Challenges Faced by Hr Management Essay

Challenges faced by HR management when significant staff cutbacks occur and how they should be addressed Downsizing is never easy on the Human Resource department. In fact, if not handled properly, it could be detrimental to the overall organization. Here are some challenges that come along with downsizing: Addressing the shifting morale and needs of the surviving employees, maintaining the productivity and profitability of the organization, and retaining skilled, and qualified employees. Staff cutbacks can leave the surviving employees feeling demoralized, bitter, angry, and in shock. One role of Human Resource Management is to act as an employee advocate. In a time of workforce reduction, communicating with employees as well as acknowledging their concerns and fears, can work to rebuild the employee’s sense of security in the workplace and help him/her to reengage in the culture of the organization. Through strategic Human Resource Management and planning, the shared values and beliefs of the organization can be reinforced to its employees and the collective value of the capabilities, knowledge, skills, life experiences, and motivation of the organizational workforce can be retained. Once there has been a major reduction in force within an organization, productivity and profitability becomes a main target of Human Resource management. One HR strategy would be to give more hours and responsibility to existing workers. However, eventually employees will become overworked and productivity will suffer. Utilizing alternative tactics such as hiring contingent or temporary workers is a strategic HR plan to maintain productivity and profitability while not having to pay the cost of benefits. Reducing turnover of qualified and skilled employees is an ongoing effort of Human Resource Management. Employees who survive workforce cuts tend to disengage the culture of the organization because they have lost faith in the organization being a lifetime employer. When an organization goes through a massive layoff process, the employee retention efforts of Human Resource Management could intensify. Employee retention efforts may include, constantly communicating with employees, and paying attention to surviving employees. As an example of a strategic Human Resource plan to hold on to skilled employees, an alternative work arrangement such as telecommuting might be offered to a worker. The functionality of Human Resources is always changing to meet the ever evolving needs of an organization. For example, when Xerox decided to downsize, the function of Human Resources became environmental scanning strategic planning. The restructuring goal however, included more than just a reduction in force. It was determined that the Human Resource entity needed to be streamlined and become a more efficient part of the organization. As a result, the use of technology, and maintaining employee retention was the core that developed HR into a more strategic part of the Xerox organization. There are two purposes that HR technology serves in an organization. The first is to improve the efficiency of employee data and HR activities collection. At Xerox, the use of HR technology has been instrumental in making HR services more accessible to their workforce. The second purpose of HR technology is to capture a greater degree of informational data that enables HR planning and managerial decision making. Again, Xerox made use of this aspect by supplying intranet employee surveys and tracking employee views on the company and HR. The information gathered allowed HR and managers to address areas that received lower scores on the survey. These efforts by the company and the HR department have had an effect on employee retention at Xerox. As stated earlier, reducing turnover of qualified and skilled employees is an ongoing effort of Human Resource Management. Xerox has made retaining especially high-potential employees a priority. Organizations have found that keeping good employees can be a challenge. However, in an effort to keep skilled and or high performing employees engaged and embracing the organizational culture and HR values of an organization, some employers will offer incentives. Employers, such as Xerox, will invest in employee training and development. Although this can be a double edge sword by potentially making an employee more marketable for other organizations, employers have found that when they invest in employees through job training and or monetary compensation, employee job satisfaction increases and employees are more likely to stay. In addition, employees who are engaged in an organization are more likely to be top performers and miss fewer work days. In summation, both technology and employee retention are key in HR development because they both lend to the culture of an organization. 1. Technology by improving the administrative efficiency of HR, and the responsiveness of HR to employees and managers. 2. Employee retention by maintaining employees who through their experience and loyalty to the organization, becomes a core competency and perpetuates the values and cultures to newer employees.

Southwest Airlines

Southwest Airlines is a passenger airline based out of Dallas, Texas that provides air transpiration throughout the United States. Southwest is currently the 6th largest U. S. airline based on revenue. It currently has more than 3,100 flights in 73 cities, making it the largest U. S. carrier passenger airline. They provide good options, such as early check-in, hotel packages, car rental, and free luggage up to two bags, which are one of their techniques to provide bad news to the customers. Summary: Southwest Airlines is the largest carrier in the United States and they get the high satisfaction ratings of the country’s best customer service providers from business week’s ranking. The reason why they can do so is that they contain good policies for the customers. For example, a case in St. Louis, an ice storm had stocked the plane for several hours. The flight attendants and pilots walked through the plane like usual, trying to answer questions that customers had and they provided the information for the passengers about connecting flights. Passengers who were on the flight were surprised by the letter they got after few days. They got a free round-trip flight. Fred Taylor is a senior manager of proactive customer communications who has a daily meeting with his department to talk about the problems that may happen and develop the methods to minimize them. For example, Southwest Airlines use twitter to send the information and official announcements for their customers. If passengers know more about the policies, it helps them a lot. The other part of Fred Taylor’s job is to deliver bad news and responding to customer’s complaint. According to the article (2011), Fred Taylor says that â€Å"it’s not something we had to do. It is something we feel our customers deserve. † He writes about 20,000 apology letters to passengers in a year. The letters have his direct phone number and many of them include a free flight voucher. The motto of Southwest Airlines is â€Å"share the spirit† and they do what they say. Course concepts: Bad News disappoints, Irritates, and sometimes angers the receiver, such messages must be written carefully. The Bad feelings associated with disappointing news can generally be reduced if the receiver: A) Knows the reason for the rejection. B) Feels that the news was delivered sensitively C) Believes that the matter was treated seriously and fairly While many people may claim to prefer directly delivered bad news, the source cannot be said in a particular situation. For example, if those people are directly responsible for the situation resulting in the bad news, they may not be so found of hearing it directly. Or if the bad news is personally serious and damaging, they may prefer a buffer Again this comes to the first phase of the writing process: assessing and analyzing both the situation and audience. Once this is done, it will be clear whether to deliver bad news directly and indirectly. Using the indirect strategy is a smart way to lessen the blame and the importance of negative news. However, there are still possibilities of negative ramifications. If, for example the sender takes too long to finally deliver the main point the recipient can be aggravated. The key to delivering news effectively knows the audience. For example, some people prefer direct communication for the good news and the bad, while others prefer indirect and good communication skills. In dealing with delivering bad news, the 3*3 writing process still maintains its purpose and assistance. In the prewriting phase of the writing process (phase1) the aspects include 3 As: analysis, anticipation, and adaptation. In completing this phase, the writer determines that a negative message must be sent how the news will be received, and how to appropriately draft that message. Third, aspect(Adaptation) that the choice between direct and indirect messages comes to play. Even though it may seem impossible to make the receiver happy when delivering negative news, it is possible to reduce bad feelings and resentment by the use of a buffer, a buffer is a device used to reduce shock or pain. The following are various buffer possibilities A) Start with the part of the message that represents the best news. B) Show that the reader is important and cared. C) Provide objective information that introduces the bad news. The most important aspects of delivering negative messages are explaining the reasons and how to increase the benefits. In developing audience benefits and building goodwill, we should increase new value and better features, make it more efficient or make customers’ lives easier. Southwest got high performance from USA airlines services. When flight was delayed, Southwest Airlines will inform their customer directly by appropriate ways. Moreover, Southwest Airlines will give promo code discount or free one-way tickets when any flight was cancelled. Therefore, customers feel happy and satisfied even when they face the problem because they have another thing to compensate such as give cards, cash back, VIP cards, and so on. Moreover, Southwest Airlines will offer more options that make each customer more convenient. When customers reserve the tickets and then they have a late flight. Southwest Airlines provides the option that customers can fly early if another flight is available. â€Å"Customers will hear an announcement in the gate area and will be able to purchase an available [early] boarding position via credit card from a customer service agent,† Furthermore, this option is useful because Southwest Airlines got positive feedback back from the customers. From my real experience, I am one of the loyal customers who traveled with Southwest Airlines. In addition, this Airlines always has a good deal when I would like to travel somewhere in the United States. So, Southwest Airlines is the best choice for me not only they offered cheap tickets, but also provided free two luggage promotion. The last time I chose Southwest Airlines, my flight was delayed because of bad weather. Unfortunately, I also missed the next flight that I actually had to transfer to. Nevertheless, Southwest Airlines tried to find another flight for me. Furthermore, Southwest Airlines paid me for the hotel, meals, and cash back during I was in New York. According to this experience, I always choose Southwest Airlines no matter how expensive I have to spend. In conclusion, Southwest Airlines knows how to respond and handle unpredictable problems, and inform its customers directly with proper ways. From the above reasons, Southwest Airlines is one of the successful airlines company in the US.

The Impact of Social Media on the Egyptian Revolution 2011 Dissertation

The Impact of Social Media on the Egyptian Revolution 2011 - Dissertation Example However, scholars and researchers differ on their opinion on the role of social media. Some have used terms such as Facebook revolution while others undermine the importance of social media platforms and tools. With the aim to evaluate the role of the social media during the Egyptian Revolution, three objectives were set in Chapter I. all the three objectives have been achieved. The social media plays a very active role in political movements as it provides people a platform to address their concerns, express their opinions, provides an avenue to extend and receive support. The government of any country usually controls and monitors the traditional media but when the same strategy is applied to the public sphere such as social networking sites and blogosphere, people resist and revolt to the extent it can be counter-productive for the governments. When the President in Egypt imposed web censorship people took to streets. Social media during the Egyptian revolution 2011, helped to ext end solidarity and confidence to the oppressed. Citizen journalists emerged registering their protest against the regime. The impact of social media was so intense during this revolution that the president had to finally resign in 18 days from the day the protest started. Social media enables activists and coordinators to start specific pages in the interest of the people. The use of social media in politics is still in the nascent stage but it is extensively being used by the citizens, professional journalists, by the politicians and by coordinators of protests and social movements. In fact, even the mainstream media has been using quotes from the social media in their articles. While the degree may not be very intense, at least it suggests the importance that the social media has been gaining. The study concludes that social media has played a very significant role in the Egyptian revolution 2011. It not only initiated the movement, it helped people at all stages, it helped in eff ective communication and collaboration, it enabled an international audience to receive information, and it also enabled protection to people in danger. As suggested by some authors, the role of social media in the Egyptian revolution is not hyped; it has been of tremendous value in shaping reforms. It is a valuable tool in developing anti-government protests and in designing collective action. It is a disruptive force that can drastically bring about change and reform. It can accelerate social and political movements far beyond what the traditional media can do. The study concluded by highlighting limitations and making recommendations for further research on the subject. Table of Contents Chapter I Introduction 1.1 Background 1 1.2 Social Media & Politics 1 1.3 Rationale for Research 3 1.4 Research Aims & Objectives 4 1.5 Scope of the Study 5 1.6 Structure of the Study 5 Chapter II Literature Review 2.1 Introduction 7 2.2. Definition of Social Media 7 2.3 Social Networking Platfor ms 7 2.4 Benefits of Social Media 10 2.5 Social Media and Politics 11 2.6 Arab Countries & Egypt 12 2.7 Social Media in Egypt 12 2.8 Web Censorship in Arab countries 14 2.9 Chapter Summary 16 Chapter III Research Context 3.1 Introduction 17 3.2 Arab Spring 17 3.3 Egyptian Revolution 19 3.4 Summary 21 Chapter IV Research Methods 4.1 Introduction 23 4.2 Research Methodology 23 4.3 Choice of Method 23 4.4 Data Collection Methods 25 4.5 Secondary Research 26 4.6 Data Analysis 27 4.7 Summary

Unit 1 Individual Project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Unit 1 Individual Project - Essay Example This encompasses the specific allocation of goods for individuals and households. For an individual, it can be as simple as choosing the activity for the day. For a business organization, it includes the setting of the price level for a product or service and finding the equilibrium quantity which can maximize the profit to be generated. Macroeconomics, on the other hand, is more comprehensive as it involves the examination of the performance of the economy as a whole. Instead of simply looking at a single business organization, this means focusing on the entire industry taking into account all industry players regardless of size or bargaining power (Cybereconomics 2008). An example of the macroeconomics is the determination of the factors which causes the increase in the Gross Domestic Production of China which has showed significant growth in the recent years. Being the vice president for sales for a reputable business organization, I am responsible for the purchasing decision for the company. At other times, I also handle the recruitment and application processing for prospective employees. These tasked have allowed me to utilize microeconomics in making my decisions. The purchase of input for the company’s operation has a lot of implication for the price of the product that we manufacture and in turn, the level of profit that we generate. Employing the skills and techniques that I have learned in microeconomics, I always make sure that I am buying inputs at the lowest possible cost which includes minimizing the cost per item, cost of ordering, and cost of handling the inventory. I make use of the economic quantity model which really helped our business organization maximize profits by the elimination of unwanted cost. The macroeconomics portion concerns my task in hiring prospective applicants. When searching for the right person for the job, I look beyond the knowledge and the skill of the candidate and also look at the people working for

Chilean History Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Chilean History - Essay Example In terms of population, it has a huge population given its size, and it dominates in terms of agriculture. For Chile to have accomplished what it has accomplished to this far, there has been history that will not be forgotten soon. Chile was under military dictatorship that lasted for sixteen and a half years after the years which needed much reform. The years after 1973, (1973-1990), were characterized by military dictatorship that saw people lose their lives while some went missing. Today, Chile is one of the stable nations that are prosperous. In the 1960s and 1970s, Chile experienced social and economic problems that needed reform (Collier, Simon and William, 102). An economic depression was worsened by capital flight, which also led to the plummeting of private investments. Production fell, and the level of unemployment rose. Chile’s import strategy was faced with an overvaluation of the domestic currency. The prices of agricultural products began decreasing to the point that the government had to intervene in order for there to be regulation. Chile was also faced with an earthquake in 1960 plummeted the economic and social welfare of the people deeper. Public infrastructure was affected the monetary loss was more than anticipated. In addition, present was the social injustice from those who were supposed to be leading. New social groups emerged who pushed for certain reforms. These new social groups differed with leaders about certain conditions, which included the living conditions of people. The major social problems were the issue with the Roman Catholic Church whose political, social and economic affairs were looked at (Collier, Si mon and William, 122).... The Popular Unity government made efforts to reform the economy. It started with initiation of economic transformations which included a program that involved nationalization (nationalization program had legislations, requisitions and involvement of stakeholders), increase in real wages, reduction of inflation, urging of economic growth, increase of product consumption and this was mostly for those who were poor. Another initiative the government took was the reduction of economic independence on the rest of the world. This would lead to a significant increase in the economic value of Chile. Most of these reforms were to be accomplished by boosting the aggregate demand and strict price controls (Collier, Simon and William, 155). The government took over the copper mines and other foreign firms, banks and large estates. In 1971, by a unanimous vote of the Congress, the government rationalized the foreign copper firms. Also in the same period, the government removed the emergency legis lation from so as to allow it to take over and control industries without the approval of the congress (Collier, Simon and William, 202). Keynesian measures were applied in order to increase salaries and wages, thus increasing the purchasing power of working and middle classes. Though economically the party was on the path to success, politically, the party leader, Allende faced problems holding his party together. The party also faced different views by the opposing political parties, but still managed to make and maintain ties with other nations (Allende, 154). The Pinochet regime sought to repress women and had neoliberal economic and social policies that had a negative effect on the poor. The Chilean military overthrew the Popular Unity government in a violent coup. During the

Pictorialism and Modernism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Pictorialism and Modernism - Essay Example The essay "Pictorialism and Modernism" compares pictorialism with modernism. The availability of printmaking machinery and materials that were previously reserved for illustration and reproduction allowed the artists to venture into the new artistic era. This led photographers to experiment their divergent techniques, which included the documentary style that involved capturing memorable events and representing them in documentaries. The era of documentary photography raised the need to respect people as humans rather than stereotypic images that had less resemblance to the represented being. This gave rise to the era of modernism, which made a large leap from the previous documentary photography. Therefore, it was during the pictorialism era that real artistic work could be accurately represented, and this was the era that revolution in artistic work was achieved. However, due to the closeness between the two artistic works, pictorialism may be argued to be a modernism approach to p hotography with the feelings of the artist embraced in the art work. Rocco argues that the era of photography dates back to 1888 when George Eastman introduced the first Kodak camera and this changed photography to the better since then. The first camera made photography to be available for the common man in the street, instead of being a preserve of a few artists. This intervention of the camera greatly reduced the apparatus used in films, and was available to many casual amateurs with no particular training.

Commercial Law Coursework (question is given on order instruction)

Commercial Law (question is given on order instruction) - Coursework Example f title clause which is the most fundamental one whereby the seller reserves tile to the goods that are delivered to the possession of the buyer as held in Romalpa case. This case combined both retention of title clause as well as bailment relationship between parties. In Clough Mills Ltd v Martin 2 ,there is no problem in this type of clause unless it seeks to retain equitable or beneficial ownership. In Re Bond Worth 3 , the court held that the title had already passed to buyer since it was not possible to retain equitable title although the buyer later granted back to the seller equitable charges which however was held void for want of registration. It shows that simple RoT clause is not suitable where goods sold are to be resold or manufactured into new ones. (2) The second category of clause is â€Å"all moneys clause† as an alternative to serve the purpose of retention of title until all debts of the buyer are paid to the seller rather than until payment of the purchase price as was affirmed in Armour v Thyssen 4 (3) Third category is â€Å"products clause† that aims at retaining or rather vesting title in the products made out of the goods originally supplied. But difficulty with this clause is that it serves to create as security for the goods originally purchased but becomes ineffective in the absence of registration. (4) Fourth category is â€Å"proceeds â€Å"or â€Å"tracing clause† that aims at acquiring proprietary interest in the proceeds of further sales of the buyer. This is again an ineffective clause as held in Romlpa case. Since the proceeds clause purports to create a fiduciary relationship between the parties, it requires to be registered and therefore courts have held them as registrable and as void for not having been registered. However, Romalpa case became a milestone on the law of retention of title as it held a conditional sale agreement valid even in the conditions of sold goods having been consumed or resold and the further appeal also upheld

Immigration Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Immigration - Essay Example Meanwhile, New York Times writer Alan Dershowitz commented that he actually favors a national ID card, for it will not only give citizens better protection and security especially from terrorism, but will also benefit illegal immigrants given that they will soon be given legal status by the government and be issued such IDs (Dershowitz n. p.). In this case, I personally think that the SB 1070 is unconstitutional and that it violates human rights, given that this law actually encourages racial profiling by the state police, given that they can actually search and arrest immigrants which they suspect not having the proper documents at hand. In addition, I also think that the proposed national ID card is actually harmful to immigrants, given that it will seriously impair every person’s right to privacy. Works Cited Dershowitz, Allan. â€Å"Why Fear National ID Cards?† www.nytimes.com. New York Times, 2001. Web. 26 April 2011.

The Controversy of Homosexuality Essay Example for Free

The Controversy of Homosexuality Essay I. â€Å"I now pronounce you husband and husband†, when many people hear this statement whether in real life or in movies, it brings about many different opinions and reactions. Same sex marriage is still a controversial issue, and it’s questionable in many societies, in fact it is acceptable in very few communities in the world. People who oppose gay marriage are actually opposing unethical behavior that goes against many beliefs and different religions.  Although some might think it is a person’s right to love and marry whoever he/she wants, gay marriages should be prohibited in all parts of the world for it goes against most religions, nature, ethics and humanity II. God created Adam; he created for him a wife, not a husband. God’s intentions were clear, and that meant that marriage and family would always be between man and woman. Many religious people, whether holy men or regular people who hold their beliefs close, argue that gay marriage should not be allowed to happen and that it destroys the sanctity of this bond between two people. III. Gay marriages are mostly considered to be unethical marriages that are not based on any moral grounds and therefore are frowned upon. Many believe that the idea of a gay marriage is utterly outrageous because it involves the bond between two people of the same sex which some might find disturbing or repulsive. IV. the children of gay marriages are always being denied either a father or mother. People who oppose gay marriages believe that the children of such gay couples deserve better, actually, they deserve more; all children deserve to have a mother and a father. V.  Some claim that same sex marriages should not be frowned upon and should eventually become a normal part of everyday life. They believe that homosexuality is not an abnormality; however is just another form of relationships. Just like women are attracted to men and men are attracted to women, men can be attracted to men and women can also be attracted to women. It is just as normal as any other phenomenon and might even make more sense than heterosexuality sometimes. However, how right can this point of view be? Same sex marriages are not only unethical, but also are against many eligions, defy the political and moral standards and are not beneficial for the future of our societies. In addition, homosexuality is a new phenomenon that is bringing about uprisings in many different societies. Also, marriages have always been based on the bonds of holy matrimony between a man and a woman and nothing more. VI. The world should not change its natural laws, its religions and its morality due to a group of people who claim it is only natural for them to be with the same sex. Abstract Media and celebrities has been increasing demand for gay marriage to be allowed like Angelina Julie and Brad Pitte.  Whereas gay marriage should be banned, since it is against most religions, nature, ethics, and humanity. â€Å"I now pronounce you husband and husband†, when many people hear this statement whether in real life or in movies, it brings about many different opinions and reactions. Same sex marriage is still a controversial issue, and it’s questionable in many societies, in fact it is acceptable in very few communities in the world. People who oppose gay marriage are actually opposing unethical behavior that goes against many beliefs and different religions. Although some might think it is a person’s right to love and marry whoever he/she wants, gay marriages should be prohibited in all parts of the world for it goes against religion, nature, ethics and humanity. When God created Adam, he created for him a wife, not a husband. God’s intentions were clear, and that meant that marriage and family would always be between man and woman. Many religious people, whether holy men or regular people who hold their beliefs close, argue that gay marriage should not be allowed to happen and that it destroys the sanctity of this bond between two people. Holy books have discussed this topic since the beginning of time by stating that God created man and woman to be fertile and to reproduce. Therefore, whoever believes in a God should oppose same sex relationships, as they are an offence to God. Edwards claimed â€Å"in Australia the religious right has advanced a number of arguments to isolate legally sanctioned heterosexual relationships in an inviolate conceptual and social space. † And then in the year 2004 the Australian government banned same-sex marriage. Thus, the simple act of being a homosexual and having same sex relations is considered a sin because it goes against what God intended, and therefore should be punished. Not only is homosexuality against religion, it is also unnatural. Moreover, heterosexual marriages are a natural and normal bond that agrees with nature and is considered good. However, nature depicts gay marriages as bad. Many people believe that marriage is a moral and social right that was instituted by God in nature. â€Å"Nature does not include same-sex relationships in its design and no biological imperative therefore exists for sex between women or between men. (Van Grend, 2007). In addition, marriage is not just any relationship between human beings. It is rooted in nature and therefore is governed by natural law. These natural laws are universal and immutable and generally apply to the whole human race, equally. The National Marriage Coalition in Edwards released a statement in 2007 announcing that to them marriage was the commitment between a male and a female; it is an expression of love and a beautiful sacred bond. It is not only unnatural to have homosexual relations; it also negatively affects the way children involved view the world. Furthermore, the children of gay marriages are always being denied either a father or mother. People who oppose gay marriages believe that the children of such gay couples deserve better, actually, they deserve more; all children deserve to have a mother and a father. The absence of parents with different sexes can affect a child’s view on the world, and their emotional stability. In many cases the presence of two gay dads can affect a little boy’s behavior or conduct in the world since the dads can’t provide what a mother can. This in itself removes the balance in the child’s life. Children adopted by or brought into gay families may not be aware of the life outside the family in their early years, but when they do start to understand, they may have a lot to face and a lot to adjust to. They tend to grow up with certain ideas about the world, taught by their foster parents, which may not be at all realistic or acceptable. Also, these children might eventually be bullied in school for having two dads or two moms. Being bullied is a major crisis in a child’s life and might therefore impact their ducation or social states. Moreover, children who grow up with parents of the same sex might inherit their personality traits and characteristics and might therefore think that being gay is what is meant for them to be. They might think that being gay is what is socially acceptable and therefore adopt these habits. Also, children need the compassion of a mother to be able to handle the difficulties in l ife. Yet, a father figure is also needed to make the children strong and have the right amount of security and protection in order for them to grow up properly. Thus, a marriage should provide both communal and assertive figures for the children. Heterosexual and homosexual marriages differ in gender-linked effects because of socialization pressures for women to be communal and men to be assertive. There is evidence that women are more expressive than men, develop more positive models, and are better integrated into social support systems then men are. Hence there is never a solidity and balance in a homosexual household since gay men see themselves as more communal and lesbians see themselves as more argentic and assertive. Lesbians and gays are not considered to be family members but only individuals. Such an issue as same-sex marriage isn’t only religious; it is also political. In many countries where politics and religion are tied together, a candidate can lose voters if they admit that he or she actually supports gay marriage. People with strong religious and ethical beliefs will protect themselves and their families from anyone they believe to be a bad influence, whether it’s actually someone who is gay, or just someone who supports the idea of gay marriage. These people’s beliefs are not subject to change, since normally they are active members of churches, and the community, and possibly traditionalists. In the 2012 presidential elections in the U. S, Mitt Romney announced that he was against same-sex marriage, as most Americans are. He believes that it isn’t a matter of tolerance, but about the â€Å"purpose of the institution of marriage†. And that won him many votes, mostly from the more conservative people. As many Americans believe, he also believes that marriage is between man and woman, and the sharing of domestic responsibilities falls on both sexes, which is the purpose of marriage. Gay marriages are mostly considered to be unethical marriages that are not based on any moral grounds and therefore are frowned upon. Many believe that the idea of a gay marriage is utterly outrageous because it involves the bond between two people of the same sex which some might find disturbing or repulsive. In contrast to heterosexual marriages which are considered a bedrock institution, homosexual couples in specific don’t really enjoy the support of their families and therefore may not benefit from any stabilizing influence such support gives. They are considered to be immoral and absurd for having gone out of the ordinary and irrationally choosing the same sex partner as a lawfully wedded man or wife. Families of such gay members might view the marriage as an end of the family name or a huge disgrace to the family name. A gay person’s own family might not accept the fact that he/she turned gay and might start questioning the reasons behind it bringing about many other questions. However, some might argue that every person is free to choose their own life partner because the heart wants what the heart wants. Some claim that same sex marriages should not be frowned upon and should eventually become a normal part of everyday life. They believe that homosexuality is not an abnormality, however is just another form of relationships. Just like women are attracted to men and men are attracted to women, men can be attracted to men and women can also be attracted to women. It is just as normal as any other phenomenon and might even make more sense than heterosexuality sometimes. People who support homosexuality state that lesbians and fays are more diverse, variable, resilient, and thriving than heterosexuals. Moreover, they sometimes make better fathers or mothers and better partners. In addition, supporters of gay rights believe that the children involved in same sex marriages are actually being saved from foster homes and given an education and a family rather than remaining among the millions of homeless or loveless parentless children. They believe that these children actually benefit more because they are being raised by such parenthood since the parents bring in new ideas and different views on life so that the children can learn never to be biased or restricted in thought and beliefs. However, how right can this point of view be? Same sex marriages are not only unethical, but also are against many religions, defy the political and moral standards and are not beneficial for the future of our societies. In addition, homosexuality is a new phenomenon that is bringing about uprisings in many different societies. Also, marriages have always been based on the bonds of holy matrimony between a man and a woman and nothing more. Therefore, homosexuality can’t just come and change that entity. A marriage cannot simply change its definition because of what’s happening in the world. The people should adapt to the world as it is, not the other way around. The world should not change its natural laws, its religions and its morality due to a group of people who claim it is only natural for them to be with the same sex. In conclusion, there will always be a controversy between the two different points of view about same sex marriages, but the truth is life has always been a certain set of rules and regulations and should not, could not, and will not change for the purpose of homosexuality. Same sex marriages should be prohibited because they do not belong to any religious concept, moral ground or ethical conduct. Heterosexuality has always been what’s right and should remain the same way throughout all of history.

Goblin Market by Christina Rosetti Essay Example for Free

Goblin Market by Christina Rosetti Essay Goblin Market by Christina Rosetti I believe this poem tells a story, a story about temptation and lust, about the desire to obtain something the narrator clearly is not meant to take or have. It has similarities to the Story in the bible about the Garden of Eden. Adam and Eve have been told You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for if you eat you will surely die. When I read the poem by Christina Rosetti it makes me think about that story because of the opening lines I ate and ate my fill, Yet my mouth waters still; The narrator, like Adam and Eve, felt discontented with what they were getting. They were always going to want more, never satisfied. There are subtle hints that the narrator should not be eating the fruit, but this makes the fruit taste better and more appealing. The words that have been used are double edged for example Cherries worth getting On it own this sounds innocent and appears to be about fruit! The double meaning here, I believe, suggests that something or someone is desired. Wanting to taste but not being quite sure; this also links with virginity, untouched and this is where the lust comes in I think the words Christina Rosetti has chosen are extremely clever because you have to read the poem time and time again to get the true meaning; this keeps the reader interested for longer. Every time you look at this poem you find something else you didnt notice before. I feel that to try and pull out the striking words would not be of benefit, as they are all seemingly striking and without the rest of the poem attached they would not appear as exceptional; I believe this would not be doing justice to the poem. For example the word Pellucid to me is very striking but alone, without the rest of the sentence, it makes no sense and the feeling is not the same. The line Pellucid grapes without one seed To me has much more of an effect and shows a lot more about the narrators emotions. I think the tone of this poem is unpredictable as there are different meanings. When you first read this poem and you see that it is about fruit, one may start to feel that the narrator is babbling, as it does not make a great deal of sense. For example To-morrow night I will buy some more; and kissed her. This, in the context of fruit, seems out of place and somewhat irrelevant. It is only when you read the poem again, this time realising that it is not quite as innocent as it first seemed, that the tone changes; it becomes more exciting and profound. I would say that the mood of the poem changes when the realisation of the poems true meaning sinks in. While the poem just seems to be about fruit I found the persona offered no excitement or anticipation. This changes quite dramatically when you realise that the poem is actually quite unconventional as it is hinting at a sexual relationship between two women. For example Cheek to cheek and breast to breast Locked together in one nest At this point the voice then seems to become playfully mischievous. There are a lot of similes in this poem, for instance Like two pigeons in one nest I think Christina Rosetti wanted the reader to really visualise what was going on; also I feel that she used simile to create a feeling of anticipation, using a familiar image of closeness. Like two flakes of newly fallen snow Is very clearly talking about two people who are having a sexual relationship, but also telling us that it is the first time and in actual fact they are both virgins. Snow, when it has just fallen, is untouched and perfect in everyway thus symbolising purity. Not a bat flapped to and fro Round their nest Is an example of the use of metaphor in this poem. People do not sleep in a nest and yet these two people are being likened to animals. This I believe creates a feeling of peacefulness, nothing moving. This is representing that they have reached a climax and they are now enjoying the serenity of the moment. An illustration of the use of personification in this poem is Wind sang to them a lullaby The wind of course cannot sing but the image is used to create a peaceful atmosphere. I image it would be really calming and relaxing to have the wind singing a lullaby. Alliteration is not strongly used in this poem I could only find one example which is And sugar sweet their sap I feel this is to heighten the readers experience, making them almost taste the sugariness, thus allowing the reader to really get in touch with what is happening in the poem. This poem uses a lot of run on lines an there are only two full stops in the poem. I think this increases the anticipation as well as the feeling of expectation as you can never see how it is going to end. The metre is quite smooth and sinuous and it is used by the narrator to keep the sequence of events told in the poem flowing. The tempo and manner of the poem, as I said earlier, changes when you realise its true meaning. I feel that this happens to keep the suspense. This poem has a sporadic rhyming style because some lines rhyme and others dont but I feel that this is in keeping with the rest of the poems style as it is all rather unconventional.

How Propaganda Is Used In Advertising Media Essay

How Propaganda Is Used In Advertising Media Essay Propaganda is a systematic, widespread dissemination or promotion of particular ideas, doctrines, practices, etc. Some use it to cause or to damage an opposing one. While it is true that many of the techniques associated with propaganda are also used in the practice of advertising or public relations, the term propaganda is usually applied to efforts to promote a particular political viewpoint. Additionally, propaganda can be used to promote specific religious views. Furthermore, companies use propaganda to persuade consumers into buying their product, and, sadly, misinformation is found all around people in magazines, on television, on billboards, and in movies. Subconsciously, people let the use of propaganda influence their decision to purchase items that they often would not buy. Advertisers lean heavily on propaganda to sell products, whether the products are a brand of toothpaste, a candidate for office, or a particular political viewpoint. Although propaganda may seem relevant only in the political arena, the concept can be applied fruitfully to the way products and ideas are sold in advertising. All around us, we can see a lot of propaganda ads on television, magazine, newspaper, and etc. Propaganda is a systematic effort to influence peoples opinions, to win them over to a certain view or side. I believe we have been influenced by the propaganda advertisements. Some psychologists point of view considers that propaganda is in fact changing our mind and heart, because they make our spirits full of material desires. For instance, sometimes we purchase something that we dont even need because of our desire. Â   Maybe we are not really aware of how big influence propaganda is in our daily life. Undeniably, propaganda alters our value of living. Therefore, we cannot under estimate the propaganda power. Five Types of Propaganda Used in Advertising There are five types of propaganda used in advertising. The first type is called bandwagon. Bandwagon is persuading a consumer by telling them that others are doing the same thing. An example is in soft drink adverts there will be many attractive young people having fun on a beach. This method is commonly used is cosmetics adverts, The use of a celebrity model and the affordability of the cosmetics sways the customers choice in investing in the product because the celebrity is doing it then it will also make the consumer look as good as the model. The second type is called testimonial. Testimonial is when a product is sold by using words from famous people or an authority figure. An example of testimonial is, Nine out of ten dentists recommend this type of toothpaste. The next type is transfer, which is when a product is sold by the name or picture of a famous person or thing, but no words from the person or thing, for example political advertisements might use political party slogan to help sell the product. The fourth type of propaganda techniques that is used is repetition. Repetition is when the products name is repeated at least four times in the advert. The last type is called emotional words. That is when words that will make a consumer feel strongly about someone or something are used. For example, David Beckham sells his perfume by showing a romantic love seen and just putting the word romance on the advert. The five propaganda techniques can be extremely successful in selling. THE AIM OF PROPAGANDA IN ADVERTISING The aims of propaganda are to bring a message across to a large group of people with the intention to change or manipulate their views. These influences could be biased or quite untruthful depending on what the propagandist is promoting. The idea of propaganda is sometimes used to encourage or motivate persons where other uses are to present an impression that the propagandist what to create to that particular audience. Some forms of propaganda gives versions of the truth, which could be argued to be the same to advertisements, where other forms are almost untruthful and misleading. The benefits of propaganda can control and influence peoples attitudes in which therefore can often achieve the response the propagandist wanted from them. The effect of this can be very powerful and strongly mesmerising in terms of peoples beliefs to what the propaganda is promoting (even if this is not true). It also has the potential to arouse emotion and a personal response or attitude to the prospect ive offered by the propagandist. Then, the recipient affected by forms of propaganda would believe that the decision made by them was on their own and independent. It brings a message and strong motifs to an audience that if effective can overwhelm that audience and influence them profoundly. This form of propaganda allows peoples conscience to judge or make a decision, influenced through a message or image portrayed by the propagandist, which has the capability to change or manipulate your own views. Propaganda in advertisements can be powerful and have an extreme impact on an audience. In todays modern culture television companies limit the use of certain advertisements and have numerous restrictions, bound by law, to control and monitor the use propaganda influenced within the advertising campaign broadcasted. There are elements of the truth within the advertisement although such features that are found unknown or inaccurate become a distinctive use of propaganda. In contrast, pr opaganda has the potential to give versions of the truth and often matters that precipitate no factual information or contain little reliable sources. In advertising the product/message or image the company is attempting to promote must be truthful and able to trust where in comparison to propaganda this can be greatly misleading and untruthful to the extent of the purpose the propagandist is trying to create. These can include exaggerated misconceptions with the intentions to produce psychological, social and cultural change in terms of attitudes and views of an audience. Therefore propaganda within advertisements, the message can be promoted on a much larger scale, with potential outcomes of public belief and national appeasement receiving the result the propagandist or advertising campaign had attempted to create. The technique using propaganda in advertisements would work well; influencing major populations to consume or follow the campaign published nationwide, change or alter attitudes or beliefs to the message and furthermore gain the support and trust to what the propagandist is promoting. It is almost impossible to imagine advertisement campaigns using propaganda to influence people to its maximum potential or maximum responsive capacity, where great audiences would believe and fall under false pretences of what the propagandist/s is promoting to them. If advertising was to comprise with elements of propaganda people would feel more inclined to listen, read or engage with whatever he/she were promoting. The major aspects of modern world advertisements and promotion campaigns have been under the influence of technology and worldwide communications to support their cause. These such movements and developing opportunities in the future expanding through countries and the world are likely to have significant impact on peoples and populations in the propaganda and advertisement campaigning departments, readily available to promote and influence various aud iences. Propaganda can be sent across in many and all types of media. Propaganda can be radio and television broadcasts, leaflets, posters, hoardings etc. BAD IMPACT CAUSED BY PROPAGANDA With false advertisement on one hand and deceitful public relations on the other it is difficult not to be affected. Â   As an overweight person it was always difficult to watch infomercials with false claims of weight reduction, or TV commercials claiming their makeup would create a flawless finish, because inevitably it never worked. However, the media is full of thin, beautiful people with flawless skin and trim bodies. The result of the misleading advertising and the impression that perfection was attainable made the failure of reaching that goal destructive. Â   The media impresses falsely that flawlessness is the norm and the epitome of beauty. Poor self-esteem often leading to depression was not only a personal and painful result of this perception but is an epidemic among young women across the country. The negative impact of advertising and the poor reputation of public relations officials created a general distrust of media in general. Public relations are supposed to be mutually beneficial, but when companies have been found guilty of manipulating events and information to suit their purposes only, they cannot be trusted fully. The lack of trust in the media fuelled a desire to actively research products and services before committing to them and to become self educated on public issues so as not to depend on the media for the entire truth. Â   It is a persons right to know the truth, whether it be a product, service, or public relations issue. The self educating tactic turned the destructive force behind the media into an action of empowerment. Would this act of empowerment have occurred otherwise? If people were shielded from the media would they seek to inform themselves? Â   Maybe, but for the majority of the population the answer is probably no, simply because they would be unaware of what they were missing. Â   The desire to seek out the truth is not there if one is unaware that there is an untruth to begin with. Furthermore, without the media world issues and events would remain mostly isolated. Â   Our knowledge of the world around us is in great part due to the media. Â   Admittedly, without the influence of the media esteem issues would probably remain though to a much lesser extent, but products would be less exciting and probably less effective than they are now. Â   Regardless of the annoyances and potential destruction that advertising and public relations can cause it is a reality that they serve an important purpose. Â   Without public relations no one would feel the need to inform or educate the public at all regarding events that involve or affect them and the world they live in. Â   Without advertisements companies would not strive to improve their products over the competition thus creating superior products. Without these driving forces in peoples lives there would be an information gap of incredible magnitude and a lack of creativity. Â   Although potentially destructive without firm operating standards, codes of ethics and legal ramifications, advertising and public relations are undeniably important aspects of our culture.

Orlistat :: Obesity Science Pills Papers

Orlistat In today's world, people are turning more and more to the use of Pharmaceuticals to solve their problems or to improve their health. Drugs are beingused to treat everything from hair loss to impotency. There is a new pill being developed todayto treat the problems that people face due to obesity. Orlistat, which goes by the brand name Xenical, was invented and developed by Hoffman-La Roche Inc. Headquartered in Nutley, NJ, Hoffman-La Roche is an affiliate of the company known as Roche of Basel, Switzerland. This company wants to remind us that obesity is not just a cosmetic concern anymore but is associated with a risk for other life-threatening diseases. Many people are realizing this fact now and wish to do something about their weight problems before it becomes too late. The new pill is being advertised on television, magazines, newspapers, anthe Internet as a wonder drug that helps people take off the pounds and keep them off. Heart Information groupsalso claim that the drug reduces obesity-related risk factors, such as heartdisease, stroke, high blood pressure, cholesterol levels, and insulin levels. Orlistat claims to be a replacement for the diet drug Fen-phen, which was linked to heart valve damage. One man who took part in the longest and largest study ever done with this drug says, "In my adult life, I've always been 20 to 40 pounds overweight. It has always been a problem for me." He was able to drop 21 pounds and keep them off for two years by using orlistat along with maintaining a healthy diet. One can find numerous testimonies such as this one in magazines or on the world wide web. But just how effective is this drug and is it safe for those who use it? The appeal of orlistat to people who wish to use it is that is a new and safe approach to managing obesity. The safety of the drug is its most attractive feature because it is not absorbed into the body. Instead of reducing appetite as most diet drugs do, orlistat works as a lipase inhibitor, which means that it blocks intestinal absorption of fat by locking onto the enzyme in the gut that allows fat to pass across the intestinal wall. Only the fat is blocked, allowing proteins and carbohydrates to be absorbed.

Crime And The Black Market In Modern Day China :: essays research papers

Crime and the Black Market in Modern Day China With a population of approximately 1,203,097,268 people , China, who has the world's largest population, also has the world's fastest growing black market and crime problem. In China, crime rates have been climbing an estimated 10 percent a year since the early 1980s . China is a country that is currently experiencing both political and economic instability. Economic reforms that have been put in place by the government have only widened the income gap, creating a middle class with money and a lower class of newly poor. With an ever increasing size in this gap of income distribution and the relative ease of making money through black market sales, it is no wonder more and more Chinese are turning to a life of commonly accepted and profitable crime. Thomas Jefferson once said, "he who receives an idea from me, receives instruction himself without lessening mine; as he who lights his taper at mine, receives light without darkening me." Unfortunately, Thomas Jefferson lived in a different time. He lived in a time when piracy was not as evident and intellectual property was not worth so much. In China, the largest crime which is currently occurring is intellectual piracy. Unlike the pirates of old who plundered the merchant vessels and ports of the South China Sea, modern day pirates are more interested in illegal replication of intellectual rights. From music compact discs to computer software to films to best selling novels, The Chinese black market is a virtual warehouse of "plundered goods". It is estimated that there are at least thirty illegal high tech factories in China that can churn out over 20,000 optical discs a day. America's Microsoft estimates that 98 out of every 100 of its software programs being used in China are illegal copies . Because of these statistics, and because this only amounts to a small amount of the estimated piracy which occurs in China, program manufacturers, worldwide, are lobbying the Chinese government to impose stricter standards and greater restrictions upon the distribution and sale of illegal intellectual rights. In July of 1996, investigators from Microsoft led Chinese officials to a plant near Guilin in Guanxi Province, where they found 5700 bootleg windows CDs. The plant had four production lines. Three of them were operated around the clock. It was estimated that this particular plant churned out 20,000 illegal copies of Microsoft programs a day. A trade report to Congress from the Trade office cites China as the worst violator of United States - copyrighted intellectual property. The report, which came days after

Longer Weekend

A plentiful amount schools in the U. S. Are beginning to consider bringing forth school four days a week rather than the usual five days. However, classes will be in session more hours per day. By doing this the schools will conserve money, have more instruction time per class, and longer weekends. First of all, the schools will preserve loads of money, as well as those who drive to school. They will have one less day of transportation because people aren't in school for that one extra day.The schools will also have much lower electric bills because the lights are off for another day. Also, if the school is under construction, there will be more time to complete it because there aren't kids in the hardhat area. Not only that, but the Janitors will have more time to tidy up the school while the kids aren't in there to create a safer and cleaner learning environment. Secondly, having longer days meaner more time per class period. Lots of kids aren't passing because they need more instr uction time.Giving more time per class period gives the teachers time to explain tough material to students who are behind. The students will better understand the material being taught. Some lessons can last for more than a day, like reading a novel. The students will better understand what they are reading if they do it all in one day than if they have to pick up where they left off the day before. Longer school days and less days in school will lead to a better education for students, there may even be less homework because the students use the extra time given In class to complete It.Plus, the school day also will last until almost dinner time, so the students will go home eight after school. They won't be out on the streets getting In trouble In the time period between school ending and dinner. Yet another reason to say yes to longer school days four days a week Is the longer weekends. While schoolwork Is obviously Incredibly important, so Is time off. Most kids need time to re lax, they are busier in today's world than ever. They have homework, practices, and projects to work on.Some even have Jobs, by the time the weekend Is over, the students haven't had any time for themselves. Schools should be open four days a week and have longer days because the schools will save money, by having more time per class a more quality education will be provided for the students, and the longer weekends will give the kids time to relax after long week. Agreeing with this Idea Is beneficial to your child's education. Adding school hours and reducing the amount of hours per school makes more time for academic pursuits.Longer Weekend more time to tidy up the school while the kids aren't in there to create a safer and emperor because the students use the extra time given in class to complete it. Plus, right after school. They won't be out on the streets getting in trouble in the time school days four days a week is the longer weekends. While schoolwork is obviously incredib ly important, so is time off. Most kids need time to relax, they are busier in Some even have Jobs, by the time the weekend is over, the students haven't had any kids time to relax after long week. Agreeing with this idea is beneficial to your child's

Marketing Study of Casinos

They add It absolutely clear what demographics they wanted to see Inside of their casino. They changed signs Inside the casino so Latino patrons could easily understand them. They brought In Spanish speaking dealers, entertainment and even made their most popular drink offer on the floor to be top-shelf tequila. Basically, the casino created an unseen logo that flashed we serve Latino first. By creating the Latino casino brand, they were able to create a relationship where the patrons saw the casino as a second home†¦ A place where they could be comfortable.Additionally, the casino used the power of positioning. They raised the perception of Latino patrons In a good way by giving them the red carpet treatment. If a patron spent $1000 in the casino, the staff treating them the same way the Lass Vegas casinos would treat their â€Å"whale† spenders. By using the power of positioning the Latino community felt as if they were respected and belong to a loyal company. More impo rtantly, their money no matter how little they spent was appreciated by the casino. Finally, and probably the most important principle used by the casino was segmentation.The casinos took the risk of basically Ignoring all other demographics ND concentrated all of their efforts toward the Latino community. The casino understood the demography of what things Latino valued, what music they wanted to hear, the type of food they wanted to eat and the liquor Latino preferred to drink. By successfully segmented their target audience the casino was able to see their once dying business revived with more customers than ever before. 3. This analysis demonstrated the power of targeting your audience and making sure to meet the needs and desires of your target audience.Many companies throughout the world SE the same tactics used by the casino. I Like to use the Marine corp. as example on how they target certain groups of people to Join their ranks. First off their slogan has always been  "The Few the Proud the Marines†. Right off the back they are letting the public know that they are an elite group of people and very few can join their ranks. This type of advertisement would appeal to an individual who wants to feel as if they are a part of a special group. Secondly, most of the Manes commercials display young men In tip top condition able to live In the wild and conquer almost any task†¦ CE again appealing to a certain demographic of people who are young in shape and want to live a challenge adventurous lifestyle. The casino discussed used some of the same tactics as the Marines use to pull in their targeted customers. As illustrated in the reading, the company advertised with countless signs in Spanish telling their customer to come play blackjack in their language. They brought Hispanic pop singers that the owners never heard of but knew he was popular In the decided to bring in conga drums†¦ Once again relating to the Latino culture.The most imp ortant lesson that I take away from this style of marketing is to not be afraid to openly go after a certain demographic of buyers. Large companies like Asks, Gucci and Ferreira have been doing it for years by catering to the extremely rich. Well this example show how a small casino decided to cater to Latino only who according to the reading were not considered to be rich but hard working average to below average wage earning customers. Their gamble (no pun intended) paid off and help turn their business around. They went from declaring bankruptcy in 2009 to having all 2,600 rooms and the casino floor filled with customers.

Comparative Employee Relations Essay

Employees relations is those policies and daily practices that are concerned with the regulation and management of individual and team relationships within the organization. Essentially, employee relations are cantered on the ability to resolve and prevent conflicts that involve either an individual or the teams in the organization which directly affect work situations and performance. Efficient communication ensures that information is passed to the employees in order to allow them understand better the company’s goals and objectives. Most employee relations managers uphold the responsibility of handling grievances, individual code of conduct while in the office, evaluation of employee performance and counselling programs. Sound employee relations are based on participation and effective communication for both the management and the employees. There are various management styles that cover the way employee relations must be conducted in order to achieve the best from the employees. These management styles are intended to teach employees the following, –  Ã‚  Applicable regulations and policies – Bargaining agreements – Grievance and appeal rights – Discrimination and protection of whistleblowers Employee relations have broadened its definition from the initial industrial relations to such aspects as employer-employee relations, personal contracts, workplace environmental safety, and socio-emotional factors. In developed countries, there is a growing trend of harmonization in almost all levels of government mainly because of the government commitment to enhance employee relations programs. Comparison of employee relations in Kenya and the United States Employee relations between different countries such as the United States, Japan, Brazil, South Africa, Europe and underdeveloped countries such as Kenya are far much varied because of issues such as; economic status, political will, policy creation and implementation, employee literacy standards, justice systems, type of company and management standards United States and Kenya are two different countries that have different views and perceptions on how they handle employee relations. In some issues however, they agree and others they don’t. Similarities – Both are members of the International Labour Association – They both have federal courts that deal with cases arising from employees – Both countries have trade unions that champion for employee rights – They have health and safety assessment policies – Both value equal treatment, opportunities and rights for the employees – Both countries have created and implemented policies and legal requirements that govern the conduct of both the employer and the employees – In both countries workplace malpractices occur – Both uphold human rights concerning employees – They both have turnover and retention concerns – In both workplace harassment is punishable by law Differences In the U.S, every State i.e. Washington, Texas etc have each Employee Relations Advisory Organization (ERAO) that is concerned with individual organizations dealing with employee relations[1] while in Kenya there is only one central organization that deals with the issues raised by its employees. Also, the U.S has an elaborate system of government that promotes the utilization of its staff members attached to the Employee Relations Advisory Board to monitor employee relations in various companies. In Kenya, the situation is different with no government body that is specifically assigned the duty of overseeing employee relations. In   the   U.S each organization including institutions have the privilege of getting the services of an employee relations officer but in Kenya, the companies find it difficult and expensive to hire an employee relations manager. The U.S also has well trained personnel that have the human resource skills to handle employee relations issues which Kenya does not. In addition, the U.S have a better economy that can support better pay packages, benefits, compensations and other incentives while in   Kenya employers pay poorly thus undermining the morale, motivation and performance of individual employees. Finally, in the U.S, the employees are from different parts of the world speaking different languages and diverse political, social, cultural and religious backgrounds making it difficult and tedious to the companies to ensure smooth harmonization in the company. While in Kenya, only a few internationals work in some companies with the majority being the locals making employee relations very easy to manage Third world countries like Kenya, are not economically capable of handling employee relations effectively. With an unemployment rate of 57%, most employers are arrogant to employees because they know that they can sack one employ another within a very short time frame. Since most companies due to financial weaknesses cannot afford the services of employee relations manager, then the work of handling employee issue are either left with the general manager or the human resources manager who have no skills to handle the sector. This will lead to unfair and costly consequences for the company such as failure to understand individual problems which will in turn affect his or her performance. Because of corruption in Kenya, very few cases of employee relations abuse have been so far settled while in the U.S the case is different with more significant cases being reported each year.

Is Affirmative Action Effective?

Is Affirmative Action Effective? The Declaration of Independence states â€Å"all men are created equal† (Declaration of Independence) and have certain unalienable rights that among these are â€Å"Life Liberty and the pursuit of happiness† (Declaration of Independence). Judging Americans by different standards does not honor this truth. In efforts to remedy the ills of segregation through Affirmative Action, the unintended consequences of this action have created another injustice. If men are created equal then they should be judged equally.Affirmative action is outdated and unconstitutional and it is time for a level playing field. Giving people opportunities based solely on race without the qualifications to succeed in a competitive environment is a major problem in today’s society. The SAT, the Standard Aptitude Test, â€Å"†¦merely measures differences in academic preparation†¦ [The] affirmative action policies [that they] seek to remedy are prima rily produced by â€Å"continuing disparities† in pre-collegiate academic achievements of blacks and white students.On those measures of merit that selective colleges use to decide who gets in, not all groups perform equally† (D’souza 266). Standardized tests are excellent predictors of academic capability, but, even with comparable test scores, evidence shows there simply may be natural differences between the races, similar to the assumption that whites naturally are not as athletic as blacks. America cannot deny opportunities to the people who are the most qualified and give them to someone who is less qualified but of the â€Å"right† skin color.This practice diminishes not only the achievement of the individual, but makes this country less productive than it could be. America is slowing down its’ competitiveness in the world and dumbing down the country. D’souza states that â€Å"†¦ admitting Hispanic and African American students with grade point averages of 3. 2 and SAT scores of 1100, while turning away White and Asian American applicants with GPAs of 4. 0 and SAT scores of 1300† (D’souza 265). In the NBA, more than three fourths of the league is African American. Many believe as stated previously that blacks are more athletic than whites.Demanding that the NBA draft more whites to achieve racial equality, even if they are much less athletic, is effectively the same as demanding that businesses hire less qualified workers based solely on race rather than their academic performance. Rewarding people based on race instead of hard work and intelligence encourages an entitlement mentality and creates a false sense of achievement. Granting people opportunities that they may not deserve creates a sense of entitlement and perpetuates stereotypes and the cycle of racism. Equal opportunity is essential to a healthy society.Everyone should be held to the same standard regardless of individual characteri stics that have nothing to do with intelligence, hard work, or creativity. The person most qualified deserves the opportunity. The original justification for affirmative action was to correct historical discrimination against blacks in the south. This justification has been exaggerated and expanded to apply to many classes of people who were never intended to be included. This wide application of affirmative action creates a form of reverse discrimination.The original purpose was to provide government intervention where blatant racism was present. As presently applied, each class has a different standard and set of remedies based on what ever injustice they believe they suffered. According to a 1991 commentary by Patrick Hall, an African American librarian, â€Å"the irony in all of this is that affirmative action and equal opportunity originally intended people to be judged on their qualifications as individuals without regard to race, sex, or age† ( Hall 311). Affirmative a ction now takes away from the key to success which is motivation.Hall suggests that â€Å"motivation, individual initiative, and perseverance can overcome the most the most abhorrent situations† (Hall 312). Instead of creating that motivation, affirmative action has discouraged the majority races that face the same adversity and has caused a tension between races because people who deserve an opportunity are being overlooked because they are white just to create a sense of diversity. Rather than a targeted corrective strategy, a case can be made that affirmative action has diminished some minorities’ drive to achieve prosperity in their lives.The key to successful affirmative action is to create individual initiative regardless of their race. Without this motivation, affirmative action is unfair and can become as destructive as the evil it was intended to correct. The biggest example of affirmative action’s place in the world today is its effect and role in coll ege admissions. These days, the main focus of universities and other educational institutions is to be or become as racially diverse as possible. However, with that being said â€Å"†¦ dequate racial diversity can’t be achieved without rejecting a certain number of more academically qualified white applicants in favor of preferred minority applicants† (Parks 146). In trying to create more equality in opportunity for minorities, the white population’s opportunities are then diminished. Instead of race, the privileges or assistance that comes along with affirmative action should be given to people based on factors that would actually affect their admissions. The policy should almost be used as bonus points for â€Å"†¦ ruly deserving students whose lower grade point average and SAT scores, correlate to overcoming poverty, a single-parent household, lack of English-language background, enrollment at an underperforming high school, a physical handicap or undiagnosed or untreated learning disability† (Parks 149). Growing up in or with a condition that is out of their control, affirmative action should be award to those who have problems that directly affect their education. Within the last century, African Americans have fought harsh battles for their civil rights.Back during Jim Crow law days, segregated schools allowed for differences in educational standards. The few schools that were provided helped some, but for the most part did little for the majority of blacks. This oppression â€Å"†¦ left a large gap in amount of wealth, educational attainment, and social status†¦ † (Young 14). The more the gap in attainment increased, the greater the gap in economic opportunity. Some African Americans view affirmative action policies as a form of pity. Because of past struggles and their assumed continuance â€Å"†¦ ffirmative action programs give blacks and other disadvantaged groups extra consideration when a pplying for admissions† (Young 14). Whites now feel â€Å"bad† about their past wrongdoings and are trying to make up for it by giving education as a handout. These policies anger many blacks because they want the same opportunity to show how far they have come and prove they are capable of being successful on their own without any special assistance. Even though most educational institutions are trying to increase their racially diverse appeal, most still favor whites over other minority races. With that being said â€Å"†¦ hites, whatever their status, can view themselves as entitled to privileges and priorities over blacks† (Bell 77). This in turn causes more tension between races because of the factor of competition. If schools based admissions solely on the information they are presented with, race and ethnicity aside, they could fairly base their rejection or acceptance and have it be justified. This would also help the competition tension because admi ssions would be based on their effort and achievements instead of something that is beyond their control. There are many different standards of education around the world.In order to make sure every student has the same chance of success, every school needs to if not at the same level, at least offer the same or similar courses. Many â€Å"†¦ recommend that courts should concentrate on enforcing genuine equality in education by requiring schools to conform to uniform standards â€Å"(Bell 76). This way every student has the access to these resources if need be. So students are judged on what they bring to the table, not on race or unchangeable characteristics. Most races are hurt by some of the practices or effects of affirmative action policies.Getting rid of race-based pickings, would help increase educational equality across the board and also increase economic opportunity. Unfair cruelty and underestimation is also presented upon Hispanics. The stereotypical view that man y Americans have on Hispanics is that their lack of education means that they have no worth to this country and that they should be given a job with just as poor worth as their stereotype gives the individual. â€Å"The preponderance of recent immigrants in unskilled and low-paying jobs as de facto proof that Americans refuse to do what is traditionally considered menial labor.As an result, some of the business community, supported by the U. S. Chamber of Commerce, clamor for a liberal guest-worker program based upon the assumption that without one, America will face a long-term labor shortage and economic ruin† (Haugen 24). This shows how Americans actually refuse to do these types of jobs because they are viewed as unfavorable low-paying jobs. With the assumption that they are jobs well suited for these immigrants who do not have a proper educated background, when really, these are some of the most important and beneficial jobs to the country.This menial labor may not be th e ideal job, but without these jobs, or the Hispanics that occupy them, America would face a tremendous labor and economic downfall. Americans have not only underestimated the importance and power of menial labor, but also of Hispanics. Although these people may be unskilled and uneducated, they have been put in tougher situations where they must work harder than other Americans in order to survive. The severity of discrimination has been taken to a whole different level. â€Å"The prejudice, intimidation, and hatred of the†¦ riots were directed at Hispanics who had done nothing wrong† (Haugen 27).Hispanics have taken the role of America’s scapegoats and the reason for their problems when they have done nothing but come into the country looking for a better life for themselves. This view that Hispanics are worthless and incapable of succeeding in anything in spite of their race is unfair and insensible. Affirmative action was created to be a positive and beneficia l way of improving and enhancing the employment and educational opportunities of members in a minority, but quickly turned into an ongoing controversy filled with detriments from all point of views. This action has gone from helping the minorities, to denying races.There have been cases where students have been denied from colleges merely because of their race. â€Å"The court has ruled that a system of strict racial quotas, like denying someone because of their race, is unconstitutional, but that schools are allowed to use race as one of several factors when determining an applicant’s acceptance† (â€Å"Expanding Access to College for Disadvantaged Students† paragraph 3). Colleges aim for those certain percentages of each race in their school, but that does not mean that they should be able to turn hard working and deserving students away because of the color of their skin.Colleges have lost the true meaning of affirmative action, which is to give a boost to th e minorities, not push them away. Members of both majorities and minorities see this action as an unfair advantage. Many Whites view affirmative action â€Å"as giving an unfair advantage to racial minorities†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (â€Å"Expanding Access to College for Disadvantaged Students† paragraph 4) and many Blacks view the affirmative boosts as a gesture of pity towards them and take it offensively because they feel like they can pave a way for themselves without Whites doing it for them.On the other hand, many Hispanics see affirmative action as one more racial barrier that puts, yet, another stereotype on them that they are incapable of being a real benefit to a college, or the country in general (Marcovitz 27). Affirmative action needs to make its way back to its original purpose which is to give Hispanics a helping hand because of their lack of a proper education. Over the years, more and more people have witnessed affirmative action’s misfortunes and have worked t owards a resolution to this controversy.Instead of viewing Hispanic immigrants as a burden to public welfare, Americans need to desire a growing workforce and welcome them with the belief that America is a beacon for all diversities of races (Haugen 21). Many have come to the conclusion that Hispanics are just another group of people who are here to overpopulate and do not bring anything to the table to benefit our country, but the truth is, they benefit this country a great amount.By helping these immigrants have a better and new life in America, they can achieve great things for our country and introduce America into many new cultural aspects which can raise the nation to a whole new level. Throughout the revision process of affirmative action, critics have hypothesized new ways that will make more of a beneficial impact. â€Å"Critics also say they doubt that racial or economic diversity will really benefit colleges. Ideological differences are more helpful in achieving that goa l than differences in race or income†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (â€Å"Critics See Problems† paragraph 5).It has been predicted that ideological differences would be far more helpful in achieving the action's goals rather than segregating by race. Diversity by race in colleges will do nothing but cause more controversies in this issue, which is already a heated topic. By seeking out the differences of ideology rather than race, it will give colleges a background look at the persons’ political and economic beliefs and ideas instead of their race. Being able to see these ideological beliefs would be much more beneficial not only for the colleges, but for the country.Affirmative action violates the natural rights that have been given to Americans since the beginning of this great country. Judging students based off skin color takes away from the pursuit of happiness and creates an idea of inequality among races. Instead of just focusing on the person's race, but on the qualities and k nowledge a person actually attains, this country will move ahead faster socially, but economically as well. Works Cited â€Å"Affirmative Action. † Issues and Controversies on File: n. pag.Issues and Controversies. Facts on File News Services, 1 Sept. 1995. Web. 9 Feb. 2013. Bell, Derrick A. â€Å"Equality in Education is More Important than Integration. † Issues on Trial: Racial Discrimination. Ed. Mitchell Young. Farmington Hills, MI: Thomas Gale, 2007. 77. Print. D’souza, Dinesh. â€Å"A World Without Racial Preferences. † Taking sides: Clashing views on Controversial Issues in Race and Ethnicity. Ed. Raymond D’angelo and Herbert Douglas. Dubuque, Iowa: The McGraw- Hill Companies, Inc,2005. 265-270. Print.Hall, Patrick A. â€Å"Against our Best Interests: An Ambivalent View of Affirmative Action. † Taking Sides: Clashing Views on Controversial Issues in Race and Ethnicity. Ed. Raymond D’angelo and Herbert Douglas. Dubuque, Iowa: Th e McGraw- Hill Companies, Inc, 2005. 311-316. Print. Haugen, David. â€Å"How Does Illegal Immigration Impact America? † Illegal Immigration: Opposing Viewpoints. Ed. Davis Haugen and Susan Musser. Farmington Hills, MI: Greenhaven Press, 2011. Print. Marcovitz, Hal. â€Å"Lancing the Boil of Racism. Race Relations: Gallup Major Trends and Events: The Pulse of Our Nation 1900 to the Present. Broomall, PA: Mason Crest Publishers, 2007. Print. Parks Jr. , A. Lee. â€Å"Race-Based College Admissions Violate Individual Rights. † Issues on Trial: Racial Discrimination. Ed. Mitchell Young. Farmington Hills, MI: Thomas Gale, 2006. 145-152. Print. 17 USC. Sec. 304. 2000. Print. Young, Mitchell. â€Å"New Challenges in a Diverse Society. † Issues on Trial: Racial Discrimination. Ed. Mitchell Young. Farmington Hills, MI: Thomas Gale, 2006. 14-15. Print.

Drug Legalization in the United States Essay

Abstract This paper will explore four websites and one online newspaper addressing the subject of drug trafficking in the United States and why legalization is a profitable alternative. The various ways drugs are bought into the country, information on how and why drug trafficking has increased in the United States, statistics on the number of people that are addicts, and the problems related to foreign countries on this issue. The reasons why illicit drugs should be legalized and what the income from the taxation from them could do to better our health care reform and our economy. Keywords: drug trafficking, economy, legalization Drug Legalization in the United States Illegal drugs are exports and deported out if our country everyday by different groups such as high profile criminal gangs or groups such as the cartel. Law enforcement has yet found a suitable way in controlling the war on drugs and have in past years, up until now, have made and passed bills and policies within the government that has made it worse. The legalization of illicit drugs, such as marijuana, would dramatically save, if not make our country more money.The Department of Justice reports the trafficking of drugs has increased in the United States (2012). Criminal groups from other countries, such as Mexican, Cuban, and Asian, including the groups in our country, grow, manufacturer, and distribute marijuana and other illicit drugs. Meth being in such high demand, leads to the growing number of addicts. Domestic cannabis growers and producers provide marijuana as easy completion for such drugs such as cocaine, LSD, and heroine. Since the price of the final product increases to abnormally high values, because of the black market status, this together with the powerful effects of drug addiction causes users to commit crimes in order to fund their addiction. The ways that illicit drugs are brought in to the country are by passenger ships at United States ports and shipping containers, criminal groups operating from South America smuggling cocaine and heroin in the United States. Self-propelled semisubmersible vessels are maritime vessels used by traffickers to transport illicit drugs. These vessels typically protrude only a few inches above the surface of the water, making them very difficult to detect visually. SPSS’s typically have a four-man crew and are capable of carrying multiton quantities of cocaine. The primary threat from drug smuggling via private vessels is from Caribbean-based traffickers exploiting the Puerto Rico and Florida coastlines. Traffickers transported mostly cocaine from the Dominican Republic to Puerto Rico, although they smuggled lesser amounts of heroin, sometimes combined with cocaine loads. Caribbean traffickers also smuggled cocaine, heroin, and marijuana from the Bahamas to areas of South Florida bet ween Miami and Palm Beach. Seizure totals and routes remained relatively constant compared with those of previous years. These routes have been opened and used frequently since the 1970’s. Traffickers used private maritime vessels to smuggle drugs into the United States during 2009 through Puerto Rico, South Florida, South Texas, and southern California, and Mexican DTOs sometimes smuggle drugs by maritime means to avoid law enforcement scrutiny along the Southwest Border. According to Drug Addiction Facts and Statistics, the statistics on the number of addicts that we have in the United States are also growing rapidly. These numbers are solely based on the harsher illicit drugs such as heroin and cocaine. â€Å"2010 estimated 22.6 million Americans over the age of 12 that were currently or formally illicit drug users are equivalent to about 8.9% of the population† Over 6 million children in the United States live with at least one parent with a drug problem. Since the 1980’s the numbers of people that used illicit drugs that ended death either by overdose or some other type of reaction has risen to over 540%. A 1996 U.S. government study claims that heavy marijuana use may impair learning ability. The key words are heavy use and may. This claim is based on studying people who use marijuana daily–a sample that represents less than 1 percent of all marijuana users. This study concluded: 1) Learning impairments cited were subtle, minimal, and may be temporary. In other words, there is little evidence that such learning impairments even exist. 2) Long-term memory was not affected by heavy marijuana use. 3) Casual marijuana users showed no signs of impaired learning. 4) Heavy alcohol use was cited as being more detrimental to the thought and learning process than heavy marijuana use. (2012). Drug raids in the United States happen on the average of hundreds of times a day. The policies are a lot more dangerous and dramatic then public use of drugs. These policies harm not just families of the users and dealers, but the neighbors and general public that surround them. It has been known that law enforcement has gotten wrong addresses, and bad leads to help them follow through enforcement. Drug task force units have their equipment such as big guns and bullet proof amour, for their defense, but to a child of the suspect, it can seem very intimidating and scary. This also has been known as traumatizing to the youth and families involved. It has also been classified as terrorizing. This is not what these policies were set out to do. Prohibition on illicit drugs brings more gang violence, murder, and violence from dealers, users, children, families, and law enforcement made to enforce policies. There are approximately 17.4 million users of marijuana between 2007 through to 2010 . The numbers increased to 6.9% up from 5.8% or 14.4 million to 17.4 million users. â€Å"To allow policy experimentation, the federal government should permit states to legalize the production, sales, taxation, and consumption of marijuana. While testing this policy shift, authorities should redirect scarce law enforcement resources to focus on the more damaging and socially unacceptable drugs such as heroin, cocaine and meth. From which Mexican drug trafficking organizations derive more than 70% of their proceeds (Moffat, 2012). Replacing marijuana prohibition with a system of taxation and regulation similar to that used for alcoholic beverages would produce combined savings and tax revenues of between $10 billion and $14 billion per year. The revenue from marijuana sales after legalizing for the government could be lucrative. If the tax of marijuana cigarettes was substituted for equal to the difference between the local production cost and the street price currently paid, transfer the revenue from the crime groups to the government, we would have revenue of abo ut $7 per unit. This adds up to over $2 billion on the Canadian sales and even more on an export tax then we can forgo the cost of enforcement and deploy our policy assets elsewhere. By providing legal supplies of currently illegal drugs the price will fall, leading to a collapse in the illegal drug industry, and a reduction in crimes committed by both drug suppliers and users. Some could also argue that the reduction in the price will lead to little, if any, growth in drug addiction, due to the inelasticity of demand. In a strictly regulated market, drug use may fall overall, by removing the marketing activities of the illegal drug industry. There are a growing number of law enforcement professionals speaking out for legalization. LEAP (Law Enforcement against Prohibition) is an international organization founded in 2002 made up of current and former members of the law enforcement and criminal justice communities who are speaking out about the failures of our existing drug policies. According to Betty Taylor, former Chief of Police of Winfield, MO and a speaker for LEAP (Law Enforcement against Prohibition) â€Å"If you can’t control the problem then regulate it. Regardless of law enforcement expenditures, the negative effects of prohibition include violence and other criminal activity† (Bozarth, 2012). The prohibition of marijuana is taking away from our economy in many different ways, such as financially. It is also taking our law enforcement officials away from being able to enforce the more dangerous crimes such as murder and enforce the policies of the more dangerous drugs such as cocaine and heroin. Taxes from the product can bring in more revenue and create another cash crop for farmers to contribute to the economy and also help with drug care reform in making a prescription drug that is affordable and easily acquired. These things are beneficiary to our country as long as it is monitored and maintained by its own policies put in place by ou r government. References DEA Briefs & Background, Drugs and Drug Abuse, Drug Descriptions, Drug Trafficking in the United States. (n.d.). Welcome to the United States Department of Justice. Retrieved March 5, 2012, from http://www.justice.gov/dea/concern/drug_trafficking.html Drug Addiction Facts and Statistics. (n.d.). http://www.michaelshouse.com. Retrieved March 5, 2012, from http://www.michaelshouse.com/drug-addiction/drug-addiction-statistics/ Law Enforcement Against Prohibition. (n.d.). Retrieved March 5, 2012, from www.CopsSayLegalizeDrugs.com Moffatt, M. (n.d.). Should Governments Legalize and Tax Marijuana?. About.com. Retrieved March 5, 2012, from http://economics.about.com/od/incometaxestaxcuts/a/marijuana.htm Bozarth, M. (2012, 02 23). LEAP Helps Launch Marijuana Initiative. http://stjtelegraph.org/. Retrieved March 5, 2012, from stjtelegraph.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/stjtelegraph-23-08_all.pdf

How Ethnicity Affects Nigerian Politics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

How Ethnicity Affects Nigerian Politics - Essay Example How Ethnicity Affects Nigerian Politics Many communities viewed political power as the sole tool for correcting social and economic evils perpetrated by the colonial government and governments formed after independence. Furthermore, there is a psychological link between specific ethnic tribes and political parties in Africa. This is more so for Nigeria, which has hundreds of ethnic groups, all viewing political machinery as the only way of correcting acts of deprivation and discrimination by the state. From a historical point of view, the current prevalence of ethnic politics in Nigeria was propagated by the British colonial rule as a strategic technique (divide and conquer) to conquer the nation. The British deliberately adopted the divide and conquer technique in order to segregate the tribes of Nigeria further, to prevent them from joining together and fighting against a common enemy. The British rewarded the tribes that collaborated with their direct rule by appointing local chiefs, who had a little autonomy over the region they were situated. However, the autonomy was not complete as they still answered to the British political hierarchy. On the other hand, for those tribes that resisted colonial rule, they were treated harshly and discriminated against, evidenced by the implementation of forced labour, corporal punishment and imposition of very high taxes aimed at impoverishing the locals and forcing them to concede and submit to British rule.