Corruption of Culture Essay

In Yukio Mishima’s â€Å"Swaddling Clothes† we see a great deal of symbolism portraying the corruption of the Japanese culture. The times are changing and with that change, culture is adapting to it. Some of the Japanese feel threatened and that the changes that are being made are corrupting their moral values. The story is told through Toshiko, a lonely and seemingly oppressed wife and mother. She shows how this corruption is leading to decay. The story depicts the corruption of Japanese culture by western modernization. Japanese culture is becoming more westernized, â€Å"unhomely with its Western-style furniture†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (366). The air of the room being unhomely because some Japanese thought that Western-style was corrupt. Toshiko’s husband is accepting these changes, â€Å"sitting there in his American-style suit, puffing at a cigarette† (366). The city they live in is changing as well, â€Å"dotted with bars and then by a theatre† (368). The park that Toshiko visits had also changed, â€Å"The paper lanterns that hung from wires between the trees had been put out; in their place electric light bulbs†¦that shone dully beneath the blossoms† (369). The word dully being used to show that western-style is dull and dreary. Violence is one of the concepts Toshiko relates to western culture. Toshiko believes western style is violent, â€Å"his frail body was wrapped in bloodstained newspapers† (367), showing the degradation of moral values in this westernized society. When Toshiko’s husband is sitting there talking with his friends he jokes about the incident and stating â€Å"I rescued our good rug†¦ (367), this showing that his mind is corrupt with the western culture because he did not care about the well being of the nurse and the blood did not faze him. The baby is a symbol of the violence in the western culture as well. The way the baby was born was out of wedlock, â€Å"Even if that baby should grow up in ignorance of the secret of his birth, he can never become a respectable citizen† (368). Toshiko worries that the baby â€Å"who has been sinned against† (368) may come in contact with her son one day and, â€Å"savagely stab him with a knife†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (368). All because the baby was born out  of wedlock, due to Western mod ernization, Toshiko thinks of him as violent and evil. Western culture is not only seen as violent but as polluted as well. Western-style is also polluting their society. While walking in the park Toshiko notices that the people â€Å"would automatically kick aside the empty bottles or crush the waste paper beneath their feet† (369). Waste pollution not only being the kind of pollution polluting their society but moral pollution as well. Toshiko sees a homeless man and wonders â€Å"was it one of those miserable drunks often to be seen sleeping in public places?† (369). The homeless man in the park is a symbol of the baby that will grow up to be in crime and poverty, though what is most significant is the way that he is dressed, â€Å"his khaki trousers had been slightly pulled up† (370), this showing that he is westernized just like Toshiko’s husband. Toshiko is saddened by this westernized lifestyle. This story shows through many elements the degradation of moral values in the modern westernized changes that are taking place. Through the moral changes, the violence of the western culture, and the pollution we have seen that Toshiko believes that her society is corrupt. There are many symbols showing these changes; through the baby, Toshiko’s husband, and through the homeless. She continually contemplates the loss of their moral values and is saddened. Ultimately this story is trying to depict the corruption of Japanese culture by western modernization.

Risk of infectious diseases at a rise due to incessant rain

A few days after ceaseless rain lashed the regions in Thane and stranded some localities, the risk of infectious diseases stares large at the residents. With a massive dumping ground right in front of the railways station at Vithalwadi and a sewer flowing in the rear, it seems like an open invitation to the various diseases, which increases manifold during monsoon. Khadegolwadi, which saw knee- deep waters on Friday could not unclog, though the water receded by a few centimetres.As it is a fully grown residential area, people spent their entire day cleaning their homes. Chocked drains, sewers and dumping grounds caused problems in the area. â€Å"Each time it rains, garbage along with diseases come to our house,† said Aarti Bhagwat, a resident. Her neighbour Preeti Pandey added,† We all know what sewers and dumping grounds in the vicinity means, malaria, dengue and other water borne diseases.†It may be noted that the Thane Municipal Corporation suspended an officer and recommended departmental enquiry against the other finding them a prima facia guilty of the problem. Complaining over that, another resident Sarita Kolhapure said,† suspending officials is of no use to us, it does not solve our problem. These past few days were pathetic for us, what will happen if such rain continues for next couple of months. † Similar problems persisted in different localities around the dumping site.â€Å"Garbage that flew with the rain got scattered all around as the potholed road was filled with dirty water,† said Karishma Tiwari, a housewife. City-based doctors warned against the risk of diseases in the rainy season. â€Å"People with a weak immune system fall prey to microbes that roam freely in the air during monsoon,† said Dr Kishor Gandecha. He added that garbage heaps rot more than usual in rains, which catalyses growth of disease causing virus and bacteria.â€Å"The best way to avoid disease is to wash hands with soap and drink boiled water,† he said. Suggesting other ways to keep diseases at bay, the doctors said, â€Å"People should avoid intake of stale or cut food, don't let water stagnate inside or near the homes and stay away from public places if one is suffering with viral fever of disease. They also enumerated signs of disease which include body ache, vomiting, pain in abdomen and loose motions are the first signs of the monsoon maladies. But, there are a number of measures that people can resort to†.

Cause-and-effects Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Cause-and-effects - Essay Example When heated air from these surfaces begin to rise, it becomes absorbed by the clouds, which then condenses and turns into thunderclouds (Abbott 263). As the hot air rises, cooler air fills in the spaces that are left. The Earth, spinning on its axis, causes the air to spiral upwards, which causes the winds to rotate even faster. A hurricane has then been created, bringing with it strong winds that can reach up to two hundred miles per hour. A tornado is caused by a condition known as wind shear, which is when the speed or direction of wind changes with altitude. This can separate the updraft and downdraft of a thunderstorm, and if the wind shear is strong enough, it can cause horizontal vorticity (Abbott 239). Horizontal vorticity can be turned vertical by the updraft of the storm, which causes rotation. This rotation causes a tornado funnel to form, and thus a tornado. Tornadoes can produce winds up to three hundred and eighteen miles per hours, and they can cover group exceeding a mile at a time. These two weather conditions are capable of producing winds that can rip trees from the ground, toss vehicles, and tear homes from their foundations. They are both categorized based on size, wind speed, and level of destruction; while many people and buildings are able to survive Category One hurricanes or F2 tornadoes, the chances drastically decrease during a Category Five hurricane or an F5 tornado.

Analysis paper on Cathedralby Raymond Carver Assignment

Analysis paper on Cathedralby Raymond Carver - Assignment Example As the host, the narrator has to contribute in the conversation to keep the guest comfortable. Despite his fears and prejudices, he takes the obligations of a hospitable host. It is in this setting, mood, and atmosphere that the narrator experiences change. The setting allows events to run from dining together to sharing of drinks. Throughout these events, the narrator observes the blind man with keen interest trying to understand his world. At the beginning of the story, the narrator doubts the close relationship between his wife and the blind man. His insecurities and closed-mindedness limit his happiness in marriage. As they share a meal in the dining room, the narrator realizes that despite his lack of vision, Robert can comfortably observe the dining etiquette. The narrator’s view towards the blind changes, as the plot of the story unfolds in his house. After dinner, a few drinks and cigarettes, the narrator’s wife falls asleep in the living room, leaving the two men to talk. The narrator intends to use the television as an escape from engaging in a conversation with Robert. Robert lacks vision and this creates a barrier between the two men. The open-minded blind man is not willing to go to bed but prefers to get to know his host better. Despite his attitude towards Robert, the narrator gives in to the guest’s request and the two indulge in a conversation on cathedrals. This conversation crops up because of a channel on the television that seeks to expose the viewer to cathedrals from different cultures. The setting poses a challenge to the narrator to take the initiative of enlightening Robert on the appearance of cathedrals. Due to lack of vision, Robert cannot imagine the appearance of a cathedral. The situation at hand forces the narrator to try to paint a picture of a cathedral using words but fails. This is the point at which the two men realize the need of a better connection. The two belong to

The Baroque Age and Eighteenth Century Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

The Baroque Age and Eighteenth Century - Essay Example Baroque outside Italy, for instance, in the Netherlands, it was done for commercial purposes to attract the emerging bourgeois class. This resulted in a significant transformation through the development of new painting methods such as a Portraiture, still life and landscape. This implies that the elements of the Baroque were instrumental towards the introduction of modern commercial art works. I think the Baroque age also inspired music and revolution of the humanisticcontributions because the production pieces sounded very decorated and exaggerated. This is because spiritual themes and stories were the main attractions in theatre and music during that era. Considering this, I can tell that the baroque style contributed to the spread of religious messages through art and painting. The 18th Century Music had exaggerated sounds that were synonymous with different rhythms and compositions. Similarly, architectural designs, especially paintings and drawings, had elements similar to the Baroque principles. This is because they had simple details that represented religious and reformist messages. As a result, the humanistic contributions were that the art work, music and architecture had different aspirations to human beings. This implies that the Baroque art inspired changes in the social and religious fronts. Opera is a common music that originated in the 18th Century and was based on history, tradition and legends of those days. The genre incorporates vocal music, ornamental and theatre, which are dramatized.

Assignment1 Industrial Ecology Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Assignment1 Industrial Ecology - Research Paper Example 38). Businesses should not be awarded on the basis of the price tag. The business should aim at minimizing the total cost. The business should strive at creating long-term relationships of trust and loyalty through a single supplier of any item. If the buyer and the vendor optimize their own positions, the whole system becomes optimized (Gitlow et al. 39). Improvement of the production and service system should be constant and never ending. This will improve the productivity and quality and the resultant effect is decreased costs. The management can be boosted through operational definitions and empowerment (Gitlow et al. 40). Training of the employees on the job should be instituted. Employees form an important part of the organization and their comfort in the work place requires job skills training. Training itself is a system and effective training has an effect on the skill distribution for a particular job skill (Gitlow et al. 45). Leadership should be instituted. Supervision should make the machines, gadgets and people perform a better job. The supervision of the management and production workers needs a complete overhaul. A leader should be capable of understanding his performance and that of the workers. A leader cannot predict the performance of an individual based on the old job experience but he must have theory to help in the prediction (Gitlow et al. 46). Fear should be driven out if the people in the company have to work effectively. Fear and anxiety are both negative reactive behaviors. Fear may result from job insecurity, poor supervision, faulty inspection procedures and other causes. It is the prerogative of the management to ensure that the causes of fear are eliminated. The barriers between the departments should be broken. People should work as a team regardless of their departments (sales, research, production, or design). They should be able to foresee the

Managing financial resources and decisions Essay

Managing financial resources and decisions - Essay Example Broadly, the types of sources of finance are divided into two categories namely: 1. Internal sources of finance 2. External sources of finance Different types of business have different sources of funds. The most common types of business are: sole trader, partnership, public limited company, and private limited company. Sole Trader: This form of business consists of one individual owner who is legally not disconnected from the business. But the company and personal accounts are separated. The internal sources of funds for this type of business only include the sale of the goods and stocks. This source of finance is short term as the money from sales of goods is first used for covering the operating expenses of the company (Arnold, 2008). On the other hand, the external sources of finance available to sole trader consist of different loans from banks or venture capitalists. This also includes secured loans, leases, and grants from government. The sale of the goods and stocks is only b eneficial in the short term, however the loans from banks can be beneficial for the sole trader for long term financing. The venture capitalists demand for high interest rates (Gitman, 2003). ... Private Limited Company: In this form of the business, the shares of the business are sold on private basis only by the consent of the board of directors. This type of business is normally popular for the family businesses. The organisation has control over the distribution of the shares and can decide who can own the shares of the company. Private limited company has more long term internal sources of funds. The company can sale the shares and also assets in order to raise finance. Along with this the directors of the company can also decide to issue new shares. The external sources of funds available for the private limited company includes: debentures, loans from banks, grants from government, and also funds from venture capitalists (Khan, 1993). The internal sources of funds like sale of shares can result in diluting the ownership of the organisation. The grants from government can be beneficial for long term financing (Gitman, 2003). P2: IMPLICATIONS OF THE DIFFERENT SOURCES OF FINANCE: Different sources of finance have different implications associated with them. For instance, the option of issuing new shares for the private limited company can result in diluting the ownership of the organisation. Also, different external sources of finance have different implications and influence on the business. All external sources of finance results in increasing the short term and long term liabilities of the company. The internal sources of funds can be beneficial for the private limited companies in the long run but the sole traders and partnership forms cannot use internal sources for the long term objectives and aims (Atkinson, Kaplan, Matsumura, & Young, 2007). P3: EVALUATION OF THE APPROPRIATE SOURCES OF

Strategic Plan as a Crucial Part of Dynamics of Transforming Technolog Coursework

Strategic Plan as a Crucial Part of Dynamics of Transforming Technology - Coursework Example In a broader sense, strategic planning is a decision-making activity. Every organization has certain systems of strategic planning, whether implied or unambiguous. The core of the strategic plan lies in developing the right future for organizations and to accomplish competitive advantage over other rivals. Formal strategic planning in the present age is a recent phenomenon of a rapidly changing environment. Nowadays, as information technology serves as the motivator of several organizational renovations, there is an increased pressure on organizations to address their strategic planning in keeping with the upgraded technological benefits. Success usually takes place when an organization is capable of accomplishing resemblance between technology and strategic planning. The strategic planning is intended to ensure that technological activities are properly associated with the growing requirements and strategies of an organization. In present days, several organizations attempt to maint ain that technology as well as strategy is incorporated with a clear understanding of business direction. Organizations accomplish a high degree of consonance between business priorities and technological functions through better strategic configuration. In the changing technological environment, the position of strategic planning with technological activities has become one of the topmost matters for any business.In present days, the use of technology can directly impact on the competitive position in an organization. Technology has become a new weapon for organizations to develop competitiveness, indicating a new connection between business strategy and technological improvement. The competitive advantage of strategic planning based on technology can be observed from the business plan of Beach Bum gym where the use of ‘Netpulse’ technology can enhance the entertainment related experience of the members within the gym, making it one of the most competitive facilities a mong other gym clubs. It can bring about fundamental changes in the gym industry by providing customers to design their own workout environment according to their suitability.

The elephant and the blind man Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The elephant and the blind man - Essay Example one might reasonably expect them to approach the topic in much the same way; however, as was the case with the blind men and the elephant, this is not the case. Whereas policy makers approach the elephant (healthcare) within the perspective of attempting to create policy decisions which will provide a greater benefit to the highest number of shareholders, the economic costs of some of these policies are often not considered. In this way, the economic policy makers have a firm grasp and understanding concerning the elephant’s tail; however, they lack a complete grasp of the entire animal as a function of what parts they are not realizing exist. In this way, those that focus too intensively on a specific aspect of the issue will oftentimes miss the overall broader application. Similarly, those specialists that approach the elephant (healthcare) from the economic standpoint are trying to find the most viable ways to provide the level of care that is needed while still doing so under an economically viable and reasonably fiscal model. This is oftentimes an impossibly difficult process due to the fact that treatment options are almost never easily determined to be perfectly economic as well as exhibiting a high level of care for the patient in question. In this way, the health economic analyst will likely be examining the micro application of the policies put in place by the economic policy makers (macro approach). The problem lies in the fact that one particular approach is examining the â€Å"wall† of health care policy and trying to make sense out of it; whereas the other economic approach is dealing with explaining how the tail must function with relationship to the larger entity. In this way, understanding both approaches is necessary for creating a more efficient and better healthcare policy; however, appreciating the fact that both the â€Å"wall† and the â€Å"tail† have their own unique functions is vital towards gaining a more complete understanding of

Black man and white women Essay Example for Free

Black man and white women Essay Black man and white women in dark green row boat The story Black Man and White Women in Dark Green Rowboat, written by Russell Banks, is about an interracial relationship on the brink of disaster. The story opens up on an extremely hot day in August at a trailer park that is right next to a lake with a variety of people who live there. I was not immediately aware that the black man and the white woman were the focus of the story, but those characters gradually emerged and thats when things started to get interesting. It becomes very obvious that white women want to control everything in the relationship and doesnt iew the black man as an equal partner. Before they meet at the beach, the white women walks up in her bikini holding her towel, fashion magazine, and tanning lotion with her blonde hair swinging side to side. I automatically start to view her as an egotistical person. When the white women encounters the black man at the beach, she helps him push the boat to the water, but instead of helping him push the boat all the way from shore, she hops in it before her feet had even got wet. He was left to not only push the boat himself, rolling his pant legs up, but also pushing her in it as well. While he is rowing the boat he realizes he didnt bring a hat and he is sweating. He wraps his shirt around his head and she explains to him that he looks like a sheik and a galley slave. To me this shows how she thinks of him as her own romanticized slave that she can control. She even reassures him that she was not kidding by saying no really. Honestly. (68). The man continues to row and she says shes starting to put on weight and then she tells the man that she told her mother about them and their situation, but she never looked at him when she was talking to him. Her eyes were closed and directed oward the sun. She isnt treating him like she cares; she is Just caring on with her sun bathing. Then she tells him that she is going to have an abortion that afternoon. She does this without even asking the man if thats what he wants to do. Even after he expresses hatred towards the situation and basically tells her he wants her to keep the baby she doesnt listen. She Just insists that everything will return to normal when its done. He asks her what happened and she brushes the question off and explains her mother is 0k with him. You can tell he cares about her mothers opinion f him as he wants the reassurance that her mother actually likes him. The woman explains her mother Just thinks she is fragile from depression. Honestly I feel like the women had had other abortions and Just didnt want to be honest with the man. After some time had passed, the woman asks him how long he was going to fish. He tells her about an hour and offers to row her to a swimming spot if she would rather swim. She turns down the offer and makes appoint to mention the fact that she has to be back in time to make it to her abortion later that afternoon; again aking it known she is making this decision on ner own. The women sta rts looking through her magazine while the man continued for a few more casts then he finally gave up and said, No sense fishing when the fish aint feeding. The whole point is catching fish, right? (71). This is the mans turning point. I think he realized that the relationship he was in was kind of like fishing, there was no point in him being with her if she didnt want to move on to the next level. Before rowing back into shore, he said he wished he could Just leave here there. She gets very nervous when he said hat and tells him they have to go back. Thats when the man decided that it was time to move on with his life and he said, You mean, you have to go back. (71). He rows back and all the people are carrying on like they were before except now things are changing for them. The White woman goes with her towel and magazine to have her abortion and back to living with her mother, while the Black man goes on his own separate way while watching the women leave.

Job Analysis In Rapidly Changing Organizations Management Essay

Job Analysis In Rapidly Changing Organizations Management Essay The importance of job analysis in obtaining the right people for organizations has been established in literature (Siddique, 2004; Palmer and Valet, 2001; Baruch and Lessem, 1995). Job analysis refers to the process of analyzing the requirements of jobs and identifying skills, behaviours, knowledge, and other characteristics needed for satisfactory job performance (De Cieri and Kramer, 2003; Palmer and Valet, 2001; McKillip, 2001). In recent years however, there have been issues regarding the relevance of job analysis in staffing for modern organizations because of its specific and detailed outcomes, which are inconsistent with the flexible nature of contemporary organizations (Brannick and Levine, 2002). Given the arguments for and against the relevance of job analysis, can it be considered as essential in getting the best staff to work in modern and rapidly changing organizations? Analyzing this statement merits a clear look into the characteristics of best staff in modern organizations and the context where they are working. As opposed to traditional organizations that offer rigid and stable working environments, modern and rapidly changing organizations have been described as flexible (Dessler, Griffiths, and Lloyd-Walker, 2004), dynamic, competitive, and less hierarchical (Brannick and Levine, 2002; Hammer and Champy, 2001; Sanchez, 1994), multidimensional (Hammer and Champy, 2001), influenced by technological, social, political, and global changes (Dessler, et. al., 2004), and boundaryless with tasks and roles that are more fluid and less defined (Nelson, 1997; Hirschhorn and Gilmore, 1992). Given this work context, the best staff to work for modern and dynamic organizations can be considered as those who are flexible, open to learning, dynamic, empowered, and self-directed, able to respond to changing demands of the job, and with sound interpersonal and collaborative skills necessary for team work (Dessler et. al., 2004; Brannick and Levine, 2002; Hammer and Champy, 2001; Hirschhorn and Gilmore, 1992 ). Possession of the essential work-related skills (Palmer and Valet, 2001) and the ability to manage complicated tasks (Hammer and Champy, 2001) is also important. Looking at the characteristics of modern organizations, wherein jobs are constantly changing, a traditional type of job analysis which focuses on specific job descriptors and employee characteristics to match these may no longer be relevant (Nelson, 1997; Sanchez, 1994). A more modern type of job analysis that selects staff on the basis of their capability to function in a dynamic set-up is more appropriate (Sanchez, 1994). Consequently, job analysis, when used appropriately, has been seen to meet the demands of new working environments (Siegel, 1996; Sanchez, 1994). Therefore, job analysis is essential in getting the best staff to work in modern organizations so long as it is performed in a pro-active way (Siddique, 2004) and is able to accommodate and adapt to fast-changing demands (Clifford, 1994). Job analysis is essential in getting the best staff to work in modern organizations, first because it is capable of adapting to organizational needs in regards to providing relevant information for describing jobs and work environment, and staff characteristics that is best for the organization (Siddique, 2004; Nelson, 1997; Sanchez, 1994). Second, it strengthens the validity of measurement tools used to identify characteristics of jobs and employees (Kubiszyn and Borich, 1996). Third, it provides information on education and training needs for staff development (Dessler et. al., 2004; De Cieri and Kramer, 2003). Fourth, it provides the basis for evaluating staff performance needed to enhance their performance (Brannick and Levine, 2002; Palmer and Valet, 2001). Last, job analysis provides data needed in setting-up a working environment that would motivate staff to work at their best (Dessler et. al., 2004). To discuss the first point, job analysis is relevant in getting the best staff for modern organizations because it presents dynamic and new ways of describing jobs, work environments, and organization culture; and the staff characteristics needed to get the work done. Therefore, it serves its basic function of providing a match between organizational needs and staff characteristics. Job analysis no longer limits itself to identifying specific job descriptions and job specifications. Modern job analysis techniques such as the worker-oriented methods of job analysis (Nelson, 1997, p. 43) and competency-focused approach (Siddique, 2004, p.225) provides information on broader qualities such as conflict management skills, motivation, and flexibility that are critical for success in a variety of jobs for modern organizations. In addition, job analysis can also identify team descriptions that can facilitate collaboration in a team-based nature of modern organizations (Brannick and Levine, 2 002; Siegel, 1996). It is worth mentioning however, that there have also been arguments regarding the applicability of job analysis to modern organizations (Sanchez, 1994). Several authors (Brannick and Levine, 2002; Sanchez, 1994) for instance discussed the setbacks of job analysis as being rigid and inconsistent with the fluid nature of modern businesses. However, Brannick and Levine (2002) discussed that problems with job analysis stem from its products such as job descriptors and not necessarily on the entire job analysis procedure. In contrast to accusations, the ability of job analysis to identify characteristics needed to get the best staff to function in modern organizations has been evident in several instances. For example, Milan and Tucker (1992) discussed the story of British Petroleum, the worlds third largest oil company, wherein teams of staff members from its different divisions and locations worked together to develop a skills matrix that included descriptors for families of skills and corresponding performance levels. As a result, the matrix enabled the employees to understand the different roles that they can play in the company and the level of performance required, thus empowering them to take charge of their own development. Similarly, Laabs (1993) related the story of Gillette Co, a fast growing global company that benefited from identifying important broad staff characteristics like adaptability, enthusiasm, and aggressiveness which effectively helped the company in attracting and tapping new graduates that meet its global and competitive needs. Since jobs keep on changing in modern organizations, identifying work environment characteristics has been seen as more important in identifying compatible staff members than specific job descriptors (Nelson, 1997). Job analysis has been discussed to serve this function. For instance, Siegel (1996) mentioned the applicability of job analysis in a TQM environment by detailing the characteristics of the organizations systems and subsystems to enable staff to work interdependently. Similarly, job analysis is also important in ensuring that employees match the organization culture by operationalising and providing a framework for an organizations culture and the necessary staff characteristics that would fit the culture (Dessler et. al, 2004; Nelson, 1994). Clearly, so long as job analysis is up-to-date, it can function as a roadmap for companies to use in selecting the best staff both from within and outside the organization. Job and work descriptions and specifications can only be effective in getting the best staff if measures used to identify relevant characteristics are valid. Dr. Howard Hane (cited in Palmer, H. and Valet W., 2001) said that job analysis aids in the valid and reliable development of these tools by specifying what needs to be measured for a given task and at what standards. For instance, Day (1989, p. 27) emphasized the importance of conducting job analysis in designing a personality inventory and providing an accurate measure for personality traits in selecting employees. Valid personality measurements and other competency measures are important in selecting the best staff for modern organizations because these provide characteristics that are needed for a wide array of jobs. Getting the best staff does not end with matching organizational needs with employee characteristics. Once, their in the organization, they will only continue to be the best if given proper education and training. Education and training are important because in modern organizations, people are expected to be versatile and to attune their skills and knowledge to organizational changes (Dessler, et. al, 2004; Hammer and Champy, 2001). Job analysis is essential in employee education and training needs assessment in modern organizations by identifying skills and competence that needs to be developed and by forecasting skills that will be needed for future responsibilities (Dessler et. al., 2004). For instance Siegel (1996) discussed the use of job analysis in a TQM environment by providing information on employee cross-training for them to work spontaneously in different subsystems. As Clifford (1994) suggested, job analysis also assists the organization and its staff in determining training needs for professional growth planning. Furthermore, job analysis strengthens the validity of training procedures by providing a means to match important characteristics and the emphasis given to these in trainings (McKillip, 2001). The importance of job analysis in employee training for a modern organization was seen in the case of Dixie Group Inc., a major carpet industry in the United States. This company used job analysis as basis for staff education and development to enable them to keep up with and deliver good results amidst fast changing technology (Palmer and Valet, 2001). Once employees are hired, put in the right position, trained, or educated, the effective way of determining the quality of performance is evaluation. Evaluation will provide an objective basis whether the best staff is indeed at place in the organization. The basis for all evaluation is of course a clear criteria or standard of how jobs and tasks should be accomplished (Borich and Kubiszyn, 1996). Job analysis again enters the picture by providing up-to-date information for acceptable standards of job performance that will be used to assess the quality of work of staff (Dessler et. al., 2004; Siddique, 2004). If duties and standards are clearly provided by a job analysis, then evaluation procedures would proceed smoothly (Clifford, 1994). The results of the evaluation can then be used for training needs analysis as well as personal improvement plans of the staff. It can also be the basis for putting people in job categories wherein they excel. Another area of employee evaluation wherein job analysis is important has to do with compensation decisions (Dessler et. al., 2004). Fast changing organizations would likely get the best staff that they require if compensation packages are reasonable and commensurate to the responsibilities given to people and their qualifications. The information on various jobs provided by job analysis is very essential in this process (De Cieri and Kramer, 2003). Finally, getting the best staff also means keeping them at their best by providing motivation. Good employees in modern organizations are normally flexible and talented; therefore they will not stay in organizations that do not offer stimulating work environments. Job analysis addresses this issue by providing information needed in designing and redesigning interesting jobs that foster team work, responsibility, challenge, and employee empowerment (Dessler et. al., 2004; Brannick and Levine, 2002). For instance, proper combination of positive job characteristics in a job design may lead to positive work outcomes (Dessler et. al., 2004), thereby maintaining the staff at their best performance levels. Modern organizations have indeed moved from a static and bureaucratic system to one that is dynamic, flexible, and boundaryless; resulting to changes on the characteristics of the best staff needed for these organizations. Since jobs keep on changing, employees are no longer chosen on the basis of specific skills or how well they can perform specific tasks. This makes the question of whether job analysis is essential in getting the best staff to work in modern and rapidly changing organization an important point for discussion. There have been arguments regarding the applicability of job analysis in modern and fast changing organizations because it was regarded as providing rigid information that is inconsistent the with the flexible nature of organizations. On the contrary, however, literature on job analysis (Siegel, 1996; Sanchez, 1994) has shown that it is capable of adapting to the requirements of modern organizations and has evolved to incorporate methods that enable companies to get the best staffs that are suitable to its changing needs. Thus, job analysis, as long as up-to-date, is important in getting the best staff because it still serves its primary functions of first, providing relevant information about people and work characteristics needed to get the best staff (Siddique, 2004; Nelson, 1997; Sanchez, 1994); second, strengthening the validity of measurement tools used to identify characteristics of best staff (Kubiszyn and Borich, 1996); and third, providing relevant information for staff edu cation, training (Dessler et. al., 2004; De Cieri and Kramer, 2003), evaluation (Brannick and Levine, 2002; Palmer and Valet, 2001) and design of a motivating work environment to keep the staff at their best (Dessler et. al., 2004). Clearly, so long as job analysis is able to keep abreast with the dynamic needs of organizations, it is essential in getting the best staff to work in modern organizations. This topic, however, still merits more research on the applicability of job analysis in acquiring the best staff for real organizations and the development of more relevant job analysis tools.

Conquering of Fear :: Personal Narrative, Autobiographical Essay

Conquering of Fear For as long as I could remember I have had a chronic fear of crashes at high speeds and that my best friend Joseph has never feared anything. He would jump off the Eiffel Tower if he got the chance. On the day that I would finally conquer my fear I was in the back seat of Joseph’s uncle’s Ford Expedition with the whole seat to myself. If I were to turn my head around I would see the large speeder boat the car was pulling behind it. We were on our way to the Delta Marina. Our plan was to go tubing in the water. The only way we would end our turn on the tube was by flipping over and crashing into the water. The road began to get rocky and the smell of wet wood was in the air. We finally reached the loading point for cars with boats. It was not until I was sitting in the boat with my life vest on and I could feel the swaying of the marina water that I realized how scared I was. I was shaking slightly, my palms were soaked with sweat and suddenly I felt as if I had to go to the bathroom very desperately and the engine had not even been turned on yet. I sat in the very back of the boat facing the front. When I saw Joseph’s uncle put the key in the ignition I almost instinctively grabbed the closest thing to my hand. To my surprise I had grabbed Joseph’s arm who had sat adjacent to me. I recoiled with great embarrassment. Joseph said joshingly, â€Å"Oh Adam I didn’t know you felt that way.† Then he laughed, but I was too caught up in my mistake to laugh or even notice the engine had turned on. The sudden acceleration surprised me so much I almost fell off right away. It took a few seconds, but I got use to the speed and even began to find a peace in the wind and the sound it made as it rushed by my ears. I sat in a very scholarly position with my hands folded and my back straight up. I looked over at Joseph and saw him in a reclining position with one hand holding a soda and the other hanging out the side of the boat feeling the water that the boat pushed up in large cascades as it cut through the once calm currents. Conquering of Fear :: Personal Narrative, Autobiographical Essay Conquering of Fear For as long as I could remember I have had a chronic fear of crashes at high speeds and that my best friend Joseph has never feared anything. He would jump off the Eiffel Tower if he got the chance. On the day that I would finally conquer my fear I was in the back seat of Joseph’s uncle’s Ford Expedition with the whole seat to myself. If I were to turn my head around I would see the large speeder boat the car was pulling behind it. We were on our way to the Delta Marina. Our plan was to go tubing in the water. The only way we would end our turn on the tube was by flipping over and crashing into the water. The road began to get rocky and the smell of wet wood was in the air. We finally reached the loading point for cars with boats. It was not until I was sitting in the boat with my life vest on and I could feel the swaying of the marina water that I realized how scared I was. I was shaking slightly, my palms were soaked with sweat and suddenly I felt as if I had to go to the bathroom very desperately and the engine had not even been turned on yet. I sat in the very back of the boat facing the front. When I saw Joseph’s uncle put the key in the ignition I almost instinctively grabbed the closest thing to my hand. To my surprise I had grabbed Joseph’s arm who had sat adjacent to me. I recoiled with great embarrassment. Joseph said joshingly, â€Å"Oh Adam I didn’t know you felt that way.† Then he laughed, but I was too caught up in my mistake to laugh or even notice the engine had turned on. The sudden acceleration surprised me so much I almost fell off right away. It took a few seconds, but I got use to the speed and even began to find a peace in the wind and the sound it made as it rushed by my ears. I sat in a very scholarly position with my hands folded and my back straight up. I looked over at Joseph and saw him in a reclining position with one hand holding a soda and the other hanging out the side of the boat feeling the water that the boat pushed up in large cascades as it cut through the once calm currents.

Roses in the Desert :: Essays Papers

Roses in the Desert Hearts starve as well as bodies, give us bread, but give us roses! - James Oppenheim, line of â€Å"Bread and Roses,† poem written in 1911, quoting the protest slogans of female industrial workers What brings the human heart to starve? Such a critical question acutely fits into the rhyme and reason of character and theme in Stargirl and Holes. Discerning the meaning of a hungry human heart, against a back drop of parched desert environments, protagonists Leo, Stargirl and Stanley Yelnats walk in worlds fraught with injustice and cutting unkindness. From Mica highschool to Camp Green Lake, authors Jerry Spinelli and Louis Sachar do not shy away from illustrating worlds connected to the industrial jungle which prompted Oppenheim’s 1911 poem; rather, within these American deserts, their protagonists help readers to explore theories of nonconformity, loyalty, and altruism. Through Stanley’s good humor and intermittent kindness in agreeing to teach Zero to read, Leo’s self-conscious perspective as narrator, and Stargirl’s selfless generosity in giving porcupine neck ties and African violets, Sachar and Spinelli question that which starves and that which nourishes our living human hearts. What does it mean to fit in? As creatures designed for community living, we desire to be liked, to be appreciated, and to be included among groups. Leo knows how to fit in; he knows not to be being singled out in the crowd, how to dress, what to say, especially against the flamboyant nonconformity of Stargirl. Stanley also stands out in a crowd, but not by choice; overweight, he doesn’t â€Å"have any friends at home† and â€Å"kids at school often teased him about his size,† and coming from a poor family, he longs to do things that â€Å"just like rich kids† (Sachar 7, 6). His notebook is dropped in the toilet by pint-sized bullies and his family is under a curse. In Stanley, optimistic about â€Å"swimming in a lake† despite his ominous detainment in a detention center, there exists the same good humor and optimism that sustains his inventive father. In revealing Stanley’s smile at their â€Å"family joke† to readers, Sachar shows hi s protagonist’s strength in inherited humor and the strength of his imagination; his family stories feed him and he is lifted out of where he is by the power of his memory. Against ghastly, sweltering conditions and the injustice of his own incarceration, Stanley’s sense of humor saves him from breaking;

Good Use in Writing :: Writers Education Teaching Essays

Good Use in Writing I have had extreme difficulty in determining what is good use in writing. My idea of good use, what it is based on, what it is good for, and how do you learn it or engage it in practice are difficult concepts for me to try and give answers to. I do not believe I am any position to judge writings and say what is and isnà ­t good use. However, I guess I am going to try, for there are some pretty serious issues at hand such as getting along with others, being taken seriously in language and writing, and issues of truth, value, social position, and understanding. This is some pretty serious stuff. If good use is that important then why am I having such a difficult time determining what it is? If good use weighs so heavily on such important issues as socializing with others, being taken seriously, and the ever important issues of truth, value, social position, and understanding, you would think I would know what good use is strictly on the basis of surviving in society. The rules of good use should flow onto the page as easily as the Ten Commandments come to a devout Christian. However, they do not come to me so easily, in fact I do not know the first place to begin in determining what good usage is. Does this mean I am a social banana who does not get along with anyone? That I am never taken seriously every time I speak or write? That I am a liar with no morals, no social position, or comprehension of anything? I should hope not. In my attempt to describe good usage I guess I will focus my efforts on one particular area. Good usage in writing for textbooks. I will focus my area of concern on one single written passage, explain why it is good usage, and then you are free to agree with me, cry out loud in disgust and outrage, or do whatever you want. Robert A. Hall said, "The merit of what a person says or does is not in anyway affected by the way in which they say or do it, provided it is the most efficient way of saying or doing it." The following passage was taken from the textbook Bowling by Charles Edgington: 7. Respect the Alley and its Equipment -- Make sure the pin setting machine has completed its cycle prior to your delivering the ball.

Brazil

Brazil is perceived as a standout amongst the most multiracial district on the planet that involves a colorful, diverse and intriguing society made up of Local American, Africans, and Portuguese. The reason why I am focus on Brazil is because someday I would like to be apart of the diversity. I believe that understanding their culture better will enable me to develop sensitivity and appreciation towards Brazil culture. I would be honored to participate in many traditional celebrations such as the annual Rio Carnival, which is one of the world most exciting and inspiring cultural festival in South America. It would be a wonderful opportunity to experience cultural tradition food such as â€Å"Feijoada†, which is consist with black beans and some sort of meat you consider to add to make a stew. In the following cultural resume, I will attempt to present a comprehensive brief summary of the diverse Brazilian culture. This will include providing a broad overview of the country's profile that will includes the country geography, racial, ethnic and also, with cultural holidays, traditional foods, different languages, beautiful landmarks. Alongside, a summary of the country's history, political system, educational system and challenges that Brazil is faced with. The second section will be focus on challenging some of the biases and assumptions that I previously held about the country. This will also include an attempt to evaluate how my stereotypes and sensitivity toward Brazilian population has changed, and the major lessons that I have learnt by focusing on this country. Finally, I will scrutinize on the ways that I will make effort to communicate with people that comprise the Brazilian culture. Brazil is arranged on the shore of the Atlantic Ocean. The greatest country in South America running along 5000 miles from coastline to coastline through every edge in South America foresees from Chile and Ecuador. Brazil is on the coastline of Uruguay, Argentina, Paraguay, and Bolivia, Peru, Colombia, and Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname, and French Guiana. The Brazilian scene is enormous and complex, with sprinkled streams, wetlands, mountains, and levels connecting other real highlights and navigating the limits of states and locales. Brazil is the fifth largest country in the world. Brazil's physical condition and atmosphere fluctuate enormously from the tropical North to the mild South. The scene is overwhelmed by a focal good country area known as the Planalto Focal (Brazilian High countries, or Level of Brazil) and by the huge Amazon Basin which possesses over one-third of the nation. Brazil is a beautiful topical country. The restricted seaside marsh zone ranges from tropical in the north to mild in the south. The cool upland fields of the south have a calm atmosphere and an incidental snowfall. The coolest period is from May to September, and the most blazing is from December to spring. October to May is the blustery season. As of 2018 the Brazilian population is well over 200 million. Set at number 5 in populace among the 193 countries of the world. In Brazil the decent variety of the scene coordinates that of the general population possesses of it which is indigenous people, Portuguese, Africans (which came as slaves). Around 86 percent of the population is urban.

Globalization Drivers Essay

Globalization drivers Ultra luxury car industry Luxury car industry There are four different kinds of levels in the luxury car industry. The levels divide the actors of the market into different levels depending on their grade of luxury. We have chosen to focus on the highest level of luxury cars; the ultra luxury cars. The main players of this level are companies such as Ferrari, Mercedes-Benz and Porsche, but the level also includes the not as big companies as Cadillac, Aston Martin and Maserati 1. All these companies have in common is that they are international companies with a two-way communication between the head quarters and the different desks scattered around the world. The head quarters develop and supplies the desks with main car models while the desks receives the customers preferences so they together can produce custom made cars 2. Segment The companies in the Ultra Luxury Cars industry directs to a narrow group of costumers, which belongs to the upper class or upper middle class all over the world. They are all sharing almost the same main needs, which consists of status, speed and transportation. The customers achieve these needs by buying the ultra luxury cars because they represent a very high level of exclusivity, individuality and craftsmanship 3. Since the customers share the same needs overall, it could be termed as Levitt’s (1983) convergence perspective. Where the needs of customers all over the world are becoming more converged, which is typical for the market of luxury goods. Since the customers in the segment, which the ultra luxury car companies focus on, share overall the same needs and then they are localized all over the world, the industry considers a globalized market. Most companies that are involved in buying heavy machinery or other large purchases have high fixed costs and the automobile industry is no exception to this. However there are still differenes within the whole industry, for example the demand and production of a Porsche may not be as huge as with Toyota for example, which essentially means that a luxury car’s fixed cost per unit is higher than an ordinary family car’s. The rent of a factory and all the other different expenses to keep the production running form the fixed costs. As the labour expenses for example are a lot cheaper in Asia, most car companies, including the luxury ones, have migrated their production there. The pressure for globalization is clear, but still there are some luxury automobile companies that have stayed loyal to manufacturing the cars in their country of origin, such as Aston Martin. (https://www. honk. com/aston-martin) Experience curve Most luxury automobile companies have many decades of experience in manufacturing their cars, which means both skilled expertise in technology as well as years of building a strong and distinguished brand. In luxury cars especially the significance of the brand is very important as many of the customers purchase these cars only for the status symbol that they give its owner. Building a solid brand usually takes years of work in exceeding the customers expectations, it demands strong-willed marketing, filling a specific niche at a right time. Sourcing Luxury automobile companies usually favour centralized purchasing which means that they buy the parts that they need from one location for all the locations within the organisation. This provides standardization of a product which is quite essential in luxury cars, as well as some cost-savings. Automakers universally outsource production of parts or sections of vehicles, and for example Porsche is known to use a Finnish company, Valmet Automotive, to assemble its two main product lines, the Cayman and the Boxster. (http://www. just-auto. com/news/porsche-to-outsource-boxster-production-to-osnabrueck_id121470. aspx)Product development costs Because of the nature of the product, the development and research of new technologies can be quite costly within the automobile industry. Technological changes The last decades the technical development for luxury automobiles has gone very quickly. For example the first luxury automobiles were noted as luxury just by having seat heating or high beams. Nowadays luxury is more about buttons for technological equipment’s, voice command, fuel efficiency and safety for the car driver. With having this thoughts in aspect, you can considerate the technical changes in the luxury automobiles industry as a pressure for globalization. Of course there are still some exceptions, for example Rolls Royce that is having a more of a British approach in their cars, with less buttons and simpler interior and equipment. These things can point against a more localization approach. Favourable logistics The logistics for the luxury automobiles depends for how long distance they have to be transported, so for the consumers it will be cheaper if they can find an automobile as close as possible. Another aspect is that depending from which country the automobile is imported from you have to pay a different amount of taxes and insurance fees and even other regulations can appear. Therefore the companies will have an advantage if they are locally settled, even though the really rich clients won’t care about the cost for the transports. Actually this may be why many automobile companies has started factories in Asia, though for example the German automobile companies had made a between 30-40 % sale growth in China. They may by this decision not only gain low labour costs but also lower transport costs. Country specific differences If you look at last year’s statistic for automobiles producing, low labour cost countries like China, Japan, South Korea and India is all in the top five, the other country in top five is Germany. This shows that many automobile brands have factories in these countries just for the low labour costs. In Germany the automobile industry is one of the biggest employers in the country, one reason is that Germany have many famous car brands and they have a lot of experience in the country. Between the different luxury automobile brands it differ a lot from where they are produced, like Mercedes-Benz have factories in a lot of different countries, Ferrari is only produced in one city and like for example Aston Martin is only produced in cities in UK. Therefore you can say that there is different kind of localization and globalization approaches. Competitive globalisation driver The next driver concerns the competitive environment, eg the amount of competition from other countries and continents as well as if there is any interdependence between countries. According to Yip (2003), globalised competitors and country interdependence are pressures for globalization. Globalised competitors In the luxury car industry, there are competitors from for example the US (Cadillac), Germany (BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Maybach, Audi), Italy (Maserati, Ferrari), Japan (Lexus, Acura) and England (Aston Martin, Rolls-Royce). According to Stonehouse et al (2004) a company that faces global competition has to compete on global terms as well. Therefore these facts indicate that this specific industry has become or are becoming globalized since there, given the examples above, are competitors from Europe, Asia and North America. Interdependece of countries In today’s economy and as a result of specialization, companies are focusing on their core competences. For example, the German brand Mercedes are mainly focusing on innovation and design (Mercedes. com) while Acura have environmental friendly performance and innovation in the center of attention (acura. com). The headquarter of Mercedes is placed in Stuttgart and the production is taking place in Germany, Japan, USA, France, England and

Reflection Journal Essay

This is the first time I have had the opportunity to study this subject. Being a science student, I have a very basic understanding on the different aspects of Organisational behaviour. I am interested in learning the different theories, concepts and practises that are a part of this course and relating the same with experiences I have had in the past at my previous workplace. This course would also benefit me at my future workplace by honing my job-related and inter-personal skills.Management is an art of getting things done through and with the people in formally organized groups. The five major functions of management are planning, organising, staffing, directing and controlling. Planning refers to the process of setting goals and how best to achieve them, organising refers to evenly distributing resources so that the plans can be carried out successfully, Staffing pertains to recruitment, selection, development and compensation of subordinates aiming to place right people in the right job, directing refers to the process in which the managers instruct, guide and oversee the performance of the workers to achieve predetermined goals and controlling refers to the process of regulating organisational activities so that actual performance conforms to expected organisational standards and goals. Organisational behaviour can be assessed at three major levels – At the individual level, of analysis, At the group level and At the organization level. Even though the basic skills required for a manager are networking skills, traditional management skills, HRM skills and communication skills, the focused skillset is different for different management levels.There are five basic trends in managing contemporary organisations. Globalization refers to the company’s desire to be a part of the global market. Changing workforce implies increased diversity among the working population, primarily more women being part of it. Employment relationship refers to the flexibility and ease of work schedule and culture. Information technology refers to the increased ease with which employees interact and how organisations are configured. Values and ethics refer to important long-lasting beliefs and moral principles for the benefit of the company. Based on these trends, there are many challenges and opportunities for organisational behaviour.An organisation’s Intellectual capital is of three types – human capital, structural capital and relationship capital.The process of knowledge management can be broadly classified into acquisition (learning and experimenting), sharing (communicating) and use (application). In my last workplace, My organisation overcame many challenges related to various aspects of organisational behaviour. Emphasizing on the final result, they allowed the employees to have a flexible work schedule and/or to work from home. This made it very convenient for the employee. We also used trends in Information Technology and scheduled a Video call between a particular project team and our most potential clients once a month. This improved communication and strengthened our relationship with the client.My previous company had its major clientele in the US but it made a lot of attempts to go global. They were trying to pursue projects in the Middle East, UK, Australia, Canada, Singapore, and India and succeeded establishing a clientele in the Middle East. This was an advantage for the employees as it gave us opportunities to experience the work culture in different markets.| 11/12/2012| Unit 2:Individual Behavior, Personality, and Values| There are various factors that influenced my behaviour at my workplace. I can particularly relate to the MARS model in this instance. Positive and negative (that I would look at from a positive angle) motivation from others throughout the tenure of my work has help me become more passionate about my career. Early on in my career, I had not defined my set of goals properly. As a result, the amount of time and effort invested into achieving those unstable goals was wasted. It is very important to have a sound understanding of our work tasks from every angle. During the last few months of my work, I was simultaneously allocated to three projects. I was not able to concentrate on any project properly as my roles and tasks were not clearly defined. Now, after having a clear, sound understanding of the MARS model, I have realized the importance of clearly defining my goals to get self-motivated and my tasks to increase productivity. With respect to my personality, I am responsible for things that happen to me. I am a little low on self-esteem but realizing that future failures will decrease it all the more, I will take considerable steps to improve the same. I am more of a Type-B person by nature and will take that as an advantage in my life as I love setting aside time for leisure and moving at a normal pace. With respect to the CANOE personality model, I am a combination of the Agreeableness and the Extraversion type. With every company trying to become a part of the global market, it is good for everyone to be able to adapt to all cultures. In my previous workplace, I was deployed in the US on a short-term assignment. It would have been great if someone had emphasized the importance of globalization so that I would have mentally prepared myself to adapt to the culture there instead of going there and taking time to get adjusted. Cross cultural issues are predominant in every workplace though a lot of companies are striving hard to get rid of the same. My company has recently acquired a clientele in the Middle East. A few of my colleagues who were deployed on projects there were not aware of the work culture and practises there. They took a while to get used to the culture there. It would have helped them a lot had they had been given a nugget on the importance of being open-minded and flexible.| 17/12/2012| Unit 3: Perception| Perception is an apprehension or intuition that a person has about somebody or something. The world plays a major role in influencing perception. Perceptions in most cases are superficial and far from reality. Perceptions are generally a result of trends, emotions and trying to fill in missing information. Stereotyping is also a kind of perception that and it refers to assigning traits to people based on their social category. It is possible to minimize the trait of stereotyping but is difficult to prevent it. Stereotyping causes unnecessary discrimination and generalization. Perceptions can be more accurate by being wary of perceptual biases, improving self-awareness and increasing meaningful interactions. The self-fulfilling prophecy cycle refers to the way an employee reacts to his leader’s expectations and the way the leader reacts back to the employee’s performance. Leaders should maintain realistic positive expectations towards their employees. A person is an achiever if he does a particular task differently, better than others and maintains his performance consistently. The Johari window improves self-awareness and understanding between colleagues. It asks an individual to be more expressive and also be open to feedback from others so that people are aware of the individual’s level of perception.A global mindset refers to a person’s ability to perceive, interact and get along with people from other cultures. We can cultivate a global mindset by getting to know about other cultures, cross-cultural trainings and understanding oneself and comparing the mindset of people from different cultures. Emotional intelligence refers to a person using his emotions intelligently while dealing with other people. It can be used to motivate oneself and work well with others. Consequences refer to results of a particular behaviour. If the consequence is positive, a reinforcement strategy is applied and if the same is negative a punishment strategy is applied. Perceptions demotivate leaders and the people working with them. In my previous workplace, I had a perception that freshers did not have sufficient technical knowledge to play a major role in challenging projects. But many freshers working with me excelled their tasks well within their deadlines. Therefore, perception is not reality but what we see of reality.Emotional intelligence is an important leadership quality. The project manager at my previous workplace never motivated any of her subordinates and we always had a very negative view of her managerial skills. Now, since I have a fair idea about how to motivate my peers and subordinates using Emotional Intelligence and setting realistic goals, I will learn from my ex-project manager’s mistakes and do the right thing when I become a future leader. | 18/12/2012| Unit 4:Motivation| Motivation refers to the processes that arouse and sustain a person’s desire to attain a particular goal. The main reasons for a person being motivated in a workplace are money, opportunity, belonging, involvement and satisfaction. There are many theories related to what motivates a person. Taking an example of the Maslow’s theory, it applies when one wants to be motivated to succeed in his job and further, but the same does not apply when one wants to be motivated to play a role in Social Responsibility. The other theories are ERG theory where the main reasons for motivation are existence, belonging and growth and McClelland’s theory where the main reasons for motivation are the need for affiliation, power and achievement and Herzberg’s theory where the reasons for motivation are the factors involved in performing a job that lead to satisfaction. All the above content motivation theories confirm that rewards are what play an important role in motivating a person. There are process theories that emphasize on why and how a person gets motivated in the workplace. These theories emphasize on factors that managers have more influence over. If managers get their employees to love their jobs by clearly defining their roles and setting their goals to give them a strong support system and encouraging them, that will be the best form of motivation. Goal setting plays a major role in motivating an employee. A manager and employee should work together and set the employee’s goals. A goal that is moderate to challenging will generally result in a higher employee performance. An employee will also perform better in his job if he is trusted by his manager, given the right level of independence, allocated well-defined tasks and exposed to increased client interaction. The other aspects that motivate an employee are providing them with options like telecommuting, flexible timing and job sharing. Remuneration and rewards do motivate people to a great extent. But that form of motivation does come with a few disadvantages as well.My first team lead at my previous workplace was very stringent with respect to us putting in long hours of work. That demotivated the entire team and decreased our work productivity in the long run. Had he not insisted on long work hours, the team would have achieved its required targets much faster. Opportunity is a key motivation factor as well. One year into my job, my manager promoted me and gave me the opportunity to interact directly with my client. Interacting with the client directly for the first time, I took it up as a challenge and was determined to perform well. The client was very happy with me and gave me a very positive feedback at the end of the project. Unnecessary pressure from the senior management is not a motivating factor. When my project was going through very tight deadlines, the senior management would never be satisfied with our work. Lack of satisfaction and appreciation from our leads made us very disinterested in our work. Had they understood the amount of pressure we were going through and motivated us the right way, We could have gotten through that rough phase a lot more easily. | 7/1/2013| Unit 5:Team Dynamics| Team work is one of the most important aspects of corporate culture. A team is a group of people who are together to achieve a common goal. Teams motivate employees, increase the ease of information sharing and increase work productivity. The major disadvantage of a team is social loafing. In order to minimize social loafing, smaller teams should be formed and individual performance needs to be measured. It is a good idea to plaster the walls of a team space with key issues. This will give instant access to information to quickly resolve issues. Teams are better at complex, structured issues that require a lot of co-ordination. Good team members must be able co-operate, resolve conflict, co-ordinate, comfort and communicate. There are four stages of team development – forming, storming, norming and performing. The better performing team is always a cohesive one. Virtual teams are teams that operate across time, space and organisational boundaries. These teams are more necessary because of factors like globalisation. Brainstorming is a practise that is followed amongst the world’s most creative firms.Team work has always played an important role in my work life. I am a very strong team player. I was working with this client called Toyota and we were a sixteen member team. Though we completed our project successfully at the end, there were many cases of dismal individual performance. People took advantage of the fact that they were part of a team. Had I known then that smaller teams were more productive, I could have suggested to my manager to split us into sub-teams and designate individual tasks at that level. I have been part of a brain storming session many times. Those sessions would have been much more valuable and productive had we defined a set of rules that needed to be followed while brainstorming.| 8/1/2013| Unit 6:Power and Politics| Power is the ability of a person, team or organization to influence others. Power can be legitimate or otherwise. An example of legitimate power would be Obama. An example of misuse of power would be historic Adolf Hitler. The other types of power are reward, coercive, expert and referent power. Reward power is when someone has the power to control rewards and remove negative sanctions. Coercive power is power that can be used to punish. Expert power is power resulting from possessing valuable knowledge or skills. Referent power is power that arises out of respect. Non-substitutability refers to power that comes out of being unique in an environment or industry. Centrality refers to the interdependence between the power holders and others. Centrality is a phenomenon that will strengthen the spirit of a team to a large extent. Influence refers to any behaviour that alters someone else’s behaviour. A person can influence or get influenced positively or negatively. The person can resist, comply or commit to influence. Politics exists at every level of the organisation. Politics increases as management hierarchy increases. It exists at the upper management level the most. People trigger politics to make things easier for themselves. It disturbs the peace and cohesion in a team. Politics cannot be abolished but depending on the individuals in the organisation, it can definitely be minimized and controlled. As with any other organisation, abusive power and politics existed at my previous workplace as well. It existed at a more intense level as we were a very small organisation. We were terribly understaffed when compared to the amount of projects that needed to be completed. Managers used their power and over worked the employees to get work done. Had they been taught to use their authority and power properly they would could have used their power in the right way and implemented long term solutions to the understaffing problems. Politics probably brought individual gain to the person responsible for it but brought about a very negative atmosphere in the team. | 14/1/2013| Unit 7:Leadership| Leadership refers to the process of guiding someone in a work environment to achieve organisational objectives. Followership refers to the process of following a leader. A leader need s to have the drive to lead, integrity, motivation, self-confidence, emotional intelligence, intelligence and a sound knowledge of the business. A leader’s style can be rigid (autocratic), understanding (democratic) or unsuccessful (Laissez-Faire). A leader can be production-oriented or employee-oriented. Though the former will ultimately get the work done, the latter will get the work done bearing in mind the needs and concerns of the employee. For a manager to be successful, It is very important for him to have leadership qualities. He will be able to inspire and drive the team towards reaching its necessary targets. There was gender discrimination with respect to leadership. But now, female leaders have been rated more favourably than male leaders. There have been very few leaders in my previous workplace who have had the right leadership traits. Most of the others were very bossy and managerial by nature. They did not have the right Emotional Intelligence to understand their employees, nor did they have any integrity and did not have the leadership drive in them. It would have been easier for us to complete our tasks without them interfering and troubling us.| 15/1/2013| Unit 8:Change| Change is the only thing that does not change. Change in an organisation is inevitable and is intended for the betterment of the organisation. In the conventional perspective, change had three stages – recognizing the need for change and fighting those resisting it, making the change and finally confirming the change. But this model does not promote continuous change. Lewin’s force field analysis model classifies two forces with respect to change – there are restraining forces that oppose change and driving forces that encourage change. People resist change due to fear of the unknown, saving face, breaking routines and loss in current perks. We can minimize the resistance to change by communicating the change well in advance, implementing the change over a stretched period of time and involving everyone necessary to be a part of the change. Change can also be made through social networking. Change agents refer to anyone who can facilitate the change correctly. Typically, change agents are consultants from outside the company who diagnose the change, introduce it, stabilize it and finally collect feedback. Change in an organisation will take its employees some time getting used to. Initially, my company had an attendance register that we used to sign every time we got into the office. Then, the management implemented a policy asking us to swipe our access cards insisting on us clocking a minimum of eight hours in our office. A lot of people suffered salary cuts because of forgetting to swipe in or swipe out. This change was sudden and took us quite a while to get used to. | 16/1/2013| Unit 9:Organisational Culture| Organisational culture is the backbone of every organisation. It is the company’s DNA, invisible but the most important part of the organisation. It is important for an employee to be comfortable and adapt to the company’s culture. A strong organizational culture involves innovation, stability, respect for people, outcome orientation, attention to detail, team orientation and positive aggression. Culture can be defined at the organisational, local, regional and national level. The basic artefacts of organisational culture comprise of rituals, ceremonies, language and physical structures/symbols. A company with a strong culture has better performance. When one company acquires another company or merges with another company, the cultures of both the companies are usually combined into one corporate culture. An organisation’s culture becomes stronger by attracting applicants, selecting applicants to become company employees and the employees finally quitting the company. Socializing refers to learning and adjusting to strategic and cultural dynamics of an organisation. An employee goes through three general stages of socialization first being an outsider, then a newcomer and finally an insider (employee) of the organisation. | | Overview Summary| This course has stressed on the significance of various concepts that are a vital part of organisational behaviour. I have realised the significance of motivation, managerial leadership, minimizing workplace politics, team building and cohesion, knowledge management, change management, efficient use of authority, perception evading, emotional intelligence, modern organisational trends and overcoming of cross cultural issues amongst others. In my previous workplace, I was deployed on an onsite assignment in the US to work at Twentieth Century Fox. There, I was allocated to work for two projects at the same time, all of which involved getting work done from my inexperienced subordinates in India. I can relate to a lot of OB concepts that could have helped me manage my all aspects of my work better. The work culture in the US differed a lot from that in India. It took me some time to adjust to the differences. At Fox, My challenge was to interact with people from all cultures at a global level. Also, my senior management had not defined my roles in both the projects properly. Since I had freshers working with me from India, I perceived them to not be capable of working in such critical projects and hence did not motivate them. That did not spread any team spirit among our project members. If I had been enlightened with the importance of workplace motivation, it would have been easier for us to complete the project tasks. I have also understood the pertinence of positive leadership. I lacked the leadership qualities to drive the project in a positive manner even though I had a sound understanding of the business. In the future, I will motivate my subordinates and address all their concerns so that they contribute better to the project. My company did not have a knowledge management process in place. When I was leaving the company, since there was nobody else competent enough to replace me, we lost one project to a competitor. This loss could have been avoided if there had been an efficient knowledge management and succession planning strategy in place. In future, as a leader, I am very sure all the concepts learnt as part of this course will help me overcome a lot of organisational level obstacles at my workplaces and make my road to success a lot easier.

Man without a Memory – Clive Wearing

During the learning process information is encoded, then stored and retrieved once needed. The sensory organs receive information from the environment and are stored for a very short period within the sensory cells, by giving attention to this information it is sent into the working memory/short term memory. Information in short-term memory can be held there indefinitely as long as it is rehearsed, and the typical cause for its loss is that it is displacement by the presence of other, new information that has been attended to.Once received in the working memory/short term memory the information is encoded in our long-term memory by rehearsal or constant repetition of the information. When we need this stored information for future purposes, it is retrieve by recall or recognition. Clive Wearing, the man with no memory, has an unusual case of memory loss in which he is unable to form lasting new memories. Clive Wearing contracting the herpes viral encephalitis that affected his nervou s system and resulted in him has retrograde and ante-retrograde amnesia.Ante-retrograde amnesia means he is unable to form memory of events that have taken place after his illness; he also suffers from retrograde amnesia, which refers to him being unable to remember places, things and events before his illness means he is unable to store memory. The hippocampus and sections of his frontal and temporal lobe are damaged due to the infection. The hippocampus which transfers short-term memory to long term memory is damaged due to the viral infection that affected his nervous system. With this said an account could be given of why he is unable to store new memories.His memories only last between 7-30 seconds and are therefore only being stored in his short-term memory. Once the 7-30 seconds expires, he cannot recall what he had just experienced or learned. This results in him not storing any new memories during his daily life. Even thou Clive Wearing is unable to form new memories he sti ll has lasting memory of his wife and playing the piano. The fact that he can do this is evidence that different parts of the brain stores different types of memory. The assumption is that the section of his brain responsible for procedural memory (memory of habits) is not damaged hence his ability to playing the piano.

Level of evidence Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Level of evidence - Term Paper Example When each study is completed, recommendations are made and results used to update the policies and procedures. For example, in validation of evidence for a clinical intervention for a particular disease, its results are important as the procedure regarding the treatment for the disease will be updated immediately. All policies and procedures are reviewed annually. The management of the health institution is the overall in charge in ensuring all policies and procedures are based on evidence. There are policies and procedures manual for the health institutions. The manual outlines each procedure and policy in detail, giving information on which particular individual is responsible. For example, there is a policy regarding the criteria to approve or exempt human subject research. The policy will indicate the scope, purpose and criteria, indicating the concerned department and personnel. The level of evidence indicates the type of study used in order to effectively make an evaluation of the intervention effect. This will be used to decide on whether the evidence is appropriate. The types of evidence accepted as appropriate are based on three factors namely, whether there is any real effect of the evidence, the relevance of the effect and the size of the effect. The strength of the evidence assesses the effectiveness of an intervention in clinical practice. There are different types of bias that can be detected in any study that can affect the outcome. Each type of study done can indicate the degree of bias. The methods used for the study determines the quality of the evidence in order to minimize bias within the particular study. The sources of bias for each study need to be determined. There are different types of bias such as selection bias or publication bias. Various questions need to be addressed as to how the sample was selected, whether the characteristics of the

Designing a Training Program Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Designing a Training Program - Research Paper Example ors in varied field shall equally be used in order to give adequate mitigation to the objectives, the use of facilitators will come in handy among others (Stroh, Northcraft & Neale, 2002). Identify the needs of the workers then, process them. Finally tailor them to how they affect the level of self drive among the employees. Carrying out an employee centered training approach; bring out from the them the appropriate solutions to the bottlenecks that confront the organization Lastly, identifying mentors on their relevant field will help them be more enthusiastic as well since; these mentors will act as their coach and bolster their drive towards realizing their utmost best in the organization. In addition, the training should use probing tendencies to find from the employees the best ways to care for the resources of the organization. Through this, the training will not impose into them ideals of best practices but rather, it shall give the workers hindsight on how to become each other’s brothers’ keeper. This shall be realized through and elaborate mode of individual employee participation in the training process and other means of giving responses can be identified at the work places. For example, modes of reporting mal practices in the organization and the urgency of redressing justice and integrity issues. For example, is the administration dictatorial in nature or democratic in orientation, which one would work best for the employees in order to elicit from them the best practices in the realizing the objectives of the firm. Does the organization have the capacity to care for the welfare needs of her employees? The level of concern will dictate the response of the workers to wards realizing the prime objectives of the firm. For example, do they compel worker to work even if their health is under challenge? Does the organization offer security of tenure or are the workers contracted and fired at the whims of the employer and excreta. Whether

Biological Anthropology - Bipedalism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Biological Anthropology - Bipedalism - Essay Example Disadvantages are that the eyes are now further from the ground, so further away from tracks being followed, or from low growing food. Also, by standing tall, the person is more likely to be seen at a distance by enemies and predators. As hominids moved out of Africa into cooler climates they were at a disadvantage as more of the body surface was exposed to colder weather. The Dikika infant was a three year old (Sloan) member of the Australopithecus afarensis group, and was found encased within Ethiopian sandstone. The baby is apelike in her upper body, but human like below the waist. She is very small, and is likely to have been carried a lot of the time. Her skull supports only the same space that a three year old chimp’s brain would, so, in evolutionary terms, bipedalism seems to have come before great brain development. Jenk describes how some argue that the ape like, tree climbing facilities exhibited in this specimen may simply be inherited, and were not necessarily used. Others say that these creatures used both humanoid bipedalism and ape like methods of locomotion. This is the skeleton of a very young child. This means that the skeleton does not exhibit the changes that would have occurred in an adult, because certain muscles were being used in preference to others. What is needed is a complete adult skeleton before a definitive answer can be arrived at with regard to the preferred method of

Maslows Hierarchy of Needs Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Maslows Hierarchy of Needs - Assignment Example Shank’s old boss failed to meet the safety need as they were told that â€Å"you are just another number†¦Ã¢â‚¬  There was no love or belongingness and the question of self-esteem and self-actualization does not arise in these circumstances. The needs could not be met because the boss did not value his employees, did not recognize their efforts and contribution to the company. The self-esteem of the employees in the process was at its lowest. Low self-esteem can inhibit creativity, interpersonal relations, hinder performance and conflict resolution. Focusing on employee needs is essential to motivate and sustain the motivation of the employees. Maslow clarifies that satisfied needs are not motivators. When the higher order needs take over they serve as the motivating force. Thus, an organization can meet the missing needs in several ways. People need to feel connected with the top management and not feel alienated. Thus regular interactions between the management and the employees make them feel valued. A few words of recognition publicly reinforce the self-esteem of an individual and this can be a great motivator. The employees should feel that they can approach the management freely. Interest in the work or the store by the management is a great motivator for the employees because when they experience the excitement of the owners they too feel involved in their work. To err is human and employers should recognize this fact. Errors should be tolerated and as in the case of Southwest Airlines, errors should be considered a learning experience. A controlled approach can inhibit growth as it reduces initiatives. Hence an employee should be allowed to develop feelings of self-worth which provides intrinsic motivation. Intrinsic motivation is better than extrinsic motivation. When a person is aroused through a desire from within, the results are better.  

Is Citizenship in Australia Simply an Individual's Legal Status Essay

Is Citizenship in Australia Simply an Individual's Legal Status - Essay Example The study will examine the benefits and awards that accompany being an outstanding Australian citizen. Precisely, the study seeks to explore the fact that citizenship is not just a legal status since there is more to it. Citizenship in Australia can be regarded as a legal status in a number of ways. Australian citizenship came into being 26 January 1949 under the Nationality and Citizenship Act of 1948. Before the act, Australian citizens used to be British subjects; they shared a nationality code similar to that in Britain. One of the ways through which a person can become an Australian citizen includes citizenship by birth. In this case, a person becomes an Australian citizen if born before 20 August 1986 or when a person was born after that date, but one of the parents held Australian citizenship (Davis, 1996, p. 76). Legally, a person can also be considered an Australian citizen if born overseas and one of the parents held citizenship of Australia at the time of birth. Moreover, people are eligible to become Australian citizens if they were British subjects residing in Australia for 5years before 26 January 1949. Apart from the fact that Citizenship in Australia is a legal status, it can also be considered a privilege which offers numerous rewards. ... The Young Achievers Award has some objectives which include acknowledging and highlighting the achievements of young persons in Australia. The award also strives to use examples of youth achievement with the ultimate aim of educating the general public. Moreover, the award aims at motivating and encouraging young Australians at all levels in their respective fields (Maton, 1995, p. 41). In a way, the Young Achievers Award helps the young citizens to develop some pride in being citizens of Australia. As a result of the award, Young Australians have the opportunity to build self-confidence, since the rewards enhance excellence. Young citizens receive this award as a way of providing mentors and role models for youth by noticing the pursuit of excellence and the achievements of young people. Moreover, the Young Australians Award has an objective of priding good citizens by encouraging and developing life skills and leadership skills among the youth (Dutton, 2002, p. 17). Another popular award given to Australian citizens includes the Regional Achievements and Community Awards. The award is common in areas of Victoria, New South Wales, Queensland, and Western Australia. Citizens in these regions seek this award with a lot of determination. The award aims at encouraging and paying tribute to individuals, groups, businesses, and communities who make significant contributions to the rural and regional areas. Therefore, the award aims at encouraging those people working in rural areas with an aim of enhancing and supporting commercial, economic, social, and environmental prosperity. This award plays a significant role in recognizing citizens who work extremely hard to develop their respective fields and the

Eliminating Human Resource Problems Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Eliminating Human Resource Problems - Essay Example Altogether, these led to lower level of production and product quality. The problems stated above indicates greater core concerns which should be looked into. These are not the real problems but merely symptoms of the company's failure to establish an organizational structure suited to its human resource. These problems can be attributed to the grievance and dissatisfaction of the workforce as their needs remained unmet. I have come up with four recommendations which you can do in order to enhance employee morale and product quality in your department: employee empowerment, more open communications, motivational tools, and employee evaluation. 1. Employee Empowerment. The traditional approach of leaving decisions to the managers is now considered obsolete. I strongly believe that this is not working in your department. I believe that employees should be given the chance the chance to participate. It has been demonstrated that giving employees the chance to participate in the decision making of business organisations directly and significantly contributes to their job satisfaction. As human beings, employees have this innate desire to enhance their self worth. Without their participation and involvement, employees are left with the feeling that they are no more than the equipment that the company uses.

WEEK 4 INTL 6000 - RESEARCH PART 4 Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

WEEK 4 INTL 6000 - PART 4 - Research Paper Example KCNA, the North’s official news agency, announced it had no option, but to renege on the armistice, due to persistent war maneuvers by the US (Grinker 45). The current tensions re-started when KCNA declared that their military would invalidate the agreement, referring to the puppet forces in the South and the US imperialist’s violation of the armistice, citing the joint exercises as a declaration of war. This latest flare up, according to the author, comes from tough sanctions that were passed by the Security Council in the UN in response to continued nuclear tests, which North Korea carried out in spite of global condemnation (Grinker 46). This cold war era conflict continues to affect international political dynamics. To find the exact reason for the 2013 flare up of rhetoric from the North and the military deterrent drills by the South, it is important, therefore to trace the beginning of the conflict. This is because the rhetoric used by the North is reminiscent of the Cold War-era tactics that the country used. Therefore, it is certain that North Korea still views the South the same way it did then and that the conflict, for the North Koreans never ended (Armitage 32). Continued isolation by the North Koreans has seen them perfect their Cold War-era tactics that included the creation of a crisis, escalation of tensions, and extractions of concessions and payments to re-affirm their status. The current tensions are no different, as seen by the North’s reluctance to follow through on their rhetoric. This strategy has always worked for the North and it seems to be working this time, as seen by China’s and the US’s exhortation to go back to dialogue and the increased aid prese nted by the Chinese. The Chinese, who took over from the Soviets as the North’s main benefactor, continue to support their Socialist model and would not want to see the North fall to the American-backed South. For this reason,

Broken Homes Essay Example for Free

Broken Homes Essay He made it sound like that’s the reason why I became a secularist. Having a bad experience growing up, growing up without a father or being in a broken family are common misconceptions that the theists think about the secularists. Both of my parents consider themselves as cafeteria Catholics, for short, secular people. They may be annulled, but they said that they felt happier when that came. According to the elders, people wouldn’t say that they came from a broken family because of heavy religious influence which makes them think that they are heretics. At the present time, people are very open about it and it is accepted in the society. Today, the religious community are alarmed with the boom of divorce within their society. According to this, 20% of Catholics and Protestants and 40% of Jewish marriages end in divorce after 5 years. Also, the Barna Research Group stated that in the United States, 11% of the adult population is divorced, 25% of adults have had at least one divorce during their lifetime and divorce rates among Christians are significantly higher than those of other religious denominations, and much higher than atheists and agnostics. The results from their research about divorce rate by religion show that: 1. Non-denominational (Evangelical Christian congregations that are not affiliated with any specific denomination) – 34% have been divorce 2. Baptists – 29% 3. Episcopal – 28% 4. Pentecostal 28% 5. Methodist – 26% 6. Presbyterian – 23% 7. Lutheran – 21% 8. Catholic – 21% Their research proved that the conservative Christians have the highest divorce rate, while the mainline Christians have a lower divorce rate. They found some new information that states that atheists and agnostics have the lowest divorce rate at all. The Associated Press confirmed the results of the research. There was a point in time where the Baptists had the highest divorce rate of any Christian denominations. Another research about divorce rates by religion stated that: Jews – 30% have been divorced Born-again Christians – 27% Other Christians – 24% Atheists and agnostics – 21% Ron Barrier, spokesperson of the American Atheists commented about the research. He said: These findings confirm what I have been saying these last five years. Since Atheist ethics are of a higher caliber than religious morals, it stands to reason that our families would be dedicated more to each other than to some invisible monitor in the sky. With Atheism, women and men are equally responsible for a healthy marriage. There is no room in Atheist ethics for the type of ‘submissive’ nonsense preached by Baptists and other Christian and/or Jewish groups. Atheists reject, and rightly so, the primitive patriarchal attitudes so prevalent in many religions with respect to marriage. StopTheReligiousRight.org also commented: We hear an awful lot from conservatives in the Bible Belt and on the TV about how we all should be living. Certainly a culture that teaches the conservative religious values of the Christian right must have clean living written all over it. And lots of ripe fruit from their morally superior lives abounding. It doesn’t. Far from it. People that talk the loudest may be the ones walking the slowest. Joining its history of Biblically correct bigotry and discrimination, it is an area with the highest divorce, murder, STD/HIV/AIDS, teen pregnancy, single parent homes, infant mortality, and obesity rates in the nation. As a region, the Bible Belt has the poorest health care systems and the lowest rates of high school graduation. So, before theists say something about secularists growing up in broken families, they should look at the statistics and see the reality about what’s happening in the religious community. Copyright  © 2000 to 2009 by Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance Originally written: 2000-APR-27 Latest update: 2009-JUL-20 Author: B.A. Robinson Youngblood One broken family By Joyce Raboca Philippine Daily Inquirer First Posted 00:51:00 12/18/2008 Filed Under: Social Issues, Charter change, Graft Corruption Jose Rizal wrote a chapter in ?El Filibusterismo? ironically titled ?Maligayang Pasko? [Merry Christmas]. Basically, it narrates the fate of the Family De Dios, who had something other than a merry Christmas. The daughter, Juli, became a maid; the grandfather, Tata Selo, went mute; and the father, Tales, was kidnapped by rebels. All this while the Spanish priests went merrymaking over the ill fortune of this family. While I do love this lesson in Filipino, I can?t help but feel sadness, even bitter resentment, over how our fate has never really changed from that time. We Filipinos are still a broken family, especially this Christmas. Before I continue, let me first give a Merry Christmas greeting to every uncorrupted politician, tooth fairy, reindeer, principled Philippine president, and elf out there. As a teenager in her senior year in high school, I have definitely felt the Christmas spirit from such characters. As I was scanning the news with my dad the other day, I read about an ?uncorrupted politician? whose case was dismissed because he was not put on trial early enough. They used this fancy label for it too: ?clear transgression of the constitutional rights of the accused.? I was a little confused and asked my lawyer father to explain it to me. I had to digest his answer for a while and, being naà ¯ve, I had to ask for some clarification. ?So the court said that because the trial took too long to process, he can go free asked my father. ?Does that mean all the thousands of cases that have been sitting around with the Sandiganbayan for more than five years are being dismissed as well Apparently not. Just when I thought it was never too late for justice to be served (especially in the Philippines, where the justice system is always 10 years too late), connections once again overpowered justice. But the wrongly accused and impatient defendants have to be friends with the ombudsman first, I believe. So thanks to the uncorrupted politician, I have finally realized what  Christmas is all about. The tooth fairy has also decided to visit and spread the Christmas spirit in the form of plundered money. Hooray for those who put morality under their pillow! In recent weeks, another former top official decided that lying, stealing and making a run for it should merit him freedom and a gift. Perhaps he wants his teeth back? But teeth cannot be grown back once you?ve put them under your pillow, and toothless is the man whose honesty has been bought by hundreds of millions of pesos from the tooth fairy. I will definitely bear that in mind this season. Maybe the tooth fairy will come and leave me a few billion pesos in exchange for my honesty as well. Our painfully principled President has decided to steal Santa?s reindeer this year and ride him across the country. I believe his name is Cha-cha. Although she says that the reindeer is bringing Santa?s big bag of solutions to the country?s problems, I now have doubts that Cha-cha the reindeer ever belonged to Santa. After all, the song never mentions a reindeer named Cha-cha. Hmm ? that seems a little bit suspicious. I just hope she won?t be riding that reindeer in 2010. That would be a heavier weight on all of us (and not just on Cha-cha) come next Christmas. As for my own life, college is around the corner, and I?m waiting for Santa?s elf to come ask me what I want for Christmas. Other than a box of transparent candies to send to the government, I would like to get into the top two colleges to which I applied for admission. January 2009 is acceptance month and I am hoping at least that Christmas stays bearable ? maybe even enjoyable ? until the results of the exams come out. And when those results come out, I hope I won?t come down with a case of ?senioritis,? a sickness common to high school seniors after being accepted to a college. The symptoms include lazing around, slacking off, and developing grade apathy. That would not be a good thing, especially since our parents are Santas (shh, don?t tell them I know). As for all of you, be happy with the shallow merry-making for now, because we Filipinos are not going to find merriment in having Spanish priests running the country this Christmas. Maybe next year we won?t lose our voice amid the injustices, like Tata Selo in ?El Filibusterismo.? Like Juli and Tales, maybe next year we will be free from injustice and the craziness of our politics. Maybe next Christmas, the reindeer, the elf, and the tooth fairy will bring nationalism, honesty and justice back to our country. In the meantime, Merry Christmas!