Charlotte Smiths On Being Cautioned against Walking on an Headland Ove

Charlotte Smith's "On Being Cautioned against Walking on an Headland Overlooking the Sea, Because it was Frequented by a Lunatic" â€Å"On Being Cautioned against Walking on an Headland Overlooking the Sea, Because it was Frequented by a Lunatic,† Charlotte Smith’s sonnet, comments on the poet’s feelings toward this lunatic and the thought process he instigates in her mind. By using different syntax to describe her two characters, Smith draws the attention of the reader to the message in the sonnet instead of the scene on the surface. The structure of the English sonnet also lends to the poem’s power, giving Smith a perfect avenue to deliver her message. The poem begins by describing the lunatic as a man with very animal tendencies, â€Å"with starting pace† and â€Å"with wide and hollow eyes† (lines 2-3) These characteristics alone give the reader a vivid image of how this man acts, and immediately sets low expectations for his character in a social and intellectual sense. His primitivism shows as â€Å"his cold bed upon the mountain turf† (6) is mentioned, furthering the image of a wildly sav...

Beyond Free Will in Mary Shelleys Frankenstein Essay -- Frankenstein

Beyond Free Will in Shelly’s Frankenstein  Ã‚   One of the greatest gifts God has given to man is free will.   Free will is the ability to choose our own life’s path, to make decisions, and to suffer our own consequences. God has intended free will to allow us to live our own life by the rules we choose.   However, does free will reach a certain point as which to not crossover?   Man has always envied God, and has always tried to become god-like.   Does this ambition compromise our free will?   In Mary Shelly’s classic novel Frankenstein, Viktor Frankenstein’s tries to bring the dead back to life, and he is successful in animating a creation of his own.   The consequences of his ambition compromised his free will and destroyed his life.   Viktor Frankenstein reached the point of free will which man is not intended to cross over.   Viktor Frankenstein is a fool for trying to play God.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Free will was a gift granted to man right from the start of history.   In the story of Genesis, free will granted by God allowed Adam and Eve to eat from any tree in the garden, including the tree of knowledge.   However, God did set a rule.   â€Å"The Lord God commanded the man, â€Å"You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die.†1  Ã‚   Now, in this story, man is tricked by the serpent, representing the devil, and eats from the tree of knowledge.   He does not die in a sense, but is cast out of paradise and is forced to work off the land for the remainder of his now mortal life.   In a letter from Paul to the Galatians, Paul writes, â€Å"You, my brothers, were called to be free.   But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature.†2  Ã‚   In thes... ...†9  Ã‚   Giving life is God’s job, and any man who tries to become god-like in this sense will surely suffer the consequences of his actions according to Mary Shelly.   I completely agree, and I will conclude with a retrospective quote from Viktor Frankenstein.   â€Å"Learn from me, if not by my precepts, at least by my example, how dangerous is the acquirement of knowledge, and how much happier that man is who believes his native town to be the world, than he who aspires to become greater than his nature will allow.†10 1. Genesis 2: 16-17   (NIV) 2. Galatians 5: 13a   (NIV) 3. Shelly, Mary.   Frankenstein, Norton Critical Edition, p. 30 4. Shelly, p. 32 5. Shelly, p. 49 6. Shelly, p. 115 7. Shelly, p. 116 8. Shelly, p. 137 9. Luke 7: 14-15   (NIV) 10. Shelly, p. 31 Works Cited: Shelly, Mary. Frankenstein. Quality Paperback Book Club, New York. 1994. Beyond Free Will in Mary Shelley's Frankenstein Essay -- Frankenstein Beyond Free Will in Shelly’s Frankenstein  Ã‚   One of the greatest gifts God has given to man is free will.   Free will is the ability to choose our own life’s path, to make decisions, and to suffer our own consequences. God has intended free will to allow us to live our own life by the rules we choose.   However, does free will reach a certain point as which to not crossover?   Man has always envied God, and has always tried to become god-like.   Does this ambition compromise our free will?   In Mary Shelly’s classic novel Frankenstein, Viktor Frankenstein’s tries to bring the dead back to life, and he is successful in animating a creation of his own.   The consequences of his ambition compromised his free will and destroyed his life.   Viktor Frankenstein reached the point of free will which man is not intended to cross over.   Viktor Frankenstein is a fool for trying to play God.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Free will was a gift granted to man right from the start of history.   In the story of Genesis, free will granted by God allowed Adam and Eve to eat from any tree in the garden, including the tree of knowledge.   However, God did set a rule.   â€Å"The Lord God commanded the man, â€Å"You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die.†1  Ã‚   Now, in this story, man is tricked by the serpent, representing the devil, and eats from the tree of knowledge.   He does not die in a sense, but is cast out of paradise and is forced to work off the land for the remainder of his now mortal life.   In a letter from Paul to the Galatians, Paul writes, â€Å"You, my brothers, were called to be free.   But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature.†2  Ã‚   In thes... ...†9  Ã‚   Giving life is God’s job, and any man who tries to become god-like in this sense will surely suffer the consequences of his actions according to Mary Shelly.   I completely agree, and I will conclude with a retrospective quote from Viktor Frankenstein.   â€Å"Learn from me, if not by my precepts, at least by my example, how dangerous is the acquirement of knowledge, and how much happier that man is who believes his native town to be the world, than he who aspires to become greater than his nature will allow.†10 1. Genesis 2: 16-17   (NIV) 2. Galatians 5: 13a   (NIV) 3. Shelly, Mary.   Frankenstein, Norton Critical Edition, p. 30 4. Shelly, p. 32 5. Shelly, p. 49 6. Shelly, p. 115 7. Shelly, p. 116 8. Shelly, p. 137 9. Luke 7: 14-15   (NIV) 10. Shelly, p. 31 Works Cited: Shelly, Mary. Frankenstein. Quality Paperback Book Club, New York. 1994.

Communication skills Essay

Communication is a vital human process that people practice and commit to everyday. Communication is used by people to in interacting with one another and in developing or establishing a particular relationship with the other participants involved in the communication process. Through communication, people are able to understand each other’s views and ideas. There are various types of communication used by people. As such, messages can be conveyed by using different ways and means of communicating with others. One of the important types of communication is through public speaking. We often see this type of communication among public officials when conducting their speeches and any person with authority rendering important messages. Public speaking is a form of mass communication devised to address a diverse group of people at one time. Public speaking is an art or process of addressing the public. It is also a form of an effective oral communication in front of an audience (Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, 2009). Public speaking is often regarded as an art just like acting and dancing. This misconception led us to alter or conceal the usefulness of public speaking. There are two types of art, aesthetics and useful arts. The two is far different from each other. Aesthetic arts aim to render entertainment, and as such giving pleasure is its main goal. On the other hand, useful arts aim to accomplish a material and useful ends (Dolman, 2008). Public speaking is a real communication between persons and is a form of practice of the useful art. In instances, public speaking may pave the way for a significant change. Public speaking is often neglected and overlooked by people who think it is not important for thinking that they will never be engaged in speaking in public. But sometimes, unexpected situations arise as we are called for a presentation of a topic in front of a large and diverse audience. It is no longer an issue if public speaking should be included in the comprehensive curricula of schools and universities. The place of public speaking in the campuses has long been established for its assumed relevance to the people once they have to face reality and its challenges. Teaching this course, maybe in one form or another, is important in a child’s education. It is assumed that students are not only trained to have knowledge in effective communication, but also teaches them rigid intellectual discipline (Winter, 2005). Regardless of your personality and what line of job you are doing, you will never know when the time to speak in front of an audience has risen. The training offered in schools serves as a preparation for the future needs for effective oral communication. It may be an academic presentation or a big company address. In both these fields, effective public speaking is required in addressing the audience. Some people do not give high importance in acquiring good public speaking skills thinking that the skill is designed for public officials and salesman. Good public speaking skill is the gem of good and effective communication skills and acquiring such skills may be essential in one’s career. Even if you are signing up for a new job, employers consider the communication skills both spoken and written and become part of their hiring decision. Skills in public speaking do not only prove as useful in addressing large audiences but it is also inter-related with the other communication skills of a person. As you improve your public speaking skills, you also improve your interpersonal communication with your peers and family. The skill in public speaking has become exceedingly useful to people and to the traditional and contemporary society. No one exactly ever knows who will be the next leaders of the society. Once leadership is achieved by an individual, the skill in public speaking is very important and indispensable. Every prominent man and woman in every field is often required to address different kinds of audiences once a while (Hayworth, 2005). There are a number of reasons why people should learn public speaking and why every student should take such course. First, almost every one of us will be required to be involved in public speaking at some point in our lives. It may be a simple class reporting or recitation or an inaugural speech, preparation and knowledge is vital to every person as they engage in such activity. In addition, employers value the skill in public speaking in finding their potential employees. Acquiring a skill or formal education in public speaking will give the person an edge or an advantage in finding a job. Lastly, being an effective speaker renders one the tool to significantly change and make a difference in your business or community (MoneyInstructor. com, n. d. ). A person may not know what type of career he or she will end up working. It may be in a fast food chain or in a big company, where constant communication with clients and customers require effective communication. Public speaking may be able to teach how to compose oneself in dealing with clients and customers and how to relate to them through various types of communication. Moreover, students will not only develop their communication skill when taking up this course. Learning the subject may offer them the ability and capacity to meet the demands of life. In the class, they will develop more poise and confidence that may help and enable them to face situations which require such skills and abilities (Hayworth, 2005). Learning public speaking skills will not only improve your communication skills but will also improve discipline, posture, and boost one’s confidence. Communication skills may continue to improve over the years, the key is constant practice and developing these skills. References Dolman, J. (2008). A Handbook of Public Speaking. Charleston, SC:BiblioBazaar, LLC. Hayworth, D. (2005). Public Speaking. USA: Kessinger Publishing. Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary. (2009). Public Speaking. Retrieved February 16, 2009, from http://www. merriam-webster. com/dictionary/public speaking. MoneyInstructor. com. (n. d). Introduction to Public Speaking. Retrieved February 16, 2009, from http://www. moneyinstructor. com/lesson/pspeakintro. asp. Winter, I. L. (2005). Public Speaking: Principles and Practice. USA: Kessinger Publishing.

The American Health Information Management Association

The American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) is an association of Health Information Management professionals whose mission is to be â€Å"the professional community that improves healthcare by advancing best practices and standards for health information management and the trusted sourced for education, research and professional credentialing† (http://www.ahima.org/about/mission.asp).The association provides its members educational training and certifications to better equip them for their roles as Health Information Management (HIM) professionals who occupy a number of roles from implementing electronic health records, clinical coding systems, and improving the quality of information (http://www.ahima.org/about/history.asp, http://www.ahima.org/membership/MemberEmployerFlyer.pdf).HIM professionals would find membership in this association an investment because it provides their members opportunities for continuing education keeping them at par with the late st developments of the health information management industry.The association also trains their members to endow upon them the skills crucial in the members’ development such as leadership and professional synergy (http://www.ahima.org/membership/ MemberEmployerFlyer.pdf).The information on this website, especially the opportunities for continuing education would greatly help me in my career as a health information manager.The knowledge I would be able to gain from the training and resource materials accessible only to members would make me a formidable candidate when I apply in a corporation.   Also, the certifications that I complete through them would open other career opportunities for me which would not have otherwise been available.

Regular education classrooms Essay

All students participate in regular education classrooms except students with the most severe disabilities who would be in normalized and age-appropriate classroom on the same campus. Few students are excluded. Level IV – Despite the degree of disability, all students are fully included in general education classrooms. Specialists and teaching assistants provide support for students with the most severe disabilities within the classroom. The regular education teacher is responsible for structuring social interactions with typical peers. The least inclusive proposal places most students with mild disabilities in regular classes, but excludes those with moderate through severe disabilities, placing them in separate rooms within the regular school building (Lilly, 1986). This proposal is closest to the traditional manner of service delivery and is the easiest to implement in terms of using available special educators as support personnel and providing training in methods for regular education teachers to include these children. More inclusive is the proposal to place students with mild or moderate disabilities in regular education classes (Reynolds & Wang, 1983; Wang, Reynolds & Walburg, 1987). The essence and meaning of inclusion evolved from the historical concepts in early childhood special education, that is, mainstreaming and integration. Bricker (1995) discusses the evolution of these terms, noting that mainstreaming refers to the â€Å"reentry of children with mild disabilities be served totally in these settings eliminating the need for pull-out programs. While students with organically-based learning disabilities or moderately demonstrated behavioral disorders would not have been included in regular education rooms in the Level I proposal, they would be included here. Yet, proponents of both levels agree that there will be students with severe and/or multiple disabilities whose needs will not be served optimally in a mainstream environment. They feel that these students will need to participate full-time in separate settings. Level III includes a more extensive involvement of severely impaired students in regular education. All students are included except those who are unable to be involved in academic or social interactions (Gartner & Lipsky, 1987). However, even these students would participate in nearby classrooms which would be as normalized and age-appropriate as possible. The most extreme view is that of full inclusionists, who propose that all students should participate in general education classes. Claiming that to do otherwise would be to support a â€Å"dual-system† for the most disabled, Level IV proponents propose the integration of even profoundly-impaired students into totally normalized classes (Stainback & Stainback, 1984). This position has prompted the strongest reaction of implausibility from those opposed to the Regular Education Initiative. Yet parents and professionals supporting Level IV inclusion do acknowledge that there are situations in which these students cannot be grouped with other s because of instructional differences. Thus, the Regular Education Initiative gives a sense of inclusion for students. Yet, a number of researchers and educators have opposed the Regular Education Initiative strongly. They cite the historical inability and lack of desire of regular education to meet students’ needs. That is the reason why the IDEA cropped up. They worry about the loss of funding and parental right. They also note that most regular educators are not trained to have students with disabilities in their classes. They say that teachers cannot meet societal demands for excellence if they are expected to have vastly different levels of student academic and behavioral performance in their classes. Supporters of inclusion differ in the extent of disability integrated into regular education classes. Some support placement only of students with mild disabilities in regular education, with students demonstrating more severe impairments participating on the regular education campus, but in separate impairments participating on the regular education campus, but in separate classes. The continuum expands to include students with more severe impairments in regular classrooms on a part-time basis, to the full exclusionists, who would have all students participate full-time despite the degree of disability. The problem is how to incorporate students into classes where teachers and nondisabled peers are welcoming as well as competent in dealing with difference. Thus, the debate continues. This paper looks into these inclusionary practices and explores how these are helpful for all concerned. Enormous amount of research has been made to explore the factors associated with caring for a disabled children and the deleterious effects these factors have on parents’ well-being. Research evidences points out that the family attitude greatly contributes to the prognosis. Risk factors such as lack of services and negative attitudes can have an adverse influence on the prognosis of the mentally-handicapped child. Obtainable studies show that most often parents have a negative attitude towards their child with mental disabilities. Parents are weighed down with feelings of pessimism, hostility, and shame. Denial, grief, withdrawal, rejection, projection of blame and finally, acceptance are the usual parental reactions. (Drew CJ, Logan DR, Hardman ML. )

Brasil & Europeans

In the colonial period of 1600, the Portuguese were the first amongst the Europeans to settle in Brazil. At that time, only native Indians and nomadic tribes were living in the area. The Portuguese came not to control, conquer or develop the country instead they wanted profitable trade and agriculture. However, three centuries later the land was exploited mostly for wood, sugarcane, coffee beans and gold mining. Man power was provided by both African and Indian slaves. Many Italians settled in Brazil after the boom in coffee production.Intermarriages between different ethnicities and cultures made Brazil one of the most multi- cultured country in the world. Most Brazilians have European, African, Amerindian, Asian and Middle Eastern ancestors. Brazil gained its independence from the Portuguese colonizers on September 7, 1822. In 1889, a military coup backed by the coffee industrialists forced the emperor to leave the country. Coffee planters had great influence in Brazil and practica lly ran the government for the next 30 years. Brazil struggled with military coups and economic instability in those years.After three decades Fernando Coller de Mello was elected in the first democratic elections. He was removed from office for his corruption. The capital of the country is Brasilia and its current President is Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. The country is federal presidential representative democratic republic in which the President serves as the head of state and head of government. The currency of Brazil is the â€Å"real† (BRL). Brazil follows the Roman legal system. It is a presidential democracy since 1985. The voters of the country had decided not to restore the constititutional monarchy.Brazil is slightly smaller than the United States. It borders the Atlantic Ocean and located in the East of South America. It is the largest country in South America. It has boundaries meeting with all the South American countries except Chile and Ecuador. The low-lying Am azon Rainforest is to the North of Brazil and the south is home to farmers and the agricultural base. The highest peak of Brazil is Pico da Neblina. The largest river in the world, the Amazon also flows through Brazil. The climate varies in different regions from tropical to temperate.The territory of Brazil is said to cover 8,514,876. 599 km2. This wide territory is split into twenty-six states and one federal district. All states are completely independent in terms of their law-making, public security, government and taxation. Brazil has highly structured agricultural, mining, manufacturing, and service sectors and its economy prevails over the economies of the other South American countries. In 1998, Brazil received a $41. 5 billion IMF-led international support program due to its large account deficits.In 1999, the Brazilian Central Bank declared that the currency real would no longer be pegged to the US dollar. This devaluation slowed down the recession and the country witnesse d slight economic growth. The growth of the economy was less than 2% in 2001 due to the high interest rates. At the end of 2001 the country gained much investor confidence. The economy in Brazil is said to be the â€Å"ninth largest economy in the world and tenth largest at market exchange rates†. (Wikipedia). The biggest barriers to economic development are widespread bureaucracy, corruption, poverty and illiteracy within the Brazilian Government.. The government intervenes and plays the most important role in all of the country’s economic activities. Brazil is still a newly industrializing country (NIC) and most development has taken place in southeastern states such as Parana, Sao Paulo and Rio De Janeiro. The industries are producing automobiles and parts, machinery, equipment, steel, textiles, shoes, cement, lumber, iron ore, tin, petrochemicals, computers, aircraft, and consumer durables. Brazil has been leading in the alternative energy sector. Electricity is be ing generated through hydropower.It is exporting oil despite its little amount of oil reserves. Within the service sector, the tourist industry is one of the biggest in Brazil. The Brazilian justice system is painfully slow and unjust. Laws are altered for the rich. The legal system has many defecicies. Many crimes commited by Brazialians are tried for only a limited time span. By the time the authorities get their act together, it is almost too late. Sentences are often reduced by 50% for the crimes commited at the age of 70. Brazil is also an important partner for the European Union.It is a charter member of the UN and contributes troops for peacekeeping efforts in Angola, East Timor, Middle East, Mozambique, Belgian Congo and Haiti. It is the leading member of the G-20 group of nations. The 170 million population of Brazil consist of a majority of 53. 7% whites and 38. 5% multiracial people. Blacks, Asians, Amerindians are in insignifiant propotions. Portuguese is the most widely spoken and understood language in Brazil. Brazil follows mostly Portuguese culture and traditions brought by the colonizers.The African Slaves inspired most of Brazil's music, dance, cuisine, religion and language. Brazil has the largest population of Roman Catholics in the world. Almost half of the output of fiction, poetry, and drama of South America comes from Brazilians. Carnaval is a popular yearly celebration and tourist attraction which is held for forty days to mark the start of Lent. The music in Brazil is richly flavored with a variety of music styles including samba, bossa nova, forro, frevo and many others. Cinema culture started in Brazil in the late 19th century.Many Brazilian films such as Cidade de Deus and Carandiru have received international critical acclaim. Sports specially football are very popular in Brazil. The Brazilain national footbal team has a huge local and interntional following. The team has won the FIFA world cup five times. Brazil’s most not able players are Pele, Ronaldo and Ronaldinho. Other popular sports are capoeira and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Food is a reflection of the racial mix of Brazil. The most popular dishes of Brazil are Feijoada, Caipirinha and Pao de Queijo and rice and beans are basic to every menu.Most Brazilians are in their mid-twenties while 34% are under the age of fourteen. Brazil has rapidly urbanized and almost 75% of the population live in the urban areas. They are not enough jobs in Brazil to support such a large population which is why there is widespread unemployment. Unemployement was said to have reached 9. 8% in 2005 and 8 out of 10 are living in the highly populated urban centers. The largest population of almost 11. 016. 703 people are found in the city of Sao Paulo. A huge majority of people are often forced to resort to street vending, drug peddling and prostitution.The population in the rural areas receive fewer water and sanitation services as compared to urban areas. Many contagious d iseases like cholera, diarrheas have emerged as a result of lack of basic sanitation services. WORKS CITED: †¢ Brazil. † Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. 23 Apr 2007, 11:43 UTC. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. 24 Apr 2007 . †¢ Brazil. CIA_The World Factbook. 2002. http://www. umsl. edu/services/govdocs/wofact2002/geos/br. html Brazil

Parental Communication Initiative as An Answer to Most of the Social Essay - 1

Parental Communication Initiative as An Answer to Most of the Social Issues - Essay Example Talking about such topics should not be made hard especially when parents open up the communication lines with teenage offspring. If parents can talk to these teens, maybe the 2008 statistics where18% of who commits abortion is teenagers would have been lower (Jones, et al, 5). Presently, efforts are being made and 82% of parents are already taking time talking to their children about sex and sexuality according to the Planned Parenthood website. This may be the factor which can decrease the number of teenage pregnancies over the years. Numbers will not go down instantly though there will be changes. Same goes for those teens with different forms of vices and abusive habits which can affect not just the physical aspect but also the mental and social aspects of life. Parents should be the guide to the children especially those on the teenage years where a lot of changes do happen not just physically but almost the totality of a teenager’s personality. This is not to blame parents for the mistakes of the youth, yet this may awaken parents of what can be done for the improvement of humanity. Parents should also set an example to these teens on how to properly lead their lives. Sometimes children see parents having vices. When they reach their teenage years and more independence is experienced and practiced, these teenagers may have the perception that these vices are allowed and can be done which should not be the case. Something needs to be done to break the chain and improve the lives of those teenagers who will be future leaders. Things can still be changed and parents can still make it a point to talk to teenage kids every now and then. Teenagers have the tendencies though of being hard headed.

Psychological Theories Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Psychological Theories - Essay Example Psychoanalytic theory was developed by Freud and it basically states that motivator of an individual’s behavior is the unconscious which comes about as a result of the social environment of that individual. Behavioral theories are by Pavlov and Watson and they state that the behavior of an individual is caused and motivated by the conditioning of different factors in the environment. The anti -social personality theory states that the personality of an individual which is shaped by the environment and it determines how they will turn out in future. The above mentioned psychological theories all come up with one conclusion that the difference between criminals and law abiding citizens is influenced by the environment in which the individual grew up in and which surrounds that individual on a daily basis. Individuals growing up and living in a crime infested neighborhood or in an emotionally unstable family may easily turn to criminal behavior compared to that in a peaceful neighborhood and stable family upbringing. Those in the criminal-related fields like police and lawyers and prisons or social workers should consider using these theories to determine the cause and motivator of the criminal behavior and work using these theories to reform those criminals and prevent others from becoming

Written assignment 3 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Written assignment 3 - Essay Example b. Longs Peak in Rocky Mountain National Park, is 14,259 feet in elevation. Can you see Cheyenne, Wyoming (about 74 miles away at an elevation of 6,062 feet, so youll have to subtract to get the height to use in the equation) from its summit? Use part a! Explain your answer. (I—your facilitator—used to live pretty close to Longs Peak; I could see it out my office window, and my brother lives in Wyoming. Ive been able to test this by looking for Longs Peak from Cheyenne since being able to see Longs Peak from Cheyenne is equivalent to being able to see Cheyenne from Longs Peak. Ive also climbed Longs Peak, but I didnt look for Cheyenne when I was there. If you do the algebra correctly, you do in fact get the same answer that Ive observed. So, D = 1.32 * = 119.51 miles ïÆ'   this is the distance from the summit that an observer can view to the horizon and 74 miles is within this range, therefore, I would be able to see Cheyenne, Wyoming from the top of Longs

Performance Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Performance Management - Essay Example Therefore, the system of performance management generally involves evaluating and developing the skills, behaviors, and the performance of individual employees, for ensuring that the organization competes favorably in the market through its high performance. Performance management is used as a measuring and management instrument of employees in the organization. This process mostly benefits the big international companies, and those companies, whose workforce is greatly distributed. As a process, performance management comprises different types of activities aimed at achieving the objective of the general process. These include reward and remuneration for employees, coaching and mentoring of employees, team working, measuring, competencies, and personal development plans, among others. Today, performance management is characterized by various changes, as the way it is approached today differs with how the process was approached in the past centuries. The changes in performance management today have contributed to its increased efficiency, and help organizations retain their high-performing employees. Performance management today is a holistic process, which embraces different processes, and this is efficient in people management in compa nies (Kreitner 2008). Armstrong & Baron (2005) note that performance management is not a new process. This has lasted for the past seventy years, since its inception in the 1940’s. Initially, managers of companies developed performance management during this period, in order to establish whether the different salaries and remuneration for the employees were justified or not.... The difference between performance management of those days, and the performance management today, is reflected in the complexity of the process. Today, performance management process is more sophisticated, as managers have incorporated more elements, which lacked in the past. For instance, managers have incorporated the aspects of development planning, competencies, and 360-degree feedback, among others, in the recent times (Armstrong & Baron 2005). According to Hale and Whitlam (2000), it is possible to trace the roots of performance management back to through the various past themes of organizational development. In this case, there was a work-study performed. Work would be broken down into different tasks in a way that is analytical. This helped with time planning, supervision, and cost planning. Additionally, this would help in determining the incentives for employees on the job. In this case, the aspect of competency took a different approach, as we know it today, since this di d not apply to more diverse work, and not only limited to work-study (Hale &Whitlam 2000). Another situation in past organization that reflects performance management is the use of merit schemes. The merit schemes in organizations were historically used to provide the generic definition of effective performance, in addition to providing a scale, with which performance would be assessed and rated against. However, today, the merit schemes have been disregarded due to their weaknesses. For instance, merit schemes cannot be used to measure aspects of a job that are unique, therefore, this is limiting. Additionally, the merit schemes could not be used to measure behavioral characteristics, which

The BP Oil Spill in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010 Research Paper

The BP Oil Spill in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010 - Research Paper Example In particular, this paper includes discussion and evaluation of different aspects of BP Oil Spill to identify ethical issues related to it and lessons that can come from it. Alongside these factors, there are also the numerous risks that each business faces, whether it is through competition, emerging firms, varying economic factors or the fluctuating exchange rates of currencies that account for a major part of the company’s business. To understand risk, one has to acknowledge what it means in true business. In the world of commerce, it mean that there is an existing probability that a particular step or decision leads to an undesirable impact, such as loss of valuable resources, or failure to accomplish the desired goal (Great Britain, pp.1). It exists in all businesses, and dealing with them is the main part of an entrepreneur’s job, even if the degree of risk involved can vary from business to business. This variation is the main reason why ethics are not receiving the same amount of importance as before in several businesses, who seem accustomed to following unethical procedures in their businesses. During the earlier part of the last century, businesses faced higher risks due to the manual nature of the work they did. This does not exist currently, however, where risk can be measured quite accurately due to the technologies present. British Petroleum (BP) is one of the highest-ranking companies in the world, which started as a local oil company. Nowadays, BP is famous worldwide for its success as an oil and gas company providing its service globally. A few years ago, it executed one of its large projects names ‘Deepwater Horizon’, on the Gulf of Mexico (Miller, et. al., pp. 15-97). This led to the oil spill and explosion, which happened on April 20, 2010, a disaster, which the world remembers as the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill (Miller, et. al., pp. 15-97). Some major victims of this spill were marine creatures who had their h omes and habitats destroyed by the spilled oil in the sea. The cause of this spill was the failure to keep the gas pressure in the well under control, which further led to the blowout preventer malfunctioning, resulting in the disastrous oil spill. After a conflagration, the rig was swallowed by the sea, leading to the oil seeping out, and continuing for three straight months before the company was able to seal the well and stop it. Several millions of barrels of oil spilled into the Gulf, killing several human beings, marine animals and destroying a famed tourist location and the homes of thousands of marine animals (Miller, et. al., pp. 15-97). Observations In particular, BP Oil Spill resulted in a number of unethical outcomes that affected the human society environmentally, economically, as well as socially. One significant adverse impact that the spill had was ecological damage killing an unimaginable amount of marine life, including animals, plants, and corals, and it was mainl y â€Å"whales, dolphins, turtles, beach mice, birds, fish, corals, and many others† (King, pp. 3-10) who became victim to the spill. The cause of this was when the operators lost control of the gas pressure in the well. This led to a massive leaking of gas into the water, which decreased the oxygen level in

Summary of two articles Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Summary of two articles - Essay Example The authors note the fact that what has in fact happened under the modern construct of cultural development is a mass standardization. Whereas before no unifying cultural interpretation existed, a false construct has been born out of this void and integrates with the individual on nearly every level of daily life. Moreover, this â€Å"false† form of culture, as the authors describes it, was originally born out of the supposed needs of the consumer (Horkheimer 1972). Such a process in and of itself is not inherently bad; however, the fact of the matter was that in order for the â€Å"needs† of the consumer to be met, a type of stereotypicalization and least common denominator had to be found. It is this process of the false culture seeking to find the least common denominator that the author’s claim is the greatest single reason why our current cultural interpretation is so misinformed, warped, and non-indicative of what would otherwise likely naturally exist in i ts place. The second article which will herein be reviewed is entitled, â€Å"Cultural Consumption as Manipulation†. This article deals with the more sinister ways in which the false ideas of culture that continue to be manifest to the individual are in fact highly developed tools which can affect a number of ulterior goals upon the consumer. As has been noted in the analysis, governments and corporations can both make ample use of culture as a platform to affect the given needs that they feel would best benefit their own particular interests in a given matter. As a means of discussing such a research interest, the authors break the ultimate question down into an analysis of both contemporary and past cultural historians and the means by which they have understood the unique paradigm that has grown and currently manifests itself within the global system of cultural interpretation. By analyzing both past representations as well as current realities of cultural conveyance, the authors seek to draw a level of inference upon the way that individuals embrace, identify with, and ultimately create a false reality within the constructs of the cultural material they are being fed on a daily basis. In short, what the authors present is something of a self fulfilling prophecy that takes place regardless of the particular cultural paradigm that is being studied. For instance, if one is met with the understanding and eventuality that what they are seeing, hearing, and otherwise experiencing is in fact a type of cultural reality, they are all the more likely to reflect this understanding back to the media and to the culture by closely mirroring the behavior that has been learned. In this way types of socio-cultural and psychological factors of mimicry and mirroring of what has been integrated into the mind of the collective consciousness is in fact what drives the interpretation and derivation of culture within the context of the given article’s point of view. Although this view is perhaps more cynical of the two articles that have been reviewed within this short analysis, the fact of the matter is that there is no clear divorce between culture, perception, and its exhibition within reality. Although the method by which this information is presented to the reader is disquieting, due in large part to the fact that the reader beings to see and understand the level of mirroring that takes place within the current system and within his/her

The causes of crime are ultimately matters of individual Essay

The causes of crime are ultimately matters of individual responsibility and choice. Critically discuss - Essay Example Many of the different approaches to dealing with crime are developed within those frameworks from the various assumptions and values which hold sway within that particular nation. It is more likely that, for countries or systems that believe a criminal is a product of his or her environment, money will be spent on rehabilitation and treatment with much less emphasis on custodial sentences. For those who believe people are responsible for their actions and intend to commit crimes (indeed intention, or mens rea, is required in all systems in order to convict someone of crime), the emphasis is likely to be on punishment, generally not specifically intended to address rehabilitation, such as custody. Clearly these concepts require a great deal of unpacking which will be done in the course of this essay. The key thing is to examine the various explanations as to why people commit crimes, be they biological psychological or sociological, and what sorts of criminal systems such approaches g enerate. It is quite imperative to begin this analysis by acknowledging the variety of definitions of crime as used by various criminal justice systems all over the world. The variety of such definitions has been brought about by the modern society whereby some people differ on what is good and what is wrong. In relation to this, some crimes are said to be acceptable in some circumstances by some groups while others, non-criminal, actions are believed unacceptable. What then ringers in our minds is who has the power to define the term crime? However, the term has had a number of definitions. To start with, a crime is said to be an act prescribed by law and is subject to punishment. It can not only be an act, but also an omission which is failure to act where law enforces a duty to act. It is worth noting that in the recent times, crimes are not only being restricted to acts and omissions that can violate that rights of other people, but also those which can either harm the