Hamlet and Lion King Comparison Essay

Still captivating people today, the story elements and classic plot of Hamlet, written by the influential William Shakespeare, have made it to the film screen in a version that the whole family can enjoy. The Lion King, one of Disney’s most legendary movies, illustrates aspects and characteristics of Shakespeare’s Hamlet, and captures it in a magical, enthusiastic style. More than just the unforgettable music and remarkable animations, The Lion King follows the popular plot, conflict, climax, and resolution that William Shakespeare scribbled on paper over 400 years ago. However, all of Disney’s animation movies end with a happy ending, which means that movie writers of The Lion King had to change the story elements of Hamlet to better suit the movie for young audiences. Disney was overall primarily successful in delivering the dark, complex story plot of Hamlet in The Lion King by still preserving the optimism and purity of Disney movies, with only a few minor fl aws. The far-reaching influence Shakespeare’s Hamlet had on the movie The Lion King is evident through character comparisons, family conflict, and moral struggle within the characters. Simba, who undergoes his fair share of hardships and worries, can be directly related to Hamlet. Both characters suffer the loss of their father and they both seek to be alone, running away from their responsibilities in the royal family. To escape the guilt of the death of his father, Simba runs away from all responsibility to forget about his past. Hamlet also runs away from his responsibility, with the thoughts of revenge and suicide overtaking his mind. Both main characters have to reevaluate their morals as well; Hamlet decides whether it is moral or not to seek revenge on this uncle and Simba has to make the imperative decision of whether he should take control of the Pride Lands again. Hamlet’s father can be directly correlated to Mufasa, Simba’s father. Both kings ruled over the ir kingdom in peace and prosperity, with the intent of good ambitions. Both kings also suffered a tragic death, due to the immorality and cruelty in their brothers. Scar and Claudius, characterized as Simba and Hamlet’s uncles, both used evil convictions to force their way onto the throne. Sarabi and Gertrude, the queens and mothers in both of the stories, care about their sons very much. They also have little to no power over their kingdom, leaving the uncles in full charge. When Simba returned to Pride Rock to declare his spot on the throne, he was furious when he saw how Scar was treating his mother, just like how Hamlet was furious about how Claudius didn’t treat his mother as good as his father once did. Nala can be related to the character Ophelia from Hamlet, mainly because Nala is Simba’s love interest, as Ophelia is to Hamlet. Disney did a very good job at preserving the main ideas and character significance of the original piece, without taking out anything important. The Lion King placed a children’s perspective on a very gruesome story of responsibility and revenge. Disney was clever in adapting the story plot to a children’s audience. Most of the differences between the two works are because Disney had to change some of the stories conflicts to teach moral lessons and have more positive influences on the younger audience. Hamlet was written for an audience that is older and mature, and less vulnerable to the dreadful deaths and disturbing dialogues that Hamlet delivers. If a child ever saw the sinister plot and conflicts of Hamlet, they would be easily influenced to make bad decisions. The Lion King has a more encouraging, child-friendly essence to it, with positive songs and cheerful secondary characters that help lead to a happy ending. The Hamlet, however, has a very gloomy and depressing tone to it, with no foreshadowing of hope in the future. The ending of Hamlet ends in the terrible bloodshed of all the main characters, incl uding Hamlet. If this ending were to happen in The Lion King, it would not be suitable for children and it may even put some children into shock. It was a great idea that Disney decided to change the aspects of the story line that may influence child behavior, such as changing the horrible ending to a happy one, making Simba not contemplate suicide like Hamlet, and presenting the famous â€Å"Hakuna Matata† song, meaning â€Å"no worries.† When Simba ran away, he found a worry-free and happy life. This was changed from the original Hamlet plot to help children realize that  problems can get better if they stop overthinking and worrying about them. The Hamlet version of this, if shown to little kids, would make them overthink their problems in life to the point of envisioning suicide or seeking vile revenge, just like Hamlet did. Disney did a perfect job at adjusting the story of Hamlet to the appropriate audience for The Lion King. There were few minor flaws that Disney made in the remaking of Hamlet in The Lion King. In The Lion King, movie producers left out characters like Laertes and Polonius from Hamlet, and they weren’t very clear with the characterizations and placing of Horatio, Rosencrantz, and Guildenstern from Hamlet in The Lion King. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern could’ve been correlated to Simba’s friends Timon and Pumbaa, except for the fact that Simba’s friends didn’t betray him and spy on him for his uncle. Timon and Pumbaa could also be related to Horatio, but they weren’t Simba’s early childhood friends. The Lion King could’ve improved the movie by having Simba have a childhood friend to provide relief to the audience from the main focus of the story, and also by having Simba have two friends that spy on him for Scar to spice up the plot and conflict a bit more. Having characters similar to Laertes and Polonius in The Lion King would also spice up the plot and conflict more as well, because those additional characters would make it harder for Simba to reach his goal; in the end it would be worth it and show the audience that no matter how hard something is, they can get through it. The only two obstacles that Simba had to go through were the weak hyenas and his uncle, Scar. Adding more antagonists to the story line would make the plot a little more interesting like Hamlet, considering he went through several obstacles to pursue revenge on his uncle. One other mistake that Disney made on The Lion King was that Simba didn’t mourn over the death of his father for a very long time, like Hamlet did. In the Hamlet, the death of his father affected Hamlet’s mind for the whole stretch of the play. Because of this, readers could tell that Hamlet loved and honored his father very much. Simba, however, forgot about this father and duties as king for many years when he ran away. Disney could’ve showed a better sense of companionship and love for family if they made Simba mourn a little longer over the death of his father. To summarize our Hamlet and Lion King Comparison Essay, Disney’s movie, The Lion King, embodied the Shakespearian work of Hamlet in a way that it brought the story of Hamlet back to life, with modern day morals and important life lessons. Even though Hamlet was very evil with its dark schemes and dialogue, it taught the lesson that seeking revenge on someone will get that person nowhere; they must step up and be the better person. Simba stated clearly in the fight against his uncle that he wasn’t gonna kill his uncle because he wasn’t like him. In the end, fate ended up killing his uncle anyway and it wasn’t Simba’s fault, so the story of The Lion King didn’t end in a tragic way. Disney did a wonderful job at modernizing the enduring and classical themes and plot of Hamlet by making The Lion King a family-friendly movie. Throughout the plot, settings, characters and lessons, Disney proved to be very successful in rewriting the tale of Hamlet in the most optimistic and hopeful way possible, with very few flaws.

Community Nursing Essay

Community as partner model To gain access to the community, the community must: -Perceive that a need exist -Believe that the CHN can help address this need -Perceive that its information and contributions are valued -Be assured of confidentiality for non-public information -Be involved from the beginning in this partnership Compare Neuman System Model & Community as Partner Model -the inner circle represents the community -the dotted circles represents resistance -spiritual, psyschosocial, physiological -the other circles represents line of defence Look up Appendix 11 Community as a partner looks at the 8 sub groups, and if one of them is distorted; everything will also be impacted. Determinants of health and community The determinants of health relevant to the community -chn need to consider the determinants of health that might exists in their community, such as crime, social and physical environments, education level, socio economic status, poverty. WHY? -Every community that you go to has individuals strengths and crisis, as the chn investigate a community Assessing acommunity -Structure -Population -Social system Structure (locale) ï‚ §Name of community/ neighbourhood ï‚ §Geopraphuc boundaries ï‚ §Environment ï‚ §Water and sanitation ï‚ §Housing ï‚ §Economy Population (people) ï‚ §Age distribution ï‚ §Sex distribution ï‚ §Growth trends ï‚ §Density ï‚ §Education level ï‚ §Predominant cultural and religious groups Social System ï‚ §Education system ï‚ §Government ï‚ §Communication system ï‚ §Transportation system ï‚ §Welfare system ï‚ §Volunteer programs ï‚ §Health system Assessing the community: -What are some common health needs of communities -Vulnerable populations -Poor and homeless clients -Risk takers -Client with chronic illness -Woman and girls -Youth -Elderly Community assessment -A logical, systematic approach to -Identifying community -Strengths, resources, assets, capabilities, and opportunities -Clarifying/ validating concerns – community leaders -Identifying the constraints: the economic, political, and social factors, and the determinants of health Why collect data? -Goal is to acquire usable info. About the community; its concerns, strengths and problem Assessing the community -Gathering data: the process of obtaining existing, readily available data, such as age and gender of residents oHow do we collect data ï‚ §Information interviews ï‚ §Focus groups ï‚ §Participants observation ï‚ §Windshield surveys ï‚ §Secondary analyses of existing data ï‚ §Surveys Windshield survery (pg. 257) -Core elements oHistory oDemographics oEthnicity oValues and beliefs -Subsystems oPhysical environment oHealth and social services oEconomic theory oTransportation oPolitics and govt oCommunication oEducation oRecreation Assessment issues/ barrier (pg. 258) -A chn from outside the community- gaining entry or acceptance is a major hurdle to assessment oStrategies or overcome? -As a CHN â€Å"member of the community† what barriers might be present. How would you deal with this? Identifying community health concerns -Each health concern uncovered by data collection and analyst must Planning Phase -The chn seeks to clarify the nature of the concern, the points at which intervention might be undertaken, and the parties that have an interest in the health concern and its solutions. -Perception oWhat is the nature of the concern oWhat factors contribution to the health concern? oWhat is the possible outcome of the concern? oWhat are the relationships between or affect of other health concerns? ï‚ §Teenage pregnancy: infant malnutrition: hooking them up with education Setting health concern priorities: -6 helpful ranking criteria are: oCommunity awareness of the concern oCommunity motivation to resolve or better manage the concern oCHN’s ability to influence the solution.- you need to be realistic oAvailability of expertise to provide a solution oSeverity of the outcomes if the concern is not resolved oHow quickly the health concern can be solved Establishing goals and objectives -Goals are broad Implementation -Work and activities aimed at achieving the goal oChange agents oDuring this phase ask: for each situation who will implement? CHN, community group involved, individual oHow should the CHN use her knowledge, skills, and position? Many roles=role model, analyst, expert, advisor, educator, advocate. oWhat is the ultimate CHN goal? To change the community for the better, empowerment, education, moving them to solve their own problems The nurse’s role depends on: -The nature of the health problem, -The community’s decision making ability -And professional and personal choices -The social change process and how receptive the community is to CHANGE. -SNOW BALL EFFECT: influence the pro change in the community and the rest will follow. Evaluation = the appraisal of the effect Evalution phase: outcomes measures answer questions about the results of the intervention -Has the health conc3ern has resovled? -Has the health risk been reduced? -(for example compare -SAFETY be aware of your surrounding, watch your own back; develop trusted partners in the community -population -Data generation: the process of developing -Database analysis

Fast Food Advertising Essay Essay

Advertisements are everywhere. Billboards, Newspapers, Pamphlets and most importantly television. However, there are many people who are concerned about fast food ads, that are running during children programmes. Concerned about children’s wellbeing, people want a ban on fast food advertisements during children programmes. This is because of the addiction, the amount of money being wasted and that children have a lowered pre-frontal lobe capacity. Even though junk food is good to consume every now and then, it should be ban during children TV programmes. There are many addictions, which include alcohol, drugs and smoking. These are dangers that need to be taken seriously. Even though fast food is not the most important, it is still a hazard. The reason many children become addicted towards fast food is how they describe the product. These words include ‘Succulent Fresh Fillets’. This would make children want more. Fast food addiction leads towards obesity which could involve in organ problems such as Type Two Diabetes. This is why fast food advertisements should be banned during children TV programmes. There are many things that parents waste their money on for their children. Lollies, toys, entertainment. However, the major issue is buying junk food. Children persuade their parents to buy a product which leaves them in enjoyment while the parents suffering from a loose of money. Instead of buying junk food, something useful could be bought with the money such as clothing and fresh food which is a much better option. An alternative solution would be to buy Subway which is a healthier option and tastes as good as fast food but junk food ads should not be running during children TV programmes. Children at the age between 0-5 have difficulty understanding that commercials are products that do not actually function as advertised. Furthermore, children at a very young age can understand brand names. Since children also have a lowered pre-frontal lobe capacity which is the part of the brain connected with higher thinking and inhibition of behaviour, it stands to the light of reason that, because children do not have the capacity to make a rational decision making, advertisers target them easily by taking advantage of individuals. This is why junk food advertisements should be ban during children TV programmes. It is important to know that junk food is not a major hazard for teenagers or adults but for children. This is because of the addiction, the amount of money being wasted and that children have a lowered prefrontal lobe capacity and should be banned during children TV programmes.

Strategic Planning Utilizing the Balanced Scorecard Assignment

Strategic Planning Utilizing the Balanced Scorecard - Assignment Example Vision and strategy statements often contain phrases such as superior or top class service or excellent product quality and so on. Often, these statements do not provide accurate meaning to internal and external stakeholders. Through the process of Balanced Scorecard, the management provides a clear-cut definition, for example, the top class service as 97 percent on-time delivery to customers. With this clarity, everyone concerned will focus and put their efforts to achieving the top class service rather than speculating on its abstract meaning. Scorecard provides a platform to translate the strategy overcoming vision barrier. Scorecard creates understandable measurement criteria that guide all employees to achieving desired goals. Customer satisfaction, customer loyalty, and market share are the critical indicators that inform how close the company is to customers. The organization needs to create the performance drivers that not only measure the customer perspective but suggests the ways to improve upon them. Entirely new processes such as product development, production activities, or service capabilities may be considered in this perspective. The organization needs to create the performance drivers that not only measure the internal process perspective but suggests the ways to improve upon them. Skyline College’s vision statement is: "Skyline College inspires a global and diverse community of learners to achieve intellectual, cultural, social, economic and personal fulfillment" (Skyline College, 2014). Keeping in line with vision statement, several strategies of Skyline are in operation for achieving its goal. To know about the effectiveness of the strategies formulated, Skyline has devised several measures such as retention, persistence, all course success, basic skill course success, student-counselor ratio, and many more. Through these measuring criteria, it is possible to know

Data Analysis Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 1

Data Analysis Report - Essay Example The personal beliefs of the person, balanced by the significance that he or she attributes to the influence of others, help determine behavioural intentions. Finally, behavioural intentions are the integration of one’s attitudes toward certain behaviour along with the subjective norms associated with such behaviour; behavioural intentions have also been shown to influence actual behaviour (Miller, 2005). The theory of reasoned action has been frequently used for determining the purchase intentions of consumers. For example, the study of Korzaan (2003) applied the theory on examining college student’s online purchasing intentions. Findings showed that attitudes toward online purchasing had a significant influence on behavioural intentions to become involved in conducting purchases online. The study of Kim and Cheung (2011) also showed how personal values and beliefs strongly influenced consumer attitudes toward purchasing a particular product; moreover, previous experien ces also helped predict purchase intentions while perceived behavioural control acted as a mediator in the relationship between attitudes and purchase intentions. ... ce Quality It has been asserted by Zeithaml, Parasuraman and Berry (1993) that the quality of services can be measured by examining the gap that exists between customers’ expectations and the actual services delivered by employees. Their SERVQUAL model was developed in order to measure such gap, thereby allowing organisations and researchers alike to determine possible service areas that can be further enhanced. Service quality can be evaluated through the perceptions of customers regarding a specific service and its level of quality, hence the following dimensions: reliability to identify whether employees were able to provide an accurate and dependable delivery of services; assurance which is characterized by the ability of employees to create a sense of trust and favourable expectations among customers; responsiveness which refers to the ability of employees in attending to their customers in a prompt manner; empathy that is demonstrated through care and concern for custome rs’ specific needs; and tangibles that are evident through physical appearances and materials. Service quality has been constantly linked to a number of concepts such as customer satisfaction and loyalty. According to Kondou (1999), customer satisfaction is a positive affective response that is brought about by the person’s evaluation of a certain situation. The theory and practice of service marketing heavily relies on the satisfaction of customer needs due as this can ultimately result to increased profitability. Companies that deliver services which customers often perceive as satisfying can not only increase satisfaction but also increase positive behavioural intentions through customer loyalty. Kang, Okamoto, and Donovan (2004) showed that tangibles showed that tangibles were the most

Pediatric Nurse Population for ADHD Education Essay

Pediatric Nurse Population for ADHD Education - Essay Example Medications used in children should be of even greater interest due to the inability to monitor the effects of adverse reactions by objective methods. Nurses play a key role in the management of children with ADHD. This disorder may persist even to adult stages. The diagnosis of ADHD requires careful history taking ,use of standardized rating scales ,and close attention to patients behavior and informants reports. Statistics show that in order to fit in the field of nursing and favorably attend the ADHD patients especially the 6-18 age group, a nurse should be compassionate, and committed to help people. Skills, knowledge and competence are a major factor of requirement in the nursing career. Different ADHD patients will react differently to the particular drug regime .This is due to their different individual genetic system which stimulates enzymatic reactions. Nurses ought to understand this aspect in order to attend the affected effectively. Primary care should be an opportune location for close monitoring of individual reactions to drugs. Systematic follow-up is essential to monitor side effects, target outcomes and gather information from parents, teachers and the child. Yearwood, E. (2012). Child and adolescent behavioral health: a resource for advanced practice psychiatric and primary care practitioners in nursing. Wiley- Blackwell. ï‚ · Ryan-Krause, P. (2011, January - February). Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: Part III; Journal of Pediatric Health Care. V 25, pp

Civil Disobedience. George Orwells 1984 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Civil Disobedience. George Orwells 1984 - Essay Example The capacity to think is what differentiates us from all other creatures that roam this earth. Our knowledge of the human beings is also what tells us that there are things beyond our grasp that make up for who we are and how we act in relation to our surroundings. Yes, I believe in the human spirit. I believe that there is a force much more than our tangible being that presupposes our need for the attainment of a life without constrictions or what most appropriately is, upright. This is a need that is the most fundamental aspect of our evolution simply because it is human nature. George Orwell’s 1984 is a terrifyingly realistic portrayal of a country manipulated by one party in such a way that they have reined supremacy over the people in a manner so cunning and much more egocentric than that of a monarchy.Winston Smith, the low-ranking official in the dominating party, is a representation of the human spirit. Overcome by the power and influence of Big Brother and the domination of ‘The Party’ he is the tamed voice of the internal screams of the people upon the knowledge of what is actually going on in Oceania. His outlook is one of optimism in the bleakest time. It is a yearning for an inkling of redemption even though it is almost something unthinkable given the circumstances of the time and the rampant greed and selfishness. The final conversation between O’Brien and Winston is a sad epiphany of a wishful thinking yet an admiring commentary on the perseverance of the human spirit despite overwhelming difficulties. O’Brien sarcastically comments on his unlikely optimism as being the last man of its kind. â€Å"Your kind is extinct;we are the inheritors. Do you understand that you are alone? You are outside history, you are non-existent†¦And you consider yourself morally superior to us, with our lies and our cruelty?† and to which Winston confidently replies, â€Å"Yes, I consider myself superior† (Orwell, p. 156). This conversation also discusses the principal notion of self over belief in any God. This is also what Emerson reiterates in his essay of self-reliance. â€Å"To believe your own thought, to believe that what is true for you in your private heart is true for all men, — that is genius† (p. 13). What compels us to do everything that we do is first based on how we feel and how we react to the outside stimulus. With or without religion there must be that something that guides us in what we do and that our relationship with other people persuasive unto what we a re capable of doing and what we refrain from. As Marx famously said, religion is the opium of the people. If a person follows everything religion prescribes without having to think for himself then he is nothing less than the people of Oceania who dismiss all the capricious and whimsical acts of their own government who were supposed to be their representative and protect them from all possible harms. â€Å"Men are infinitely malleable. Or perhaps you have returned to your old idea that the proletarians or the slaves will arise and overthrow us. Put it out of your mind. They are helpless, like the animals. Humanity is the Party. The others are outside — irrelevant† (Orwell, p. 156). This ideology is the basic premise that allowed ‘The Party’ to maintain their control over the people. This is the very idea that Winston stands against. It is a social commentary on how there are powerful people that makes manipulation possible. It is a government grounded on fear, cruelty and hatred. There is absolute lack of equality among the people. The very essence of Communism premise that the proletariats have to overcome and defeat in opposition to the bourgeoisie. â€Å"

Write an equity research report on JUNIPER NETWORKS, INC Essay

Write an equity research report on JUNIPER NETWORKS, INC - Essay Example Juniper’s strategy into the network’s industry as well as in the provision of data service aimed at connecting customers to a stable and reliable network infrastructure that would support both individual personal users as well as big data streaming. This approach was at par with the growing use of data within the social sphere as well as the business environment of various corporate entities. The aim of the network and data provision service was to challenge existing companies and business rivals into developing a competitive approach into business to ensure standards were improved while at the same time making use of innovation to provide customers with relevant and sustainable service. Additionally, the company is innovation oriented and through the adaption of technologies such as the framework of the M40, the company aims at constructing a competitive advantage for the survival of its business mission and operations sustainability within a competitive contemporary e nvironment. While the strategies of most companies within the active global markets are analyzed with reference and respect to their financial capability, the operations of Juniper are considered in a timeline approach to showcase how time as a resource, innovation as a strategy, and competition as a motivation combine to strengthen and sustain the company over years of active business participation. With reference to the very first production that the company invented, the M40 router, the company aimed at providing North American region with network infrastructure that surpassed the then available technologies. In 2000 towards mid-September, Juniper provided the market with its first full-performance routers under the brand name MSeries Multiservice Edge routers. In 2001, the company was at it again improving its own business competitiveness by providing the market with routers integrated with XML instrumentation considering the technological solution, IPv6. While production of

Team Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Team Analysis - Essay Example Alexies is another flexible, charming, extraordinary caring and social lady. She ensures that everything required to make the team moving such as writing materials are provided. She is also able to change very first with situations, hence flexible and understanding. Dre is another excellent administrator who shows traits of a very dedicated and a curious thinker who is not able to resist an intellectual challenge. The then complements the team by reminding us always of the rules and regulations of the team that must be followed and ensures participation by every group member. Jawon is another charismatic and inspiring man who is able to mesmerize his listeners. He therefore help the team with inspiring quotes and related experiences to help us make informed decisions as we work together as a team. Sharon closes the list as a spontaneous energetic and a strategic thinker who always has a plan for everything. She therefore helps the team with its planning of activities in a logical man ner, which has been a milestone in enabling the team to achieve its some of its goals. On my side, I am also another smart, energetic and very perceptive person who always adds in the gap in the team to join all the ideas presented in order to make logical conclusions, hence making the team make steps towards completion of its tasks. After we were assigned team members, we went ahead to work with the team members as assigned as we believed in working with anybody as a team to uplift each other. We did not therefore add or drop any team members. The team therefore was not affected in anyway due to new members getting in it or other members being dropped. Some of the biggest challenges have been those concerning place and time to meet. Initially, after the members had been assigned to the team, we were faced with the challenge of finding the most appropriate place to meet. We wanted a quiet place with minimal

Choose one for me Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Choose one for me - Essay Example Regarding my background, I am the youngest child in our family. Since my father died, my eldest brother has made most of the important decisions. At a young age, he had been in charge with a number of responsibilities. Since childhood, I have learned to show respect to my elders. My mother and older siblings have always emphasized the value of politeness. It is always nice to show gratitude to one’s parents and other relatives. I have been taught that being thankful is a way of showing good conduct. In relation to political behaviour, I have realized that my family background has influenced me to be docile to authority. I have found it almost impossible, if not totally unthinkable, to go against leaders. I have also noticed that I tend to be quite conscious of the tone of my voice when I talk to older people. Actually, people who do not display proper behaviour when communicating with authority or the elderly often irk me. It has also been natural for me to follow rules. Most of the time, I become tensed and check if I am obeying standards when a symbol of authority is nearby. In connection with my relatives, I am proud to say that my roots are from the ancient Arab tribe. Our ancestors were the first inhabitants of the Arabian Gulf. They have initiated the civilization that we are enjoying today. With this history, I have become honoured of my origin. It is also one of my values to be loyal to fellow Arabians. I can say that I regard my heritages with high esteem. This is reflected in my choice of songs. The genre I enjoy listening to is Arabian music. Moreover, I honestly think that my culture is rich with colourful rituals and customs. In addition, Arabian arts and crafts portray interesting painting, delicious dishes, and graceful calligraphy. It would be ideal for our country to continually develop and retain its high-income economy status. I believe that our leaders can do their best in governing the different

Jungian archetypes Essay Example for Free

Jungian archetypes Essay After reading the texts assigned for this week, I have selected â€Å"The Odjibwa Corn Hero† for my first response paper for two reasons: a) it is the only story I read that made me want to eat a bucket of corn afterwards and b) even though I do not know anything about Native American folklore, the story seems to have something familiar at its core which I intend to uncover. The story begins with Wunzh, after reaching a proper age, he decides to go to an isolated place to â€Å"fast undisturbed and find his guardian in life†. He was often baffled by the wonders of the world and searched for something that would allow himn  to help his people so that they wouldn’t have to â€Å"rely on the luck of the hunt or the occasional fish†. Exhausted, yet still praying for an answer on the third day of his fasting a figure appeared â€Å"dressed in yellow and green garments† claiming that the Great Spirit had sent him to grant him his wish provided that he fought him. Three trials the hero undergoes and eventually beats the figure, which then it gives him instructions on how to strip it of its clothes, plant and care for it; he did as instructed until one day he returned only to find â€Å"a tall, graceful plant, with clusters of yellow on  its side, long green leaves†; its name was â€Å"Mondawmin†. The hero then, showed his family how to plant and how to cook this plant and everyone lived happily ever after. My first thought after reading the myth, is that it may be simple in form but deep in the messages it tries to convey: fasting, meditation, and isolation are tools which the hero uses to cleanse and prepare himself as he tries to reach spiritual transcendence; a kind of rite of passage from boyhood to manhood, for the weaker the body the stronger the mind as they say; and the one who proves worthy and courageous shall taste the â€Å"fruits† of his labor.

Dress solution Essay Example for Free

Dress solution Essay America’s schools have been faced with increased challenges over the last several years. Aside from seeking out new ways to educate students and keeping up with changes in technology, school leaders are facing a continued rise in social problems in their schools. Among these problems are incidents of school violence, gang activity and bullying which create a tension on school grounds nationwide that prevents many schools from fulfilling their mandate to educate students. Sadly, some of the most tragic incidents that occur in schools stem from the type of clothing that is being worn by students. Often theft and violence can be linked to designer clothes and expensive shoes. Sometimes clothing bearing colors and insignias may be used to identify gang affiliation, thereby promoting fear and intimidation among students. Certain styles of clothing also lend themselves toward easily hiding weapons. Furthermore, the pressure to be fashionable and have the latest clothes can take its toll financially and emotionally on students and parents. These issues are beginning to gain momentum, especially among parents, in school districts across the country. Parental support has become the force behind the increase in school districts adopting student dress policies. A recent survey in Hoke County, North Carolina showed an average of 64 percent of parents supported uniforms in the schools. Student dress also drew the attention of the former President Clinton. In a memorandum on school uniforms to the Secretary of Education, he directed the Secretary to â€Å"develop information about how local school districts have made uniforms part of their school safety and discipline programs. † He also requested that information about school uniforms be made available to every school district in the country. There are no perfect solutions to the social problems that exist in today’s schools. However, schools can and should consider practical steps to create an atmosphere of respect and attentiveness for their students. Implementing a student dress policy is one such option. Although little formal research has been done on the effect these policies have on students, the feedback given by those who have implemented school dress policies indicate these policies are making a difference. This paper will explore the types of school dress policies—school uniforms and dress codes—and the effects they are having in today’s schools. Student Dress as Policy The attention given to school dress codes and uniforms has become more and more focused over the last several years. As dialogue increases among parents, students and school officials about what remedies may exist to deal with the problems facing today’s schools, student dress policies have moved to the forefront. The issue received nationwide recognition in 1998 when, in his State of the Union address, President Clinton recommended school uniforms as a method of reducing school violence. Since that time, there has been a notable increase in the number of schools that have considered and implemented a dress policy for their students. More recently, in his State of the State address, North Carolina Governor Mike Easley recommended school dress codes as a means to address behavior in North Carolina’s schools. In his speech Governor Easley asked every school board to â€Å"enforce a reasonable dress code policy because students come to school to learn—not to party. † It appears that leaders on many levels have begun to recognize the potential benefits that school dress policies can have on the school environment. Uniforms: When implementing a school dress policy, some schools are more directives while others take a more passive approach. School uniforms are certainly the more directive method because they tell students what they must wear. A school uniform policy requires students to wear similar looking outfits to class each day. Some schools do offer an â€Å"opt-out† option if the parents agree to it. Others will also make exception for students whose religious beliefs may be hindered by the uniform. The first known public school in the country to adopt a school policy on uniforms was Cherry Hill Elementary in Baltimore, Maryland in 1987. The first major school district to require school uniforms was California’s Long Beach Unified School District in 1994. 6 According to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) of the U. S. Department of Education; only about three percent of public schools require uniforms to be worn by their students. Nationwide, at least 37 states, including North Carolina, give local school districts the authority to require uniforms if they choose to. The first county in North Carolina to require uniforms was Halifax County. As of the 2000-2001 school year, they are the only school district in the state to require uniforms in all their schools. 10 The county school uniform regulations require elementary and middle school students to wear certain combinations of khaki bottoms with navy or white shirts (plaid jumpers are allowed for females). High school students must wear a variety of pants and shirts combinations depending on the school they attend. The Halifax uniform policy does ease penalties for financial hardship and exempts students from wearing a uniform if it imposes a substantial burden on a student’s exercise of religious belief. Though no other school districts require uniforms district-wide, some individual schools within school districts have chosen to require uniforms. For example, in North Carolina’s largest school district—Charlotte/ Mecklenburg—23 of the 144 schools have chosen to require uniforms even though they are not required to do so. Dress Codes: Another less stringent approach to student dress policy is the school dress code. A school dress code instructs students on what they cannot wear instead of telling them what to wear (i. e. no hats, no tight fitting clothes, no vulgar or obscene depictions on clothing, etc. ). Dress codes are much more common in North Carolina’s schools than uniform policies. Out of the 117 school districts in this state, at least 48 have some form of dress code in place. One of this state’s most notable school dress code policies is in Johnston County. Their policy not only prohibits inappropriate clothing such as short shorts and sagging pants, but also prohibits abnormal hair colors and body piercing jewelry. Students who violate the policy may receive a short term suspension from school for up to 10 days and students who repeatedly violate the policy may be suspended for the remainder of the year. Other counties, such as Cabarrus, have similar policies, but leave the responsibility of developing rules and regulation up to each school’s principal. The Effect: There has been little scientific study done on the effects of student dress policies. However, there is empirical evidence that continues to mount, especially with the rising number of schools who are considering these options. One survey of schools nationwide conducted by the National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP) revealed that one out of five (21 percent) public, private and parochial school principles had either instigated a uniform policy, were currently writing one, or had it on their agenda for consideration. With so many schools and school districts adopting school dress policies, it is important to understand why so many have chosen to do so. The purpose for most, if not all, schools that are adopting uniforms and dress codes is to address the issues of discipline and academic achievement. Classroom disruptions are commonplace in today’s schools and having methods in place to promote a better learning environment have never been more important. Furthermore, little debate remains over the dangers and pressures that exist in schools today. With the increased displays of school violence, many school officials, parents and students have become more determined to find solutions. In determining the effectiveness of school dress policies, there is no more compelling evidence that the feedback from the school principals themselves. Though the majority of public schools do not require uniforms, the feedback is very positive from those who do. According to one survey conducted by the NAESP, principals of schools that have uniform policies in place believe that students stay more disciplined and focused in their studies and feel less peer pressure. According to the study, principals identified the following effects of school uniforms: 79 percent believed uniforms positively affected classroom discipline; 67 percent saw an improvement in student concentration; 62 percent noticed a positive effect on school safety; 72 percent saw an increase in school spirit; 85 percent noted a better perception of the school by the community; and 75 percent indicated a positive effect on peer pressure among students. In North Carolina, the feedback from Halifax County is also positive. Dr. Viola Vaughan, principle at Southeast Halifax High School said that their school uniform policy has done a lot for the students both academically and behaviorally. â€Å"Discipline issues have decreased tremendously,† she said, â€Å"when children look around at each other, they don’t see the name brands and clothing that often divides them. † Dr. Vaughan pointed out that even school assemblies are quieter because students act more respectfully. Alan Sledge, assistant principle at Brawley Middle School in Halifax County, said that their uniform policy was â€Å"very effective and places a very valuable role on the academic setting because the kids are more focused on their books over their clothes. † Feedback on school dress codes has also been positive. According to Don Woodard, a high school principal in Johnston County, the student’s â€Å"demeanor is better and there are fewer disruptions because of teasing, or students being uncomfortable because of the apparel that others are wearing. † He also pointed out that the students have more â€Å"poise and are more well-behaved when they have the sense of being dressed for the occasion of learning. †22 Commenting on his school’s dress code, Shelly Marsh, a middle school principle also from Johnston County, said: â€Å"We have high expectations by having a dress code, students know there are expectations and guidelines that they must adhere to. Students’ attitudes are different according to their dress. † Along with school principals, the U. S. Department of Education has acknowledged the positive effect that school uniforms can have. In their publication â€Å"Manual on School Uniforms,† which was ordered to be sent to every school district in the United States by President Clinton, the Department of Education cited the following potential benefits of school uniforms: (1) decreasing violence and theft; (2) preventing gang members from wearing gang clothing at school; (3) instilling student discipline; (4) helping to resist peer pressure; (5) helping students concentrate on academics; and (6) aiding in the recognition of intruders. Safety and Other Benefits Of all the potential benefits of school dress policies, none is more important than improving school safety. With student violence constantly making the headlines, the clamor for solutions continues to grow. Safety in schools today is essential, and creating an environment that reduces incidents of intimidation and violence is necessary for students to learn effectively. Unfortunately, the demand for high priced designer clothing often puts students at risk of theft and violence from other students. Clothing that indicates affiliation with gangs is also a problem and can cause intimidation and fear in schools. The National School Safety and Security Services, an organization that consults nationwide on school safety and crisis preparedness issues, supports school uniforms and dress codes as a way to â€Å"contribute toward improving the school climate† because it â€Å"can play a significant role in reducing security threats and improving school safety. † According to this safety organization, dress codes and uniforms can help reduce potential problems by: (1) reducing conflict stemming from socioeconomic status, such as comments and personal attacks about who has better clothing; (2) reducing ways in which gang members can identify themselves which, in essence, is a form of intimidation and creates fear; (3) reducing the risk of students being robbed of expensive clothing, jewelry, etc. ; (4) in the case of uniforms, helping school administrators to more easily identify non students, trespassers, and other visitors in the hallways who stand out in the crowd. Notable evidence of the effects of a student dress policy can be seen from the aftermath of California’s Long Beach school district implementing mandatory school uniforms. Since they began requiring uniforms, crime in the school district has dropped by 91 percent, suspensions have decreased by 90 percent, sex offenses have been reduced by 96 percent and vandalism is down 69 percent. Interestingly, these improvements came about without any other security measures having been implemented at the time uniforms became mandatory. In addition, a study released by the Harvard School of Education found that the Long Beach school district was among six districts in the nations 34 largest cities that dramatically reduced their dropout rates. During the past five years, dropout rates have declined from 11. 2 to 2. 7 percent. The Center for the Prevention of School Violence, though not endorsing any specific dress code policies, points out that each of the â€Å"three Ps of school safety† — â€Å"place† (physical security of the school), â€Å"people† (those in the school) and â€Å"purpose† (mission of the school)—can be impacted by school dress policies. This is because dress policies define what is appropriate for the school setting while impacting the way in which people relate and interact with one another. The Center acknowledges that though the research on student dress policies is limited, the anecdotal evidence supports the existence of some form of student dress policy. It is important to remember that the solution to school violence does not lie in one single approach—certainly not in school dress policies alone. Yet, because of the likely benefit of curbing school violence, they should be considered along with other solutions. Student dress policies can also benefit students far beyond keeping them safe. Schools with uniforms say that their students have better self-esteem because without the name brand clothing on display, the students are placed on an equal level. Poorer students do not feel and are not treated as inferior because they don’t have nice clothes. This equality also seems to create a sense of school unity. Dr. Viola Vaughan and Allan Sledge, both principals from Halifax county have witnessed an increase in school unity since uniforms were required. Dr. Arnold Goldstein, head of the Center for Research on Aggression at Syracuse University agrees. He believes that uniforms encourage a â€Å"sense of belonging† because they promote a feeling of community among the students and help make a troubled student feel like part of a supportive whole. These effects contribute to a school’s overall sense of order and discipline. As a result, the learning environment improves—making it easier for teachers to teach and for students to learn. Student dress policies also reduce the cost of clothing for students. Parents whose children wear uniforms do not have to spend extra money on multiple outfits for their children. Instead, they need only invest in a few outfits that conform to the school’s uniform policy. This is particularly helpful to the low-income parents who often feel the financial burden of providing suitable clothes for their children. USA Today reported that in 1998 parents of students in non-uniform schools spent an average of $185 per child while parents of children in uniform schools spent an average of $104 per child. 33 Uniforms also minimize the confusion about what to wear to school each day, relieving students of the chaos of choosing and outfit each day. Dress codes are also helpful for parents when shopping for their children because they provide guidelines for parents when purchasing clothes for their children—often ruling out excessive and expensive articles of clothing that conflict with the school’s policies and keeping student dress within reasonable boundaries. Student dress policies offer authority figures in the schools the opportunity to display their own dedication and discipline. Some schools with dress policies include (or extend the option to) teachers to participate as well. Certainly, if teachers and administrators exhibit the same discipline that is required of the students, it will reinforces the guidelines and make students more likely to comply.

Role of Cognitive Mapping in Health Care Management Decision

Role of Cognitive Mapping in Health Care Management Decision Describe and discuss the role of cognitive mapping in health care management decision making. Description of Cognitive Mapping Cognitive mapping is an operational research technique that consists of creating a graphical representation of a persons (or groups) way of thinking about an issue, and where directionality within the map is assumed to imply perceived causality among the concepts (Eden, 2004). The proposed value of the graphical representation, as argued from the field of political science, is that it makes it easy to for anyone to see how concepts and causal relationships are related, and appreciate the overall structure of all the assertions (Eden 2004 cited Axelrod 1976, p. 676). It is one mechanism of system dynamics simulation modelling that generally came about as a reaction to failure of traditional approaches to capture interactions within complex problems in social systems (Edkins et al. 2007 cited Checkland 1981). It avoids the common research process pitfall of reductionism by allowing multiple conflicting views to be revealed and, providing a comprehensive picture of the participants perspectives but keeping all details to represent beliefs that are most important to stakeholders represented (Duryan, Nikolik, Merode, 2015; Eden Ackermann, 2004). Cognitive mapping was initially introduced as a method for problem analysis. But recognizing its value, it has then found roles in performance measurement, decision making, and strategy formulation. Eden and Ackermann (1991) expounded on the possible uses of this technique in becoming an instrument for developing consensus about shared goals, providing structure to multiple and conflicting aspects of an issue, informing negotiation, and suggesting actions to resolve issues. Use of Cognitive Mapping in Health Care Cognitive mapping is argued to be best for messy situations wherein stakeholders do not understand the problem or interpret them differently, and often do not realize it (Mingers 2008 cited Ackoff 1979a). Healthcare decision making falls into this realm as it has always been complicated by information asymmetry, trade-offs between efficiency and equity, or moral ambiguity that become legitimate sources of uncertainty and debate among stakeholders. In fact, the first uses of cognitive mapping in operational research were in healthcare, education, and defense (Eden Ackermann, 2004). Mingers (2008) described an example in 1997 Manchester, where the UK Health Authority commissioned the Salford Community Trust to develop an integrated approach to childrens services. Mingers argued that while the project seemed straightforward, it turned out to be a messy problem as there was no agreement on the definitions of service specifications, services to be included, direction of the strategy, and how the project should be tackled. There were also many stakeholders involved in the issue (i.e. government, doctors, patient groups, industry) that had very strong opinions about the project. If the group were to make a plan based on epidemiology, practice guidelines, budget constraints and other numerical factors alone, without taking into consideration the stakeholders differing views, the proposed program would likely fail during implementation. Situations like these are common in healthcare decisions given the complexity of issues faced at doctor-patient, organizational, and national-policy level. Mathematical and statistical methods provide a narrow focus on measurable aspects of decision that fails to catch the reasoning, motivations, and interactions relevant to achieving these outcomes. Problem structuring through cognitive mapping provides an opportunity for healthcare decision makers to systematically measure these missing interactions and assess their impact to the goal under assessment (Pidd, 2004). Sachdeva et al (2007) explored the added value of cognitive mapping from traditional approaches in understanding patient flow delays in a Pediatric Intensive Unit (PICU) of a Childrens Hospital in Wisconsin, USA. Hard operations research (OR) results using modelling were persuasive, but became inadequate to result to change given politically sensitive issues that arose. Soft OR using cognitive mapping that was done identified new issues and offered a more holistic and comprehensive understanding of the issues complexity that helped persuade decision makers to act on the recommendations. SODA The most common technique for cognitive mapping is the Strategic Options Development Method (SODA). SODA is an ethnographic method derived from interviews that are intended to represent the participants subjective worlds the theoretical basis of which is explained by personal construct theory (Eden 2004 cited Kelly 1995) wherein people make sense of their world by seeking to manage and control it. SODA uses a formal modelling technique with rules for its development as described by a user guide developed by Eden and Ackerman (Ackermann et al., 1991). The transcripts of the interviews are separated into short distinct phrases (nodes) that eventually get sorted as goals, strategic directions, or potential options. Fidelity in transcription is imperative to represent the participants intentions and to promote ownership of the resulting map created. The concepts are linked (arrows) to determine accurate subordination of concepts, directionality and opposing poles to create the overall structure. While the map is an important output of its own, these can also be subject to further analysis to gain deeper insight, such as: Analysis Map Characteristics Goals Head analysis Nodes with only incoming arrows To identify end goals or effects Density analysis Number of mentions of the concepts To determine potential key issues from the perspectives of the participants that may need further examination Centrality analysis Number of links to the concept, or ratio of arrows to concepts To measure the importance and complexity of the concepts implication chain Hierarchical cluster analysis Number of concepts in chain or arguments linked to option To identify most potent options or valued outcomes to influence on the goals Potency analysis Number of goals each option supports To prioritize options with consequences for the biggest number of key issues Composite tail analysis Ranking of potency analysis To determine the single action that may cause multiple goals to be achieved Source: Summary by Author Healthcare Example of Using SODA A case study by Duryan et al. (2015) on intellectual disability care in Netherlands made use of SODA to determine factors that adversely affect delivery of patient-centered care as evidence for future resource allocation. Following SODA guidelines, the team conducted one-on-one, semi-structured, hour-long interviews with the managers and patient group leaders within one division of a residential care facility. Initially, they were thought to have contrasting goals financial sustainability for the managers and quality of care from resource constraints for the patients. Using the Decision Explorer software, cognitive maps were created and merged to reflect the combined views. Key assumptions were then discussed and verified, and follow-up focus group discussions with different subgroups of the patients (young vs old) and their families were done to refine the ideas represented by the initial group. The merged map was then subject to head, domain, centrality, potency analysis, and comp osite tail analysis. Results showed that group leader freedom to make decisions, flexible shifts, and time spent with patients were the most potent options/solutions, and therefore needed quick action by the managers. According to the researchers, the exercise successfully facilitated critical analysis of the problem and fostered ownership of the proposed solutions by all stakeholders. Seeing the different/ opposing thoughts organized and their end-goals similar also helped reach consensus and manage disagreements. Expansions of SODA While SODA provides solutions to complex strategic processes, it lacks a mechanism to allow for agreement among the strategies to be developed. SODA was developed further into JOURNEY Making (JOintly Understanding Reflecting and NEgotiating strategY) to become a process-oriented and management-science strategy by using the composite map in a workshop setting as a tool to help negotiation and explore policy options that will allow the issue to be intelligently resolved (Mingers, 2008). Another method, the Oval Mapping Technique (OMT), creates a cognitive map but through a highly participative strategy workshops. White et al (2007) used JOURNEY Making to collect and define public values and voices among stakeholders involved in a community hospital project in South London. Intergroup workshops were done in phases to map/graph the issues and options related to the decision. The process resulted to wide acceptance of the recommendations and an official plan enacted by the Department of Health. This is one among many examples of the opportunity to use these newer OR tools in healthcare strategy management planning at both organizations and the national policy arena. Limitations Cognitive mapping provides an opportunity to deal with messy problems in a systematic way, but general acceptance of it as a method is still lacking. Mingers (2008) explains that especially in the United States, it is viewed as a soft OR method not regarded for publication in top journals nor teaching in courses among top schools. The concerns on subjectivity of results remain valid that even though the process is systematic and rigorous, they are still variable and dependent on both study design and recruitment. The cognitive maps developed will depend largely on the choice of participants, their active participation, their personal motivations, and the assumption that they are adequately informed of the problem. And the probability of one person skewing the result is high given the small sample (i.e. 4-10 people) used for these activities. The method also assumes adequate facilitation by the research team to determine the key nodes and domains, which may not always be the case. Also, while cognitive mapping provides a snapshot of the decision making, it does not promote understanding over time periods and cannot be used to derive numerical assessments of its impact (Pidd, 2004). Cross-validation or triangulation using many models of the same issue may be done to increase its validity (Abernethy et al, 2005). Combination of soft and hard methodologies is believed to increase acceptance and sustain organization change especially in healthcare settings (Sachdeva et al., 2007). And, it should always be used in conjunction with other methods for research data gathering, monitoring, performance measurement, or decision support. Lastly, for cognitive mapping to be useful in decision support, it requires the decision makers to understand the method/process, recognize the value of the issues at the front line, take the results seriously, and act on the recommendations. It is therefore crucial for any research team using this method to help the decision makers appreciate the approach and engage with the recommendations. Reference Abernethy, M. A., Horne, M., Lillis, A. M., Malina, M. A., Selto, F. H. (2005). A multi-method approach to building causal performance maps from expert knowledge. Management Accounting Research, 16(2), 135-155. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mar.2005.03.003 Ackermann, F. ., Cropper, S. A., Eden, C. L. (1991). Cognitive Mapping for Community Operational Research-A Users Guide. (E. Munford, A., Bailey, T., Ed.), Operational research tutorial papers. Duryan, M., Nikolik, D., Merode, G. Van. (2015). Reflecting on the efficacy of cognitive mapping for decision-making in intellectual disability careà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¯: a case study. International Journal of Health Planning and Management, 30(August 2013), 127-144. https://doi.org/10.1002/hpm.2215 Eden, C. (2004). Analyzing cognitive maps to help structure issues or problems. European Journal of Operational Research, 159(3), 673-686. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0377-2217(03)00431-4 Eden, C., Ackermann, F. (2004). Cognitive mapping expert views for policy analysis in the public sector. European Journal of Operational Research, 152(3), 615-630. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0377-2217(03)00061-4 Edkins, A. J., Kurul, E., Maytorena-Sanchez, E., Rintala, K. (2007). The application of cognitive mapping methodologies in project management research. International Journal of Project Management, 25(8), 762-772. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijproman.2007.04.003 Mingers, J. (2008). Reaching the Problems that Traditional OR/MS Methods Cannot Reach. Centerbury. https://doi.org/10.1080/00369220601100075 Pidd, M. (2004). Systems Modelling Theory and Practice. Systems Modelling Theory and Practice. Retrieved from http://www.untag-smd.ac.id/files/Perpustakaan_Digital_1/DECISION MAKING Systems modelling, theory and practice.pdf#page=16 Sachdeva, R., Williams, T., Quigley, J. (2007). Mixing Methodologies to Enhance the Implementation of Healthcare Operational Research. The Journal of the Operational Research Society, 58(2), 159-167. https://doi.org/10.2307/4622680 White, L., Bourne, H. (2007). Voices and values: Linking values with participation in OR/MS in public policy making. Omega, 35(5), 588-603. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.omega.2005.11.002

The AFL Canadian: Labor, National Identity, and Transnational Discourse

The AFL Canadian: Labor, National Identity, and Transnational Discourse 1936-1955 â€Å"The American Federation of Labor is an American organization,† declared William Green, president of the AFL, in his 1947 keynote speech, â€Å"It believe[d] in American, the fundamental law of the United States, the Constitution, freedom, liberty and democracy. We will have nothing to do with Communism in any shape, or form ... This sixty-sixth convention will redeclare its opposition to Communism and to Communist philosophy, and ... to [those who would] attempt to establish it among the organized labor of our country.† Though Green declared â€Å"Communism abhorrent to American labor† not all the members of the AFL were American. Indeed, Canadians and their unions had been part of the AFL since its inception in 1881. Craft unions in Canada were primarily organized under the Trades and Labor Congress of Canada (TLC), which had been a subdivision of the AFL since 1910. However the power relation between these two groups had been hotly contested over that time. Should the Trades and Labor Congress be able to act independently of the AFL leadership? After all, as Green said in his 1947 speech, â€Å"The American Federation of Labor is an American organization.† Canada was a sovereign state, yet its labor organizations were dominated by a foreign power. At the 1939 American Federation of Labor convention in Atlantic City, NJ, this issue of Canadian labor sovereignty in regards to the AFL came to the fore. The executive council of the AFL recommended giving the Trades and Labor Congress sole authority to grant central labor body charters. Although primarily an economically unimportant act, as central labor bodies did not arbitrate wages or work conditions,... ...f the AFL, I am well acquainted with the particularities of union research. Additionally, over the summer and continuing through this year, I have been working on a labor economics research project between the National Bureau of Economic Research, the Federal Reserve, and Columbia. Developing econometric models of wage variation between industries, I could perform statistical analysis of data, although the focus of my project will always be on the voices of the rank-and-file, not an aggregation of the quantifiable. As I am conversant in economic theory however, I can use my knowledge of international trade and labor economics to detail the backdrop against which the Toronto AFL story develops. I believe I can bring the voices of the Toronto rank-and-file into the Canadian historical conversation, which will bring greater detail to the Canadian historical narrative.

The Black Market :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Black Market is defined as people who engage in illicit trade. Smuggling of Nuclear weapons plays a role in this. The Russians, U.S., and other countries are involved. Russia has been one the move since the Cold War ended. The Russians position threat to many lives with nuclear sales. Many Russian affiliations and events are to blame including Russian Mafia, military intelligence, Trading Air, collapse in economy, and disgruntled Nuclear employees. Russian Crime organizations have grown to a high number since the end of the Cold War. The Nuclear Black market is no stranger to the Russian Mafia. Russia may be poised to sell nuclear weapons to the highest bidder as organized crime expands its influence in Russian society (Phinney). Some of the 200 Russian organized crime groups now operate worldwide, including in the United states and gaining the ability to manipulate its banking system and financial markets (Phinney). Roughly two-thirds of Russia’s economy is under sway of crime syndicates, and protection rackets have been the norm since the collapse of communism(Phinney). The Russian Mafia and the antifada becoming nuclear powers or the likelihood that some of this dangerous material being transferred to rogue states like Iran, Iraq, or North Korea. Even if the uranium and plutonium are not used to build nuclear technology, these materials are radioactive and therefore intrinsically dangerous to any one who comes in contact with them, particularly the smugglers themselves. In March 1995, U.S. Customs agents in Miami launched a two-year undercover investigation reaching into high-level official circles in Russian, Bulgaria, and Lithuania. It would become the first credible case of a scenario to smuggle tactical nuclear weapons into the U.S. (Frontline). According to Russia’s Ministry of Internal Affairs, the government agency in charge of combating organized crime, 40 percent of private business, 60 percent of state-owned enterprises and between 50 percent and 85 percent of banks are controlled by organized crime. According to Russia’s Ministry of Internal Affairs, the gov ernment agency in charge of combating organized crime, 40 percent of private business, 60 percent of state-owned enterprises and between 50 percent and 85 percent of banks are controlled by organized crime.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Russia crime organizations are not even the source when it comes to smuggling Nuclear Weapons. Warheads come from one place, the military. There is major corruption in the Russian Military. Although, you can make your own type of Nuclear weapons, but this is a different case.

Dear Mama :: Personal Narrative Writing

Dear Mama By the same token I leave you, I leave myself (with you) Wong May, "Dear Mama" Wong May, poet extraordinaire, transnational writer, post-colonial female subject, unphotographed, barely reviewed, past unknown, present undocumented, and for all intents and purposes disappeared after 1978 somewhere in Western Europe. Things I do know about her, mostly from an entry found in Contemporary Poets, edited by Thomas Riggs: She is Chinese by birth, born November 16, 1944 in Chungking, China. She is/was/is not anymore a Singaporean citizen. 1965, Bachelor of Arts degree in English Literature, University of Singapore 1968, Master of Fine Arts, University of Iowa, 1969, first book of poetry A Bad Girlà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s Book of Animals published by Harcourt, Brace and Jovanich while working as Assistant Editor for United Business Publications. This is her only documented professional appointment. 1972, second book Reports. 1975, she is translated into German and receives a German Academic Exchange Service fellowship (Deutsch Akademisch Austauch Dienst). 1973, marries a certain Michael Coey, who is referred to as a travelling companion in her last and final book, 1978 Superstitions. With all this information, she fills one page of my notebook. Then she disappears. Or rather, in the spaces between her poetry, she was never there in the first place. My obsession is with her absence, her absence in reviews, her absence in critical studies, her absence in official conversations about Singaporean poetry. On the inner book sleeve of her second book her quote reads, "My poems are about wordlessness..." So I decide I want to write about her, a substitution for writing to her, because it is to her that I would rather write. But since there is no way of doing this, I pick the second best, I write, I investigate, I fixate. The last lines of her last book read, O Travellers, travelling anywhere the world is beautiful Our windows get dirty Her books are all dedicated to her mother, "DEAR MAMA," "To My Mother," "To my mother." Her poems are the only chronicles I have of her life. In the second book we learn that she started writing it in the winter of 1968 in New York and finished it in Winnipeg in September 1971. Her third book is begun in Berlin that same year and finishes in France, in between she continues in Hebrides, Singapore, Steglitz, Meylan, Budapest, Iona, Cracow, Prague, Poland, Malaysia, Paris.

The Impact of Midlife Crisis on the Family

The Impact of Mid Life Crisis on the Family By most definitions a â€Å"Midlife Crisis† is defined as an emotional state of doubt, self-reflection and anxiety that is normally associated with age and affects both men and women between the ages of 35 and 55. In his 1965 article â€Å"Death and the Midlife Crisis† for the International Journal of Psychoanalysis, psychologist Elliot Jaques coined the term â€Å"midlife crisis,† referring to a time when adults realize their own mortality and how much time they may have left in their lives.Researchers such as Levinson, Erikson, and many others shortly followed suit finding that there were significant changes for people to go through in midlife. Some of these changes, in addition to time perspective, include reevaluating life values and goals, thinking about one’s own death, and planning the second half of life.Not all researchers believe that people in midlife experience a crisis they believe that midlife is a normal period of transition in a person’s life cycle Mid life is considered to be a major life transition that provides individuals a time to reevaluate expectations and make age-appropriate adjustments to roles and resources. For many, this transition is very productive and leads to needed decisions and changes, and to a focus on the value of interpersonal and intimate relationships. It can also be an opportunity to move beyond previously accepted boundaries and societal constraints.Middle age is also a time in which adults take on new job responsibilities and therefore often feel a need to reassess where they are and make changes while they feel they still have time. This period of life can have positive and negative effects both on the individual and the family unit. If a person understands the process of midlife and can accept the biological and emotional changes; most will be able to navigate successfully through the transition with added confidence and a feeling of comf ort with their self concept and life choices.Whether positive or negative, a life transition causes a person to leave behind the familiar and forces them to adjust to new ways of living, at least temporarily. They can leave people feeling completely unprepared and they may be thrown into a personal crisis, feeling shocked, angry, sad, and withdrawn. It is when events during mid life present a crisis state that the family unit may be adversely affected. Change is inevitable in life. Both positive life transitions and negative ones can create stress for an individual or family.For many people change can feel overwhelming and can lead to symptoms or depression, anxiety, an identity crisis and heartache. Some of the negative feelings that may be felt involve dissatisfaction and may include searching for a new dream or goal, desiring new sexual relationships, needing to feel and stay young, feeling remorse for goals not achieved, placing special focus on physical appearance and resenting obligations to family or aging parents, and â€Å"empty nest syndrome. † The term empty nest syndrome refers to a time of adjustment for parents when their children leave home, especially when the last child leaves home.Understanding the emotional and intellectual stages that people pass through from childhood to retirement years as a member of a family is called the family life cycle. In each stage a person faces challenges in their family life that cause the development and gaining of new skills. The development of these skills helps an individual cope with the changes that every family goes through. The â€Å"launching stage† is the phase of the family life cycle that involves midlife. This is the newest and longest phase in the family life cycle, and for these reasons it is in many ways the most problematic of all phases.In the past, most families were occupied with raising their children for most of their active adult lives. Now, because of the low birth rate and the long life expectancy of adults, most parents launch their children almost 20 years before retirement and must then find other life activities. The difficulties of this transition can lead families to hold onto their children or can lead to parental feelings of emptiness and depression, although, especially for women, this has become increasingly a transition they welcome for the opportunity to explore new pursuits (Walsh, 391).It is also coincides, many times, with the adolescent phase adding extra stress not only on parents but teens as well. Parenting teenagers can be a rough time for the family and test relationship skills. It’s also a time for positive growth and creative exploration for the entire family. The launching phase is a particularly stressful time. It is marked by several aspects; the most significant is the entries and exits of family members. It is also a time when grandparents become ill and die and parents are left with the chore of finding meaningful, new activities.It is also a time when parents see their role change from that of parent to grandparent and also caregiver to their own parents who may have become dependent. The rapid rate of growth of older people (65 years and older, and especially of the oldest old, 85 or older) has created many challenges for family members. Many adult children face the dilemma of providing care for their older relatives, while at the same time, caring for their children. Family members are affected socially, emotionally and financially as they struggle with difficult decisions.While people generally think about changing relationships as losses, centered on separation, divorce or death, relationships can also be viewed as gains, such as new commitment and/or marriage, becoming a grandparent or even a great grandparent. Changing relationships can be high impact transitions, resulting in a change of routines, roles, responsibilities and assumptions Role change within the family can create new or increased interpersonal conflict.When one family member changes roles, other people are forced to make shifts in their own role expectations or behaviors. On the positive side it may be a period of financial freedom giving individuals and couples the opportunity to explore new areas of interest. The launching phase when seen as a normative transition may seem to bring one stage of life to an end and welcome a new stage with new opportunities and roles. On the other hand it may lead to disruption, a sense of emptiness, loss, depression, and general disintegration.Another reason why the launching phase of the family life cycle is especially stressful for parents may be that launching may be postponed for financial reasons or adult children may return home after a divorce. During this time the marital relationship may also need to be restructured when parenting responsibilities are no longer required (Walsh, 391). Men and women approach this time of life differently but the impact on t he family is the same. Strains in midlife marriages are common as children become adolescents and struggle to assert their separate identities.Concerns about offspring can easily crowd out time to attend to the needs of a spouse. Neglecting this relationship affects not only the parents, but children as well. Sometimes this neglect coupled with a divergence of interests and a shift in roles leads to divorce. Divorce breaks down the family structure, and has far reaching effects not only on the divorcing couple and their children but on the extended family, friends, and society as a whole. There is a grieving process that takes place when we are experiencing divorce. It is not unlike the grief we experience when someone dies.The grief includes but is not limited to the loss of a set of expectations; the definition of family; the state of marriage; extended family ties; the ex-spouse; rituals and traditions; the status of being married; financial security; a two parent household; are among the many losses we might endure. There is the feeling of being uprooted and displaced during the divorce process. During this period many of us confront our legal system which can and often does become quite adversarial. The tension of bickering over money, property, kids, custody etc. can escalate and lead to anger, more instability, and a sense of not being understood.Whether a midlife crisis or a midlife transition, men and women entering into this phase of the family life cycle face many obstacles and challenges that may be viewed positively or negatively and the impact on the family may be felt that way as well. If individual identities in earlier stages of life have been developed the more secure the individual will be about the changes that are not only going on with them but with other members of the family as well. Works Cited Walsh, Froma (2003). Normal Family Processes. New York, NY: The Guilford Press. BibliographyCarter B, McGoldrick M (2005). The Expanded Life Cy cle, 3rd ed. Boston, MA: Allyn and Bacon. Curro McCarthy N (1994). Health Promotion and the family. In CL Edelman, CL Mandle, eds. , Health Promotion Throughout the Lifespan, 3rd ed. , pp. 179-201. Philadelphia, PA: Mosby. Goldenberg H, Goldenberg I (2008). Family Therapy: An Overview. Belmont, CA: Thomson Brooks/Cole. Newman BM, Newman PR (1998). Development Through Life, 7th ed. New York, NY: Brooks/Cole and Wadsworth. Walsh, Froma (2003). Normal Family Processes. New York, NY: The Guilford Press.

Drawing on your understanding of the theories of motivation Essay

Drawing on your understanding of the theories of motivation and using examples where appropriate, critically assess the role of money as a motivator? The basic outlook on motivation is that needs equal behaviour which in turn equals satisfaction and vice versa. I.e. you have certain needs or wants, and this causes you to do certain things (behaviour), which satisfy those needs (satisfaction), and this can then change where needs/wants are primary. ‘The underlying idea is that all human beings are motivated to undertake certain actions – including purchasing goods and services and going out to work – by certain needs. Various needs come into play as motivators.'(Abraham Maslow.) Abraham Maslow suggested that we are motivated to satisfy our needs hierarchically: first is the desire to satisfy physiological needs, then the desire for security, the desire for companionship and a sense of belonging, the desire for self-esteem, and the desire for self-actualization, doing what one most wants and is best suited to do. As people’s lower or basic needs are met, broader more in depth issues motivate them. A person needs to feel as if his/her needs have been met on previous level(s) before moving upward. A person will not be motivated by love until he/she has had both his/her physiological and security needs met. For example babies’ needs are as basic as they come. All they wants is food, sleep, and a clean nappy, and not necessarily in that order. As they continue to get their survival needs met, they eventually request that their safety needs be addressed. At this time, their motivations are based purely on basic, survival needs. In all five cases of Maslow’s model, money to some extent plays a vital role in satisfying such needs one way or another. Money is often talked about as the ultimate motivator. It is the basic reason why most of us go to work everyday. It provides us with numerous freedoms. It allows us a variety of choices. If one has no money, or insufficient funds for basic needs, then one will do almost anything to get some. Money is a motivator at this basic level. However, as one begins to have enough to satisfy basic needs, it has less and less effect. People will generally choose to do things they like, prefer or which meets their values and aspirations, rather than seek money for its own sake. Of course, if they are in, or join a reference group whose members have more money than they do, then money may enter the motivational equation again. Equally, if they see other people, especially those within their own company or profession, earning more than they do for the same work (relative deprivation), then they may well be motivated to either complain about money or indeed seek a similar job elsewhere that pays better. However, people in general seem to reach a balance between money and effort, between money and the calls of family and interests. For instance, commission schemes are supposed to motivate increased effort in sales people. The truth of the matter is that for most sales people, they do not. The sales person works as hard as they need in order to get to a level of income that they require. At this point they are said to have â€Å"satisficed† and their needs and income are in balance. Offering more money will not necessarily increase effort beyond this point. Successful organizations use motivational techniques in order for its workforce to be highly efficient and effective. However on the contrary don’t essentially offer monetary rewards in every situation. There are drawbacks of using cash as the only motivator. Though it can motivate employees to be a good workforce, it can make them dishonest. Moreover, there are other ways to motivate people at very low cost, which give the same or even better results as using money. As mentioned above, money can buy almost everything people want, but only almost. There are many things that can not be traded for money. Due to these weak points, money is not as good motivator as it is viewed. First and foremost, money could lead to bad or unlawful performance. Money can really motivate people because, as it is well documented, money can buy satisfaction. Theoretically, workforces will perform better as they know that they will get more money from bonus or a raise. The problem is that in the real world, they do not perform â€Å"better† but perform to â€Å"look better† in their bosses’ eyes. For example, some might try to give an image of high workload by sitting in front of the computer and typing all the time, though they have nothing to type. In some case, they might stagger around the office, especially in front of the bosses’ rooms, so that they will be seen as busy and diligent. The worst case scenario is that they will try to serve their bosses the best, not the company. These are absolutely not the results the company expected from the motivation program. Moreover, if the company implements this program for some time, it may become company culture: money-oriented. Employees will only be concerned about how much money they make and not motivated by the job itself. They might excel as that can generate more earning but they will do something to get more money also. In a company that uses a stock option policy, managers get stocks as their bonus, and this policy can lead to illegal performance and inappropriate actions as Ivan F. Boesky found out to his disadvantage. He was accused of insider trading that led to huge personal profits and eventually a $100 million fine. This scandal was described as one of the worst on Wall Street history, and unsettled public confidence with the fear that stock trading may be fixed. ‘Money is often used for motivating, but it also addresses itself to human greed, which dulls the conscience and may lead to unethical and illegal behaviour.’ (Weihrich and Koontz, 1988) Secondly, companies can use other low cost motivators to motivate their workforces to perform better. â€Å"A personal organiser, complete with a leather case, is one of the gifts being offered to British Telecom employees as part of BT’s â€Å"Living Our Values† initiative. BT is using non-cash benefits to reward exemplary behaviour. The BT initiative is an example of an employer using gift items to enable managers to show gratitude to employees for such things as continuous improvement and teamwork.† (Rue and Byars, 1977) If the company use bonus’s as motivation, it will face a problem if it does not have good strategies to execute it with. For example, if the company gives a bonus every month, this bonus will do no good as a motivator. The reason for this is that if the company gives a bonus to employees every month, employees will feel that the bonus is what they must have as part of their salary, not as a reward for good performance and also the company will not make much profit and in the long run will eventually get rid of some staff. Therefore, if the company really wants employees to work better and better, it has to raise the bonus again and again. In addition to this, there are many utensils that can motivate workforces better than money. In fact, studies have found that non-monetary compensation is an even more vital factor many people. According to Hagemann, ‘the motivation factors ranked with importance by Japanese, American and German companies in the first, second and third places were clearer strategic directives, more information about work and more participation in the job while money was ranked in the ninth place.’ Money can be better motivator as it can indicate the status of the person. This statement is true but not for all situations. There are many people who gain respect from other people because of their good and honest habit though they earn little money. In the meantime, some who are rich but have bad reputation might be considered as dirty people or of a very low status. Nonetheless, there is another argument that an increasing salary is an indicator of success. It might be true but there are many things that can also show success such as more participation and more responsibility, for instance the Prime Minister of Great Britain is not that greatly paid when comparing him with CEO’s of major corporations, lawyers, barristers, footballers†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. The list goes on, yet the PM’s position is one of the most important and prestigious position in the country. Thirdly, money can not satisfy all needs of people. In reference to Maslow’s theory on motivation ‘money can satisfy only the needs at the lower level.’ According to Plunkett and Attner, â€Å"the physical needs can be satisfied by increasing pay, safety needs can be satisfied by reassuring that jobs will not be eliminated.† For social needs, there are many ways to cope with such as letting the new employee interact in recreational activities of the firm. In these levels of needs, money can be best used only at the lowest level. For example, money cannot buy the sense of belonging in the society, social need. There are many people who are extremely wealthy but can’t interact on a professional and social level with their fellow workmates in the organization well and have to quit their jobs. Some people do not want more money as they are satisfied with their current status or they are more concerned with other things more. For example, some wealthy and successful CEO’s whose needs are in the top levels like self-esteem or self-actualization may not necessarily be motivated by money. To motivate these people, the company might try to make them feel that the job is challenging or make them realise that this is another goal of their lives. The company might provide more opportunities in other fields of the job and send them to some training course to make their job more challenging. Changing the structure of the job is another way to motivate workforces, as it will make them feel that they have more challenge than their routine work. As seen, money is not a good motivator for everybody, as each employee will have dissimilar needs in the hierarchy. Although money is not always seen as a reliable motivator by a number of critics, it does possess its advantages in terms of it leads people towards a goal, it gives them direction and clarification. If there are no bonuses or low wages, where would the motivation be for a worker to work to his/her best ability? If there is a limited reward for your efforts then where will the incentive be to do well? Such questions are always raised in board meetings and meetings between employees and management. Management tend to use money as armour in their toolbox and release their ‘weapon of extra incentive’ when required. On the whole money is not always top employee priority although it is important, because ‘the money that you bring home buys the bread.’ People are also motivated by variety of items and using money as the only motivator is not as good a strategy as it should be. It can motivate people to perform better but only as the external motivator. People do not feel that they really want to work because of â€Å"intrinsic interest in a task† (Kohn, 1998) but they work just for money. This can lead to inefficiency and illusion of performance and also cause corruption and illegality in work. In fact there are many motivators that can bring about the same or even better result as money. Furthermore, using these motivators can reduce the cost of the company also. Last but not least, although money can buy many things, it cannot buy satisfaction and not all employees’ needs can be satisfied by money. Therefore, monetary motivators can not motivate everybody. As seen in this essay, motivating people by money can create some disadvantages and money is not the ‘be all and end all of motivation,’ so the company has to be very wary when using it.

Fahrenheit 451 Ignorance

Rational ignorance is very similar to apathy, and by reading, we can rid ourselves of the urge to Just not care. Ray Bradburys Fahrenheit 451 attempts to warn readers of the price that comes with rational ignorance by creating an example society much like our own. This society has given up all intellectual thought and sharing of ideas. By â€Å"paying the price† characters like Mildred give up the human experience and become void due to lack of independent thoughts. Characters like Clarisse pay a much higher toll: life and dignity.Characters like Guy Montag and Granger pay the price by being surrounded with nothings but Mildreds. In F451 , society believes that limiting education and sharing of ideas actually enhances life by excluding bad thoughts. In Ray Bradburys dystopian future, every character pays the price for ignorance. Most characters, though, willingly and unknowingly do so. In the novel, life is not valued the way it should be; living is not meaningful anymore. In the very beginning of the book, Mildred tries to kill herself for, what seems like, no reason. This happens so often that technicians are sent to speedily fix he problem rather than doctors.After the technicians do their duty to Mildred, her parlor â€Å"uncle† states mvyell, after all, this is the age of disposable tissue. Blow your nose on a person, wad them, flush them away, reach for another, blow, wad, flush† (17). Even after the ordeal, Mildred is not upset that she failed in taking her own life, as if indifferent to the subject. For her, life is no different than death. Mildred's â€Å"uncle† is correct in comparing a modern day person to a tissue. People have worth based on their thoughts, actions, and relations with people. If one has no houghts, real actions, or connections, their life cannot be worth very much.Mildred has as many independent thoughts as a tissue and values her life precisely for how much it is worth. In the same sense, one cannot value another's life if they cannot value their own. When Guy confronts Mildred about where Clarisse McClellan has been, Mildred nonchalantly says she died, as if it did not matter. Mildred shows that Clarisse's death means nothing to her when her reasoning for net telling Montag sooner was I forgot all about it† (47). Mildred says that she wants to forget sad things, but it does ot seem like this event makes her very sad at all. Mildred's fickle mind cannot assess a tragedy.It was not a surprise that Mildred did not pay heed to her death, but that she died with nothing to show for her life. The multitude of suicides, mentioned earlier, are no tragedies considering the quality of the life being taken. Clarisse's death was unfortunate because she lived. To Clarisse, there was a large difference between life and death because she, unlike her peers, experienced life. Comparable to Clarrise's death, the death of the random citizen (who seems to enjoy life too; he as on a stroll at nigh t) killed in place of Montag (149) suffered a similar fate of no dignity after death.Intellectuals like Montag, Granger, and all ot the travellers who memorize books pay by being surrounded by an endless amount of Mildreds. After introducing himself and showing Montag the end of the manhunt, Granger explains, When we were separate individuals, all we had was rage. I struck a fireman when he came to burn my library years ago. IVe been running ever since† (150). Granger bridges his own experiences to Montags to illustrate Montags future. Granger is far too wise to be bitter about his situation.When intellectuals have no choice but to either suffer amongst the ignorant or outcast themselves, they are the ones who pay the most. Ignorance is most certainly not a satisfying path, but neither is a life of suffering. Not one character in Bradburys controversial novel escapes the price of ignorance. However, the payment methods differ from character to character. â€Å"Ignorance is vo id† should become a popular saying for in the midst of ignorance, one either becomes empty or outcast. Either way, no one wins. Ridding the world of complex, â€Å"painful† thoughts does not lessen pain, it lessens emotion and human experience.

RR communications

Due to the division among departments, the company has been unable o meet reporting requirements for the Serbians Solely Act. It has proved obvious that a shared IT service, which is standardized among all the units, is needed to ensure everything goes well. The first problem we see at OR Communications is that there is a definite lack of centralized and concise IT governance. Currently all of the separate functions of the company have their own individual leadership with no central leadership. For this reason, each of the sections takes actions and makes decisions based only on how it affects their own particular departments.There Is no ordination to ensure that the act of one area does not negatively affect the rest of the firm. This In turn has led to a gallants lack of uniformity across the organization, which Is hurting customer relations. There are unified databases and each section maintains their own set of records; this is causing great frustration among their customers who continually have issues when dealing with more than one area. Much of the division of departments has been caused by a lack of central leadership.The CEO of the firm has failed to unify the department or assert any intro over the individual IT vice presidents. Even though they reported to him, each had acted entirely independently. This continuous failure of leadership has caused the department heads to develop a sense of isolation and self-survival. Even though a new executive UP of IT has been appointed to bring unity to the firm, there has been severe resistance as each department feels It will suffer. The lack of centralized management for so long has caused significant discord between the departments that will take considerable effort to overcome.In Dalton, this company attitude has altered down from the VSP to the middle and lower management creating an overall atmosphere that is dangerously disjointed. Even the suggestion of bringing together the database systems and manageme nt has caused a near mutinous uprising and rejection of leadership. The current managerial atmosphere has been around so long, the attitude of individualism has been deeply embedded in the corporate culture. While, individual thinking is useful to foster innovation and creativity, when the entire organization acts to satisfy only its individual requirements, the firm overall will suffer.Unless this attitude can be overcome, any attempt at bringing unity to the company will fall. From the technical standpoint, OR Communications is suffering from a severely fractured information management system. Every section of the company manuals Its own Individual customer databases, which are In Incompatible formats. If a customer manuals relationships with more then one division, they get bills from each individual area. Customer issues often fail to get causing problems with diminished customer satisfaction. In addition, without a centralized database, full customer information and statistics are impractical to elect.In addition to suffering by not being able to collect detailed records, the company is facing regulatory issues by not being able to provide complete information on the company's activities, and significant resources are being wasted to assemble simple reports. Currently management and associates at OR Communications believe that a collective solution is impossible, and any attempt to do so will cause them to suffer. While it may be true that the initial implementation of such a system will require a significant collective effort, the end result will be well worth it.It is also clear that much of the perspective of management is extremely short sided; projects are selected only based on a very narrow and limited benefit view with no regard for their long-term viability. As more and more systems have been patched together to fulfill immediate gaps, the overall collection of programs has become a cumbersome, inefficient, and unmanageable mess. A truly efficien t system would be one that is all-encompassing and communicates across all facets of the organization to deliver a unified and fully integrated information system that can add real value to the firm.One other major issue at OR Communications is the proliferation of rouge projects completed without oversight or regard for how they will affect the firm. In a large company every project should be examined to determine how it could provide value to the organization before being launched. At OR Communication projects are being launched that benefit only select areas and may in fact be causing a significant negative impact to the rest of the firm. The company currently does not have a steering or operating committee to oversee and exert control over these projects.Without any form of centralized control and provenance, these rouge projects will continue to sabotage the effectiveness of the organization. Lack of common information and enterprise IT strategy has caused several problems for the business and the IT departments of OR communications. Customer service has suffered and customer dissatisfaction has grown. Lack of common information has made it difficult for management to monitor the businesses as a whole. Business units are unable to exchange information and remain unaware of the other divisions' work.There is little sense of how the divisions work together to meet the company's overall goals. The accounting problems make it difficult to present shareholders with accurate financial information, and the system is not cost-effective in any case. Furthermore, each division working at individual level to attain its success makes them rigid and unable to adapt to changing requirements; under these circumstances even the implementation of new technology will be extremely difficult. The organization cannot operate efficiently as a whole or at division levels, and the costs are bound to keep increasing.Analysis: As many annoyed customers can probably agree, being tr ansferred from one apartment of the company to another over and over again to resolve a simple issue is one of the main reasons many companies lose customers. This is certainly an issue at OR Communications. The main cause of the problem seems to be the division of system that rewards individual performance over company profit. The fact that the four CICS refuse to work together and resort to sabotaging the efforts of the others, serves to show that they are more interested in their own selfish financial goals.While the president of the company may have been a visionary and brilliant entrepreneur, he lacked the managerial skills to recognize the need to have a unified commission system which would foster participation in a common goal, and thus a common commission which is interdependent on all four business units would be most beneficial to the company. Unifying IT Resources The most important problem for OR Communications to correct is a significant deficiency of successful inform ation management, reflected by the confused state of their customer information databases.Currently customer data is disbursed in separate databases for each section of the company, so that data from one apartment is not available to another. Thus, customers are forced to maintain relationships with multiple departments and receive billing from each. This separation means that valuable information resources are not being effectively utilized, hurting the firm's productivity and efficiency. To improve the state of information capital at OR Communications, a complete overhaul of the current systems will be necessary, from both an IT and business standpoint. Information represents a vital asset to any company.This can be in the form of customer accounts, sales records, research & development, financial statements, etc. However, in order to realize full benefits, the same information must be readily accessible by all individual units, so that the company can leverage it in the most effi cient manner. The first step to correct the issues at OR Communications is to create a unified data architecture that combines all information resources into a central database that is accessible to all sections of the firm. By providing a centralized database clients will be better served by allowing complete access to customer records throughout the company.This will also improve reporting abilities, lower administrative costs, and rattle increase the value of information resources. To achieve the greatest benefit to the company, OR Communications could consolidate its data from multiple silos into a unified enterprise data warehouse (DEW) (Smalls, 2011). This architecture provides multiple benefits including a single location for all information storage reducing the amount of duplicated efforts. This also greatly improves the integrity of data by providing a ‘single version of the truth' (Smalls, 2011).When data is spread throughout multiple databases, invariable some of it will differ. For example, a customer's address may have been changed in one department but not another. These differences can prove costly to a company. A centralized DEW means that only one record should exist for each customer and reduce data discrepancies. Having such a centralized system would also satisfy customer needs in a more efficient manner and would help to cross-sell products, which in turn would result in higher profits and more profit for the company.By allowing customers to have a single point of contact, and sharing information by standardizing software and databases across he organization, information will flow more freely and readily available thus giving the employees the ability to communicate in real time with accurate data and maximizing customer contact to increase profits. Having a decentralized IT function is business units separated, it keeps pertinent information out of reach of other business units, and thus allows missed opportunities to maximize profi t.Also, the lack of communication among the units creates chaos and disorientation in the organization and gives precedence to individual goals above company goals, which in urn will end up hurting the overall enterprise vision and may even spell the end of the enterprise altogether. Finally, having a decentralized IT function creates customer frustration such as in the case of getting several bills for different products. This frustration may cause the company lost customers and lost profits.Information Stewardship & Information Management Policy The difficulty in implementing this solution is the current state of the databases scattered about the firm; many are in incompatible formats, so that significant effort will need to be invested to bring together all of this data into a single, shared IT arrive system accessible to all. In addition, not all data is equally valuable to each unit. Efficiency necessitates allowing employees access to the information that is most pertinent wit hout inundating the various departments with extraneous details.For this reason, whatever IT solution is implemented must be able to adapt dynamically to the storage and retrieval needs of each department. Another challenge to creating a centralized system is the role of information stewardship. Information stewardship involves the ownership and control of information to reduce discrepancies and redundancies. To maintain the consistency and accuracy of data, information stewards need to be appointed. â€Å"Information stewards are businesspeople. They should be responsible for determining the meaning of information ‘chunks' and their business rules and contextual use.They should be responsible for the accuracy, timeliness, consistency, validity, completeness, and redundancy of information† (Mencken & Smith, 2009, p. 76). A serious challenge to the consolidation of data at OR Communication will be consolidating all of the disparate information from around the firm into a single enterprise data warehouse. It is very keel that there will be duplicate information, conflicting records, incompatible data formats, and other inconsistencies that will not lend themselves to easy integration.However, the reduction in duplicate and conflicting information will be vital to the success of OR Communication. Duplicate data means an increase in administrative work and overhead, and conflicting and inconsistent information means the company is not performing at optimum levels. The reduction of duplicate data, or data duplication â€Å"can improve the performance of virtual systems, reduce network traffic and cut the costs associated with data protection. In addition, duplication allows backup data to be replicated more efficiently to other sites for disaster recovery' (Symantec, 2011).Duplication increases the amount of data a corporate network must process, reducing efficiency and increasing costs. Storage costs increase as the same information may be stored and backed up across multiple databases, again wasting resources. Finally, duplication of data significantly increases the amount of labor required to utilize it in any useful manner. Clearly, OR Communication will need a significant amount of data duplication to create a useful, consolidated enterprise data warehouse.To facilitate the proper stewardship of information, an information management policy needs to be created that information management policy will dictate the rules and guidelines for how information is handled, who is responsible for maintaining and updating it, and outline the policies and practices to do so (Mencken & Smith, 2009). To begin to unravel the data mess at OR Communications they should define an encompassing information management policy that will effectively address the issues of what information is retained, who is responsible for updating it, how it is to be maintained, ND who should have access to it.Critical to the success of this policy will be the inv olvement of management from all functional areas of the company. Each should be given the opportunity to contribute to the policy, and each individual needs should be addressed. In addition, the problem with this solution will be gaining acceptance from the different functional areas of the business. There will obviously be conflicts of ideas and differences of opinion in how the policy should be created and enforced. To improve the effectiveness of the policy it needs to be thoroughly enforced from top management down.This means to gain compliance, OR Communications' CEO needs to set the example and pressure all levels of management below to do the same. Another strategy to encourage the support of the divisional presidents for the shared customer service is by creating awareness that the free information flow would be beneficial for all and would simplify business processes, thus allowing then to increase their bottom line, and thus their bonuses. Finding opportunities to demonstr ate small success would help show the support being given to the divisions.To aid in compliance, a large corporate training program would be initiated to ensure the policy is well known by all associates. Gaining compliance by all of the business areas will be the most difficult part of this solution; the ingrained attitude of self-preservation that exists at OR Communication will be difficult to overcome. However, change is not impossible, but only by dedication of management. The initial implementation period will be the most difficult, and if enforcement waivers the policy may fail.Creating Useful Information from Raw Data One characteristic of an enterprise system is ensuring seamless integration of a Meany's information among all divisions, including financial and accounting Markus, M. L. , & Tania, C. (n. D. ). Hence, to achieve a successful enterprise system, a company must have its IT systems centralized to ensure information runs smoothly and is relevant among all divisions , especially the financial and accounting information. Considering the accounting problems brought up at the final meeting, the company obviously needs to implement a centralized IT function.Moreover, it will be far more expensive to have an enterprise system with a decentralized IT function, which is contrary to the aim of achieving an enterprise system. While a centralized information management system will indeed offer benefits at OR Communication, if there is no way to utilize and interpret that data, it is useless; this is analogous to being data rich and information poor. Just because a company has loads of data does not mean that is fully informed. A company such as OR Communication collects vast quantities of data, but having the resources to convert that into useful information can be an extreme challenge.At OR Communication, they are facing a double-sided robber; they have neither a collective data warehouse, nor do they have any effective information management. Once the problem of centralization has been massive amounts of data is using a metadata repository. A metadata repository functions much like the card catalog of a library; while it does not specifically contain the information, it provides an index of what is available, including the relevant points on what it contains, as well as a pointer to locate the information (Moss & Broodier, 2002).This index provides an extremely valuable resource tool to quickly locate pertinent information. In addition, the metadata repository should be designed with the ability to hook into other systems that are developed to provide information to mother systems as necessary. Establishing this framework now will offer increased benefits as more systems are built off the central repository. Addressing Corporate Culture As seen in OR Communications, lack of common information and enterprise IM strategy can cause several problems to the business and the IT department.OR Communications has encountered serious custo mer service problems, due to lack of common information and enterprise strategy. In addition, lack of common information makes it hard for the overall management to monitor the businesses. Business units are unable to exchange information, and none is aware of the other divisions' work. The company is not in a position to strengthen its brand since no divisions work together. To remedy this, a unification of the firm needs to take place from more than Just an IT standpoint.The disjointed nature of the firm's information assets reflects a deeper separation of the personnel at OR Communications. Departments work for their own ends with naught but passing concern for their effects on the company as a whole. This lack of cohesion manifests itself in the behavior of the CICS, divisional managers, and even the employees, and has resulted in the severe fragmentation of corporate culture. The fragmented IT systems are only a symptom of a much larger problem.Before addressing the IT problems at OR Communications, the underlying culture of the business needs to be transformed. This begins at the very top, with the president of the company and the highest leaders; they need to be the first to set the example, and it is clear their current attitudes have set the company on the disastrous course it is on. Removing the CIO team which has hampered the company's efforts at unification up until now was a good step, but serious considerations now need to be taken to prevent things from getting worse.Other associates could easily see firing the Close as a usurping of departmental sovereignty; however, they need to use this as an opportunity to show that the company can be brought together without sacrificing any of their needs. To capitalize on this opportunity the president and vice president should bring together the next level of management into a council of members to set the direction and ultra of the firm in a way that promotes unity and mutual respect.This council should be responsible for creating and fostering an atmosphere that shows the benefits of the firm functioning as one. They need to prove to the management and associates that their departments will have a say in decisions, and their needs will not be overlooked. To improve the odds of acceptance, the council should be selected from leaders that have proven themselves as examples of good leadership and who are respected in the firm.Key to the success of this council will be keeping everyone n equal footing and ensuring that no one area is given preference over another, needs then others, and sometimes priority will need to be given to one area; however, if this behavior is present from the outset they will receive much resistance from the firm, as this will reinforce existing fears. Once a unity of the firm has been established, people will be more flexible to accept changes after they see the benefits. It will be up to the president and vice president as leaders to maintain these policies and be the example.As demonstrated in previous cases, the president as been lax in demonstrating himself as a leader and this could prove damaging to any such plans to unify the firm. Leadership must begin at the top, and the success or failure of a company often reflects the abilities of its leadership. Implementation Challenges The advantages of a shared IT system eliminate some of the above-mentioned problems. A single centralized and standardized IT operating system will enhance quick decisions across all the departments, since all units will be looking at the same data.Furthermore, with a shared service, customers will not have to visit different databases for the same company; rather, all their queries and purchases can be done from one site that will serve them with all that they need from the company. Another advantage will be easy monitoring of the divisional units?their individual performances as well as their contributions to the whole company. Another advantage for the company will be the ability to monitor financial operations, since all operations will be reflected on one database centrally (Maces, 2010).To implement the shared service strategy, it will be important to seek support of the divisional residents, considering they will be in charge of the units, which are the moneymaking branches. Their willingness to participate in the construction of the shared service will benefit the whole company. The first step to the implementation of this strategy will require assurances that it will benefit the whole company far more than the current system that is facing opposition from not only the customers but also other stakeholders such as the suppliers.In turn, since employees' remuneration is awarded on performance, improved performance for the whole firm will be an added advantage. Since the divisional heads are used to being in control, it is important to remind them that having a shared service will not mean the imposition of decisions from above . Rather, the shared service will make the operations of the whole organization work in harmony for the purpose of easy monitoring customer convenience. They should be included as part of the implementation team, so they can offer input on what they may not want to change.For instance, many are worried they will have to do away with specific projects. Ensuring them that these projects will continue after implementation of the shared arrive would increase their support, as would helping them understand that the new, shared system will enhance the harmony and efficiency of whole organization; eventually they will come to see that their roles will remain mostly the same. Another way to improve the odds of success to a centralized data structure is by appointing a team to oversee the maintenance of the data warehouse from an enterprise level.Ideally the members of this team should be comprised of analysts from the important functional areas of the company. This can help gain buy-in from the many due to the fact that the members of this team have already proven 2011). In addition the benefit of incorporating these individuals is that individual departments will feel that they have representation in the new system, and that their interests are protected. This will increase the potential for global acceptance in the program.Another way to increase compliance with the new systems is to implement an incentive program that would drive associates to achieve the best results. Incentive programs drive people to reach specific targets by offering them tangible rewards beyond their current compensation. At OR Communications, an incentive program could be implemented to increase compliance and adoption of a new centralized system. For example, the company could offer monetary bonuses to departments that lower their operating costs using the new system the most.Another more abstract idea would be to have a small bonus program for departments that offer ideas to enhance the pro ductivity of the system. Many of the departments have complained that a shared system would cause them to be overlooked; however, offering this type of inventive would both encourage them to aka enhancements of the system while simultaneously demonstrating that their opinions count. Positive reinforcement, such as an inventive program, help gain the compliance of the workforce in a much more efficient way then punishment or negative reinforcement.There are governance mechanisms and metrics that can be used to encourage the implementation and use of a shared enterprise data system. The governance that needs to be put in place is the alignment of divisional units with the IT department. The metrics must be aligned with transparency to ensure that IT is in congruence with business operations. The governance mechanism should involve all departments focusing on regulatory issues, risk alleviation and opportunity enhancement.The metrics used should be concerned with making divisional data fit into an enterprise system. These metrics will identify areas of weakness and avenues of improvement. To quote an analogy, â€Å"Rome wasn't built in a day;† and it will take significant time and effort to remedy all the problems at OR Communications. Close governance and metrics will aid in any improvement plan. Recommendation: It is evident that OR Communications need an intervention in its customer service enter.The lack of a centralized customer care center is making it hard to provide unified services to customers. More so, a lot of time is wasted by customers who have to be referred to different department for billing. Customers are forced to have several accounts with the company for each division since each division is held with its independent operations including billing (Smith & Mencken, 2007). This makes it hard for customer care provision. Considering consumer service is very crucial for any business, OR Communications need a centralized customer service cent er.A internalized service center will have many benefits to the whole organization such as cost reduction, time saving, good management of customers' data or information, and customer satisfaction. I recommend a centralized customer service center for OR communications for its advantages as predetermined below. The divisional IT service means having separate audits for every division. Having each division with an individual audit is expensive for the company since several auditors will be needed.Eliminating the divisions will save some costs that would otherwise be used for the services of the auditors at every division. With a single it department, data can be fed means reduced time for audits since with divisions audits have to be put together after each department has completed its audit (Smith & Mencken, 2007). Coordination among the auditors will be efficient since information is collected from one point where all information concerning company accounts is stored.Therefore, hav ing a centralized service center will enhance such operations across the whole organization. In addition, with a centralized customer service center as well as IT, it will ensure information is collected at one point making it easy to access information mongering any department from any point within the company without having to refer to the division in charge. Hence, for the auditors, complying with the set Serbians Solely act will be easy since information about customer billing and accounts of the whole firm will be centralized ensuring accuracy.Having the customer service centralized enhances business operations and processes, ensuring best practices such as timely audits are realized. With data consolidated in one central place, information can be exploited to breed new opportunities for the company. When data is at one place for all the divisions, it is easier to have a broader picture concerning how the divisions can create a new opportunities. Exploiting these opportunities Jointly among the divisions is better than going individually.Moreover, security can be more enhanced with a shared service center since monitoring will be done by one entity. This will further reduce costs associated with having each division taking responsibility of storing and maintaining its own data. Considering that OR communications is currently having several software, consolidating information together for the whole company is hard. Smooth flow of information across departments to ensure easy sharing is vital; not only for the whole company, but for divisions too, considering information consolidation is a fundamental instrument for doing business.Consolidating the IT services to one centralized structure will require removing of service center hardware from each division to one central department that will mitigate risks and have a common structural design as well as policies that are easily reviewable for updating. A common security procedure will reduce risks associated with information breech. Through the same procedures ND practices, the company can reduce file systems redundancy within the organization and enhance efficient document retention as well as reduce costs.Another reason to have one service center is to match the technical capacity of the company with its vision. At the current divisional independence, the divisions exploit their own visions that are not in congruence with the organization's vision and mission. Considering the company's vision is to have a consistent brand across all the divisions, it is necessary to have cross-shared services across all divisions to achieve this vision. The vision can be achieved through cross- sales of all the company services to its customers, as opposed to each department having its selling strategy.Having a shared sales service will serve to reduce the costs incurred when divisions do it individually hence creating a better chance for profit across all departments. Having a central service center will ensure that the overall vision of the company is followed since the central service center will be inclined towards the vision of the whole company. This way, each division can have a chance of benefiting form other divisions, hence the company as a whole (Smith & Mencken, 2007). Having a single are outsourcing majority of their operations to other professional companies for reductions of costs.With independent divisions and IT strategies for each individual division, outsourcing will be quite complicated. Having a central service center to oversee all requests will enhance efficiency as well as value. More so, through the consolidation of IT services and information at one common place will reduce security risks associated with outsourcing services. This will further ensure reliability and security of information. A consolidation of information and IT services will enhance cross-services for customers such as billing (Mencken & Smith, 2011).The company divisions at current cir cumstance hold their information secret from each other, making it a competition within the divisions that raise the problem of billing where customers have to be referred to other divisions for other services. With the consolidated information, customers will only need to visit one department from which other information concerning other divisions can be met. This will improve the perception of their whole company as a brand and the standing of the company can be improved as well as customer satisfaction.There is need for the company to realize that in the current world information is one of the drivers of businesses, which all businesses need to survive. Having each division with its own information center reduces the chances of the company improving in the future since the harmonious climate needed among the divisions for this achievement is minimal. Having stipulated the advantages bound to arise or reasons why a central service center should be achieved, it is important to cons ider how OR can be able to implement this recommendation with ease and least resistance from the divisions.This is the first most likely problem to arise during implementation. Hence, the first step should be generating support form all divisions, which has been quite hard up to now especially from the managers who are self centered and concerned with their earnings that depend on their performance. The managers also have a negative attitude towards merging of information and data among the divisions through one central service. A three-point strategy can be used to gain their support. It includes financial strategy, mitigation of risks associated and compliance to regulation.Financial point can emphasize the advantages the shared service is bound to raise, which will for the benefit of all the divisions and organization as a whole. Risk mitigation will arise from security of information through monitoring by one entity in a standardized way, while regulatory will be concerned with abiding to set accounting rules of the Serbians Solely act which the company has been having problems with (Schwartz, 2007). The next step would be to lay out the vision of the company and show why it cannot be achieved with division of operations among the divisions.This will impart some reasoning among the leaders, and support fore all divisions should be ensured. The main aim is to make everybody in the divisions aware of the role they will play and their stake to ensure thee is compliance and acceptance of the strategy to build a one services center (Mencken & Smith, 2011). One of the problems that could arise after implementation of a shared service center is ease of adoption. Some employees who have been used to the old system will require to be trained how to work harmoniously with a single service center. Many will be required to handle more information concerning not only their divisions, but