The Strange Case Of Dr. Jekyll And Mr. Hyde - 1757 Words

Gain and loss are intimately connected and in a constant struggle for balance. This pair of themes is intertwined through many works of literature, such as, Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, William Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew, and Robert L. Stevenson’s The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Each of these works consists of elements of gain and loss that serve a very crucial purpose to both the characters and the plot. For instance in Frankenstein and The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde we find that, oftentimes, in order to gain understanding about life, one loses a lot in life. And in The Taming of the Shrew, readers see that someone’s gain can be another’s loss. â€Å"I have lost everything and cannot begin life anew†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦show more content†¦Unfortunately, his thirst for eminence clouded his practical judgment and his morality. Frankenstein made a choice. A choice that resulted in a great fall from which he was †Å"never, never again to rise† (Shelley, 188). He chose to sacrifice the world he had originally wanted to advance and abandoned his own creation in a hypercritical world and consequently lost his humanity. Meanwhile, his creation battled to understand the world around him. He hoped to gain many things from this beautiful world for he had nothing to lose besides curiosity and innocence. Sadly, the creation lost even his innocence and initial fascination and instead gained hate, anger, and vengeance on his creator. He gained an understanding of how people judge others by their appearances despite their true nature and well-intentioned actions. He realized that no one will accept him despite his efforts and so he lost the respect and compassion he had for humans and despised his creator for bringing him into such a hateful world. He was compelled to commit actions that defied his own morals and hence lost his will to be good. He once disclosed the pain he suffers when murdering h umans. Do you think that I was then dead to agony and remorse?†¦ My heart was fashioned to be susceptible of love and sympathy, and when wrenched by misery to vice and hatred, it did not endure the violence of the change without torture such as you cannot even imagine† (Shelley, 195). Eventually, Dr.

Relationship Between the Criminal Justice System and Mental Illness Free Essays

With nearly 300,000 mentally ill individuals housed within local, state, and federal prison systems, issues of mental health care within the criminal justice system are at the forefront of debate. While steps such as increasing medications and providing at least marginal support for the mentally ill within state institutions are improving the situation, recidivism rates, homelessness, and violence against ill prison inmates is still a major problem in today’s society. The product of deinstitutionalization, this problem of warehousing the ill within the criminal justice system must be attended to in order to create an atmosphere of care for the mentally ill. We will write a custom essay sample on Relationship Between the Criminal Justice System and Mental Illness or any similar topic only for you Order Now By altering legislation against involuntary assistance, increasing knowledge and awareness through the criminal justice system, and an increase in community care following release, the criminal justice system can create a cost effective solution to the problem of untreated mental illness within the system. The Relationship between the Criminal Justice System The relationship between mental illness and the criminal justice system has been one of intense scrutiny over the past several decades. Issues such as treatment options within state and federal prison systems, behavioral consequences of mental illness, and length of stay issues have all been deliberated intently by the psychiatric and legal community. These studies have indicated that severe problems exist within the system in terms of the care mentally ill individuals receive while incarcerated. This paper will focus on the issues of the mentally ill prison inmate, and will review current literature which suggests that although steps are being taken to solve some of these issues, more work must be undertaken to solve the problem of mental illness within the criminal justice system. In the correctional system today, there are nearly 300,000 mentally ill individuals, as compared to only 60,000 currently residing in state psychiatric hospitals (Faust, 2003). While only five percent of the population within the United States suffers from some form of mental illness, sixteen percent of individuals within the U.S. prison system suffer mental illness, clearly showing an over representation of these individuals within the system (Ditton, 1999). Some studies even suggest that the rate of incarceration of the mentally ill is four times that of the general population for males, and nearly six times that of the general population for females (Cox, 2001). The question, then, may be asked if the criminal justice system is ignoring the issues of mental illness, but studies suggest this is not the case. In the Los Angeles county jail system alone, over $10 million a year is spent on psychiatric medications for inmates (Faust, 2003). Another study showed that nearly half of all U.S. states have, in the last four years, established commissions or task forces specifically designed to look into the connection between the mental health system and the criminal system. Further legislation has been introduced in five states calling for such commissions (Souweine, 2004). In some states, such as Ohio, serious efforts have been put into place to assist the mentally ill. Ohio state prisons have quintupled the number of mental health professionals on staff, developed better mental health screening, provided more beds for the criminally insane, improved guard training, and improved funding for inmate mental health care (Kaufman, 1999). With all of these efforts in place, it is difficult to see why the problem of untreated mental illness exists. In order to understand the problem, it is essential to first understand the origins of the situation. In the mid-1950’s through the 1970’s, attempts were in force to dismantle the warehouses of the mentally ill through a process known as â€Å"deinstitutionalization†. At the time, mental institutions were simply holding areas for the insane, with sparse living conditions, harsh â€Å"treatment† procedures including electroshock therapy in unsafe conditions, and brutalization of patients (Treatment Advocacy Center, 1999). Following concerns about civil rights issues, cost issues, and a desire to move to a more â€Å"outpatient† approach, numerous legislations were enacted to â€Å"deinstitutionalize† the population of mental health hospitals. First in 1965, the federal government passed legislation that specifically excluded Medicaid payments for inmates housed in state psychiatric hospitals. As a result, the states were now required to provide care, and, looking to lower costs, many discharged hundreds or thousands of patients into society (Treatment Advocacy Center, 1999). In addition, legal reforms in the 1970’s were passed that required an individual to be a danger to himself or to others in order for him or her to be treated involuntarily for their illness (Faust, 2003). The result was another mass release of patients into society. The results of deinstitutionalization are clear. Since 1960, nearly 90 percent of psychiatric beds in state hospitals have been removed. In 1955, nearly 600,000 individuals resided in state psychiatric hospitals; the number today is less than 70,000 individuals (Treatment Advocacy Center, 1999). Unfortunately, however, these numbers are misleading, in that they suggest a reduction in the number of mentally ill individuals, which is not the case. For many deinstitutionalized patients, the end result was simply a transinstitutionalization, or change of residence. While the Medicaid funds had been withdrawn for state psychiatric hospitals, those funds were still available for individuals with mental illness residing in nursing homes and general hospitals. As a result, many patients were simply transferred to these types of settings, where treatment options and care for the mentally insane were not nearly as advanced. By the mid 1980’s, nearly 23 percent of nursing home residents had some form of mental illness (Treatment Advocacy Center, 1999). For other deinstitutionalized patients, the results were far more disastrous. According to recent studies, nearly 200,000 individuals with schizophrenia or manic-depression are homeless (Treatment Advocacy Center, 1999). Another 200,000 of the homeless population suffer from other forms of mental illness. As homeless individuals, many of these patients are unable to maintain any form of treatment or medications, and thus are unable to receive the care they desperately need in order to function in society (Faust, 2003). Unfortunately, for many of these individuals, criminal incarceration in the final result. In some cases, family members who are unable to force their relatives into treatment facilities due to the involuntary treatment laws have no choice but to wait until the illness causes harmful behaviors. At that junction, the police are contacted, and the individual is removed to a correctional facility (Faust, 2003). Since it is now common practice to give priority to mentally ill individuals awaiting court proceedings, many family members find this method the only option for obtaining assistance (Treatment Advocacy Center, 2000). The result, according to a 1992 study, is that over 29 percent of jails in the U.S. criminal justice system report holding mentally ill individuals with no charges against them. Certain states, such as Montana, Wyoming, and New Mexico, allow such situations if the individual is being held awaiting psychiatric evaluation, a psychiatric bed in a state hospital, or transportation to that hospital (Treatment Advocacy Center, 2000). Many of these individuals are held after arrest for misdemeanors, such as trespassing, disorderly conduct, or vagrancy (Treatment Advocacy Center, 2000). In fact, nearly half of the mentally ill inmates housed within the criminal justice system at any given time have been arrested for a non-violent crime (Ditton, 1999). Additionally, studies have shown that substance abuse is often involved with many mentally ill individuals (Teplin and Abram, 2000). As a result, these individuals are often arrested for alcohol and drug related offenses (Treatment Advocacy Center, 2000). In many of these arrests, police are attempting to protect these individuals from harm, such as robbery, beatings, and rape, and therefore perform â€Å"mercy bookings† or unnecessary arrests in order to house the mentally ill (Treatment Advocacy Center, 2000). While these methods certainly provide some form of housing for the mentally ill, the consequences of that housing are astronomical. First, the costs of mentally ill housing within the criminal justice system are staggering. According to the Department of Justice in 2000, American taxpayers pay $15 billion annually for individuals incarcerated in jails and prisons with mental illnesses (Bureau of Justice Statistics, 2001). Additionally, while these inmates do receive some form of psychiatric care, the costs of such care are much higher than that of community care centers, while the outcomes of such treatment is often much lower. According to the Department of Justice in 2000, one in every eight state prisoners were receiving some form of mental health therapy, and of the 1,558 state correctional facilities in the nation, 1,394 provided some form of mental health care. Nearly 70 percent screen inmates at admission for mental health issues, 65 percent conduct regular psychological assessment, half provide 24-hour psychological services, nearly 75 percent distribute psychotropic medications, and 66 percent assist released individuals with obtaining community mental health services (Bureau of Justice Statistics, 2001). However, even with the steps in place, the programs tend to not be as intensive nor as successful as those in a more clinical or community setting. Drug therapy, used in nearly 60 percent of the mentally ill housed within the correctional system, has been shown to be less effective than drug therapy combined with other forms of therapy (Bureau of Justice Statistics, 2001). Since nearly two-thirds of the mentally ill inmates are housed within units not specializing in mental health services, many are not receiving forms of treatment shown to be effective (Treatment Advocacy Center, 1999). In addition to the problems with mental health care in state institutions, local institutions fare even worse. A 1992 study of American jails functioning outside of the state or federal level showed that one in five systems had no access to mental health services whatsoever. Furthermore, 84 percent of these systems reported their staff to have received either no training or less than three hours of training in dealing with mentally ill inmates (Treatment Advocacy Center, 2000). Clearly, simply housing the mentally ill within the state and local criminal justice system institutions is not cost effective, nor effective in terms of treatment given. However, there are even more drastic consequences of using the criminal justice system as a holding area for the mentally ill. First and foremost, mentally ill patients have special needs outside of simple medicinal requirements. Patterns of illogical thinking, delusions, hallucinations, severe mood swings, and other symptoms of mental illness tend to occur even in medicated mentally ill individuals. In the prison system, these symptoms which lead to bizarre and unpredictable behavior are often misunderstood by personnel that have not been trained in these types of illnesses. As a result, non-ill inmates and the personnel themselves may react with violence and punishment that is detrimental to the already fragile mental health of the individual (Treatment Advocacy Center, 2000). Still further, rape, a commonly known occurrence in prison systems, is more likely to occur in individuals who are unable to defend themselves due to confusion and disorientation as a result of their mental illness (Hiday, et al, 1998). These patterns of behaviors also lead to longer prison sentences for mentally ill inmates. In one study, done in Riker’s Island Prison, the average length of stay for an inmate was 42 days. In comparison, the average rate for a mentally ill inmate was 215 days, a length five times that of a non-ill inmate. In a similar study in Pennsylvania, only 16 percent of released prisoners had served their complete sentence. Of those, the mentally ill were three times as likely to serve their complete sentence as those who were not ill (Ditton, 1999). Perhaps one of the largest problems facing the mentally ill who are incarcerated is finding community resources for equal or greater care following their release. A study completed it 1992 showed that nearly 30 percent of mentally ill inmates released commit another act within four months of release (Treatment Advocacy Center, 1999). For many, this recidivism rate is due to a lack of medications necessary to maintain a stable mental health condition. In addition, many of these individuals find themselves homeless following release, which further limits their ability to receive further treatment (Ditton, 1999). It is clear that, although the current criminal justice system certainly attempts to care for the mentally ill, more needs to be done to ensure these individuals are continuously cared for. One such step, supported by the National Sheriff’s Association, is to consider new laws altering the requirements for mental ill treatment. The NSA suggests laws which would allow treatment based on a â€Å"need for treatment†, rather than simply a show of â€Å"dangerousness†. The NSA also supports measures to allow a court order to assist in outpatient treatment of individuals in the community who need such treatment, but refuse it (Faust, 2003). Many studies have shown that mentally ill individuals often are not aware of their illness and thus, refuse treatment despite their clear need for such measures (Teplin and Abram, 2000). According to a long term study supported by the NSA, long term treatment combined with routine outpatient services reduced rearrest by nearly 74 pe rcent (Faust, 2003). Further, increasing the availability of community services following release has shown to be an effective measure in controlling the issue of mentally ill inmates upon their release. In Cook County, Illinois, case management for released inmates is provided by the Thresholds Jail Program. The individuals of Thresholds provide 7 day a week case management for as long as the member needs assistance, and even searches the streets for those individuals who are homeless at the time of release. This commitment has resulted in an 80 percent reduction in the need for hospitalization or incarceration of released inmates. Funded through the Illinois Office of Mental Health, the program costs $25 a day, in comparison to $70 a day for incarceration, or $500 a day for hospitalization (Thresholds, 2006). Additionally, ensuring mental health screening measures, improving personnel training, and providing qualified mental health staff in all criminal justice systems, including local jails, would also help to decrease the issues related to the mentally ill within the system. In Ohio, where such measures have been implemented, there has been a dramatic increase in the care of the mentally ill. Reports show less mentally ill prisoner abuse, smaller punishments for rule infractions, and an overall increase in inmate mental health. Even further, recidivism rates of the mentally ill in Ohio have fallen nearly 80 percent (Kaufman, 1999). Deinstitutionalization had drastic effects on the future of the mentally ill in America. Unfortunately, the criminal justice system has become a replacement warehouse for the mentally ill, providing basic housing and medication for these individuals only for the duration of confinement. Once released, and even in some smaller prison systems, the inmate is left without adequate mental health treatment or medication, resulting in an endless spiral of illness and incarceration that is costing billions of dollars a year, and the lives of many mentally ill individuals. By creating new laws which allow treatment based on need, utilizing existing community resources on release, and increasing the knowledge and awareness of such issues within the personnel of the criminal justice system, these individuals can become productive members of society at a far lower cost, creating a better situation for all involved. How to cite Relationship Between the Criminal Justice System and Mental Illness, Essay examples

Dear Professor Chu Zhu Essay Example For Students

Dear Professor Chu Zhu: Essay I am a student in your CIS25 class. First I would like to saythat I find the class extremely stimulating, and I am inspired to succeed in completing the course because of the profound level of understanding of operating systems I will gain from it. However, I have concerns that the course may be impossible to complete, unless the students forgo allother commitments and activities such as attending other classes, sleeping, etc. These concerns, which I share with other students,have been corroborated by our TAs, who have confirmed that the sizeof the projects for CIS25 and the short time availableto do them are unprecedented. I still clearly remember that you said it took you 20 hours to complete Assignment 2 of the project. When I asked, Are you saying the (undergraduate) students should also be able to complete the project in 20 hours? you gave a smile and a shrug and said, Why not? I had hoped that you were joking, but now itappears that you were not. You impliedthat, in order to complete the project in 20 hours, I must perform at the level of a professor with a Ph.D. in Computer Science. But we students do not have Ph.Ds , and with our limited knowledge and experience, I believe it will take us at least 60 hours to do the project. Over half of the class is MIS major, with only 1 semester of C programming experience therefore to jump right into C++ seems quite unreasonable. Many CIS majors have not programmed in a while because sophomore year theoretical classes provide very little programming. Another problem we have encountered is that working in groups is much more difficult than one would imagine. We all have different classes and different majors (CIS and MIS) which makes it difficult for partners to meet and work together as required. Splitting the assignment up provides no solution either, because each of us needs to understand the entire assignmentfor the oral quiz. Therefore I believe it will be impossible to finish the project in less than 60 hours, bearing in mind that we are undergraduate students and almost all of us have little knowledge and no experience of the system we are using. I personally have gone to the lab and worked on the assignment between 3 and 4 hours a day on average, including weekends, but there is still much to do. I must admit thatthis is not what I expected from Laney College, which is supposed to be a fine institution,so pleasegive us more time or cut some assignments.According to my favorite book, Becoming a critical thinker, the problem that exists between us arises from conflicts in reality assumptions. Reality assumptions are beliefs about what is true and factual about the world they are based on the unique experience and education of each individual. As a highly successful graduate of Stanford University, you can no doubt do the assignment comfortably in 20 hours, however I think it is unreasonable to expect us to meet your excellent standards of academic achievement. After all, we are only undergraduate students with limited computer experience in a 2-year course at a community college. Having said that, I am sure the personal effort we make at Laney College is equal to that of the students at Berkeley or Stanford. Therefore may I respectfully request that you revisit the assignments slated for the remainder of the class and consider adjusting them to set a more achievable goal? Sincerely,

Social Media and social responsibility Essays - Ethics,

Social Media and social responsibility Connie Elmore GEB2430 Professor Richardson, Todd May 1, 2017 Social Media and social responsibility Introduction The most important consideration in social responsibility for an organization is that it should not be executed on the basis of the views of an individual, but it should be a reflection of the values as well as beliefs of the owners and the shareholders. Engagement of stakeholders plays a crucial role in the corporate social responsibility of the organization as well as in the achievement of the triple bottom line (Gillenwater, 2008). Dialogue is very important in identifying the environmental as well as social issues that affect performance, accountability and enhancement of decision-making. The most important consideration for an organization is that business environment takes account of some crucial business strategies appraises in a continuous process which facilitates focusing on evaluation together with control of business through setting strategies as well as goals that should minimize costs and ensure maximization of profits in the business (Gillenwater, 2008). The use of social media to build social responsibility is an important consideration in the success of the business. It is therefore important for an organization to formulate strategies that are significant for their business in minimizing organizational costs coupled with raising the margin of profits in their business. Overall theme of the topic, background and why is it important The use of social media plays a vital role in perfecting the social responsibility in an organization through building a defense shield (Gillenwater, 2008). This is particularly important during the times of crisis where the organization should embrace the responsibility of being transparent as well as open. Expeditious communication to the customers is a vital consideration in the social responsibility of the company (Gillenwater, 2008). The use of digital platform has been an effective way of achieving such an objective in the organization, before the actual eruption of any crisis in the organization irrespective of its cause, the organization must embrace the requisite mechanisms to cushion the stakeholders through leveraging the positive performance of the company (Gillenwater, 2008). It is important for the organization to build networks that comprises the supporters over time, which must be aligned with the values as well as, the actions of the business that facilitate in the protection of the business during crisis (Collis & Jef, 2001). There are limited and straightforward strategies that can be applied in social media by organizations that facilitate in highlighting the commitments of the business to the social responsibility and aid in the building of the social media in the organization. Transparency is an important consideration in the social responsibility program of the business and more so when a social networking platform is being harnessed. The online consumers are particularly confident and the must therefore be accorded open communication that enhances the reputation of the business management (Collis & Jef, 2001). Social responsibility at an organization must be able to position the business in the existing environment. The use of social networking platforms in social media is crucial in shaping the social responsibility strategy in the organization. They describe the strategic positioning of the organization and the ethical reputation inherent in an organization business which in turn explains the perception of the society to an organization and the willingness of an organization to interact with the community. The most important consideration in social responsibility for an organization is that it should not be executed on the basis of the views of an individual but should be a reflection of the values as well as beliefs of the owners and the shareholders (Gillenwater, 2008). Facts, differing views, and concerns The social responsibility in a business organization can therefore be successful or a source of failure. The success of the social responsibility depends on their degree of expressing the behavior objectives. Good behaviors must be encouraged while the bad ones must be spelled out and discouraged. The mission of the business must be a reflection of the social responsibility (Schwartz, 2001). The failure of the social responsibility in addressing the employees' behaviors in the organization requires the action of the management to correct what seems to go wrong (Stevens, 2008). They must ascertain that their goals are pragmatic because social responsibilities that aim too high are likely to fail. For example, in a community where corruption is endemic, a goal of ending the practice can only mislead the administration in setting the agenda in the Social responsibility program (Schwartz, 2001). Feedback is an important action from the management of the organization to make sure that the social responsibilities are

The Trailblazing Colony of Massachusetts essays

The Trailblazing Colony of Massachusetts essays Massachusetts is one of the original 13 colonies, laying claim to the Pilgrim's landing and the Boston Tea Party, as well as the first battles of the Revolutionary WarLexington and Concord. Native Americans were living in Massachusetts long before Europeans arrived, and among them were the Wampanoag, the Nauset, and the Massachuset tribes. These people were largely agricultural, although they did a significant amount of fishing and trading with French and British settlers. European settlement of the Massachusetts colony began in 1620, with the landing at Plymouth of the Pilgrims, looking for freedom from religious persecution. They found the winter difficult, but they stayed. The English settlers found some friendly Native Americans in the Massachusetts area. The Wampanoag, in particular, was friendly to the Pilgrims. (Out of this friendship came the First Thanksgiving.) The Plymouth colony thrived and expanded, becoming the Massachusetts Bay Colony. Salem was the first capital, then was replaced by Boston in 1632, after a huge infusion of English settlers arrived. The colony thrived as an agricultural colony, although several important merchants set up shop in the following years. Most people lived in villages, with the farm fields just outside of town. The typical village layout was privately owned houses surrounding a commona large open area that was owned by all members of the village. In this common was a meeting house, where religious and town meetings took place. Interest in education was keen, and Harvard, the first American university, was founded in 1636. The first private academies could be found in Massachusetts as well. This promotion of education extended all the way to very young children, as a 1647 law required towns of more than 50 people to have an elementary school, which children were required to attend. The ever-expanding settlements of Europeans brought them eventually into armed conflict with Native Am...

Arthur Harris - World War II Arthur Bomber Harris Biography

Arthur Harris - World War II Arthur Bomber Harris Biography Early Life: The son a British Indian Service administrator, Arthur Travers Harris was born at Cheltenham, England on April 13, 1892. Educated at Allhallows School in Dorset, he was not a stellar student and was encouraged by his parents to seek his fortune in the military or colonies. Electing for the latter, he traveled to Rhodesia in 1908, and became a successful farmer and gold miner. With the outbreak of World War I, he enlisted as a bugler in the 1st Rhodesian Regiment. Briefly seeing service in South Africa and German South-West Africa, Harris departed for England in 1915, and joined the Royal Flying Corps. Flying with the Royal Flying Corps: After completing training, he served on the home front before being transferred to France in 1917. A skilled pilot, Harris quickly became a flight commander and later commander of No. 45 and No. 44 Squadrons. Flying Sopwith 1 1/2 Strutters, and later Sopwith Camels, Harris downed five German aircraft before the end of the war making him an ace. For his accomplishments during the war, he earned the Air Force Cross. At wars end, Harris elected to remain in the newly formed Royal Air Force. Sent abroad, he was posted to various colonial garrisons in India, Mesopotamia, and Persia. Interwar Years: Intrigued by aerial bombing, which he saw as a better alternative to the slaughter of trench warfare, Harris began adapting aircraft and developing tactics while serving abroad. Returning to England in 1924, he was given command of the RAFs first dedicated, postwar, heavy bomber squadron. Working with Sir John Salmond, Harris began training his squadron in night flying and bombing. In 1927, Harris was sent to the Army Staff College. While there he developed a dislike for the Army, though he did become friends with future Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery. After graduating in 1929, Harris returned the Middle East as Senior Air Officer in the Middle East Command. Based in Egypt, he further refined his bombing tactics and became increasingly convinced in aerial bombardments ability to win wars. Promoted to Air Commodore in 1937, he was given command of No. 4 (Bomber) Group the following year. Recognized as a gifted officer, Harris was promoted again to Air Vice Marshal and sent to Palestine and Trans-Jordan to command RAF units in the region. With World War II beginning, Harris was brought home to command No. 5 Group in September 1939. World War II: In February 1942, Harris, now an Air Marshal, was placed in command of the RAFs Bomber Command. During the first two years of the war, the RAFs bombers had suffered heavy casualties while being forced to abandon daylight bombing due to German resistance. Flying at night, the effectiveness of their raids was minimal as targets proved difficult, if not impossible, to find. As a result, studies showed that less than one bomb in ten fell within five miles of its intended target. To combat this, Professor Frederick Lindemann, a confidant of Prime Minister Winston Churchill, began advocating area bombing. Approved by Churchill in 1942, the doctrine of area bombing called for raids against urban areas with the goal of destroying housing and displacing German industrial workers. Though controversial, it was approved by the Cabinet as it provided a way to directly attack Germany. The task of implementing of this policy was given to Harris and Bomber Command. Moving forward, Harris was initially hampered by a lack of aircraft and electronic navigation equipment. As a result, early area raids often were inaccurate and ineffective. On May 30/31, Harris launched Operation Millennium against the city of Cologne. To mount this 1,000-bomber raid, Harris was forced scavenge aircraft and crews from training units. Utilizing a new tactic known as the bomber stream, Bomber Command was able to overwhelm the German night air defense system known as the Kammhuber Line. The attack was also facilitated by the use of a new radio navigation system known as GEE. Striking Cologne, the raid started 2,500 fires in the city and established area bombing as a viable concept. A huge propaganda success, it would be some time until Harris was able to mount another 1,000-bomber raid. As Bomber Commands strength grew and new aircraft, such as the Avro Lancaster and the Handley Page Halifax, appeared in large numbers, Harris raids became larger and larger. In July 1943, Bomber Command, working in conjunction with the US Army Air Force, commenced Operation Gomorrah against Hamburg. Bombing around the clock, the Allies leveled over ten square miles of the city. Heartened by the success of his crews, Harris planned a massive assault on Berlin for that fall. Believing that the reduction of Berlin would end the war, Harris opened the Battle of Berlin on the night of November 18, 1943. Over the next four months, Harris launched sixteen mass raids on the German capital. Though large areas of the city were destroyed, Bomber Command lost 1,047 aircraft during the battle and it was generally viewed as a British defeat. With the impending Allied invasion of Normandy, Harris was ordered to switch away from area raids on German cities to more precision strikes on the French railroad network. Angered by what he perceived as a waste of effort, Harris complied though he openly stated that Bomber Command was not designed or equipped for these types of strikes. His complaints proved moot as Bomber Commands raids proved highly effective. With the Allied success in France, Harris was permitted to return to area bombing. Reaching peak efficiency in the winter/spring of 1945, Bomber Command pounded German cities on a routine basis. The most controversial of these raids occurred early in the campaign when aircraft struck Dresden on February 13/14, igniting a firestorm that killed tens of thousands of civilians. With the war winding down, the final Bomber Command raid came on April 25/26, when aircraft destroyed an oil refinery in southern Norway. Postwar In the months after the war, there was some concern in the British government about the amount of destruction and civilian casualties caused by Bomber Command in the conflicts last stages. Despite this, Harris was promoted to Marshal of the Royal Air Force before he retired on September 15, 1945. In the years after the war, Harris stalwartly defended Bomber Commands actions stating that their operations conformed to the rules of the total war started by Germany. The following year, Harris became the first British commander-in-chief to not be made a peer after he refused the honor due to the governments refusal to create a separate campaign medal for his air crews. Always popular with his men, Harris act further cemented the bond. Angered by criticism of Bomber Commands wartime actions, Harris moved to South Africa in 1948, and served as a manager for the South African Marine Corporation until 1953. Returning home, he was forced to accept a baronetcy by Churchill and became the 1st Baronet of Chipping Wycombe. Harris lived in retirement until his death on April 5, 1984. Selected Sources BBC: Sir Arthur Bomber HarrisRAF: Arthur Bomber Harris

Quality in Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Quality in Management - Essay Example In this paper, the researcher has summarised the wave of quality management that has been taken by the organization in UAE in reference to Agthia. Agthia is one of the largest Food and Water product manufacturing company based in UAE. The company mainly focuses on delivering better customer experience (Agthia, 2014). In this context, quality management is an important parameter that helps to differentiate organizational product from other competitors. Thus, quality management is an essential tool not only to create advanced quality products and services, but also to meet needs and requirements of the customers. Some of the quality and excellence initiatives launched by the UAE economy play an important role to provide the organization insights towards the excellence. W. Edwards Deming, Joseph Juran and Philips Crosby, three major contributor of quality philosophy, has developed different aspect of TQM (Ho Tang, 2009). Each of the view, suggested by them, needs to be examined to understand difference in their approaches regarding TQM. Deming, worked with the Japanese automobile manufacturers to improve their product quality and gaining competitive foot within the industry. His philosophy is based on 14 points of TQM which can be summed up by saying that, the management team must redesign their production strategy into four different steps, namely, plan, do, check and act. In planning segment, business should design quality of the product and service as per the needs and requirements of their customers, and at the same time reduce waste and decrease the production cost. Next, businesses should construct their work by putting the plan into action and must continually seek ways to do things better way (Hendricks and Singhal, 2008). The check strategy is implemented to monitor the changes that supposedly take place, for example, removing barriers to the quality by providing right job at right time. Finally,

SAP HR Module Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

SAP HR Module - Research Paper Example This report will outline some of the important aspects of HR Module including its major functions and features. SAP ERP HCM: An Overview SAP HCM is also called human resource management system that is commonly used to manage human resource related activities for an organization. With an integrated SAP ERP HCM software solution for managing all the human resource related operations, a business organization can be able to more enthusiastically recognize where their workforce's talents are at the present and bring into line the objectives of their employees with their business's overarching business policy. In addition, using this real-time approach to deal with human resources, a business is able to take advantage completely from human-capital policies and programs; and as a result determine their workforce's support to the bottom line. Additionally, by automating all the core human resource procedures, like that human resource management, legal reporting and payroll this modern techno logy based system increases the business performance and compliance with changing worldwide and local regulations. In fact, SAP ERP Human Capital Management system helps business organizations all through the globe to improve performance with well-organized, dedicated and motivated personnel. Moreover, with integrated building blocks and a matchless partner system, the system facilitates shared services and business operations outsourcing and minimizes operating expenses and risk for these operational models (SAP; kristine; Newman). Features and Functions SAP ERP Human Capital Management system encompasses characteristics, processes and end-user release alternatives to help business organizations manage the following business procedures (SAP; SAP2; kristine; Newman). End-user Service Delivery: This module of SAP ERP HCM facilitates the organization in delivery of ERP services both with business content to the entire organization and beyond. Basically, the customer service delivery b usiness process provides the clients with numerous alternatives to access ERP features and services, depending on the nature of their tasks, their preferences, and the business context (SAP; SAP2; kristine; Newman). Workforce Analytics: This module of SAP ERP HCM facilitates timely approaching into the staff that allows a business organization to take advantage of integrated human capital policy and programs, and determine their workforce’s potential to the bottom line (SAP; SAP2; kristine; Newman). Talent Management: This module of SAP ERP HCM offers a great deal of support to people all through every stage of their services, from staffing through development, training and retention. It also allows them to recruit the appropriate people, place their expertise to most outstanding use, bring into line worker objectives with business objectives by augmenting the influence of training, and maintain the tasks for the top performers. In addition, SAP ERP HCM also allows the organi zations to develop and deploy talent more quickly and flexibly as compared to ever before. In this scenario, the result facilitates and puts together all the talent management procedures, as a result organizations are able to acquire, attract, train and guide, and expand talent, identify and produce future leaders; and bring into line and motivate talent with

The sounds of excitement and anticipation Essay Example for Free

The sounds of excitement and anticipation Essay The sounds of excitement and anticipation are played out in the symphonic soundtrack to the movie E.T. To feel the emotions of a character, in any story, helps one come to know the hopes, fears, and traits of a character. The contribution of music in the movie ET helps the audience to gain trust and insight into those very bits and pieces of a characters spirit, his mind set, his stance, and his behaviors. How can a movies master soundtrack possibly give the average audience member that much knowledge of a certain characters manner? Perhaps the director, Steven Spielberg, does so by repeating the common piece of music known as the flying theme. We hear the song during moments of sadness, amazement, wonder, and happiness. For example, we hear the theme when E.T. uses his power to fly the young boys and their bicycles over the forest. We hear the song so much that it begins to generate thoughts in our heads as to what the scene will mean and what new aspect of a character will be brought out in the upcoming moments of the film. When we first meet the young character, Elliot, he is at home in his kitchen, and we hear nothing more than the sounds of his mother doing dishes and his brother playing a space game with his buddies. As an audience, all we hear is muffled sound with Elliots sharp, high pitched whines yelling out above the noise. We already know that he desperately wants to be a part of the older kids group. See more: how to cite an article Those of us who are the youngest child of our families may automatically sympathize with Elliots moans and groans. We know and feel the want and need to belong and to fit in. With nothing more than the synchronous sounds of the outdoors gates swinging, dogs barking-Elliot makes his way outside to wait for the pizza man and we are given the chance to observe Elliot alone for the first time. He is young, skinny, pale, and constantly observing the actions and sounds around him. He is blunt, full of curiosity and full of mischief. Elliot is looking to prove himself and his claims of an alien to his family. As an audience member, I cannot help but feel a sense of want for Elliot to prove his family wrong, perhaps the musical themes in the background contribute to that anticipation. He waits outside with his flashlight, and in silence, all we hear is the constant hum of crickets, which helps to build suspense as he waits. Elliot then begins to search through the cornfield, the sounds of weeds and cornhusks as he moves slowly about personifies the anxiousness and fear that Elliot is feeling. They are the sounds which one awaits to hear each October while eagerly waiting in line for a haunted house or a hayride. They are the disguised sounds of adrenaline and anxiety. We can identify with these sounds and feelings which are presented, and therefore we can identify with Elliot. We are not given the chance to see Elliots room, his element, until he introduces it to his new found friend, E.T. With nothing more than the sounds of footprints, E.T.s purring breath, and the sight of Elliots wide eyes, the audience watches as E.T. and Elliot observe each other in silence. As they come to know one another one will notice that there is not dialogue, nothing more than the light trill of a string orchestra and high-pitched violins to accompany the audiences imaginations. E.T. is becoming comfortable with Elliot as Elliot is doing the same with E.T. E.T. is full of confusion, which is accompanied by mischief and wonder. We see this as he explores Elliots room. The solo sounds of Elliots paint brushes in a paint tin clank together as E.T. explores. The exploration of Elliots room and all of his gadgets and experiments illustrates to us that he is a smart, science driven child who longs to create, invent, explore, and build. Elliot is often seen in his flannel shirt, blue jeans, and his long underwear. He is short with a sloppy hair cut, possibly somewhat of a nerd. He longs to be proven. Now that Ive explained the character of Elliot, I will go into more depth about the character of E.T. E.T. is a creature unlike any other. He is an alien with the classic features; a wide, bald head, slimy skin that leaves a clear residue, wide eyes, and he doesnt speak our language, but he learns it eventually. He rarely speaks and he constantly observes his newly remodeled environment. Spielberg helps his audience come to know the character or E.T. by commonly using point of view shots. The first example of this is used in the beginning when E.T. is hiding and watching the hunters in the woods. This helps us to come to know his fear. We also see another example of this in the Halloween scene. We see E.T.s point of view through the two eyes in the white sheet, which is disguises him as a ghost. As a character, E.T. is often seen watching for sadness and longing to help. For example, in the scene which takes place in Elliots closet, we can see the look of hurt and sympathy for Elliots younger sister, Gertie, in E.T.s eyes when Michael and Elliot threaten to hurt Gerties doll if she dares to say a word about E.T.s presence in the house. E.T. is fearful of confrontation, and most often he screams and jumps at the sight of a threatening object or that of a loud, unfamiliar noise. By the end of the film, we know that E.T.s heart is full of love as it beams a bright red glow when Elliot expresses his feelings for him, which ultimately brings E.T. back to life. That scene gives us the guarantee that E.T. thrives off of kindness and love. He is gentle and curious. The synchronous sound of E.T.s purring breath, like that of a baby kitten, expresses to the audience that he is gentle and soft hearted. It seems almost impossible that E.T. could ever cause any harm. Aspects such as these help us to know and fall in love with his character. The music is what feeds the soul and emotion of E.T. It helps the audience to overcome the silence and leads them to think during frequent scenes with no dialogue. The redundant, orchestral themes that play in and out of many scenes help to identify each characters mood and state of mind, which ultimately brings the audience to know the characters spirit. The music helps up to know when they are sad, happy, content, hurt, or amazed. It leaves us with the idea of not only what they are feeling or how they appear on the outside, but who they are on the inside and what their nature is as a character and individual.

American Airlines Essay -- essays research papers

American airlines is a corporation that exhibits all of the characteristics of a firm in an industry where good tactical management is the key to success. This company and its regional airline partner American eagle serve almost 250 cities around the world and operate more than 3600 daily flights. Its goal is to provide safe, dependable and friendly air transportation along with related services, making a great effort to transform any experience into a positive one. All of the services that this company has and the image that they are trying to keep in every day activities make each day an inevitable challenge for its employees. This company has 69 years in the industry. It is one of the airlines that have played an important part in the history of air transportation in the United States. Starting as a mail company called â€Å"Aviation Airways†, which carried bags of mail from Chicago to St Louis is how this company began to rise. In 1934 American airways became American Airlines, Inc. A few years later it became the nation’s number one domestic air carrier in terms of revenue passenger miles. At the end of the World War II series of new aircrafts filled the expand need of air transportation, these new acquisitions made AA the only airline in the US with a completely post war fleet of pressurized passenger airplanes. Eight years later AA pioneered non-stop transcontinental service in both directions across the US. Due to American Airlines incredible growth, they teamed up with I... American Airlines Essay -- essays research papers American airlines is a corporation that exhibits all of the characteristics of a firm in an industry where good tactical management is the key to success. This company and its regional airline partner American eagle serve almost 250 cities around the world and operate more than 3600 daily flights. Its goal is to provide safe, dependable and friendly air transportation along with related services, making a great effort to transform any experience into a positive one. All of the services that this company has and the image that they are trying to keep in every day activities make each day an inevitable challenge for its employees. This company has 69 years in the industry. It is one of the airlines that have played an important part in the history of air transportation in the United States. Starting as a mail company called â€Å"Aviation Airways†, which carried bags of mail from Chicago to St Louis is how this company began to rise. In 1934 American airways became American Airlines, Inc. A few years later it became the nation’s number one domestic air carrier in terms of revenue passenger miles. At the end of the World War II series of new aircrafts filled the expand need of air transportation, these new acquisitions made AA the only airline in the US with a completely post war fleet of pressurized passenger airplanes. Eight years later AA pioneered non-stop transcontinental service in both directions across the US. Due to American Airlines incredible growth, they teamed up with I...

An Article on Latest Fashion Trend

Latest Fashion Trend in Bangladesh-A Perspective Study Fashion changes with the march of time in modern ages throughout the world. What is fashion today becomes past tomorrow and new and new fashions emerge. Evidently fashion becomes modern and ultra modern day by day. Bangladesh is no exception of that change of fashion. Obviously we have to study fashion changes in Bangladesh. We know fashion is a combination of styles right from the hair down to the everyday wears including shoes. Modern changes of wears and dresses have remarkably been observed throughout Bangladesh.Women of all ages choose a fashionable and trendy wear now-a-days. They look for loose wears which is colorful but comfortable. Now is the trend for fashionable wears with variety of piping. As ceremonial dress women prefer gorgeous dresses and sarees of chiffon and muslin with blouses of various cuts and designs befitting to saree-wears. Along with three quarter salwar, women are also wearing dividers and salwar with piping. These fashions are growing popular day by day. Short kameez is out and long kameez has again revived their early place. With long kameez are added long or three quartered sleeves.In university campus, offices and parties, long kameez and leggings are preferred by women of all ages. Floral prints, yokes, laces and embroidery on long kameez are also very popular now. In the same contrast color there is variety in dresses and wears. Of the casual dresses women prefer kurta and tops along with jeans and leggings. Kaaftan is now growing famous in ladies wears. Cap sleeve, bell sleeve, kimono sleeve, mutton lake sleeve cuts are given to dress sleeves. In case of neck designs various changes and cuts are also observed. Kameez, kurta, skirt or even bags of tie die and boutique are back in modern fashions.Young girls like shoes with jeepers at the heel. They are also wearing flat shoes with churidaars. Ballerina is now on top fashion. It is old fashion to wear heavy ornaments of gol d and silver. Time has changed and women prefer pendent with small colorful stones. Earrings are also small and a matching bangle or bracelet in hand. Men are now fashionable and casual in t-shirts and jeans. Shoe styles have also changed. Long pointed shoes are now preferred. Sun glasses of different cuts and styles with colorful glasses are liked by both young men and women.Strap sandals are also a fashion item for the casual wear of men. But for formal wears they like full sleeve shirts with normal pants of different brands and formal shoes. Finally they are out for any occasion with light gel in hair and lot of confidence with a trendy look. We know a thing of beauty is a joy forever. What looks you beautiful, what makes you comfortable and what gives you delights and joy is the fashion. Today’s fashion will be left aside for tomorrow’s incoming styles and fittings. Such is the trend of fashion in Bangladesh which has to walk a long journey ahead.

French Educational System Compared to the American System Essay

France and the United States have numerous striking differences and tastes in almost all cultural aspects. The French education system has been criticized globally by scholars and experts in various career fields for its failure to provide a flexible, all-round education. However, it has also received praise and recognition by the world at large for its significant contribution to the field of mathematics, with the revolution in banking in the late 20th century pioneered by French mathematicians. The United States education system, on the other hand, is increasingly receiving favor by international students for its provision of high class, market friendly education, despite the current criticism on the high cost of education. This paper compares the French and the American education systems. There are many differences, as well as similarities, in the French and the US education systems. One of the major aspects which have raised concern is on higher education. In both countries, higher education is given high priority, and in the US, for instance, the majority of adults are college educated. In France, higher education is also highly valued, with a person’s popularity and respect increasing as she or he advances in education. A significant difference in the higher education in both France and the US, however, is on the entrance process to university. In the French education system, before one can gain access to university studies, the final exam, the Baccalaureat, or the â€Å"Bac† is mandatory. The â€Å"Bac† is a rigorous school-leaving examination with no multiple choice questions and includes a written part and an oral part, with several subjects each. The â€Å"Bac† is highly valued in the nation so much that despite numerous criticisms from scholars globally to change the system and implement other selection methods, the nation has refused to change it. (Understandfrance. org, 2008) Despite the tough examination system, the French have no other university selection method. The nationwide â€Å"no selection† policy has raised controversy from scholars worldwide who find the method not sufficient for a thorough process. College selection in the US however, is very vigorous and students undergo numerous processes before gaining entrance to college. Selection is comprised of practices such as writing a personal statement, attending an interview, being involved in extra curricular activities among of course, the class ranking and the grades earned in high school courses taken. Recommendations too, by responsible persons are also considered before one can gain entrance into any higher institution of learning. A major reason which has made many international students prefer the higher education system in the United States over that in France in the recent past is the many facilities and services offered in US institutions. Issues such as overcrowding in lecture halls, for instance, are not experienced in majority of US institutions, although quite evident in most of the universities in France. Such prestige, however, comes at a cost. College tuition fees in the US can in no way be comparable to France, where education, interestingly, at all levels is almost free and only 26 percent of university students receive scholarships. (Understandfrance. org, 2008) Tuition fees is so high in the US, such that scholarships alone cannot cater for the students; the majority of US students receive either loans, grants or both from the government, so as to cater for their tuition fees. The government, in fact cannot sufficiently cater for the tuition needs of all the students, and private sources are increasingly becoming normal. Grants and loans are even not enough, and many students opt to sign up to study over the internet, in the many obviously questionable free online courses. Another striking difference in the education systems of both France and the United States is their curriculum. The French curriculum has been criticized globally for its failure to connect to the world market. Many demonstrations have been staged by French students, for decades and although there have been reforms; the reforms have not been good enough to cater for the current market demand. The US system, on the other hand, has diverse and flexible curricula, with a wide range of topics, from nuclear science to dance. As opposed to the French curricula, where extra curricular activities such as sports, musical groups and numerous clubs are not recognized in the curricula and where one can only have private classes for the same, in the US, such activities are given high priority. They can also be found in US institutions, both public and private. The flexibility of the US education system is what has made it the most preferred by international students worldwide, since they can have access to almost all interested areas of study. Unemployment, as a result is not as prevalent in the US as it is in France, with the recent demonstrations by French students to find solutions to the problem. The French are recognized as a literacy community, where education levels determine a person’s status. The more one advances in education, the more recognized she or he gets. This is a belief not common in the US. This general belief is what makes the education valued so greatly, with most French students spending most of their time in classroom related activities, allowing no room for other activities such as music and art related fields. Highly educated people in France in especially the globally viewed â€Å"tough† subjects such as mathematics, are given great respect, with the not very successful in education, despite their circumstances or other achievements, looked down upon and not recognized. In the United States, however, education levels are not given such respect and other issues such as healthcare are given more weight even politically. It is not surprising to note that the richest Americans are college dropouts, big names such as William Gates III. This notwithstanding, the education facilities in the United states are the best compared to other institutions worldwide. Despite critics arguing that French schools tend to make students theoretical and uncreative, French academic standards are high and discipline is strict. This is however not the case in the American education system, where the use of drugs is common especially in junior high and high schools. This problem has remained a major problem in the US for many years. (Hall, 1990, 99-102 & 144) Education, over the years, has played a very important role in the development of individuals and a nation. It is important to note that both the French and American education systems should be improved, in certain features, as aforementioned, such as eradicating the drug use in US schools, making the French system more market friendly and more relevant to the current market stage, and improving the overcrowded high education institutions. This move would in the long run, make both of the systems stronger, hence ensuring effectiveness in both; an important catalyst in the road to globalization. Works Cited: Hall M. R. (1990) Understanding Cultural Differences: Germans, French and Americans (Intercultural Press) Understandfrance. org (2008): Education in France. Retrieved December 2nd 2008 from: http://www. understandfrance. org/France/Education. html

Free Essays on Racism In Huck

Controversial in death as he was in life, Mark Twain has been seriously accused by some of being a "racist writer," whose writing is offensive to black readers, perpetuates cheap slave-era stereotypes, and deserves no place on today's bookshelves. To those of us who have drunk gratefully of Twain's wisdom and humanity, such accusations are ludicrous. But for some people they clearly touch a raw nerve, and for that reason they deserve a serious answer. Let's look at the book that is most commonly singled out for this criticism, the novel that Ernest Hemingway identified as the source of all American literature: The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. For Twain's critics, the novel is racist on the face of it, and for the most obvious reason: many characters use the word "nigger" throughout. But since the action of the book takes place in the south twenty years before the Civil War, it would be amazing if they didn't use that word. A closer reading also reveals Twain's serious satiric intent. In one scene, for instance, Aunt Sally hears of a steamboat explosion. "Good gracious! anybody hurt?" she asks. "No'm," comes the answer. "Killed a nigger." But anyone who imagines that Mark Twain meant this literally is missing the point. Rather, Twain is using this casual dialogue ironically, as a way to underscore the chilling truth about the old south, that it was a society where perfectly "nice" people didn't consider the death of a black person worth their notice. To drive the point home, Twain has the lady continue: "Well, it's lucky, because sometimes people do get hurt." That's a small case in point. But what is the book really about? It's about nothing less than freedom and the quest for freedom. It's about a slave who breaks the law and risks his life to win his freedom and be reunited with his family, and a white boy who becomes his friend and helps him escape. Because of his upbringing, the boy starts out believing t... Free Essays on Racism In Huck Free Essays on Racism In Huck Controversial in death as he was in life, Mark Twain has been seriously accused by some of being a "racist writer," whose writing is offensive to black readers, perpetuates cheap slave-era stereotypes, and deserves no place on today's bookshelves. To those of us who have drunk gratefully of Twain's wisdom and humanity, such accusations are ludicrous. But for some people they clearly touch a raw nerve, and for that reason they deserve a serious answer. Let's look at the book that is most commonly singled out for this criticism, the novel that Ernest Hemingway identified as the source of all American literature: The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. For Twain's critics, the novel is racist on the face of it, and for the most obvious reason: many characters use the word "nigger" throughout. But since the action of the book takes place in the south twenty years before the Civil War, it would be amazing if they didn't use that word. A closer reading also reveals Twain's serious satiric intent. In one scene, for instance, Aunt Sally hears of a steamboat explosion. "Good gracious! anybody hurt?" she asks. "No'm," comes the answer. "Killed a nigger." But anyone who imagines that Mark Twain meant this literally is missing the point. Rather, Twain is using this casual dialogue ironically, as a way to underscore the chilling truth about the old south, that it was a society where perfectly "nice" people didn't consider the death of a black person worth their notice. To drive the point home, Twain has the lady continue: "Well, it's lucky, because sometimes people do get hurt." That's a small case in point. But what is the book really about? It's about nothing less than freedom and the quest for freedom. It's about a slave who breaks the law and risks his life to win his freedom and be reunited with his family, and a white boy who becomes his friend and helps him escape. Because of his upbringing, the boy starts out believing t...

Technical Writing Career

Technical Writing Career A technical writing career is a great if you’re the type of person who enjoys writing and if you have a good command of your grammar. However, the ability to write isn’t the only thing one needs to break into this field. One needs to understand how to take complex information on many different topics and be able to organize and translate them in such a way that the general public can understand it. As our society moves forward into the technological era, the demand for technical writes will grow, making a technical writing career a very viable career option for years to come. There are many opportunities in the realm of technical writing careers for one to choose from. There are opportunities from being a freelance technical writer or working as part of a writing team within an organization. The technical writing field is growing so rapidly that if you have the skills, you’ll find yourself in demand. Some things to keep in mind when considering a technical writing career are what type of writer you want to be. If you choose to be a freelance writer that takes on an entire project then your skills need to be quite considerable as opposed to being part of a team. When choosing a technical writing career, it may be advisable to begin as part of a team so that you can develop individual skills as needed while learning about the whole aspect from other experienced writers. Working on a team in a technical writing career offers one the opportunity to learn under experienced technical writers who can support and advise you in your work. Typically one would start off working under someone that would monitor your work closely. In most cases as part of a team, you would be responsible for a few documents in the beginning. Then as you begin to gain experience, you can expect to be given more challenging assignments. A good writer who wants to break in to a technical writing career will obse rve all the processes carefully and learn all that’s needed. If you ever hope to become a freelance technical writer, you’ll need to know all aspects of technical writing in order to truly impress a company into hiring you and keeping your services. As a lone, freelance writer, you would be expected to be responsible for an entire technical writing project, which can be quite formidable. A technical writing career means having the skills to evaluate the topic while analyzing outside requirements in order to come up with the information needed. Templates would be needed for the documentation books and you would have to possess the skills to design these. As a lone writer, you’d be the one writing all the books, guides, online information, etc. In order to have a successful freelance technical writing career, one must make sure the whole package is accurate and well developed before releasing it for public viewing. Many times if you are hired as the only technical writer, you’ll be working with people who have no experience in technical writing and you do not want criticism to come back into the company about your writing. This indicates to your employers that you’ve put out sloppy work and it could adversely affect the product you just wrote about. In a technical writing career, one needs to spend time building up the necessary skills in order to establish yourself in the field as a reputable, professional technical writer. A technical writing career is an area that offers great growth but one needs to be prepared with the necessary knowledge and skills to truly impress not only your employers but the public that you are putting the information out to as well. The better your skills, the more this will set you above the rest and you’ll be in demand. If you are one who not only enjoys writing but also has a good command of the English language and grammar and possess excellent research and organizational skills then check out a technical writing career.

Legal system and method Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Legal system and method - Essay Example Subsequently, Laroche made a claim in the High Court of England and Wales, for personal injury against the defendant, which was dismissed. Laroche appealed against this decision in the England and Wales Court of Appeal. The High Court had held that his claim had been extinguished, on the basis of Schedule 1, Article 29 of the Carriage by Air Acts (Application of Provisions) Order 1967. Thereafter, the Spirit of Adventure underwent voluntary liquidation, but it was appropriately restored, so that Laroche could claim damages for the injury caused to him. In England, all claims are subjected to the application of the Non – International Rules and they also fall within the scope of the Warsaw Convention on International Carriage by Air 1929. Thus, the concept of exclusivity of claims is governed by the Carriage by Air Act of 1961. In this case, the claim was made under article 29 of Schedule I. Under this article, the parties have to make a claim within a period of two years. Thus, the claim in this case was not valid, since two years had already transpired. The claimant could not invoke his right to action. Section 651 of the Companies Act 1985 sets aside such limitation. Nevertheless, article 29 could not be excluded in order to invoke the doctrines of estoppel or waiver under English law1. It was held by the court that Laroche’s claim was governed by Schedule 1 of the 1967 Order. This Order provides an exclusive cause of action; and Laroche could invoke this schedule to his claims. However, he had failed to make a claim within two years. Thus, he was precluded from invoking Schedule 1 article 292. This is a landmark case in the area of accidents, during carriage by air or sea. It served to establish that the provisions of International Conventions will be applied to claims in such accidents. The provisions apply to claims in domestic or international accidents. The conventions provide remedies to the claims for damages, and are

Human Resource strategy in Recession Term Paper

Human Resource strategy in Recession - Term Paper Example wever, the recent global meltdown or in other words the recession has abruptly changed the employee as well as employer outlook particularly in the aspect of Human resource planning or HRM. So, this paper will analyze how the current economic downturn had a major impact on HRP giving more power to the HR managers when they negotiate with their employees. In this globalised world, an economic problem in one country will not get restricted to that country, but gets spread to other countries. The economies of most of the countries in the world are directly and indirectly dependent on the U.S.’s economy and with liberalization happening everywhere, the negative effects in USA will be felt everywhere, with businesses worldwide facing the negative impact on its HRP. Many companies are suffering losses and as a result of it several companies are opting for retrenchment strategy. Cost cutting would have to eventually result in job cutting. British Airways (BA) has said that it plans to cut a further 1,200 jobs after reporting a huge loss of  £292 million in the six months up to the end of September. (Hinton 2009). Fewer job requirements and constant lay offs irrespective of the sector made employers to be choosy about the kind of employees they want and more dominant in deciding the compensation package for them. Many reputed organ izations have quietly cut the salaries and other fringe benefits to their employees. BBC plans to cut the amount it spends on the salaries of its top bosses by about 25 percent, The BBC currently spends about $129.4 million on pay for its 634 senior managers and nine most senior executives. (Bryan-Low 2009). Managers have upper hand these days and really have become dominant, slightly skewing HRP. Instead of thinking about how to optimize productivity and thereby effectively overcome financial problems, managers look at the easy way out. When negotiating with their employees there are some critical issues that concern both like salary,

Housing Crisis in the USA Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 6

Housing Crisis in the USA - Essay Example Alan Greenspan, as the leader of the Federal Bank definitely had a stake in this and in fact, he and his team seemed to have too much faith in the theory of an efficient market that is able to regulate itself (Shiller 89). Yet, these ideas of a perfect market where competition in the context of demand and supply is supposed to create market equilibrium are fundamentally flawed. In such cases where deregulation occurs, it is always likely that there will be a time when the market will collapse under its own pressure. The increasing income inequality is a major factor that led to the housing crisis. Increasing poverty in America meant that many households are not able to have the proper income to own a house and this led to the creation of a huge market niche that the banks could not ignore. These people who make the greater majority of the pupation in the United States had to achieve the American dream of owning a house, yet they did not have the means because they could not access the normal mortgages. When banks, through the freedom afforded them by deregulation, discovered this niche, they started giving subprime mortgages. The subprime mortgages were a high-risk venture and as would be expected, they ended up having a negative impact on the economy because many of these subprime customers ended up defaulting on their mortgage repayments. In this case of the housing crisis and the adverse situations that followed, everyone is to blame in a different kind of way. The banks were to blame for being careless and also for misleading people to believe that these products (subprime mortgages) were good for them. People seem to trust banks very much and always believe that anything these banks offer is without any hidden agenda. When banks offered the subprime mortgages, it was easy for these people to believe that it was safe to engage in the investments. The individuals are also to blame because their greed overshadowed their rationality.  

A Traditional Definition Of Leadership Management Essay

A Traditional Definition Of Leadership Management Essay A traditional definition of leadership: Leadership is an interpersonal influence directed toward the achievement of a goal or goals. Three important parts of this definition are the terms interpersonal, influence, and goal. Â · Interpersonal means between persons. Thus, a leader has more than one person (group) to lead. Â · Influence is the power to affect others. Â · Goal is the end one strives to attain. Basically, this traditional definition of leadership says that a leader influences more than one person toward a goal. The definition of leadership used in this course follows. LEADERSHIP is a dynamic relationship based on mutual influence and common purpose between leaders and collaborators in which both are moved to higher levels of motivation and moral development as they affect real, intended change. (Kevin Freiberg and Jackie Freiberg, NUTS! Southwest Airlines Crazy Recipe for Business and Personal Success, Bard Press, 1996, p. 298) Three important parts of this definition are the terms relationship, mutual, and collaborators. Relationship is the connection between people. Mutual means shared in common. Collaborators cooperate or work together. This definition of leadership says that the leader is influenced by the collaborators while they work together to achieve an important goal. Leadership versus Management A leader can be a manager, but a manager is not necessarily a leader. The leader of the work group may emerge informally as the choice of the group. If a manager is able to influence people to achieve the goals of the organization, without using his or her formal authority to do so, then the manager is demonstrating leadership. According to John P. Kotter in his book, A Force for Change: How Leadership Differs From Management (The Free Press, 1990), managers must know how to lead as well as manage. Without leading as well as managing, todays organizations face the threat of extinction. Management is the process of setting and achieving the goals of the organization through the functions of management: planning, organizing, directing (or leading), and controlling. A manager is hired by the organization and is given formal authority to direct the activity of others in fulfilling organization goals. Thus, leading is a major part of a managers job. Yet a manager must also plan, organize, and control. Generally speaking, leadership deals with the interpersonal aspects of a managers job, whereas planning, organizing, and controlling deal with the administrative aspects. Leadership deals with change, inspiration, motivation, and influence. Management deals more with carrying out the organizations goals and maintai ning equilibrium. The key point in differentiating between leadership and management is the idea that employees willingly follow leaders because they want to, not because they have to. Leaders may not possess the formal power to reward or sanction performance. However, employees give the leader power by complying with what he or she requests. On the other hand, managers may have to rely on formal authority to get employees to accomplish goals. Trait Theories In the 1920s and 1930s, leadership research focused on trying to identify the traits that differentiated leaders from non-leaders. These early leadership theories were content theories, focusing on what an effective leader is, not on how to effectively lead. The trait approach to understanding leadership assumes that certain physical, social, and personal characteristics are inherent in leaders. Sets of traits and characteristics were identified to assist in selecting the right people to become leaders. Physical traits include being young to middle-aged, energetic, tall, and handsome. Social background traits include being educated at the right schools and being socially prominent or upwardly mobile. Social characteristics include being charismatic, charming, tactful, popular, cooperative, and diplomatic. Personality traits include being self-confident, adaptable, assertive, and emotionally stable. Task-related characteristics include being driven to excel, accepting of responsibilit y, having initiative, and being results-oriented. Trait theories intended to identify traits to assist in selecting leaders since traits are related to leadership effectiveness in many situations. The trait approach to understanding leadership supports the use of tests and interviews in the selection of managers. The interviewer is typically attempting to match the traits and characteristics of the applicant to the position. For example, most interviewers attempt to evaluate how well the applicant can work with people. Trait theory has not been able to identify a set of traits that will consistently distinguish leaders from followers. Trait theory posits key traits for successful leadership (drive, desire to lead, integrity, self-confidence, intelligence, and job-relevant knowledge) yet does not make a judgment as to whether these traits are inherent to individuals or whether they can be developed through training and education. No two leaders are alike. Furthermore, no leader possesses all of the traits. Comparing leaders in different situations suggests that the traits of leaders depend on the situation. Thus, traits were de-emphasized to take into account situational conditions (contingency perspective). Behavioral Theories The behavioral theorists identified determinants of leadership so that people could be trained to be leaders. They developed training programs to change managers leadership behaviors and assumed that the best styles of leadership could be learned. Theory X and Theory Y Douglas McGregor described Theory X and Theory Y in his book, The Human Side of Enterprise. Theory X and Theory Y each represent different ways in which leaders view employees. Theory X managers believe that employees are motivated mainly by money, are lazy, uncooperative, and have poor work habits. Theory Y managers believe that subordinates work hard, are cooperative, and have positive attitudes. Theory X is the traditional view of direction and control by managers. 1. The average human being has an inherent dislike of work and will avoid if he or she can. 2. Because of this human characteristic of dislike of work, most people must be controlled, directed, and threatened with punishment to get them to put forth adequate effort toward the achievement of organizational objectives. 3. The average human being prefers to be directed, wishes to avoid responsibility, has relatively little ambition, wants security above all. Theory X leads naturally to an emphasis on the tactics of control to procedures and techniques for telling people what to do, for determining whether they are doing it, and for administering rewards and punishment. Theory X explains the consequences of a particular managerial strategy. Because its assumptions are so unnecessarily limiting, it prevents managers from seeing the possibilities inherent in other managerial strategies. As long as the assumptions of Theory X influence managerial strategy, organizations will fail to discover, let alone utilize, the potentialities of the average human being. Theory Y is the view that individual and organizational goals can be integrated. 1. The expenditures of physical and mental effort in work are as natural as play or rest. 2. External control and the threat of punishment are not the only means for bringing out effort toward organizational objectives. 3. Commitment to objectives is a function of the rewards associated with their achievement. 4. The average human being learns, under proper conditions, not only to accept but also to seek responsibility. 5. The capacity to exercise a relatively high degree of imagination, ingenuity, and creativity in the solution of organizational problems in widely, not narrowly, distributed in the population. 6. Under the condition of modern industrial life, the intellectual potentialities of the average human being are only partially utilized. Theory Ys purpose is to encourage integration, to create a situation in which an employee can achieve his or her own goals best by directing his or her efforts toward the objectives of the organization. It is a deliberate attempt to link improvement in managerial competence with the satisfaction of higher-level ego and self-actualization needs. Theory Y leads to a preoccupation with the nature of relationships, with the creation of an environment which will encourage commitment to organizational objectives and which will provide opportunities for the maximum exercise of initiative, ingenuity, and self-direction in achieving them. Ohio State and University of Michigan Studies conducted at the Ohio State University and the University of Michigan identified two leadership styles and two types of leader behaviors. The Ohio State study identified two leadership styles: considerate and initiating structure. The University of Michigan study classified leaders behaviors as being production- or employee-centered. The primary concern of leaders with considerate and employee-centered style is the employees welfare. The primary concern of leaders with initiating-structure and production-centered styles is achieving goals. Research findings on which dimension is most important for satisfaction and productivity are inconclusive. However, employee oriented leaders appear to be associated with high group productivity and job satisfaction. University of Iowa Another approach to leader behavior focused on identifying the best leadership styles. Work at the University of Iowa identified democratic (participation and delegation), autocratic (dictating and centralized) and laissez-faire styles (group freedom in decision making). Research findings were also inconclusive. The Managerial Grid The dimensions identified at the University of Michigan provided the basis for the development of the managerial grid model developed by Robert Blake and Jane Mouton. It identifies five various leadership styles that represent different combinations of concern for people and concern for production. Managers who scored high on both these dimensions simultaneously (labeled team management) performed best. The five leadership styles of the managerial grid include impoverished, country club, produce or perish, middle-of-the road, and team. The impoverished style is located at the lower left-hand corner of the grid, point (1, 1). It is characterized by low concern for both people and production. The primary objective of the impoverished style is for managers to stay out of trouble. The country club style is located at the upper left-hand corner of the grid, point (1, 9). It is characterized as a high concern for people and a low concern for production. The primary objective of the country club style is to create a secure and comfortable atmosphere and trust that subordinates will respond positively. The produce or perish style is located at the lower right-hand corner of the grid, point (9,1). A high concern for production and a low concern for people characterize it. The primary objective of the produce or perish style is to achieve the organizations goals. To accomplish the organizatio ns goals, it is not necessary to consider employees needs as relevant. The middle-of-the-road style is located at the middle of the grid, point (5, 5). A balance between workers needs and the organizations productivity goals characterize it. The primary objective of the middle-of-the-road style is to maintain employee morale at a level sufficient to get the organizations work done. The team style is located at the upper right-hand of the grid, point (9, 9). It is characterized by a high concern for people and production. The primary objective of the team style is to establish cohesion and foster a feeling of commitment among workers. Contingency Theories Successful leaders must be able to identify clues in an environment and adapt their leader behavior to meet the needs of their followers and of the particular situation. Even with good diagnostic skills, leaders may not be effective unless they can adapt their leadership style to meet the demands of their environment. Fiedlers Contingency Model Leadership Theory and Research: Perspectives and Directions (Academic Press Inc (HBJ), 1993) was a tribute to Fred Fiedlers 40 year study of leadership and organizational effectiveness. The editors, Martin M. Chemers and Roya Ayman, write of Fiedlers contribution: The realization that leadership effectiveness depends on the interaction of qualities of the leader with demands of the situation in which the leader functions, made the simplistic one best way approach of earlier eras obsolete. Fred E. Fiedlers contingency theory postulates that there is no best way for managers to lead. Situations will create different leadership style requirements for a manager. The solution to a managerial situation is contingent on the factors that impinge on the situation. For example, in a highly routinized (mechanistic) environment where repetitive tasks are the norm, a certain leadership style may result in the best performance. The same leadership style may not work in a very dynamic environment. Fiedler looked at three situations that could define the condition of a managerial task: 1. Leader member relations: How well do the manager and the employees get along? 2. The task structure: Is the job highly structured, fairly unstructured, or somewhere in between? 3. Position power: How much authority does the manager possess? Managers were rated as to whether they were relationship oriented or task oriented. Task oriented managers tend to do better in situations that have good leader-member relationships, structured tasks, and either weak or strong position power. They do well when the task is unstructured but position power is strong. Also, they did well at the other end of the spectrum when the leader member relations were moderate to poor and the task was unstructured. Relationship oriented managers do better in all other situations. Thus, a given situation might call for a manager with a different style or a manager who could take on a different style for a different situation. These environmental variables are combined in a weighted sum that is termed Favorable at one end and unfavorable at the other. Task oriented style is preferable at the clearly defined extremes of favorable and unfavorable environments, but relationship orientation excels in the middle ground. Managers could attempt to reshape the environment variables to match their style. Another aspect of the contingency model theory is that the leader-member relations, task structure, and position power dictate a leaders situational control. Leader-member relations are the amount of loyalty, dependability, and support that the leader receives from employees. It is a measure of how the manager perceives he or she and the group of employees is getting along together. In a favorable relationship the manager has a high task structure and is able to reward and or punish employees without any problems. In an unfavorable relationship the task is usually unstructured and the leader possesses limited authority. The spelling out in detail (favorable) of what is required of subordinates affects task structure. Positioning power measures the amount of power or authority the manager perceives the organization has given him or her for the purpose of directing, rewarding, and punishing subordinates. Positioning power of managers depends on the taking away (favorable) or increasing (unfavorable) the decision-making power of employees. The task-motivated style leader experiences pride and satisfaction in the task accomplishment for the organization, while the relationship-motivated style seeks to build interpersonal relations and extend extra help for the team development in the organization. There is no good or bad leadership style. Each person has his or her own preferences for leadership. Task-motivated leaders are at their best when the group performs successfully such as achieving a new sales record or outperforming the major competitor. Relationship-oriented leaders are at their best when greater customer satisfaction is gained and a positive company image is established. Hersey-Blanchard Situational Leadership The Hersey-Blanchard Situational Leadership theory is based on the amount of direction (task behavior) and amount of socio-emotional support (relationship behavior) a leader must provide given the situation and the level of maturity of the followers. Task behavior is the extent to which the leader engages in spelling out the duties and responsibilities to an individual or group. This behavior includes telling people what to do, how to do it, when to do it, where to do it, and whos to do it. In task behavior the leader engages in one-way communication. Relationship behavior is the extent to which the leader engages in two-way or multi-way communications. This includes listening, facilitating, and supportive behaviors. In relationship behavior the leader engages in two-way communication by providing socio-emotional support. Maturity is the willingness and ability of a person to take responsibility for directing his or her own behavior. People tend to have varying degrees of maturity, d epending on the specific task, function, or objective that a leader is attempting to accomplish through their efforts. To determine the appropriate leadership style to use in a given situation, the leader must first determine the maturity level of the followers in relation to the specific task that the leader is attempting to accomplish through the effort of the followers. As the level of followers maturity increases, the leader should begin to reduce his or her task behavior and increase relationship behavior until the followers reach a moderate level of maturity. As the followers begin to move into an above average level of maturity, the leader should decrease not only task behavior but also relationship behavior. Once the maturity level is identified, the appropriate leadership style can be determined. The four leadership styles are telling, selling, participating, and delegating. High task/low relationship behavior (S1) is referred to as telling. The leader provides clear instructions and specific direction. Telling style is best matched with a low follower readiness level. High task/high relationship behavior (S2) is referred to as selling. The leader encourages two-way communication and helps build confidence and motivation on the part of the employee, although the leader still has responsibility and controls decision making. Selling style is best matched with a moderate follower readiness level. High relationship/low task behavior (S3) is referred to as participating. With this style, the leader and followers share decision making and no longer need or expect the relationship to be directive. Participating style is best matched with a moderate follower readiness level. Low relationship/lo w task behavior (S4) is labeled delegating. This style is appropriate for leaders whose followers are ready to accomplish a particular task and are both competent and motivated to take full responsibility. Delegating style is best matched with a high follower readiness level. Houses Path-Goal Model The path-goal theory developed by Robert House is based on the expectancy theory of motivation. The managers job is viewed as coaching or guiding workers to choose the best paths for reaching their goals. Best is judged by the accompanying achievement of organizational goals. It is based on the precepts of goal setting theory and argues that leaders will have to engage in different types of leadership behavior depending on the nature and demands of the particular situation. Its the leaders job to assist followers in attaining goals and to provide direction and support needed to ensure that their goals are compatible with the organizations. A leaders behavior is acceptable to subordinates when viewed as a source of satisfaction, and motivational when need satisfaction is contingent on performance, and the leader facilitates, coaches and rewards effective performance. Path goal theory identifies achievement-oriented, directive, participative and supportive leadership styles. In achievement-oriented leadership, the leader sets challenging goals for followers, expects them to perform at their highest level, and shows confidence in their ability to meet this expectation. This style is appropriate when the follower suffers from a lack of job challenge. In directive leadership, the leader lets followers know what is expected of them and tells them how to perform their tasks. This style is appropriate when the follower has an ambiguous job. Participative leadership involves leaders consulting with followers and asking for their suggestions before making a decision. This style is appropriate when the follower is using improper procedures or is making poor decisions. In supportive leadership, the leader is friendly and approachable. He or she shows concern for followers psychological well being. This style is appropriate when the followers lack confidence. Path-Goal theory assumes that leaders are flexible and that they can change their style, as situations require. The theory proposes two contingency variables (environment and follower characteristics) that moderate the leader behavior-outcome relationship. Environment is outside the control of followers-task structure, authority system, and work group. Environmental factors determine the type of leader behavior required if follower outcomes are to be maximized. Follower characteristics are the locus of control, experience, and perceived ability. Personal characteristics of subordinates determine how the environment and leader are interpreted. Effective leaders clarify the path to help their followers achieve their goals and make the journey easier by reducing roadblocks and pitfalls. Research demonstrates that employee performance and satisfaction are positively influenced when the leader compensates for the shortcomings in either the employee or the work setting. Vroom, Yetton, Jago Leader-Participation Model The Vroom, Yetton, Jago leader-participation model relates leadership behavior and participation to decision making. The model provides a set of sequential rules to determine the form and amount of participative decision making in different situations. It is a decision tree, requiring yes and no answers incorporating contingencies about task structure and alternative styles. The following contingency questions must be answered to determine the appropriate leadership style in the leader-participation model. Â · Quality Requirement: How important is the technical quality of this decision? Â · Commitment Requirement: How important is subordinate commitment to the decision? Â · Leaders Information: Do you have sufficient information to make a high-quality decision? Â · Problem Structure: Is the problem well structured? Â · Commitment Probability: If you were to make the decision yourself, are you reasonably certain that your subordinates would be committed to the decision? Â · Goal Congruence: Do subordinates share the organizational goals to be attained in solving this problem? Â · Subordinate Conflict: Is conflict among subordinates over preferred solutions likely? Â · Subordinate Information: Do subordinates have sufficient information to make a high-quality decision? Transformational Leadership Transformational leadership blends the behavioral theories with a little dab of trait theories. Transactional leaders, such as those identified in contingency theories, guide followers in the direction of established goals by clarifying role and task requirements. However, transformational leaders, who are charismatic and visionary, can inspire followers to transcend their own self-interest for the good of the organization. Transformational leaders appeal to followers ideals and moral values and inspire them to think about problems in new or different ways. Leader behaviors used to influence followers include vision, framing, and impression management. Vision is the ability of the leader to bind people together with an idea. Framing is the process whereby leaders define the purpose of their movement in highly meaningful terms. Impression management is a leaders attempt to control the impressions that others form about the leader by practicing behaviors that make the leader more attra ctive and appealing to others. Research indicates that transformational, as compared to transactional, leadership is more strongly correlated with lower turnover rates, higher productivity, and higher employee satisfaction. A transformational leader instills feelings of confidence, admiration and commitment in the followers. He or she is charismatic, creating a special bond with followers, articulating a vision with which the followers identify and for which they are willing to work. Each follower is coached, advised, and delegated some authority. The transformational leader stimulates followers intellectually, arousing them to develop new ways to think about problems. The leader uses contingent rewards to positively reinforce performances that are consistent with the leaders wishes. Management is by exception. The leader takes initiative only when there are problems and is not actively involved when things are going well. The transformational leader commits people to action and converts followers into leaders. Transformational leaders are relevant to todays workplace because they are flexible and innovative. While it is important to have leaders with the appropriate orientation defining tasks and managing interrelationships, it is even more important to have leaders who can bring organizations into futures they have not yet imagined. Transformational leadership is the essence of creating and sustaining competitive advantage.