Ptl Harbinger Essay - 1168 Words

Nazeeha Badran October 30,2012 PTL Club clear-The Harbinger of things to come? 1. What similar factors led to the demise of both Laventhol amp;Horwath, and Anderson? Both Laventhol and Horwath, and Arthur Anderson accepted clients that were risky just to keep their revenues up. Lamp;H knew there were things wrong with PTL, especially since they were doing things that were hidden from the Board, like the payroll account book, which was secret. The Bakker’s would call the senior Lamp;H partner to keep the books updated. Anderson and Lamp;H allowed their clients to use aggressive accounting practices that were questionable. Anderson destroyed Enron’s documents because they knew an SEC investigation was imminent. Lamp;H and†¦show more content†¦A CPA firm can prevent this type of behavior by talking to their client and explaining to them that they are not allowed to use their reports as selling features. They need to explain to their clients what these reports are for, and what their used for. 4. During the trial, Mary K. Cline, a senior auditor for Deloitte, Haskins and Sells stated: a. Should the oversale of lifetime partnerships be classified as a subsequent event? Yes the oversale of lifetime partnerships should be classified as a subsequent event because the audit report was dual dated August 31,1984 and October 24,1984. Deloitte argued that the oversale occurred shortly after the May 31,1984 fiscal year end. However since the audit report was dual dated Deloitte had the opportunity to classify the oversale as a subsequent event, even though it was after year end. b. Should Deloitte have evaluated the sales occurring after the balance sheet date of May 31,1984? Yes. Deloitte should have evaluated the sales occurring after the balance sheet date of May 31,1984. Since Deloitte admitted that an oversale occurred shortly after the end of the fiscal year, it is their responsibility to report on subsequent events that occurred after that date. c. Should Lamp;H been aware of the sales limits on lifetime memberships? If so, what should they have done about it? Yes Lamp;H should have been aware of the sales limits on lifetimeShow MoreRelatedPtl Case Study Essay1383 Words   |  6 PagesCase study PTL Club-The Harbinger of Things to Come? 1) To see how similar the cause of collapse of both Laventhol amp; Horwath and Andersen, let’s examine these two cases from two perspectives. a. From the clients’ side The last straw which led to the demise of these two CPA firm were PTL club to Lamp;H and Enron to Anderson. PTL Club had a very weak internal control. As it is pointed out in the case, whenever Jim Bakker needed money, he could just simply make a board member introduce

Analysis Of The Book War By Sebastian Junger - 1337 Words

There is a very large majority of material written and taken down about the Iraq/Afghan war, and our libraries hold majority of these works of literature. This is a book review of the book â€Å"War† which is authored by Sebastian Junger and published by Hatchett Book Group in May of 2010. Sebastian Junger was an â€Å"embedded† reporter with the 2nd Platoon, Battle Company of the 173rd Airborne Brigade for Vanity Fair magazine, and was entirely dependent on the U.S. military for food, shelter, security, and transportation.1 This book is the result of five trips taken to Korengal Valley in eastern Afghanistan that were taken between June 2007 and June 2008. Junger states that he was never asked-directly or indirectly- to alter his reporting in any way or to show the contents of his camera. Junger is an American citizen and has recollections of the terrorist’s attacks that took place on September 11, 2001. With this in mind, it could be cause for some bias reporting that may be presented and talked about through this book review. This memoir was written for the main reason of Junger being interested in Americans in Afghanistan. He was interested in what it was like to serve in a platoon of combat infantry in the U.S. Army.2 With this memoir in mind, Junger wanted to reach the American citizens as his audience to show just what mindset the American soldiers were placed in during their time in Afghanistan. Junger states that the â€Å"moral basis† of the war didn’t seem to interestShow MoreRelatedAn Analysis Of The Red Convertible By Louise Erdrich1018 Words   |  5 Pagesupon his return. The story takes place during the time of the Vietnam War. The author uses foreshadowing in the beginning of the story to reveal the demise of Henry as a possible outcome when the protagonist says, â€Å"We owned it together until his boots filled with water.† (Erdrich, 445) Another very important piece of information into what Henry went through is revealed when we learned he was captured by the enemy. Prisoners of War (POW) for those that survived the ordeal, would endure a greater degree

Poised Between Two Worlds free essay sample

This is because he likes doing thing that are usually only for adulthood, like drinking alcohol and smoking cigarettes. Holder was having an alcoholic drink with Luck even though he is only seventeen years Old, l kept sitting there getting drunk and waiting for old Tina and Jeanine to come out and do their stuff, but they werent there. (Peg. 165) This demonstrations how Holder loves the part of adulthood where you can drink, smoke, and hit on girls.This is because Holder wants to forget about his depression, so he does these things that are unhealthy for his body so he can just forget. Although Holder is trying to find out where he belongs, he tries to protect kids from loosing innocent too fast, But while I was sitting down, I saw somebody written Buck you on the wall. It drove me near crazy. Thought how Phoebe and all the other little kids would see it, and how they wonder what the hell it meant, and then finally some dirty kid would tell them-all cockeyed, naturally-what it meant, and how hed all think about it and maybe even worry about it for a couple of days. We will write a custom essay sample on Poised Between Two Worlds or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page I kept wanting to kill whoever written it. (Peg. 221 ) This shows that Holder want to protect the innocents of little kids, and how he doesnt want them to grow up like adults. This is because he sees what the adult world does to kids, and he wants to change that as much as possible. In conclusion, Holder needs to prepare for adult hood, but he is only in high school, he shouldnt be drinking and smoking, because he is still a kid, only he needs to make decisions on his own.

Themes In The Sun Also Rises Essays - English-language Films

Themes In The Sun Also Rises One theme that I found recurring throughout the novel, The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway, was love. Lady Brett Ashley was a beautiful woman who seemed to be irresistible to the men she became acquainted with. For example Robert Cohn, Bill Gorton, Pedro Romero, Mike Campbell, and last but not least Jake Barnes. Brett was ex? tremely vulnerable to the charm that various men in her life seemed to smother her with. Brett was not happy with her life or her surroundings and sought escape and refuge in the arms of these men. All of these men had strong feelings for Brett. The only problem was that Brett had no feelings for any of those men, except for Jake. The only reason Jake and Brett were not together was due to a wound Jake received during the war. Jakes wound made him impotent, incapable of making love. The torture of his wound, though, is that he can still feel desire. Jake and Brett could not love each other physically. They could not show each other how much they truly loved one another. They both desperately want something that they could not have due to Jakes injury. Neither Jake nor Brett were able to find any satisfaction or completeness in love. Jake was defined by this wound. He was always thinking about it, even when he did not seem to be. Whenever Jake was about to go to bed, and his thoughts loosened, he thought about his wound and Brett. Jake was able to feel love, but he could not express it or consummate it. Brett herself told Jake not to love her because she would only deceive him. Love, for Brett, had become a power she con? trolled. It changed men but left her unaffected. Jake was tolerant of Bretts behavior be? cause he loved her unconditionally and was willing to overlook everything she did. A different way Jake showed love for Brett was, in my opinion, in a rather strange way. He loved Brett more than anything and he wanted her to be happy, so he set her up with Robert Cohn, which did not work out, and he also set her up with Pedro Romero. Although the feelings between Brett and Pedro may have been mutual, Brett did the right thing by giving him up; whatever Brett wanted, Jake was willing to give her because he wanted her to be happy. Love for Robert Cohn is a silly and naive love learned from storybook romances. For example the book that Robert Cohn read, The Purple Land, which was about an aging Englishman finding love in a romantic country seriously affected him. Robert had old-fashioned notions of love- he believed in commitment. Robert was too blind to realize that his kind of love was lost on Jake's crowd of friends, especially Brett. Robert was im? mediately attracted to her. Since Brett may have been curious or just bored, she decided to go off with him to San Sebastian, Spain. What does their romance mean? For Brett, nothing; for Robert, everything. He believed that their affair was a perfect love. Robert could not stand to see Brett with another man; (Barrons Booknotes) even though they were not together he was jealous. Mike, Brett's fiancee, was too drunk and maybe too insecure to love. Bill Gorton picked up an American girl at the fiesta, but nothing serious came out of it. He was too cynical or too unfriendly to love. Pedro Romero was a man young, innocent, passionate, and brave enough to love. Brett was almost immediately enchanted by him. (Barrons Booknotes) Pedro, who frequently confronted death in his occupation, was not afraid in the bullring and controlled the bulls like a master. Pedro was the first man since Jake who caused Brett to lose her self-control. He fell for Brett and wanted to marry her, but Brett knew she would ruin him, so she gave him up. This was the only point in the story where Brett showed any amount of caring for anothers feelings. She did the right thing and gave up Pedro because she did not want to hurt him as she did to Jake, Robert, and Mike, even though Brett really does not care that she hurt Robert or Mike The issue of values was a second theme in the novel. Jake, Brett, Robert, Mike, and Bill were all Americans who went to Europe in search of

Calderas - Worlds Largest

Calderas - Worlds Largest Calderas are large craters formed by volcanic explosions or by unsupported surface rock collapsing into empty magma chambers beneath the ground. They sometimes are referred to as supervolcanoes. One way to understand calderas is to think of them as reverse volcanoes. Volcanic eruptions often will be the cause of magma chambers being left empty and leaving  the volcano above unsupported. This can cause the ground above, sometimes an entire volcano, to collapse into the empty chamber. Yellowstone Park Yellowstone Park is perhaps the most well-known caldera in the United States, drawing millions of tourists every year. According to Yellowstones website, the supervolcano was the site of massive eruptions 2.1 million years ago, 1.2 million years ago, and 640,000 years ago. Those eruptions were, respectively, 6,000 times, 70 times, and 2,500 times more powerful than the 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens in Washington. Explosive Force What today is known as Lake Toba in Indonesia is the result of perhaps the greatest volcanic eruption since the dawn of early man. Approximately 74,000 years ago, Mount Tobas eruption produced about 2,500 times more volcanic ash than Mount St. Helens. This led to a volcanic winter that had a devastating effect on the entire human population  of the time. The volcanic winter lasted six years and led to a 1,000-year-long ice age, according to research, and the world population was reduced to about 10,000 adults. Potential Modern Impact Research into how a massive eruption would impact the world day shows the effects to be potentially devastating. One study focusing on Yellowstone suggests another eruption comparable in size to the three biggest ones of the past 2.1 million  years would kill 87,000 people instantly. The volume of ash would be enough to collapse rooftops in states surrounding the park. Everything within about 60 miles would be destroyed, most of the western United States would be covered in about 4 feet of ash, and an ash cloud would spread across the entire planet, casting it in shadow for days. The impact on vegetation could lead to food shortages across the planet. Visiting the Largest Calderas on the Planet Yellowstone is just one of many calderas throughout the world. Like Yellowstone, many of the others can be interesting and fascinating places to visit and to study. Below is a list of the worlds largest calderas: Caldera name Country Location Size(km) Mostrecenteruption La Pacana Chile 23.10 S67.25 W 60 x 35 Pliocene PastosGrandes Bolivia 21.45 S67.51 W 50 x 40 8.3 Ma Kari Kari Bolivia 19.43 S65.38 W 30 Unknown Cerro Galan Argentina 25.57 S65.57 W 32 2.5 Ma Awasa Ethiopia 7.18 N38.48 E 40 x 30 Unknown Toba Indonesia 2.60 N98.80 E 100 x 35 74 ka Tondano Indonesia 1.25 N124.85 E 30 x 20 Quaternary Maroa/Whakamaru NewZealand 38.55 S176.05 E 40 x 30 500 ka Taupo NewZealand 38.78 S176.12 E 35 1,800 yr Yellowstone USA-WY 44.58 N110.53 W 85 x 45 630 ka La Garita USA-CO 37.85 N106.93 W 75 x 35 27.8 Ma Emory USA-NM 32.8 N107.7 W 55 x 25 33 Ma Bursum USA-NM 33.3 N108.5 W 40 x 30 28-29 Ma Longridge(McDermitt) USA-OR 42.0 N117.7 W 33 ~16 Ma Socorro USA-NM 33.96 N107.10 W 35 x 25 33 Ma TimberMountain USA-NV 37 N116.5 W 30 x 25 11.6 Ma ChinatiMountains USA-TX 29.9 N104.5 W 30 x 20 32-33 Ma Long Valley USA-CA 37.70 N118.87 W 32 x 17 50 ka greater MalySemiachik/Pirog Russia 54.11 N159.65 E 50 ~50 ka greater BolshoiSemiachik Russia 54.5 N160.00 E 48 x 40 ~50 ka greaterIchinsky Russia 55.7 N157.75 E 44 x 40 ~50 ka greaterPauzhetka Russia 51 N157 E ~40 300 ka greaterKsudach Russia 51.8 N157.54 E ~35 ~50 ka Source: Cambridge Volcanology Group  caldera database

Profile of the Aryan Warriors Prison Gang

Profile of the Aryan Warriors Prison Gang The Aryan Warriors is a criminal gang that operates inside the Nevada prison system and in certain communities in Nevada. They offer protection to white inmates if they join the gang. History The Aryan Warriors began in 1973 in the Nevada State prison system. The gang, designed after the California gang the Aryan Brotherhood, claimed to be intended to protect whites against attacks from black prisoners. After seeking a charter membership from the AB and being turned down, the AW gang was on its own. About a year into its creation the gang, who up to now was unable to organize, was taken over by an older inmate doing a life sentence named The Pope. Familiar with the way the AB gang worked, The Pope began to organize and structure the Aryan Warriors. He established rules for all gang members to follow and a hierarchy of leadership. Building up the physical strength of the AW became a priority. Focusing on its enemy, primarily black inmates, became its target. Building the gangs reputation for violence and selecting future members based on their strength and violent backgrounds became its mission. Gang Structure The Pope designed a structure of leadership for all to follow. To this day members adhere to a written manifesto which establishes positions or ranks within the gang, such as horn holders (leaders), bolt holders (full members), prospects (potential members), and associates (non-members who are affiliated with the organization.) In order to become a full member, a prospect is required to perform a violent act as dictated by the horn blowers. Once they do it they become bolt holders and are tattooed (or branded) with lightning bolts on the inside of their left biceps. To rise to the next level, horn holders, they must perform a more serious violent act, which often includes murder. Once completed they are given a tattoo with a Viking helmet with the letters AW, which is put on their left upper chest. Horn-blowers, under the direction of the top leader, are in charge of running all gang activities. Black Gangs Rise to the Threat Not willing to succumb to the Aryan Warriors, the black inmates organized the Black Warriors and duplicated much of the AW symbols, like the helmet with a horn. Power struggles began to go on in the prison yard, a place the black inmates had long controlled and a war between the two gangs became imminent. The Aryan Warriors Prepare for War The Aryan Warriors had been manufacturing weapons inside prison and with the impending war with the Black Warriors close at hand, production sped up. They also met with Native American inmates who had also been in conflict with the BWs, and the two groups made a pact to fight on the same side to bring down the BWs. The showdown occurred in the prison cafeteria and the blacks, many unarmed and taken by surprise by the AWs and Native attackers, lost the battle. The whites and the Natives now had full control of the prison yard. The Thirst for More Power Now in control, the Aryan Warriors sought more power and began going after those who they were supposed to be protecting - white inmates. Intimidation and threats were used to extort money from white inmates and their families. Those who refused would be beaten and sold as prison yard prostitutes. Instead of focusing on protection, the AW was now focused on drug distribution, extortion, and weaponry. Aryan Warriors or Aryan Witnesses? On November 5, 1980, a group of AWs murdered an inmate, Danny Lee Jackson, who they suspected to be a snitch. They then bragged about it in the prison yard. The murder and the boasting turned out to be a fatal mistake for the gang. Robert Manly was a young prison deputy with an eye on the future. His door to the future opened when given the responsibility to find out who murdered the inmate. The AW, who had spent years extorting inmates, had many enemies willing to talk to Manly. This gave the deputy enough information to corner AW gang members, many of who rolled over and became state witnesses. In return, several received early releases. No longer having any hope of charter membership into the AB and with many of its members gone, the AW had lost most of its power. Its leader, The Pope, died in 1997, which proved to devastate the gangs power even more. Aryan Warriors Today Prison officials say that today the AW, now numbering about 100 members, still asserts control over other prisoners by using violence, including murder and attempted murder, assaults and extortion. They also corrupt guards, extort money and favors from prisoners and their families, distribute illegal drugs, and run extensive illegal gambling operations. The Aryan Warriors also operate a street program in Las Vegas, Reno, and Pahrump, in which members, associates, and girlfriends distribute drugs, steal or fraudulently obtain identification and credit cards, commit other crimes, and smuggle drugs into the prisons. Members use the money earned in the street program to support other criminal activities of the gang and to financially support incarcerated Aryan Warrior leaders. On July 10, 2007, 14 Aryan Warrior gang members were indicted and charged with murder, attempted murder, extortion, operating an illegal gambling business, identity theft and fraud, and drug trafficking. Michael Kennedy, an admitted leader of the Aryan Warriors pleaded guilty to racketeering conspiracy in a related case. Seven of the 14 pleaded guilty to various charges and on July 9, 2009, five were found guilty. With the leader and other top gang members out of commission the future of the Aryan Warriors is questionable, however, some prison officials feel that this type of attention could actually strengthen the AW with other members moving into the now-vacant positions of leadership. Source: Criminal Intelligence Bureau

Contemporatry social problems Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Contemporatry social problems - Essay Example The film literally bursts with the theme of racial prejudice as a multi-colored cast careens in and out of the screen to make their presence felt. From the first frame, it already shows a black man sitting with a Hispanic woman, both police officers in a car that got bumped by another. This woman gets insulted by the Chinese lady driving the car that bumped into theirs and calls her a Mexican who â€Å"blakes (translated as brake) too fast†. She, in turn, wields her sword of a tongue to throw back the sarcasm by commenting to the petite Chinese lady that â€Å"Maybe if you see over the steering wheel, you’d blake too!† Indeed, one can’t help but judge one another based on physical appearances and the stereotypes they represent. Same goes for the American gun dealer who gets impatient with foreigners who speak their language in front of him, making him feel left out. Sensing that these Mediterranean customers are Arabs, he snaps at them by saying, â€Å"Play your jihad on your own time†. When the customer reacts angrily, saying he is an American citizen who has the same rights as everyone else, the dealer goes on his offensive oration on how these foreigners have no right to destroy America. He is suggesting that the customers are would-be terrorists, relating it to the â€Å"recent† September 11 terrorist attacks. The man is sent out of the store leaving her daughter behind while the dealer continues his hostile verbalizations. In doing so, he is unaware that he himself is terrorizing a lady. The overly- ethnocentric black car robber who constantly complains about how blacks are being unfairly discriminated upon in L.A. is one example of a self-fulfilling prophecy. He believes that the white server in the restaurant ignored them because they were blacks and because blacks are not known to give tips, proved her right by not leaving a tip at all, justifying that they had poor

Daydreamer Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Daydreamer - Essay Example I was happy about that, because I felt smarter, like I was a more rational person. Unfortunately, I started to realize that as logic and rationality were building up in my mind, imagination was flowing out. The day that I first really noticed that this was happening, I was at my cousins’ house. We were hanging out and telling ghost stories, just like we had a long time ago, when we were just kids and really believed all the stories we told. The day before, I had been trying to write a story. I stared at my computer screen, but I could not dredge up one single good idea from the depths my mind. I slapped the lid of my laptop shut with disgust and tried to think about other things, thinking that an idea would come floating into my head when I wasn’t reaching out for it so desperately. Now, at my cousins’ house, we were talking about all the ghosts we used to believe in. We talked like we all still believed, though. At least, my cousins did. They talked about all th e hauntings and the ways we used to scare ourselves like it was real. I kind of nodded and laughed along with them, not sure if we were playing a game for the sake of old-times, or if they really meant it. One of my cousins, Sam, brought up the story of Adrian, a ghost we used to think haunted our grandparents’ house. We used to convince ourselves that every little sound or shadow was Adrian. We even made a little spinner, like a spinner from a board game, with a tack and a cardboard arrow that we could flick to make it twirl around and point to words we’d written on a piece of paper. â€Å"Yes / No / Maybe† were the words we’d scrawled in our big round kids’ handwriting. ... next to an open window, and all say together, â€Å"Adrian, Adrian, are you there?† If nothing happened (and nothing usually did), we would go off and play, and come back and check on the spinner to see if it had moved. If it was pointing to â€Å"yes,† we would start running around, giggling and screaming. The rare times when there was a breeze right at the time we said our little chant, and the spinner moved right before our eyes, we would completely freak out, no matter which of the words it was pointing to. â€Å"Yes† meant â€Å"yes,† and â€Å"maybe† meant yes, but he was being coy with us. â€Å"No† naturally meant there was some other ghost hanging around; perhaps a more sinister one than Adrian. That day we sat at the kitchen table, drinking Cokes and laughing about what silly kids we used to be, but when my cousins talked about Adrian, it was with total seriousness. â€Å"Remember the time he pulled the blankets down on my bed?â₠¬  Sam asked. â€Å"Oh yeah!† said Dana. â€Å"Or when he knocked down that statue of a brass cat that Grandma used to have on the shelf?† I couldn’t stand it anymore. Were they serious? â€Å"Guys,† I said. â€Å"You know Adrian wasn’t real, right? You know that that statue could have fallen down for a lot of different reasons, and you probably half-dreamed your blankets being pulled off when they really just fell. Tell me you don’t still believe in Adrian.† â€Å"No way!† Dana shook her head. â€Å"There’s no way that statue could have just fallen down by itself. It was way back on the shelf. And I know Sam wasn’t dreaming about the blankets. Tell the story, Sam.† Sam stared at me like he thought I had lost my mind. â€Å"I was sleeping at Grandma’s house one night, and I woke up and couldn’t move. I felt this presence in the room with

Identification Discussion Essay Example for Free

Identification Discussion Essay Through his 1946 Politics and the English Language article, author George Orwell discusses some of the challenges facing the English language. For example, the author descries the phenomenon whereby writers in English are increasingly using many and complicated words that effectively blurs their real meanings. In addition, Orwell laments that many writers are using regurgitated words and phrases rather than devise and employ their own fresh phrases. Orwell observes that the existing bad language is deteriorating the thoughts of the populace. In turn, he explains that such usage of bad language corrupts people’s thoughts. Further, the author holds that unclear language is indispensable to politics because it helps in hiding fallacies and atrocious phenomena. Language thus makes unacceptable things to appear tolerable besides concealing the details of certain issues (Orwell, 1946). All in all, Orwell’s pitch is that bad language contributes to poor politics; the complaint is that he is decrying the decadence of the English language, while the moment is that the author requires his audience to demonstrate caution when using the English language. For example, Orwell states that bad language and poor politics are intertwined because unclear expressions are useful political tools. In effect, poor language is employed to glorify war, as well as to cunningly conceal atrocities. The author thus views the English language as having undergone a dangerous transformation of adopting rigid orthodoxy and rejecting innovativeness. Readers are thus cautioned against blindly adhering to such lethargic English language conventions. In conclusion, through the Politics and the English Language treatise, Orwell criticizes the general decadence in the English language that has resulted from orthodoxy and general indolence. He thus observes that such language contributes to bad politics and cautions readers against being ensnared by such lethargic orthodoxy.

night Essays -- essays research papers

Night is an autobiographical novella written by Elie Wiesel a young jewish boy who tells of his experiences during the Holocaust. Elie is from the small town of Sighet, Transylvania. This book begins in late 1941 and chronicles Elie's life through the end of the war in 1945.He had two older sisters, Hilda and Beatrice Wiesel and a younger sister, Tzipora Wiesel. Elie spoke many languages including Hungarian, Romanian, German and he grew up speaking Yiddish. At the beginning of the book Elie has a very strong faith in God and the Jewish religion, but this faith is tested when he is moved from his small town by the Nazi's. Elie has to deal with the death of his family, the death of his, innocence and the death of his God at the very young age of fifteen. He tells us of the horrors of the concentration camp, starvation, beatings, torture, illness, and hard labor. He comes to question how God could let this happen and to redefine the existence of God in the concentration camp. In 1944, when Elie was fifteen years old, him, his parents and younger sister were taken to Auschwitz. There him and his father were separated from his mother and small sister. Within a year his father and him had been moved to several different concentration camps such as Buna, Gleiwitz, Auschwitz and Buchenwald. He tried his best to stay with his father every time they were moved. His father and him watched out for each other, till his father’s death in 1945. The Holocaust all began because Hitler blamed the Jews for Germanys defeat in World War 1. He also blamed the Jews for all the problems Germany had at the time such as poverty, unemployment, starvation and disease. In early 1942, Hitler decided to carry out what he called "The Final Solution," which he hoped would bring an end to the Jewish population. He ordered millions of European Jews to be arrested and deported to special camps. This is how concentration camps became death camps. In Night, the description, settings, presentation of exciting incidents and sadness was outstanding. Language was good. Elie wrote everything he saw and he heard and everything was straightforward. The plot of this book was good, as there was no false leads, no unexpected turns and no misleading information. Elie Wiesel was the main character and narrator of this book. The story takes place in many concentration camps or Europe. Elie sa... ...led them by their names. Think of yourselves their, running, behind u officers with guns. If u stop, you’ll die. It seemed to be the end of the world. After so much of struggle Wiesel n his father n many other of Jews were evacuted from Auschwitz just a head of the Russian army and taken on a long death-filled journey to Buchenwald. His father survives the trip but dies in early 1945 at Buchenwald. The story ends shortly there after, Wiesel freed from the camp in 1945. For the first time after 1944,Elie sees his own face. It is April 1945 and Buchenwald, the last camp he endured, has been liberated for a little over two weeks. Looking at himself, he sees someone, some thing he has never known. The dead eyes that stare at him confront him with all the lived pain he has endured and the destruction of his own selfhood - This passage is very powerful. It illustrates the horrendous crimes of the Nazis. In their Final Solution they succeeded in destroying the Jews- not only thos e who were massacred, but also those who survived. Elie Wiesel is unable to recognize the shell that stares back at him in the mirror. Although he has physically survived the Holocaust, Elie has also been killed.

A Game of Thrones Chapter Thirty-two

Arya The one-eared black tom arched his back and hissed at her. Arya padded down the alley, balanced lightly on the balls of her bare feet, listening to the flutter of her heart, breathing slow deep breaths. Quiet as a shadow, she told herself, light as a feather. The tomcat watched her come, his eyes wary. Catching cats was hard. Her hands were covered with half-healed scratches, and both knees were scabbed over where she had scraped them raw in tumbles. At first even the cook's huge fat kitchen cat had been able to elude her, but Syrio had kept her at it day and night. When she'd run to him with her hands bleeding, he had said, â€Å"So slow? Be quicker, girl. Your enemies will give you more than scratches.† He had dabbed her wounds with Myrish fire, which burned so bad she had had to bite her lip to keep from screaming. Then he sent her out after more cats. The Red Keep was full of cats: lazy old cats dozing in the sun, cold-eyed mousers twitching their tails, quick little kittens with claws like needles, ladies' cats all combed and trusting, ragged shadows prowling the midden heaps. One by one Arya had chased them down and snatched them up and brought them proudly to Syrio Forel . . . all but this one, this one-eared black devil of a tomcat. â€Å"That's the real king of this castle right there,† one of the gold cloaks had told her. â€Å"Older than sin and twice as mean. One time, the king was feasting the queen's father, and that black bastard hopped up on the table and snatched a roast quail right out of Lord Tywin's fingers. Robert laughed so hard he like to burst. You stay away from that one, child.† He had run her halfway across the castle; twice around the Tower of the Hand, across the inner bailey, through the stables, down the serpentine steps, past the small kitchen and the pig yard and the barracks of the gold cloaks, along the base of the river wall and up more steps and back and forth over Traitor's Walk, and then down again and through a gate and around a well and in and out of strange buildings until Arya didn't know where she was. Now at last she had him. High walls pressed close on either side, and ahead was a blank windowless mass of stone. Quiet as a shadow, she repeated, sliding forward, light as a feather. When she was three steps away from him, the tomcat bolted. Left, then right, he went; and right, then left, went Arya, cutting off his escape. He hissed again and tried to dart between her legs. Quick as a snake, she thought. Her hands closed around him. She hugged him to her chest, whirling and laughing aloud as his claws raked at the front of her leather jerkin. Ever so fast, she kissed him right between the eyes, and jerked her head back an instant before his claws would have found her face. The tomcat yowled and spit. â€Å"What's he doing to that cat?† Startled, Arya dropped the cat and whirled toward the voice. The tom bounded off in the blink of an eye. At the end of the alley stood a girl with a mass of golden curls, dressed as pretty as a doll in blue satin. Beside her was a plump little blond boy with a prancing stag sewn in pearls across the front of his doublet and a miniature sword at his belt. Princess Myrcella and Prince Tommen, Arya thought. A septa as large as a draft horse hovered over them, and behind her two big men in crimson cloaks, Lannister house guards. â€Å"What were you doing to that cat, boy?† Myrcella asked again, sternly. To her brother she said, â€Å"He's a ragged boy, isn't he? Look at him.† She giggled. â€Å"A ragged dirty smelly boy,† Tommen agreed. They don't know me, Arya realized. They don't even know I'm a girl. Small wonder; she was barefoot and dirty, her hair tangled from the long run through the castle, clad in a jerkin ripped by cat claws and brown roughspun pants hacked off above her scabby knees. You don't wear skirts and silks when you're catching cats. Quickly she lowered her head and dropped to one knee. Maybe they wouldn't recognize her. If they did, she would never hear the end of it. Septa Mordane would be mortified, and Sansa would never speak to her again from the shame. The old fat septa moved forward. â€Å"Boy, how did you come here? You have no business in this part of the castle.† â€Å"You can't keep this sort out,† one of the red cloaks said. â€Å"Like trying to keep out rats.† â€Å"Who do you belong to, boy?† the septa demanded. â€Å"Answer me. What's wrong with you, are you mute?† Arya's voice caught in her throat. If she answered, Tommen and Myrcella would know her for certain. â€Å"Godwyn, bring him here,† the septa said. The taller of the guardsmen started down the alley. Panic gripped her throat like a giant's hand. Arya could not have spoken if her life had hung on it. Calm as still water, she mouthed silently. As Godwyn reached for her, Arya moved. Quick as a snake. She leaned to her left, letting his fingers brush her arm, spinning around him. Smooth as summer silk. By the time he got himself turned, she was sprinting down the alley. Swift as a deer. The septa was screeching at her. Arya slid between legs as thick and white as marble columns, bounded to her feet, bowled into Prince Tommen and hopped over him when he sat down hard and said â€Å"Oof,† spun away from the second guard, and then she was past them all, running full out. She heard shouts, then pounding footsteps, closing behind her. She dropped and rolled. The red cloak went careening past her, stumbling. Arya sprang back to her feet. She saw a window above her, high and narrow, scarcely more than an arrow slit. Arya leapt, caught the sill, pulled herself up. She held her breath as she wriggled through. Slippery as an eel. Dropping to the floor in front of a startled scrubwoman, she hopped up, brushed the rushes off her clothes, and was off again, out the door and along a long hall, down a stair, across a hidden courtyard, around a corner and over a wall and through a low narrow window into a pitch-dark cellar. The sounds grew more and more distant behind her. Arya was out of breath and quite thoroughly lost. She was in for it now if they had recognized her, but she didn't think they had. She'd moved too fast. Swift as a deer. She hunkered down in the dark against a damp stone wall and listened for the pursuit, but the only sound was the beating of her own heart and a distant drip of water. Quiet as a shadow, she told herself. She wondered where she was. When they had first come to King's Landing, she used to have bad dreams about getting lost in the castle. Father said the Red Keep was smaller than Winterfell, but in her dreams it had been immense, an endless stone maze with walls that seemed to shift and change behind her. She would find herself wandering down gloomy halls past faded tapestries, descending endless circular stairs, darting through courtyards or over bridges, her shouts echoing unanswered. In some of the rooms the red stone walls would seem to drip blood, and nowhere could she find a window. Sometimes she would hear her father's voice, but always from a long way off, and no matter how hard she ran after it, it would grow fainter and fainter, until it faded to nothing and Arya was alone in the dark. It was very dark right now, she realized. She hugged her bare knees tight against her chest and shivered. She would wait quietly and count to ten thousand. By then it would be safe for her to come creeping back out and find her way home. By the time she had reached eighty-seven, the room had begun to lighten as her eyes adjusted to the blackness. Slowly the shapes around her took on form. Huge empty eyes stared at her hungrily through the gloom, and dimly she saw the jagged shadows of long teeth. She had lost the count. She closed her eyes and bit her lip and sent the fear away. When she looked again, the monsters would be gone. Would never have been. She pretended that Syrio was beside her in the dark, whispering in her ear. Calm as still water, she told herself. Strong as a bear. Fierce as a wolverine. She opened her eyes again. The monsters were still there, but the fear was gone. Arya got to her feet, moving warily. The heads were all around her. She touched one, curious, wondering if it was real. Her fingertips brushed a massive jaw. It felt real enough. The bone was smooth beneath her hand, cold and hard to the touch. She ran her fingers down a tooth, black and sharp, a dagger made of darkness. It made her shiver. â€Å"It's dead,† she said aloud. â€Å"It's just a skull, it can't hurt me.† Yet somehow the monster seemed to know she was there. She could feel its empty eyes watching her through the gloom, and there was something in that dim, cavernous room that did not love her. She edged away from the skull and backed into a second, larger than the first. For an instant she could feel its teeth digging into her shoulder, as if it wanted a bite of her flesh. Arya whirled, felt leather catch and tear as a huge fang nipped at her jerkin, and then she was running. Another skull loomed ahead, the biggest monster of all, but Arya did not even slow. She leapt over a ridge of black teeth as tall as swords, dashed through hungry jaws, and threw herself against the door. Her hands found a heavy iron ring set in the wood, and she yanked at it. The door resisted a moment, before it slowly began to swing inward, with a creak so loud Arya was certain it could be heard all through the city. She opened the door just far enough to slip through, into the hallway beyond. If the room with the monsters had been dark, the hall was the blackest pit in the seven hells. Calm as still water, Arya told herself, but even when she gave her eyes a moment to adjust, there was nothing to see but the vague grey outline of the door she had come through. She wiggled her fingers in front of her face, felt the air move, saw nothing. She was blind. A water dancer sees with all her senses, she reminded herself. She closed her eyes and steadied her breathing one two three, drank in the quiet, reached out with her hands. Her fingers brushed against rough unfinished stone to her left. She followed the wall, her hand skimming along the surface, taking small gliding steps through the darkness. All halls lead somewhere. Where there is a way in, there is a way out. Fear cuts deeper than swords. Arya would not be afraid. It seemed as if she had been walking a long ways when the wall ended abruptly and a draft of cold air blew past her cheek. Loose hairs stirred faintly against her skin. From somewhere far below her, she heard noises. The scrape of boots, the distant sound of voices. A flickering light brushed the wall ever so faintly, and she saw that she stood at the top of a great black well, a shaft twenty feet across plunging deep into the earth. Huge stones had been set into the curving walls as steps, circling down and down, dark as the steps to hell that Old Nan used to tell them of. And something was coming up out of the darkness, out of the bowels of the earth . . . Arya peered over the edge and felt the cold black breath on her face. Far below, she saw the light of a single torch, small as the flame of a candle. Two men, she made out. Their shadows writhed against the sides of the well, tall as giants. She could hear their voices, echoing up the shaft. † . . . found one bastard,† one said. â€Å"The rest will come soon. A day, two days, a fortnight . . . â€Å" â€Å"And when he learns the truth, what will he do?† a second voice asked in the liquid accents of the Free Cities. â€Å"The gods alone know,† the first voice said. Arya could see a wisp of grey smoke drifting up off the torch, writhing like a snake as it rose. â€Å"The fools tried to kill his son, and what's worse, they made a mummer's farce of it. He's not a man to put that aside. I warn you, the wolf and lion will soon be at each other's throats, whether we will it or no.† â€Å"Too soon, too soon,† the voice with the accent complained. â€Å"What good is war now? We are not ready. Delay.† â€Å"As well bid me stop time. Do you take me for a wizard?† The other chuckled. â€Å"No less.† Flames licked at the cold air. The tall shadows were almost on top of her. An instant later the man holding the torch climbed into her sight, his companion beside him. Arya crept back away from the well, dropped to her stomach, and flattened herself against the wall. She held her breath as the men reached the top of the steps. â€Å"What would you have me do?† asked the torchbearer, a stout man in a leather half cape. Even in heavy boots, his feet seemed to glide soundlessly over the ground. A round scarred face and a stubble of dark beard showed under his steel cap, and he wore mail over boiled leather, and a dirk and shortsword at his belt. It seemed to Arya there was something oddly familiar about him. â€Å"If one Hand can die, why not a second?† replied the man with the accent and the forked yellow beard. â€Å"You have danced the dance before, my friend.† He was no one Arya had ever seen before, she was certain of it. Grossly fat, yet he seemed to walk lightly, carrying his weight on the balls of his feet as a water dancer might. His rings glimmered in the torchlight, red-gold and pale silver, crusted with rubies, sapphires, slitted yellow tiger eyes. Every finger wore a ring; some had two. â€Å"Before is not now, and this Hand is not the other,† the scarred man said as they stepped out into the hall. Still as stone, Arya told herself, quiet as a shadow. Blinded by the blaze of their own torch, they did not see her pressed flat against the stone, only a few feet away. â€Å"Perhaps so,† the forked beard replied, pausing to catch his breath after the long climb. â€Å"Nonetheless, we must have time. The princess is with child. The khal will not bestir himself until his son is born. You know how they are, these savages.† The man with the torch pushed at something. Arya heard a deep rumbling. A huge slab of rock, red in the torchlight, slid down out of the ceiling with a resounding crash that almost made her cry out. Where the entry to the well had been was nothing but stone, solid and unbroken. â€Å"If he does not bestir himself soon, it may be too late,† the stout man in the steel cap said. â€Å"This is no longer a game for two players, if ever it was. Stannis Baratheon and Lysa Arryn have fled beyond my reach, and the whispers say they are gathering swords around them. The Knight of Flowers writes Highgarden, urging his lord father to send his sister to court. The girl is a maid of fourteen, sweet and beautiful and tractable, and Lord Renly and Ser Loras intend that Robert should bed her, wed her, and make a new queen. Littlefinger . . . the gods only know what game Littlefinger is playing. Yet Lord Stark's the one who troubles my sleep. He has the bastard, he has the book, and soon enough he'll have the truth. And now his wife has abducted Tyrion Lannister, thanks to Littlefinger's meddling. Lord Tywin will take that for an outrage, and Jaime has a queer affection for the Imp. If the Lannisters move north, that will bring the Tullys in as well. Delay, you say. Make haste, I reply. Even the finest of jugglers cannot keep a hundred balls in the air forever.† â€Å"You are more than a juggler, old friend. You are a true sorcerer. All I ask is that you work your magic awhile longer.† They started down the hall in the direction Arya had come, past the room with the monsters. â€Å"What I can do, I will,† the one with the torch said softly. â€Å"I must have gold, and another fifty birds.† She let them get a long way ahead, then went creeping after them. Quiet as a shadow. â€Å"So many?† The voices were fainter as the light dwindled ahead of her. â€Å"The ones you need are hard to find . . . so young, to know their letters . . . perhaps older . . . not die so easy . . . † â€Å"No. The younger are safer . . . treat them gently . . . â€Å" † . . . .if they kept their tongues . . . â€Å" † . . . the risk . . . â€Å" Long after their voices had faded away, Arya could still see the light of the torch, a smoking star that bid her follow. Twice it seemed to disappear, but she kept on straight, and both times she found herself at the top of steep, narrow stairs, the torch glimmering far below her. She hurried after it, down and down. Once she stumbled over a rock and fell against the wall, and her hand found raw earth supported by timbers, whereas before the tunnel had been dressed stone. She must have crept after them for miles. Finally they were gone, but there was no place to go but forward. She found the wall again and followed, blind and lost, pretending that Nymeria was padding along beside her in the darkness. At the end she was knee-deep in foul-smelling water, wishing she could dance upon it as Syrio might have, and wondering if she'd ever see light again. It was full dark when finally Arya emerged into the night air. She found herself standing at the mouth of a sewer where it emptied into the river. She stank so badly that she stripped right there, dropping her soiled clothing on the riverbank as she dove into the deep black waters. She swam until she felt clean, and crawled out shivering. Some riders went past along the river road as Arya was washing her clothes, but if they saw the scrawny naked girl scrubbing her rags in the moonlight, they took no notice. She was miles from the castle, but from anywhere in King's Landing you needed only to look up to see the Red Keep high on Aegon's Hill, so there was no danger of losing her way. Her clothes were almost dry by the time she reached the gatehouse. The portcullis was down and the gates barred, so she turned aside to a postern door. The gold cloaks who had the watch sneered when she told them to let her in. â€Å"Off with you,† one said. â€Å"The kitchen scraps are gone, and we'll have no begging after dark.† â€Å"I'm not a beggar,† she said. â€Å"I live here.† â€Å"I said, off with you. Do you need a clout on the ear to help your hearing?† â€Å"I want to see my father.† The guards exchanged a glance. â€Å"I want to fuck the queen myself, for all the good it does me,† the younger one said. The older scowled. â€Å"Who's this father of yours, boy, the city ratcatcher?† â€Å"The Hand of the King,† Arya told him. Both men laughed, but then the older one swung his fist at her, casually, as a man would swat a dog. Arya saw the blow coming even before it began. She danced back out of the way, untouched. â€Å"I'm not a boy,† she spat at them. â€Å"I'm Arya Stark of Winterfell, and if you lay a hand on me my lord father will have both your heads on spikes. If you don't believe me, fetch Jory Cassel or Vayon Poole from the Tower of the Hand.† She put her hands on her hips. â€Å"Now are you going to open the gate, or do you need a clout on the ear to help your hearing?† Her father was alone in the solar when Harwin and Fat Tom marched her in, an oil lamp glowing softly at his elbow. He was bent over the biggest book Arya had ever seen, a great thick tome with cracked yellow pages of crabbed script, bound between faded leather covers, but he closed it to listen to Harwin's report. His face was stern as he sent the men away with thanks. â€Å"You realize I had half my guard out searching for you?† Eddard Stark said when they were alone. â€Å"Septa Mordane is beside herself with fear. She's in the sept praying for your safe return. Arya, you know you are never to go beyond the castle gates without my leave.† â€Å"I didn't go out the gates,† she blurted. â€Å"Well, I didn't mean to. I was down in the dungeons, only they turned into this tunnel. It was all dark, and I didn't have a torch or a candle to see by, so I had to follow. I couldn't go back the way I came on account of the monsters. Father, they were talking about killing you! Not the monsters, the two men. They didn't see me, I was being still as stone and quiet as a shadow, but I heard them. They said you had a book and a bastard and if one Hand could die, why not a second? Is that the book? Jon's the bastard, I bet.† â€Å"Jon? Arya, what are you talking about? Who said this?† â€Å"They did,† she told him. â€Å"There was a fat one with rings and a forked yellow beard, and another in mail and a steel cap, and the fat one said they had to delay but the other one told him he couldn't keep juggling and the wolf and the lion were going to eat each other and it was a mummer's farce.† She tried to remember the rest. She hadn't quite understood everything she'd heard, and now it was all mixed up in her head. â€Å"The fat one said the princess was with child. The one in the steel cap, he had the torch, he said that they had to hurry. I think he was a wizard.† â€Å"A wizard,† said Ned, unsmiling. â€Å"Did he have a long white beard and tall pointed hat speckled with stars?† â€Å"No! It wasn't like Old Nan's stories. He didn't look like a wizard, but the fat one said he was.† â€Å"I warn you, Arya, if you're spinning this thread of air—† â€Å"No, I told you, it was in the dungeons, by the place with the secret wall. I was chasing cats, and well . . . † She screwed up her face. If she admitted knocking over Prince Tommen, he would be really angry with her. † . . . well, I went in this window. That's where I found the monsters.† â€Å"Monsters and wizards,† her father said. â€Å"It would seem you've had quite an adventure. These men you heard, you say they spoke of juggling and mummery?† â€Å"Yes,† Arya admitted, â€Å"only—† â€Å"Arya, they were mummers,† her father told her. â€Å"There must be a dozen troupes in King's Landing right now, come to make some coin off the tourney crowds. I'm not certain what these two were doing in the castle, but perhaps the king has asked for a show.† â€Å"No.† She shook her head stubbornly. â€Å"They weren't—† â€Å"You shouldn't be following people about and spying on them in any case. Nor do I cherish the notion of my daughter climbing in strange windows after stray cats. Look at you, sweetling. Your arms are covered with scratches. This has gone on long enough. Tell Syrio Forel that I want a word with hirn—† He was interrupted by a short, sudden knock. â€Å"Lord Eddard, pardons,† Desmond called out, opening the door a crack, â€Å"but there's a black brother here begging audience. He says the matter is urgent. I thought you would want to know.† â€Å"My door is always open to the Night's Watch,† Father said. Desmond ushered the man inside. He was stooped and ugly, with an unkempt beard and unwashed clothes, yet Father greeted him pleasantly and asked his name. â€Å"Yoren, as it please m'lord. My pardons for the hour.† He bowed to Arya. â€Å"And this must be your son. He has your look.† â€Å"I'm a girl,† Arya said, exasperated. If the old man was down from the Wall, he must have come by way of Winterfell. â€Å"Do you know my brothers?† she asked excitedly. â€Å"Robb and Bran are at Winterfell, and Jon's on the Wall. Jon Snow, he's in the Night's Watch too, you must know him, he has a direwolf, a white one with red eyes. Is Jon a ranger yet? I'm Arya Stark.† The old man in his smelly black clothes was looking at her oddly, but Arya could not seem to stop talking. â€Å"When you ride back to the Wall, would you bring Jon a letter if I wrote one?† She wished Jon were here right now. He'd believe her about the dungeons and the fat man with the forked beard and the wizard in the steel cap. â€Å"My daughter often forgets her courtesies,† Eddard Stark said with a faint smile that softened his words. â€Å"I beg your forgiveness, Yoren. Did my brother Benjen send you?† â€Å"No one sent me, m'lord, saving old Mormont. I'm here to find men for the Wall, and when Robert next holds court, I'll bend the knee and cry our need, see if the king and his Hand have some scum in the dungeons they'd be well rid of. You might say as Benjen Stark is why we're talking, though. His blood ran black. Made him my brother as much as yours. It's for his sake I'm come. Rode hard, I did, near killed my horse the way I drove her, but I left the others well behind.† â€Å"The others?† Yoren spat. â€Å"Sellswords and freeriders and like trash. That inn was full o' them, and I saw them take the scent. The scent of blood or the scent of gold, they smell the same in the end. Not all o' them made for King's Landing, either. Some went galloping for Casterly Rock, and the Rock lies closer. Lord Tywin will have gotten the word by now, you can count on it.† Father frowned. â€Å"What word is this?† Yoren eyed Arya. â€Å"One best spoken in private, m'lord, begging your pardons.† â€Å"As you say. Desmond, see my daughter to her chambers.† He kissed her on the brow. â€Å"We'll finish our talk on the morrow.† Arya stood rooted to the spot. â€Å"Nothing bad's happened to Jon, has it?† she asked Yoren. â€Å"Or Uncle Benjen?† â€Å"Well, as to Stark, I can't say. The Snow boy was well enough when I left the Wall. It's not them as concerns me.† Desmond took her hand. â€Å"Come along, milady. You heard your lord father.† Arya had no choice but to go with him, wishing it had been Fat Tom. With Tom, she might have been able to linger at the door on some excuse and hear what Yoren was saying, but Desmond was too single-minded to trick. â€Å"How many guards does my father have?† she asked him as they descended to her bedchamber. â€Å"Here at King's Landing? Fifty.† â€Å"You wouldn't let anyone kill him, would you?† she asked. Desmond laughed. â€Å"No fear on that count, little lady. Lord Eddard's guarded night and day. He'll come to no harm.† â€Å"The Lannisters have more than fifty men,† Arya pointed out. â€Å"So they do, but every northerner is worth ten of these southron swords, so you can sleep easy.† â€Å"What if a wizard was sent to kill him?† â€Å"Well, as to that,† Desmond replied, drawing his longsword, â€Å"wizards die the same as other men, once you cut their heads off.†

Business issues and the context of HR Essay

The organisation is the background within which the HR function works. Understanding the deep nature of the organisation has to be the main goal for HRM as the nature of the organisation has a huge impact on how people are managed in the business. The organisation is defined as the planned coordination of the activities of a number of people for the achievement of some common, explicit purpose or goal, through division of labour and function, and through a hierarchy of authority and responsibility (Schein, 1980). Historically, there have been many definitions of organisations, depending on whether they focus on: †¢Their size: SMEs, Large and Public Sector. (Curran and Stanworth, 1988); †¢Their prime beneficiaries: members, shareholders, users, the public. (Blau and Scott ,1962 – Maltby, 2003); †¢The degree to which they are mechanistic (highly structured organisation with centralised policies, rigid hierarchical ranks, a strong emphasis on administration and clear boundaries between departments) or organic (a flattened structure, colleague, rather than command and control relationships as the predominant mode, short lived and flexible administrative systems and mobile departmental boundaries (Burns and Stalker ,1966); †¢Their structure meant as the relationships between employees at vertical and horizontal level (tall or flat/lean, hierarchical, matrix, flexible, virtual) (Leatherbarrow et al., 2010). Thinking about a mixed economy such as UK, organisations can be classified in: †¢Public organizations, generally providing essential services such as health, education, social services, policing. They are responsible to central government and those who run them are accountable to the public (Taylor and Wilkinson, 2012). The nature of their funding (taxpayers) requires them to prove their responsibility with the public money. Their HR department tend to be large and able to provide HR specialist support in different areas. Because of the accountability to the public, HR tend also to be bureaucratic and inflexible. †¢Private organizations are those owned  by private individuals/families/stakeholders (Taylor and Wilkinson, 2012). These are industrial and commercial companies that respond to the demands of the market and exist to make a profit for their shareholders. In the private sector, HR tend to be a small department with more room for innovative strategies. †¢Third sector organizations are understood to be non government and non profit. Non distribution of profits to shareholders is a defining feature, as is a degree of volunteerism. They tend to fill in the gaps in areas of state and market deficiencies, and are nowadays growing in global significance (Crampton et al, 2001). They are typically a mix of government funding, gifts, grants and earned income. Examples of third sector activities are found in international aid, culture, recreation, social services, education, religion and health. Staff is frequently very mission-focused and gains a lot of job satisfaction by just being committed to the cause. Large organisations in the third sector are likely to have specific HR departments while smaller organisations are unlikely to have specific HR departments and HR functions may be ‘tagged’ on to the role of managers or staff more generally (Venter and Sung, 2009) The nature of organisations and the style used to manage the people in it are strictly related, as the management style highly depends on the particular business. However, as seen for the definition of organisation, the definition of management and its classification have long been debated. At the beginning of 19th century the most important of the classical Management theories was the scientific approach or Taylorism which involved breaking down the components of manual tasks in manufacturing environments, timing each movement so that there could be a scientifically proven â€Å"best† way to perform each task. Employees could be trained to be ‘first class’ within their job by their managers. In the 60’s, there was a new approach focused on the â€Å"human factor†. In â€Å"The Human Side of Enterprise† by McGregor, he distinguished between: †¢Theory X, that adopts the authoritarian view that people normally abhor working and must be forced to work with punishment for failing to meet the objective. These people actually prefer to be directed and lack ambition. †¢Theory Y,  adopts the participative management style, which operates on the idea that people are inherently motivated to work if they find the job fulfilling The System Theories focused attention on organizations as ‘systems’ and on the complexity and interdependence of relationships of their inter-related sub-systems. This approach attempted to synthesize the classical approaches (organizations without people) with the later human relations approaches that focused on the psychological and social aspects (‘people without organizations). The Contingency theory, developed in 1950s, argues that there is no ‘one best way’ to structure an organization and we face different possibilities when determining how it should be structured and how it should be managed. Successful organizations adopt structures that are an appropriate response to a number of variables, or contingencies (Enoch, 2006). Practically speaking, management is the act of getting people together to accomplish desired goals and objectives using available resources efficiently and effectively. There are several different resource types within management, such as: Human, Financial, Technological and Natural resources. HRM BACKGROUND AND ROLE OF HR HR is part of the overall management of an organization, but again, providing a conclusive definition of contemporary HRM is quite challenging. â€Å"There is no generally agreed framework for understanding and analysing the HR function; there are only competing models. In practice, the HR function within organisations is infinitely flexible, organisationally contingent over time and driven principally by the external contexts of the age; and these often change within short periods of time†. (Farnham, 2010, pg 4). During the years, we assisted to an evolution from what have been traditionally labelled as ‘personnel management’ to a distinctive HRM. The HRM was characterised by a different philosophy and approach to the management of ‘people at work’ (Storey, 1989) and was putting an emphasis on  performance, workers’ commitment, and rewards, based on individual or team contribution. Figure 1: From Personnel Management to HRM: a Summary (Farnham, 2010, pg. 7) The two main developments in the HRM have been the continued delegation of some HR activities to line managers and the outsourcing of large areas of the traditional personnel management. These changes have had particular consequences in the HRM and HR roles, increasing the need of highly specialised HR, technical experts who act as consultants either internally or externally. On the other side, these developments required more investment in training for Line Managers (also coaching) in order for them to be able to face HR issues and communicate with HR specialists. Changes in HRM have led to change in the structure of HR especially in large organisations in both private and public sector. It has been noticed that many organisations adopted the Ulrich’ ‘s ‘Multi-legged model’ (Ulrich, 1997) of HR structures in which HR functions become more focused on outcomes, rather than processes, more specialised and divided in Strategic partners, Expert, Champion for employees and Agent of continuous transformation. (details in appendix 1) This model has been reviewed by Ulrich in the ‘Three – legged model’ with HR divided in: †¢HR business partners (or strategic partners) – senior or key HR professionals working closely with business leaders or line managers, usually embedded in the business unit, influencing and steering strategy and strategy implementation; †¢Centres of excellence –small teams of HR experts with specialist knowledge of leading-edge HR solutions. The role of centres of excellence is to deliver competitive business advantages through HR innovations in areas such as reward, learning, engagement and talent management. †¢Shared services – a single, often relatively large unit, which handles all the routine ‘transactional’ services across the business such as recruitment administration, payroll, absence monitoring and advice on simpler employee relations issues. The responsibility of shared services is to provide low-cost, effective HR administration. (Ulrich and Brockbank, 2005) Behind the division in the HR roles, experts recognise organisations’ request for an HR more involved in the business and able to contribute to the business strategy with a tangible and cost effective results. In the CIPD’s 2001 ‘Next Generation HR: Insight driven’, it is explained that where the ‘Three-legged stool model’ is used, HR’s sphere of influence can be narrowed and there may be less opportunity for teams and individuals to be insight-led. The report highlights that while the main HR role is to maintain people and performance strengths, HR needs to be more integrated to the business. HR needs to speak the business language and need to have a full knowledge of it (of both internal and external factors) only in this way HR will be able to deliver deep organisational insight. Basically, HR needs to understand and fully use the ‘business savvies’: †¢understanding the business model at depth †¢generating insight from data and evidence †¢connecting with curiosity, purpose and impact †¢leading with integrity, consideration and challenge Finally, the report highlights that while the ‘Three-legged stool model’ is more appropriate for larger organisations, the ‘Business savvies’ it is appropriate for all sizes and shapes of organisation. (CIPD, 2001) BUSINESS STRATEGY AND HR STRATEGY (details in appendix 6) DATA SOURCES If the HR objective is to be integrated into the Business, it is then crucial for HR having a clear data sources, a strong competence in interpreting the information and presenting them to the business. HR can find data from internal and external sources. Examples of Internal sources in COMPANY NAME are: Employees (listening and talking to them), Focus Group, Climate Surveys, Employees Data Base, KPIs, Budget, Performance and Leadership Management System, Payroll data. Example of external sources are:  Customers’ reports, Customers’ surveys, Recruitment agency reports, CIPD Magazine, Employment law updates, Industry Magazines, Census Information, EHS Magazine. KPIs Once an organization has analysed its mission, identified all its stakeholders, and defined its goals, it needs a way to measure progress toward those goals: KPIs are those measurements. Key Performance Indicators KPIs, also known as Key Success Indicators (KSI), help an organization define and measure progress toward organizational goals. (Reh, 2005) The role and use of KPIs is crucial in COMPANY NAME. Here, every month a meeting is held during which every department presents its KPIs and discusses any progressions or need to improve them. Also HR has its own KPIs which are related to: hours worked, overtime hours (to be kept at 20% maximum level) and sick days (in order to monitor long sick periods). (details in appendix 6) Performance & Leadership Management (PLM) In addition to the KPIs, COMPANY NAME has adopted a specific system in order to measure, develop, evaluate and reward people’s performance: the Performance & Leadership Management system. This system is a management process that aims to establish a transparent and a bi-lateral communication with the employees to define together how they can contribute to the organization results, if they are working effectively towards achieving the agreed objectives and finally providing them with adequate support to improve and develop. The PLM process consists in 5 main phases: 1.Objectives Setting 2. Half Year Review 3.Self – Assessment 4.Evaluation and Calibration 5.Feedback phases. The PLM cycle is annual and at the end of it, the company may decide to assign a PLM Bonus to employees. Finally, the PLM is also uses to identify Talents, employees with high level of P&L skills, able and willing to accept positions of growing responsibility. This assures continuity to the business and a draw up succession plans for all key positions (details in appendix 7) SWOT and STEEPLE In addition to KPIs and the performance measurement, HR can also collect data and plan for its strategy by using two particular technics: The SWOT analysis and the Steeple Analysis. The SWOT analysis, developed by Ansoff in 1987, it is a data capture exercise which focuses on organisations Strengths, Weakness, Opportunities and Threats (for an example of SWOT analysis in COMPANY UK, see appendix 8). The STEEPLE analysis is like an audit of the external environment which is focused on the external factors than can influence the organization and affect its long-term survival. If the organization has a full understanding of the environment and all its factors, it has the possibility to take advantage from potential opportunities and minimize possible risks. Below an example of STEEPLE analysis in COMPANY NAME realised in June 2013 during a Focus Group meeting: †¢SOCIOLOGICAL: Changes in culture, Cultural Barriers, Language barriers, Lack of educated people, Lack of technical skilled people, Immigration; †¢TECHNOLOGICAL: New Payroll System, SAP System, Skype, Conference call System, Computer Software, Blackberries, Outlook; Company Intranet; †¢ECONOMIC: Financial Crisis, Recession, Globalisation, Prices, Employment rate, Unemployment Rate, Banking Crisis; †¢ENVIRONMENTAL: Carbon footprints, Sustainability Report, Sustainability Plan; †¢POLITICAL: Government changes, Pension Reform, Sector regulation, EU regulations; Local regulations; †¢LEGAL: Employment law, European Law, European Court of Justice, Local authority; †¢ETHICAL: Local Community Interest, Stakeholders Interests, Anti-corruption Law, Equal opportunities, Human rights, Promoting employees welfare, Well working environment. HOW HR CAN RESPOND TO EXTERNAL PRESSURE? As shown in the STEEPLE analysis, the Lack of technical skilled people, it was perceived as a big external risk for the business. The role of HR in facing this problem was crucial and requested lots of curiosity, research and resourcefulness. The HR department had to concentrate on a short term need, which basically was focused on finding candidates with the right skill-set for the (many) uncovered positions, but they also had to think about a long term plan able to strengthen the presence and knowledge of COMPANY NAME in the Midlands area. After some research, the HR department found out that, the lack of high qualified people in the Midland, it was due to the fact that the particular skills required were either absent in the area or the few people who have them had already a job. Therefore, HR had to concentrate on different ways to recruit candidates. They then started to: †¢Using social network to advert company positions (in order to reach people in all over the world); †¢Using Skype for first and second interview stage; †¢Increasing the use of relocation and sponsorship for candidates coming from other countries; †¢Advertising all the uncovered position internally first, this in order to give to all employees the possibility to apply personally or to propose someone they knew (Word of mouth) The long term plan to create more visibility and awareness about COMPANY NAME and its business in the Midlands was achieved by: †¢Taking part in Colleges and Universities open days – this in order to attract the future generation of engineers; †¢Use of a work experience program – open to students from technical colleges who can spend one month in one of COMPANY ’s departments; †¢Selection and sponsorship of four graduates to be sent to the COMPANY Business School in Detroit or Shanghai for three months. It is important to highlight that some of the above initiatives, in  particular the ones in recruitment, made COMPANY save money. In 2012, COMPANY spent in recruitment (using agencies)  £30,000; in 2013, the cost for recruitment (using social network and word of mouth) dropped to  £22,000 with a saving of almost the 30% in budget resource. Recently, HR had to deal with another issue coming from the external context: The Pension Reform in UK. HR was particularly involved in designing an effective communication plan in order to spread to the UK team information about the changes. The communication plan was quite a delicate step as it was not only about the legal changes but also about the COMPANY UK’ s decision to change the pension provider (moving from Legal & General to Scottish Widows) and the contributions level (starting from January 2014). The first thing HR did, it was to select two champions among the most senior and influencing employees, trained them on the reform and invite them to share the news with the team. This approach was useful to create a good feeling about the reform and all the changes related to it. Then, during the sixty day consultation period, HR organized workshops during which, financial expert from Capita, presented and explained the reform and its consequences and gave personalized advice to the employees. Finally, HR provided employees with brochure, leaflets and posters. It is important to highlight that, behind the COMPANY’s decision to change Pension provider and level of contributions (well above the minimum required by law) there was the HR idea not to use the Pension Scheme as a compensation and benefit tool anymore, but to consider it and use it as a powerful tool to retain current employees and to recruit more of them by increasing the appeal toward COMPANY UK. Finally, as a consequence of the introduction of the new scheme, in less than one month, the number of enrolled employees has almost doubled, increasing from 34 (enrolled in L&G) to 60 (in SW) on a total of 72 COMPANY UK employees. This was a great result for both the business and HR.

A Brief Guide to Evaluating Your Own Writing

A Brief Guide to Evaluating Your Own Writing Youre probably used to having your writing evaluated by teachers. The odd abbreviations (AGR, REF, AWK!), the comments in the margins, the grade at the end of the paperthese are all methods used by instructors to identify what they see as the strengths and weaknesses of your work. Such evaluations can be quite helpful, but theyre no substitute for a thoughtful self-evaluation.* As the writer, you can evaluate the whole process of composing a paper, from coming up with a topic to revising and editing drafts. Your instructor, on the other hand, often can evaluate only the final product. A good self-evaluation is neither a defense nor an apology. Rather, its a way of becoming more aware of what you go through when you write and of what troubles (if any) that you regularly run into. Writing a brief self-evaluation each time you have completed a writing project should make you more aware of your strengths as a writer and help you see more clearly what skills you need to work on. Finally, if you decide to share your self-evaluations with a writing instructor or tutor, your comments can guide your teachers as well. By seeing where youre having problems, they may be able to offer more helpful advice when they come to evaluate your work. So after you finish your next composition, try writing a concise self-evaluation. The following four questions should help you get started, but feel free to add comments not covered by these questions. A Self-Evaluation Guide What part of writing this paper took the most time? Perhaps you had trouble finding a topic or expressing a particular idea. Maybe you agonized over a single word or phrase. Be as specific as you can when you answer this question. What is the most significant difference between your first draft and this final version? Explain if you changed your approach to the subject, if you reorganized the paper in any significant way, or if you added or deleted any important details. What do you think is the best part of your paper? Explain why a particular sentence, paragraph, or idea pleases you. What part of this paper could still be improved? Again, be specific. There may be a troublesome sentence in the paper or an idea that isnt expressed as clearly as you would like it to be. * Note to Instructors Just as students need to learn how to conduct peer reviews effectively, they need practice and training in carrying out self-evaluations if the process is to be worthwhile. Consider Betty Bambergs summary of a study conducted by Richard Beach. In a study specifically designed to investigate the effect of teacher comment and self-evaluation on revision, Beach [The Effects of Between-Draft Teacher Evaluation Versus Student Self-Evaluation on High School Students Revising of Rough Drafts in Research in the Teaching of English, 13 (2), 1979] compared students who used a self-evaluation guide to revise drafts, received teacher responses to drafts, or were told to revise on their own. After analyzing the amount and kind of revision that resulted with each of these instructional strategies, he found that students who received teacher evaluation showed a greater degree of change, higher fluency, and more support in their final drafts than students who used the self-evaluation forms. Moreover, students who used the self-evaluation guides engaged in no more revising than those who were asked to revise on their own without any assistance. Beach concluded the self-evaluation forms were ineffective because students had received little instruction in self-assessment and were not used to detaching themselves critically from their writing. As a result, he recommended that teachers provide evaluation during the writing of drafts (p. 119).(Betty Bamberg, Revision. Concepts in Composition: Theory and Practice in the Teaching of Writing, 2nd ed., ed. by Irene L. Clarke. Routledge, 2012) Most students need to conduct several self-evaluations at different stages of the writing process before theyre comfortable detaching themselves critically from their own writing. In any case, self-evaluations shouldnt be regarded as substitutes for thoughtful responses from teachers and peers.

Political Culture and Good Citizenship

Political Culture and Good Citizenship Political culture is a widely shared set of ideas, attitudes, practices, and moral judgments that shape people’s political behavior, as well as how they relate to their government and to one another. In essence, the various elements of a political culture determine the people’s perception of who is and is not a â€Å"good citizen.† To an extent, the government itself can use outreach efforts like education and public commemorations of historical events to shape political culture and public opinion. When taken to excess, such attempts to control the political culture are often characteristic of the actions of totalitarian or fascist forms of government. While they tend to reflect the current character of the government itself, political cultures also embody the history and traditions of that government. For example, while Great Britain still has a monarchy, the queen or king has no real power without the approval of the democratically elected Parliament. Yet, while doing away with the now largely ceremonial monarchy would save the government millions of pounds per year, the British people, proud of their tradition of over 1,200 years of being ruled by royalty, would never stand for it. Today, as always, a â€Å"good† British citizen reveres the Crown. While political cultures vary greatly from nation to nation, state to state, and even region to region, they generally tend to remain relatively stable over time. Political Culture and Good Citizenship To a great degree, political culture implies the characteristics and qualities that make people good citizens. In the context of political culture, the traits of â€Å"good citizenship† transcend the government’s basic legal requirements for attaining citizenship status. As Greek philosopher Aristotle argued in his treatise Politics, simply living in a nation does not necessarily make a person a citizen of that nation. To Aristotle, true citizenship required a level of supportive participation. As we see today, thousands of lawful permanent resident aliens and immigrants live in the United States as â€Å"good citizens† as defined by the political culture without becoming fully naturalized citizens. Traits of Good Citizens Good citizens, in their daily lives, demonstrate most of the qualities considered important by the prevailing political culture. A person who lives an otherwise exemplary life but never works to support or improve the community by taking an active part in public life may be considered a good person but not necessarily a good citizen. In the United States, a good citizen is generally expected to do at least some of these things: Take part in the representative democracy by registering to vote and voting in elections.Run for elected office or volunteer to serve on appointed governing boards.Obey all federal, state, and local laws.Show up for jury duty if called.Be knowledgeable of the basic freedoms, rights, and responsibilities contained in the U.S. Constitution.Pay all applicable federal, state, and local taxes.Remain knowledgeable about political issues and government policy.Volunteer to take part in community improvement programs.Take part in patriotic observances and traditions, like standing for the National Anthem and knowing the Pledge of Allegiance. Even within the United States, the perception of political culture - thus good citizenship - may vary from region to region. As a result, it important to avoid depending on stereotypes when judging a person’s quality of citizenship. For example, people in one region may place more importance in strict observance of patriotic traditions than those in other regions. Political Culture Can Change Though it often takes generations to happen, minds - and thus political culture - can change. For example: Since its colonial period, America has seen periods during which the dominating political culture favored a policy of isolationism from foreign affairs, particularly foreign wars. In each of these cases, threats that foreign wars might directly threaten American lives and freedoms resulted in rapid reversals of the isolationist political culture.As part of President Lyndon Johnson’s sweeping Great Society social reform initiative, Congress enacted the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Passed after generations of post-Civil war racial discrimination, the law authorized the use of federal troops to supervise elections in several Southern states in order to protect the voting rights of black Americans. Forty years later, fearing that the racially-charged political culture in the South might still be a threat to the political freedom of blacks, Congress and President George W. Bush enacted the Voting Rights Extension Act of 2006. Today, multi-racial voting coalitions exist throughout the nation and Black-Americans are commonly elected to federal, state, and local offices. While some political cultures can be changed by the passage of laws, others cannot. In general, elements of a political culture based on deeply-seated beliefs or customs, such as patriotism, religion, or ethnicity are far more resistant to change than those based simply on the government’s policies or practices. Political Culture and US Nation Building While it is always difficult and sometimes dangerous, governments often try to influence the political culture of other nations. For example, the United States is known for its often-controversial foreign policy practice called â€Å"nation-building† - efforts to convert foreign governments to American-style democracies, often through the use of armed forces. In October 2000, President George W. Bush came out against nation-building, stating, â€Å"I dont think our troops ought to be used for whats called nation-building. I think our troops ought to be used to fight and win war.† But just 11 months later, the September 11, 2001 terror attacks changed the president’s perspective. As an outgrowth of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, the United States has attempted to establish democracies in those nations. However, political cultures have hindered those U.S. nation-building efforts. In both countries, years of long-standing attitudes toward other ethnic groups, religions, women, and human rights shaped by years of tyrannical rule continue to stand in the way.

Contracts As a Common Phenomenon in the Business Sector Case Study

Contracts As a Common Phenomenon in the Business Sector - Case Study Example Formalities required by law have been reduced and currently, only a few formalities get required. Formalities on signing of deals and putting contracts in writing have been abolished. This has made contracting easier as parties have less legal processes involved when making such contracts. This means that oral agreements are acceptable. However, contracting in this way can be disadvantageous as parties can misinterpret, misunderstand or misremember the terms of the contract (Howells & Schulze 2009, pp.125). In a case where the agreement gets made over the telephone, the terms of the agreements should be put in writing for clear future references. Oral agreements should be summarized in writing to protect the terms of the contract from misinterpretation. In the case provided, some of the agreements made got reached over the phone. It could have been advisable that John puts such an agreement in writing. The law further provides for cases when a contract must be put in writing. This includes a case where a contract contains a guarantee. In John’s case, the agreement did not contain any guarantee. Putting the terms of the agreements in writing was, therefore, not necessary. There are several advantages that come with putting the terms of an agreement in writing. One such advantage is that formal writing is less prone to manipulation and misinterpretation as it is the case with oral agreements. When parties put their agreement in writing, copies can be made and preserved by both parties. Both parties get obliged to follow these agreements. Another advantage is that written agreements have the option of including signatures which commit the parties to that agreement (Howells & Schulze 2009, pp.125). However, considering the nature of

U.S. Involvement in the military coup against Hugo Chavez Essay

U.S. Involvement in the military coup against Hugo Chavez - Essay Example The coup was later given up by Hugo Chavez which had taken 16 lives and resulted in injuring of 60 individuals. Chavez spent his life in jail for 2 years before being pardoned. He later reorganized his movement turning from a military officer into a Politician. [3] The opposition has been striving to oust the president through legal legislation methodology since 2002 accusing him of imitating the communist Cuban State but in 2004 it managed to secure a referendum on his leadership which only helped in Mr. Chavez getting more strength, winning the referendum won by a large majority and went on to win the 2006 presidential elections. Hugo Chavez has also been the first world leader who has attacked the US president on the floor of the United States; Nikita Khrushchev of the former Soviet Union, threatened the West in 1960, but he did not personally attack President Eisenhower. He said, "The devil came here yesterday," Chavez said, referring to Mr. Bushs address on Tuesday and making the sign of the cross. "He came here talking as if he were the owner of the world."[4] On 9th of April 2002, a two day strike was called by Carlos Ortega by CTV (Confederation of Workers of Venezuela) in which scored of hundred of thousands of strike suporters took to the street of the capital [5] and marched towards the headquarters of Vanezuela’s State owned oil Company Petrà ³leos de Venezuela S.A. (PDVSA) on the 11th of April 2002. The mob was supporting the recently fired management of the oil company. A demonstration in support of the President Chavez was also being staged at the presidential palace and the organizers of the strike supporters decided to re-direct the mob to the presidential palace which resulted in severe violence eruption between the supporters of the two demonstrations. While the action was on, the head of the venezuelan army Lucas Rincon Romero announced the resignation of the Chavez from the

Weekly Journal #5 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Weekly Journal #5 - Essay Example o focus on individuals and inner desires or feelings that shape behaviors as Cognitive Behavioral Theory remain to concentrate on how human cognitions affect their behaviors. Another key point learnt from the weeks reading is that Psychoanalysis constitutes the theory used by first family therapists. As demonstrated by Nichols (2013), many other theories and approaches to family therapy followed or developed from Psychoanalysis. From the perspectives of an experienced counselor, the frameworks of Psychoanalysis and Cognitive Behavioral Theory are not much apart. This means that it is easier to merge and manipulate the two techniques subsequently in treating a family. As explained by Nichols (2013), Psychoanalysis theory concerns with self-psychology and object relations theory to detail how people relate to each other, underlying expectations in every relationship and how fulfillment or failure affects emotions and behaviors of individuals. Simply interpreted, Psychoanalysis investigates how human relationships affect their self-understanding and emotions. Cognitive Behavioral Theory on the other hand generally emphasizes the need for attitudinal change to maintain change in behavior (Nichols, 2013). Again, this technique seems to center on emotions and inner desires of individuals as elements to regulate to cause positive and functional behaviors that maintain family dynamics. From the understanding, a cou nselor can just combine and merge the two techniques in treating a family. This will help to focus on individuals and families at relevant times as suites therapist’s strategies and goals. One of the insights that this week readings have elicited is that Psychoanalytic Theory and Cognitive Behavioral Theory share significant attributes with Experiential and Strategic Theories of family therapy. this is insight is due to fact that when deeply analyzed, the focus of the theories end at understanding emotions and inner desires of individuals, and their effects

Importance Of Emotional Intelligence In The Organisational Context Education Essay

Importance Of Emotional Intelligence In The Organisational Context Education Essay Until the last two decades, it was strongly believed that IQ is all it takes to be successful in life. Gardners multiple intelligence theory in the early 1980s brought in a different perspective and outlook towards intelligence and brought inter personal and intra personal intelligence to the fore front. Emphasizing Gardners view point, Steven Covey in 1990 wrote a book, 7 habits of highly effective people wherein he said that verbal and reasoning ability form a very small spectrum of human intelligence and inter and intra personal skills are most important for being effective and successful. Slowly, many more researchers added on to the body of research, where they concluded that non cognitive ability is equally or more important than IQ. Researchers of 21st century from the fields of psychology, education and business are converging on the concept of Emotional Intelligence, which is deemed as a sure pathway for success in personal and organisational life. IQ gets you hired, but EQ gets you promoted is the claim made by some journals and magazines. Emotionally intelligent people can perceive, understand and regulate the emotions of others, thus making Emotional intelligence a significant factor in the success of inter personal interaction in work context. Increasingly employers all over the world are actively seeking people with high emotional intelligence. History of Emotional Intelligence There is a large body of research on Emotional Intelligence across various nations. But the very concept of Emotional Intelligence was understood and studied by many in earlier days. The first recorded concept of Emotional Intelligence can be traced back to Charles Darwin. The first book on emotions was published in 1872 by Charles Darwin- The Expression of the Emotions in Man and Animals. In this book, Darwin talks about various primary emotions and emphasizes the theory of Survival of fittest that talks about adaptability to the surrounding, which is the key to success. In 1930s, Edward Thorndike describes the concept of social intelligence as the ability to get along with other people. During 1940s, David Wechsler defined intelligence as aggregate of global capacity to act purposeful, think rationally, and to deal effectively with his environment. Wechsler proposed that no intellective abilities are essential for predicting ones ability to succeed in life. David Wechsler suggests that affective components of intelligence may be essential to success in life. Gradually there came a shift in the concept of intelligence, where intelligence included a broader array of mental abilities. Howard Gardner (1983) pioneered the concept of Multiple Intelligence. He proposed that Interpersonal and Intra personal Intelligence are as important as the type of intelligence typically measured by IQ tests. He advised educators to appreciate students with varied skills and learning styles. In 1985, the first use of the term Emotional intelligence was attributed to Wayne Paynes doctoral thesis A study of emotion: developing emotional intelligence; self-integration; relating to fear, pain and desire (theory, structure of reality, problem-solving, contraction/expansion, tuning in/coming out/letting go). In 1985, Dr Reuven Baron coined the term Emotional Quotient to describe his approach to asses emotional and social functioning. In 1987 in an article published in Mensa Magazine, Ke ith Beasley uses the term emotional quotient. It has been suggested that this is the first published use of the term. Rigorous research in this field was done by psychologists Peter Salovey and John Mayer and later in 1990 they published an article titled, Emotional Intelligence, in the journal Imagination, Cognition, and Personality. The two psychologists concluded seven years later that emotional intelligence comprised four mental processes. Though a lot many researches were undertaken and published in this field , the term Emotional Intelligence did not gain popularity and momentum till 1995, when a cover page article by Nancy Gibbs et al appeared in Times magazine , which read What is your EQ? (Time Magazine, October 1995). Daniel Goleman, psychologist and New York Times journalist, through his best sellers Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ? (1995) , and Working with emotional intelligence (2000) brought the word Emotional Intelligence as a common term, ev en understood by a layman. In the year 1997, Reuven Baron created EQ-i, the first test to measure Emotional intelligence, published by a psychological test publisher. In the year 2000, American dialect society chose the term Emotional Intelligence as the most useful new word of the decade. Definition, models and measures of Emotional Intelligence: There are varied definitions of emotional intelligence and considering any one as a standard definition has become virtually impossible. Some of the following are most popularly used definitions of Emotional Intelligence, used by majority of the scholars and researchers in the field of Emotional Intelligence. Salovey and Mayers Definition: (1997) Emotional Intelligence is the ability to perceive emotions, to access and generate emotions so as to assist thought, to understand emotions and emotional knowledge, and to reflectively regulate emotions so as to promote emotional and intellectual growth. They proposed ability model of EI where it is considered that individuals vary in their ability to process emotion laden information and it can be measured. Ability based model outlines 4basic constructs: perceiving, assimilating, understanding and managing emotions. The most popularly used ability based measure of Emotional Intelligence is Mayor Salovey Caruso Emotional Intelligence Test (MSCEIT) with a chronbach alpha of 0.68- 0.71. Dr. Reuven Bar-Ons Definition(1997): Emotional -Social Intelligence is a cross section of interrelated emotional and social competencies, skills and facilitators that determine how effectively we understand and express ourselves , understand others and relate with them, and cope with daily demands (Bar-On, R. (1997). Emotional Quotient Inventory (EQi ) is the tool used to measure Barons Emotional Intelligence. It has a chronbach alpha of 0.85. Daniel Golemans Definition: Emotional Intelligence refers to the capacity for recognizing our own feelings and those of others, for motivating ourselves, and for managing emotions well in ourselves and our relationships. Goleman proposed mixed model of EI which focuses on EI as a wide array of competencies and skills that drive leadership performance. Mixed EI model consist of 4 main EI constructs: Self awareness, Social awareness, Self management and relationship awareness. Golemans Emotional Intelligence measure is Emotional Competency inventory (ECI) by Boyatzis,Goleman and Hay Mcber (1999) . It has chronbach alpha of 0.71- 0.85. Petrides and Furnham (2000) proposed Trait EI (or trait emotional self-efficacy), which refers to a constellation of behavioral dispositions and self-perceptions concerning ones ability to recognize, process, and utilize emotion-laden information. They proposed Trait EI model which consists of 15 facets of EI. Trait EI refers to an individuals self-perceptions of their emotional abilities .Trait Emotional Intelligence is measured using TEIQue developed by Petrides, Perez and Furnham (2003). It has a chronbach alpha of .85. In all the above mentioned models of EI one common feature is that the models bifurcated the EI competency with respect to self and society. It is difficult to rate any of the measures of EI to be superior over the other. According to Salovey et al (2007), mental ability model can only be called aptly as emotional intelligence model, the others being more generic. Mental ability model is empirically tested and it meets the criteria of standard intelligence. Due to the presence of too many models, definitions, tests and books on EI, the research in the field of EI has become highly diverse. It is too early to come to a consensus on a universal definition, model and test of EI, considering the fact that even the most widely accepted test for IQ, The Wechsler intelligence scale was coined after over 100 years of clinical assessment and research. (Salovey .P. 2007). Researchers in this field should judiciously choose the tool to measure EI of respondents based on the research purpose and context. The model of Emotional Intelligence and organizational effectiveness by Cherniss et al (2001) highlights the importance of EI for organisational improvement. The model describes how Emotional intelligence can impact organizational effectiveness. The organizational factors on the left hand side of the model, viz Leadership, HR functions and organizational climate and culture influence emotional intelligence through its impact on relationship and each of these three factors influence the other two. For instance, Emotional Intelligence of organizational leadership influences the organizations climate and thereby impacts organizational effectiveness. Different HR functions like recruitment, selection, training, succession planning etc will impact organizational leadership, thereby affecting the organizational effectiveness. Leadership in turn can influence the HR functions thereby deciding the extent to which employees can improve their Emotional Intelligence by deciding the extent of Em otional Intelligence training. This explains the interconnectivity of organizational factors, individual and team Emotional Intelligence and ultimately, organizational effectiveness. By correct and timely deployment of resources, organizational effectiveness can be improved to a great extent. A model of Emotional Intelligence and Organisational Effectiveness (Cary Cherniss and Daniel Goleman2001) Leadership HR Functions Organizational Climate and Culture Relationships Organizational Effective Individual Emotional Intelligence Group Emotional Intelligence Research objective: To understand the direction of research in the field of Emotional Intelligence so as to identify a research gap. To propose a conceptual model for predicting career success using Emotional Intelligence score. Literature Review: The study of emotion in the workplace has evolved from two different perspectives: the sociological perspective through emotion management and the psychological perspective through emotional intelligence (Weinberger, 2002). Emotional Intelligence is relatively a new concept and hence the body of research in the field of Emotional Intelligence is not very large. Empirical studies in this field are not even two decades old, (Salovy, 2007), though it has attracted the attention of psychologists, educators, HR professional and corporate trainers. An overwhelming claim by many researchers that Emotional Intelligence has practical application in the work place makes the study of Emotional Intelligence mandatory to be empirically verified. To understand this intriguing field of research, secondary literature review is done to get a direction for future empirical research. For easy comprehension, secondary literature review for the current research is presented under separate but interconnec ted concepts. EI Alexithymia Alexithymia is a communication disorder where in the individual is not able to feel and express an emotion. Significance of alexithymia stems from the fact that an individual who fails to understand and experience an emotion also fails to reason out his work behaviour . Work situations demand correct expression of emotions , for instance ,appreciation for outstanding work done by a junior employee. If an individual fails to express emotions at the right context, it can create a dent in his career progress. Researches reveal that EI is inversely correlated to Alexithymia. Low values of Emotional Intelligence may be used to predict Alexithymia. Moira Mikolajczak, et al(2006) conducted a study in which Alexithymia was measured using French version of Toronto Alexithymia scale.(TAS-20, Bagby et al 1994), which has 20 items on 5 point rating scale, that covers core dimensions of the construct like difficulty in identifying the feeling, difficulty in describing the feeling, and externally oriented thinking. Alexithymia was found to be inversely correlated ( r = -0.55)to Trait EI measured using TEIQue. b) In a study conducted by Elizabeth J (2005) in Canadian (N=500) and Scottish (N=204) groups on EI, Alexithymia, personality and life satisfaction, EI was found to be negatively associated with Alexithymia c) Donald H. et al (2003) conducted a study wherein a short self-report emotional intelligence (EI) measure was completed by a sample of 354 students and relationship between EI and alexithymia was investigated using structural equation modeling and factor analysis. The results indicated that the two constructs are strongly negatively correlated. Alexithymia impedes the growth of career of an employee and higher EI score is inversely proportional to alexithymia. Hence further study on this topic has high relevance. EI Leadership styles It is a leaders duty to foster a positively charged work place so that the employees are motivated to perform better. There is an increased emphasis on transformational leadership style in organizations. Companies that hire and promote people to leadership positions may find the positive relationship between transformational leadership style and emotional intelligence useful. A study conducted by P.D. Harms et al (2010) to understand the relationship between emotional intelligence and transformational and other leadership behaviors, (N= 62) showed a validity estimate of .59 when ratings of both emotional intelligence and leadership behaviors were provided by the same source (self, subordinates, peers, or superiors). Trait emotional intelligence measures showed higher validities than ability EI measures Study conducted by Lisa Ann Weinberger (2009) on the relationships between emotional intelligence and leadership style, (N=151) using MSCEIT, an ability-measuring instrument of emotional intelligence, the results showed that there are no relationships between a managers emotional intelligence and leadership style or the leaders perceived effectiveness According to Deeter-Schmelz, Goebel, and Norman (2008), high emotional intelligence can transform a good sales manager into an exceptional leader. In a study conducted by Singh S. K (2007) on EI and leadership style among software professionals in Indian context, (N=340), showed a positive correlation between EI and leadership styles. Study also showed that EI can predict leadership effectiveness. In a study conducted by Byrne et al (2004) using a set of self-assessment instruments including the Emotional Competency Inventory, the NEO-FFI and a demographic questionnaire, ( N=325) ,results showed that the ECI was predictive of leadership and related work behavior Dulewicz Higgs, 2003 conducted a study on leaders and arrived at a conclusion that EI levels are higher among workplace leaders, and increase as leadership levels rise in an organization In a study conducted by Julian Barling, et al (2000) on emotional intelligence (EQ) and transformational leadership (N= 49 managers, N=187 subordinates, multivariate analyses of covariance showed that three aspects of transformational leadership differed according to level of emotional intelligence. Dulewicz and Higgs (2000) posit that leaders who have a good mix of IQ and emotional intelligence tend to be more successful than those who do not. According to Daniel Goleman (2004) Most effective leaders are alike in one crucial way: They all have a high degree of what has come to be known as emotional intelligence. Its not that IQ and technical skills are irrelevantà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦But my research, along with other recent studies, clearly shows that emotional intelligence is the sine qua non of leadership Transformational leadership style is deemed superior to transactional styles. Positive correlation of transactional style of leadership style with EI is an important finding that can have larger organisational repercussion. EI self regulation Stress coping Self regulation is a very essential virtue an employee must possess for harmonious functioning in the work place. Self regulation helps in clarity in decision making during crisis situation. A high EI individual handles stress in the most productive way, without reaching the level of burn out. The word stress has received a lot of attention due to the negative connotation attached to the word. A meta-analysis of research (Mikolajczak Gross, 2008) concluded that high trait EI individuals regulate their emotions in a flexible manner trait EI is positively linked to functional coping strategies like problem-solving, social support seeking, and reappraising and negatively linked to dysfunctional strategies like inhibition of emotional expression and substance abuse. A study was conducted by Samuel et al (2010) using Trait Emotional Intelligence Scale by Law, Wong, and Song (2004) known as Wong and Law EI scale (WLEIS)(N= 420 ) on secondary school teachers . The results from this study showed that occupational stress was negatively related to psychological well-being, which is a trait EI facet A study conducted by Moira Mikolajczak, et al(2006) on a sample of 80 respondents using TEIQue- SF to measure Emotional Intelligence , it was found that high EI people handle stress better than their low EI peers, thus experiencing low chronic and residual EI. A study conducted by Veneta A. Bastian,Nicholas R. Burns and Ted Nettelbeck (2005) on first-year tertiary students (N=246) concluded that higher EI correlated with higher life satisfaction, better perceived problem-solving and coping ability and lower anxiety. AK Pau and R Croucher (2003) investigated the relationship between emotional intelligence (EI) and perceived stress (PS) in dental undergraduates. (N=213) The mean score for EI was 117.54 (S.D. 14.90) and PS was 17.73 (S.D. 6.49). Correlational analysis showed an inverse relationship between EI and PS. Individual stress has got organizational consequence too in terms of absenteeism, tardiness and turn over. This essentially brings in to the forefront, the relevance of research in this topic EI Gender difference There have been many recent studies on gender difference of Emotional Intelligence. Application of the results of such researches will help in work place especially considering that more and more women employees join work pool. It is important to study gender differences with this proposed study because organizations are seeing demographic changes with an increase of women taking on significant career roles (Offermann Gowing, 1993) A study conducted by Leslie A. Burton (2007) in a sample of 134( 93 female ,41 male) university students using Bar-On EQi for measuring Emotional Intelligence showed women scoring higher in Bar-On Interpersonal overall factor scores, including higher scores for the components like Empathy, Social responsibility etc. In a study conducted by Saima et al ( 2007) , in Pakistan using Self Report Emotional Intelligence Scale (SREIT) developed by Schutte, Malouff, Hall, Haggerty,Cooper, and Golden (1998), no gender difference was found in EI of 100 employees( 55 males and 45 females) of a cellular telecom organization of Lahore, Pakistan . In the doctoral thesis Jesse W. Davis (2006) it was found that the female respondent group (M = 67.1) outperformed the male respondent group (M = 60.1) in mean emotional intelligence rating although the noted differences were not statistically significant. A study conducted by Natalio et al( 2006) examined the reliability of the Spanish version of the MSCEIT, with a sample of 946 college and high school students (426 males, 520 females) ranging from 16 to 58 years and it was found that higher scores are obtained by women on overall scale and branches scores than scores obtained by men. In a study conducted by S.Katyal (2005) ,among 150 adolescents (75 boys and 75 girls) studying in Xth standard in 3 randomly selected government high schools in Chandigarh, India using Emotional Intelligence test by Codaty(2001), found girls having more emotional Intelligence than boys. A study of 224 ( 82 men and 138 women and 4 who did not report their gender ) by K.V . Petrides , et al ( 2004) on post graduate and undergraduate students at two British universities found no gender difference in total EI scores except in Emotional Awareness which was significantly high in women. A study conducted Mandell and Pherwani ( 2003) ,among 32 managers (13 males 19 females) using EQ-i (Bar-On) in a varied sample of organizations in northeastern section of the United States found a significant difference (p .05) in the emotional intelligence scores of male and female managers. Theâ‚ ¬Ã‚   mean total of emotional intelligence scores of females was higher than that for males. In a study conducted by James Poon Teng Fatt, (2002) using the Emotional IQ Test (N=100) on undergraduates from various fields of studies from the National University of Singapore and Nanyang Technological University, it was found that males have higher EI scores than females. In a study conducted by Kathleen Cavallo, (2001) on three hundred and fifty eight Managers (55 % male and 45 % females) across the Johnson Johnson Consumer Personal Care Group (JJCPC Group ) using Emotional Competence Inventory (ECI),some gender difference was found, with Supervisors rating females higher in Adaptability and Service Orientation, while Peers rated females higher on Emotional Self-Awareness, Conscientiousness, Developing Others, Service Orientation, and Communication. Direct reports scored males higher in Change Catalyst In a study conducted by Joseph Ciarrochi, et al (2001) 131 students (aged 13 to 15) completed a self-report measure of emotional intelligence (SEI), and it was found that EI was reliably measured in adolescents and was higher for females than males. Study conducted by Ciarrochi, Chan, and Caputi (2000) found that women performed higher than men on the overall intelligence score of the MEIS with undergraduate psychology students. In a study by Mayer, Caruso, and Salovey (1999), it was found through the Multifactor Emotional Intelligence Scale (MEIS) that women put more effort into their emotions and are more sensitive when expressing emotion. A study conducted by Porter and Stone (1995) reveals that women are better at coping with problems and have more potential to develop their emotions. A study conducted by Trobst, Collins, Embree (1994) found that women tend to be more supportive and possess more empathy than men. It is important to study gender differences with this proposed study because organizations are seeing demographic changes with an increase of women taking on significant career roles (Offermann Gowing, 1993). Moreover, gender studies also has implications specially now when the thrust is on diversity management. Empirical findings of the study can help while HR policies are formulated by companies. EI and career success In a study by Cavallo Brienza (2004) of the Johnson Johnson Consumer Personal Care Group (N=1400) in thirty seven countries, it was found that emotional competencies differentiate successful leaders and that emotional intelligence, as one of a broad spectrum of skills which managers have in varying levels. Len Tischler et al (2002) examined the RELATION OF emotional intelligence, spirituality and work place performance and studies displayed a positive relationship between emotional intelligence and work place success. A study conducted at a large, international organization by Collins et al (2001), using a personality-based measure of EI and an ability-based measure of EI,(N= 91), it was found that EI may not directly play a significant role in the success of the executive participants . Bachmann, et al (2000)conducted two studies which compared more and less successful account officers (debt collectors) in terms of their emotional intelligence, measured using the BarOn Emotional Quotient Inventory. The findings support the view that higher levels of emotional intelligence lead to enhanced job performance. As quoted by Exley (2000), in a study on a group of 100 British managers participating in HMC courses, Henley Management College (HMC) researchers, Dulewicz and Higgs,were able to show a strong correlation between rapid career progression and a combination of emotional intelligence and high IQ . McClelland conducted an analysis (1998) of the competencies that distinguish star performers from average ones. He found a tipping point effect when people exhibited excellence in six or more competencies. McClelland (1998) argues that a critical mass of competencies above the tipping point distinguishes exemplary from average performers. The typical pattern shows that the highest performers are above the tipping point on at least six EI competencies and demonstrate strengths in at least one competency from each of the four clusters. In a research done by Snarey and Vaillant, (1985) it is found that in determining the success, IQ had little relation to workplace and personal success. More important was the ability to handle frustration, control emotions and get along with others. Among the secondary review topics selected by the researcher, the most interesting area is the contribution of EI to career success. There are diverse view points on the relevance of EI for career success. Some inflated claims of EI contributing to 80 percent of career success needs empirical testing and verification. Identification of Research gap Most of the researches in the field of Emotional Intelligence is conducted post 1995, thanks to the popularization of the concept by Daniel Goleman. This makes the literature review partially limited to past 15years. More over , researches in the field of Emotional Intelligence is still picking up momentum . Existing researches contributes to very small percentage of body of research in EI. The topics considered for literature review for this research was in the context of the current objective of this research. As evident from the literature review, most of the researches, barring a few are conducted outside India . There are contradicting research findings by researchers in the topics showing relation of Emotional Intelligence with Leadership style, Gender, Alexithymia , Stress coping and Career success. Interestingly no published research is available in India in the field of Emotional Intelligence and career success as a comparative study for knowledge based industries of India . With increased emphasis on service industry in India, the research gap is identified for finding out whether Emotional Intelligence really contributes to career success of knowledge based employees . The findings of this study will be an original contribution to the field of research in Emotional Intelligence for industries like IT, BPOs, KPO s, Academics . Research framework An analytical study is proposed to identify the correlation of Emotional Intelligence and career success of employees of knowledge based industry. Since information Technology industry in India is growing at a fast pace , with one of the Indian cities, Bangalore proclaimed as Silicon valley of India , target population can be identified as IT companies of Bangalore. Stratified sampling technique is proposed to divide the companies in to strata of small , medium and large sized companies based on the number of employees. Simple random sampling technique is proposed to select the company from each strata . Data need to be tested for normality and in case found to be non normal, outliers are to be removed and data need to be brought to normal distribution using log method. Standardised tool with reasonably good chronbach alpha value of reliability is to be chosen for measuring Emotional Intelligence and career success of employees. An executive interview is also proposed to be conducte d among top management to understand the awareness and utilization of EI in various functional areas in HR department of the company. Pilot study is to be conducted to know the direction of research as well as to make corrections in the questionnaire based on the feedback of the respondents. Hypothesis testing is to be done to empirically prove the relationship EI and career success. Some of the proposed hypotheses for the study could be: Ho1 : Demographic variables have no impact on Emotional Intelligence of an employee. Ho2 : Emotional Intelligence can not predict career success of employees. Statistical tools like correlation, simple regression, multiple regression using dummy variable , Chi square test, ANOVA , Factor analysis etc can be used for testing the hypotheses . Regression model is to be made that shows the predictive ability of emotional intelligence and career success. Conclusion : Emotional Intelligence is an emerging field of study. Relatively less research has been done in this field in India. Emotional intelligence is yet to capture the attention of HRD practitioners as tool for managerial development. Since it is evident from the secondary literature review that emotional intelligence can impact career success positively, efforts should be made to popularize and practice the concepts of emotional intelligence. Limitations of the study: The study is has some delimiting points . Since this is a concept of recent origin there is lack of previous research in this area. Another issue a researcher will face in this field is difficulty in choosing a EI model for study as there are multiple models and definitions of Emotional Intelligence. More over, there is no consensus over a single model which could be universally applied. Lack of awareness of the impotrance of EI among the respondents is another challenge that the researcher will have to face. Possibility of the response distortion due to Hawthorne effect (respondents giving more favourable responses because of the attention given by researcher) can not be ignored.Another delimiting factor is the inherent problem connected to self report devices used to measure Emotional Intelligence. Any of the self report measures used for gauging Emotional Intelligence is not free from Pygmalion effect or self fulfilling prophecy wherein the respondent gives most ideal responses irrespective of the true response. Scope for future research: Emotional Intelligence competencies that differentiate the most successful employees from their typical peers need further study.Since economy has opened up for IT and academics , percentage of expatriates functioning out of India have seen an increase. A future study of EI of expatriates can help the management in choosing the right candidate for successful expatriation. Another improvement on this study can be made by using an intervention program for an experimental group by training employees on EI and measuring their improved career performance.