Impact Of Climate Change And Greenhouse Gases Environmental Sciences Essay

Our clime is quickly altering all around us. Ice is runing, workss are deceasing, animate beings are in danger, and home grounds are being destroyed. The Arctic is greatly affected. The ice is runing and doing H2O degrees to lift, and animate beings are deceasing because of loss of home ground. Over the past one hundred old ages, the mean surface temperature has risen a little over 1 degree Fahrenheit. ( Baker, 4 ) Climate alteration happens because of worlds and natural grounds. Worlds are non being careful and are non utilizing their resources sagely. Worlds are non looking at other options to assist salvage the environment, and are merely utilizing what is easiest and what we are used to. Climate alteration is a serious job that affects worlds, and animate beings, and if non stopped will do important desolation. Climate alteration is the addition of the temperature of our planet. ( Morris, 4 ) Climate alteration is more than merely a alteration in the conditions ; it is a alteration over a long period of clip. ( â€Å" What is Climate Change? † ) . Climate alteration happens of course but besides because of worlds. During the summer our planet is closer to the Sun and becomes heater. In the winter things get cooler because we are turned off from the Sun. But the ice that we have lost or has melted rebuilds in the winter. This is because of freeze and snowfall ( â€Å" Causes of Climate Change † ) Natural temperatures have risen 1.08 grades Fahrenheit over the past 100 old ages. ( Baker, 4 ) Our environment is besides altering because of human activity and the nursery consequence. The nursery consequence is when nursery gases are trapped in our ambiance. ( Henson, 20 ) Greenhouse gases trap the heat from the Sun in the Earth ‘s ambiance. This heat leads to an addition in the Earth ‘s surface temperature. ( Henson, 21 ) There is this bed in the ambiance that traps heat to maintain our planet warm. When worlds release nursery gases, they get trapped by this bed and the surface temperature rises. There are three chief gases that are considered nursery gases. These gases are C dioxide, methane, and azotic oxide ( Baker, 6 ) . Carbon dioxide is produced when fossil fuels such as coal and oil are burned. Animals such as cattles and sheep release gas as portion of their digestive system and through manure. This produces methane. Then there is azotic oxide. Azotic oxide is produced when fertilisers are used for paces and harvests. ( Walker, David, 112 ) Every clip you drive to the shop, watch Television, travel on the computing machine, drive a auto, and turn on the visible radiations fossil fuels are burned. They are burned to bring forth the energy to power things. When fossil fuels are burned, C dioxide is released into the air. Because there are so many people and so many people actively let go ofing C dioxide, it finally adds up and the temperature rises. ( Henson, 24 ) These gas sums are increasing because the human population is increasing. Climate alteration affects the environment and worlds. The clime alterations with a little temperature alteration. Over the past 25 old ages, the Arctic sea ice country has decreased by about five per centum and summer sea ice country has decreased by 15 per centum. ( â€Å" Melting Ice Caps † ) The thaw of ice greatly affects the nutrient concatenation. The nutrient concatenation is an agreement of the being of an ecological community harmonizing to the order of predation in which each uses the following normally lower member as a nutrient beginning. ( Webster Dictionary ) In the north-polar the animate beings and workss greatly depend on each other. The nutrient concatenation starts with the ice. Ice has algae on it which the krill eat. If the ice thaws, the krill will decease out. ( Baker, 11 ) Fish eat krill, and if the krill sum decreases so will the fish sum. Whales, walruses, seals, and polar bears, will besides be affected. These animate beings will hold less nutrient available because they eat the fish. Even the smallest alteration in temperature can run the ice and do the whole nutrient concatenation to be thrown off. ( Baker, 11 ) The heating of our planet can besides impact the animate being ‘s version. The animate beings in the north-polar have adapted to cold temperatures, few hours of sunshine, short turning seasons, flora and growing periods, and have grown thick coats. Animals in the Arctic have adapted to the conditions so the temperature changes greatly affect them. ( Baker, 11 ) There are three ecosystems in the Arctic. These three ecosystems are the Arctic Ocean, Ice Sheets, and the Tundra. The Arctic Ocean supports fish life. The Ice Sheets provide shelter and land to run for seals, seahorses, polar bears and many more. The Tundra supports life for mosses, lichen, and provides nutrient for musk Oklahoma, hares, and many reindeer. And in the summer birds migrate here. ( Baker, 10 ) The Arctic Ocean is greatly affected by clime alteration. Temperatures are lifting the fastest here. The Arctic Ocean is the smallest ocean and parts are for good frozen. It includes the sea and set down North of the Arctic Circle, the North Pole, and some parts of other states. ( â€Å" Arctic Ocean † ) The rise in temperature is doing the ice to run. Ice and snow reflect the Sun beam and heat, and H2O and land do non. Because of the ice thaw, there is non every bit much snow and ice. The H2O and land are absorbing the heat and Sun beams doing temperatures to lift even more. ( Baker, 8 ) The lifting temperatures are impacting animate beings excessively. Animals are greatly affected by the clime alteration. Their place is here in the Arctic and they depend on the ice for shelter and runing infinite. The Arctic has many polar bears. Polar bears are endangered because of the thaw ice. In the summer the Arctic Ice sheet thaws. But because of clime alteration, the ice sheet is runing three hebdomads earlier so it did in the 1970 ‘s. ( Baker, 13 ) When the ice sheet moves north the home ground of the polar bear psychiatrists. This forces the bears to swim long distances to happen nutrient for their households. Most bears are good swimmers but some become tired, doing them to decease. ( Olson, 11 ) Another ground polar bears are endangered is because they are non happening the nutrient they need in the H2O, so they wonder towards towns for nutrient. Polar bears ca n't happen the nutrient with the sum of fat they need to last the winter. The bears become slender and ca n't last doing decease. ( Olson, 20 ) Another animate being that is in danger is the Caribou. In 1989 there were 187,000 Caribous and in 2007 there were 120,000. ( Baker, 14 ) Caribou Numberss are diminishing for many grounds. Caribou eat lichen and moss found in the Tundra. Snow sums are increasing which makes it difficult for the Caribou to happen the nutrient with the right sum of fat it needs. If the Caribou does non hold plenty fat to do it through the winter, it will decease. In the summer the moss and lichen become green earlier so normal. This helps the Caribou but so these workss will decease out before. If they do non acquire plenty of the moss and lichen and do non hold adequate fat stored, they will finally decease. ( Baker, 15 ) Climate alteration besides affects people. There are 28 communities in the north-polar mainland and islands. ( â€Å" Canada ‘s Northern Communities † ) This is their place and clime alteration has made it difficult for them to run and angle. There cultural behaviours are forced to alter. Because of the thaw ice sea degrees are raising doing houses to be damaged. Climate alteration could hold a immense impact on our planet in the hereafter. With the ice runing the manner it is, sea degrees could lift doing implosion therapy, and land could be destroyed. Animals are threatened because their nutrient and shelter beginnings are shriveling. Some of these animate beings are endangered now and could go nonextant. Climate alteration could besides be good. The ice that is in the manner could run opening ways for boats to acquire through. ( Baker, 25 ) This could assist concerns take shorter paths to acquire where they need to travel. One chief thing that climate alteration will impact is touristry. Tonss of people would love to see these animate beings and topographic points. More people will come to these topographic points because they may be warmer, or easier to acquire to. Each twelvemonth the mean American adds more than 40,000 lbs of C dioxide to the air. ( Earth In The Hot Seat, 53 ) Go play football or association football. Go take a walk outside, or wing a kite alternatively of sitting inside on the computing machine. When you spend the bulk of your clip outside you do non let go of C dioxide. Reducing the sum of energy you use is the easiest manner to cut down your C dioxide sum right off. ( Earth In The Hot Seat, 54 ) If everyone is cautious to what they do, how much electricity they use, or how long the stay indoors, our C dioxide sum will shrivel. In the terminal this will all add up and the temperature alterations will be smaller. Climate alteration is a job that affects worlds, and animate beings, and is doing alterations to our environment. Over the past one hundred old ages, the mean surface temperature has risen a little over 1 degree Fahrenheit. ( Baker, 4 ) There are many organisations assisting with clime alteration. The Sierra Club is assisting to do clean energy solutions, green transit, bound nursery gases, and utilize resources beyond coal. They are besides informing people about clime alteration so they will make their portion. Climate Change is â€Å" Care for God ‘s Creations. † ( Seven Key Themes of Catholic Social Teachings ) We need to demo attention for the Earth because it is portion of our religion. â€Å" We are called to protect people and the planet, populating our religion in relationship with all of God ‘s creative activities. † ( Seven Key Themes of Catholic Social Teachings ) Finding alternate beginnings of energy is a great manner to assist protect, and sal vage what we have of our planet.

A Knights Tale

a knights tale [pic] â€Å"A knight’s tale† is a movie that was based in the medieval time. The movie focussed on jousting and gives us an outlook on medieval time. This essay about the movie will explain what is fact or fiction. The topics that will be covered are; songs in the movie, Dancing, jousting, transport and hair style. Hair styles in the movie are like some of them from the medieval times but most of the hairstyles in the movie are modern hairstyles.Such as, people in medieval times use to were these head dresses and they couldn’t dye their hair all these different colours like modern day people can because they didn’t have the materials to dye hair. Music in this film was modern, an example includes the song ‘we will rock you’ by Queen however, in the proper medieval times music was played at dinner time and at parties. They used to play little songs about kings and adventurers.Jousting in the medieval time was pretty dangerous and when you fall off the house the jouster’s would have to sword fight till one of the knights would yield but in the movie the characters just kept jousting until one of them got hit off the horse then the other person won the tournament or every time one of them got hit one of the people put a stick in with a white bit of cotton In this wood thing so u could keep score of how many times they got hit and if they get to 5 the guy that hits the other dude 5 time wins.In the movie a knight’s tale at the start they were on a boat that was connected to a chain an people on the other side of the river were pulling the chain to make the boat come across the water but in medieval time they would have used ores to paddle across the water instead of peasants pulling the boat/ barge and only rich people have horses because they cost a lot. Most people in the medieval times would wear woollen clothing with ndergarments made of linen. Brighter colours better materials and a longer j acket length were usually signs of greater wealth. But in the movie clothing was a bit modern that they made look like it was from back then. In conclusion the movie a knight’s tale was mostly a fairly modern movie with a bit of real things that did happen back in the day like getting hanged and locked up in cages and there was jousting, sword fighting and some other things like that

Organizational Ethics Essay

There are at least four elements which exist in organizations that make ethical behavior conducive within an organization. The four elements necessary to quantify an organization’s ethics are: 1) Written code of ethics and standards 2) Ethics training to executives, managers, and employees 3) Availability for advice on ethical situations (i.e. advice lines or offices) 4) Systems for confidential reporting. Good leaders strive to create a better and more ethical organization. Restoring an ethical climate in organization is critical, as it is a key component in solving the many other organizational development and ethical behavior issues facing the organization. From debates over drug-testing to analyses of scandals on Wall Street, attention to ethics in business organizations has never been greater. Yet, much of the attention given to ethics in the workplace overlooks some critical aspects of organizational ethics. When talking about ethics in organizations, one has to be aware that there are two ways of approaching the subject–the â€Å"individualistic approach† and what might be called the â€Å"communal approach.† Each approach incorporates a different view of moral responsibility and a different view of the kinds of ethical principles that should be used to resolve ethical problems. More often than not, discussions about ethics in organizations reflect only the â€Å"individualistic approach† to moral responsibility. According to this approach, every person in an organization is morally responsible for his or her own behavior, and any efforts to change that behavior should focus on the individual. But there is another way of understanding responsibility, which is reflected in the â€Å"communal approach.† Here individuals are viewed not in isolation, but as members of communities that are partially responsible for the behavior of their members. So, to understand and change an individual’s behavior we need to understand and try to change the communities to which they belong. Any adequate understanding of, and effective solutions to, ethical problems  arising in organizations requires that we take both approaches into account. Recent changes in the way we approach the â€Å"problem of the alcoholic† serve as a good example of the interdependence of individual and communal approaches to problems. Not so long ago, many people viewed an alcoholic as an individual with problems. Treatment focused on helping the individual deal with his or her problem. Today, however, the alcoholic is often seen as part of a dysfunctional family system that reinforces alcoholic behavior. In many cases, the behavior of the alcoholic requires that we change the entire family situation. These two approaches also lead to different ways of evaluating moral behavior. Once again, most discussions of ethical issues in the workplace take an individualistic approach. They focus on promoting the good of the individual: individual rights, such as the right to freedom of expression or the right to privacy, are held paramount. The communal approach, on the other hand, would have us focus on the common good, enjoining us to consider ways in which actions or policies promote or prohibit social justice or ways in which they bring harm or benefits to the entire community. When we draw upon the insights of both approaches we increase our understanding of the ethical values at stake in moral issues and increase the options available to us for resolving these issues. The debate over drug-testing, for example, is often confined to an approach that focuses on individual rights. Advocates of drug-testing argue that every employer has a right to run the workplace as he or she so chooses, while opponents of drug-testing argue that drug-testing violates the employee’s right to privacy and due process. By ignoring the communal aspects of drug abuse, both sides neglect some possible solutions to the problem of drug use in the workplace. The communal approach would ask us to consider questions which look beyond the interests of the individual to the interests of the community: What kinds of drug policies will promote the good of the community, the good of both the employer and the employee? Using the two approaches to dealing with ethical problems in organizations will often result in a greater understanding of these problems. There are times, however, when our willingness to consider both the good of the individual and the good of the community leaves us in a dilemma, and we are forced to choose between competing moral claims. Affirmative Action Programs, for example, bring concerns over individual justice into conflict with concerns  over social justice. When women and minorities are given preferential treatment over white males, individuals are not treated equally, which is unjust. On the other hand, when we consider what these programs are trying to accomplish, a more just society, and also acknowledge that minorities and women continue to be shut out of positions, (especially in top management), then these programs are, in fact, indispensable for achieving social justice. Dropping preferential treatment programs might put an end to the injustice of treating individuals unequally, but to do so would maintain an unjust society. In this case, many argue that a communal approach, which stresses the common good, should take moral priority over the good of the individual. When facing such dilemmas, the weights we assign to certain values will sometimes lead us to choose those organizational policies or actions that will promote the common good. At other times, our values will lead us to choose those policies or actions that will protect the interests and rights of the individual. But perhaps the greatest challenge in discussions of ethics in organizations is to find ways in which organizations can be designed to promote the interests of both. Organizational ethics are the principals and standards by which businesses operate, according to Reference for Business. They are best demonstrated through acts of fairness, compassion, integrity, honor and responsibility. The key for business owners and executives is ensuring that all employees understand these ethics. One of the best ways to communicate organizational ethics is by training employees on company standards. Uniform Treatment One example of organizational ethics is the uniform treatment of all employees. Small business owners should treat all employees with the same respect, regardless of their race, religion, cultures or lifestyles. Everyone should also have equal chances for promotions. One way to promote uniform treatment in organizations is through sensitivity training. Some companies hold one-day seminars on various discrimination issues. They then invite outside experts in to discuss these topics. Similarly, small company managers must also avoid favoring one employee over others. This practice may also lead to lawsuits from disgruntled employees. It is also counterproductive. Social Responsibility Small companies also have an obligation to protect the community. For example, the owner of a small chemical company needs to communicate certain dangers to the community when explosions or other disasters occur. The owner must also maintain certain safety standards for protecting nearby residents from leaks that affect the water or air quality. There are state and federal laws that protect people from unethical environmental practices. Business owners who violate these laws may face stiff penalties. They may also be shut down. Financial Ethics Business owners must run clean operations with respect to finances, investing and expanding their companies. For example, organizations must not bribe state legislators for tax credits or special privileges. Insider trading is also prohibited. Insider trading is when managers or executives illegally apprise investors or outside parties of privileged information affecting publicly traded stocks, according to the Securities and Exchange Commission. The information helps some investors achieve greater returns on their investments at the expense of others. Executives in small companies must strive to help all shareholders earn better returns on their money. They must also avoid collusive arrangements with other companies to deliberately harm other competitors. Considerations A small company’s organizational ethics can also include taking care of employees with mental illnesses or substance abuse problems, such as drug and alcohol dependency. Ethical business owners help their employees overcome these types of problems when possible. They often put them through employee advisor programs, which involves getting them the treatment they need. Employees may have issues that lead to these types of problems. Therefore, they deserve a chance to explain their situations and get the help they need. Business Ethics Perhaps the most practical approach is to view ethics as a catalyst that causes managers to take socially responsible actions. The movement toward including ethics as a critical part of management education began in the 1970s, grew significantly in the 1980s, and is expected to continue growing.  Hence, business ethics is a critical component of business leadership. Ethics can be defined as our concern for good behavior. We feel an obligation to consider not only our own personal well-being but also that of other human beings. This is similar to the precept of the Golden Rule: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. In business, ethics can be defined as the ability and willingness to reflect on values in the course of the organization’s decision-making process, to determine how values and decisions affect the various stakeholder groups, and to establish how managers can use these precepts in day-to-day company operations. Ethical business leaders strive for fairness and justice within the confines of sound management practices. Many people ask why ethics is such a vital component of management practice. It has been said that it makes good business sense for managers to be ethical. Without being ethical, companies cannot be competitive at either the national or international levels. While ethical management practices may not necessarily be linked to specific indicators of financial profitability, there is no inevitable conflict between ethical practices and a firm’s emphasis on making a profit; our system of competition presumes underlying values of truthfulness and fair dealing. The employment of ethical business practices can enhance overall corporate health in three important areas. The first area is productivity. Milton Friedman. The employees of a corporation are stakeholders who are affected by management practices. When management considers ethics in its actions toward stakeholders, employees can be positively affected. For example, a corporation may decide that business ethics requires a special effort to ensure the health and welfare of employees. Many corporations have established employee advisory programs (EAPs), to help employees with family, work, financial, or legal problems, or with mental illness or chemical dependency. These programs can be a source of enhanced productivity for a corporation. A second area in which ethical management practices can enhance corporate health is by positively affecting â€Å"outside† stakeholders, such as suppliers and customers. A positive public image can attract customers. For example, a manufacturer of baby products carefully guards its public image as a company that puts customer health and well-being ahead of  corporate profits, as exemplified in its code of ethics. The third area in which ethical management practices can enhance corporate health is in minimizing regulation from government agencies. Where companies are believed to be acting unethically, the public is more likely to put pressure on legislators and other government officials to regulate those businesses or to enforce existing regulations. For example, in 1990 hearings were held on the rise in gasoline and home heating oil prices following Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait, in part due to the public perception that oil companies were not behaving ethically. ACODE OF ETHICS A code of ethics is a formal statement that acts as a guide for how people within a particular organization should act and make decisions in an ethical fashion. Ninety percent of the Fortune 500 firms, and almost half of all other firms, have ethical codes. Codes of ethics commonly address issues such as conflict of interest, behavior toward competitors, privacy of information, gift giving, and making and receiving political contributions. According to a recent survey, the development and distribution of a code of ethics within an organization is perceived as an effective and efficient means of encouraging ethical practices within organizations. Business leaders cannot assume, however, that merely because they have developed and distributed a code of ethics an organization’s members have all the guidelines needed to determine what is ethical and will act accordingly. There is no way that all situations that involve decision making in an organization can be addressed in a code. Codes of ethics must be monitored continually to determine whether they are comprehensive and usable guidelines for making ethical business decisions. Managers should view codes of ethics as tools that must be evaluated and refined in order to more effectively encourage ethical practices. CREATING AN ETHICAL WORKPLACE Business managers in most organizations commonly strive to encourage ethical practices not only to ensure moral conduct, but also to gain whatever business advantage there may be in having potential consumers and employees regard the company as ethical. Creating, distributing, and continually improving a company’s code of ethics is one usual step managers can take to establish an ethical workplace. Another step managers can take is to create  a special office or department with the responsibility of ensuring ethical practices within the organization. For example, management at a major supplier of missile systems and aircraft components has established a corporate ethics office. This ethics office is a tangible sign to all employees that management is serious about encouraging ethical practices within the company. Another way to promote ethics in the workplace is to provide the work force with appropriate training. Several companies conduct training programs aimed at encourag ing ethical practices within their organizations. Such pro grams do not attempt to teach what is moral or ethical but, rather, to give business managers criteria they can use to help determine how ethical a certain action might be. Managers then can feel confident that a potential action will be considered ethical by the general public if it is consistent with one or more of the following standards: 1. The Golden Rule: Act in a way you would want others to act toward you. 2. The utilitarian principle: Act in a way that results in the greatest good for the greatest number. 3. Kant’s categorical imperative: Act in such a way that the action taken under the circumstances could be a universal law, or rule, of behavior. 4. The professional ethic: Take actions that would be viewed as proper by a disinterested panel of professional peers. 5. The TV test: Always ask, â€Å"Would I feel comfortable explaining to a national TV audience why I took this action?† 6. The legal test: Ask whether the proposed action or decision is legal. Established laws are generally considered minimum standards for ethics. 7. The four-way test: Ask whether you can answer â€Å"yes† to the following questions as they relate to the decision: Is the decision truthful? Is it fair to all concerned? Will it build goodwill and better friendships? Will it be beneficial to all concerned? Finally, managers can take responsibility for creating and sustaining conditions in which people are likely to behave ethically and for minimizing conditions in which people might be tempted to behave unethically. Two practices that commonly inspire unethical behavior in organizations are giving unusually high rewards for good performance and unusually severe punishments for poor performance. By eliminating such factors, managers can reduce much of the pressure that people feel to perform unethically. They can also promote the social responsibility of the organization. SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY The term social responsibility means different things to different people. Generally, corporate social responsibility is the obligation to take action that protects and improves the welfare of society as a whole as well as organizational interests. According to the concept of corporate social responsibility, a manager must strive to achieve both organizational and societal goals. Current perspectives regarding the fundamentals of social responsibility of businesses are listed and discussed through (1) the Davis model of corporate social responsibility, (2) areas of corporate social responsibility, and (3) varying opinions on social responsibility. A model of corporate social responsibility that was developed by Keith Davis provides five propositions that describe why and how businesses should adhere to the obligation to take action that protects and improves the welfare of society and the organization: * Proposition 1: Social responsibility arises from social power. * Proposition 2: Business shall operate as an open system, with open receipt of inputs from society and open disclosure of its operation to the public. * Proposition 3: The social costs and benefits of an activity, product, or service shall be thoroughly calculated and considered in deciding whether to proceed with it. * Proposition 4: Social costs related to each activity, product, or service shall be passed on to the consumer. * Proposition 5: Business institutions, as citizens, have the responsibility to become involved in certain social problems that are outside their normal areas of operation. The areas in which business can become involved to protect and improve the welfare of society are numerous and diverse. Some of the most publicized of these areas are urban affairs, consumer affairs, environmental affairs, and employment practices. Although numerous businesses are involved in socially responsible activities, much controversy persists about whether such involvement is necessary or appropriate. There are several arguments for and against businesses performing socially responsible activities. The best-known argument supporti ng such activities by business is that because business is a subset of and exerts a significant impact on society, it has the responsibility to help improve society. Since society asks no more and no less of any of its members, why should business be exempt from such responsibility? Additionally, profitability and growth go hand in hand with  responsible treatment of employees. customers, and the community. However, studies have not indicated any clear relationship between corporate social responsibility and profitability. One of the better known arguments against such activities is advanced by the distinguished economist Milton Friedman. Friedman argues that making business managers simultaneously responsible to business owners for reaching profit objectives and to society for enhancing societal welfare represents a conflict of interest that has the potential to cause the demise of business. According to Friedman, this demise almost certainly will occur if business continually is forced to perform socially responsible behavior that is in direct conflict with private organizational objectives. He also argues that to require business managers to pursue socially responsible objectives may be unethical, since it requires managers to spend money that really belongs to other individuals. Regardless of which argument or combination of arguments particular managers might support, they generally should make a concerted effort to perform all legally required socially responsible activities, consider voluntarily performing socially responsible activities beyond those legally required, and inform all relevant individuals of the extent to which their organization will become involved in performing social responsibility activities. Federal law requires that businesses perform certain socially responsible activities. In fact, several government agencies have been established and are ma intained to develop such business-related legislation and to make sure the laws are followed. The Environmental Protection Agency does indeed have the authority to require businesses to adhere to certain socially responsible environmental standards. Adherence to legislated social responsibilities represents the minimum standard of social responsibility performance that business leaders must achieve. Managers must ask themselves, however, how far beyond the minimum they should attempt to go difficult and complicated question that entails assessing the positive and negative outcomes of performing socially responsible activities. Only those activities that contribute to the business’s success while contributing to the welfare of society should be undertaken. Social Responsiveness. Social responsiveness is the degree of effectiveness and efficiency an organization displays in pursuing its social responsibilities. The greater the degree of effectiveness and efficiency, the more socially responsive the organization  is said to be. The socially responsive organization that is both effective and efficient meets its social responsibilities without wasting organizational resources in the process. Determining exactly which social responsibilities an organization should pursue and then deciding how to pursue them are perhaps the two most critical decision-making aspects of maintaining a high level of social responsiveness within an organization. That is, managers must decide whether their organization should undertake the activities on its own or acquire the help of outsiders with more expertise in the area. In addition to decision making, various approaches to meeting social obligations are another determinant of an organization’s level of social responsiveness. A desirable and socially responsive approach to meeting social obligations involves the following: * Incorporating social goals into the annual planning process * Seeking comparative industry norms for social programs  * Presenting reports to organization members, the board of directors, and stockholders on progress in social responsibility * Experimenting with different approaches for measuring social performance * Attempting to measure the cost of social programs as well as the return on social program investments S. Prakash Sethi presents three management approaches to meeting social obligations: (1) the social obligation approach, (2) the social responsibility approach, and (3) the social responsiveness approach. Each of Sethi’s three approaches contains behavior that reflects a somewhat different attitude with regard to businesses performing social responsible activities. The social obligation approach, for example, considers business as having primarily economic purpos es and confines social responsibility activity mainly to conformance to existing laws. The socially responsible approach sees business as having both economic and societal goals. The social responsiveness approach considers business as having both societal and economic goals as well as the obligation to anticipate upcoming social problems and to work actively to prevent their appearance. Organizations characterized by attitudes and behaviors consistent with the social responsiveness approach generally are more socially responsive than organizations characterized by attitudes and behaviors consistent with either the social responsibility approach or the social obligation approach.  Also, organizations characterized by the social responsibility approach generally achieve higher levels of social responsiveness than organizations characterized by the social obligation approach. As one moves from the social obligation approach to the social responsiveness approach, management becomes more proactive. Proactive managers will do what is prudent from a business viewpoint to r educe liabilities whether an action is required by law or not. Areas of Measurement. To be consistent, measurements to gauge organizational progress in reaching socially responsible objectives can be performed. The specific areas in which individual companies actually take such measurements vary, of course, depending on the specific objectives of the companies. All companies, however, probably should take such measurements in at least the following four major areas: 1. Economic function: This measurement gives some indication of the economic contribution the organization is making to society. 2. Quality-of-life: The measurement of quality of life should focus on whether the organization is improving or degrading the general quality of life in society. 3. Social investment: The measurement of social investment deals with the degree to which the organization is investing both money and human resources to solve community social problems. 4. Problem-solving: The measurement of problem solving should focus on the degree to which the organization deals with social problems. The Social Audit: A Progress Report. A social audit is the process of taking measurements of social responsibility to assess organizational performance in this area. The basic steps in conducting a social audit are monitoring, measuring, and appraising all aspects of an organization’s socially responsible performance. Probably no two organizations conduct and present the results of a social audit in exactly the same way. The social audit is the process of measuring the socially responsible activities of an organization. It monitors, measures, and appraises socially responsible performance. Managers in today’s business world increasingly need to be aware of two separate but interrelated concernsusiness ethics and social responsibility. BACKGROUND & DEFINITIONS The past decade has seen an explosion of interest among college faculty in the teaching methods variously grouped under the terms ‘active learning’ and  Ã¢â‚¬Ëœcooperative learning’. However, even with this interest, there remains much misunderstanding of and mistrust of the pedagogical â€Å"movement† behind the words. The majority of all college faculty still teach their classes in the traditional lecture mode. Some of the criticism and hesitation seems to originate in the idea that techniques of active and cooperative learning are genuine alternatives to, rather than enhancements of, professors’ lectures. We provide below a survey of a wide variety of active learning techniques which can be used to supplement rather than replace lectures. We are not advocating complete abandonment of lecturing, as both of us still lecture about half of the class period. The lecture is a very efficient way to present information but use of the lecture as the only mode of instruction presents problems for both the instructor and the students. There is a large amount of research attesting to the benefits of active learning. â€Å"Active Learning† is, in short, anything that students do in a classroom other than merely passively listening to an instructor’s lecture. This includes everything from listening practices which help the students to absorb what they hear, to short writing exercises in which students react to lecture material, to complex group exercises in which students apply course material to â€Å"real life† situations and/or to new problems. The term â€Å"cooperative learning† covers the subset of active learning activities which students do as groups of three or more, rather than alone or in pairs; generally, cooperative learning techniques employ more formally structured groups of students assigned complex tasks, such as multiple-step exercises, research projects, or presentations. Cooperative learning is to be distinguished from another now well-defined term of art, â€Å"collaborative learning†, which refers to those classroom strategies which have the instructor and the students placed on an equal footing working together in, for example, designing assignments, choosing texts, and presenting material to the class. Clearly, collaborative learning is a more radical departure from tradition than merely utilizing techniques aimed at enhancing student retention of material presented by the instructor; we will limit our examples to the â€Å"less radical† active and cooperative learning techniques. â€Å"Techniques of active learning†, then, are those activities which an instructor incorporates into the classroom to foster active learning. TECHNIQUES OF ACTIVE LEARNING Exercises for Individual Students Because these techniques are aimed at individual students, they can very easily be used without interrupting the flow of the class. These exercises are particularly useful in providing the instructor with feedback concerning student understanding and retention of material. Some (numbers 3 and 4, in particular) are especially designed to encourage students’ exploration of their own attitudes and values. Many (especially numbers 4 – 6) are designed to increase retention of material presented in lectures and texts. 1. The â€Å"One Minute Paper† – This is a highly effective technique for checking student progress, both in understanding the material and in reacting to course material. Ask students to take out a blank sheet of paper, pose a question (either specific or open-ended), and give them one (or perhaps two – but not many more) minute(s) to respond. Some sample questions include: â€Å"How does John Hospers define â€Å"free will†?†, â€Å"What is â€Å"scientific realism†?†, â€Å"What is the activation energy for a chemical reaction?†, â€Å"What is the difference between replication and transcription?†, and so on. Another good use of the minute paper is to ask questions like â€Å"What was the main point of today’s class material?† This tells you whether or not the students are viewing the material in the way you envisioned. 2. Muddiest (or Clearest) Point – This is a variation on the one-minute paper, though you may wish to give students a slightly longer time period to answer the question. Here you ask (at the end of a class period, or at a natural break in the presentation), â€Å"What was the â€Å"muddiest point† in today’s lecture?† or, perhaps, you might be more specific, asking, for example: â€Å"What (if anything) do you find unclear about the concept of ‘personal identity’ (‘inertia’, ‘natural selection’, etc.)?†. Questions and Answers While most of us use questions as a way of prodding students and instantly testing comprehension, there are simple ways of tweaking our questioning techniques which increase student involvement and comprehension. Though some of the techniques listed here are â€Å"obvious†, we will proceed on the principle that the obvious sometimes bears repeating (a useful pedagogical  principle, to be sure!). Debates – Actually a variation of #27, formal debates provide an efficient structure for class presentations when the subject matter easily divides into opposing views or ‘Pro’/‘Con’ considerations. Students are assigned to debate teams, given a position to defend, and then asked to present arguments in support of their position on the presentation day. The opposing team should be given an opportunity to rebut the argument(s) and, time permitting, the original presenters asked to respond to the rebuttal. This format is particularly useful in developing argumentation skills (in addition to teaching content). ABOUT THIS DEBATE DNA carries a person’s identity. It also carries a vast amount of other information about that person’s biology, health and, increasingly, psychological predispositions. This information could have great medical value, en masse, but might be abused, ad hominem, by insurers, employers, politicians and civil servants. Some countries are building up DNA databases, initially using the excuse that these are for the identification and prosecution of criminals, but also including the unprosecuted and the acquitted. Should such databases be made universal? Is it ever right for the DNA of the innocent to be used for any purpose without the consent of the â€Å"owner†. If so, when? The Moderator-Mar 24th 2009 | Mr Geoff Carr Clarke’s Third Law (the Clarke in question being Sir Arthur C., a distinguished writer of science fiction) is that any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic. That law applies nicely to the modern science and technology of genetics. On the one hand, understanding and eventually manipulating genes may lead to the treatment and even abolition of many diseases by white-magical (or, at least, white-coated) sorcerer-priests. On the other, dark necromancers plot to use the knowledge that genetics brings to regulate and manipulate people on behalf of commercial and political princes. Magic, of course, depends on the audience not understanding what the conjurer is up to. That was Clarke’s point. In the case of a stage show, the deception is both deliberate on the part of the conjurer and self-inflicted on the part of the audience, who would enjoy  the show less if they know how the tricks were done. Which is fine for show business, but is no way to conduct public policy. Hence the need for a serious debate on the matter, to which The Economist is privileged to make this small contribution. For the truth, as both of our opening â€Å"speakers† eloquently illuminate, is that the potential of genetics for both good and ill is great. And the more profound truth is that decisions will have to be made soon about how much genetic privacy a person is entitled to, even before those two potentials are properly understood. The accurate interpretation of the human genome is only just beginning, and where it will lead, no one knows. It is only recently, for example, that whole new classes of gene whose products regulate the functions of other genes, rather than being used as templates for the manufacture of proteins, have been identified. Other surprises surely await. Art Caplan and Craig Venter are two of the most distinguished thinkers in their fields, but those fields are different and, in the end, it is probably the differences between their fields that lead to the distinction in their positions. Dr Venter is a geneticist with a background in the American navy’s medical corps (he served in Vietnam). He has always been a man in a hurry. His team was the first to obtain the complete genetic sequence of a bacterium (an organism called Haemophilus influenzae), and he led the privately financed version of the effort to sequence the human genome, a project that both succeeded in its own right and chivvied publicly financed scientists to redouble their own efforts. Now, he wants to hurry genetic knowledge into the public arena so that the wider pattern can be seen, understood and acted on for the greater good. His mission might be summarised by Hippocrates’s injunction: â€Å"I will prescribe regimens for the good of my patients according to my ability and my judgment.† Dr Caplan’s background, by contrast, is in the history and philosophy of science. The history of genetics is well known as one in which both ignorance and deliberate distortion of the trut h have led to evil consequences—not just in essentially wicked regimes such as that of Nazi Germany, but even in apparently benign places like Sweden and also in the United States. The eugenics that led to the castration of the â€Å"feebleminded† and the death camps for those deemed to belong to â€Å"inferior races† were the descendants of well-meaning, liberal-minded policies intended to improve the condition of humanity. Dr Caplan therefore draws a different lesson from  Hippocrates: â€Å"Never do harm to anyone†, and argues that it is the individual who is best placed to judge what will harm him. At bottom, the two speakers’ arguments come down to the oldest political argument of all—how do you balance private and public interests?—with the added twist of ignorance about how the science will eventually play out. It should be a fascinating debate. The Proposers-Mar 24th 2009 | Professor Arthur Caplan There are, it is increasingly said, plenty of reasons why people you know and many you don’t ought to have access to your DNA or data that are derived from it. Have you ever had sexual relations outside a single, monogamous relationship? Well then, any children who resulted from your hanky-panky might legitimately want access to your DNA to establish paternity or maternity. If various serious diseases run in your family then shouldn’t your loved ones expect you to provide a sample of your DNA so that the family can establish who is and is not at risk of inheriting a disposition to the disease with greater accuracy. If you are young and eligible for military service the desk-jockeys of the military bureaucracy will want to keep a sample of your DNA handy in frozen storage should you encounter misfortune resulting in only tiny smidgens of yourself being all that is left. DNA banks prevent memorials to unknown soldiers. If you are a baby or a child, your parents rightly wa nt to have a DNA sample on file so they can either identify you should you go missing or to help profile your behavioural and disease genetic risk factors so that they can take steps to improve your lot in life. The police might well want to have a sample of your and everyone else’s DNA to make their lives easier as they try to sort through evidence at crime scenes. So might your boss, doctor, hospital, local university, pharmaceutical company, insurance company and national immigration service. Lots of reasons can be given about why genetic privacy ought to be abandoned for the greater good. But none of these is persuasive. No one should be peeking at your genes without your prior knowledge and consent. The main reason why your DNA and any data derived from it should be yours to control is that they are intimately linked to your personal identity. And your identity is an asset that should not be taken from you or accessed without your express permission. Those who wish to have your DNA, including the military, police, government, medical system, researchers and  prosecutors all realise this. They know that they can track you, control you and even profit from you if they do not have to go through the nicety of asking for your permission to obtain or examine your DNA. But you should have the right to decide for what purpose someone can access any identifying information about you. This is especially true for genetic information that can reveal sensitive things about your health, history and behaviour, past, present and future. You may well decide to donate your DNA in a familial study of disease risk, or to donate your DNA to a foundation or university for research; or to have your DNA stored so that you can be readily identified if something untoward were to happen to you; or you may decide to sell your DNA; or you may well decide to make your DNA available for a variety of purposes, but only if you receive convincing assurances that your personal identity will not be revealed to others; or you may not make it available unless you are paid. In any event, it must, if personal privacy and thus your autonomy and dignity are to have any meaning at all, be your choice. In modern society control over one’s own identity is crucial. People can steal your identity and pass themselves off as you, or they may simply use your identity to gain access to your person al information, records and data. Your sense of self, of your security, of even your ability to maintain relationships and intimacies by controlling who can know about you, depends on control of your identity. Retaining control over your identity is something you need to be able to do and the government needs to be able to ensure that you can do. There are those who will say that the whole notion of genetic privacy is absurd. After all, your DNA can be pulled off a glass from which you have sipped, a cigarette you smoked, hair in a shower or anywhere else you might leave behind your sweat, spit, semen or dead skin. But the ready availability of your DNA does not mean that it is sound public policy to simply make access to it a freefire zone for which there are no penalties for those who peek without permission. The law can and should still seek to ensure privacy and make it clear what the penalties will be for non-consensual DNA sampling or use. Now it is true that some research with DNA can be done without identifyi ng the source. Even in these instances you should still have an absolute assurance that no one will reconnect your identity to such data without your assent. In addition to protecting your identity, it is important that you control your DNA in a world in which you  might well suffer adverse consequences were others able to access and analyse your genome at their leisure or pleasure. Your prospective boss could decide that you are not the best person for a job, basing his decision on your genetic risk of suffering a mental illness or debilitating disease three or four decades hence. Your health or life insurer might be jacking up your rates or simply drop you out of a plan because of your risk profile. And admission to college or even to a national security position might well be compromised by an unfavourable risk profile. Remember we are talking risk as the basis of penalties and discrimination, not actual events. Until societies legislate for adequate protections against risk discrimination, you are your own best guardian of your DNA. There are plenty of reasons for others to want to access your genes. Some of these are lofty, useful and admirable. Others are not. Unless something can be done to minimise the latter, the case for genetic privacy is quite strong. The Opposition-Professor J. Craig Venter As we progress from the first human genome to sequence hundreds, then thousands and then millions of individual genomes, the value for medicine and humanity will only come from the availability and analysis of comprehensive, public databases containing all these genome sequences along with as complete as possible phenotype descriptions of the individuals. All of us will benefit the most by sharing our information with the rest of humanity. In this world of instant internet, Facebook and Twitter, access to information about seemingly everything and everyone, the idea that we can keep anything completely confidential is becoming as antiquated as the typewriter. Today, in addition to my complete human genome, that of Jim Watson and some others, medical and genetic information is also readily shared between people on genetic social networking companies who provide gene scans for paying customers. It was my decision to disclose my genome and all that it holds, as it was Jim Watson’ s and presumably all those others who chat online about their disease risks and ethno-geographic heritage. So while we all have a right to disclose or not to disclose, we have to move on from the equally antiquated notion that genetic information is somehow sacred, to be hidden and protected at all costs. If we ever hope to gain medical value from human genetic information for preventing and  treating disease, we have to understand what it can tell us and what it cannot. And most of all we have to stop fearing our DNA. When we look at our not so distant past it is easy to understand how the idea of the anonymity and protection of research subjects came to pass. The supposed science-based eugenics movement, the human experiment atrocities of the Nazis and the Tuskegee syphilis research debacle are just a few examples that prove that we as a society do not have a very good track record on the research front. So naturally when the idea first arose of decoding our human genome, the complete set of genetic material from which all human life springs, it was met largely with fear, including co ncern of how to adequately protect those involved as DNA donors. Notions about genetics at the time were based on myth, superstition, misunderstanding, misinformation, misuse, fear, over-interpretation, abuse and overall ignorance propagated by the public, the press and—most surprisingly—even some in the scientific community. In the 1980s the state of genetic science was not very advanced and the limited tools available led to a very narrow view of human genetics. The only disease-gene associations made then were the rare cases in which changes in single genes in the genetic code could be linked to a disease. Examples include sickle cell anemia, Huntington’s disease and cystic fibrosis. As a result, most began to think that there would be one gene for each human trait and disease, and that we were largely subject to genetic determinism (you are what your genes say you are). An unfortunate slang developed in which people were described as having the â€Å"breast cancer gene† or the â€Å"cystic fibrosis gene† (ins tead of the precise way of describing that a mutation in the chloride ion channel associated with cystic fibrosis). In short, people learned that genetics could all be compared with a high-stakes lottery where you either drew the terrible gene that gave you the horrible disease or you got lucky and did not. The notion of applying probability statistics to human genetic outcomes did reach the public. Today, the science has come a long way since those early days and we now know that there are many genetic changes in many genes associated with genetically inherited diseases like cancer. We also know that genetics is about probabilities and not yes or no answers. However, the public is, for the most part, still back on what they learned from scientists early on: genes determine life outcomes and so you had better not let anyone know the dirty  secrets in your genome. So talk of sequencing the entire human genome created a sort of â€Å"perfect storm† of the colliding research ideals of human subject protection and anonymity. The publicly funded, government version of the human genome project went to extremes to use anonymous DNA donors for sequencing, even throwing out millions of dollars of work and data after at least one donor self-identified his contribution to the research. In contrast to the public human genome project, my team at Celera allowed DNA donors to self-identify but Celera itself was bound by confidentiality. Since I was a donor to the Celera project, I thought that one of the best ways to help dissipate the fears of genetic information being misused, or used against me, was to self-disclose my participation as a DNA donor, thereby showing the world that I was not concerned about having my genome on the internet. My colleague at Celera, a Nobel laureate Hamilton Smith, later disclosed that he too was a DNA donor to the Celera genome sequence. My act of self-disclosure and using my own DNA for the first human genome sequence was extensively discussed and criticised by some at the time, including one of the Celera advisory board members, Art Caplan, who likened the genome sequence to the tomb of the Unknown Soldier and wanted it to remain anonymous. It might all now seem like a quaint historical discussion because of the onslaught of genome announcements and genome companies aiding thousands to share their genetic information with friends, family and the public at large. In 2007 my team and I published my complete diploid genome sequence. This was followed a year later by Jim Watson disclosing his genome identity and releasing his DNA sequence to the internet. Several others have now followed from various parts of the globe. My institute wrestled with the IRB (Institutional review board) issues of sequencing the genome of a known donor as a break from the anonymous past. Following our effort, George Church, a researcher at Harvard, convinced the IRB there to allow full disclosure of multiple individual genomes as part of his project. He and his team have gone even further by including clinical and phenotype information on the internet along with his partial genome sequences. As we progress to sequence the huge number of human genomes, the value for medicine and humanity will only come from the availability of comprehensive, public databases with all these genome sequences, along with as complete as possible phenotype descriptions of the individuals. Our human genomes are of  sufficient complexity and variability that we need these genomes, with the corresponding phenotype data, to accurately move into the predictive and preventive medicine phase of human existence. The possible irony is that, other than as examples and testimonials of well-known individuals, the actual identity of donors is generally of little value to science. I had the right and the privilege to disclose my genetic code to all and I had the right not to do so. I feel that all humans should have the same right to choose. So while we actually don’t need people to step forward and identify themselves as donors and subjects in this research, there is no real need for them to remain anonymous, because there is little to fear and only much to be gained by information sharing. In the United States the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA) was signed into law in May 2008 after more than a decade of trying to get it through congress. GINA is designed to prohibit health insurers and employers from discriminating against someone on the basis of their genetic information. In order that this protection should be global, other countries should do the same. We are learning more and more all the time about what our genes can tell us about our health and what they still cannot and probably will never tell us. We have been beginning to see the fruits of our sequencing labours over the last decade but we still have so far to go in understanding our biology. Each and every one of us has a unique genetic code. Understanding our code can have a major impact on our life and health management, particularly in early disease detection and prevention. These advances will only happen with large comprehensive databases of shared information. Your genetic code is important to you, your family members and to the other 6.6 billion of us who are only 1-3% different from you. We will only gain that understanding by sharing our information with the rest of humanity.

Hamlet Critical Perspectives Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Hamlet Critical Perspectives - Essay Example This was almost a requirement, because England was under fire from many nations, including Rome and the Catholic church, due to Henry VIII (her father) breaking with the Vatican during his reign. Yet by the start of the seventeenth century, the queen was in her late sixties and to quote the French ambassador De Maisse â€Å"She kept the front of her dress open, and one could see the whole of her bosom†¦and†¦ Her bosom is somewhat wrinkled†. As such Doctor Lavery draws the comparison of her and the elderly Gertrude, with whom Hamlet cannot hide his disgust when she marries Claudius (Lavery). Another contemporary viewpoint that Lavery believes Shakespeare used as a main theme for the play was revenge, especially when it pertained to corruption in government. True Hamlet sought true blood revenge for his father the king was murdered by his own brother in order to seize the throne. But he also grappled with an even bigger problem in that the government should be toppled, with violence if necessary, if it is deemed to be unworkable. Perhaps the founding fathers of the United States learned well from Hamlet and used his ideas when they decided to secede from England well over a century later. Then again it has been said by others that the inspiration for Hamlet was a Latin work from the thirteenth century called Vita Amlethi, well before Elisabeth’s Tudor monarchy had been established. Hamlet uses many mythological references in the work, along with historical figures interspersed to mythological status. For instance, the Roman emperor Julius Caesar (who was a central figure in many of Shakespeare’s works) was mentioned in three times in the play, mostly as part of Hamlet’s play within a play. Speaking of his uncle Claudius, Hamlet refers to him as a satyr, the drunken buffoon in Roman mythology from which we get the word satire. Of course figures from the Judaic Christian belief system is heavily referenced from the obvious refe rences to Cain and Abel (Claudius slew his brother), the beggar Lazarus, Saints Peter, Patrick and James, to Jesus Christ himself. Even the madness of Hercules from Greek mythology is borrowed from, to reference the entire theme of insanity in the play. In his work Teaching Shakespeare’s Hamlet, Douglas Grudzina argues that the father of psychoanalysis, Sigmund Freud and his protege Carl Jung looked heavily at the mythological aspects of Hamlet when Jung said â€Å"some myths are repeated throughout history in cultures and eras that could not possibly have had any contact with one another† as in the Greeks and Chinese having basically the same stories. Jung believed that this concept was especially true in relation to religious beliefs. Every culture basically believes in creation and some sort of life after death. Based upon Shakespeare’s own beliefs, that would therefore explain the ghostly appearance of Hamlet’s father, asking that his son avenge him ( Grudzina). The feminism of Hamlet, or lack of it, has been well documented, especially in the late twentieth century and one of the most famous of those was the tragic Ophelia, whose eventual madness was caused by her maltreatment from most if not all of the males she encountered. For a character so well written about by so many scholars, she appears

Criminology theory research paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Criminology theory research paper - Essay Example In response, the Canadian conservative government has adopted varied measures aimed at addressing this menace. These include increasing longer prison terms as well as establishing more prisons. (Agnew and Cullen 121) As much as this has been helpful in averting crime, its effectiveness has often been questionable. This therefore call the need for the application of classical criminology and strain theory to explain how government agencies can avert the ever increasing rates of crime in the city of Toronto. Classical criminology theory Prior to explaining how government agencies in Toronto can apply classical criminology theory to fight crime, it is important to analyze it major underlying concepts. The classical school of criminology is often associated with Cesare Beccaria (Slocum 1107). It emerged at a time when the naturalistic approach of social contract scholars was challenging the spiritualistic approach that had dominated the thinking of criminal justice policies over a long p eriod (Becker 174). Thus, classical criminology emerged as a protest against spiritual explanations of crime and the criminal policies which they were based. Beccaria protested against a wide range of inconsistencies in the governance as well as public affairs(Slocum 1108). He advocated for various reforms within the criminal justice system to make it more logical and rational(Slocum 1108). He objected the barbaric punishments that were issued at that time. In regard to the contractual society and the need of punishments, Beccaria argued that laws are conditions under which people are united to form a society. It is the law that defends against private usurpations by individuals. He believed that only established laws can decree punishments for crimes. Beccaria believed that the true measure of crime is the harm done to the society. Thus, he expressed acknowledgement of the fact that crimes should not be committed, or should be less frequent in proportion to the harm they case socie ty. For this reason, he contended that obstacles that deter people from engaging in crime should be made stringer in proportion as they are contrary to the public good. According to Beccaria, there must be a proper proportion between crime and punishment(Agnew and Cullen 231). Today, most law enforcement agencies apply this principle through the establishment of law enforcement agencies aimed at punishing criminals. In regard to severity of punishments, Beccaria believed that for punishment to attain it end, the evil it inflicts has to exceed the advantage derivable from the crime (Cornish and Clarke 943). He argued that the more prompt and more closely punishment followed upon the commission of a criminal activity, the more just and useful it well be. According to him, one of the greatest curbs of crime is not the cruelty of punishment but rather the certainty of punishment. Thus, he suggested that laws and executors of laws should be inexorable. Most importantly, Beccaria argued t hat it is better to prevent crime rather than to punish them(Agnew and Cullen 232). He therefore believed that the ultimate purpose of every good legislation should be to prevent crime. This can be done through making laws clear and simple and that the entire force of a country should be united in the defense of these laws. Therefore, Beccaria believed that laws should be published do that the public may be aware of they are expected to do. His

America as a Christian Nation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

America as a Christian Nation - Essay Example And that they do it only by necessity. According to him "injustice is more profitable to an individual than justice." (360 B.C.) However, it has been a popular teaching in Christianity that God gave men free will. And according to C.S Lewis, it is that same free will that made evil possible. (1943) Men are then free to do good as well as evil. Therefore, because of this free will, in my opinion, it doesn't matter whether or not men are born just or not. Nor is the reason why men are unjust, whether by whim or necessity. All that matters is that men have the capacity to be unjust. And it is that capability for injustice that should be constrained, but how It has been argued that the best of all things is "to do injustice and not be punished," the worst is "to suffer injustice without power of retaliation," (Devine 2004) hence the middle ground is what we call justice as imposed by government. And I agree. I believe that it is the existence of the government that constrains this capability of evil. It provides for laws, renders judgment and imposes punishment. I agree with Rousseau when he stated that even if God did not have a hand on the legitimacy of the government, it is God that gave the individuals inalienable rights. (Devine, 2004) And this includes the right to form a unified body to govern them. You need not be Christian. You can be Muslim or Jewish. You may even call your God different names. But I think, if one believes that all men has inalienable rights, he or she must believe that there is a higher power bestowing that right. Because if the contrary was true, that there is no higher power, then men would be the highest power. We are all gods. I don't think that's right. If we are all gods, that would lead to chaos. As such, since the power of the American government emanates from the people, America as a nation must believe in a higher power, a religion. Why Christianity One main reason why America leans towards Christianity more than the other religions is because of history. We have learned in the readings that through conquests, Christianity was spread from Europe, to the American continent. However, there are also other religions brought by immigrants inside America. There is also the fact that there are many who prefers not to believe in any religion at all. But despite that, I still believe that America is still a Christian nation. Why Because of its teachings. No matter if you call yourself an atheist or declare that you believe in some other god, if you practice what Christianity preach, I call you a Christian. So what are these teachings Firstly, Christianity teaches us to be just, to respect and to do no harm to another. These are the basic virtues that lead to the very goal of our Constitution: the protection of life, liberty and property. Secondly, Christianity t

Opera Report-Carmen(Bizet) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Opera Report-Carmen(Bizet) - Essay Example The hall size was medium to large and has a capacity of holding 2,967 people plus has room for the orchestra pit and main stage. The theater had chandeliers and a set of fine arts accents making the event seem more formal. The audience followed through with the formal occasion and the atmosphere that was noted from the dresses worn included fancier and wealthy looking clothing. These combined aspects made the atmosphere serious and created a different setting for the event. The name of the liberettist was Nino Surguladze and plays the role of Carmen from the 1875 opera written by Bizette. The opera is set in Spain where Surguldaze plays a gypsy that smuggles items. The opposing voice is Richard Leech, who plays the tenor in the opera as Don Jose. There is also the part of Micaela, a soprano played by Talise Trevigne and which acts as the fiance of Don Jose. Wayne Tigges, the second tenor, plays the man in which Carmen falls in love with and which leads to her final tragedy. The perfo rmance forces that are associated with this include an orchestra. The opera program follows the main names of those who are in the opera as well as in the orchestra. The program is also inclusive of the main plot line and the concepts related to the performance. There is also a section for sponsors, donations and affiliations that are a part of the opera and which provided support for the presentation. ... However, the details of the performance and the various understandings of each of the musical pieces, despite translations being available, were difficult to follow because of the language differences and atmosphere of the theater. Before going to the performance, I didn’t read about the work or other information from an approved source. Most of the performance aspects were unfamiliar to me, such as what to expect, how the opera would be, what the setting would be and the approach which would be taken. The performance conventions which surprised me were based on my unfamiliarity with the opera and the plot of Carmen. I didn’t know that it would be in French or would have the amount of work which went into the various pieces. I also had assumed that opera was based more on the singing; however, this particular style used a large amount of acting and movement on the stage. This was refreshing; however, it was also unexpected. The musical and dramatic elements that were in the opera were based on the characteristics of being in Spain and belonging to the Gypsy race. This is heard from the beginning overture and leads throughout the various works. The first example of this is â€Å"Habanera,† in which Carmen announces her love to the village. The main element is the rhythm, which keeps a Spanish dance beat of 1, 3, 4 with a slight accent on the â€Å"and† between the 3 and 4. This is combined with the simplistic melody which follows over this and which is led by Carmen. During this point, the lighting is strong and depicts happiness with the dancing and announcement which Carmen makes. The second example of music which follows this characteristic is â€Å"Toreador Song† also known as the drinking song. When hearing the orchestra, there is a

Case Analysis - Is there a Hybrid Automobile in your Future Essay

Case Analysis - Is there a Hybrid Automobile in your Future - Essay Example As automobiles cannot be done without in modern life, the natural choice would be to design and build vehicles which could run on some miraculous, alternative, non polluting fuel with minimal or zero emission. Such miraculous discovery, if possible, could kill two birds with one stone. Hybrid cars are a venture in this direction. As it is not possible to build an automobile which could run solely on electric, solar or any other source of power immediately, as it would put tremendous strain on research, development and financial resources, the availability of hybrid cars is a welcome transitory stage into the future. After the successful launch of the Prius model by Toyota, many other automobile giants have leapt into the fray of manufacturing hybrid cars for the future. To be successful in the market, a hybrid car has to appeal to the general public in terms of cost of ownership as well as performance. 2. Key Problems To be successful in the market, a hybrid car has to appeal to the general public in terms of cost of ownership as well as performance. 2. Key Problems To be successful in the market, a hybrid car has to appeal to the general public in terms of cost of ownership as well as performance. As evident from previous research, only people with education and annual income in the range of $ 100,000 have bought hybrid vehicles available in the market at present, as they come at a premium. People with lower incomes and low education level have to contend with cheaper gasoline models as it is beyond their pocketbooks to buy hybrid cars, as well as fully comprehend the advantages of owning one. The key problems are therefore increasing the awareness about the benefits of a hybrid model, and putting a cheap hybrid model within their financial access and range. Rising fuel prices will automatically force people to seek cheaper alternatives and it is a good marketing strategy for the future to design a car to fulfill this need. 3. Possible Solutions Solutions to t he problem are already in place as awareness about the greenhouse effect has been boosted by the efforts of governments and international bodies. It is also becoming more difficult day by day to own and maintain traditional gasoline guzzling giant cars. Smaller fuel efficient models are more marketable as well as affordable for the end users. However, government efforts to divert the public to use public transportation as an alternative have proved futile as people feel the need for independent control of their movement (Doll, 2008). Already the sales figures for hybrid models are increasing steadily in the US. In the year 2006, a total of 262,000 hybrid cars, primarily the Toyota Prius and other models from the company were sold nationwide (Doll, 2008). Companies like Honda, GM, Ford and Lexus soon came up with their own hybrid models in the market. Toyota, which overtook General Motors as the world’s largest automobile company however has experienced some hiccups since then . One problem it faced was the recall of some of its models due to faulty design and a patent lawsuit against its hybrid cars by a Florida based company, Paice LLC (Web, 2009). Such obstacles need to be sorted out between competing manufacturers in the greater interest of fuel efficiency and a healthy environment for the present and future generations. Innovations are already underway for developing fuel cells to power electric vehicles which cause the least pollution and are more energy

Trade Unions in Britain Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Trade Unions in Britain - Essay Example The trade unions in Britain traditionally had a system in which the bargaining was based on industries. This gave the trade unions a sense of institutional security in their operations within the private sector. By 1950, approximately 60% of the workers in the private sector were under collective agreements that had their origins outside their firm of employment. Several events and developments however combined to cause the decline of the trade unions and their influence (Fernie & Metcalf 202). The decline of the trade unions in Britain began in the years since 1979. This was after the election of Margaret Thatcher’s government that had conservative policies that were aimed at weakening the trade unions (Wrigley 2002, p40). This decline followed a period of rapid growth and increase in membership and influence in the 1950s. The collapse of the trade unions could therefore be anticipated following the decline experienced. There were several factors that contributed to the decli ne and the eventual collapse of the trade unions. ... The decline in the unions was also seen in the collective bargaining influence which was said to have declined from 70% to 40% in the years between 1980 and 1998 (Brown et al. 2003, p199). The future of the trade unions in Britain has largely been discussed. The discussion in based on the impact that the trade unions are expected to have in the future, and whether the trade unions are expected to grow or face a decline. The purpose that the trade unions serve has also come under scrutiny. It is however important to understand the role that the trade unions are expected to play so that one can understand the impact that they are likely to have in the country. It is also important to understand the crucial role that is played by the trade union and their function in the country. The 1999 Employment Relations Act in Britain was a significant step in marking the recovery of the political influence held by the trade unions. This came after many years of exclusion from the process of polic y making. The act has also been important in that it has stimulated the increase in the organization of unions, and helped the trade unions in getting recognition from the employers. The act has also paved way for the trade unions to adopt policies that are aimed at increasing their membership across all sectors of the economy. There are however many limitations to the influence that trade unions wield on the Labor government in Britain. While the trade unions have an opportunity to engage the government in dialogue over various labor policies, the government often ignores many of the ideas and representations of the trade unions. The trade unions also find it

Copula, risk modelling and mathematic finance Essay

Copula, risk modelling and mathematic finance - Essay Example People and teams can influence future performance, though the cause and effect relationship lies more in the present than in the past. The ability of investment to produce future returns is fraught with probabilities. The alternative chosen for use of an asset is a matter of deliberation and discretion. It should therefore be possible to value an investment based on the risk-taking nature of the group that controls deployment of the asset. The matter is worth pursuing wherever there is value in predicting future cash flows from an investment, and when the past is known to be of low relevance for conditions in the future. It is also of interest because it could allow for the professional application of modeling to an area of widespread interest and concern amongst all communities of investors. Though a quantile approach can ameliorate the confusing scatter of past events with respect to independent variables, major qualitative changes in their complex inter-relationships can result in the most disruptive discontinuities as we extend past trends in to horizons of the future. There are situations in which statistical validity is inadequate for a decision on a risk with very serious consequences. We need, as far as possible, to create comprehensive scenarios in which the outcome can be reasonably guaranteed if specified conditions are met. The imperatives of a risk management approach will not allow for the degree of uncertainty to which mere smoothing of past variations may be restricted. Legislation, regulation and social pressures from organized groups are different today from their past arraignment. They continue to change as well. We are asked to discontinue things to which we are accustomed, new challenges arise from technology and new opportunities as well. Investments with long gestation are par for many courses, yet the futility of past data grows as we travel ever more distant in to the future. However,

Emerging Business Themes Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words - 2

Emerging Business Themes - Essay Example It has a more than 7,500 restaurants in the United States and over 5,600 restaurants in 97 countries. (Yum! Brands, 2009). Social Media is defined as "a group of Internet-based applications that are build on the ideological and technological foundations of Web 2.0, and that allow the creation and exchange of user-generated content† (Kaplan Andreas M., 2010) . Pizza Hut, which started spreading as a franchise restaurant has evolved over a period of time keeping pace with the latest developments. Needless to say, that its diverse delivery format required huge investment in technology. Now, it is also investing in Social Media technology to keep up with its customers like many other ‘brands [which] are rushing to keep up with consumer behavior’ (Peter Kim, 2009). Pizza Hut is still testing grounds when it comes to social media technology. To find out what the customers want to hear, they engage in conversations with customers over the social media sites. It has initiated various campaigns targeted at increasing its online presence. It has marked its presence on Facebook and Twitter and is offering ‘hot’ deals to the users of these websites. However, a well defined marketing strategy regarding its social media networking is yet not in place. Pizza Hut has set its communication goals as – 1) giving people an engaging and fun way to find news and information from Pizza Hut, and 2) creating two-way relationships with our customers, built on trusted conversation. (Fuller, 2009) Probably its communication goals led Pizza Hut to announce its intention to hire an intern for managing its Twitter account. Although this piece of news was intended to establish camaraderie with the generation using Twitter, it gathered a lot of criticism from marketing gurus who thought it was a bad idea to let an intern handle an international brand on an international platform. (Evans, 2009) While social media technologies represent exciting new opportunities for

Difficult Mothers Essay Example for Free

Difficult Mothers Essay In Jamaica Kincaid â€Å"The Estrangement† not talking to your mom after a huge fight and 3 years later she’s dead must be hard for someone. Kincaid talks about how when she, and her 3 brothers were young, they saw her as a God, because her mom was always there, making sure if they were alright. Most children think their mother is the number one, especially for man, since they are more related to the mother, and the girls feel more protected with the dads. That is why neither she nor her brothers could understand how the youngest son, when he was dying of AIDS her mother was always taking care of him, helping with his disease. Moms are always trying to see if her children are doing well, trying to make them always feel better when something is going wrong. Kincaid is letting us know how much she suffered with her mom because of her attitude, but when she becomes one, all of this will make sense, all of the drama, the anger, and the great things She was just being a mom. The oldest sister said that she never knew who her father was, since her mother when she was pregnant, stole money from the dad and ran away, that was the reason why her father never met her, but it was ok with her, since she did not need him. She had the father of her 3 brothers, who knew about him, actually more than the same sons. Physiologists say that â€Å"Father is not the person who gives life, but the person who is always there for you† that is why she never wanted to meet the [real father]. Most people might say that her/his mother is never the way she is at home that she is in public, which happens to all of us, don’t you agree? That is why when the mother died, in the funeral everyone was talking so nice about her, how she was so [generous], [kind], etc. But that was not the mother they knew, but totally the opposite. Always telling them horrible things such as, how much she hated the life her children were having. Being a mom has got to be the most beautifu l thing in the world, seeing your kid growing up inside you for 9 months, and then watching those kids grow older, and see what they become. One impressive thing about this essay, is how at the beginning the daughter says how she’s never going to speak again to her mother, result of a conversation they both had, and turned out to be ugly, when the mother said that her daughter’s life was disappointment because she did not accomplished anything, and her life was just [messed up]. After her youngest brother died, she and her two brothers talked about his/her brother felt when he was with his mom, they wondered how that would feel that? And after everything, they finally said [we would rather be dead than spending eternity with her] Some children don’t realized how much their mother did for them, so they could have a better life, a better way of living, and instead of saying â€Å"thanks† is by saying [I would rather see you dead that spending more time beside you]. Instead of hating so much her mother, she realizes that everything she does everything she thinks, or even says, reminds her mother. And that is just the nature of being a mother, you spent the last 20 years next to your mom, and saw how she tried to influence you to be a better person, and that might or might not worked, but you just know that is the way you should go. All mothers hope that their children will be thankful for everything they have done to make them live an easier life, they just want to make you feel how loved you were and you are. The daughter at the end of the essay says how badly she wants her children to be around her for the most time, but if not, now that they are kids, she will enjoy them, and knowing that she had the best time with them. And now says that she is conscious that she is never talking again to her mother (because she is dead) but, she will always be in eternity with her. At some point they will be together, again.

Analysis of The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock

Analysis of The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock Modernist Disillusionment in The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock Unlike the romantic period that preceded it, the modernist literary movement reflected the feelings of a Lost Generation affected by industrialization and war trauma. As such, modernist literature often employs cynical or detached worldviews in angsty tones. The most famous writer of the movement, T.S Eliot, explored modernist themes of disillusionment through poetry. One of his poems,The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock, focuses on the theme of indecisiveness as a symptom of modernization in society. T.S Eliots Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock is representative of the modernist literary canon through its exploration of the speakers personal feelings of anxiety and stagnation. The repetition of questions and refrains in The Lovesong of J. Alfred Prufrock is used to express the speakers self-doubt and insecurity in a modernized, changing society. The poem primarily focuses on the speakers inability to talk to women, and how this relates to his fragile self-esteem as a whole. Throughout the poem, the speaker repeats,In the room the women come and go Talking of Michelangelo (lines 13-14). This repeated observation of the women coming and going serves as a disruption to the speakers hypothetical dialogue with the woman he loves. He is unable to approach women because they intimidate him, especially in a new society where women are more educated and independent. The speaker also uses repetition by questioning himself ,How should I presume? (line 54). The question follows his memories of past rejections, wavering his resolve to pursue a woman romantically. He is so paralyzed by his insecurity that he cannot even hold a conversation. This repetition is significan t because it shows the speaker questioning his place in society, a common theme in modernist writing. Eliots poem also incorporates multiple allusions to classic literary works, which are indicative of modernist skepticism of tradition. The references come from varied texts, including the Bible, Dante, Chaucer, and Greek philosophers, but Eliot especially focuses on Shakespeare. In one stanza, the speaker laments No! I am not Prince Hamlet, nor was meant to be; Am an attendant lord, one that will do To swell a progress, start a scene or two (lines 111-113). Here, the speaker feels a lack of personal agency, and only sees himself as an extension of others; he will only ever be in a supporting role for those who lead.ÂÂ   J. Alfred Prufrock will never lead a progress like Chaucer, or woo a coy mistress like Marvell, just like he will never be the Hamlet or Lazarus he wishes he was. He is too scared to even try. Classical allusions like this are a signature of the modernist writing, where the traditional is used as a framework for contemplating the contemporary. These allusions are meant to show the speakers weakness, of what he can never attain.They are not used for glorifying the past, but for questioning the present. In the poem, the speakers fear of inadequacy with women is connected to his larger fear of aging and mortality, and shows his existential crisis. When trying to gather the courage to pursue his romantic interest, the speaker resigns I am no prophet and heres no great matter; I have seen the moment of my greatness flicker, And I have seen the eternal Footman hold my coat, and snicker, And in short, I was afraid (lines 83-86). The speaker sees his social awkwardness as more than just situational; it is the story of his life, the only thing that defines his character. In every small failed interaction, he feels that his life has no importance, and that any instance of success is fleeting. He imagines Death, the eternal Footman, mocking him, just as he imagines women mocking him. Through this imagery, the speaker imagines his failure to win over the woman he loves as the literal death of him. By connecting romantic insecurity with existential insecurity, T.S. Eliot explores both the sma ll- and large-scale implications of modernist thought. Modernist literature differed from previous literary movements in its exploration of the internal mind, rather than the external world. Although deeply affected by external societal issues (industrialization, imperialism, war), modernist style primarily focuses on personal psyche. Modernist literary works often take the form of stream-of-consciousness, or in the case of The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock, dramatic monologue, rarely with any input of interpersonal dialogue. By turning the narrative inward, modernism sought to expose how the world at large can impact the individual body and mind. The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock remains a primary example of modernism because of its ability to make the reader connect so personally with the speakers internal conflicts, and consequently understand the external conflicts of the early 20th century. Works Cited Eliot, T. S. The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock. N.p.: n.p., 1915. Print.

Synopsis Of Tesco As A Company Business Essay

Synopsis Of Tesco As A Company Business Essay Tesco is the largest UK based supermarket and the worlds third largest grocery retailer with stores across Europe, USA and Asia. Tesco has a well-established and long-term strategy for growth. Tesco has net profits of around  £3 billion before tax. The objectives of the strategy are: Tesco was founded in 1919 by Jack Cohen selling groceries in the markets of Londons East End. Tesco brand first appeared in 1924 when Cohen bought stocks of tea from T.E. Stockwell. They combined their names to form TESCO. In 1929, the first Tesco store opened in North London. Since then Tesco has expanded rapidly by opening more new stores and retail services, while adapting to consumers needs. In 1961, Tesco Leicester entered the Guinness Book of Records as the largest store in Europe. In 1968 Tesco opened its first superstore in Crawley, West Sussex. By the 1970s Tesco diversified into other products and opened its first petrol stations in 1974. In 1992, Tesco launched its slogan every little helps, followed by the Tesco Value range in 1993 and the Tesco Club card in 1995, helping Tesco to overtake Sainsburys as the UKs largest food retailer. Tesco.com was launched in 2000, followed by Tesco broadband in 2004 and Tesco Direct in 2006. Tescos Personal Finance Acquisition was completed in 2008. Tesco has now over 2,200 stores with 280,000 employees in the UK. From 1994 to 2007 Tesco expanded overseas by opening stores in Hungary, Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Rep. of Ireland, Thailand, South Korea, Taiwan, Malaysia, Turkey, Japan, China and US under the name Fresh Easy. Last year Tesco announced plans to establish cash and carry business in India. TASK 2: Literature Review Differences between human resource management and personnel management Human resource management (HRM) is defined as a strategic and coherent approach to the management of an organisations most valued assets the people working there who individually and collectively contribute to the achievement of its objectives. (M Armstrong) Personnel management (PM) is concerned with obtaining, organising and motivating the human resources required by the enterprise. (M Armstrong) The concept of HRM places greater emphasis on: Integration with the business strategies rather than focusing on delivering basic services such as recruitment and training Adopting a management and business-oriented philosophy Using unitary approach rather than pluralist approach Treating people as assets (human capital) rather than costs Personnel management is workforce-centred, directed mainly at an organisations employees covering issues such as: Finding and training them, Arranging for them to be paid Satisfying employees work-related needs, Dealing with their problems and Seeking to change management action that could produce an unwelcome employee response. HRM is resource-centred, directed mainly at management needs for human resources (not necessarily employees) to be provided and deployed. Demand rather than supply is the focus of the activity. There is greater emphasis on planning, monitoring and control rather than mediation between employee and employer. Role of human resource (HR) practitioner The main roles of HR practitioners are: The strategic role To formulate and implement forward-looking HR strategies that are aligned to business objectives and integrated with one another. To contribute to the development of business strategies. To work alongside their line management colleagues to provide on an everyday basis continuous support to the implementation of the strategy of the organisation. The business partner role As business partners, HR specialists share responsibility with their line management colleagues for the success of the enterprise and get involved with them in implementing business strategy and running the business. The change agent role HR specialists act as change agents, facilitating change by providing advice and support on its introduction and management. The internal consultant role As internal consultants, HR practitioners work alongside their clients in analysing problems, diagnosing issues and proposing solutions. The service provider role As service provider, HR practitioners provide services to internal customers. The guardian of values role HR practitioners may act as the guardians of the organisations values and ethical standards concerning people. They point out when behaviour conflicts with those values or where proposed actions will be incompatible with them. Role and responsibilities of line managers in HR practices HR can initiate new policies and practices but the line managers have the main responsibility for implementing them. Line managers can achieve better ownership if: The practices benefit them. They are involved in the development and the testing of the practices. The practices are not too complicated, bureaucratic or time-consuming. Their responsibilities are defined and communicated clearly. They are provided with the guidance, support and training required to implement the practices. Human resource planning The need for HR planning HR planning determines the HR required by the organisation to achieve its strategic goals. HR planning at Tesco aims to ensure that the organisation has the right number of people with the right skills needed to meet forecast requirements. It also ensures that people with the right type of attitudes and motivation are available, who are committed to the organisation and engaged in their work, and behave accordingly. The process of HR planning Scenario planning: Making broad assessments of future developments in the organisations external environment and in the organisation itself and their likely impact on people requirements. Demand forecasts: Estimating the organisations future needs for people by reference to corporate and functional plans and forecasts of future activity levels. Supply forecasts: Estimating the supply of people to the organisation by reference to analyses of current resources and future availability, after allowing for wastage. Action plans: Deciding on what action to take to deal with shortages or surpluses of people. Recruitment process in two organisations Recruitment is the process of finding and engaging the people the organisation needs. Recruitment planning A recruitment plan covers: Number and types of employees required to cater for expansion or new developments and make up for any deficits. Sources of candidates. Plans for tapping alternative sources. How the recruitment programme will be conducted. Recruitment process at Tesco plc: At Tesco, HRM is regarded as an important activity, covering everything from recruitment to management development. The company aims to increase the number of training schemes and further develop its recruitment programmes so to provide the customer the benefits of a well recruited, well trained staff. For the Graduate Schemes, Tesco has planned to recruit 200 successful University leavers for 2010/11 intake. Applications are opened from September 2009, including Tesco Telecoms and Environmental Engineering. For the A-Level Schemes, 18 years school leavers have to follow a 12 months course in management that involves a store familiarisation programme of 3 weeks and a leadership and technical training. The Scheme, for those with 180 UCAS points offers candidates a 6 months management programme. Recruitment process at McDonalds: McDonalds is a franchise business. It is the largest food service company in the world with more than 30,000 restaurants serving more than 47 million people each day in 121 countries. Recruiting and selecting and appointing all new staff are under the operations department in McDonalds Training at McDonalds: The franchise system provides training for the franchisees, managers and their employees, usually done both at the franchisors home office and the franchisees place of business. This training prepares them in all facets of the business, including: purchasing and inventory maintenance, handling customer complaints, dealing with employee matters, etc. The level and length of training will vary from system to system. Interview as a selection technique The aims of an interview The purpose of an interview is to obtain the information required to decide on the extent to which candidates fit a person specification for the job. An interview can be described as a conversation with a purpose. It is a conversation because candidates should be induced to talk freely with their interviewers about themselves, their experience and their careers. Such a meeting enables judgements to be made by the interviewer on whether the candidate will fit the organization. Although these judgements are entirely subjective and are often biased or prejudiced, they will be made. But the conversation has to be planned, directed and controlled to achieve the main purpose of the interview, which is to make an accurate assessment of the candidates suitability for a job. Procedures involved in an interview: Interviewing arrangements: The candidate should be informed about the location and time for the interview and the next step after the interview. Preparing for the interview: Study the person specification and the candidates application form and/or CV, and identify those features of the applicant that do not fully match the specification so that these can be probed more deeply during the interview. Planning an interview: Consists of: welcome remarks; getting information on the candidate to assess against the person specification; provide candidates information about the organisation and the job; provide candidates information about the organisation and the job; answering questions from the candidate; and closing the interview with an indication of the next step. Types of interviews: Decide on which types of interview to be used. Timing the interview: For routine jobs, 20 to 30 minutes maybe enough while for demanding job one hour my be necessary. Interviewing techniques: Starting and finishing; asking questions. Selection interviewing skills: Establishing rapport; listening; maintaining continuity; keeping control; note taking. Coming to a conclusion: Candidates should be assessed against their knowledge; skills; competencies education; qualifications; training; experience; and overall suitability. Alternative selection methods: Selection tests: They provide more valid and reliable evidence of levels of intelligence, abilities, aptitudes, personality and attainments than can be obtained from an interview. It is best to combine them in a selection procedure with structured interviews. Assessment centres: They provide good opportunities for candidates to decide on the extent to which candidates fit a person specification for the job. The focus is centred on behaviour; group exercises and one-to-one role-play are used to predict behaviour on the job; several candidates are assessed together to allow interaction; several assessors and observers are used to increased the objectivity of the job. Work samples: Candidates are asked to take on mini-jobs in a selection situation where they can be assessed, for examples by a typing test for keyboard skills; role-playing; group decisions; presentations; or reports. Selection practices and procedures in two organisations compared to best practice Selection at Tesco involves choosing the most suitable people for a vacancy, while keeping the laws and regulations of employment. Tesco uses screening as part of the selection process to ensure that those selected candidates for interview match the job requirements. Tesco selectors start screening by first looking carefully at each applicants curriculum vitae. Tesco uses several stages in the process of selecting candidates: After passing the screening a candidate attends an assessment centre. The managers run the assessment centres in stores. Applicants should go through either team-working activities or problem solving exercises. An interview then is carried out for those candidates approved by assessment centres. Line managers responsible for the job offer have to participate in the interview to ensure that the candidate fits the job requirements. Selection at McDonalds: Selection is quite different from Tesco in the way that there are no screening and assessment centres. Here the manager only conducts an interview to identify an applicants potential to be a successful McDonalds employee. McDonalds prepares an interview guide to help the company forecast the applicants past behaviour and its influence on his future performance. The questions look for actual events or situations based on behavioural evidence in the applicants life history that fits with the specification for the job. Candidates are rated on their responses and those who earn the highest ratings are selected for the job. Process of job evaluation and the main factors determining pay Job evaluation is important in the reward management as it deals with equal pay for work of equal value. Approaches to job evaluation Job evaluation can be analytical or non-analytical. Analytical job evaluation schemes: Process of making decisions about the job value, which are based on a process of breaking down the whole jobs into a number of defined factors such as responsibility, decisions and the knowledge and skill required. It is systematic and judgemental. Non-analytical job evaluation schemes: Enables the whole jobs to be compared to place them in a grade or a rank order they are not analysed by reference to their factors. Choice of approach: Analytical job evaluation is the most common approach to job evaluation. The two main types of analytical job evaluation schemes are the point-factor schemes and analytical matching. Point-factor job evaluation scheme: Jobs are broken down into factors. Each factor is divided into a hierarchy of levels. Evaluators consult job description. A maximum point score is allocated to each factor. The total score for a factor is divided between the levels to produce the numerical factor scale. The complete scheme consists of the factor and level definitions and the scoring system. This comprises the factor plan. Points are allocated to jobs under each factor. The separate factor scores are then added together to give a total score, which indicates the relative value of each job and can be used to place the jobs in rank order. Market pricing Jobs can be also valued by their market rates market pricing. Market pricing is the process of obtaining information on market rates to inform decisions on pay structures and individual rates of pay. It is called extreme market pricing when market rates are the only means to decide on internal rates of pay and relativities, then conventional job evaluation is not used. Reward systems A reward system consists of policies, processes, practices and procedures that combine to ensure that reward management is carried out effectively for the benefit of the organisation and its employees. Examples of reward systems are: Total reward Total reward includes a combination of rewards, namely financial rewards such as basic pay, contingent pay, employee benefits; and non-financial rewards, which arise from the work itself. These rewards are linked together and treated as whole. Basic pay: Is the amount of money that constitutes the rate for the job. It varies according to the grade of the job or the level of skill required. Contingent pay Performance related pay: Additional financial rewards related to performance, competence, contribution, skill or experience that may be added to basic pay. Employee benefits: They include pensions, sick pay, insurance cover, company cars and annual holiday pay. Non-financial rewards: They do not involve any direct payment. They arise from the work itself, e.g. achievement, autonomy, recognition, and scope to develop skills. Tesco employs over 285,000 employees. They offer package of pay and benefits childcare vouchers and two share schemes: Save as You Earn and Buy as You Earn. Their Shares in Success scheme rewards employees who work hard with free Tesco shares and their award-winning offers pension scheme, which consists of 160,000 employees building a pension based on their earnings and service. Link between motivational theory and reward The process of motivation Motivation can be described as goal-directed behaviour. Types of motivation: Intrinsic motivation: The self-generated factors that influence peoples behaviour which may arise from the work itself. Extrinsic motivation: This occurs when something needs to be done to motivate people. Some people are self-motivated. However, most people need to be motivated to a lesser or greater extent. Organisations should provide high levels of motivation that can be achieved by using a range of rewards system in an attempt to satisfy employees needs so that they are motivated to work. Organisational approaches to monitoring performance The aim of performance management is: Empowering, motivating and rewarding employees to do their best. Armstrong World Industry It includes: Reward and recognition: Creating structures that maximise recruitment, retention and motivation; obtaining the best performance from the people available. Performance improvement throughout the organisation, for individual, team and organisational effectiveness Managing behaviour ensuring that individuals are encouraged to behave in a way that allows and fosters better working relationships. Organisations should continuously monitor their employees performance so that they make their best contribution. The approaches should centre on understanding the purpose of an organisation and its structure. They play emphasis on the planning of work, technical requirements, principles of management and behaviour. Attention is given to the division of work, duties, responsibilities, maintaining specialisation and co-ordination, hierarchy of management and formal organisational relationships. Tesco effectively controls the performance of their employees so that they can lead the UKs retailer. Tesco has a range of processes and techniques within their stores to monitor the performances of their employees. Tescos managers monitor their employers and the organisation through: Planning and setting goals and objectives; establishing standards of performance; correcting mistakes and taking prompt action. Exit procedures used by two organisations compared to best practice Exit procedures at Tesco and McDonalds On or before the employees last day request a letter of resignation. This letter provides documentation of the employees intention to resign, allowing the department to post and refill the position more efficiently. It should contain the last day of active work, the last day on payroll, and the reason for leaving. Prepare a notice of termination terminating the employee, obtain authorising signatures. Advise employee to: As soon as possible on or after employees last day, as appropriate -Cancel telephone and IT system accesses. -Cancel departmental computer passwords and computer accounts. -Cancel employees bank details. Selection criteria for redundancy The selection criteria used by the employer must be clearly defined so that they can be applied reasonably to each candidate. Selection criteria for redundancy includes: Duration of service and experience How long was the employee absent from work (last in, first out). Measure of skills and knowledge Qualifications, aptitude and performance, Attendance and disciplinary records. Conclusion The aim of human resource management is to ensure that the organisation is able to achieve success through people. My findings reveal that the introduction of strategic HR policies at Tesco has broadens the scope of the business by expansion of new markets in UK and abroad. Tescos HR strategy is based on long term perspective that addresses about how the best return can be obtained from the human resources available now and in the future. Tesco aims to get the right number of the right sorts of people in the right place at the right time and ethically getting rid of them when they are not needed. Tesco creates an environment in which employees and others associates get the necessary knowledge, skills and attitudes. Tesco manages the hard (structure, systems) and soft (culture, values) features of the organisation. Tesco creates structures that maximise recruitment, retention and motivation; obtaining the best performance from the people. Reference Module Tutor Lecture notes and emails: Sabir H Jafri., Managing Human Resources (Unit 1) H1, HND in Business. 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