Effects Of Obesity On The United States And Worldwide

Research Strategy A. Significance and Background Obesity is a major public health concern in the United States and worldwide. Recent data suggest that more than 70% of the U.S. adults 20 years or older are overweight or obese (CDC 2016, CDC 2015). Obesity is associated with numerous serious health sequelae, including cardio- and neuro- vascular diseases, diabetes, and several types of cancer and incurs substantial medical costs (CDC 2015). Given the seriousness of the public health concern, there is great interest in the identification and mitigation of potential causes of obesity. As such, obesogenic environmental contaminants with widespread exposure and biological persistence is of great concern. Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) have been a public health and environmental concern for many years given their persistence in the environment, tendency to bioaccumulate, and toxic, carcinogenic, and endocrine-disrupting potentials (Bonefeld-Jorgensen 2014). Perfluoroalkyl Chemicals (PFCs) is one such family, chemically characterised by a fluorinated linear carbon chain with a hydrophilic head (Volkel 2008). Due to its stability, amphiphilicity, and non-flammability (Lau 2007, Kotthoff 2015), PFCs are commonly used to aid the industrial production of textiles, food packages, and cookware (Kotthoff 2015, Humblet 2014). PFCs can remain in the environment and bioconcentrate in animals (Lau 2007). PFCs are metabolic products from parent compounds such as fluorotelomer alcohol andShow MoreRelatedChildhood Obesity : A Obesity1247 Words   |  5 PagesChildhood Obesity: A Review to Prevent the Risk Factors of Childhood Obesity in Our Community. The rates of childhood obesity Worldwide are alarmingly high! Obesity is a global nutritional concern and leads to horrible consequences on our children and becomes a worldwide pandemic. Worldwide estimates of obesity are as high as 43 million, and rates continue to increase each year. 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The Prevalence Of Attention Deficit / Hyperactivity...

As the prevalence of Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in the United States continues to rise, whether or not is being properly diagnosed and subsequently treated is of great concern to many. Since, according to Adesman, 2001 â€Å"Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)†¦is the most common and thoroughly researched neuropsychiatric disorder affecting children and adolescents† (p. 66) people are inquisitive to the core reason responsible for its popularity. Could it be due to a greater knowledge and understanding of the disorder or could it be due to a lack of parenting skills? Have doctors become lazy and seek to use ADHD as a catch-all diagnosis so as not to appear incompetent or could it be something more nefarious such as financial gain? Are we as a society simply excusing bad behavior or is there a genetic/biological/socio-cultural link that better explains why ADHD is being diagnosed more and more frequently? One last question is to what d egree is this disorder based on differing cultural conditions? Before it was known as ADHD, the world referred to the not yet recognized by the American Psychological Association disorder as hyperkinetic impulse disorder. It was not until 1968, sixty-six years after being first mentioned by British pediatrician Sir George Still, that hyperkinetic impulse disorder would be recognized as a mental disorder in the second edition Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-II). Hyperkinetic impulseShow MoreRelatedAttention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder ( Adhd )1561 Words   |  7 PagesIntroduction: Definition: Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a â€Å"persistent pattern of inattention and/or hyperactivity-impulsivity that is more frequently displayed and more severe than is typically observed in individuals at a comparable level of development†. 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The Interpersonal Relationships in The Workplace Free Essays

string(66) " to convince their subordinates of the policy†s importance\." In recent years the corporate workforce has become more diversified in gender, race, ethnicity and sexual orientation. As a consequence the workforce at most major corporations is now more reflective of the general population than it was in the past. Yet the issue of diversity in the workplace is often not addressed or, in some cases, overlooked by management. We will write a custom essay sample on The Interpersonal Relationships in The Workplace or any similar topic only for you Order Now Of particular interest is the management of interpersonal relationships of both heterosexual and homosexual employees in the workplace. In a prosperous economic climate, corporations are often forced to compete for qualified employees. Many corporations have attempted to attract such employees by offering benefits that meet their lifestyle needs. Some examples of such benefits are on-site daycare and the recognition of same sex couples in terms of benefits. Benefits of this nature project an image of the corporation that emphasizes acceptance and fairness. These characteristics are highly valued by prospective employees and are one of the primary factors considered when choosing between competing offers. From a management perspective the interpersonal relationships of employees is a delicate issue that requires attention. Management must recognize that the workforce is a diverse ever-changing entity. To that end management must assess the lifestyle needs of the workforce and integrate that into the corporate policy in such a way as to not adversely affect other areas. To accomplish this, management must constantly evaluate and evolve corporate policy to address the issues that will undoubtedly arise. The effective management of interpersonal relationships is intrinsically complex. From an organizational level it requires a corporate policy that defines what it considers a workplace relationship and specifies guidelines regarding what is and is not acceptable behavior. First and second level managers are then required to implement the corporate policy on the frontline. Also of concern is the method, if any, of enforcing such a policy. The complications of workplace relationships are varied. There are obvious cases of problems within the relationship that are directly observable and able to be managed. But there are also cases where complications arise outside of the relationship. An important aspect of the management of interpersonal relationships is the ability to detect and resolve these complications fairly. In discussing the management of interpersonal relationships in the workplace, it is important to clarify what is typically considered a workplace relationship. Most corporations that acknowledge relationships between employees, and subsequently have policies restricting their behavior, define a workplace relationship as that of a legally married heterosexual couple. In recent times some corporations have changed their policy to include same sex partners or spousal equivalents in their definition of a workplace relationship. Regardless of whether or not they are formally recognized by the organization, the majority of issues that face married heterosexual employees in a workplace relationship also apply to heterosexual and same sex partners who are not married. For the purposes of this paper we will consider both married and unmarried heterosexual and homosexual couples as a being involved in a workplace relationship. When it comes to workplace relationships, corporations are fearful of all of the associated pitfalls. Generally, an employer will document certain corporate policies pertaining to who can be in a relationship with another employee. Some common restrictions are that managers are prohibited from relationships with their subordinates or that a couple is not supposed to work for the same manager. More often than not, there is an unwritten workplace code that employees should not start relationships from within the same group because of the possible negative consequences. Most corporations will also subject employees to workplace diversity or compliance training where the new employees will learn what is considered appropriate behavior. This usually includes sensitivity training for correctly dealing with diverse employee groups and various sexual harassment issues. Even small companies require these types of policies and training because many types of relationships exist in the work environment, including the introduction of same sex relationships in the workforce. As a result of today’s lawsuit prone environment, corporations are more fearful than ever of impropriety by their employees. The training and rules are designed to avoid the costly litigation involved in harassment suits and the requisite problems that evolve from relationships. Corporations realize the importance of stopping such claims and limiting their liability by enforcing these laws. The problem though, as with any corporate decree, is that it is only as strong as the managers who implement the policies. The first step for a corporation is to put the policy into writing. If a corporation does not have a written policy on workplace relationships, all that is left are unwritten rules. Unwritten rules are left up to the manager to determine what is right, wrong, and the enforcement for that part of the organization. This leads to chaos because there are no management mediation techniques, no way for the employees to know they are about to cause organizational friction, and no common implementation from managers. On the other end of the spectrum, a few companies have gone as far as Aerotek, a high-tech temp agency with a strict no-dating-at-work rule. 1 Once the policy is completed, the next step is to communicate the policy to not only the managers, but also the employees. There are several ways the corporation can choose to notify their employees of any policy changes. First, managers need to attend training and orientation classes to learn how to effectively handle any situation and to receive materials on how to correctly disseminate the information to their employees. Managers will need to sit down with their group and spell out the issues. There is danger here in how the manager communicates the policies. If the manager does not respect the policy and the employees notice, the rules will be ineffective in prohibiting problems. In addition, if the employees are used to policies which the corporation does not enforce, the manager may be unable to convince their subordinates of the policy†s importance. You read "The Interpersonal Relationships in The Workplace" in category "Essay examples" Regardless of corporate policies, employees usually know what their managers expect from them. Some managers stick to the rules word for word while most shape the rules to their style and liking. Lower level managers may not recognize the downside risk of certain workplace relationships, specifically those where both employees are in the same work group. It is easy for managers to see decreased productivity but it is impossible to predict future problems. A manager is likely to ignore these relationships if the employees are responsible and don’t let their outside lives effect the work life. Some managers even encourage relationships because of the emotional bond that they have formed with their employees. When it does become a problem though, it may be too late to save the group dynamic. Managers have a tendency to trust that their employees will always behave professionally, but when it comes to emotions, work usually takes a backseat. The truth is that over the past 20 years, sexual harassment lawsuits have gone from zero to over 15,000 complaints filed annually with the Federal Equal Opportunity Commission. 1 The costs of inaction are clear. One only needs to look at the problems introduced in the United States White House to see the harm and disruption that can be caused in the workplace. Thus, it is important for the manager to communicate the corporate policies clearly and recognize the possibility of problems. It is also important for the corporation to clearly define the problems associated with workplace relationships so the managers will take the policies more seriously. It is important to note that it is only when the relationship causes work related problems that the manager should act. In addition, once a manager discovers a new relationship within the group, it is important to communicate the corporate policy again to avoid any confusion. Another aspect of corporate workplace relationship policies is relationship contracts. Some companies, to avoid harassment and relationship based litigation, require employees involved in a workplace relationship to declare such status to the human resource department. The human resource department will require the couple to sign a legal contract protecting the company from any problems which may result due to their relationship. The contract will state that in spite of all the risks that you independently and collectively desire to undertake and pursue a mutually consensual social and amorous relationship. If the employees refuse to sign the contract, one or both of the employees may be terminated as a result. The company can promote workplace relationships this way and still protect themselves from future problems. This still does not protect the group from relationship problems which affect the group dynamic. An overlooked segment of corporate policies relates to homosexual employees. It is important for homosexual employees to have a safe, productive, and open work environment. If the corporation does not have a written policy on harassment issues, the homosexual employees will feel like they do not fully belong to the organization. Consequently, homosexual employee’s work suffers because of the mistrust, alienation, and emotional conflict about not being able to reveal the truth. It gets much worse when there is a homosexual relationship in the same work group. Not only must they hide their sexual orientation, but also their relationship. When companies have firm written rules about non-traditional relationships and discrimination practices, it makes it easier for the mentioned employees to feel comfortable about who they are and not worry about anything except doing the job. When it comes to homosexual employees, extra policies must be adopted and followed because of the harassment that they are sometimes subjected to in the workplace. The fact is that discrimination and harassment of gays is perfectly legal in most of America. Gays can lose their jobs, homes, kids, and sometimes their lives with little or no recourse available to them. There is no federal protection for gay citizens provided by the U. S. Constitution or Congress. As of the end of 1994, only one-third of the Fortune 1,000 companies had nondiscrimination policies inclusive of sexual orientation. Because of this, it is important for corporations, large and small, to create an inclusive environment for all of their employees. Managers must push for and implement the non-discrimination policies for the good of the organization. Management should also recognize that employees cannot be satisfied with their job without first satisfying the environmental and social problems which are inherent for homosexual employees. Written and enforced corporate policies go a long way towards helping satisfy those lower order needs. All corporate policies are ineffective if the company does not follow through with penalties for those who choose not to follow them. Organizations should have formal written guidelines on what a manager should do if such a problem occurs. Once a manager recognizes a problem, the first step should be to discuss the situation in a friendly environment. It is important for the manager not to confront the employee openly when other employees are present or to address the issue in a hostile fashion. The manager needs to explain what they have noticed and what they think the issue could be. The employee should be given a chance to explain what the problem is. Next, the employee must present what they can do to rectify the situation. The employee then needs to be given time to fix the problem. If the problem continues, the manager can try talking to the subordinate again or forward the issue to the human resource department. It is then up to the human resource employees to handle the problem. The human resource department is better at handling these issues because they do not have the emotional attachment component that the manager may have. The human resource department will be intimately familiar with the policy and can better explain the problems and consequences to the employee. A manager might be willing to work out the employee’s issues and give a lot of time for them to change but this may cause unwanted group resentment to the special treatment. Managers need to realize that they have many employees and that they cannot give special treatment to any one individual without compensating other subordinates in some similar fashion. A common cause of resentment among heterosexual employees is the topic of same-sex partner benefits. Most heterosexual individuals do not recognize the validity of same-sex partners and do not think they deserve to have similar benefits to that of married couples. A study done in 1993 showed that although 70% of Fortune 1000 companies claimed to not discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation, just over 5% had domestic partner benefits. For a corporation to be competitive in the workforce and retain homosexual employees and customers, they must be inclusive. Some companies worry that they may suffer a financial loss from the backlash of implementing such a policy, but studies have shown that none of the organizations that have implemented these benefits have suffered a loss of either customers or employees. 2 Many gay and lesbian people take the availability of these benefits as a signal that an employer values diversity, that the employer in fact wants all its people treated fairly and equitably. The cost of partner benefits is not high. First of all, a large number of gays and lesbians are not going to self-identify. In addition, most of those partners are working and are covered elsewhere. Finally, despite the cost of AIDS, the costs of other medical events ? complicated pregnancies for example ? are higher in the traditional family. At the same time, it is important to provide heterosexual employees with domestic partner benefits. This provides an equitable policy for the entire organization. Once the company has a policy regarding workplace relationships, harassment, and benefits, it becomes time for the managers to take this information and decide how this effects their group. The manager is then responsible for implementing the corporate policy. The possible consequences of unproductive workplace relationships are probation, forced reassignment, or termination. As long as the employee works to fix the workplace problems, and there is no harassment involved, termination should not be an issue. More commonly the employee would be reprimanded by the manager and human resources and be allowed to work through the issue. If the employee and their partner are working together in the same group, a preferred solution would be for one of the employees to transfer to another group. A transfer can eliminate a lot of issues which come up when both employees work together and may be the best solution for the company and the workplace relationship. Some company policies will mandate that married employees cannot work under the same manager and one of the employees will be required to transfer. Termination can also become a problem though, even when the employees are in different groups. If the employee is preoccupied about something personal that happens in the relationship and it causes constant and long-term work degradation, termination may be the only solution for the manager and human resources department. These situations can be reduced if the company policies and consequences are spelt out clearly when employees go through initial orientation as well as when a relationship starts. When an organization refuses to stand behind its nondiscrimination policies with real actions, such as inclusive education, domestic partner benefits, and public support, it is counting on an unspoken rule of the workplace to mysteriously take effect. This rule is that all the employees will put business before everything and act as though their own opinions, ideals, and beliefs are checked at the door in consideration of the common good. However, such a reaction is rarely, if ever, the case when homosexual employees are involved, especially when the issue at hand is so volatile. A manager must look at productivity and motivation. If you have a workplace team in which two of the people conflict because one is homophobic and the other is openly and comfortably gay, your challenge is not to change either of their minds. Your challenge is not getting the employees to accept each other but rather a business problem. The employees do not have to learn to like each other but rather how to work together. In situations where the heterosexual employee cannot handle the situation, they will have to transfer or they will most likely end up being terminated. Other corporate policies can involve nepotism. Most corporations will clearly state that a manager cannot hire a relative or spouse to work under them. Most large companies, like Bell Atlantic and Digital Equipment Corporation, will state that an employee can not influence the hiring process in any way. This includes the hiring of outside firms run by a relative regardless of their qualifications. Such nepotistic actions will generally result in the termination or transfer of the newly hired employees and termination of the offending manager. Managers will not always follow corporate policy so it is important for the human resource department to make sure that nothing discriminatory happens. When it comes to work place relationships, some managers can be expected to act against corporate policy or avoid the situation at all costs. By taking the â€Å"don’t ask, don’t tell† position, the manager can avoid the situation in most cases. Some managers may just ignore that the relationship exists all together to avoid having to deal with it, or possibly losing their employees. These stances probably cause more harm than good because they don’t address the possible problems and leave room open for large issues to arise. It is more important to have good communication with your subordinates. When it comes to same sex relationships, managers must put aside any personal beliefs and perceptions about their different employees. Some people may find this very hard to do and will not be able to tactfully deal with these scenarios. In these cases, the manager will most likely project their negative feelings about the employee and create a poor work environment. The manager may create a bad environment in other ways by assigning undesirable job tasks, jobs which they know the employee cannot complete, limiting compensation and career advancement. This is a way for the manager to force the unwanted employees out of the group. Employees need to recognize these situations and report them to the human resource department. A manager also needs to realize when their subordinates are discriminating against one employee and take quick and decisive action. This is where a good discrimination policy can eliminate bad work conditions and remove non-productive employees. Couples working in the same company will experience some unique challenges because of their relationship. Many of the complications will depend on how closely couples work together. Issues such as personal conflict, affection, children, changing jobs, and the sharing of corporate information are all different complications couples will be forced to address. Personal conflict within a relationship can cause problems in the workplace. During a conflict, couples that have easy access to each other during the day can have some performance degradation above and beyond normal anxiety of being in a domestic conflict. Work related interaction is often the reason couples meet one another in the first place, and hence, the initial steps that lead up to a relationship. Once in the work environment, normal business reasons are the initiator of communication, but personal issues become commonplace conversation. When in a conflict, couples end up taking time out of the workday to talk about the issue without notice by others, since interaction for business reasons is necessary. The opposite effect, personal avoidance, is also a result of personal conflict. In one case regarding a couple that worked together closely, conflict within the relationship would impede performance, because they would avoid one another until resolved. These conflicts caused work requiring each other’s assistance not to be performed. On the other hand, many couples are able to put their problems completely aside at work, and find no additional issues with working in the same place during conflict. Many couples insist there are only benefits to working together, and are always able to leave their problems at home. Affection in the workplace has many aspects, and various opinions. Public affection in the workplace, such as hand holding, hugging, and kissing is universally avoided during work hours. Such behavior is viewed as inappropriate, and professionalism prevails, at least publicly. However, differences in opinion regarding particular situations exist. Couples handle affection differently in cases where they are outside of the work area during work hours, or in the case where they are on work property, but before the workday starts. Some people say they have no problem kissing or hugging â€Å"goodbye† after lunch or in the parking lot before going their separate ways. Those who participate in such activities generally think nothing of it, even if people that work for the same company were in the same restaurant or vicinity. In only one case did someone say they felt slightly uncomfortable. In this particular instance, for 10 to 15 seconds the couple would hug and kiss goodbye before getting out of the car when returning from lunch. The level of comfort depended on whether other employees could see them. Another point couples address when working at the same company is the effect on children. The majority of parents actually feel it is easier to bring small children to work, because it means they are able to transport the child to their partner’s work location very easily when there is a need. However, parents also mention that by working for the same company, both parents had the same standard set of holidays. This means that when a child is off from school, it is more likely that both parents will be expected to be at work, making it more likely the child would be joining them in the work environment. People involved in relationships who look for jobs will often encounter the opportunity to work at the same company. Besides meeting at work, another common way for couples to work for the same company is while looking for jobs in a new geographical area that requires moving. The most interesting data point for couples looking for jobs is that many times employment opportunities for one partner will arise while the other partner is interviewing for a job. This occurs in several different ways. Often the person being interviewed will mention that a condition of accepting the job is dependent upon the ability of their partner to find a job in the same new geographical area. This leads to the interviewer getting information through their human resource department to find positions that the partner could interview for. In this scenario, it is then up to the couple to interview well enough to both receive offers for employment. The advantage gained by the couple that leads to both being employed by the same company is the help they get accessing information about job availability. There are many cases of jobs being offered to both partners. In one case, the interviewer mentioned that they were aware the interviewee had a partner that was looking for a position, and then proceeded to offer the partner a job on the spot without solicitation. Often times, a person will accept a job with a new company with the understanding that their partner will then have a better opportunity of getting a job once they have secured employment for themselves. This is because many companies provide information about job openings to employees first, then turn to publicizing the position. The employee with a partner looking for a job has a time advantage that often leads to partner employment. In addition, the internal employee will often have additional information about desirable skills can make a potential candidate for a position more attractive. Another very interesting issue arising from relationships in the workplace is the information that couples share that would normally not be available to them. This turns out to be a very significant issue. Under normal circumstances, managers in the corporate environment have access to certain metrics and information that are not available to non-management employees. Information such as salaries, benefits, policies, and raises are closely kept secrets by management. Also, certain information between different company divisions is not normally shared. However people in relationships share this information with each other, often breaking the code. These are items that managers need to know in order to prepare for them such as changes in company policy or reorganizations. Many times the information shared would eventually be available to their partner, but just not in the same timeframe. Some information, however, would never be available to the general employee population. Information such as pay scales and special benefits are many times shared only with those who need to know or those who are participating in such programs. Quite often information about special benefits, such as bonuses or company options, are shared with partners. This type of information is specifically not shared with employees who do not participate because company policy forbids it. Managers are trained to keep confidential material to themselves. In addition, managers often have the added incentive of participating in programs that they are told to keep confidential. Certainly, sharing such information with life long partners is necessary to make financial decisions. But in less permanent relationships, the partner who is not a participator in such benefits has information meant only for those chosen to participate, or those trained to keep it confidential. This breach of confidentiality is much more likely to occur, and slip into the ranks of peers who are not managers. A special complication of workplace relationships is dealing with the issue of nepotism. Although a buzzword in the corporate world, nepotism among couples is rarely an issue. Even in situation where people in relationships feel the opportunity for employment was gained through a partner or relative, rarely do couples feel their employment is viewed as nepotistic. In fact, just the opposite was stated. Many people in relationships feel the companies they work for encourage relationships among employees, as long as corporate policy was adhered to. It is difficult to determine whether such a view is accurate, or simply self-justification. Feeling that one’s employment is viewed upon as nepotism is more likely amongst relatives. Rarely do the relatives feel it is looked upon negatively by their peers. The diversification of the corporate workforce has changed the way in which management must deal with workplace relationships. Whether formally acknowledged or not, they are a common occurrence in today’s corporate environment that must be addressed. The administration and management of employees is, at the very least, complicated by workplace relationships. From an organizational perspective it is advantageous to have a stated, written policy regarding interpersonal relationships in the workplace. To be effective it is important that the corporation properly communicate the policy to the managers and the employees. If properly implemented such a policy will serve to reduce the legal liability of the corporation and explicitly define what is considered a conflict of interest. It should also state what the corporation will tolerate in terms of a workplace relationship and how it will react to complications that arise from it. In most cases it is the responsibility of the frontline manager to enforce this policy. The implementation of corporate policy is usually executed at the frontline management level. It is the responsibility of the frontline manager to recognize the relationship and ensure that it does not become a workplace issue. When problems occur, the frontline manager must enforce the corporate policy based fairly and authoritatively. From the data gathered, it appears this is the area most in need of improvement. In general, workplace relationships seem to be a positive for both the employer and the employee. From the perspective of the people involved in the personal relationship it offers many advantages such as convenience and increased benefits. For the corporation workplace relationships provide committed, career minded employees who are less likely to change jobs as often. But when complications arise, it is important that a policy is in place and management is properly trained to effectively deal with the situation. How to cite The Interpersonal Relationships in The Workplace, Essay examples

Literary Analysis of Masque of the Red Death Essay Example For Students

Literary Analysis of Masque of the Red Death Essay â€Å"The ‘Red Death’ had long devastated the country. No pestilence had ever been so fatal, or so hideous. Blood was its Avatar and its seal—the redness and the horror of blood† (Poe 373). As the terror of the red death ravaged the kingdom, Prince Prospero and his people attempted to cut themselves off from the outside world and escape their eventual death. Through the use of symbolism, setting, and indirect characterization, author, Edgar Allen Poe uses the tragedy of prince Prospero and his people to illustrate the idea that time is continuous and ensuing death is inescapable. Poe first develops this theme by using symbolism. As the people of the castle partied and forgot about the world around them, the grandfather clock in the black room served as a harsh reminder to the passing time. â€Å"After the lapse of sixty minutes, there came yet another chiming of the clock, and were the same disconnect and tremulousness as before† (Poe 374). The clock interrupting the party represented infinite time, and death looming over the party. Poe’s use of symbolism can also be seen in the castle. The castle is meant to represent man’s effort to use wealth or social class to evade death and the restrictions of time. The castle fails to protect the people, and further verifies the point that time cannot be affected. Lastly, the color red is used to symbolize terror and death. Red becomes the mark of death as â€Å"Scarlet stains upon the body and especially upon the face of the victim (Poe 373) indicate the presence of the Red Death. The red windowpanes in the black room represent this death and the terror of the people who die there. Poe’s uses of symbolism are able to furtively point to the premise that the limits of demise are indisputable. The theme is further developed through the setting of the castle. The layout of the castle helps further illustrate the theme because the people of the castle are confined to seven rooms, which are aligned from east to west. The alignment of the rooms is meant to represent the stages of life, the first room being birth and the last room being death. Because the people of the castle can only pass through these seven rooms, or stages of life, their alignment can be interpreted as the jurisdiction of time. The color of these rooms also complements the theme. The color of the last room, which is black, represents death, and it is were the people of the castle eventually end up. Lastly, the atmosphere of the castle is able to contribute to the theme by representing the ignorance and misconception of the castle dwellers. Their belief that they could evade the plague and their eventual death only validates the theme that death is unavoidable, no matter what your attitude. The theme is conclusively demonstrated through the use of indirect characterization. In the story, it is implied that prince Prospero believes he can escape the limits of time and mortality. As the plague destroyed his kingdom, the prince attempted to outlive the plague by locking himself in his castle. His efforts were unsuccessful and eventually, death was able to intrude the castle. Another example of indirect characterization is the masked man in the castle. The peoples’ shock and fear to discover the masked man explains that he remained hidden entire time. When the eyes of the Prince Prospero fell upon this spectral image (which, with a slow and solemn movement, as if more fully to sustain its role, stalked to and fro among the waltzers) he was seen to be convulsed, in the first moment with a strong shudder either of terror or distaste; but, in the next, his brow reddened with rage. † (Poe 378 ). As the masked man’s discovery undermined the castle’s effort to escape, and enraged the prince, it confirmed the theme that it was only a matter of time before the looming death it showed itself. .u327174283a75c02c4ce20228b42765c6 , .u327174283a75c02c4ce20228b42765c6 .postImageUrl , .u327174283a75c02c4ce20228b42765c6 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u327174283a75c02c4ce20228b42765c6 , .u327174283a75c02c4ce20228b42765c6:hover , .u327174283a75c02c4ce20228b42765c6:visited , .u327174283a75c02c4ce20228b42765c6:active { border:0!important; } .u327174283a75c02c4ce20228b42765c6 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u327174283a75c02c4ce20228b42765c6 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u327174283a75c02c4ce20228b42765c6:active , .u327174283a75c02c4ce20228b42765c6:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u327174283a75c02c4ce20228b42765c6 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u327174283a75c02c4ce20228b42765c6 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u327174283a75c02c4ce20228b42765c6 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u327174283a75c02c4ce20228b42765c6 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u327174283a75c02c4ce20228b42765c6:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u327174283a75c02c4ce20228b42765c6 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u327174283a75c02c4ce20228b42765c6 .u327174283a75c02c4ce20228b42765c6-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u327174283a75c02c4ce20228b42765c6:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Death Of A Great Composer EssayThe use of indirect characterization is additionally used to explain that the people of the castle are the wealthiest members of society. The fact that they are some of the prince’s closest friends, and that they are wearing fancy masquerade costumes, suggests that they are part of the highest social class. Their wealth helps prove the theme that inevitable death is unaltered by human actions. In Masque of the Red Death, Poe is able to use the prince’s obliviousness, and the eventual death of his people, to suggest that time is infinite and death predestined. While the grandfather clock interrupting the prince’s party signifies passing time, the castle is able to further support the theme by representing peoples’ effort to avoid death. Finally, through indirect characterization the prince’s ignorance is revealed in his attempt to survive. Death’s eventual intrusion in the party conclusively signifies the limits of time. As Poe definitively pronounced: â€Å"Darkness and Decay and the Red Death held illimitable dominion over all† (Poe 380).

Women Essays - Gender Studies, Gender Role, Sexism, Gender

Women In Architecture Of what historic and contemporary concern is it that the architecture profession has been, and continues to be, strongly male dominated in Australia (currently 90% of registered architects in NSW are men). Ideally, what proportion of the profession should women occupy and why? From the start of human history, we always experience certain level of inequality between sexes. It can be seen everywhere around the world and is a concern to everyone, both men and women. This inequality is an important issue within the workforce of many professions, such as being an architect, landscape architect, city planners and designers within the built environment. Industrial revolution is the onset for women to become segregated from home, creating greater spatial division to impact on gender roles. There is common concept between the relationship of public and private space with male and female as described by Kate Lyons. This model represents the suburbanisation occurring in the late 19th century and the early 20th century. Many suburban women are forced within their daily activities due to the constraints on accessibility and mobility in low-density suburbs and lead to a feeling of being isolated from the inner city. These constraints of this gender role affect the women's ability in the broader professions within the built environment, as they were restricted at home. "... Architects do not like to employ women in their offices; contractors do not like to build from their plans; people with money to spend do not like to entrust its expenditure to a woman." This is probably due to the fact that women are kept at home without 'knowing much' of the 'outside world'; the design professions have intrigued women into marginal roles. Architects and other similar professional fields "have perceived women not as profession but as passive clients." From these, women are users of the designed built environment as there are only few to have the opportunity to design them. This forces women to adapt to the way environments have been designed (by men). There is a concern where many women architects, landscape architects, planners, builders and designers such as Catharine Beecher, Louise Bethune. Eileen Gray, Julia Morgan, and others are not formally identified with professions. Many of their works have been credited to their male colleagues. Another concern is that there is a lack of sensitivity towards women's needs within the built environment. Design strategies and schemes often fail to consider women as a disadvantage group with exclusive needs, many of these needs are inadequately met or even un-met. This was evident in several Local Environmental Plans and Development Control Plans of the Sydney Metropolitan area that had not identified women as a disadvantage group to be included amongst the handicapped and elderly in design issue. Having considered women's issues within the built environment, in concluding one must ask are the fundamentals of professions of the built environment gender biased? Whilst the outcomes of these are gender biased, the fundamentals of planning require subsequent analysis in order to resolve the question. "... not only do men and women view a common world from different perspectives, they view different worlds as well." The issues raised are not subject to strictly to women, but men also experience them though with less intensity. In addressing these issues a gender sensitive environment will be beneficial to all. Bibliography 1. Allen, J., Evidence and Silence: Feminism and the Limits of History in Feminist Challenges, 1986. 2. Freestone, R., Florence Taylor: The Lady Town Planner of Loftus Street in New Planner, Dec 1991. 3. Hanna, B., Florence Taylor's Hats in Architecture Bulletin, Oct 1986. 4. Hanna, B., Three Ferminist Analyses of the Built Environment in Architectural Theory Review, vol. 1, no.1, April 1996.

Learn to Pronounce and Count Cardinal Numbers in Italian

Learn to Pronounce and Count Cardinal Numbers in Italian You might find cardinal (counting) numbers the most useful to know- you will need them to express  time, record dates, do  math, interpret recipe amounts, and, of course, count. In Italian, cardinal numbers are written as one word. Use the following table to memorize numbers from 1 to 100. ITALIAN CARDINAL NUMBERS: 1-100 1 uno OO-noh 2 due DOO-eh 3 tre TREH 4 quattro KWAHT-troh 5 cinque CHEEN-kweh 6 sei SEH-ee 7 sette SET-teh 8 otto OHT-toh 9 nove NOH-veh 10 dieci dee-EH-chee 11 undici OON-dee-chee 12 dodici DOH-dee-chee 13 tredici TREH-dee-chee 14 quattordici kwaht-TOR-dee-chee 15 quindici KWEEN-dee-chee 16 sedici SEH-dee-chee 17 diciassette dee-chahs-SET-teh 18 diciotto dee-CHOHT-toh 19 diciannove dee-chahn-NOH-veh 20 venti VEN-tee 21 ventuno ven-TOO-noh 22 ventidue ven-tee-DOO-eh 23 ventitr ven-tee-TREH 24 ventiquattro ven-tee-KWAHT-troh 25 venticinque ven-tee-CHEEN-kweh 26 ventisei ven-tee-SEH-ee 27 ventisette ven-tee-SET-teh 28 ventotto ven-TOHT-toh 29 ventinove ven-tee-NOH-veh 30 trenta TREN-tah 40 quaranta kwah-RAHN-tah 50 cinquanta cheen-KWAHN-tah 60 sessanta ses-SAHN-tah 70 settanta set-TAHN-ta 80 ottanta oht-TAHN-ta 90 novanta noh-VAHN-tah 100 cento CHEN-toh The numbers  venti,  trenta,  quaranta,  cinquanta, and so on drop the final vowel when combined with  uno  and  otto.  Tre  is written without an accent, but  ventitrà ©,  trentatrà ©, and so on are written with an accent. Beyond 100 Do you remember those good old days before the euros arrival in Italy when you would pay a few thousand  lire  for admission to a museum or a  cappuccino  and  biscotti? Tourists needed more than just the numbers up to 100 to get around.  Lire  are history, but learning numbers greater than 100 might still prove useful. Though they might seem unwieldy, after a bit of practice youll be rolling them off your tongue like a pro. ITALIAN CARDINAL NUMBERS: 100 AND GREATER 100 cento CHEN-toh 101 centouno/centuno cheh-toh-OO-noh/chehn-TOO-noh 150 centocinquanta cheh-toh-cheen-KWAHN-tah 200 duecento doo-eh-CHEN-toh 300 trecento treh-CHEN-toh 400 quattrocento kwaht-troh-CHEN-toh 500 cinquecento cheen-kweh-CHEN-toh 600 seicento seh-ee-CHEN-toh 700 settecento set-the-CHEN-toh 800 ottocento oht-toh-CHEN-toh 900 novecento noh-veh-CHEN-toh 1.000 mille MEEL-leh 1.001 milleuno meel-leh-OO-noh 1.200 milleduecento meel-leh-doo-eh-CHEN-toh 2.000 duemila doo-eh-MEE-lah 10.000 diecimila dee-eh-chee-MEE-lah 15.000 quindicimila kween-dee-chee-MEE-lah 100.000 centomila chen-toh-mee-leh 1.000.000 un milione OON mee-lee-OH-neh 2.000.000 due milioni DOO-eh mee-lee-OH-neh 1.000.000.000 un miliardo OON mee-lee-ARE-doh

The effects of media on new generations Research Paper

The effects of media on new generations - Research Paper Example Digital media mainly comprises of television. Television is mostly used by young generation to spend most of their time. Watching violent programs can cause violent behavior in young generations; excessive use of digital media leads to decrease in academic performance, certain programs can result in unnatural sexual behavior among young generation. As per a data analysis it has been found that a youth on an average watches 12,000 violent acts annually in a television including acts of rape and murder. There have been about 1000 reports that confirm that watching heavy doses of violence in television leads to aggressive behavior in young generation. Extensive watching of television has adverse effect on nutrition. For an example the amount of advertisements shown for fast foods, presweetened cereals and candies is much more related to healthy food which advertises only 4% of the total advertisements. Due to extensive watching of sex related programs it has been recorded that sex between unmarried couples is 24 times more than married partners. It leads to unwanted pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections. A report mentions huge increase in sex related interactions during family hours (NCBI 1). Alcohol and smoking consumption has increased a lot among young generation in a last couple of years solely due to advertisements and promotion of beer and other liquors in television and hoardings on street. Apart from television and hoardings there is music videos which causes equal impact now-a-days. More than 70% videos include sexually explicit items and more than 80% of videos contain violence. This affects mostly the male population to grow aggressive. Video games are equally responsible to cause mental and physical hazards in young generation, most youths prefer to sit back at home and play video games instead of going for out-door games. This results in physical imbalance and

Euro Mosaic Segmentation Method Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Euro Mosaic Segmentation Method - Essay Example This research will begin with the statement that today’s world market of products is experiencing high competition not only by more competitors but also varieties in consumer’s demands and needs. To ease marketers for fulfilling the demands of customers, different consumers are segmented into different bases. â€Å"Global market segmentation is the process of identifying specific segments, whether they be country groups or individual customer groups, of potential customers with homogeneous attributes who are likely to exhibit similar behavior†. Geodemographic classifications put a step towards consumer segmentation. The more difficult markets to assess are those in which there appears to be a discrepancy between the long- and short-term attractiveness. Euro Mosaic claims to be the first pan-European segmentation system allows the classification of 500 million consumers across the European Union on the basis of the types of the neighborhood in which they live. It focuses on many dimensions for segmentation of a product like Elite suburbs, average areas, luxury flats, low-income inner-city, high-rise social housing, industrial communities, dynamic families, low-income families, rural agricultural and vacation retirement. In European Geodemographics Conference 1st April 2009, Andy Bell of Eurodirect told about the changing political, economic and cultural faces of Europe and the opportunities these are bringing for global businesses.... Companies can now access a variety of public datasets (censuses and social surveys for example) as well as market research and list broking resources, many of which are moving east into the wider Europe. Countries in Europe have widely differing per capita incomes and in creating a European segmentation it is important to capture both absolute and relative differences between areas – to avoid, for example, all areas of the poorest countries being classified into the poorest segment. Also, pictorial representations of segments, whilst popular in national systems, can be confusing or misleading if applied on a pan-European basis. (Peter Furness, 2009) Euro Mosaic Segmentation is frequently used in many countries for different product fields. A well-established system which overcomes most of the difficulties and encompasses both geodemographic and behavioral lifestyle factors is the CCN ACORN/MOSAIC system. The system was originally pioneered in the UK market and extended in resp onse to an increasing number of requests from multinational clients, looking for a common and consistent European-based consumer targeting system (MOSAIC Today, 1993). Use of MOSAIC segmentation method is very popular in industries. This gives many advantages to the businesses, companies, product fields and world market of goods and services. MOSAIC segmentation method develops the customer profiles and databases on different bases. This provides many uses in retailing and trade business. "A major concern to the retail location analyst is that, given the assertive marketing of such companies, it is more difficult to evaluate critically the bases and appropriateness of the packages offered."

Marketing - Segmentation strategy Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Marketing - Segmentation strategy - Assignment Example Competing is a problem. Financially strong management with a clear commitment to see the company through and keep making profits for the shareholders. Though, when the company started it was the largest facility but soon with the new process, much larger world scale facilities have come up, dwarfing this factory. The company has built a good rapport with the customer which produces the required market capitalisation for the company. Since the market for fertilisers is pretty large there was no dearth of market at any point in time. Opportunities Threats The company is at the threshold of a major change in the agricultural production process because of the continuing increase in the population. It would be wise for the company to capture this market. The market is varying and depends on the success of agriculture across the country. This could become quite seasonal and would cause huge losses of accrued stock if there is no off-take. New types of fertilisers are coming in and the customers are expecting new products from the company. Competition is becoming more and more vibrant and is producing competing products that is hard to match. The new communication systems and the internet have changed the way business is done across the world. It is easy now to ensure that supplies of the material reaches the customers at the right time in the right quantity. The agricultural land in the country is dwindling and is being converted in industrial land. This means there is less land to produce and hence limited fertiliser use. However, there is also the possibility that the smaller land might be using larger quantity of fertilisers in order to bring in the same result in terms of production. Table...Theoretical principles behind the consumer buying decision is matched with the existing reasons based on which the marketing strategy could be fine tuned to suit the market needs. In addition to this, segmentation of the market to clearly target specific products from the company's stable would help in augmenting sales targets and to produce the desired results. This could help in evaluating the business and the marketing strategy of the company. Finally, the consumer perception in terms of the three levels of product / service is visualised and studied to finally close in on the best strategy for marketing the product. The new communication systems and the internet have changed the way business is done across the world. It is easy now to ensure that supplies of the material reaches the customers at the right time in the right quantity. The agricultural land in the country is dwindling and is being converted in industrial land. This means there is less land to produce and hence limited fertiliser use. However, there is also the possibility that the smaller land might be using larger quantity of fertilisers in order to bring in the same result in terms of production. Based on the SWOT analysis done, it is clear that the company should capitalise on the strengths of th

The problems facing itc

The problems facing itc Report Purpose This report has been compiled by the Director of Human Resources at the request of the Board of Directors. Following on from the recent study of the organisation by external consultants, a number of problem areas have been identified in relation to HR practices, policies and implementation. It is the purpose of this report to analyse the findings of the study compiled by the consultants and recommend the courses of action necessary to address the problems identified The Problems Facing ITC The organisation is currently comprised of four separate functions: administration, production, retail, and customer service. These functions are spread over a number of sites with administration and production sharing a single site, retail function operating from several locations, and customer service spread across three call centres. The problems which are facing the organisation vary depending on the function and location. The administration function of head office and the production function of the factory are both based on the same geographical site. Although the functions are working in close proximity to each other they are very different in terms of working conditions, practices, and pay systems. These differences are creating tensions across the departments and leading to a â€Å"them and us† culture. Some of the differences identified include; bonus scheme in the factory but not the head office, poorer working conditions in the factory compared to head office, lack of subsidised canteen for factory staff which is available to administrative staff. Some problems are common to both functions such as lack of promotion opportunities for internal candidates and poor general perception of staff abilities by managers. As well as these, the factory also suffers from a blame culture apparently fostered by poor product quality. The retail outlets have a separate set of problems. There is potentially a discrimination problem in the recruitment and selection processes employed for managerial staff. There are currently no female managers of retail outlets and there has been at least one complaint of discrimination referred to a trade union by an unsuccessful female candidate for promotion. This complaint has received the backing of a number of the individuals colleagues. The call centres are very highly pressured, time-oriented environments in which to work. There are significant pressures to deal with customer enquiries quickly and to sell as many new packages as possible. Pressure is exerted by supervisors whose salaries are dependent on the abilities of the centre staff to generate income through sales. Across the organisation there is a general feeling that staff are underpaid in relation to competitors and not valued as an asset of the organisation. There is an increasing trend towards trade union membership which is probably a sign of growing disaffection within the workforce as a whole. There are also a growing number of customer complaints, mainly directed at retail and customer service staff as they are the customer-facing part of the organisation. These complaints are generally centred on lack of knowledge of products on the part of retail staff and poor customer service from the call centre staff. As detailed there are a multitude of different problems facing ITC with the lack of consistency of treatment of staff across the organisation and poor communication of organisational values being major contributing factors. The morale of the workforce is low and there is a lack of loyalty to the organisation demonstrated by high levels of staff turnover. It is not purely a matter of low salaries as it has been recognised that staff leave the company to work for other organisations for little in the way of additional reward. The managerial and supervisory staff also appear to be unable and/or unwilling to tackle the problems which leaves the staff with no alternative but to seek advice and assistance from the trade unions. The consultants reported that there is no inherent problem with the quality of the core workforce but that the managerial staff are not sufficiently competent to be able to recognise and build on the attributes of the workforce. This combination of factors and probl ems could potentially all be explained within the concept of employee engagement. The main thrust of this report will, therefore, concentrate on the implementation of an employee engagement programme as an initial means of addressing the issues currently facing ITC. Other means of tackling the identified problems over the longer term will also be discussed and recommendations made. Employee Engagement The CIPD (2009) define engagement as â€Å"†¦creating opportunities for employees to connect with their colleagues, managers and wider organisation. It is also about creating an environment where employees are motivated to want to connect with their work and really care about doing a good job.† Why is employee engagement relevant to ITC? Almost all examples quoted in the consultant findings demonstrate an out-and-out lack of employee engagement; moreover, the opposite appears to be the case. At this point, it is important to note that a global survey by BlessingWhite Intelligence (2008) on the state of employee engagement found that that â€Å"Indian workers are among the most focused and satisfied in the world†. In the Asia-Pacific groupings, full engagement for Indian employees reaches 34% in comparison to the lowest of only 10% for China. Moreover, over 65% of respondents said ‘yes when asked if, assuming they had the choice, they would hope to remain within their organisation in 2008. From this, the apparent lack of employee engagement and retention issues apparent within ITC would appear to point to something we are doing wrong as a company. The first question should be: Why is employee engagement important? Links between employee attitudes, employee management and business performance have been repeatedly demonstrated in CIPD (Nov 2009) research, and the Aberdeen Group (2009) reported only this year that 82% of ‘Best-in-Class organisations attributed employee engagement initiatives directly to transformations in revenue and / or profitability. Employee engagement spills into the concept of the ‘psychological contract. The ‘psychological contract is a popular framework within which aspects of the employee relationship can be studied (Bratton Gold, 2007; 14). Guest and Conway (2002) define it as â€Å"the perceptions of the two parties, employee and employer, of what their mutual obligations are towards each other†. These obligations tend to differ from individual-to- individual and are often imprecise / unspoken and inferred â€Å"from actions or from what has happened in the past, as well as from statements made by the employer†(CIPD Nov 2009). This contract forms the basis for employer brand (CIPD Jan 2009); positive brand can of course help promote recruitment and improve staff retention levels. For the latter reasons, ITC should pay close heed to this contract. After all, taking account of the emotional needs of the employee ought to be a consideration when we consider they are the only resour ce within our organization that can simply â€Å"walk out†, taking their skills and possible opinions of negative employer brand with them. Customer service issues With regards to the consultant reports of customer service issues, several studies have found that employee engagement is an important variable on this front. The CIPD (2009; 2) reported that Visa Europe figures show that employee engagement levels ran parallel with an increase in customer satisfaction. Likewise, it seems intuitive that an increase in customer satisfaction would henceforth lead to an increase in financial performance. In a recent study within the customer service industry by Chi and Gursoy (2009), empirical support for this link was indeed presented. On the engagement level, while they found employee satisfaction did not appear to impact on financial performance directly, they did find an indirect relationship between the latter, with customer satisfaction acting as the mediator. Storey, on the other hand refers to engagement as EIP (employee involvement and participation) and stated that it is â€Å"thought to contribute to improved levels of worker satisfaction and commitment and, subsequently, organisational performance.† From this it would appear that engaged and satisfied employees are a requirement for customer satisfaction, with customer satisfaction being the strongest indicator in financial performance. It would also appear, however, that all three variables are required to be woven into the same fabric for overall business success. For ITC, without employee engagement / satisfaction, there will little customer satisfaction, and without customer satisfaction there will be no success. The obvious lack of ITC employee engagement at this moment in time is a worrying factor with regards this tripartite equation. Therefore, the obvious question should be how do we tackle employee disengagement, how do we go about driving employee engagement? Employee engagement drivers According to the CIPD (Nov 2009), there is no absolute list definitive of engagement ‘drivers. Their research has shown, however, the key employee engagement drivers are:  § Opportunities to feed employee views upwards  § Feeling well-informed about what is happening in the organisation  § The employee believing that their manager is committed to the organisation Most writers agree that one of the most important factors at play with regards employee engagement is reciprocal communication between management and the requirement to keep all employees well informed, etc. As you might imagine, these factors are also very much involved in the psychological contract; it is also suggested that, in a crisis, â€Å"mutually recognised expectations are best shaped by honest communication and solid information† (Dietz 2009). At this moment in ITC history, we might be described as being on the verge of crisis point. Intranet 2.0 A technology that appears oddly lacking in ITC since its inception is Corporate Intranet. All of the key engagement drivers suggested above can to some extent be addressed with the implementation of an Intranet solution. This of course would not solve all of our problems, but it would at least supplement any other measures we ultimately put into place. This Intranet should not be of the antiquated variety (known as Web 1.0), that is, typified by static pages, existing with the sole purpose of providing information. We should be embracing all that Web 2.0 tools have to offer (i.e. highly dynamic / interactive internal social networking tools, instant messaging, wikis, blogs, discussion forums, and RSS feed technologies, etc.). Intranet 2.0 is still very much in its infancy, so the ability to introduce a rich networking environment is very much in line with core business strategies of innovation and creativity. We also have a largely young workforce, and Web 2.0 technology tools are so mething the younger generation have grown accustomed to, and this acquaintance can be employed to our advantage in the recruitment field. When it comes to the employees call to connect with managers, the desire to believe in their commitment, and having the opportunity to have views fed upwards, the sharing medium of Intranet 2.0 is ideally suited to help facilitate these key engagement drivers. Web 2.0 tools flatten company hierarchy by providing a transparent path of communication between employees at all levels, from the Company Director down to the shop floor worker. It can provide staff across geographical location, irrespective of position or intellect, the opportunity to ‘float ideas on new product ranges, best practices, working procedures, etc. via live suggestion boxes. These ideas can appear in real time and will open to further comments / suggestions by all staff. Intranet 2.0 can also provide a channel for feedback on organisational news announcements, strategies, etc. This type of feedback can help â€Å"managers to gain insight into the needs and motivations of employees† (BlessingWhite Inc. 2008). Indeed, employee attitude surveys can be a regular feature of the system, the results of which can used to measure employee engagement and gauge feeling amongst the workforce, all of which can help ITC identify areas to focus improvement towards. The contribution such an Intranet can make as a training and development tool cannot be underplayed. It can provide the workforce with the most up-to-date product information, tutorials, and marketing material, etc. This information does not have to appear in the way it did pre-Web 2.0, where static pages were displayed across the organisation, meaning each employee would be required to wade through pages in order to arrive at the relevant ‘nugget of information. Intranet 2.0 provides levels of personalisation to the point of providing â€Å"each employee with news updates focused on their job role† (Nielsen, J. 2009). This would be of particular benefit when it comes to areas such as the customer complaints we have been receiving from the call centre regarding staff not being â€Å"up-to-date† on products. For example, this type of system has the capability to consistently display individual staff with the most â€Å"up-to-date† products details and Q A s cripts, etc. As this Intranet 2.0 proposition is based on helping the flow of communication across the entire organisation, then logically, we would require all staff to have appropriate access to such a system. Head Office, call centre and retail staff are likely to have ready access to PC, laptop, mobile phone technologies in order to do this. In the factory, however, such access is very likely limited. To get around this, deployment of PCs / touch-screens at specific locations throughout the factory is recommended; perhaps inviting factory floor staff to use the system during lunch breaks, etc. Following the suggestion that we allow all employees across the site access the canteen, situating access in this area would also make sense. Web 2.0 technologies and business performance Beyond the obvious communication-flow benefits of Web 2.0 technologies, recent findings by the Aberdeen Group also provide positive figures for their business performance benefits. Saba (2009) reported that they found that 52 % of organisations who employed social networking tools, blogs, and wikis achieved ‘Best-in-Class compared to only 5% for those who did employ them. They also provided figures for Web 2.0 tools in relation to employee engagement. They found an 18% average year-on-year increase in employee engagement for organisations employing Web 2.0 technologies in comparison to a mere 1% for those who did not Options for Change Short-term An employee engagement programme and corporate communications strategy should both be developed as a matter of urgency to stem the tide of disaffection and high levels of turnover within our workforce. This will undoubtedly require a certain level of upfront investment but will, I believe, begin to pay dividends at a very early stage. Part of this investment may have to include outlay for extra personnel and equipment to implement these solutions as we currently do not have the specialist staff available in-house to fully utilise the technology required for this communications systems implementation, nor the staff to adequately implement an employee engagement programme. Long-term An organisation-wide job evaluation scheme is required as a means of rationalising the pay scales of the separate functions into one transparent system. The use of bonus payments to boost the wages of certain sections of the workforce should be reviewed and possibly abolished. Exact costs of this proposal are difficult to predict until the completion of the job evaluation exercise, but it may well be a cost-neutral option with increases to basic salary costs being offset by reduction in bonuses. Any subsequent increase in the overall salary costs which may arise would hopefully be countered by increased productivity. A scheme which would encourage secondments between departments should be developed. This would allow staff to gain a better understanding of the operations of the other functions within the organisation. This scheme could also be of benefit in assisting to identify personnel with potential for promotion or who could perform better in a different role. The hierarchy in the factory requires a radical overhaul with a view to rationalising the management structure. The ratio of managers to supervisors is far higher than the ratio of supervisors to production workers. The potential savings gained from this approach could be used to increase the salary of the supervisors in return for taking on greater responsibility for operations in their sector. This would create a more prestigious role for the first line supervisor and a more strategic one for the remaining managers. A process is required which will recognise the potential leaders and managers of the future from within the existing workforce. Learning and development for staff should be a core principle of the organisation. Staff with the potential to move on to other roles within the organisation should be identified, encouraged and developed in order to achieve this. There is also a need to introduce learning and development opportunities for staff who do not necessarily wish to move on to other roles. Members of staff may be satisfied with the role they are performing but it is still necessary to ensure that there are opportunities for personal growth and satisfaction within that role. The emphasis on speed in dealing with customer enquiries within the call centres should be replaced by an ethos of efficiency in dealing with those enquiries. This would be a more cost-effective approach as an enquiry dealt with efficiently initially is less likely to generate future similar enquiries from the same customer and reduce complaints of poor service. Conclusion Being an â€Å"Employer of Choice† is not simply about offering the best salary. The whole package must be seen as appealing in order to attract and retain the correct calibre of staff who share the vision of the organisation and who want to actively contribute to its success. It has been stated (CIPD, 2009) that: â€Å"Engaged employees are more likely to act as organisational advocates than disengaged employees and can play a powerful role in promoting their organisation as an employer of choice.† For this to work, staff must feel that their views are welcomed and they are valued as individuals. This should result in higher levels of motivation and increased morale which, in turn, should reduce staff turnover. Our aim is to spread the word about how good ITC is to work for and hence attract the maximum number of high calibre candidates for posts who then want to stay with the organisation to reach their full potential. We also have to accept that by attracting the highest calibre of candidate we will inevitably lose a number of high-performing staff over time as they wish to progress beyond what the organisation can offer. We must be prepared not only to embrace this, but actively encourage it, and accept that for the organisation to grow there will be a certain degree of turnover of ambitious staff. The upside of this is that there will be regular opportunities for existing staff to progress through the organisation increasing levels of loyalty and improving morale.

Calling Home :: Literary Analysis, Jean Brandt

In â€Å"Calling Home†, by Jean Brandt and â€Å"An American Childhood† by Annie Dillard, both girls are confronted with their sense of conscience and of right and wrong. In the process, both girls experience memorable lessons as a consequence of the decisions they make. In â€Å"Calling Home†, thirteen year old Jean realizes that her actions not only affect her but more importantly, her loved ones, when she is caught shoplifting and arrested during a Christmas shopping trip with her siblings and grandmother. In â€Å"An American Childhood†, seven year old Annie realizes that adults and their feelings are valid and that they can be just as vulnerable and full of tenacity as a child after she and her friend find themselves being chased by a man who is none too amused at being a target of their snowball throwing antics. In both stories, Annie and Jean are smug in their sense of power and control. Both girls exhibit a general lack of respect for authority by justifying their actions and displaying a false sense of entitlement to pursue and attain whatever they wish, as if ordinary rules do not apply to them. Both girls actions are based on power and acknowledgement amongst their peers: In â€Å"Calling Home†, the author explains: â€Å"Snoopy was the latest. If you owned anything with the Peanuts on it, you were â€Å"in†Ã¢â‚¬  (19). When she steals the pin, Jean feels proud that she’s outsmarted everybody and that what she has done has gone undetected. Once confronted, Jean’s false sense of security and disbelief is reflected in the following statements: â€Å"Where did this man come from? How did he know? I was so sure no one had seen me†¦I couldn’t believe what he was saying† (Brandt 20). In â€Å"An American Childhood†, Annie is proud of her â€Å"boys arm† and of being the only girl accepted by a group of older boys. She exudes confidence in participating with her friends. The author explains: â€Å"It was all or nothing...Your fate and your team’s score depended on your concentration and courage. Not hing girls did could compare with it† (Dillard 22). In contrast to Jean’s dismay, Annie excitedly describes the surprise of being pursued and the anticipation of being reprimanded: â€Å"It was an immense discovery, pounding into my hot head with every sliding, joyous step, that this ordinary adult evidently knew what I thought only children knew† (Dillard 23).

Electrochemical cell lab Aim Essay

Aim :- To find out the feasibility of a redox reaction by looking at the cell potential of the reaction . Quantitative observation The table below shows the values of cell potential that were recorded when the experiment was performed Reaction Cell potential (ÂÂ ±0.01V) CuSO4 and ZnSO4 0.99V CuSO4 and AgNO3 0.64V Ag 1.39V Qualitative Observation Reaction Obsevrations CuSO4 and ZnSO4 Copper sulphate turns from clear to blue , whereas zinc sulphate remains colorless CuSO4 and AgNO3 Copper sulphate is blue in color , silver nitrate is colorless Ag Data processing Experiment 1 Zn(s) -> Zn2+ (aq) + 2e- (aq) Cu2+ (aq) + 2e- (aq) -> Cu (s) Cu2+ (aq) + Zn(s) -> Cu(s) + Zn2+ (aq) Experiment 2 Cu(s) -> Cu2+ (aq)+ 2e- (aq) Ag+(aq) + e- (aq) -> Ag(s) Cu(s) + 2Ag+ (aq) -> Cu2+ (Aq) + 2Ag (s) Experiment 3 Zn(s) -> Zn2+ (aq) + 2e- (aq) Ag+ (aq) + e- (aq)-> Ag(s) Zn(s) + 2Ag+ (aq) -> Zn2+ (aq) + 2Ag (s) The table below shows the literature values for the respective cell potential Reaction Cell potential (ÂÂ ±0.01V) CuSO4 and ZnSO4 0.34V CuSO4 and AgNO3 0.46 V. Ag 1.10 V Error percentage = (|difference between the literature and experimental value|)/(the literature value )x100 = (|0.34V – 0.99V|)/(0.34V) x100 = 191.17% We can similarly find the error percentages for other cell potentials also The table below shows the respective error percentages of each of the cell potential Reaction Error percentage CuSO4 and ZnSO4 191.17% CuSO4 and AgNO3 39.13% Ag 16.36% Theory Electrochemical cells In an electrochemical cell, electricity is produced through chemical reactions. There consist two electrodes: – the negative electrode and the positive electrode. At the negative electrode

James Pollard essays

James Pollard essays In Alan DershowitzÕs novel Chutzpah, he devotes an entire section to the issue of, and his personal feelings about James Pollard. He begins this section with a description of the way in which this man was caught selling classified government documents to the nation of Israel. Basically this man was a Jewish American spy for the Israeli government because of a duty he felt stemming from a secret loyalty he felt toward the nation of Israel. Over an extended period of time this man sold thousand of secret documents which in the eyes of Weinberger, the Secretary of Defense for the United States was a Òserious breech in national security.Ó Dershowitz emphasizes in great detail how in order to avoid a trial in which the declassification of these documents would be required, Pollard was pressured to accept a plea bargain in which he would plead guilty, give full disclosure pertaining to the information he handed over, and release all rights to any of his future published material that pertained to the case. In exchange for these things he would be granted a formal request by the US government to the judge of the case which would call for a restricted sentence for him and his wife. Pollard agreed to this deal and was satisfied with it until he received a sentence of life in a maximum security prison and his wife received 5 years in prison. The evidence that Dershowitz presents suggests that Pollard did get an unfair deal, and a much harsher sentence than others in the past have received for similar crimes. Dershowitz s...

The Da Vinci Code and religion

The Da Vinci Code and religion I read this book "The Da Vinci Code" by Dan Brown during summer I didn't want to read this book at first, because I had avoided this book for the longest time because frankly the idea of a convoluted thriller around the Holy Grail did not appeal to me (I enjoyed watching "Monty Python and the Holy Grail"; it was very hilarious movie). I considered myself for being non-religious for long time, and I didn't care anything about religious before I read this book.A murder in the silent after-hour halls of the Louvre museum reveals a sinister plot to uncover a secret that has been protected by a clandestine society since the days of Christ. The victim is a high-ranking agent of this ancient society who, in the moments before his death, manages to leave gruesome clues at the scene that only his granddaughter, noted cryptographer Sophie Neveu, and Robert Langdon, a famed symbolist, can untangle.Michi SophieThe duo becomes both suspects and detectives searching for not only Neveu's grandfathe r's murderer but also the stunning secret of the ages he was charged to protect. Mere steps ahead of the authorities and the deadly competition, the mystery leads Neveu and Langdon on a breathless flight through France, England, and history itself. The plot gathers speed as Sophie and Langdon escape from the police to begin a hunt for further clues. The story unveils mysteries of the Knights Templar, Opus Dei, the Roman Catholic Church and the Holy Grail. The tale is told of such historical giants as Boticelli, Leonardo da Vinci, Isaac Newton, Victor Hugo and Claude Debussy (to name just a few) who have over the centuries been charged with holding the secrets of Mary Magdalene and Jesus Christ's offspring and the noble lineage of Mary herself.

Content Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 2

Content Analysis - Essay Example sisting of the messages, production techniques, medium, sources quoted or referred to, and circumstance, and the job of content analysis is to inflict some kind of order on these phenomena† (Shoemaker & Reese) with the intention of explaining their meaning. The website of the ‘American Idol’ shows that it has been one of the best entertainment programs for the past nine successive seasons. â€Å"American Idols judges include Paula Abdul, accomplished choreographer and music superstar; Simon Cowell, multi hit record producer and head of A& R at BNG Records; and Randy Jackson, a Gammy Award-winning 20-year music industry veteran and former A& R executive at MCA Records† (American Idol: The Search for A Superstar 2005). The qualified age-range for competitors in American Idol is currently 15 to 28 years old. The initial age limit was 16 to 24 in the first three seasons, but the upper limit was raised to 28 in season four. It could also be seen that the lower li mit was decreased to 15 in season ten (J. Atsu Amegashie 2009) Sociological theory on medicalization recommends that women, girls and other less powerful groups are more and more subject to medicines authority over their health, bodies and lives as well. This is due to the fact that during the adolescent period girls suffer a considerable drop in their self-esteem and may become especially or particularly vulnerable to medicalization. Simon Cowelll and Paula Abdul are the two judges of American Idol. Simon Phillip Cowell is an English television producer, A&R executive, industrialist and a very popular television personality. As a judge, Cowell is recognized for his blunt and frequently controversial criticisms, wisecracks and insults regarding contestants and their performances. He is also known for synchronizing actions and events of both the music and television industries, having encouraged singles and records for various artists that have grown to become celebrities. Cowell has been engaged in

Marijuana Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Marijuana - Essay Example The latter group has, therefore, joined efforts to advocate for legalization of the drug. This paper seeks to present a rhetoric analysis of two articles on the debate about legalization of Marijuana. While one article advocates for legalization, the other adopts a balanced approach that highlights reasons for and against legalization of the drug. The first article, ‘The top ten Reasons Marijuana Should be Legal’ is authored under a corporate organization known as AlterNet. The author, in a bid to advocate for legalization of the drug, highlights a number of reasons for the opinion. According to Alertnet, even though the drug is currently illegal, its production, trade, and consumption is still high, an indicator that the legislations are ineffective. This presents the opinion that making the drug illegal has not achieved intended objectives of controlling Marijuana’s adverse effects. Alternet, therefore, aims at informing policy-makers and the public about the cu rrent policy’s irrelevance. Contrary to the perceived disadvantages and adverse side effects of the drug, the author identifies potential legal, economic, and social benefits that are associated with legalizing the drug. Marijuana for instance can be used as medicine and is less toxic as compared to some of the legalized drugs. The author argues that it â€Å"is not a lethal drug and is safer than alcohol† (Alternet, 2). Legalizing the drug, according to the author, would also promote the growth of its parent plant as an â€Å"agricultural crop† and further social value as a source of â€Å"bio-fuel to reduce carbon emissions† and help offset national balance of trade deficit by controlling outflow of money through the drug’s importation (Alternet, 1). In this approach, Alternet appeals to the society to change its perception of the drug and to exploit, with an open mind, the potential benefits of the drug in terms of agricultural harvests, income generation, medicinal value and economic benefit of enlarged gross domestic product (Alternet, p. 1, 2). The author begins the article by illustrating the current policy’s inability to meet statutory laws’ objectives that aim at prohibiting production and use of Marijuana, and instead identify the fact that a large proportion of the American population is still locked up in abusing the drug. The author follows this argument with an outlined set of reasons that approve legalization of the commodity, and this identifies his application of logos to persuade the audience that Marijuana should be legalized. This is because the article refutes effectiveness of the current laws that have illegalized the drug and succeeds in pointing out the fact that the legalization will lead to a number of benefits that include solutions to side effects associated with the drug. The writer’s approach informs the audience that legal restriction of the drug does not achieve legislation ’s intentions and is inconsiderate of economic and social concerns that would benefit the society. As a result, the article gives rise to a reconsideration of the current legal position on the drug towards a more realistic set of laws that respect people’s freedom and promote economic benefits of investment in the drug that is not as harmful as other legalized drugs (Alternet, p. 1, 2). The next article, ‘Should marijuana be legalized under any circumstance?’