Building Performance Management through Employee Participation Essay

Building Performance Management through Employee Participation - Essay Example Employee participation is a significant component of motivating them which is also necessary for both their growth and that of the organization. By virtue of their positions, employees have unique and relevant performance information that may not be obvious to those conducting the performance management process (Mayer & Gavin 44). As evidenced by the JMI case, most employees feel unsatisfied with feedback and goal setting processes used by the management. They tend to view it like a procedure manufactured elsewhere and imposed on them. Contrarily, their active participation in the process provides them with a voice in the system, developing a sense of belonging and ownership over the process (Mayer & Gavin 46). Greater employee participation will create an environment of employee support and cooperation. This will encourage developing of counseling and coaching relationships, reducing defensive tendencies and tension and making the results more acceptable to the employees (Mayer & Ga vin 46). Employees provide input on the required standards on which their performance will be based (Cardy & Dobbins 12). It is, therefore, vital to formulate standards that evaluate essential responsibilities and duties by balancing the process, individual and group participation and the outcome. Employees can have a say by contributing their suggestions on the types of rating systems that give an actual representation of their responsibilities and duties (Cardy & Dobbins 12). Studies have indicated that self evaluation increases the participation of employees while enhancing overall satisfaction when used for the purposes of development (Cardy & Dobbins 19). Employees can carry out their own evaluation by completing their own performance evaluation forms prior to the official evaluation interview (Cardy & Dobbins 12). Although it is evident that managerial and employee ratings may not always be in agreement, it is essential for both groups to remember that the process does not see k absolute agreement. Rather, it should be viewed as a process aimed at obtaining consensus from the two teams over time (Mayer & Gavin 54). As with the JMI case, the consultant interviewed the management and used the employee participation technique to solicit feedback from the organization. With this feedback, they were able to identify the problems the employees had with the performance manage system in use. They generated the employees’ support through their participation to formulate a new and acceptable system. Basing on the JMI example, performance management systems can be improved by making them more sensitive to the employees’ issues. This can be achieved through increased privacy and confidentiality; according employees the management’s undivided attention and setting time to discuss issues. Those charged with carrying out the process need to be prepared prior to the exercise (Muchinsky 21). An emphasis is also placed on performance counseling. Team l eaders are encouraged to give individual employees feedback in confidence on their job performance. This may give rise to various potential benefits such as motivating them to be more productive (Muchinsky 34). Those given performance evaluation results that may be below their expectations will also accept them since

Creative Writing, Application Essays Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Creative Writing, Application Essays - Essay Example These are some of the reasons why I would like to attend George Washington University. An education organization that has been providing a service to the community for 188 years is a place with the tradition and experience that I seek from a university campus. I follow basketball and have been a fan of the school’s basketball team for the last five years. I have heard good things about the quality of the education this school provides. My counselor recommended this school to me. I already knew the about the university through its sporting program, but never realized about the possibility of becoming a student. The school website was informative an allowed to learn about many aspects of what the college experience entails. I like the fact the schools place a lot of importance in community service and volunteer work. I would like to get involve in these types of extracurricular activities that can enhance my interpersonal skills and personal development as a human being. I like the fact the schools enabled students to keep up with the current news and alumni affairs through its very informative website. The school’s internet portal was a great tool that provided me with a good overview of what George Washington University can do for my future. I like the campus facilities, security, and medical center capabilities. It is important to go to a college where you feel safe and welcomed. In order to be able to be effective in one’s study routines a person need to be in an environment where you feel like at home. When I visited the University last summer I felt like this a place where I wanted to be the next four years of my life. A college education is an investment that lasts a lifetime. Attending a great college institution such as George Washington University will help my professional future by opening many job opportunities for me in the future. I

Reflection On Leadership And Management Skills

Reflection On Leadership And Management Skills This essay will be used as a tool to critique and improve my leadership and management skills as this is essential to the changes that are needed in the NHS improvement plan. In this process I have identified my leadership strengths as well as my development needs. I have used self assessment and feedback from colleagues in the form of my managers, peers and direct reports. I have also reflected upon my vision and style of management and further identified areas that can be enhanced into making me a more versatile leader as this is important to the NHS modernisation programme (DH 2000). With this information I have formulated an action plan that is SMART (Specific, Measureable, Action Oriented, Realistic and Time bound) (NHS Leadership Qualities Framework 2002). Leadership is essential and central to the current NHS modernisation programme. In fact the department of health quotes anyone working in the NHS regardless of their position, grade, qualification or place of work, may be a leader or agent of change and improvement (DH 2001). In simple terms the department of health is looking towards its own staff to develop and deliver their NHS improvement plan and are looking for visionary staff at all levels of experience (DH 1999). The changes that I have had to lead and am currently leading have been driven by reducing waiting times for new case patients as well as implementing the 18 week Pathway from referral to treatment (DH 2006). Other drivers for change and improvement have been the implementation of the Choose and Book system, whereby patients are invited to choose where they are referred and given the option of booking their appointments. The reason for these changes on a whole has been to provide a faster, more user friendly and convenient access to care for patients requiring treatment (DH 2005). My professional title is Head of Orthoptic Services which is an allied health profession. I have to provide clinical leadership whilst ensuring a comprehensive and equitable service is provided that is responsive to changing needs, that is flexible to change and has to directly follow department of health guidelines and changes. My leadership role is to manage and develop the Orthoptic Services within the framework of national guidelines and ensure that effective communication across 3 hospital based departments, out-reach clinics, special schools and screening clinics is adhered to, to enable effect change. Within this role I am met with challenges that are set from management levels above me that I have to react to within my sphere of influence. These may include financial management, staffing levels, waiting targets and service developments in line with the NHS improvement plan (DH 2004). In providing these changes the challenges that I face are mainly down to financial constraint s and staffing levels. Staffing levels are always an issue since our department lost a member of staff due to recruitment and retention, and as a method of cost savings the post was dissolved. Conflict is often an issue as change is at this time frequent and often initially met with resistance and negativity; I myself can initially have these reactions and project them. My personal vision of leadership is to be a transformational leader. This type of leader has the skills to share their vision, motivate their team and gain commitment, which will as a result inspire performance (Bennis, 2003, p 31-46). I am keen to motivate my staff by giving them objectives that I feel are appropriate and within their capabilities; this gives them a varied, inspiring work life and will broaden and increase their interests. This has been highlighted in my LQF feedback which I will discuss in greater detail later. I feel this is also how the department of health envisions how leadership will carry forward their NHS improvement plan (DH 2001). However, this is sometimes not always possible and in more challenging times I can become more of a transactional leader. I feel sometimes when I have to pass on objectives that people are resistant to, then reward and punishment which is characteristic of transactional leadership comes into force. One example of this was when a member of staffs competencies was called into question due to consistently producing clinically inadequate test results. My leadership philosophy is to be a leader who has inspirational qualities and to be credible. This should involve being approachable, hard working, trustworthy, competent and supportive. If I am able to fulfil these criteria then I feel I will have credibility as a leader and or manager. This is what followers expect of a leader (Kouzes and Posner, 1997, p 19-31). The reason for this is because a confident and competent leader will have the ability and capabilities which will be obvious to their followers. They will be able to share their vision which will inspire the staff to follow in their footsteps. To be a successful leader it is important to self assess and understand about self-knowledge. If one is able to identify their strengths and any areas for development, this will result in being able to set realistic parameters and be able to capitalise on their strengths, interests and capabilities (Bennis, 2003, p47-64). I have therefore completed an assessment of myself by using the NHS Leadership Qualities Framework 360 Feedback assessment tool (LQF). I have also completed a shortened Myers Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) to identify my personality type. The LQF is based upon research with over 3,328 participants and is evidence based grounded research with 150 NHS Chief Executives and Directors of all disciplines. This makes it a robust form of assessment (NHS Leadership Qualities Framework 2002). . My criticism of the LQF would be that you have to carefully select who you feel is able to fill it out in a critical but positive way. I feel that if this is not done it has the ability to skew the percentage scales especially if there has only been small numbers of participants in each group. This creates statistically insignificant results. Finally some of my direct reports felt that the language and questions were quite technical and needed some form of political astuteness and management knowledge, therefore making it difficult to fill out completely accurately. I have been able to identify key qualities from the LQF which not only fit in with my leadership philosophy but in my role as a leader. Some of these qualities I had no idea I possessed. I appear confident and am approachable, supportive, motivated, focused, determined and a good communicator. I also have the will to see service developments; this is key to the Department of Healths modernisation and improvement plans (DH 2000). These qualities have been identified by my managers, peers and direct reports. Some of these qualities fit in with being a transformational leader which is clearly what is important to the department of healths improvement plan. Interestingly some of my needs for development have been identified as not being self-confident, not dealing with disciplinary needs and identifying slipping standards, these development needs all point to a more transactional form of leadership or the more management orientated tasks. This process (LQF) has forced me to be far more critical and reflective of myself. It has been uncomfortable at times as some of the feedback has been quite damning of my leadership style, however it is apparent that this is an anomaly in the process and not the general feeling from the rest of the participants. It has highlighted to me key strengths that I have aspired to possess, and it has clearly highlighted areas needed for development, some of which I feel I may have been subconsciously aware of. An example of my strengths directly ties in with the department of healths NHS modernisation programme quote: Anyone working in the NHS regardless of their position, grade, qualification or place of work, may be a leader or agent of change and improvement (DH 2001). A number of direct reports state I delegate duties well which allows people to expand their own role in the department. This creates new challenges for people which maintains motivation (LQF page 44). Other comments relating to this go on to state this makes people feel valued, able to branch into other areas of expertise and helps to retain staff. In this process I have been able to clearly identify key qualities and strengths; however, in order to become a more effective leader some development needs have been identified. In order to achieve this I have created action plans for three areas I would like to work on. Firstly to improve my time management skills, my next plan will be to develop the ability to confront colleagues in a self managed way and finally to increase my self confidence. (Appendix 1) To enable myself to improve these development needs I have formulated action plans for each. I am going to attempt to use ideas and recommendations from professional consensus but also from the likes of Bennis, Kouzes and Posner, Tracy and Covey all advocators of personal development and leading experts in leadership. My first action plans objective is to improve my time management skills. The rationale behind this is because poor organisation and time management creates a negative outlook for all groups of people I work with, my peers, direct reports and my managers. It has been stated in the LQF that it sets undesirable standards to others. Also objectives can be left too close to the deadline which then creates a rushed and poorly planned outcome which can directly affect the quality of the project. Ultimately the deadline can be missed if other tasks make me have to digress from the original task. Furthermore people have identified that I need to improve my long term planning and see the bigger picture, however, this is difficult if I am constantly dealing with the day to day urgent tasks or Fire-fighting as quoted by a peer. Having reflected upon my style of leadership and identifying a quality I possess, approachability, I also feel this can hinder effectiveness. I currently operate an open door policy and try to be approachable. This causes frequent interruptions and digressions which puts pressure on myself and creates difficulty reaching deadlines. The strategies I am going to explore are based around Stephen Covey and Brian Tracys methods of improving personal effectiveness. Before I set about this I feel I will have to reduce the potential unnecessary interruptions and digressions. Firstly I still want to remain an approachable leader with an open door policy, this, my staff felt was a strength, however, I feel that if I restrict access I will have more uninterrupted time which will make me able to work for longer periods of time and thus reach goals and objectives far more effectively. My first step is to simply close my door between certain hours and ensure that people are aware that if the door is closed I am not available, but I will make staff know that I am available between the hours of 08.00 09.00 (dependent on start time), 12.00 13.30 and 16.00-17.00. The next step will be to improve clarity; this is the most important concept in personal effectiveness, if I have absolutely clear goals and objectives, this should improve my productivity and prevent me procrastinating (Tracy, 2004, p7). Ideally I will start to document what it is I want to achieve since this will enable me to visualise what it is I am aiming for. During this process I will set a realistic deadline to achieving my goals, this will give the objective urgency. I will plan ahead, again documenting what needs to be achieved. Finally, something I rarely do will be to take action on the plan immediately (Tracy, 2004, p7). The next step will involve building upon my clarity and identified goals and objectives and will involve planning ahead by working from a list. A short time making a plan of the day ahead will in the long run save time. Therefore I am going to list the tasks or objectives that need to be achieved monthly, weekly and daily, and as I have achieved an objec tive I will cross it off. Tracy (2004, p14) explains that monthly and weekly lists increases effectiveness and efficiency, and ultimately improves motivation and drive since you are able to visualise your achievements. It is this sense of accomplishment that generates forward motion. This strategy will be a very useful evaluation tool as it will enable me to assess my progress and achievements. This plan of action also fits in with the Quadrant II theory where I need to balance my working life between urgent and important issues (Covey, 2004, p150). There are four quadrants (I) important and urgent (II) Important and not urgent (III) not important but urgent and (IV) not important and not urgent. Currently if I reflect upon my practice and what has been highlighted in my LQF I am working in quadrant I. Jerry spends most of his time fire-fighting at work i.e. he is constantly dealing with the immediate problem rather than getting on top of things and looking ahead and planning bette r (LQF, p47). This affects my drive for improvement which is key to the NHS Modernisation and Improvement plan (DH 2000). Covey (2004, p152) states that this leads to stress, burnout, crisis management and fire-fighting and therefore lead me to be far less effective and efficient. The idea is to work more in quadrant II where I am dealing with important but not urgent tasks, if I can achieve this then this will impact on having to deal with the urgent and important tasks that prevent me from planning ahead and driving for improvement. Furthermore if I can get into quadrant II, less and less tasks will be urgent and important. An example of a problem that exists at the moment as a result of poor time management and dealing with urgent and important issues all the time is patient discharge letters. I am unable to sit for any length of time and write them, they are therefore mounting up and compounding my inefficiency. If I were to list them on my weekly schedule, then I will be able t o visualise the task needs doing. Therefore if I can eliminate the pile that exists, it will be easier to stay on top of the task, one letter at a time is easier and more effective than having to sit down and write ten. Therefore my evaluation tool will be to constantly review my task lists and assess my achievements and work on the objectives that are left outstanding. The second action plans objective is to look at developing my ability to confront members of staff at all levels in a self managed way. The rationale behind this is because confrontation at work occurs at all levels, meaning that I have to manage confrontation with my peers and direct reports. Confrontation and conflict appeared frequently in my LQF assessment, with comments suggesting I shy away from it, bury my head in the sand, let standards slip rather than deal with confrontation and do not deal with disciplinary issues to avoid confrontation. These comments were particularly used by my peers and direct reports. All this fits in with the difficulty I have dealing with conflict management. Conflict is likely when the work place has staff of varying backgrounds (Outhwaite, 2003, p347-375), for example professionals versus semi professionals, which can then lead to perceived status differences making joint working far more difficult. One of my peer comments was to do with the perce ption that my staff controls me and that I have little control over them. Though I disagree with the majority of this statement, there does appear to be some obvious perceptions within my peers that this is in fact the case. The strategy to improve on my ability to confront colleagues in a self managed way will concentrate on conflict resolution. My role as a leader is to identify, explore and resolve issues that may be causing conflict, this may be uncomfortable but can only be achieved with perseverance and some degree of risk (Outhwaite, 2003, p347-375). Confronting my direct reports would be the logical first step, the reason for this is the feedback I received from my peers, suggesting they (direct reports) control me. My own direct reports suggested that I dislike confronting them when standards are slipping or when disciplinary issues need resolving (LQF, p 44-45). Return to work interviews after sickness are left or not done, these by no means are a disciplinary action, however if they are not done it gives the opinion that I do not care. In line with improving my time management skills, my intention is to immediately list the interview down on my schedule, so that I can visualise the need to do it. If clinical case note standards slip, then I should deal with them immediately also. There was a case when a colleague had written highly inappropriate comments in clinical records that were brought to my attention. I procrastinated far too long in dealing with this, so that when I did eventually confront the member of staff I was me t with hostility Why did you not speak to me months ago. My staff members were aware of the issue and were uncomfortable that nothing had been done. If feel if I had exercised better assertiveness and had identified, explored and resolved the issue earlier then the outcome would have been more positive for me and my direct reports. I feel the longer issues are left, the more I worry and become less in control. When it comes to the confrontation, I am tense, uncomfortable and out of control. The quicker I can explore and resolve the issue the easier it will be to deal with and I will be moving towards a more self managed way of dealing with confrontation. Furthermore the quicker I act on these types of issues the more it will be a self managed style of leadership, as it will prevent me from being pushed into dealing with confrontation by my direct reports and peers. Managing confrontation with my peers will employ a more open and honest form of communication (Covey 2004, p 202). Through my LQF and reflection I have identified that with my immediate peers there is differing professional backgrounds and probable peer resentment. It is clear that with both parties small issues and annoyances have been left to fester. This then leads to an escalation of bad feeling and antagonism between us all. With the differing professional backgrounds there has always been a differing level of expectation across the workforce. Covey (2004, p 201-202) examines dealing with the issues head on by arranging a series of meetings to mediate and resolve the existing issues and promote a more open and positive working relationship. By taking these steps myself to deal with the current situation, I will be self managing confrontation and will not be forced into having to deal with issues by outside pressures and necessity. Evaluation of this action plan will again be in the form of scheduling and crossing off achievements, but also reflecting upon the experience. Rule: Continuous learning is the minimum requirement for success in any field (Tracy 2004, p52). If I can maintain a diary reflecting upon conflicts that have been resolved and concentrate on the problems and not the personalities then I will be moving towards a self managed way of dealing with confrontation. I will be forcing myself to learn from my experiences and be able to identify successful and less successful outcomes and identify why these exist or what it was that was different between each confrontation. I will reflect upon the use of some of my strengths identified in my LQF. Confidence but not arrogance, highly developed communication style and being able to listen, these are all important in dealing with conflict management (Outhwaite, 2003, p 374-375). My final action plans objective will be to increase my self confidence. The rationale behind this is very personal. Already through my LQF assessment I have learnt that people mostly perceive me as confident and having motivational and inspiring qualities, however, my own personal confidence levels are very poor. Fear of change, conflict and failure is a barrier to my confidence. The LQF assessment showed a very low score for taking calculated risks, this does not surprise me since my direct reports and peers are very unforgiving when it comes to poor judgement and change, even if it was justified. One particular peer is very judgemental regarding failure and slipping standards. My time management skills are in need of further development and a sense of not achieving the balance between non urgent and important tasks (Quadrant II) and constantly dealing with immediate issues constantly chips away at ones confidence levels. Not being able to achieve positive outcomes in conflicts and confrontations needs to be addressed. The more I can succeed and develop the win/win habit the better my confidence will become. It is not about winning confrontations and moving forward my way, but more that agreements and solutions end with a mutually beneficial or satisfying outcome (Covey, 2004, p207). My strategy to improving my self confidence will start by formulating organisational plans and task sheets. When I achieve an objective or project I will cross these of the list and highlight it as an achieved small win (Kouzes and Posner, 1997, p 242-265). This creates momentum and the sense of achievement as previously discussed. I will rate key results on a scale of one to ten and identify strengths and weaknesses, the weaknesses can be used to further develop. If I learn from these weakness and train further this will eliminate the feelings of inadequacy and the lack of confidence I have (Tracy 2004, p 51). Key results or completed projects can be discussed with colleagues and appraised by my manager (Tracy, 2004, p 35-40). All these achievements that I have previously never reflected upon will start to give me a sense of confidence and accomplishment I have never previously thought about. On reflection I have assessed my achievements more on a win/lose scenario, but the more I c an work towards the win/win habit (Covey, 2004, p 205-234) and pass this on to my direct reports the more I am likely to succeed and become self confident. My direct reports tend to assess accomplishments using the win/lose way, and therefore anything that is achieved must have the outcome of us having won the battle, it is not surprising that this promotes the lack of confidence and a feeling of inadequacy I have. Evaluation of this action plan will be to more frequently assess my achievements and accomplishments (Kouzes and Posner, 1997, p 242-265). This will involve assessing my task sheets and my organisational plan which will be done on a daily, weekly and monthly basis. This will help me visualise the tasks that have been completed. The rating of tasks and further training can be assessed by looking at the ratings and assessing if they are improving. This will enable me to build my self confidence. Conflicts and confrontations can be reflected upon and I will be able to better understand the concepts behind win/win. If I can self manage the confrontations and aim for win/win, not only will I be achieving mutually satisfactory benefits and outcomes, but this will be working towards building my self confidence as more and more tasks will be achievable. It will also improve the interdepartmental conflicts and possible peer resentment that has been evident since my LQF. To conclude, it is obvious that all my action plans link into each other. As I become a more effective and efficient leader, then my peers will have less reason to resent my management style and pressure me into acting upon issues that are troubling them. This will then have the effect of lessening conflicts and confrontations. Furthermore, as I improve my time management skills and lessen the confrontations that occur, this will start impacting on my own self confidence. My own self confidence is directly affected by poorly self managed confrontations and an increasing number of tasks that are left undone or incomplete. It is obvious from my strengths that I have the ability to carry out these action plans and that my staff members are more than willing to take on tasks that are suitable for them as they state this makes people feel valued, able to branch into other areas of expertise and helps to retain staff. The Department of Health is looking for visionary staff members that are able to implement and carry out their modernisation plan. As my leadership skills improve I will be more effective in leading change and envisioning improvements becoming the embodiment of the Department of Healths modernisation and improvement plan.

Lost Innocence in The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas by John Boyne :: The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas, John Boyne

Evil can be glossed over by innocence but in the end subsumes it. This is vividly conveyed by John Boyne in The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas, a powerful narrative of lost innocence set in Nazi Germany. It all begins simply enough. Nine-year-old Bruno has to suddenly leave a familiar and beloved home where he could slide five floors down on a fine banister, and move with his parents and his twelve year old sister Gretel to a place called ‘Out With', where Father was going to be doing a very important job. ‘ The Fury' had dined with them the week before, and after that Bruno's father was given a brand new assignment, and as Bruno's mother told him, he would now have to wear a grander uniform than the one he had been wearing. So the family, with their entourage of staff and servants, leaves bustling Berlin. Sadly for Bruno, he has to also leave behind his three best friends, not to mention his beloved grandparents; he has to move far away to a much smaller, sequestered house with only Gretel (whom he thinks of as a Hopeless Case) for company. From his bedroom window, homesick Bruno can see groups of people in the distance, all in striped pyjamas moving about slowly behind a tall and endless wire fence. And because Bruno loves exploring, he soon sets out to find out more, although when he had asked his father who the people in the striped pyjamas were, his father had said that they were not people. The language and structure of this novel, The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas by the Irish writer John Boyne, labelled as young adult fiction in early editions, is deceptively simple. But this is definitely a book that adults must read; it is a fable set in living history that will jolt readers of all ages. Paradoxical While evil hiding among us is an ancient theme (as Agatha Christie once said), in this book evil is the base, glossed over by an innocence that is at one level redemptive, but at another level shocking. Bruno is the much loved child of a Nazi Commandant; but he is also an endearing little boy who adores his parents, is frustrated in typical sibling fashion with his pre-teen older sister, and in all aspects a solid little fellow; curious, full of energy and also trusting and innocent in a manner that sometimes seems a bit paradoxical for someone as intelligent as he is.

Chris maccandless

Tramping is too easy with all this money. My days were more exciting when I was penniless and had to forage around for my next meal†¦ I've decided that I'm going to live this life for some time to come. The freedom and simple beauty of it is Just too good to pass up. -Christopher Mishandles Currency does corrupt, it's like having power. Money is something which people can do crazy things. The desire of cash will certainly change people, or not having enough money will make some individuals be victim of crime.It's very difficult to know whether that person will handle the change in a positive manner. The greed and the ignorance can destroy the relationships from within even if it's your parents or best friends in which the outcomes will be irreparable. Money is power, which people want for themselves. The desire for money is a never ending trip and most individuals will do anything for this control. When people come in to some money, they feel superior, more powerful and above th e rest of the other people that have less . Hey start hanging in crowds with the same level of income, so they feel better. I had a friend who once talk all the time, play together and hangout. When she got older, her family came in to money big time. Now she doesn't talk to me, and never does anything with me. A ND I never get invited to her birthday parties! Only the people who had a lot of money like her were invited. The society and currency is en thing that drew Chris and his father away from each there.Chris donated $25,000 to charity; abandoned his car which was one of his possessions. Chris hated money; when he brunt his cash, he was showing that he didn't conform to society and was saying that money was useless thing. Money gives you a false and temporary sense of power, but when its gone, we realize what they have lost. Plaza add I don't know what else to write. Then send it back to me and do u have parliaments email address?

The Borneo Rainforest

The Borneo Rainforest is located in Borneo which is the third largest island in the world and is located north of Java, Indonesia, at the geographic centre of Maritime Southeast Asia. The Rainforest is 130 million years old, which makes it the oldest rainforest in the world. The Borneo rainforest is one of the only remaining natural habitats for the endangered Bornean Orangutan. It is an important refuge for many endemic forest species, including the Asian Elephant, the Sumatran Rhinoceros, the Bornean Clouded Leopard, the Hose's Civet and the Dayak Fruit Bat.The Borneo lowland rain forests cover most of the island, with an area of 427,500 square kilometers. The Borneo mountain rainforests lie in the central highlands of the island, above the 1,000 meters elevation. There are species of birds found in the forest and 13 mammals. Tourism is also a popular thing in the Rainforest, with resorts and tours available. In the 1980s and 1990s Borneo underwent a remarkable transition. Its fore sts were levelled at a rate unparalleled in human history.Borneo's rainforests went to industrialized countries like Japan and the United States in the form of garden furniture, paper pulp and chopsticks. Initially most of the timber was taken from the Malaysian part of the island in the northern states of Sabah and Sarawak. Later forests in the southern part of Borneo, an area belonging to Indonesia and known as Kalimantan, became the primary source for tropical timber. Today the forests of Borneo are but a shadow of those of legend and those that remain are highly threatened by the emerging biofuels market, specifically, oil palm.Oil palm is the most productive oil seed in the world. A single hectare of oil palm may yield 5,000 kilograms of crude oil, or nearly 6,000 liters of crude, making the crop remarkably profitable when grown in large plantations, one study that looked at 10,000 hectare-plantations suggests an internal rate of return of 26 percent annually. As such, vast swa thes of land are being converted for oil palm plantations. Oil palm cultivation has expanded in Indonesia from 600,000 hectares in 1985 to more than 6 million hectares by early 2007, and was expected to reach 10 million hectares by 2010.Despite this outlook, there has recently been some positive conservation news out of Borneo. In February 2007, the governments of Brunei, Malaysia, and Indonesia agreed to protect roughly 220,000 square kilometers of tropical forest in the so-called â€Å"Heart of Borneo†. Environmental group WWF was particularly active in the establishment of the protected area. WWF says there are four big threats to Borneo's forests: land conversion, illegal logging, poor forest management, and forest fires.It adds that large-scale industrial projects (roads, and hydroelectric projects like the Bakun dam) and hunting are also threats, but to a lesser degree. A further issue is the climate of corruption, which permeates virtually all levels of government in K alimantan. Forestry decisions are now made at the district level, where officials are said to be sometimes easily swayed by money. A strategically gifted motorbike can often win influence at the village level. A fundamental problem is that development in Borneo is driven by extractive industries at present there are few economic alternatives.These industries are rarely sustainable, especially when little is invested in long-term management of resources. The causes of deforestation in Borneo are not complex; the solutions are. After large-scale deforestation in the lowlands and the importation of millions of people through poorly-executed transmigration programs, there are few economic options in most of Borneo. Having lost jobs in the forestry sector, many villages are faced with having to decide whether to give up the remaining forest for oil palm or continue with subsistence living.Oil palm plantations certainly offer economic potential, especially when they are planted on already deforested and degraded lands, but it makes little sense to establish them on increasingly scare areas of natural forest. Social safeguards are also required to ensure labour abuse and sharecropping schemes are avoided. The Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) is one initiative working on equitable and sustainable palm oil production. Conservation is also an urgent priority in Borneo, especially in biologically diverse regions that have so far escaped the ravages of intensive logging and fires.The recent â€Å"Heart of Borneo† initiative is a shining example of what's possible. However, it is absolutely critical that once protected areas are established, they are maintained. The history of â€Å"protected areas† in Kalimantan where large percentages of supposedly protected area was logged and distributed for development is disheartening, but now is the time to move beyond this and plan for a future where conserved areas are actually protected and sustainable use of buffer zones is maximized. ——————————————- [ 1 ]. Borneo, 2012, accessed on 12/10/2012 at http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Borneo [ 2 ]. Wildlife of Borneo, 2011, accessed on 12/10/2012 at http://www. mongabay. com/borneo/borneo_wildlife. html [ 3 ]. Borneo forest, 2011, accessed on the 16/10/12 at http://www. google. com. au/url? sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&frm=1&source=web&cd=3&ved=0CC8QFjAC&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww. wired. com%2Fnews%2Fculture%2F0%2C1284%2C62252%2C00. tml&ei=6sl_UMumLvCTiQemroFA&usg=AFQjCNE5UyM5Tg7VfoCUxhW1_RLCwwZwHg&sig2=tOBloXyugLND1LNqqDiz_A [ 4 ]. WWF, 2012, accessed on the 17/10/12 at http://wwf. panda. org/what_we_do/where_we_work/borneo_forests/ [ 5 ]. WWF BORNEO, 2012, accessed on the 17/10/ 2012 http://wwf. panda. org/what_we_do/where_we_work/borneo_forests/ [ 6 ]. WWF, 2012, accessed on the 17/10/12 at http://wwf. panda. org/what_we_do [ 7 ]. Deforestation in Borneo, 2012 , accessed on the 17/10/2012 at http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Deforestation_in_Borneo

Parole in America essays

Parole in America essays Parole defined by the Columbia Encyclopedia is the release from prison of a convict before the expiration of his term on condition that his activities be restricted and that he report regularly to an officer. Which basically means that a convict must meet certain criterias before being let out on parole. Even on parole a convict is still property of the state. A convict must regularly meet with the Parole Board or with an officer to monitor the convicts progress in society and prevent any relapse into crime. Certain restrictions are placed on the convicts such as residence (where the convict lives is very important in preventing a repeat offense), occupation (where the convict is working, is he/she is w9orking regularly, he/she on time.), and the type of associates who he or she hang out with, even who they live with, and who they work with are all very important issues in the parole process. The Government of Canada National Parole Board. Under the Corrections and Conditional Release Act have the power to grant, deny, cancel, terminate or revoke day parole and full parole. They (National Parole Board) have the power to enforce convicts to carry out their full sentences. A Chairperson, who must answer to Parliament, heads the National Parole Board. The Board is comprised of 95 Board members, 45 are full-time and 50 are part time. Also along with the Board members there are 225 employees In 1997 a new parole law toke action here in New Jersey. With this new law an inmate must be released on parole at the time of parole eligibility unless information provided at the Parole hearing would indicate that the convict would return to a life of crime. If the Parole Board denies parole to the convict they must state the reasons for coming to their decision. The Connecticut parole law is much more complex than the p ...

Environmental Determinism and Possibilism Essays

Environmental Determinism and Possibilism Essays Environmental Determinism and Possibilism Paper Environmental Determinism and Possibilism Paper These two ideas can be almost as conflict-ridden as Creationism and Evolution, with both sides of the fight drawing lines in the sand and rallying behind them. Hopefully the reader of this essay will find that Environmental determinism and Possibility may have different theories, but are not so different when considered towards a problems beginning and ultimately its end. Examples of Environmental Determinism could be tropical viruses that cannot flourish outside tropical zones, bananas and their inability to thrive naturally in Vermont, humans not being able to breathe under eater, and amusingly: pigs not being able to fly. All of these examples are limited to where and what they can do because they cannot escape their environment, as it has shaped them as much as they it. Humans are a terrestrial species, meaning we live and exist on solid land above sea level. Our bodies have shaped themselves to this environment and we will shape the environment back to continue this trait, thus the chances of humans developing gills for water breath inning are ridiculously unlikely without a decidedly massive environmental change and a possibly forced evolution to adapt to said new environment. Being concerned with environmental changes and the need to change or adapt, the theory of Possibility comes into view. Possibility revolves around using what is available, and with ingenuity and/or technology making it accomplish what was previously impossible. Possibility could be a skillet that Maguire

About the U.S. Department of State

About the U.S. Department of State The United States Department of State also referred to as â€Å"the State Department† or simply â€Å"State,† is the executive branch department of the United States federal government primarily responsible for administering U.S. foreign policy and consulting with the President of the United States and Congress on international diplomatic issues and policies. The mission statement of the State Department reads: â€Å"To advance freedom for the benefit of the American people and the international community by helping to build and sustain a more democratic, secure, and prosperous world composed of well-governed states that respond to the needs of their people, reduce widespread poverty, and act responsibly within the international system.† The primary functions of the State Department include: Provide protection and assistance for U.S. citizens traveling or living abroad;Assist U.S. businesses and industries operating in the global marketplace;Coordinate and provide support for international activities of other U.S. agencies, official visits overseas and at home, and other diplomatic efforts;Inform the public about U.S. foreign policy and relations with other countries and provide feedback from the public to administration officials. Similar the foreign ministries in other nations, the State Department conduct international diplomatic relations on the part of the United States by negotiating treaties and other agreements with foreign governments. The State Department also represents the United States in the United Nations. Created in 1789, the State Department was the first executive branch department established after final  ratification of the U.S. Constitution. Headquartered in the Harry S Truman Building in Washington, D.C., the State Department currently operates 294 U.S. embassies around the world and oversees compliance of more than 200 international treaties. As an agency of the president’s Cabinet, the State Department is led by the Secretary of State, as nominated by the president and confirmed by the U.S. Senate. The Secretary of State is second in the line of presidential succession after the Vice President of the United States. In addition to assisting with the international activities of other U.S. government agencies, the State Department provides many important services to U.S. citizens traveling and living abroad and to foreign citizens trying to visit or immigrate to the United States. In perhaps its most publicly noticeable role the State Department issues U.S. Passports to U.S. citizens allowing them to travel to and return from foreign countries and travel visas to U.S. citizens and non-citizen residents. In addition, the State Department’s Consular Information Program informs the American public of conditions abroad that may affect their safety and security while traveling abroad. Country-specific travel information and global Travel Alerts and Warnings are vital parts of the program. The State Department also oversees all U.S. foreign aid and development programs such as the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief. All activities of the State Department, including foreign assistance programs, representing the U.S. abroad, countering international crime and human trafficking, and all other services and programs are paid for through the foreign affairs component of the annual federal budget as requested by the president and approved by Congress. On average, the total State Department expenditure represents just over 1% of the total federal budget, projected to exceed  $4 trillion in 2017.  Ã‚   Brief History of the State Department On July 27, 1789, President George Washington singled a bill passed by the House of Representatives and Senate on July 21, 1789, creating the Department of Foreign Affairs as the first federal agency created under the new Constitution. A law enacted on September 15, 1789, changed the name of the agency to the Department of State and assigned it oversight of a variety of domestic, rather than foreign issues. For example, the law made the Department of State responsible for running the United States Mint and conducting the decennial U.S. census. During the 19th century, these and most of the Department of State’s other domestic duties were turned over to other federal agencies and departments. Appointed by President Washington on September 29, 1789, Thomas Jefferson of Virginia, then serving as Minister to France became the first Secretary of State. Appointed before Washington had taken office, John Jay had been serving in as Secretary of Foreign Affairs and continued to function as de-facto Secretary of State until Jefferson returned from France several months later.

Wk 10 (67) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Wk 10 (67) - Essay Example Beverly is upset because her surgery is next week and although she will not stop it, she is not sure how to talk to Sally about this final situation. From the conversation it seems that Beverly is asking the counselor to help her help Sally. The first strategy may be to explore the idea that Sally is grieving the loss of someone she dearly loves. This final step is the last identification that Sally has with Beverly as a man. This is now going to go away and Sally is probably going through the various phases of grief; this would be something to explore. According to Carroll and Gilroy (2002) counselors must first understand this issue and move part their own transphobia (p. 235). Certainly a man who is turning into a woman who legally married a woman can be cause for concern for the counselor, so they would need to deal with their own problems with the situation before counseling Beverly. Carroll and Gilroy also suggest getting more information through novels, films, biographies and periodicals (p. 235). In terms of counseling a client centered approach seems to be best because many transgendered people have challenges with trust in someone who is not transgendered because of ill treatment in the past (p. 238). Carroll, Gilroy and Ryan (2002) suggest that counselors should also have a growing knowledge of terminology that is evolving in the transgendered community along with "local, regional and national support networks (p. 134). This information can assist the client and give more information. Mark is a 35 year old male of mixed heritage. His father was black and American Indian and his mother identifies as "white" because her parents were Jamaican and Scotch Irish. Mark grew up in a home where he had no real understanding of any heritage because his family did not identify with any one group. As Mark grew older and left the family he has tried to interact

Information management Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Information management - Coursework Example Management of information in the organization has involved both electronic and physical information. The management has also been able to manage the information throughout the cycle of the organization regardless of source or format of the information (Chaffey and White, 2011). Information management is a managerial decision tool used in the processes and decisions that are made by companies. Information management in organizations is done through recording and documenting all the facts that involve the methods and procedures that it uses. The main function of this is to enable controlling employees and materials of the company. Using information management in an organization is able to establish the hierarchical structure and work-flow of a company. Every employee in the organization through the information has the authority to who is responsible for work. The work then is able to continue without disturbance. The operation and procedures of the company are listed through information management making preparation of audits in a company easy. Information management has the role of satisfying variety of system that the management is exposed. Information management aids clerical personnel in a company to process transactions and answer questions that occur on the data of the organization regarding transactions, the status of particular records, and with reference on a variety of documents. Information management in organizations has the role of controlling the creation and growth of records. The information system is that that ensures there is addressing the limits of generation of records or copies that are not required to operate the business and retention of records. Information management in all organizations is responsible for generation of information, communication problems and helps in the process of decision making. Information management is important in all organization in implementing the goals

LETTER OF LEGAL ADVICE Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

LETTER OF LEGAL ADVICE - Essay Example Moreover, it also puts forward some of the legal advices that are needed to be considered in order have a lawful advantage in this corrupted era. Acceptance is an expression or implication of undertaking something, which is being offered. In legal terms, acceptance of a contract is an expression or the willingness by an individual or a party undertaking the contract that is being offered by ran offerer. In this regard, one party accepts the terms and conditions of a contract or deal as stated by the other (Krol, 1993). To begin with, ‘Conditional Acceptance’, is a form of contractual acceptance where the acceptance is made on the account of fulfilment of certain conditions. Elaborately, the party who accepts the offer of contract considers the same only if certain conditions lay down by the acceptor are fulfilled by the party who offered the contract (Meena, 2008). This is evident from the fact of Malago Pty Ltd v AW Ellis Engineering Pty Ltd [2012] NSWCA 227, where a prominent depiction of the conditional acceptance was observed. The Head of the Agreement in this case proposed a condition of compelling the total water surface to the respondent. The decisions by the court were that both the parties should consider the surrounding circumstances. The court also rejected the agreement due to the lack of formalities. The court further, implemented that a conditional acceptance needs to have the formal guidelines and also requires considering the surrounding circumstances. From the case, i t can be learnt that for any firm to have legal advantages in the contracts, adequate formalities and official procedures should be considered. Therefore, from the case analysis it can be stated that to have an effective conditional acceptance, a company should meet all the legal requirements amid the parties (Allens, 2012). Furthermore, there are witnesses in case of people accepting the offer of caution money of rent, only if

HALLIBURTON, organizational problems Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

HALLIBURTON, organizational problems - Essay Example Success depended on its ability to deliver on what it charged and this had impressed the United States Military and its other clients. No one appeared to mind Halliburton overcharging if the work that it delivered could keep the troops happy when they were far from home. However, within the recent past allegations of unethical conduct, overcharging, kickbacks and political influence peddling have marred the image of this company which still wins awards for performance in its industry. This essay presents a discussion about the ethical and organizational problems that confront Halliburton Energy Services. Halliburton Energy Services is a multinational corporation with operations in 70 countries of the world (NationMaster.com, 2005, â€Å"Halliburton Energy Services†). The group provides technical products and services for oil and gas production and exploration. Revenues of Halliburton Energy Services were in excess of US$ 15 billion in 2007 and it employs nearly 51,000 people worldwide (Halliburton, 2007, pp. 2 – 5). In 2007, its revenue grew by 18 % year-over-year and about 50 % of the total revenue was from outside North America. More than 100 nationalities work with Halliburton Energy Services Inc with most of the employees working in their home countries. This firm has an old history and it began operations in 1919 when Mr. and Mrs. Erle P. Halliburton started the firm and found work cementing oil wells in Burkburnett, Texas. The company was later to move to Ardmore, Oklahoma and then to Duncan, Oklahoma before becoming listed on the New York Stock Exchange in 1948. The major spheres of activities for Halliburton involve providing technical products and services for oil and gas exploration and production, handled by its Energy Services Group. However, Halliburton’s major subsidiary KBR, or Brown & Roots was a major construction company of refineries, oil fields, pipelines, and chemical plants (Briody,

Compare and contrast Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 8

Compare and contrast - Essay Example The Detroit Pistons had one real offensive threat, and he was regarded too small to play in the NBA. A player that had the capability of scoring 20 to 25 points was Richard Hamilton. The strategy of the Pistons was not to try to outscore their opponent, but instead play a defensive game and hold their opponent for up to under 90 points per game. This idea worked all through the season and the way into the playoffs. The Pistons won 50 games during the regular season, which made them the number one contender during the playoffs. The Pistons won two of their playoff by using defense alone. The tournament ended with the Western Conference champions San Antonio Spurs defeating the champions of Eastern Conference New Jersey Nets 4 games to two in the Finals. For the second time, Tim Duncan was voted NBA Finals MVP (landofbasketball, 2013). This postseason also witnessed the first time all series was shown in a best-of-7 format, and it was then in the playoff history that no single team was swept in a first round. From 1984 to 2002, the first-round series were in a best-of-5 format. The Detroit Pistons progressed to the Finals of the Eastern Conference for the initial time and it is at this point that ended their quest for a third consecutive

Quality of Society and Leaders Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Quality of Society and Leaders - Essay Example But, either these two are dependent on each other is a different concept than measurement. Therefore, this essay focuses on a phenomenon to identify that either quality of society is dependent on the quality of its leader, which is very minimal (Robert & Matsumiya, 2007, p. 10). 1.2 The quality of a society depends upon the quality of its leaders Quality cannot be quantified. There can be changes in the society. Research indicated that these changes arise due to the changing political conditions. There are many factors due which leaders are unable to affect the quality of society (Williamson, 2010, p. 555). Leaders are unable to affect the quality of society due to the following three reasons i.e.: society shapes the potential leaders society itself chooses a leader society itself determines the limit of change in its quality Society shapes the potential leaders Society influences the development of leaders and prevents them from affecting the quality of a society. It is the society who influences the individuals not the leaders. Societal environment, individual action and structure, all these work together (Bunge, 1997, p.420). They are the forms of one another. Leaders are included in these individual who lives in a society, therefore they are also influenced from the quality of society. But some leader who has stronger potential can resist the influence of society. This combination of influence from society and leaders is hard to resist. Whether a leader is strong or weak, but they are mainly shaped by the society. This means that society itself chooses and shapes a leader; this means it cannot gain a person with some differentiated skills. Therefore, societies cannot rely on these leaders to change its quality. Society itself chooses a leader Mainly society itself chooses a leader. Therefore it reduces the chances of getting a leader with some different and innovative qualities, it chooses a leader who have same qualities that of former. This is done throug h modern politics i.e. a leader is selected on the basis of elections. Societies mainly choose those leaders, which reflect their quality and are quite similar to it, rather than selecting such leaders who have different qualities as compared to the quality of a particular society. This phenomenon have not been promoted in this modern world, it was present late back in 16th century i.e. only those individuals were selected as a leader who had similarity with the quality of a society (Nietzsche, 1983). Even if a leader retires, he is replaced by a person who has similar qualities as that of former. This means it does not resist any change in the quality of leadership. For instance, in 1848, French Revolution people selected a new regime on the basis of volunteer, which was similar to the older one. This revolution did not lead to achievement of its goals (Marx, 1969). Removal of the regime indicated that there wasn’t a change in leadership but there was a change in the quality of society. In case if the quality of society do not change even after replacing a leader, it indicates that quality of society is not dependent on the quality of leaders. Society itself determines the limit of change in its quality In case if a leader with different quality is considered and selected for a society. It blocks the way of leaders to implement any change by allocating limits. Following a different virtue is difficult for the society and in case if it does not value that, it will

Compare and contrast Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 8

Compare and contrast - Essay Example The Detroit Pistons had one real offensive threat, and he was regarded too small to play in the NBA. A player that had the capability of scoring 20 to 25 points was Richard Hamilton. The strategy of the Pistons was not to try to outscore their opponent, but instead play a defensive game and hold their opponent for up to under 90 points per game. This idea worked all through the season and the way into the playoffs. The Pistons won 50 games during the regular season, which made them the number one contender during the playoffs. The Pistons won two of their playoff by using defense alone. The tournament ended with the Western Conference champions San Antonio Spurs defeating the champions of Eastern Conference New Jersey Nets 4 games to two in the Finals. For the second time, Tim Duncan was voted NBA Finals MVP (landofbasketball, 2013). This postseason also witnessed the first time all series was shown in a best-of-7 format, and it was then in the playoff history that no single team was swept in a first round. From 1984 to 2002, the first-round series were in a best-of-5 format. The Detroit Pistons progressed to the Finals of the Eastern Conference for the initial time and it is at this point that ended their quest for a third consecutive

Human Resource Management and the Banking Sector Essay Example for Free

Human Resource Management and the Banking Sector Essay tHuman resource management and the banking sector By Imran Samad Human resource management (HRM) has long been overlooked in the corporate sector in the country where a small section, comprising mostly the multi-national companies was practising the same. With the growing realization of proper HRM in the corporate sector, it has grown into an important activity. Now the head of HRM is an important member of the senior teams of any thriving business. Although the idea is new for many local businesses where entrepreneurs are at the beginning of the learning curve yet in reality the theme is getting support from the organized entrepreneurs. The banking sector has grown from a few institutions primarily involved in deposit acceptance and trade finance into a complex multi player markets where large number of commercial banks, financial institutions and specialized banks are operating with various products and activities. The banking has become a complex activity within the financial market linked directly and indirectly with an over-all national growth and its impact as an integral part of regional segment of a global banking environment. Almost every bank and financial institution is involved in various functions in a days job and thus requires a highly effective team and appropriate manpower to run the show. Corporate goals are translated into viable realities and profits only with human element who play their due role in achieving the desired results. Thus even the high automation would require proper man behind the machine to make things happen. This idea has been realized by top managements in progressive banks. Like many other organized sectors, banking requires a multi layer manpower for its various requirements of professionals and support staff. The range may require reasonably educated security guards on the one end and a highly educated and trained professional as head of corporate finance at the other. With liberalization of activities within the banking sector, for example, more emphasis on consumer and house finance and personal loans, etc. banking has turned itself into a more market-based business where banks have expanded their reach more to customers door steps in a big way making banking more practical. This has further highlighted the need for proper deployment of man-power to run banks efficiently. For many years, HRM banks like other institutions have been handling this sensitive activity through respective personnel departments. This means human resources were managed like other physical assets e. g. pieces of furniture, calculators, equipment and appliances. Personnel departments were primarily engaged in approval of leaves, handling of staff loans, issuance of show cause, conducting disciplinary enquiries and termination from service. Recruitment was a routine function and was done in a mechanical way to hire people with specific educational background irrespective of their real value to the institution. Success stories of large banking companies have been evident of the fact that HRM is quite different from management of physical assets. Human brain has its own peculiar chemistry. Its strong sensory and decision-making capacity has to be greatly emphasized by the employers. The work force constituting all levels of employees are constantly thinking in many dimensions. On the one hand it is the assigned duty and task they are to perform and for which they are paid by their employer, on the other they think of their long run goals and objectives. By no means, their brains can be controlled to think beyond the current situation of employment. Managing this educated, skillful and trustworthy work force is not an easy job. A few of the current challenges faced by the banking industry in terms of human resource management may be the following: Effective work force:Â  A time-consuming and hectic job is to hunt the right talent. Its just sitting by the river and waiting for the right fish to catch. Higher the professional value of the vacancy, tougher is the search. Identifying the right stuff followed by negotiation is the element which makes the job tough for the employer. Banks are keenly interested to fill up two types of breads of professionals. Ones who are outstanding professionals with high job hopping attitude these are those who come in work for some time and then leave for better prospects. Others are those who are keenly picked-up, trained and are some how retained to be developed as future management within the bank. Management trainees are a growing popular phenomenon where freshly qualified business graduates are engaged by banks and a certain percentage of these well equipped professionals stay back within the organization to grow into the footsteps of senior managers. Banking jobs being apparently lucrative for many, attract a large number of candidates against advertised vacancies in media creating a large data base management problem. This has been facilitated by specialised hiring agencies who may take up the job of hiring in case of large number of vacancies. Right people:Â  The most difficult agenda of HRM across the banking sector is to retain the right people. Sudden growth of retail banking and other services has put pressure on HR mangers in banks to engage more professionals within shorter span of time thereby attracting manpower in other banks on attractive packages has made the job market very competing. A bank in a normal course invests time and money to hire and train the appropriate work force for its own operations. This ready-made force is often identified and subsequently picked-up on better terms by others. Compensation:Â  How much to pay to the right employee and how much to the outstanding performer. Banks have traditionally followed pay scales with predetermined increments, salary slabs, bonuses and time-based fringe benefits like car and house advance, gratuity, pension, etc. The situation is not the same anymore. An increment of Rs500-800 per annum is no more a source of attraction for a professional anymore. A basic pay with traditional formulas of linkage with medical and other facilities has no soothing effect today. A promise of future growth, learning culture and corporate loyalty is out of dictionary and does not mean anything to this energetic and competent performer today. A waiting period of 3-4 years in each cadre haunts the incumbents who strongly believe in immediate compensation. There are examples to this. Thanks to the car financing modalities car is no more a fantasy item any more. A freshly hired professional requires a brand new car or car loan on resuming office quite contrary to his previous breed of bankers who would wait for the job seniority to qualify for a car loan. Job satisfaction: Everybody in the bank wants to work in the preferential department, preferential location, city of his own choice and boss of his liking. An administrative deviation from any of these results in lowered job satisfaction. Although hiring is normally based on regional requirement matching the area of activity with that of employees nativity yet other elements like appointment in the department of choice and preference makes the job of HR manager quite challenging. What the HR manger cannot afford is the dissatisfied employee who not only disrupts the smooth working himself but also spreads the negativity to others by his de-motivated attitude. Morale boosting:Â  What has long been overlooked is the morale boosting of the employees by the organizations. Human beings even if satisfied of material wellbeing need to be appraised and encouraged constantly. Smart banks have realized this need and have taken steps to keep their work force motivated through proper encouragement like man of the month awards, repeat get-togethers, conferences, sports events, dinners, company sponsored travel, reunions, etc. This is the way employees create a feeling of belongingness.

Why african people are reluctant to attend counselling

Why african people are reluctant to attend counselling The research aimed to identify why individuals coming from an African background are reluctant to attend counselling services. This line of research was examined through individuals attitudes and knowledge of native and British Africans living in the United Kingdom. Data was collected using a Likert scale questionnaire consisting of thirty-five of which ten statements being tested for participants knowledge and twenty-five being tested for participants attitudes. Overall eighty participants (forty male and forty female) ranging from the age of eighteen to thirty years had participated in the experiment.   The data collected were subjected to a 22 unrelated two-way analyses of variance (ANOVA) between participants as participants can only be one or the other. The independent variable consisted of two conditions being participants gender and whether their background was native or British Africans and a dependant variable being the overall scores. Overall findings had shown that there was no significance difference between participants gender and origin in relation to individuals knowledge (F(1,76) = .965, p= 0.329) and attitude   (F(1,76) = .166, p= .685). The results did not seem to support previous research which many had suggested that African men will have a negative view on counselling. The research did however, raises interesting questions for future studies, and had allowed for a second experiment being designed for native Africans over the age of forty for further understanding of the new development. The overall results had saw native African men to more knowledge in counselling as women showed a positive attitude towards this second experiment made it clearer in understanding that different generation are carrying different views on counselling. Introduction Throughout time the African community prides itself on traditional morals and values in which can determine how they begin to perceive their surroundings. This notion can become problematic in many areas of an individuals well-being. As mental illness is common in Africans it raises the question on how they are able to put their beliefs aside and accept help.     According to Mind (2010) black people were more likely to be detained under the section 136 of the Mental Health Act (1983), section 136 allows individuals who are believed to be suffering from mental illness be placed under safety.   As more and more Africans begin to immigrate to the United Kingdom, it brings to light on the services that are available in ensuring that the needs of black Africans are met.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   As an individual coming from an African background and having family who have immigrated to the United Kingdom form a Ghana, by seeing in firsthand how the views of counselling is perceive amongst the African community enables for this study to elaborate and understand the common problems which hinders Africans living in the United Kingdom from accessing counselling services. By looking into British and native African attitudes and knowledge towards counselling can play a part in the understanding to why African individuals fear help seeking services. The research will also examine the cultural differences between the western system and how it can have an effect n the African culture, as it is seen to be a barrier between how Africans approach counselling services as counselling purport to confront the social and emotional barriers placed within many societies, as well as ease the distress such social and emotional issues.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) (2009) states that in order for a client to come to terms with unconstructive situations one must be able to see things from a different perspective, which then enables change and choice. By acknowledging the early work of the Humanistic approach founded by Carl Rogers (1902-1987), marked an important development in the area of counselling as Rogers had set out to look into the individual as a whole and had outlined the concept of self-actualisation. This explanation saw psychological growth as it was portrayed that the sense of satisfaction with life was an essential human motive. However, Rogers wanted to understand an individuals response to certain situations and had devised the client-centred or person centred counselling. This approach gives the understanding that individuals have the skills to reach their full potential, however this may become blocked due to life experiences individuals face. Rogers approach see s the role of a counsellor being able to aid clients in accepting who they are as an individual, as by providing positive points to the client helps in the individual valuing themselves as a whole. The Gestalt Therapy considered by Fritz Perls (1940), another school under the humanistic had also similar ideas to Rogers approach. Gestalt therapy had focused on the experiences of an individuals thoughts, emotional and behaviour. The main approach was to make the individual become more aware of who they are, as by the promotion of here and now saw the improvement in removing certain obstacles. Gestalt approach was influenced by Sigmund Freud (1856-1939) psychoanalytic theory, the understanding of emotions saw through the perceptive of human beings. The work of Sigmund Freud was first established through the understanding on the functioning of the human mind, the notion led to his own principles and techniques being known as psychoanalysis. The idea brought in many techniques such as free association which helped to reveal the unconscious beliefs and desires, and therefore was able to make the unconscious mind conscious; this had therefore enabled the patient to reveal their inner problems. By comparing the major approaches into counselling and psychotherapy, these theories helped to build a foundation into the outcome of positive and modern counselling techniques which is still used for clients with mental health and personal issues.  Ã‚  Ã‚   The British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) (2009) defines counselling as a private and confidential setting which explores the difficulty, distress or loss of direction and purpose that the client is facing, as the role of a counsellor should be able to encourage to look at different aspects of their life. The process of counselling has long been at the centre of understanding how human beings are able to adapt to difficulties and life changing situations. In order for clients to benefit from the help-seeking services, the essential information is needs to be highlighted and made available to individuals. As with the ongoing growth of counselling services emerging within society, counselling has faced a multitude of challenges throughout the years which have determined the outcome of different types of approaches being used for its clients. The lack of Africans not attending counselling services has brought to light the issue of trust that the client may have upon the counsellor as this can result in whether clients are able to seek help or not. Many studies have recognised the key issues that have become problematic in understanding the cycle of why many cultures are reluctant to approach counselling services, which will be addressed within this study. However, as majority of these studies address the issues faced within Africans American clients, the lack of recognition within the UK has led to this study being conducted, the views of British and native Africans may differ from the views of others around the world in relation to counselling. This leads to this piece of research focu sing on the knowledge and attitudes of counselling services within British and native Africans living in the United Kingdom. Literature Review In this review of literature based on counselling and ethnic minority engagement, the author will explore some of the reasons why black African individuals may resist engaging with counselling services. The Department of Health and Human Services (2001) highlighted the social stigma faced within many ethnic communities living in the UK. The term stigma was first seen by sociologist Erving Goffman (1968) as someone who possesses an undesired characteristic and who is therefore disqualified from full social acceptance. The understanding that Africans are faced with stigmation has been considered to be core explanation into why black individuals tend to be unable to seek the professional help-seeking services. The statement by the Department of Health and Human Services brought to light that many Africans avoid seeking help because of the fear of being seen as unstable by other members of the African community. Many Africans would rather handle their own business, than seek the necessar y help needed to overcome their own personal complex situations. In addition to the concern on stigmatisation, it has been argued that western models of counselling are culturally inappropriate for ethnic minority clients. For example, the European Guidance and Counselling Research (2008) has shown that clients from ethnic minority groups are least likely to make use of counselling services. As the statement recognises the lack of Africans interacting with counselling services provided many researchers such as Ridley, (1995), Lago Thompson (1996) and Sue Sue, (1999) looked into a possible reasons why this may be. These references have argued that mainstream approaches are white, middle class activities that operate with many distinctive values and assumptions, and had coined the phrase ethnocentric activity.   This term was centred on the one sided views and principles of the white middle class individuals which has led to the separation with other cultures in the UK.   Many cultures may view the Western system as unsuitable, as the needs of other ethnic minorities may not to be taken into consideration.    As more and more researchers begin to realise the ongoing problem in the way counselling services operate, Sue and Sue (1996) had considered an approach known as the Multicultural Counselling and Therapy (MCT) challenged the theory that only one technique of approach is assignable to every client. Sue and Sue developed the theory of Multicultural Counselling and Therapy, as a model which seeks to resolve the increased imbalance with different cultures by acknowledging and valuing different cultures which are being presented as well as promoting a method designed to enhance the present approaches. Pederson (1994) had also proposed a broad definition of multicultural counselling as ethnographic variables which looked into ethnicity, religion, age, and gender, as well as status variables such as social, educational and economic factors. Pedersons proposal argued that multiculturalism takes note on how similar and different individuals can be towards others, as Pederson understood that a n individuals differences did not matter in relation to counselling. However, according to Ivey (1997) who views multicultural counselling from a different perspective sees this term as a meta theoretical approach, this had outlined the techniques which exist within the cultural context. It stresses the connection between family and culture affecting the way in which individuals view the world. In addition, Ivey, Sue and Pederson had outlined the importance in working towards developing wider knowledge on the different approaches practitioners needs to adapt to and change to ensure the requirements are meet for its clients, as multicultural counselling brings in a new approach designed to ensure that all individuals from ethnic backgrounds are met. The concept of multicultural counselling brings in the research conducted by Sue and Sue (2003) who had looked into the lack of counsellors from particular ethnic backgrounds. Sue and Sue came to the understanding that the term counselling is considered as a white endeavor being controlled by White middle-class value system. Bimrose (1996) saw a clear pattern emerging and understood that individuals from ethnic groups were the least likely to request and persevere with counselling which concluded that individuals who had attended a counselling service were unlikely to return. In relation to this understanding, a study which had looked into the past and present views of counselling devised by Paul. M. Smith (1947) made clear for the need of black individuals having black counsellors, as black counsellors had the key in understanding the black heritage. As a result, the effect of Smith idea made aware of the lack of recognition and how it can have an effect on individuals well-being. The relationship between African men and women in relation to counselling has attracted considerable amount of attention in recent years. In an attempt to go beyond the negative views and assumptions about how men and women use counselling services by examining the problem enables for a wider understanding.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  It is seen that a males identity plays an important role in relation to their masculinity as the constant idea of proving their manhood is seen to be earned. Society has long perceived men as emotionless as this term determines their masculinity. Balswick (1982) defines this as male inexpressiveness it was founded by Balswick that males tend to find it hard to express verbal fee lings because they are programmed not to do so. However, Skovolt (1978) relates Balswick understanding of male inexpressiveness to restrictive emotionality. Skovolt had founded that as men appear to have difficulty expressing their feelings and giving up on emotional control, can however plays a part in internal illness, as if men are able to recognise and become aware of their illness can lead to the reduction of mental illness and therefore begin to live a healthy life style. As the increase pressure from society expects men to follow the behaviours in which Skovolt and Balswick both describe, this has led to suggest that the traditional role of men may not be able to change. Studies into gender concerning counselling has seen a remarkable increase in men from black and minority backgrounds having a high resistance to receive counselling (Mind 2010). With the general growth of Africans avoiding the attendance of counselling services Cheatham, Shelton, Ray, (1987); Sher, (1979), Smith (2002) looked into the gender differences that the African community may face as previous research had focused solely on the services of counselling African men. The study allowed for African American men to freely express their own personal fears in counselling and overall found that men use counselling services less often than women. It was recognised that men will only do so if it was recommended by a third-party.   However, Coker (2002) suggested African American women are reluctant to seek formal counselling, opting for more traditional sources of support such as family, friends, and spiritual outlets and had often viewed the use of formal counselling as a sign of cul tural or personal deficiency. Many African women tend to provide their own personal counselling support as within everyday situations and surroundings African women are able to seek help from individuals close to them, as within these environments the importance of cultural principles help with their coping strategies. Wallace (1978) saw that many African women can go through what is called superwomen syndrome this theory outlines the little focus on their own personal mental health state. As a result of this syndrome many African women are prone to depression and other stress related sickness. The focus of this approach saw African women as being able to manage their own personal issues without the assistance of others. The syndrome has become another restriction on why women are not able to seek help, as once again the notion that men will be seen as weak is also seen in women. This shows that the pattern of stigma across both African men and women with respect to counselling has imparted upon on their personal health and reluctant to express their emotions. A study conducted by Komiya, Good, and Sherrod (1998) had shown that Africans who are told to express their emotions become reluctant to seek counselling, findings had also suggested that females had a more open attitude towards seeking couns elling than male respondents. Some researchers also focuses on differential access to counselling services, based on the intersection of gender and race. For example, Coker (2003) had found that African American women continue to use counselling services less than their white female counterparts, but when presented with severe challenges they tend to seek counselling more than their African American male counterparts. Judora J. Spangenberg (2003) had looked into person- centred counselling services and post apartheid South Africa had discovered the differences faced in the South African black and white community, this had seen a distinct difference in client and counsellor had indicated the lack of black counsellors in present South Africa as an increase in instances where black individuals are the client and have a white counsellor.   Apparently, some would describe the available counselling services as irrelevant for black South Africans (Dawes, 1986; Swartz, 1996; Turton, 1986) had regarded that many of these theories are based on Western culture which many question their usefulness towards black individuals. Pack-Brown, (1999) founded that white counsellors are expected to form the majority of counselling practitioners, currently and as well as in the future. While there are clearly some problems with the lack of black counsellors as the black South African make up 76.1% of the population (Schonegevel, Watson, Stead, 1998). It is also important to emphasise the need for cross-cultural counselling which draws upon experiences which has helped in the formation of cultural identity. Failure to highlighting and recognise the needs of Black Africans being counselled by white counsellors can hinder the progress of black clients. By looking into countries which are predominantly black and comparing it to western countries, brings to light the vast amount of difference in the approaches in which both are able to accept. Many African countries base their health on their faith as according to Wheeler, Ampadu, Wangari, (2002) who had suggested that religion and spirituality are deeply rooted in the African culture. Africans tend to rely on those who share the same faith or who have a greater social position as they are seen as more knowledgeable and wiser and therefore were allowed to criticise an individuals well-being. Within African communities an individuals religion and faith is seen to help them in finding a sense of self. Chatters, Taylor, Lincoln, (1999) indicate that religion and spirituality are very important to them. Having their religion and spirituality questioned on how to handle their own mental state may be a reason for the reluctance as to Africans not attending help-seeking services can bring some understanding into the common problem. Studies into religion in relation to counselling lead to the fact that Africans tend to rely on the strength and direction of their spirituality and by involving counselling strategies gives the idea of weakness, as combining both counselling and religion can be seen as unacceptable when addressing problems within Africans. Young, Griffith and Williams (2003) found that Africans who have a faulty relationship with a spiritual being could be regarded as the cause of someones mental illness. This statement brings forward the notion as to why Africans may not accept that they have a mental illness and therefore may feel that they are mentally stable. Counselling within developed countries focuses on the different problem areas faced within society, which can range from bereavement to eating disorders. Western cultures are considered to have a greater understanding of how to address client problems. Approaches which identify a clients social, biological, emotional and psychical state have been helpful in enabling individuals to become aware of counselling services. By the understanding and the positive effect which countries such as the United Kingdom help to promote counselling services are able to make society feel at ease in approaching and speaking to a counsellor. The BACP has discovered that Celebrities lead the way in promoting counselling and psychotherapy a report which was conducted by the BACP wanted to look into the progress of the therapy received in Britain and had seen that 83 per cent of British adults either have or would consider having counselling and psychotherapy. As a result of famous celebrities being able t o be open up to their own personal experiences with mental illness has enabled others to do the same. The media and its role in promoting counselling has seen such adverts called playing cards based in South African created by Herdbuoy McCann (2007) aimed to make aware the different counselling agencies that are available to the African community. As well as public advertisements, many African countries are aided by the work of volunteers from other countries as many see that talking to their own people can help with coming to term with mental health issues. However, by addressing the socio-economic issues faced, individuals who were born in the United Kingdom and have an Africa background may been seen as having an advantage to those who were born in Africa but moved UK as they have a led in adapting to society. Within the African communities financial issues is seen as a factor into why Africans are less likely to attend counselling, as within less developed countries it is unders tandable that by not having the relevant faculties would equal to a disadvantage in wellbeing of native Africans, and can result in whether the problem within Africans not seeking help may come down to financial issues.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  While there are clearly some problems with addressing counselling issues, the links between how western countries and African countries deal with counselling has remained at the centre of how much work is needed in the improvement of the system.

Flamenco Essay -- essays research papers

Flamenco is an individualistic folk art, a genuine Southern art form, which was mainly originated by Andalusian gypsies. It exists in 3 forms: El cante, song, el baile, dance and guitarrra, guitar playing. Its roots also are with Arabs, Spanish Jews and socially outcasted Christians. The flamenco essence is song, which is usually accompanied by guitar and improvised dance. Complex rhythmic patterns and sophisticated footwork differs from other European dance forms. The word "flamenco" has been questioned on why an Adalucian music form would be represented by a word that meant Flemish or flamingos. Most believe that it was Carlos I who brought with him to Spain from Flanders an entire Flemish court. These Flemish court men, on their spare time, partied with the gypsies. The two were groups were called Flemish which later translated into flamencos and as their dance culture blossomed, the word stuck. The dance music of flamenco is often divided into 3 categories: jondo, chico, or cante. Jondo is a word that means profound or serious. The music of this sort is usually intensely sad having to do with death, anguish or despair and also characterized as the cry of oppressed people for many years. Chico means light and deals with love, gaiety, humor or the countryside. El Cante is the most important which inspires "el toque" guitar playing and 'el baile." An example of a jondo would be a more serious flamenco in which hatred... Flamenco Essay -- essays research papers Flamenco is an individualistic folk art, a genuine Southern art form, which was mainly originated by Andalusian gypsies. It exists in 3 forms: El cante, song, el baile, dance and guitarrra, guitar playing. Its roots also are with Arabs, Spanish Jews and socially outcasted Christians. The flamenco essence is song, which is usually accompanied by guitar and improvised dance. Complex rhythmic patterns and sophisticated footwork differs from other European dance forms. The word "flamenco" has been questioned on why an Adalucian music form would be represented by a word that meant Flemish or flamingos. Most believe that it was Carlos I who brought with him to Spain from Flanders an entire Flemish court. These Flemish court men, on their spare time, partied with the gypsies. The two were groups were called Flemish which later translated into flamencos and as their dance culture blossomed, the word stuck. The dance music of flamenco is often divided into 3 categories: jondo, chico, or cante. Jondo is a word that means profound or serious. The music of this sort is usually intensely sad having to do with death, anguish or despair and also characterized as the cry of oppressed people for many years. Chico means light and deals with love, gaiety, humor or the countryside. El Cante is the most important which inspires "el toque" guitar playing and 'el baile." An example of a jondo would be a more serious flamenco in which hatred...

Children, Television, and Violence Essay -- Children Effect Violence M

Children, Television, and Violence TV violence may influence children more than most people are aware of. The amount of violence on TV is an important topic in today's society. One of the reasons it should be so important to all of us is because almost everyone in America today has a television set, and because of it's availability, children are viewing disturbing images everyday from the comfort of their own homes. Television is all about ratings. To keep the viewers from changing the channel, networks will try to do anything. Even the news is displaying more bloody details than people need to see. If there isn ¡Ã‚ ¯t a murder, rape, or shoot-out on the news, people are let down. They may get bored with the broadcast and change the channel. That is the main reason why kids can be exposed to view acts of violence even while watching a comedy. By putting violence into the equation, networks become more confident that you are not going to change the channel. The networks don ¡Ã‚ ¯t give a damn about the affects it m ay have on the children watching, just as long as the ratings are high and the money keeps rolling in. The network broadcasters need to decrease the violence because it often confuses children, and as we all know children are visual learners. This may cause young kids sometimes blur things with the real world that they see on TV. It helps makes this happen by shaping an altered reality. Children do not seem to have a full grasp of the real world and the situations it m...

How Can We Explain the Difference in Achievement with Boys and Girls?

How can we explain the differences in achievement between boys and girls? Statistics show that it is clear that girls achieve more A* to C grades at GCSE then boys. This obviously shows that girls do better and achieve more in schools. In fact, since 1980 to the present day, the percentage of boys who have achieved these grades has risen. But so has the girls. When it comes to girls and boys choosing their options for GCSE, although they are open to pick the same subjects, there still seems to be a split. Girls tend to op for cookery, design technology and sociology. Whereas boys tend to op for resistant materials, P.E and science. So it is clear that there are the ‘boys’ and ‘girls’ subjects. One way the difference is shown in achievement is by setting and streaming in different schools. It is more common for girls to be placed in top set for all their subjects then it is for boys. Girls tend to do better in school then boys. This could be influenced by a t eacher (self- fulfilling prophecy). If girls and some boys are told that they are capable of getting great grades in school, then they are bound to achieve better than other students that are put in bottom set and are told they can only get a D or E, which are mostly boys.This shows that there is a difference between the achievement of boys and girls because girls are more likely to be placed in top set and are encouraged by their teachers to do well, whereas boys are not. Another way the difference is shown is by society and through the jobs that different gender roles take. There has been a divide in women and men jobs for a while. However now, there are increasing job opportunities for women. It is still known that women are more likely to take up jobs like nursing, caring, teaching and so on then it is for men.Men usually take up the job of mechanics, firemen, policemen etc. So in schools, they prepare the students for the job they believe is right for their gender. This shows t hat there are differences because boys must need to be more educated for the jobs they are required to get, whereas girls don’t need to be as much. If boys are ‘more’ educated then girls, then they are more likely to get better grades, but that still doesn’t explain why girls are achieving better than boys! Individual attitudes have a big impact on how a student achieves.Girls tend to always do their homework, always be well behaved and are in the pro- school subculture. Whereas boys tend to never do their homework, always misbehave and are in the anti-school subculture. This shows that girl want to do well in school to have a good life and a well-paid job, but it also shows that boys don’t really care about school and haven’t really thought about their future. This shows that there is a difference in achievement between girls and boys because girls have a better opinion of school and so will achieve better grades then boys as they have a neg ative opinion of school.It’s not that boys’ do less well. Boys’ achievement has been improving but girls have been improving more. All the matters that I have stated are linked. They all seem to state that girls achieve better in school than boys and that boys take their education for granted. There is also a link with boys and girls attainment. Boys tend to be at school less than girls and girls have better punctuality then boys. So, we can conclude that girls achieve better than boys because of their positive attitudes, actually wanting a good life and a good education.