed simply with a â€Å"belief in one Christian God† but has to be â€Å"the correct (â€Å"Orthodox†) belief in the one true and Trinitarian Christian God† (Makrides, 66). For Greek Orthodox religion, the ultimate salvation of the faithful is à ¢â‚¬Å"dependent on upholding the sole correct Christian faith, uncontaminated from deviant interpretations and influences† (Makrides, 66). The Greek Orthodox believers declare that they are the preservers of Christianity in its pure and correct form. They have drawn their theological beliefs and rituals from the seven Ecumenical Councils held between 325 and 787 and claim that they are preserving Christianity in the pure form as established by the Apostles (Makrides, 67). When a deep study is made into Orthodox Christianity, it can be seen that Greek Orthodoxy has a more profound sense of ecology than any other Christian religious system. In the present scenario of environmental destruction and predictions of global warming, it is the theology of Greek Orthodoxy that can lead human kind to evolve a comprehensive Christian ecology, which can impart a platform for our interactions with nature. The Trinitarian relationships as is delineated in Greek Orthodoxy can become the basis for deriving an ecological perspective based on Orthodoxy. The â€Å"relationships† itself establishes the relational aspect of the â€Å"very being of things† (Edwards and Worthing, 99). These relations are again, profoundly anchored in the â€Å"Trinitarian relationships of mutual love† (Edwards and Worthing, 99). The logic behind this supposition is that â€Å"if the Creator’s being is radically relational, then this suggests something about the nature of created reality† (Edwards and Worthing, 99). This is why Greek Orthodox theologian, John Zizioulas is quoted as saying, â€Å"it is communion that makes things be: nothing exists without it, not even God† (as cited in Edwards and Worthing, 99). From this theological background arises the notion that human and all other living creatures are â€Å"radically inter-relational and interdependent† (Edwards and Worthing, 100). And God is defined as all creatures in communion (Edwards an d Worthing, 100). Hence, Orthodoxy states that â€Å"the distinction between creator and creation is dissolved† which presents humans as embedded in nature, in God (Edwards and Worthing, 114). It is evident from the above discussion that while Western Christianity is rightfully criticized for being created the human-nature duality, and the notion that God has created nature to serve the humans, Eastern Orthodoxy resolves that dualism. It has a more environmentally realistic notion about this topic, as is delineated by White who wrote about this subject in the website, www.asa3.org. White has elaborated this argument by putting Greek Orthodoxy against Christian anthropocentrism. He (White) said: The Greeks believed that sin was intellectual blindness, and that salvation was found in

Representing Nature in Jeddah city Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Representing Nature in Jeddah city - Term Paper Example In January 2011 torrential rains caused destructive floods. Massive rescue operations were quite successful and many people were evacuated from the areas exposed to the disaster (Byron, 2011). Reportedly, the damage caused by the flood â€Å"was attributed to the lack of a drainage system for flooding and rain water† (Byron, 2011). Insufficient drainage system led to spread of sewage. Admittedly, the sewage and contaminated water can cause proliferation of numerous diseases in people and animals. Apart from this sewage and contaminated water leads to numerous environmental problems. For instance, it negatively influences ground waters leading to â€Å"salinization of the water affecting vegetation in the areas† (Magram, 2009, p.125). It goes without saying that this environmental issue has been considered politically. At this point it is worth mentioning that the majority of environmental issues should be (and usually are) regarded politically, due to the nature of thes e questions which are â€Å"inherently subjective† (Norheim, 2004, p.48). ... Notably, Jeddah is â€Å"the most significant city† in Saudi Arabia and its growth â€Å"has been rapid and diverse† (Magram, 2009, p.120). Rapid growth of population and industrial development of the city which was accompanied by the development of recreation infrastructure and the lack of attention to environmental issues led to environmental degradation. Such problems as sewage capacity issues, desalinization of water which threatens marine ecosystem, ground water contamination, which is the source of numerous diseases (and can even cause epidemic) have not attract much attention until floods caused serious problems. It is important to note that floods are recurrent phenomena in Jeddah. In 2009 there was a flood which also caused numerous victims and money losses. Reportedly, the government tried to solve these problems, but this year flood proved that these measures were insufficient. More so, people argued that â€Å"hundreds of millions of dollars spent on upgrad ing the preparedness after last year’s flood were allegedly riddled with corruption deals† (Nuseibeh, 2011, p.7). Ineffective policy of those in power led to numerous riots. Reportedly, the flood in Jeddah took place â€Å"at a time of unprecedented unrest† in Saudi Arabia. Admittedly, environmental issues aggravated the situation. At this point it is possible to point out that environmental issues, viewed politically, can be used by different people differently. In the first place, they have already caused social and political protests. On the other hand, those who want to gain people’s trust can use (and do exploit) these issues promising to solve environmental problems caused by floods, or prevent the floods. Thus, these problems can lead to political changes. It goes

Management of a Family Business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Management of a Family Business - Essay Example A family business can be described as the kind of commercial organisations where the decision-making process is often influenced by several generations of a group of people that are united by marriage or blood. In many instances, these people are often identified by the particular business through ownership or the process of leadership. It is important to realize that businesses that are characterized by an effective relationship between the owner and manager cannot fall into this category of businesses because of lack of the element of marriage or blood relationship. For this reason, family businesses are those that have a unique relationship of the leaders and managers of the particular business. In the recent, studies on the growth and operations of family-run businesses have been increasing; however, DeRond &Bouchikhi, explains that this is not always easy as compared to those businesses that do not have such kinds of mutual relationships. According to Deresky, one of the reasons that makes the study of these businesses something quite hard depends on the fact that these businesses do not always have proper standards of business management like other businesses. On many occasions, it is the high level of trust among the managers and other leaders that drives the growth and success of these businesses. These businesses tend to lack many of the requirements for effective financial reporting; additionally, very little information is often given to the public about these businesses regarding their financial performance as well as other important aspects

Electronic civil disobedience Essay Example for Free

Electronic civil disobedience Essay Civil disobedience has been a large part of societies and the past generations that have existed. With the further dawning of the information technology era, civil disobedience has taken another form—electronic civil disobedience (ECD). Though ECD takes a rather non-violent means in advancing the interests of certain groups and positing challenges to the status quo of several institutions, ECD has nevertheless remained a crucial force in shaping the image of mankind in general and will remain to be a contributing element in the coming years—and beyond. A look into electronic civil disobedience: comparisons and analyses In contrast to computer criminality, electronic civil disobedience is a means merely designed to â€Å"attack the institutions† whereas the former is more inclined to obtain profit from â€Å"actions that damage an individual†. This standing distinction contests the probable argument that there is no solid, or at least an ideal difference between the two and that both are the same means in putting down the strength of an institution or of an individual. However, while computer criminality is, by the name itself, a crime punishable by existing and applicable laws under the jurisdiction of certain states, resistance via electronic means—the most common of which is through cyberspace—is deemed to be a means to challenge the existing authority, for instance, in pushing forth necessary changes that are being sought after by individuals. This measure is, apparently, still within the borders of the law and are, hence, legal. Electronic civil disobedience (ECD) is oftentimes carried out in a manner that is not violent or, at the very least, in ways that do not involve direct physical contact (Electronic Civil Disobedience). Although there can be indirect physical consequences that can be attributed to the means and ends that are involved with ECD, a large bulk of the essence of ECD rests on its forefront—resistance through the maximum utility of the intangible resources available. These resources are largely comprised of electronic information and invisible systems in cyberspace that do not require physical contact among the individuals that seek to advance their interests in the face of another individual or an existing authority. Though by and large much of the past generations—and even a considerable number of the present generation of citizens—have been closely attached to the physical means of civil disobedience such as in the literal sense of â€Å"taking-up the streets†, a shift in the manifestation of civil disobedience is greatly felt in the electronic realm. Since information technology’s presence has increasingly grown over the past few decades and since its developments have been continuous and have been exponential in refinement, the impacts of electronic civil disobedience has also risen in levels proportional to the booming of the information technology industry. As recent developments in the field of cyberspace expand abruptly, so are the probable means in which ECD can make itself successful in achieving it’s goals or, at least, in making its presence and mission felt across territorial boundaries of states (Cleaver). Moreover, this growth in information technology (IT) has also started to break down the physical barriers as well as the invisible fences that hold back attempts at pushing forth civil resistance or disobedience. The physical institutions that seek to eradicate or lessen the probability of occurrence of these civil resistances have slowly diminished its grip on its capability to harness barriers and put up defensive mechanisms that strain the success of resistance from citizens. At the height of the development communication tools, effective communication has spread like wildfire from among various areas in the globe. Cellular phone technology has amassed for the people easier means to effectively transmit messages across wide distances, thereby instituting a smoother flow of information relay. Group organization and mobilization is held at a unifying pace that easily penetrates the state borders and geographical barriers. This leads us to the notion that the as the advent of electronic communication—the internet and cellular phone technology to name a few—the expected rise in the efficiency and effectiveness of group mobilization and organization in the face of electronic civil disobedience is within reach. However, the abuse of ECD as in the case of civil disobedience (CD) is always a possibility to the extent that legal measures have also to be taken by the proper authorities so as to dismantle probable grounds for violent and unlawful measures in furthering the interests of several groups. ECD, for the most part, can be a ploy utilized by extreme groups that do not only seek refuge in the non-violent methods encapsulated within the essence of ECD but also seek unlawful ends through violent actions that spring forth from the devices and advantages brought up by the electronic media. Terrorists, for example, can opt to start their large scale plans of wreaking havoc in a populated society by getting a good hold of the electronic resources available almost everywhere. The September bombings of the World Trade Center in New York has devastated a number of lives and even up to this day the damage done can still be felt not only by those who were directly affected but also by the millions of people who fear the havoc of terrorism, especially in contemporary times where ECD is not something new. It would be interesting to note on the delimiting strands that segregate those that are purely in the form of ECD and those that hid behind layers of terrorist ploys. For the most part, ECD remains today as a growing tool used as a means in contesting the status quo by oppositional forces. This brings us to the security issues posited by the ECD that confront the targeted institutions by modern-day activists. Although security measures have been reinforced throughout the years with the further advancement in technology, cyberspace remains an open territory for civil activism—and hackers. Though there may be inconclusive findings that seek to establish a connection or an alliance between hackers and ECD groups, there remains the possibility that an actual connivance may actually exist, only that the alliance is hidden beneath the rubrics of the intangible world of technology. It may be an extreme thought to dwell on such a possibility. Nevertheless one cannot entirely dismiss its factual occurrence. In the context of the general population that subscribes to the established groups that further ECD, certain identifying marks have to be made so as to pinpoint the possibility of having a hacker among the number of activists that attempt at penetrating the electronic defense mechanisms of institutions. However, the rapid growth of the electronic resources and its availability prove to be one hefty factor to surmount by the institutions. Activism is all the more fueled by this growth and, thus, the efforts of the institutions are to be doubled or thickened accordingly if ECD is to be diminished. Quite on the other hand, ECD may not be diminished at all, nor can it be totally dissolved especially when the generation we have of today is one that is teeming with the abundance of electronic wealth (Wehling). It must be further realized that such an (ever increasing) abundance in the electronic resources found in cyberspace provides a fertile starting point for extreme organizations that might utilize ECD as an initial step towards electronic violence and as a front for the extensive damage that can be instigated through system crashes and data hostages. The person adept at information technology and electronic systems will readily convey that the probable damage of system crashes as well as data hostages are devastating in the sense that they do not only shaken the virtual foundations of institutions but also destroy the intangible interior foundations that build the electronic core of the institutions. Reparations may be met, though, but the time to successfully recover or at least partially get back on track is yet another factor that must be considered. Hence, security measures are as equally significant as the protection of the interests of these institutions, if not even far more important. Conclusion The impacts of ECD have been felt in many ways. As the growth in cyberspace continues to expand and exceed the standards set forth by previous generations in their attempt to resist the institutional forces and further the specific aims for taking up civil disobedience, ECD continues to be a driving force in directing the path of the electronic world. The presence of ECD in contemporary times will eventually stretch through time for as long as there remains a continued expansion in the domain of cyberspace and for as long as the interests of people are not met and properly addressed.

Globalisation and the Nation State

Globalisation and the Nation State Globalisation And The Changing Role Of The Nation-State Will the nation-state geo-political structure survive the onslaught of the juggernaut of globalisation? Most scholarly articles take the ‘to be or not to be’ approach in addressing this question. Occasionally, some authors also take the more subtle and diplomatic approach of ‘whatever will be, will be’. However, in this essay I distance myself from popular literature in that I take a subjective yet historically sound position. The stand taken in this essay neither pleases the die-hard nation-state proponents, nor does it echo the predictions of the globalization-will-lead-to-one-nation theorists. Rather, I simply put forward historical evidence to draw our attention to two key trends: the evolution of the nation-state, and the progress/process of globalisation since antiquity. And, in the light of these historical trends I propose that the process of globalisation neither marks the end of the nation-state, nor does it strengthen its position as a constructin g unit in world geo-politics. On the contrary, current trends of globalisation clearly mark the transformation of the role of the nation-state in international relations, which can be clearly seen in the gradual shifting of sovereignty from nation-states to mega-corporate states/entities like the International Monetary Fund (IMF), World Trade Organisation (WTO), and the World Bank. The Rise Of The Nation-State The basis of the current nation-state model of world organisation lies in the Westphalian principle of sovereignty (Croxton, 1999). However, the concept of sovereignty as the aforementioned article claims is itself not a creation of the Westphalian model. Rather, the question of sovereignty is as old as the first war ever found between human forces. Nevertheless, to put things into perspective, the evolution of governance and sovereignty can be traced in a sequential pattern starting with tribal governance and city-states leading ultimately to nation-states (Brinkman Brinkman, 2008). In fact, as Brinkman (2008) puts it, â€Å"Over time the locus of sovereignty evolved along with the evolution of governance in the form of city-states, nation-states, and on to nationalism.† In other words, as people began living together in growing numbers they organised themselves into small nomadic tribes whose sovereign was often the tribal leader, or the family patriarch or matriarch (whichever may be the case). Over time, these tribes settled into towns and cities. With increasing population, the sovereign authority gradually shifted from the head of the tribal family onto a ruling family, i.e. a system of monarchy. Unlike tribal leaders who were chosen from among the clan, the rulers were born into the royal family. This system was necessary to avoid bloody clashes and in-fighting among the populace. However, as time went by and knowledge became widespread, the time was ripe for the birth of the nation-state. The genesis of nationalism took place when the transference of loyalty of a given nationality became directed toward â€Å"we the people, via the formation of a republican form of government (Brinkman Brinkman, 2008). The people who had given up their indiv idual sovereignty, first to the head of the family, and later to the rulers, decided to take it back in the form of democracy where the sovereignty rested with â€Å"we the people†. The collective identity of â€Å"we the people† manifested in the form of the nation-state. This brings us to the present times. The world is rapidly changing in many ways: technically, socially, culturally, intellectually, and so on. However, when we look at geo-political organisation of the world we can observe a trend towards a larger governing body that transcends the conventional limits of the nation-state units. The world is increasingly being controlled by mega-corporate entities like the IMF, WTO, and the World Bank. Nation-states are, either willingly or by compulsion, compromising their sovereignty in order to survive the onslaught of globalisation. So, does that mean that the nation-states are nearing their shelf-life? Did the individual-self completely and permanently sacrifice itself when humankind first decided to appoint tribal leaders? Likewise, did the ruling class become an extinct breed with the dawn of democracy and the birth of the nation-state? The answer is an emphatic no. Rather, these constructing units took on different roles in the organisation of the society as the locus of sovereignty shifted and new constructing units were formed to accommodate the growing populations and rise of civilizations. So, what does this mean for the future of the nation-state? In the last century we have seen the birth of a new political unit that transcends geographical limits: the mega-corporate state. However, for the new order to exist the old one must give up that which in the first place called it into existence: sovereignty. The sovereignty of the nation-state is in conflict with that of the megacorporate state (Brinkman Brinkman, 2008), but we can already see signs of transference of this sovereignty from the former to the latter. Once the process has been completed, the world might function with completely new dynamics, with the nation-states playing a key role in the new world-political mechanism. In other words, the nation-state would undergo a transformation in that its role in world politics would change in order to facilitate the rise of the megacorporate state. The Progress/Process Of Globalisation Having drawn our attention to the rise of the nation-state and its changing role in present times, let us now look at the cause behind the change. Globalisation, as many believe, is not a phenomena nor is it a product/consequence of the industrial revolution, technological advancements, or the enlightenment of humankind in the last couple of centuries. Rather it is a human-initiated process that began in antiquity when our species first began to spread across the face of the planet earth. Globalisation is a journey (Wolf, 2001) that began as long ago as when the first traders/merchants began setting out on adventurous journeys in search of fortunes in unchartered foreign lands, and even further back to when flourishing civilizations began forming ancient world empires. However, in order to put things into perspective and to keep the essay short and to avoid the risk of digressing, let us look at the process of globalisation in the context of the last couple of centuries. Globalisation as a process has always been at work in the march of human civilizations, however it has only been observable in recent times due to various developments that are intrinsically linked to innovation and technology. As Martin (2001) puts it, over the past five centuries technological advancements have progressively reduced the barriers to international integration. Rapid and affordable means of transportation as well as widespread communication networks offering real-time access to information have significantly and undeniably accelerated the pace of globalisation, especially over the past century. However, the globalising trends of increased trade, huge investments in foreign markets, as well as rise in immigration rates are not unprecedented. Martin (2001) compares statistics from pre-World War I period as well as from the late 1800s to that of current times to show that all these trends were almost at the same levels are they are today. Yet, there is something substant ially different going on today than a couple of centuries ago. The accelerated pace of globalisation has created the need for the birth of megacorporate entities. This is particularly true since the 1970s when nation-states around the globe began adopting liberal economic policies, and started opening up their markets to international trade and investment. The rapidly integrating world has exposed the inadequacies of the nation-state model in that the sovereignty of the nation-state is in direct conflict with the progress of the human society. This realization has initiated world leaders to afford policy changes that mark the shift of sovereignty to entities that transcend geo-political boundaries. So, is the nation-state dying? An emphatic no again. On the contrary, nation-states are evolving into more efficient geo-political units that have a greater role to play in international relations. However, the cost of international integration and progress must come at the expense of national sovereignty. The rise of the megacorporate state can be seen in the active role that its precursors like the IMF, WTO, and the World Bank play in international politics. In order to govern a world that is increasingly becoming inter-linked and inter-dependent it essential that sovereignty be shifted to a governing body that isn’t bound by geo-political boundaries. However, nationalism has taken deep roots in the peoples of all nations, and hence it would not be without much blood shed and war that nation-states can be destroyed to form a one-world order. Fortunately, there is an alternative to war: the megacorporate state that delegates with nation-states on not completely but only certain aspects – the sharing of sovereign much like that in current day federal states. In other words, the world is moving to organising itself into a world federation of nation-states. Another question arises here. Is globalisation destroying the capacity of governments to form national policies? Quite the contrary. As Martin points out, â€Å"Globalisation can progress only as far as national policy makers will allow.† He goes on to argue the proposition that globalisation will make the nation-states unnecessary is even less credible than the idea that it makes them impotent. Martin puts forward three defences for his arguments. First, the ability of a society to take advantage of the opportunities offered by international economic integration depends on the quality of public goods, such as property rights, an honest civil service, personal security, and basic education. Removing the nation-state from the equation would necessitate the redundancy of creating an equivalent unit to fill in the vacuum left by the nation-state in the first place. Second, the nation-state offers the members of a society a sense of identity and a sense of belonging. While not ent irely impossible, finding a global-identity that is agreeable to all peoples would again be a redundant process. Rather, it is more logical and natural to develop parallel identities of belonging to a nation that is itself a part of the world. Third, international governance depends on the ability of nation-states to provide and guarantee stability. As Martin puts it, â€Å"The bedrock of international order is the territorial state with its monopoly on coercive power within its jurisdiction.† In simple words, the nation-state has a slightly different yet vital role to play in international governance. As Martin (2001) rightly argues, technology while pointing towards greater international integration, was in and by itself not responsible for the changing dynamics of world politics and geo-political organisation. â€Å"Policy, not technology, has determined the extent and pace of international economic integration.†(Wolf, 2001). Conclusion Globalisation is not necessarily an evil like some of us perceive it to be. On the contrary, it is a necessary process for the progress of human civilizations. While some of us believe that globalisation marks the end of the nation-state, I strongly believe that the nation-state will continue to play a vital role in world organisation and politics, albeit in a different role than that of a sovereign power. Nation-states are and will continue to be vital for people to be able to successfully benefit from the opportunities afforded by international integration (Wolf, 2001). I further agree with Martin (2001) in that global governance will come not at the expense of the nation-state but rather as an expression of the interests that the state embodies. I also agree that globalization is a choice and not a matter of destiny. â€Å"It is a choice made to enhance a nation’s economic well-being.† (Wolf, 2001) References Brinkman, R. L., Brinkman, J. E. (2008). Globalization and the nation-state: Dead or alive. Journal of Economic Issues, 42(2), 425-433. Croxton, D. (1999). The peace of westphalia of 1648 and the origins of sovereignty. The International History Review, 21(3), 569-591. Wolf, M. (2001). Will the nation-state survive globalization? Foreign Affairs, 80(1), 178-190. doi:http://www.foreignaffairs.com/archive

Evaluating Expectations And Role Of Modern Nursing Nursing Essay

Evaluating Expectations And Role Of Modern Nursing Nursing Essay Introduction Modern nursing is a rewarding, but challenging, career choice. The modern nurses role is not limited only to assist the doctor in procedures, however. Instead, the contemporary nursing professional takes on a partnership role with both the doctor and patient as advocate caregiver, teacher, researcher, counselor, and case manager. Under the paradigm of quality health care, modern nurses should interpret this as quality patient care which comprises three important factors sound theoretical knowledge of the latest medical procedures, information and innovations; superior communication skills that are multi-culturally based; and the ability to empathize appropriately with the patient and family to buttress the role of caregiver. The necessity for modern nurses is to be far more than ever more of a multitasking professional with superior communication and organization skills and even more focused on the holistic model of the patient and the manner in which they, the nurs e, affects the outcome of the patients care experience (Brown, 2007). Theory into Practice It is a given that the modern nurse will have a far greater exposure to new medical methods, pharmaceutical interactions, and techniques than many nurses of the past. In fact, the use of clinical judgment in the provision of care to enable people to improve, maintain, or recover health, to cope with health problems, and to achieve the best possible quality of life, whatever their disease or disability, until death is one of the definitions of modern nursing (Royal College of Nursing, 2003). In fact, with such a vast amount of clinical information needed, combined with the stress of a busy hospital, and the various insurance and legalities to be considered, many contemporary nurse managers find that it is helpful for the modern nurse to utilize a medical checklist to improve patient care (Hales, 2008). In the contemporary world, it is important to note that a more holistic approach is preferable, seeing the patient as more than their disease, and advocating for that patients proper care and assistance when they are unable (Kozier, Erb, Blais, 1997). One of the more critical approaches to the rubric of patient care and advocacy is the Theory of Human Caring, by Jean Watson. This book represents a needed, but dramatic, shift in the modeling of patient care, and remains controversial still. Watsons theory formed the basis of modern nursing theory and some of the ideas she epitomizes have become part of other theories, among them Marilyn Rays Theory of Bureaucratic Caring for the Nursing Practice. Some of Watsons material came from a previous theoretical maxim, that of the Self-Scare Deficit based on the book Nursing: Concepts of Practice (Orem, 1971, 2001). Between 1949 and 1957, Orem worked for the Division of Hospital and Institutional Services of the Indiana State Board of Health. Coming out of the World War II paradigm, Orem immediately found that the health care system often perpetuated illness as opposed to helping cure disease. She believed that the quality of nursing in general hospitals should be upgraded, and to do this, she believed that the patient should take some of the overall responsibility for their care and management of their own ability to deal with illness (Dorthea Orem, 2010). The reason Orems model is important when discussing other nursing theories is due to its seminal nature of generalized care and one of the most commonly used in actual practice. Orems model has three major templates: 1) Nursing is required because of the individuals inability to perform self-care in many medical situations, 2) As adults age, they deliberately learn and master actions that help direct their survival, quality of life, and well-being, and 3) The product of nursing systems should be a nurses advocacy to help people meet their self-care requirements and avoid dependency on others (Ibid.). The significance of these paradigms set up a value system and put responsibilities on both the nursing profession and the client. The nurses role is not continual care without the prospect of improvement, nor is it simply to provide medical care without explanation. Instead, the nurses role is a bit of a self-advocacy method (advocacy, we will see, is very important for Watson, too). The nurses role is to help the patient understand their care, perform care on their own, and be able to remain self-sufficient and independent as long as possible. In fact, Orems theory found resonance in the new ways of communicating with patients. Instead of simply providing medication or therapy, but educating the client on their own illness and care, a greater level of empowerment is reached and a lessening of completely dependence on the health care system (Alligood and Tomey, 2005, 255-9). One way to understand the way and importance of Orem in the modern hospital situation is to analyze the way the theory has been put into practice: Operations Issues Regulatory Systems Takes into consideration the basic factors of age, developmental state, and health care systems. Provide for effective regulation of health and development state by setting forth relationships among component and self-care demands. Specify timing of nursing contact, reasons for contact; actions of nurse, client and others. Production of Care Specify time, place, environmental conditions, equipment, supplies, and number of personnel and stakeholders. Coordination of self-care tasks, assist client in performing of those tasks; bring about accomplishment of self-care that is satisfying to the client. Observation/Appraisal of Care Make judgments about quality and quantity of care; development of self-care agencies and assistance; judge nursing assistance and make adjustments to determine if operations are in accord with client condition and appropriate care. (Bridge, Cabell, and Herring, n.d.). Even though it was published in 1979 and revised in 2008, the book Nursing: The Philosophy and Science of Caring, remains a seminal part of new nursing scholarship/ Discussion abounds, possibly because of the implications of her theory challenge the applicability of nursing practice in the contemporary world of budget cuts and HMOs, as to less the validity and more the practicality of Watsons theory. There is a great deal of information on Watsons theory, critiques, applications, and amalgamations of her theory, and the content and veracity of the information that is available is well documented and explored.  [1]   Jean Watson views nursing as an art and a science, which has the goal of preserving the worth of humankind through the process of caring. Caring is the essence of nursing and a moral ideal: Caringhas to become a will, an intention, a commitment, and a conscious judgment that manifests itself in concrete acts. Watson herself notes that human care is both an ideal and a moral tenet, and it must, for the nurse, move beyond an individuals frame of reference and ensure that the profession as a whole acts in tandem with a more universal attitude toward the care for all humanity (Watson, 1988, p. 32). In addition, Watson emphasizes that all individual experience is relatively subjective, and uses the term phenomenal field to describe the specific frame of reference arising from the individual. This frame of reference is influenced by a myriad of cognitive stimuli, experiences that are individual and unable to uncover in the initial nurse/patient relationship. Instead, Watson stresses that one take those cognitive paradigms, move them into transpersonal care and allow the patient to partner with the nurse all with one goal complete health for the individual. (Watson, 1988, p. 70). Watson (1988) defines health as harmony between mind, body and soul, and illness as a subjective disharmony between mind, body, and soul. As well, integral to Watsons theory are the 10 carative factors that serve as a framework for providing a structure and order for nursing phenomena (Watson, 1997, p. 50). The 10 carative factors are as follows: Humanistic-altruistic system of values Faith-hope Sensitivity to self and others Helping-trusting, human care relationship Expressing positive and negative feelings Creative problem-solving caring process Transpersonal teaching-learning Supportive, protective, and/or corrective mental, physical, societal, and spiritual environment Human needs assistance Existential-phenomenological-spiritual forces. All of this presupposes a knowledge base and clinical competence (Watson, 1988, p. 75). Watson (1988) believes that nursing must separate itself from the reductionist views of the traditional science medical paradigm and focus on movement towards a human science nursing paradigm. Watson also readily acknowledges that her theory is a work in progress, and she invites participants to co-create the models further emergence (Watson, 1997, p. 52). This is in accordance with her theory in that she believes that everything is in an unending process of becoming (Watson, 1988). Within the Watson theoretical construct, then, the central view for healthcare professionals is that they work diligently to emphasize care as more than a mere term, and take it further to engender the universal idea of comfort, attention to a patients needs, genuine concern. This idea, certainly historical in its constructs, has no specific chronology, rather has been a part of human nature since the first Neanderthal tribe cared for a sick individual who was unable to hunt for the tribe. It is this overwhelming caring that changes Watsons theory into a practical view for modern health care systems. (Watson, 2008). This universal theory is both intellectually and emotionally attractive, and seems to embody the very principles of health care however; it was necessary to utilize additional non-internet sources to delve deeper into Watsons theory. Marilyn Ray, on the other hand, looks at a slightly wider universe, in a sense the medical anthropology paradigm, and forms a model called the Theory of Bureaucratic Caring. While Orem emphasizes the way nursing must model care so the patient can take over some of the responsibility, and Watson primarily seems nursing care as a way to advocate the patient through the mire of modern health care, Rays theory emphasizes the interconnectedness of nursing within modern health care systems as a hole. Like Watson, Ray believes that nursing is part of a holistic determiner of care as opposed to the cause/effect template so prevalent in Western medicine. When nurses realize that they represent the entire breadth of medical care (social, spiritual, medical, practical, etc.), then they realize they are treating an organism, not just an imbalance. If one thinks about the contemporary world, one easily sees that changes in the political, economic, legal, and technological world necessitate a broa der view of nursing care. This is the power of Rays work it helps find new policies and ways of looking at the human perspective, if even through corporate or governmental policy (Ray, 1989). If the contemporary nurse asks themselves truly what the most important part of their job would be it is difficult to delineate just one aspect. However, in the past three decades the demographic and psychographic landscape of nursing has dramatically evolved. Combined with the movement towards cultural and economic globalism, the number and proportion of international nurses practicing in the United States continues to increase (Aiken, 2007). Among the most often reported challenges for these nurses, a deficiency in communications is the top, most persistent, issue for employers (Davis and Nichols, 2002). Additionally, the communication paradigm works equally with American trained nurses and an increasingly diverse, multi-ethnic, population most especially the need to communicate effectively with the patients family, many of whom have very poor English skills. However, how can communications be part of a nursing paradigm without looking at culture and the whole person as Ray does. What is most important for Ray is that desirable and derivable consequences occur. She challenges the medical field to think beyond their usual boxes and to envision a more holistic world. Once the nursing profession appreciates and responds to the interrelatedness of the individual, one has adopted Rays theory (Marriner-Tomey and Alligood, 2005, 132-4). Conclusions- All parties in the healthcare paradigm have certain expectations of nurses: physicians are ever more reliant upon the expertise and attention to detail from nurses and expect more clinical knowledge; hospital staff see the nurse as the focal point in the wheel of patient care the go-to person who is really a patient care manager; the patient tends to view the nurse as the lifeline of communication and empathy; the family the translator of the physicians diagnosis and the true individual who is watching out for their loved one (Daly, et.al. 2005). Competence, then, for the modern nurse has a number of significant definitions. Certainly, all sides expect the clinical expertise to be a given, as well as continuing education and training on new technologies and treatments. The nurse is almost expected to be prescient, but if not possible, then at least exhaustive in the ability to synergistically interact with all sides of the patient-healthcare equation (Saha, p. 1280-1; L evin and Feldman, 2006). Thus, the core concept for nurses and the professional and non-professional people they interact with, care is one of the fields least understood terms, enshrouded in conflicting expectations and meanings. Although its usage varies among cultures, caring is universal and timeless at the human level, transcending societies, religions, belief systems, and geographic boundaries, moving from Self to Other to the community and beyond, affecting all of life and the ability for nurses, as well as patients, to self-actualize and assist in the healing process (Watson, 2008). This universal theory is both intellectually and emotionally attractive, and seems to embody the very principles of health care. In actuality, though, the new paradigm of Nursing care; whether Watsonian or Ray or the myriad of others, must be an amalgamation of aesthetic knowing. For only in that manner can a modern nurse be truly successful (Slevin in Basford, pp. 197-200).

Trusted Systems: Protecting Sensitive Information :: Exploratory Essays Research Papers

Introduction With the widespread use of the internet, networked applications have expanded to provide many services that a few years ago would have seemed impractical or futuristic. Among them are applications that allow you to find your perfect date, to file your taxes online, rent movies or even to send away gifts you don’t like. With the proliferation of the internet the demand for programs that use information in more complicated and advanced ways has risen. Commercial entities have come forward to fulfill this demand, and the internet has become the center for many applications driven by information. As information use and sharing among applications becomes more desirable we have seen the downside of sensitive information being accessible to entities for which it was not intended. When we look at the development goals of the internet and of computer networks in general we can easily see the contradictory goals that protecting privacy would present. The internet was developed by people who saw great potential in being able to share scientific and military information quickly and easily between computers. Concerns about the privacy of information created by the new applications mentioned above, give us the goal of making sure that information is only accessible by the entities that it is intended for. By definition this means making information sharing more difficult as we don’t want a legitimate user of information to be able to share that information with someone who does not have a legitimate right. For example if I submit my personal information to an insurance company, I don’t want the insurance company to share my information with others who might use it to send me advertisements or for more sinister purposes. Current computer systems a nd networks have been built with the first goal of ubiquitous access and information sharing in mind. Therefore protecting sensitive information requires us to completely rethink the way that computer systems are designed. Potentially there are two routes that we could take. One is to allow computer systems and the internet to enjoy the free architecture that they have at present but to prosecute violators with strict laws on information security. The other is to completely redesign computer systems with the additional goal that information should only be accessible by parties that the owner of the information trusts.

The Writitng of Ambrose Bierce Essay -- Papers Writing Style Amrbose B

The writing style of Ambrose Bierce can simply be described as bitter. Almost all of his stories had some sort of irony or plot twist that made his stories interesting. Events in his life have shaped his view on the world. This viewpoint extends into his writing when he looks at the bitter side of the world in most of his stories and also the aspect of death. In the stories An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge and A Watcher by the Dead, he uses irony and examines death. Along with his patented irony, Bierce uses death in many of his popular stories, possibly as a wish for himself. His lonely and tragic life caused him to be the bitter writer we know today. Ambrose Gwinett Bierce was born on June 24, 1842 in a log cabin in Meigs County, Ohio. He was the youngest of nine children and was born into a poor family with an odd father. Bierce did not enjoy his childhood and ended up hating his entire family except for one brother. His preference for aristocratic heroes probably came from his troubled childhood and class status. His future bitterness may have come from the difficulties he had when he was a child (Fadiman XI). Before he started his writing career Bierce served in the army during the Civil War, first as a drummer boy. By then end of the Civil War he was promoted to the rank of lieutenant, being wounded only once in the war. There is no evidence that he agreed with the aims of the North, but there is some evidence that he sided more with the aristocratic planter culture of the South. While he was in the army, Bierce was considered a man that possessed qualities of leadership that promoted him through the ranks. Bierce joined the war at a very young age, and seeing the worst of mankind of that time could hav... ...his experiences with the elite of San Francisco. He always hated the way he was brought up and how he was poor as a child. Many of his stories use characters that are opposite of how his childhood in reality was, in order to create a false past. All of his stories used at least one of these aspects (Epstein 87-89) Ambrose Bierce can be considered one the greatest cynics of all time. It is obvious that the events in his life caused him to be the bitter, cynical person we see in his stories. In an article relating to how Ambrose Bierce started the cynical, ironic writing in America, Joseph Epstein says, â€Å"If the Civil War may be said to have put the blackening on Bierce’s outlook, his career in journalism supplied the polish (Epstein 86).† Every event in his life, from his troubled youth, to his Civil War experience, led him to the writer he is known as today.

The First World War (WWI) :: World War 1 I One

During World War One, the role of airplanes and how they were used changed greatly. At first planes were only used for sport, but people started realize that not only could airplanes be useful but they could even influence an outcome of the war greatly. Soon the war was filled with blimps, planes, and tethered balloons. By the end of the war, planes became a symbol of fear, but they were not always treated with such respect. In the time leading up to the war, the general feeling about planes was, they were a sneaky, unfair tactic that should not be used in warfare. During The 1899 Hague Peace Conference it was put on record that the dropping or shooting of any projectiles or explosives from the air during a time of war was forbidden and was considered a crime of war. It was also decided that airplanes could only be used for reconnaissance or spying missions. (Villard-227) â€Å"The airplane may be all very well for sport, but for the army it is useless† (Quoted in Villard-227) Even by the beginning of the war in 1912, the use of planes in war was still prohibited by the War Office. Shortly thereafter this changed, people awakened to the possibilities of air warfare. The world soon started to realize the effectiveness of planes in war and how the control of the skies could influence the outcome. Although the French were the first to have a working, conscripting air force and to license fliers, their trust in airplanes still was not up to par. Their lack of trust was justified, for the planes had no armaments, too many wires, and no reliable motor. (Villard-228) Soon all countries in the war effort had their own little air force, built hangers, and started to train pilots. The first bombing occurred in November 1911. Although the first bomb was dropped by the Italians, soon all countries were involved in bombing raids. (Villard-229) It was followed by the first aerial dogfight in 1912. This consisted of a primitive exchange of pistol fire between British and German planes . (Harvey-95) The first flying experience for the United States occurred in 1862, during the Civil War. General McClellan went into battle against the South with a balloon corps floated by hydrogen and pulled by four horses. (Saga-51) Literary fiction started to breed ideas about the use of planes in warfare. The most famous writer to explore the idea was H.G. Wells. He wrote The War In The Air, a book about the future in which battle is conducted with planes. (Wohl-70). In Germany, literary fiction preceded the actual development of warfare in the air.

Importance of Motivation in Rention Essay

Employees are the most important factor in the success and failure of any organization. In service industry, employees are in direct contact with the customer, hence they should be motivated. Firstly, this paper focuses on importance of employee motivation on Staff retention, by studying the concepts of staff retention, employee turnover and employee motivation. Further discussing about the major motivational theories, followed by the factors which help to increase motivation and backed up with some latest examples. Secondly, it takes a case study of Heathrow Windsor Marriott, a leading 4 star Airport Hotel, it reflects my observations about the good and bad practises followed by the management of hotel. And at the end, this paper tries to give some recommendations for future practice. 1. Introduction Managing Human Resource has become an inescapable and prominent approach to the management in service industries (Watson 2003).In simple terms, Human means labour/employee, Resource points out employees are valued assets and Management refers to managing personnel of an organization. The objective of Human resources is short term and it mainly focuses on employee relations. However, due to globalization, this approach was fruitless, hence its focus adopted the aspect of strategy. Strategic Human Resource Management means combing Human resources with strategic goals and objectives to improve and develop organization (Regis 2008). According to Banfield and Kay (2012), Human resource management is the ‘glue’ which ensures business success through consistent practises and adapting local conditions. In an organization, employees are the primal force, whose never ending efforts converts the organization’s decision into action with the aim of achieving common goal. Hence, employees should be motivated (Hossain and Hossain 2012). The fast changing competitive business environment has presented challenges for Human Resource professionals for adopting new methods of production and organizing of work. This situation has accelerated the rate of employee turnover. Employee resourcing, employee development, employee relations, productivity are the emerging issues faced by management (Banfield and Kay 2012).The problem of Employee Motivation has become inseparable from Human Resource Management because, employees acts as a major source of organization. This paper is divided into two major parts, literature and reflection. The aim of this paper is on how employee motivation contributes to staff retention. The first part on literature covers topics like Staff retention, turnover & motivation and demonstrate a relationship between employee motivation and staff retention. The second part reflects the practises carried out Heathrow Windsor Marriott Hotel, followed by recommendations for future. 2. Staff Retention Staff retention refers to the techniques employed by the management to help the employees stay with the organization for a longer period of time (Management Study Guide 2013). Every organization puts efforts to transform a raw material to corporate ready material by giving necessary trainings at regular interval to achieve the common goal. Job satisfaction is a vital component of staff retention which can be achieved by making the employee feel comfortable physically and psychologically. Staff retention is crucial for many reasons such as, longer time spent by the employees have an opportunity to perform better, it increases their loyalty towards organization, on the other hand, recruiting the right candidate for the right position is not easy, when an employee leaves an organization, he may join competitors and may share some confidential information. When a trained employee leaves their job, the organization is at a complete loss, as a loyal, efficient and stable staff is one of the keys to competitive success (Taylor and Walsh 2005). This loss of staff has to be replaced which is termed as Employee turnover. This is one of the greatest challenges faced by management. Retention is not only important to reduce the turnover costs but to retain talented employees. According to Ramlall (2004), when every 10 managerial level employee leaves an organization, a company experiences approximately loss of $ 1 million. 2.1. Employee Turnover Rotation of workers around the labour market between the status of employment and unemployment is called as Employee turnover (Abassi and Hollman 2000). Labour turnover has become a critical problem for service industries as it depends on human factor. Employees do not leave the organization without any significant reason. Taris et al. (2004), divided two motives for turnover i.e. the push and pull factors. The pull factors include inequity in compensation, availability of opportunities for future development over the external market and the employees who would resign to go into private business. The push factors have relationship with the dissatisfaction of work situation, lack of democratic managerial pattern and job stress. On the other hand, Griffieth (2000), viewed remuneration and remuneration related variables have intense effect on turnover. Griffieth demonstrated a relationship between remuneration, employee’s performance and turnover and concluded that when an employee performs extremely well expects a high pay and when they are paid low they quit. There are various costs associated with turnover, according to Society for Human Resource Management, it costs 30-50% of the annual salary of entry level employees, 150% of middle level employees and up to 400% costs of the high level employees (Blake 2004). The various costs includes, exist costs, recruiting, interviewing, hiring, orientation, benefits while training, lost productivity, administrative costs, customer dissatisfaction etc (Susan 2011). Considering the case of Oberoi Hotels. The Oberoi group is one of Asia’s leading multinational companies, the Oberoi hotel named Windsor Hotel in Melbourne, had witnessed an average annual employee turnover rate of approximately 40 percent. The Human resource professionals were under pressure due to increasing costs, hence they decided to an employee attitude survey for three consecutive years and analysed the issues faced by the staff. The most common reasons for attrition were job profile and personal profile does not match, least growth opportunities, lack of appreciation, lack of trust, lack of co-ordination between the colleagues, stress from work, imbalance between personal and professional life. The Hotel executive group and the managers improved the retention programmes and motivated their employees by engagement which helped them to reduce their turnover rate to 20 per cent (Watson et al. 2002). Hence it can be said that, employee turnover can be controlled by proper employee motivation which would help the companies to reduce costs associated with turnover. 3. Employee Motivation According to Butkus and Green, ‘motivation is derived from the word ‘motivate’ which means to move, push or influence to proceed for fulfilling a want’ (Kamalian et al. 2010). One of the important functions of management is to create willingness among the employees to perform. Motivation can be termed as a process in which a person stimulates an individual to full fill some want or expectation (Mullins 2007). Motivation is complex because of human behaviour as it changes from an individual to individual, resulting different motives for motivation (Kressler 2003). Employee motivation influences productivity, because company’s performance depends on employee performance. Hence it is very important for managers to realize what propels employees to reach the peak performance. Through employee motivation, the employer can encourage the employees by enhancing their skills and by improving their morale. Motivation is important for both individual and business. In case of individual, motivation helps to achieve personal goals, job satisfaction, self development and in case of business, motivation helps to achieve the organizational goals, to build a friendly relationship and the most important it bring stability in workforce. Overall, it cans help to achieve competitive advantage in competition by retaining talented employees (Hiltrop 1996). 3.1. Motivation Theories Motivation theories are based upon the understanding of employees and work. There are two main approaches to motivation theories, i.e. Content Theory and Process Theory. Content Theories of motivation explains what causes individuals to act in a definite way based on the general agreement that all human beings have needs, which engage them to satisfy these needs lead to motivation. Process Theories of motivation explains on how employee’s needs influence their own behaviour (Hossain and Hossain 2012). 3.1.1. Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs In 1943, Abraham Maslow presented need based theory. His theory was based upon the assumption of hierarchy of needs. He categoriesed needs into five types, i.e. Physiological needs ( basic needs of life, example, air water, food etc.), Safety needs (physical and environmental safety), Social needs (need for love, affection), Esteem needs (needs for self-respect or recognition and Self-actualization (based on grwoth and self-contentment). Maslow assumed that motivation decreases as one level of need is met and motivation increases as another need comes in. He potraid that lower level of needs should met before the higher level needs. Maslow felt that if these needs were not met then a person would fail to develop into a heathly individual (Hellreigel 2004). Implications by Britannic Assurance Britannic Assurance is a financial services company, facing issues of employee motivation and retention. Hence, their management adopted the Maslow’s theory to overcome their issue. The management motivated their employees by considering each level of needs: Physiological Needs – Management gave their employees suitable salary, in odrer to meet the basic needs of life and at workplace they gave proper meal breaks, so that phsciological needs are meet. Safety Needs – Management provided clean and hygienic workplace, safety, job security and beniftis program with a purpose of retention. Social Needs – Management supported their employees by encouraing team work, and developing a friendly relationship. Esteem Needs – In order to acheive esteem needs, management put extra efforts by rewarding and recognizing employees at every level. Self-Actualization Needs – Management gave their employees challenging jobs so that they can use and develo their knowledge and skills, and grow big, by benefiting the company (The Time 100 Business Case Studies, 2013). Criticisms According to Lazarus (1971), the hieraracy suggested by Maslow not valid if cross-cultural differences are taken into consideration. McLeod (2012) said, it is difficult to predcit when a need will arise, as ther is no relationship between needs and behaviour and different individual may be pushed by differnet needs at same time. He also states that maslow’s theory lacks empirical support. While Rilley (2012) came with a view that this model aviod the usual behaviour of employees who tolerate low wages for future benefits and mentioned that maslow research was based on middle class workers in UK and USA. Inspite of having some critics, Maslow’s thinking remains inflential to management deliberations in respect of job design, pay and reward structres and helps to motivate employees and retain them (Huczynski and Buchanan 2001). 3.1.2. Expectancy Theory Victor Vroom in 1964, came up with expectancy theory which was based upon Valence, Instrumentality and Expectancy. The Individual perfrence for a precise end result is termed as Valence (V), Instrumentality (I), is the anticipation of good performance will lead to valued benfit and Expectancy (E), is the anticipation of effort will lead to good performance. The Force (F) or want of your motivation to take action will result the product of three variables through multiplication. If any one of the variable is zero the final product will be zero, as it is co-related (Fudge and Schlacter 1999). F = Vx I x E In orther words, Efforts, Performance and Rewards have a direct relationship. Vroom said that employee’s deliberately decide whether to perform or not, their decision is entirely depended on level of motivation. This theory expalins individual differences in motivation and behaviour, it measures the force of the motivation to behave, it assumes that behaviour is rational and emphasis on rewards and pay offs (Sanders and Pritchard 1973). Implications by Management The management should try to link effort, performance and rewards through their support. Suport in terms of adequate trainings, availability of resources and clear rewards to have desired motivational effect (Fudge and Schlacter 1999). Clear rewards should have value in the eyes of emloyees so that they can be influenced. Performance standards should be clearly instructed. Finally, the motivation level should be continousuly assessed which results can inidicate problems and changes required. This will help to retain employees (Virgil et al. 2008) Criticisms The application of this theory is limited as reward is not direclty related to performance, it has ignored the parameters such as education, position etc. It concentrated majorly on financial rewards and ignore other intrinsic and extrinsic rewards. According to Latham (2007), it also lacked the principle of equality with relation to rewards. This theory predicts the choice of efffort, it does not give specific meaning of efforts, it also lacks to specify the outcomes relevent to a particular individual (Management Study Guide 2013). 3.2. Types of Motivation There are two types of Motivation, developed by Herzberg, i.e. Intrinsic and Extrinsic Motivation. The factors which are intrinsic to the job such as recognition, work itself, growth is called as Intrinsic Motivation and the factors which are extrinsic to the job such as pay, company policy, security etc. are called as Extrinsic Motivation (Armstrong 2007). Intrinsic factors create satisfaction and extrinsic factors do not create satisfaction but if preventive action is not taken then it may lead to dissatisfaction(Ryan and Deci 2000). Intrinsic factors are likely to have deeper and long term effect while extrinsic factors are likely to have immediate and powerful effect but it won’t last long. Both Intrinsic and Extrinsic factors concentrate more on satisfaction and not on productivity (ibid). 3.3. Motivation Factors All employees are motivated when their needs or desire are satisfied, these needs vary from person to person, situation, experiences, etc. These factors affects the motivation level in employees. Let us understand the practical implications of various factors: 3.3.1. Motivation through Rewards Employees who work hard to achieve the business goals, expect to receive rewards for their contribution. According to Perry (2009), rewards play a crucial role in motivating employees to work harder. He categorised rewards into two types: Extrinsic and Intrinsic. Extrinsic rewards are provided by the organisation group such as money, benefits, promotions etc. while Intrinsic rewards come from individual such as self-esteem, personal development and feeling of competency. The most critical thing for this approach that rewards must be equal, it should be partial (ibid). Let us take a case study of Royal Bank of Scotland, The employees at RBS are not only motivated through money but also through Total reward benefits. Total reward benefits includes not just money, but it includes motivational motives such as personal choice in working hours, security, health and benefits package, shopping vouchers personal loans at special price etc., This kind of extra benefits will help a company to retain an employee (The Time 100 Business Case Studies 2013). 3.3.2. Motivation through Job Deign When a potential employee looks for job, he has basic two attractions, i.e. money and feeling of pursuing a challenging and interesting job. Job Design is an internal approach of motivating employees. There are two ways in which a manager motivates its employees i.e. fitting people to jobs and fitting jobs to people (Hackman and Oldham 1975). Considering the first aspect of fitting people to jobs, managers can strengthen motivation by Job Rotation, Job Rotation helps to bring a change in daily routine, it helps to increase the area of expertise at work by moving from one specialization to another, this would not only lead to personal development but also will develop a team with wide range of skills (Perry 2009). Considering the second aspect of fitting jobs to people, managers can energise motivation by Job Enlargement and Job Enrichment. Job Enlargement is a process in which an employees are indulged with more challenging task, this will reduce the humdrum of work and increase the skills of employees. However, Job Enlargement has one criticism, if an employee is working on two or more challenging tasks and paid for only one task, then there will be a barrier of not being paid well (Saleem et al. 2012). Job Enrichment is a process in which an employees is given more control over the work by giving more authority and responsibility, which would increase the productivity. However, this was also criticised with a point of that an employee should possess certain skill in order to perform at high level, if the employee lacks necessary skill, then it would decrease productivity (Janson et al. 1975) 3.3.3. Motivation through Work Environment Work environment nearly cause 27% of job satisfaction (Tyilana 2005), Management should create a type of work environment in which the employees are respected and treated equally. Management should provide job security and proper logistic support and create a friendly environment. If any one of them is lacking, then the motivation level would not stand still. However, Lin (2007) said that good working conditions can determine employees performance and productivity but cannot motivate them directly. Considering case of An Enterprise Rent-A- Car, management accented on creating an affirmative work environment. In which they concentrated on six points, i.e. good relationship between all the employees, follow clear communication so that each individual can understand and act as per their role, provision of adequate resources to perform the necessary tasks, encourage employees to get things right, if any frustration is experienced then acknowledged and try to keep their focus on achieving goals and last but not the least, try to recognise the effort of individual and reward the good performance. Along with the points discussed above Enterprise Rent-A-Car used Herzberg theory of motivation to motivate and retain their employees (The Time 100 Business Case Studies 2013). 3.3.4. Motivation through Training and Development Training and Development is one of the most effectual factor of motivation (Lai 2009). Training can be termed as a process in which an individual get a chance to develop their knowledge, qualities, skills and personality (Khan 2012). Training and development helps to increase morale of employees, better interpersonal relationships, better position to adapt changes and finally improved productivity and efficiency (Seward 2011). As rightly said by Marcus Tait, the Director of Human Resources of IHG Australia, training and nurturing talent shares an equal weight age along operational performance, guest experience and corporate responsibility. He trained his employees to be multi-focused, empathetic and preventive of guest needs (Eime). Whenever, an employee is recruited, he should empowered with all kinds of basic training, his performance has to be measured and accordingly he should be trained by considering his skills and ability. Concentrating Training at McDonald’s Restaurant Limited, The success of McDonald’s business is high standards of quality and service delivered to customers, Well-trained staff and line managers are the first step towards achieving these standards. Welcome Meeting, was the first step taken by the company to inform the standards and expectations, followed by structured development programme which provides training in all areas of business. McDonald’s concentrated on floor based training and expected that their employee would perform any task with relation to operations. After the practical training, McDonald’s used to do classroom-based training where they can concentrate on quality, service and cleanliness. After this training, employees are marked as per the check list and if they qualify then they can get promotion by clearing an entrance exam. In this way McDonald’s used to train their staff (The Time 100 Business Case Studies 2013).

Economic Development for Developing Countries Essay

International Undergraduate Program Faculty of Economics University of Indonesia Depok 2013 Larger Rural Populations but Rapid Rural-to-Urban Migration One of the hallmarks of economic development is a shift from agriculture to manufacturing and services. Although modernizing in many regions, rural areas are poorer and tend to suffer from missing markets, limited information, and social stratification. However, a massive population shift is also under way as hundreds of millions of people are moving from rural to urban areas, fueling rapid urbanization, with its own attendant problems. Lower Levels of Industrialization and Manufactured Exports Industrialization is associated with High Productivity and Incomes. It is also a hallmark of modernization and national economic power. Moreover, it is a national priority for many developing countries, including Indonesia. In developed countries, Agriculture only contributes small share to the overall employment and the same goes to Industry, which the share of employment is smaller than the developing countries, since they tend to expand their Service sector. An often suggested but controversial â€Å"Pattern of Development† is that the share of employment in industry is decreasing as the service increases as when developed-country status achieved) Furthermore, developing nations have tended to have a higher dependence on primary exports even though the goods are typically less advanced in skill and technology content. Adverse Geography Geography plays a role in problems of agriculture, public health, and  comparative underdevelopment. In tropical/sub-tropical countries for example, most of them are developing countries. They suffer from pests, diseases such as Malaria, and many others. Another case is in Africa, which most countries are landlocked countries. They tend to have lower incomes than other countries that are Coastal. Not only geographical location, the rising issue of Global Warming might also bring impact especially in African and South East countries. However, geography is not destiny, but the presence of common and often adverse geographic features in comparison to temperate zone countries means it is beneficial to study tropical and subtropical developing countries together for some purposes. Underdeveloped Markets Imperfect market and imperfect information which can be found mainly in developing countries creates the market less efficient. There are aspects that determine Market Underdevelopment. They lack of: 1. a legal system that enforces contracts and validates property rights 2. a stable and trustworthy currency 3. an infrastructure of roads and utilities that results in low transport and communication costs so as to facilitate interregional trade 4. a well-developed and efficiently regulated system of banking and insurance 5. substantial market information for consumers and producers about prices, quantities, and qualities of products and resources as well as the creditworthiness of potential borrowers 6. social norms that facilitate successful long-term business relationships Lingering Colonial Impacts and Unequal International Relations Colonial Legacy Most developing countries were once colonies of Europe or otherwise dominated by European or other foreign powers, and institutions created during the colonial period often had pernicious effects on development that in many cases have persisted to the present day. Both domestically and internationally, developing countries have more often lacked institutions and formal organizations of the type that have benefited the developed world: Domestically, on average, property rights have been less secure, constraints on elites have been weak, and a smaller segment of society has  been able to gain access to and take advantage of economic opportunities. Problems with governance and public administration, as well as poorly performing markets, often stem from poor institutions. Moreover, several decades after independence, the effects of the colonial era linger for many developing nations, particularly the least developed ones. Due to colonialism, there is a high inequality between the people living in ex-colonies countries resulting less movement toward democratic institutions, less investment in public goods, and less widespread investment in human capital (education, skills, and health). The European colonial powers also had a dramatic and long-lasting impact on the economies and political and institutional structures of their African and Asian colonies by their introduction of three powerful and tradition shattering ideas: private property, personal taxation, and the requirement that taxes be paid in money rather than in kind. These innovations were introduced in ways that facilitated elite rule rather than broad-based opportunity. External Dependence Related with the Colonial Legacy, developing countries are less well organized and influential in international relations. They also have weaker bargaining position in international economic relations. Moreover, developing countries are dependent on the developed world for environmental preservation (on which hopes for sustainable development depend). This is called Environmental Dependence. This becomes interesting since Global Warming is more likely to harm the Developing Countries compared to the developed ones. How Low-Income Countries Today Differ from Developed Countries in Their Earlier Stages There are eight significant differences in initial conditions that require a special analysis of the growth prospects and requirements of modern economic development: 1. Physical and human resource endowments 2. Per capita incomes and levels of GDP in relation to the rest of the world 3. Climate 4. Population size, distribution, and growth 5. Historical role of international migration 6. International trade benefits 7. Basic scientific and technological research and development capabilities 8. Efficacy of domestic institutions Physical and Human Resource Endowments Some developing nations are blessed with abundant natural resources, while in Africa the resources are plentiful but yet to be discovered. Huge capital needed to be invested in order or these resources to be explored and exploited. The ability of a country to exploit its natural resources and to initiate and sustain long-term economic growth is dependent on, among other things, the ingenuity and the managerial and technical skills of its people and its access to critical market and product information at minimal cost. The problem with low-income and developing countries nowadays is that their people are less educated, less informed, less experienced, and less skilled compared to their counterparts were in the early days of economic growth in the West. Moreover, there is an ingenuity gap (the ability to apply innovative ideas to solve practical social and technical problems) between the rich and the poor. This did not exist in now developed countries on the eve of industrialization. Relative Levels of Per Capita Income and GDP People in low-income countries have lower level real per capita income than the developed ones in the 19th centuries. Meanwhile, today’s developed nations were economically in advance of the rest of the world. Therefore, they could take advantage of their relativity strong financial position to widen the income gaps between themselves and less fortunate countries in a long period of income divergence. By contrast, today’s developing countries began their growth process at the low end of the international per capita income scale. Climatic Differences The economically most successful countries are usually located in the temperate zone. Even though social inequality and institutional have greater importance, but dichotomy is more than coincidence. Extreme heat and humidity in most poor countries contribute in deteriorating soil quality and the rapid depreciation of many natural goods. Not only that, extreme heat and humidity also contribute to low productivity of certain crops, the weakened regenerative growth of forests, the poor health of animals,  Discomfort workers (weaken their health), and reduce their desire to engage in strenuous physical work which eventually will lower their productivity. In conclusion, tropical geography does pose problem on economic development.