Is Television a Good or Bad Influence? Essay

In the year of 1926 a man called John Lougie Baird had invented something that has become part of the day-to-day lifestyle of nearly everyone. He had successfully tested it in a laboratory in late 1925 and unveiled with much fanfare in London in early 1926, and later mechanical television was quickly usurped by electronical television. Over the years television has developed greatly, going from black and white to coloured and ranging greatly in size. From portable and hand held televisions to widescreen and flat widescreen televisions, there is a choice to suit everyone. The most recent additions to this can vary from VCR’s to DVD’s to play stations and other games consoles. Also there are numerous networks, which you can choose from, such as ITV digital, cable, sky digital, etc. In this world today, there are people out there that think television is fantastic and that there is nothing out there that could spoil a nice, quiet night in, with a nice warm cup of coffee with their feet up in front of the television while there are others who don’t feel so strongly. They would rather smash that cup of coffee off the television. If you think that’s very extreme, think again, because there are people today that think television is the worst invention ever. There are some people with a point of view that television is a good influence. They think this because they think that television teaches children to be creative which is shown in documentaries and educational programmes. Maybe so, but do these people realise that the more time they spend watching television, the more time they’re taking out of their own social life and the more closer they are to becoming addicted to it. Do they know that two out of three network prime time shows illustrate some sort of sexual situation or dilemma between a couple, according to a study released in February 1999, by the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation, showed that only three percent of sitcoms discussed any of the risks and responsibilities associated with sex drugs and violence. Do they also know that foul language has increased on these shows and words absent on television ten years ago are now cropping up in more commonly in the scripts of characters on soaps and on every network? Would you want your children to grow up using bad language as part of their everyday speech? No definitely not I would ponder, If you ask my opinion, I would say that yes, television does teach children to be creative, but not in a good sense. With television progressing at this rate and filling up with more violence, sex and strong language which is easily accessed, these circumstances can be avoided by ensuring that children take part in more sports such as football, swimming, running, cycling and lots of others and watch less television. Also do you think that a, elderly person would watch a film happily that consists of a lot of violence and strong language? Television could that very strong impact on the elderly if maybe they watch too much of it. It could deprive them of their social life and watching too much television could lead an old woman or man into a deep depression, which could have very serious and, maybe even fatal consequences such as laziness and lack of exercise. Other views are that television s a bad influence especially on the younger generation maybe because there is too much violence and bad language which could have an affect on them and also on older people as they may cause offence, Maybe people think that living in this world means you are inclined anyway to seeing and hearing all this violence and bad language. There are views that it keeps children out of trouble and other views that it discourages play in younger children but they think that they are better off keeping their children inside than letting them out all the time and having a better chance of getting into trouble. I personally think that television is a bad influence on people of all ages. Violence on television affects children negatively, according to psychological research. The three major effects of seeing violence on television are that children may become less sensitive to the pain and suffering of others, children may be more fearful of the world around them and children may be more likely to behave in aggressive ways towards others. It is a fact that the average American child will have watched one hundred thousand acts of television, including eight thousand depictions of murder, by the time he or she finishes sixth grade, which is approximately thirteen years old. If you think wall to wall violence on television has no effect, why would you imagine that one-minute adverts in the breaks do have an effect and may pursued you to buy something? We live in an era where both parents are often working and children have more unsupervised time they mainly use this time to watch television. It is necessary that time is made for the younger generation to keep up with their day to day experiences, including while they are at school, if they attend school. Studies have shown that children’s television shows contain about twenty violent acts each hour. They also showed that children who watch a lot of television are more likely to think that the world is a mean and dangerous place for cold and heartless people. In 1960, a man embarked on a landmark longitudinal study of over eight hundred eight-year-olds. He found that children who watched many hours of violent television tended to be more aggressive in the playground and the classroom. The same man checked back with these students eleven and twenty two years later. He found out that the aggressive eight-year-olds grew up to be aggressive nineteen-and thirty year-olds, with greater troubles – including domestic violence and more traffic tickets – than their less aggressive counterparts who did not watch as much television. And the researchers found that even if a child is not aggressive at the age of eight, but watches substantial amounts of violent programming, he or she tends to be more aggressive at nineteen than his or her peers who didn’t watch violent T.V. This just goes to show that television does have an affect on children at a young age, if not at that present time, and then it would take place in the future. Television also has effects on teenagers. A new study concludes that teenagers who watch more than an hour of television a day are more likely to be violent in later years. They are more likely to watch T.V if there is something on that interests them, no matter what the context, and most of these people have TV’s in their bedrooms which make it possible to watch TV to all hours, so their parents don’t have a say in what they watch really. Soaps like Coronation Street and Eastenders show young adults becoming pregnant and sometimes stealing cars and taking drugs and it all seems so easy and normal which could resort to some of these young adults taking part in doing these actions themselves and thinking that this is normal. For the elderly, television can most definitely have a bad influence. For example if an elderly woman sat and watched T.V all day, she could become sick, if she is not having her proper day to day exercise could lead to stiffness and aching joints. It could also cause stress if maybe a man seen the troubles in the news, such as the events of September 11th 2001 where two hijacked aircrafts were flew into the world trade centres of New York which caused the loss of thousands of lives and the destruction of the buildings themselves it could worry them and make them think that they should be out there doing something about it. That very day many people joined the US army as a result of television influencing them to do so. Also the United States are in another complication with Iraq over biological weapons the stories which are being stated on the news are very motivating and provoking and would make you feel that something has to be done about these problems. So television has become a bad influence to young children but also it has become a tool really for alerting the world of what is going but also advertising and provoking to adults and the elderly.

The Return: Nightfall Chapter 11

Bonnie couldn't remember any more sophisticated prayer and so, like a tired child, she was saying an old one: â€Å"†¦I pray the Lord my soul to take†¦.† She had used up all her energy calling for help and had gotten no response at all, just some feedback noise. She was so sleepy now. The pain had gone away and she was simply numb. The only thing bothering her was the cold. But then, that could be taken care of, too. She could just pull a blanket over herself, a thick, downy blanket, and she would warm up. She knew it without knowing how she knew. The only thing that held her back from the blanket was the thought of her mother. Her mother would be sad if she stopped fighting. That was another thing she knew without knowing how she knew. If she could just get a message to her mother, explaining that she had fought as hard as she could, but that with the numbness and the cold, she couldn't keep it up. And that she had known she was dying, but that it hadn't hurt in the end, so there was no reason for Mom to cry. And next time she would learn from her mistakes, she promised†¦next time†¦ Damon's entry was meant to be dramatic, coordinated with a flash of lightning just as his boots hit the car. Simultaneously, he sent out another vicious lash of Power, this time directed at the trees, the puppets who were being controlled by an unseen master. It was so strong that he felt a shocked response from Stefan all the way back at the boardinghouse. And the trees†¦melted backward into the darkness. They'd ripped the top off as if the car had been a giant sardine can, he mused, standing on the hood. Handy for him. Then he turned his attention to the human Bonnie, the one with the curls, who ought by rights to have been embracing his feet by now, and gasping out â€Å"Thank you!† She wasn't. She was lying just as she had been in the embrace of the trees. Annoyed, Damon reached down to grab her hand, when he got a shock of his own. He sensed it before he touched it, smelled it before he felt it smear on his fingers. A hundred little pinpricks, each leaking blood. The evergreen's needles must have done that, taking blood from her or – no, pumping some resinous substance in. Some anesthetic to keep her still as it took whatever was the next step in its consumption of prey – something quite unpleasant, to judge by the manners of the creature so far. An injection of digestive juices seemed most likely. Or perhaps simply something to keep her alive, like antifreeze for a car, he thought, realizing with another nasty shock just how cold she was. Her wrist was like ice. He glanced at the two other humans, the dark-haired girl with the disturbing, logical eyes, and the fair-haired boy who was always trying to pick a fight. He might just have cut this one too fine. It certainly looked bad for the other two. But he was going to save this one. Because it was his whim. Because she had called for his help so piteously. Because those creatures, thosemalach, had tried to make him watch her death, eyes half-focused on it as they took his mind off the present with a glorious daydream.Malach – it was a general word indicating a creature of darkness: a sister or brother of the night. But Damon thought it now as if the word itself were something evil, a sound to be spat or hissed. He had no intention of lettingthem win. He picked Bonnie up as if she were a bit of dandelion fluff and slung her over one shoulder. Then he took off from the car. Flying without changing shape first was a challenge. Damon liked challenges. He decided to take her to the nearest source of warm water, and that was the boardinghouse. He needn't disturb Stefan. There were half a dozen rooms in that warren that was making its genteel decline into the good Virginia mud. Unless Stefan was snoopy, he wouldn't go walking in on other folks' bathrooms. As it turned out, Stefan was not only snoopy butfast . There was almost a collision: Damon and his burden came around a corner to find Stefan driving down the dark road with Elena, floating like Damon, bobbing behind the car as if she were a child's balloon. Their first exchange of words was neither brilliant nor witty. â€Å"What the hell are you doing?† exclaimed Stefan. â€Å"What the hell areyou doing?† Damon said, or began to say, when he noticed the tremendous difference in Stefan – and the tremendous Power that was Elena. While most of his mind simply reeled in shock, a small part of it immediately began to analyze the situation, to figure out how Stefan had gone from a nothing to a – a – Good grief. Oh, well, might as well put a brave face on it. â€Å"I felt a fight,† Stefan said. â€Å"When did you become Peter Pan?† â€Å"You should be glad you weren't in the fight. And I can fly because I have the Power, boy.† This was sheer bravado. In any case, it was perfectly correct, back when they were born, to address a younger relative asragazzo , or â€Å"boy.† It wasn't now. And meanwhile the part of his brain that hadn't simply shut down was still analyzing. He could see, feel, do everything buttouch Stefan's aura. And it was†¦unimaginable. If Damon hadn't been this close, hadn't been experiencing it firsthand, he wouldn't have believed it was possible for one person to have so much Power. But he was looking at the situation with the same ability of cold and logical assessment that told him that his own Power – even after making himself drunk with the variety of women's blood he had taken in the last few days – his Power was nothing to Stefan's right now. And his cold and logical ability was also telling him that Stefan had been pulled out of bed for this, and that he hadn't had time – or hadn't been rational enough – to hide his aura. â€Å"Well, now, look at you,† Damon said with all the sarcasm that he could call up – and that turned out to be quite a lot. â€Å"Is it a halo? Did you get canonized while I wasn't looking? Am I addressing St. Stefan now?† Stefan's telepathic response was unprintable. â€Å"Where are Meredith and Matt?† he added fiercely. â€Å"Or,† continued Damon, exactly as if Stefan hadn't spoken, â€Å"could it be that you merit congratulation for having learned the art of deception at last?† â€Å"And what are you doing with Bonnie?† Stefan demanded, ignoring Damon's comments in turn. â€Å"But you still don't seem to have a grasp of polysyllabic English, so I'll put this as simply as I can. You threw the fight.† â€Å"I threw the fight,† Stefan said flatly, apparently seeing that Damon wasn't going to answer any of his questions until he'd told the truth. â€Å"I just thanked God thatyou seemed to be too mad or drunk to be very observant. I wanted to keep you and the rest of the world from figuring out just exactly what Elena's blood does. So you drove away without even trying to get a good look at her. And without suspecting that I could have shaken you off like a flea from the very beginning.† â€Å"I never thought you had it in you.† Damon was reliving their little combat in all-too-vivid detail. It was true: he had never suspected that Stefan's performance had been entirely that – a performance – and that he could have thrown Damon down at any time and done whatever he'd wanted. â€Å"And there's your benefactress.† Damon nodded up to where Elena was floating, secured by – yes, it was true – secured by clothesline to the clutch. â€Å"Just a little lower than the angels, and crowned with glory and honor,† he remarked, unable to help himself as he gazed up at her. Elena was, in fact, so bright that to look at her with Power channeled to the eyes was like trying to stare straight into the sun. â€Å"She seems to have forgotten how to hide as well; she's shining like a G0 star.† â€Å"She doesn't know how to lie, Damon.† It was clear that Stefan's anger was steadily mounting. â€Å"Now tell me what's going on and what you've done to Bonnie.† The impulse to answer,Nothing. Why, do you think I should? was almost irresistible – almost. But Damon was facing a different Stefan than he'd ever seen before. This is not the little brother you know and love to trample into the ground, the voice of logic told him, and he heeded it. â€Å"The other two huuu-mans,† Damon said, drawing the word out to its full obscene length, â€Å"are in their automobile. And† – suddenly virtuous – â€Å"I was taking Bonnie toyour place.† Stefan was standing by the car, at a perfect distance for examining Bonnie's outflung arm. The pinpricks turned into a smear of blood when he touched them, and Stefan examined his own fingers with horror. He kept repeating the experiment. Soon Damon would be drooling, a highly undignified behavior that he wished to avoid. Instead, he concentrated on a nearby astronomical phenomenon. The full moon, medium high, and white and pure as snow. And Elena floating in front of it, wearing an old-fashioned high-necked nightgown – and little if anything else. As long as he looked at her without the Power needed to discern her aura, he could examine her as a girl rather than as an angel in the midst of blinding incandescence. Damon cocked his head to get a better view of the silhouette. Yes, that was definitely the right apparel for her, and she should always stand in front of brilliant lights. If he – Slam. He was flying backward and to the left. He hit a tree, trying to make sure that Bonnie didn't hit it, too – she might break. Momentarily stunned, he floated – wafted really – down to the ground. Stefan was on top of him. â€Å"You,† said Damon somewhat indistinctly through the blood in his mouth, â€Å"have been a naughty boy, boy.† â€Å"She made me. Literally. I thought she might die if I didn't take some of her blood – her aura was that swollen. Now you tell me what's wrong with Bonnie – â€Å" â€Å"So you bled her despite your heroic unflagging resistance – â€Å" Slam. This new tree smelled of resin. I never particularly wanted to get acquainted with the insides of trees, Damon thought as he spat out a mouthful of blood. Even as a crow I only use them when necessary. Stefan had somehow snatched Bonnie out of the air while Damon was flying toward the tree. He was that fast now. He was very, very fast. Elena was aphenomenon . â€Å"So now you have a secondhand idea what Elena's blood is like.†And Stefan could hear Damon's private thoughts. Normally, Damon was always up for a fight, but right now he could almost hear Elena's weeping over her human friends, and something inside him felt tired. Very old – centuries old – and very tired. But as for the question, well,yes . Elena was still bobbing aimlessly, sometimes spread-eagled and sometimes balled up like a kitten. Her blood was rocket fuel compared to the unleaded gasoline in most girls. And Stefan wanted to fight. Wasn't even trying to hide it. I was right, Damon thought. For vampires, the urge to squabble is stronger than any other urge, even the need to feed or, in Stefan's case, the concern for his – what was the word? Oh, yes.Friends. Now Damon was trying to elude a thrashing, trying to enumerate his assets, which weren't many, because Stefan was still holding him down. Thought. Speech. A penchant for fighting dirty that Stefan just couldn't seem to understand. Logic. An instinctive ability to find the chinks in his foe's armor†¦ Hmmm†¦ â€Å"Meredith and† – damn! What was that boy'sname ? – â€Å"her escort are dead by now, I think,† he said innocently. â€Å"We can stay here and brawl, if that's what you want to call it, considering that I never laid a finger on you – or we can try to resuscitate them. Which will it be, I wonder?† He really did wonder about how much control Stefan had over himself right now. As if Damon had zoomed out abruptly with a camera, Stefan seemed to become smaller. He had been floating a few feet above the ground; now he landed and looked about himself in astonishment, obviously unaware that he had been airborne. Damon spoke in the pause while Stefan was most vulnerable. â€Å"I wasn't the one who hurt them,† he added. â€Å"If you'll look at Bonnie† – thank badness, he knewher name – â€Å"you'll see that no vampire could do it. I think† – he added ingenuously, for shock value – â€Å"that the attackers were trees, controlled by malach.† â€Å"Trees?†Stefan barely took time to glance at Bonnie's pin-pricked arm. Then he said, â€Å"We need to get them indoors and into warm water. You take Elena – â€Å" Oh, gladly. In fact I'd give anything,anything – † – and this car with Bonnie right back to the boardinghouse. Wake Mrs. Flowers. Do all you can for Bonnie. I'll go on ahead and get Meredith and Matt – â€Å" That was it! Matt. Now if only he had a mnemonic – â€Å"They're just up the road, right? That was where your first strafe of Power seemed to come from.† A strafe, was it? Why not be honest and just call it a feeble wash? And while it was fresh in his mind†¦M for Mortal, A for Annoying, T for Thing. And there you had it. The pity was that it applied to all of them and yet not all of them were called MAT. Oh, damn – was there supposed to be another T at the end? Mortal, Annoying, Troublesome Thing? Annoying Terrible Thing? â€Å"I said, is that all right?† Damon returned to the present. â€Å"No, it's not all right. The other car's wrecked. It won't drive.† â€Å"I'll float it behind me.† Stefan wasn't bragging, just making a statement of fact. â€Å"It's not even in one piece.† â€Å"I'll bind the pieces. Come on, Damon. I'm sorry I strafed you; I had a completely wrong idea about what was going on. But Matt and Meredith may really be dying, and even with all my new Power, and all of Elena's, we may not be able to save them. I've raised Bonnie's core temperature a few degrees but I don't dare to stay and bring it up slowly enough.Please , Damon.† He was putting Bonnie in the passenger seat. Well, thatsounded like the old Stefan, but coming from this powerhouse, the new Stefan, it had rather different undertones. Still, as long as Stefanthought he was a mouse, he was a mouse. End of discussion. Earlier Damon had felt like Mount Vesuvius exploding. Now he suddenly felt as if he werestanding near Vesuvius, and the mountain was rumbling. Ye gods! He actually felt seared just being this close to Stefan. He called on all his considerable resources, mentally packing himself in ice, and hoped that at least a breath of coolness underlay his answer. â€Å"I'll go. See you later – hope the humans aren't dead yet.† As they parted, Stefan sent him a powerful message of disapproval – not strafing him with sheer elemental pain, as he had before when throwing Damon against the tree, but making sure that his opinion of his brother was stamped across every word. Damon sent Stefan a last message as he went.I don't understand, he thought innocently toward the disappearing Stefan.What's wrong with saying that I hope the humans are still alive? I've been in greeting card shops, you know – he didn't mention that it wasn't for the cards but for the young cashiers – and they had sections like â€Å"Hope you get well† and â€Å"Sympathy,† which I suppose means that the previous card's spell wasn't strong enough. So what's wrong with saying â€Å"I hope they're not dead†? Stefan didn't even bother to answer. But Damon flashed a quick and brilliant smile anyway, as he turned the Porsche around and set off for the boardinghouse. He tugged on the clothesline that kept Elena bobbing above him. She floated – nightgown billowing – above Bonnie's head – or rather where Bonnie's head should have been. Bonnie had always been small, and this freezing illness had her crumpled into the fetal position. Elena could practically sit on her. â€Å"Hello, princess. Looking gorgeous, as always. And you're not too bad yourself.† It was one of the worst opening lines of his life, he thought dejectedly. But he wasn't feeling quite himself. Stefan's transformation had startled him – that must be what's wrong, he decided. â€Å"Da†¦mon.† Damon started. Elena's voice was slow and hesitant†¦and absolutely beautiful: molasses dripping sweetness, honey falling straight from the comb. It was lower in pitch, he was sure, than it had been before her transformation, and it had become a true Southern drawl. To a vampire it resembled the sweet drip-drip of a newly opened human vein. â€Å"Yes, angel. Have I called you  ¡Ã‚ ®angel' before? If not, it was purely an oversight.† And as he said this, he realized that that was another component to her voice, one he'd missed before: purity. The lancing purity of a seraph of seraphim. That should have put him off, but instead it just reminded him that Elena was someone to take seriously, never lightly. I'd take you seriously or lightly or any way you prefer, Damon thought, if you weren't so stuck on my idiot younger brother. Twin violet suns turned on him: Elena's eyes. She'd heard him. For the first time in his life, Damon was surrounded by people more powerful than he was. And to a vampire, Power was everything: material goods, community position, trophy mate, comfort, sex, cash, candy. It was an odd feeling. Not entirely unpleasant in regards to Elena. He liked strong women. He'd been looking for one strong enough for centuries. But Elena's glance very effectively brought his thoughts back to their situation. He parked askew outside the boardinghouse, snatched up the stiffening Bonnie, and floated up the twisting, narrowing staircase towards Stefan's room. It was the only place heknew there was a bathtub. There was barely room for three inside the tiny bathroom, and Damon was the one carrying Bonnie. He ran water into the ancient, four-footed tub based on what his exquisitely tuned senses said was five degrees above her current icy temperature. He tried to explain to Elena what he was doing, but she seemed to have lost interest and was floating round and round Stefan's bedroom, like a close-up of Tinkerbell caged. She kept bumping the closed window and then zooming over to the open door, looking out. What a dilemma. Ask Elena to undress and bathe Bonnie, and risk her putting Bonnie in the tub wrong side up? Or ask Elena to do the job and watch over them both, but not touch – unless disaster struck? Plus, someone had to find Mrs. Flowers and get hot drinks going. Write a note and send Elena with it? There might be more casualties in here any moment now. Then Damon caught Elena's eye, and all petty and conventional concerns seemed to drop away. Words appeared in his brain without bothering to come through his ears. Help her. Please! He turned back to the bathroom, lay Bonnie on the thick rug there and shelled her like a shrimp. Off with the sweatshirt, off with the summer top that went under it. Off with the small bra – A cup, he noticed sadly, discarding it, trying not to look at Bonnie directly. But he couldn't help but see that the prickling marks the tree had left were everywhere. Off with the jeans, and then a small hitch because he had to sit and take each foot in his lap to get the tightly tied high-top sneakers off before the jeans would come past her ankles. Off with socks. And that was all. Bonnie was left naked except for her own blood and her pink silky underwear. He picked her up and put her in the tub, soaking himself in the process. Vampires associated baths with virgin's blood, but only the really crazy ones tried it. The water in Bonnie's bathtub turned pink when he put her in. He kept the tap running because the tub was so large, and then sat back to consider the situation. The tree had been pumping something into her with its needles. Whatever it was, it wasn't good. So it ought to come out. Most sensible solution was to suck it as if it were a snakebite, but he was hesitant to try that until he was sure Elena wouldn't crush his skull if she found him methodically sucking Bonnie's upper body. He would have to settle for next best. The bloody water didn't quite conceal Bonnie's diminutive form, but it helped to blur the details. Damon supported Bonnie's head against the edge of the tub with one hand, and with the other he began to squeeze and massage the poison out of one arm. He knew he was doing the right thing when he smelled the resinous scent of pine. It was so thick and viscid itself that it hadn't yet disappeared into Bonnie's body. He was getting a small amount of it out this way, but was it enough? Cautiously, watching the door and cranking his senses up to cover their broadest spectrum, Damon lifted Bonnie's hand to his lips as if he were going to kiss it. Instead, he took her wrist in his mouth and, suppressing every urge he had to bite, instead simply sucked. He spat almost immediately. His mouth was full of resin. The massage wasn't enough by far. Even suction, if he could get a couple of dozen vampires and attach them all over Bonnie's little body like leeches, wouldn't be enough. He sat back on his heels and looked at her, this fatally poisoned woman-child he'd as good as given his word to save. For the first time, he became aware that he was soaked to the waist. He gave an irritated glance toward the heavens and then shrugged out of his black bomber jacket. What could he do? Bonnie needed medicine, but he had no idea what specific medicine she needed, and there was no witch he knew of to appeal to. Was Mrs. Flowers acquainted with arcane knowledge? Would she give it to him if she were? Or was she just a batty old lady? What was a generic medicine – for a human? He could give her over to her own people and let them try their bungling sciences – take her to a hospital – but they would be working with a girl who'd been poisoned by the Other Side, by the dark places they would never be allowed to see or understand. Absently, he had been rubbing a towel over his arms and hands and black shirt. Now, he looked at the towel and decided that Bonnie deserved at least a sop to modesty, especially since he could think of no more work to be done on her. He soaked the towel and then spread it out and pushed it underwater to cover Bonnie from throat to feet. It floated in some places, sank in others, but generally did the job. He turned the water temperature up again, but it made no difference. Bonnie was stiffening into the true death, young as she was. His peers in old Italy had had it right, he thought, a female like this was amaiden , no longer girl, not yet woman. It was especially apposite since any vampire could tell that she was a maiden in both senses. And it had all been done under his nose. The lure, the pack-attack, the marvelous technique and synchronization – they had killed this maiden while he sat and watched. He'd applauded it. Slowly, inside, Damon could feel something growing. It had sparked when he thought of the audacity of the malach, hunting his humans right under his nose. It didn't ask the question of when the group in the car had becomehis humans – he supposed it was because they had been so close lately that it seemed they were his to dispose of, to say whether they lived or died, or whether they became what he was. The growing thing surged when he'd thought of the way the malach had manipulated his thoughts, drawing him into a blissful contemplation of death in general terms, while death in very specific terms was going on right at his feet. And now it was reaching incendiary levels because he had been shown up too many times today. It really was unbearable†¦. †¦and it was Bonnie†¦. Bonnie, who had never hurt a – a harmless thing for malice. Bonnie, who was like a kitten, making airy pounces at no prey at all. Bonnie, with her hair that was called something strawberry, but that looked simply as if it was on fire. Bonnie of the translucent skin, with the delicate violet fjords and estuaries of veins all over her throat and inner arms. Bonnie, who had lately taken to looking at him sideways with her large childlike eyes, big and brown, under lashes like stars†¦. His jaws and canines were aching, and his mouth felt as if it were on fire from the poisonous resin. But all that could be ignored, because he was consumed with one other thought. Bonnie had called for his help for nearly half an hour before succumbing to the darkness. That was what needed to be said. Needed to be examined. Bonnie had called for Stefan – who had been too far away and too busy with his angel – but she had called for Damon, too, and she had pleaded for his help. And he had ignored it. With three of Elena's friends at his feet, he had ignored their agonies, had ignored Bonnie's frenzied pleas not to let them die. Usually, this sort of thing would only make him take off for some other town. But somehow he was still here and still tasting the bitter consequences of his act. Damon leaned back with his eyes closed, trying to shut out the overwhelming smell of blood and the musty scent of†¦something. He frowned and looked around. The little room was clean even to its corners. Nothing musty here. But the odor wouldn't go away. And then he remembered.

Managing Financial Resources Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Managing Financial Resources - Assignment Example The company has outperformed the industry with respect to return on equity as it might be operating efficiently as compared to other companies. The current ratio measures a company’s ability to pay short term obligations of its creditors when they are due. Low Fell Engineering has a slightly better current ratio than the company thus it gives a good impression to the investors who are willing to invest in the stock of the company. The acid test ratio is similar to current ratio but it does not incorporate the Cost of inventory or stocks since it considers them to be the least liquid. The acid test ration of Low Fell Engineering is also better than the industry standards signifying that they have a strong ability to meet their short term dues. The stock turnover of the company is below the benchmark level and it has not been able to turn over its inventory as well as other companies which can be an overwhelming concern since it can increase the cost of inventory. The company needs to be concerned about their low stock turnover which is increasing their cost of inventory and thus reducing their gross profit margin. To improve the turnover, they need to optimize their supply chain, make the production process lean and build strong relationship with the suppliers or vendors. A good supplier enables to deliver stock in a timely and low cost manner which can minimize the cost of sales (Bierley, 2008). In a finance lease, the risk and ownership of the asset it transferred to the lessee (Pietersz, 2005). Therefore, at the end of the period the lessee can sell the asset at the scrap Cost. Thus, in the case of a finance lease the Cost of the machinery will be Since the case does not explicitly mention that the lease is operating of finance therefore if we assume that it is a finance lease than it will be the most feasible option. Otherwise buying on cash will be the best option since

Cross-calture management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Cross-calture management - Essay Example Researchers studying the success of cultural diversity programs have identified models that can be implemented into organizational environments. Having support for of senior management for diversity programs is identified as a major theme among most of the program models (Matton & Hernandez, 2004; Jayne & Dipboye 2004). This paper will examine the background of diversity in organizations, benefits of workplace diversity, challenges of diversity, popular diversity management models, the relevant research related to the importance of having support of senior management for diversity programs, and the individuals responsible for implementing diversity programs, that is, the diversity practitioner. Overview Workplace Diversity and its Importance Diversity can be defined as, "a mix of people of different socially relevant group identities working or living together in a defined social system" (Cox & Beale, 1997, p.13). Healthy workplace diversity can provide an organization with the tools to improve problem solving, enhance marketing, be more creative and flexible, and ultimately improve productivity and "the bottom line" (Thomas, 2006; Cox, 1994). While a company may recruit in order to create a climate of diversity, it can simultaneously open the door to truly hiring the best available talent in the global market instead of another "company man." Diversity promotes a multiplicity of viewpoints, thus creating the potential to generate more creative ideas and stimulate consideration of non  ­obvious alternatives (Kyriakidou, 2009). Further, diverse groups bring a broader and richer base of experience. This dynamic tends to create a higher level of critical analysis and a lower probability of "group think" (Cox, 1994). For example, studies show that women tend to be more tolerant of ambiguity than men. As a result, they tend to excel in completing tasks that are cognitively complex and/or ambiguous. Individuals with bilingual capabilities are another group that dem onstrates a great capacity for flexibility. Thus, workgroups that incorporate individuals with these characteristics are likely to demonstrate greater group cognitive flexibility (Cox, 1994). With the minority population growing, organizations are finding the need to adapt products, advertising and services to appeal to diverse interests. Studies show that members of minority cultural groups are more likely to give patronage to representatives of their own cultural group (Cox, 1994). Thus, organizations find the need to have their workforce mirror, at least in part, their clientele. In the for-profit sector, it has been seen that the evolving demographics in the United States have had a significant impact on the manner in which products currently need to be marketed in order to maintain or increase market shares. For example, Cox (1994) notes two examples of cosmetic companies, Avon and Maybelline, changing either their product or transferring the management of an otherwise unprofit able market of minorities, to people of color. Under different management these companies have adapted their products using shades that are more palatable to people of color and have reflected these changes in their advertisement. The results have been very positive and profitable for these companies in a previously

Yamaha Marketing Channels Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Yamaha Marketing Channels - Research Paper Example When the Company started, it manufactured auto parts, scooters, sewing machines and even three wheeled motors. However, due to the stiff competition from other manufacturers of these machines, the Yamaha Company specialized on the production of motorcycle. In the year 1954, the first model of Yamaha motorbike (YA-1) was complete. After a rigorous road test of the this motorbike, the founders of Yamaha Company built a factory too start the mass manufacturing of the YA-1 motorbike at a place called Nipon Gakki. On first of July 1955, the Yamaha Motor Co., LTD was founded. During that year, the Company had over 270 who were able to manufacture 200 YA-1 motorcycles in one month. This fast growth influenced the company to engage its motor cycles into the two top races in Japan; the Asma Highlands race and the Fuji mountain race. In the year 1956, the Company came up with another model; the YC1, followed by YD-1 in the year 1957. Two year after Yamaha’s engagement in motorbike races , they made a step into the International racing in the year 1958. They finished in the sixth position in the Catalina Grand Prix, and became the first Japanese motorbike to compete in an International race. The participation of Yamaha in the Catalina grand Prix gave this brand an international recognition, since many people worldwide began appreciating the Yamaha technology, especially in the USA (Smokie, 2013). That same year, the Company began marketing their own machines independently in the United States of America. Two years later after this venture, an American motor Company, The Cooper Motors, started selling the YD-1 and the MF-1 bikes from the Yamaha Motor Co., LTD. This continued up to the year 1960, when the Yamaha International Company begun advertising motorcycles in the United States of America through merchants. Having explored the motorcycle market, Genichi, the President of Yamaha International, began focusing on manufacturing of outboard boats and the Yamaha motor boats (Smokie Riders, 2013). In 1966, the Yamaha Company opened motorcycle-manufacturing industries in Mexico and Thailand. In late 1960s, Yamaha produced an off road motorcycle, DT-1 model. This off road model brought a very huge impact in the motorbike industry in the United States and was a very big success to the Yamaha Company. In the year 1972, the Toyota and Yamaha Companies came together and designed the Toyota 200 GT. With more inventions in the Yamaha International, the Company continued to grow in terms of the machines they manufactured. Among the machines that they created since then includes; race kart engines, snowmobiles, ATVs, generators, scooters, and personal watercraft. The greatness of the Yamaha International Company is attributed to its first President, Mr. Genichi Kawakami, who believed that, production of goods with character and honesty in service to the clients is the key to success of any business. Activities of Yamaha International Corporation Apart from manufacturing of electronics and automobiles, the Yamaha Company has engaged in so many activities. The Company is involved in sporting activities where they participate in motorbike racing competition (Yamaha Motor Co., 2013). The Company aims at promoting sporting activities in Japan, for example, the Japanese Rugby Team. They are actively involved in operating training schools for young sportsmen for yachting, soccer, and rugby. After sale services is another activity that the Yamaha Company offers to its customers. Raw materials and the Manufacturers of Yamaha The products of Yamaha Company are made of metal alloys, wood, and plastic and rubber materials. The Company uses metal alloys in the manufacturing of its pianos, for example, the acoustic pianos that is

Medieval lit Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Medieval lit - Essay Example 21-23). Plainly, he is upset that the queen is carrying on an affair that everyone knows about, but no one is doing anything about. Obviously, he doesn’t think it is fair to Arthur. In fact, what Guinevere is doing is against the law in more that one way. First, cheating on her husband is committing treason against the king. Second, some of her acts call for Lancelot to lie to the king, which is also unlawful. Setting aside for a moment that adultery is morally wrong, the fact that she displays a lack of ethics, and a disregard for the law is a good insight into the person Guinevere actually is. Instead of the epitome of honor and grace that queen’s of the time usually displayed, Guinevere was a liar, a cheater, and a disgrace to the throne. Guinevere’s actions cause the knights to feel the need to explain to Arthur that his favored knight is a â€Å"traytoure to youre person† (647, l. 32). Hence, they set a trap for Lancelot so that the king would have proof that the two were traitors. The initial problem with the whole set up is that the king, and the knights, have plenty to worry about from outside threats. They shouldn’t have to spend their time setting traps for people who are supposed to be on their side. Another problem is that once caught, the king is forced to do something. In order to save face, and protect his kingdom from people who would think he was weak for excusing traitors, the king would have to take drastic measures against his wife, or his favorite knight. Again, none of this is healthy for a kingdom. Without question, Camelot is worse for hosting Queen Guinevere. After the affair is discovered, Arthur sentences her to die. Technically, this, too, is probably a denegration of the king, since Guinevere’s position (even prior to marrying the Arthur) probably meant that she should have had a trial. Arthur

FEMA Incident Command Systems and National Incident Management Systems Research Paper

FEMA Incident Command Systems and National Incident Management Systems Related to Law Enforcement Personnel - Research Paper Example As a law enforcement officer involved in special operations you have to be able to effectively respond to such operations using certain established guidelines and principles to protect property, live and the environment and restore normalcy. The Federal Emergency Management Authority (FEMA) is one such body under the US Department of Homeland Security tasked with handling emergency situations. Given that emergencies are unpredictable events that require cross functional approaches, as more than one agency may be involved, hence the need for a standardized approach and guidelines that are not specific to one agency. The FEMA has a system called the Incident Command System (ICS) that employs methods and standards that have been verified for efficiency and success in the business world and applied to emergency situations using a standard command, control and coordination system to achieve the aims of emergency responses and management. The ICS system enables proper cooperation and coord ination among different agencies since there are emergency occasions when as a special operations officer you may come under the command of someone from a different agency such as fire fighting whose methods and command structures could be different from special operations. This paper will therefore examine the beginnings of ICS, the development of new rules and guidelines with emphasis to the presidential order to the Department for Homeland Security in response to the September 11th terrorist attacks and then look at the guidelines from various sources, discuss them and draw conclusions. ICS can be traced to the 1970s when wildfires became a big problem in California when the state, federal, county and local fire departments, recognizing that no one agency can handle a fire emergency all alone, joined together to form a platform called the Firefighting Resources of California Organized for Potential Emergencies (FIRESCOPE) that pinpointed certain problems common to emergencies and hindering inter agency cooperation, including non uniform terms and commands, non-aligned communication, a missing scope for increasing or reducing the size of the joint response team depending on the situation, deficient combined plans of action plans and a lack of a command system to oversee inter agency operations (Haddow, Bullock & Coppola, 2011). The ICS is a model tactic built on best practice standards for managing emergencies and incidents that allow for a synchronized response from different agencies that creates a shared approach to scheduling and managing resources and enhances the incorporation of equipment, facilities, staff, systems within a unified organizational framework (â€Å"Introduction to the ICS†, 2009). The ICS has however evolved into an all inclusive emergency response and coordination approach for emergencies that utilizes a unified structure of organization and management system. The ICS is based on five main premises: Command, Logistics, Operatio ns, Planning, Finance/Administration (â€Å"What is the ICS?† 2010) During an emergency the law enforcement agencies leadership is organized into the above units with each having a jurisdiction over all the different agencies involved in the emergency. After the September 11t

Knowledge Management in Healthcare Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Knowledge Management in Healthcare - Essay Example This paper would expound on the need for and how Knowledge Management is adopted in healthcare, what problems does it address, what are the considerations to maximize its total benefits, what factors may hinder it from being an effective tool in effecting development in the field of healthcare and what are the importance of transferring the explicit knowledge.. "Healthcare organizations are facing many challenges in the 21st Century due to changes taking place in global healthcare systems. Spiraling costs, financial constraints, increased emphasis on accountability and transparency, changes in education, growing complexities of biomedical research, new partnerships in healthcare and great advances in IT suggest that a predominant paradigm shift is occurring. This shift is necessitating a focus on interaction, collaboration and increased sharing of information and knowledge which is in turn leading healthcare organizations to embrace the techniques of Knowledge Management in order to create and sustain optimal healthcare." (Sharma et al., 2005) Indeed healthcare plays by the rules of the economy and the society too, it lends itself vulnerable to the limitations of the body administering it. As acquiring information does not come without a cost, readily available yet reliable information are sought for, thus the role of Knowledge Management to regulate and pass on information. (Tandon, Angrish, Anand, 2006) Knowledge Management, though having relative definitions sums up the process of creating, controlling, channeling and transferring knowledge assets to address competitive advantage and optimal performance. (Morgan, Doyle, Albers, 2005) In healthcare, most especially in nursing care, knowledge continuity is posed as an organizational challenge. In the US, there is a high turnover rate among hospital staff-already amounting to 20% (Morgan et al., 2005). This dynamics breaks the links of transferring knowledge from old to new employees leading to poor acquisition or transfer of valuable knowledge assets. In basic terms, knowledge is shared through a "traditional scholastic medical education" through "textbook based" learning, and acquiring lessons through experience and mentorship. Although this, in the beginning, could let the workers harness best business practices, it could also mean lack of diversification in knowledge unless branching out to different hospital units is initiated. "There are a number of organizational benefits to KCM [Knowledge Continuity Management] such as decreasing job turnover costs, increasing organizational effectiveness, improving training for new employees, facilitation of organizational learning, speeding the maximal productivity of new employees, and improving the decision making and decreasing the process errors of new employees." (Morgan et al., 2

Personal history Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Personal history - Essay Example It was my first Monday at work after a happy long vacation. I was walking through the aisle of my Walgreens, when I suddenly heard from the Vitamin’s aisle a sweet voice of a little Cuban girl. ‘Mami, mami, manana es tu cumpleanos (mom, mom, tomorrow is your birthday)!’ said the little girl with a huge smile and happiness in her face. In that moment, a rush of emotion invaded my mind, and I could not stop the tears of my eyes falling to the floor. As I was looking at the mother’s girl with an immense smile, I saw a cheerful girl during the spring of 2000 in Cuba, when I was only 10 year old, and I saw the radiant smile of the woman who gave me life. In that age, I had a straight black hair, brown eyes and rep lips. Although I was a skinny and stylish girl like a Barbies’ model, I did not like to brush my hair and dress up my bed in the mornings, and every day I was waiting for make a new mischief with my friends at school. In that time of my life, my favorite place was a little space that I created for myself with rocks and small pieces of wood at the back yard of my home. I was the leader there! My school friends and I went to there to do homework, study for the tests, make some food and of course, play games endlessly. I had a very unique family. I lived with my father my brother and my Queen: my mother. She was my teacher, my best friend and my witness. Always, every single plan that I did, I had told her before. I almost forget! I cannot fail to mention my little and adorable Blanquito, my funny and crazy puppy! These are some of my most precious treasures of memories, but the storm that would come and the darkness that would surround me, along with the anguish and pain that destroyed my heart would forever leave me wanting to see her face again. Mum had been seriously ill in the days leading up to her painful demise. In the latter days, as her condition grew worse, my

Involvement of the U.S Military in Border Protection and the Drug Essay

Involvement of the U.S Military in Border Protection and the Drug Policy Since 1960s - Essay Example Involvement of the U S Military in Border Protection and the Drug Policy Since 1960s Introduction The United States’ borders are extensively guarded following effective legislations that target safeguarding Americans. The U.S Customs and Border Protection (CBP) present the federal enforcement agency in the department of homeland security that regulates foreign trade, trade customs, immigration, import duty collections, and external regulations enforcement (Guerette & Clarke, 2005). The agency has a good number of officers, over 4600 well-trained officers who guard the borders of the U.S to ensure border security. However, the United States military strongly claim involvement in the border security and international security maintenance in the country. With the changes in the drug policy in the United States, the body stands at the pole position to ensure that illegal drugs do not get into the country easily. Enforcement of the immigration rules solely falls in the docket of th e United States military. The immigration rules in the United States contribute much on the security of the people. Since 1900s, the U.S government has adopted strict regulations on immigration that has led to incorporation of the state’s military to stiffen security at the border. Ceasar (2008) argues that tougher rules led to growth of the illegal market especially drugs and narcotics trade. The border patrol thus was adopted to boost security at the border and prevent further turmoil. Later in the 1920s, the United States feared that the countries ravaged with war threatened their position thus adopting tighter immigration rules. For example, the adopted legislations ensured that foreigners could not get into the country without being cleared at the border. Particularly, current policies on immigration state that people should not enter the United States unless they get clearance at the border. Consequently, the United States military assumes the role of ensuring that no p erson gets into the country illegally, and curtailing black market at the borders by conducting constant patrols. The United States military takes part in border protection to prevent entry of illegal drugs in the country. The war against illegal drugs dates back to the 1920s when the congress passed the drugs act that blocked importation of drugs from outside the country. Many people perceived this as a move to protect the people, but there existed certainty as to who could oversee the same. The American government tightened drug policy in 1960s thus the military came into force to ensure that the prohibited drugs do not enter the country. However, the black market expanded because the people found no other way to get to the illegal drugs. In this sense, it is apparent that activities of the military officers at the borders related directly with the prevalence of the black market. Rising concerns on the health of the United States plant and animal resources heightened level of invo lvement of the United States military in border protection in the country (Ceasar, 2008). Many people in the country raised concerns that their plants and animals got infections from foreign countries, which threatened human health. Any concerns about the health of plants and animals meant that the level of involvement for the military increased to enhance a safer environment. In this respect, the U S military embanked on undertaking passenger operations, targeting and analysis, and

Solid and Melting Point Essay Example for Free

Solid and Melting Point Essay (2pts) Indicate the correct waste container for the following compounds: a. hexane non-halogenated organic b. 10% NaOH aqueous c. methylene chloride (dichloromethane) halogenated organic d. magnesium sulfate solid e. sodium hypochlorite halogenated organic 2. (1pt) Describe the proper way to separate ground glass joints if they become stuck. The proper way to separate ground glass joints is to hold the two pieces of glassware with paper towels so that your hands are touching as close to the joint as possible and pull with a firm grip. Try to loosen with a slight twisting motion. If that does not work try to tap with a wooden handle and try to pull apart. Lastly you can heat the joint with hot water or steam bath, but to be careful not to over heat. 3. (1pt) What is a solute? What is a solvent? A solute is the solid that is dissolved in a liquid. The solvent is the liquid in which something is dissolved. 4. (1pt) What is the purpose of a water trap (used during vacuum filtration)? The purpose of a water trap is to prevent filtrate from being sucked into the vacuum system. 5. (2pts) What is the difference between crystallization and precipitation of a product? List three differences. Crystallization forms crystalline solids while precipitation produces amorphous solids. Crystallization is slow and a pure compound comes out of solution and precipitation is fast and a mixture of compounds falls out of solution. Crystals have an ordered structure than amorphous solids and are harder to produce. 6. (1pt) What will happen if you choose a solvent whose boiling point is higher than the melting point of the compound to be crystallized? The solvent would boil out before the compound could melt. 7. (1pt) How does the melting point of a product help determine its purity? The purer the material the higher its melting point and the narrower its melting point range is. The range should fall in to the melting point range of what the substance you are determining its purity for. 8. (1pt) Generally describe how to predict solubility. Like dissolves like. The solvent/solute molecules are structurally similar so the solute will dissolve in the solvent.

Study or Stock Market Essay Example for Free

Study or Stock Market Essay Dr. Pushpa Bhatt and Sumangala J. K (2011) studies Impact of Book Value on Market Value of an Equity Share – An Empirical Study in Indian Capital Market. They attempt to find the explanatory power of book value in explaining the variations in equity market value. Then attempt is made to compare the same with the same of earning per share (EPS). They have collected and analyzed data about book value and market value of equity share of 50 companies for 5 years from 2006-07 to 2010-2011. Jimoh Ezekiel Oseni (2007), Determinants of stock prices in the capital market. There are over 130 companies whose shares are being traded in the Nigerian capital market. The Banking sector in the last five years has dominated the market in terms of trading volumes and market performance. The earning per share (EPS) and dividend per share (DPS) of twelve companies listed on the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) and (average) annual GDP, crude oil price (OIL), lending interest rate (INT), inflation rate (INFL) and foreign exchange rate (FX) are used are analysed for effect on the stock price. The period covered by the data is year 2001 to 2007. Mohammed Belal Uddin (2009) Determinants of market price of stock: A study on bank leasing and insurance companies of Bangladesh. The population size is 86 listed companies in Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE) and chosen 68 companies as sample on probability sampling basis. In this study the dependent variable is â€Å"Market Price of Stock (MPS)† in Bangladeshi taka. The independent variables are: (1) Net Asset Value per Share (NAVPS) in Bangladeshi taka; (2) Dividend percentage (DIV); (3) Earnings per Share (EPS) in Bangladeshi taka Dr. Sanjeet Sharma (2009) Determinants of equity stock prices in India. This study has been undertaken to examine the empirical relationship between equity share prices and explanatory variables such as: book value per share, dividend per share, earning per share, price earning ratio, dividend yield, dividend payout, size in terms of sale and net worth for the period 1993-94 to 2008-09. Dr. Bidyut Jyoti Bhattacharjee (2012), the determinants of market price of share of Indian companies. This study makes an attempt to examine that whether market price of share of the company influenced by important determinants like size, growth, risk, profitability, leverage and dividend decision of the company considering Indian industries enlisted in Bombay Stock Exchange of India. In Uwalomwa Uwuigbe, Olowe and Olusegun, Agu (2012) An Assessment of the Determinants of Share Price in Nigeria: A Study of Selected Listed Firms. This study basically seeks to investigate the effects of financial performance, dividend payout and financial leverage on the share price of firms operating in the Nigerian stock exchange market. To achieve the objectives of this study, the Nigerian stock exchange fact book and the corporate annual reports for the period 2006-2010 were analyzed. In addition, using the judgmental sampling technique, the study considered a total of 30 listed firms in the Nigerian stock exchange market. The choice of these industries arises based on the size, and the decline in the share prices of the stocks of these firms. Dwi Martani, Mulyono and Rahfiani Khairurizka (2009), the effect of financial ratios, firm size, and cash flow from operating activities in the interim report to the stock return The objective of this study is to examine the value relevance of accounting information in explaining stock return. The study uses profitability, liquidity, leverage, market ratio, size and cash flow as proxies of accounting information. The samples of the study are listed companies in manufacturing industries that actively trading between 2003-2006 in Indonesia Stock Market. The study finds that profitability, turnover and market ratio has significant impact to the stock return. P. S. irmala, P. S. Sanju and M. Ramachandran Determinants of Share Prices in India the focus of this study is to identify the determinants of share prices in the Indian market. The study uses panel data pertaining to three sectors viz., auto, healthcare and public sector undertakings over the period 2000-2009 and employs the fully modified ordinary least squares method. The results indicate that the variables dividend, price-earnings ratio and leverage are significant determinants of share prices for all the sectors under consideration. Further, profitability is found to influence share prices only in the case of auto sector

Exploring the issue of child poverty

Exploring the issue of child poverty There are two terms of poverty absolute and relative. Absolute refers to the amount of basics that we need to survive and relative is the standards of living in a society at any particular time (Kelly McKendrick 2007). This essay aims to discuss the impact of poverty on community and social care, the influences it has on health across the lifespan, the relevance to nursing practice, services available to address the problem and local policies on poverty. Poverty is when a household income (adjusted for the size and make-up of the household) is less than 60% of the UK average income. The circumstances that cause poverty are wide-ranging and include many day-to-day things including health, housing, education, employment and access to services (The Scottish Government 2010). There has been a steady growth of child poverty in Scotland and in the UK in the last few years. Accordingly households in Scotland where income is lower than most can be considered to be living in poverty (Kelly McKendrick 2007). The Government wants to provide children and young people with the best start in life. The Governments pledge in 1999 to end child poverty by 2020 has already led to 600,000 fewer children in poverty in the UK. Although progress has been made, 2.9 million children still remain in poverty. With the introduction of The Child Poverty Bill in 2009 the Government will be answerable to Parliament on the progress of this Bill (DCSF 2009). Poverty is not only happening in this country but all over the world. A report out by a leading charity has announced that 4 million children are living in poverty and about 1.7 million children are living in severe poverty in the UK one of the richest countries in the world (Save the Children 2010). Child poverty restricts childrens involvement to activities and services. While some children will grow up in low income households and go on to achieve their goals many will not. Poverty places stress on family life and excludes children from everyday activities which other children take for granted (David Piachaud 2005). The barriers which Lone parents face when they try to move from benefits to work can be that Employers are often reluctant to employ them; which means that lone parents worry about combining work with their childcare responsibilities. Financial stability is crucial, but it is often hard to achieve. Some lone parents working into low-paid jobs find they are simply worse off in work than living on benefits. Citizens Advice argues that adequate support for parents lies in breaking down the barriers to going back to work, the re-organising of the tax and welfare systems, ensuring appropriate childcare; and for employers to provide more flexible jobs (Citizens Advice 2008). Adair Turners Pension Commission report has set out new policies on pensions. The changes to retirement ages which are set to rise to 66 by the year 2030, 67 by 2040 and 68 at 2050. Turner proposes that the Basic State Pension would increase in line with earnings instead of prices from 2010 bringing a rise in income for pensioners. There would also be a reduction in means-tested benefits such as Pension Credit which the Commission believes act as a deterant to saving. After some pressure by Help the Aged, among others, Adair Turner has decided that entitlement to pensions should be based on residency instead of contributions from the age of 75, while the complex State Second Pension (S2P) would eventually become a flat-rate extra payment. Turner has also set up a National Pension Savings Scheme (NPSS) which would mean workers would pay 4 per cent of their salary into their pension, alongside additional contributions from the Government and employers (Help the Aged 2010). There are a number of benefits available to help people on low incomes. These are Jobseekers Allowance, Incapacity Benefit, Severe Disablement Allowance, Disability Living Allowance, Pension Credit and Income Support and from April 2004 Child Tax Credit and Child Benefit. Income Support is a means tested benefit for people whose income falls below a specified level or who have no other source of income. Welfare payments are an important source of household income in Scotland almost one sixth of household income in Scotland comprises welfare payments and state pensions combined. Therefore making household incomes in Scotland more reliant on welfare benefits than any other parts of the UK (Kelly McKendrick 2007). The introduction of a National Minimum Wage (NMW) was a major feature of the Labour Partys manifesto. Following their election the Government set up an independent Low Pay Commission to recommend the level of the NMW and how it should apply to young people and people in training. The reasons put forward to support an NMW cover three broad areas; social a minimum wage would target low pay and poverty; equity a minimum wage reduces exploitation, protects employers, and cuts the cost to taxpayers of topping up low incomes via the social security system; economic extra demand in the economy would increase employment; a minimum wage could also boost investment and productivity (CIPD 2009). Child Trust Fund (CTF) is a savings and investment account for children. Children born on or after 1 September 2002 will receive a  £250 voucher to start their account. The account belongs to the child and cant be touched until they turn 18, so that children have some money behind them to start their adult life (Child Trust Fund 2010). A large income gap between the most weathly and the worst off in society is closely associated with higher death rates worldwide, especially for younger adults, finds a study published on bmj.com today as part of a global theme issue on poverty and human development. Studies show that greater income inequality in a nation is associated with higher mortality rates, but most have focused on wealthier nations. However, it has recently been suggested that the effects of income inequality on health are of importance worldwide, not just in wealthy nations. There is also some evidence that this effect is more pronounced at different ages. They confirm that the impact of income inequality on health is real and that it has a greater influence on mortality in wealthier countries between the ages of 15 and 29, and worldwide between the ages of 25 and 39 (BMJ 2007). If being poor is bad for you, living in a cold home can be lethal. The annual figures published on excess winter deaths are the best we have from official sources however there are no figures which take in the knock-on costs to the NHS of cold-related illnesses, In the last set of figures, covering the winter months of 2004-2005, the number of winter deaths reached nearly 30,000. There are policies in place to help people who are fuel-poor, but they do not know that they are fuel poor and can access help. This is where community nurses come in. Health professionals are usually welcome visitors in any house and enjoy a degree of trust from the public. People who need help with their fuel poverty needs probably claim it the least. Many are isolated by poor health or their own poverty. Community nurses do not have the time to become experts but helping their clients to benefit from these programmes would help them to feel better. So encouraging older people who may be cold and poor to explore benefit health checks could transform their income, warmth and health (Mervyn Kohler 2006). Someone living in a deprived area is more than twice as likely to have a long term illness compared with someone in a weathly area. People living with a long term illnesses are likely to be more disadvantaged across a range of social factors such as employment, qualifications, home ownership and income. The impact of deprivation can also be seen in terms of mental health and wellbeing, with a recent Scottish survey reporting higher levels of mental wellbeing being associated with those on higher incomes (Scottish Government 2007). Studies on the impact of temporary unemployment have demonstrated that being out of work is bad for an individuals health. Those analyses did not control for the economic cycle, however. In a recent study, Strully24 looked at US interview data taken from 1999, 2001 and 2003 Panel Study of Income Dynamics. People were asked about certain aspects of their employment, their health and a variety of health conditions. Losing your job was associated with a 54% chance of reporting fair or poor health, and for a person with no pre-existing health conditions, the chances of reporting a new one increased by 83% with job loss. Low unemployment is also associated with the reporting of more poor health conditions (S Bezchruka 2009). The Black Report, published in 1980 stated that although the establishment of the National Health Service the differences between the health of the rich and poor had widened not narrowed, health had improved over all socio-economic groups but had been greater among the educated and wealthy (Oxford Journal). The Acheson Report, published in 1998, called for an increase in benefit for women of childbearing age, expectant mothers, young children and pensioners and said that many people on low incomes had insufficient money to buy the food and services necessary for good health. It also called for more funding for education in deprived areas; better nutrition at schools; Children should learn about parenting and relationships, and should receive sex education. (Telegraph 2010). The above reports by Black and Acheson collected information which showed that ill health and disease are socially patterned with the more wealthy groups of society living longer and enjoying better health than deprived groups. Nevertheless health has slowly improved but there is still a great divide between socioeconomic groups and their health status (Naidoo Wills 2009). The Index of Multiple Deprivation 2007. There are seven measurements of deprivation these include income, employment, health and disability, skills and training, education, housing, living environment and crime. There are also six district summary scores for each Local Authority district (there are 354 districts in England) and for each County Council and higher tier (there are 149 of these). A relative ranking of areas, according to their level of deprivation is then provided. There are also supplementary Indices measuring income deprivation amongst children and older people: the Income Deprivation Affecting Children Index (IDACI) and the Income Deprivation Affecting Older People Index (IDAOPI) (Communities.gov 2007). In conclusion although the Governments pledge to eradicate child poverty by 2020 is underway there is still a great deal to consider in order to help both young and old people.

Essay on Women in the Plays of William Shakespeare -- Biography Biogra

Women in the Plays of Shakespeare      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   By paying close attention to the woman's part in Shakespeare's plays, we can see his works with a new perspective. But we must remember that we are examining a male dramatist of extraordinary range writing in a remote period when women's position was in obvious ways more restricted and less disputed than in our own period. Sandra Gilbert writes in The Madwoman in the Attic that literature is defined as a mirror held up to society and nature, "the mimetic aesthetic that begins with Aristotle and descends through Shakespeare implies that the poet, like a lesser God, has made or engendered an alternative, mirror-universe in which he actually seems to enclose or trap shadows of reality" (Madwoman 5). While some artists do not necessarily duplicate in their art the "realities" of their culture, they may exploit them to create character or intensify conflict, or struggle with, criticize, or transcend them. Shakespeare, it would seem, "encompasses more and preaches less tha n most authors, hence the centuries-old controversy over his religious affiliation, political views, and sexual preferences" (Lenz 4). His attitude toward women are equally complex and demand as much examination.       As we begin to study the female characters, we must overlook the male superiority that patriarchal misogyny implies in the literature of his era, as evidenced in many studies. In "Shakespeare: on Love and Lust", Charney explains the stance taken by critics such as Janet Adelman in "Suffocating Mothers: Fantasies of Maternal Origin in Shakespeare's Plays, Hamlet to The Tempest", and Kahn's "Man's Estate: Masculine Identity in Shakespeare". He claims that these two authors, as many others do, view Sh... ... mother, wife, nor England's queen" The Roles of Women in Richard III". The Woman's Part: Feminist Criticism of Shakespeare. Ed. Carolyn Ruth Swift Lenz, Galye Greene, and Carol Thomas Neely. Chicago: University of Illinois Press, 1980. Park, Clara Claiborne. "As We Like It: How a Girl Can Be Smart and Still Popular." The Woman's Part: Feminist Criticism of Shakespeare. Ed. Carolyn Ruth Swift Lenz, Gayle Greene, and Carol Thomas Neely. Chicago: University of Illinois Press, 1980. Schoenbaum, S. "The Life of Shakespeare." The Cambridge Companion to Shakespeare Studies. Ed Stanley Wells. Great Britain: Cambridge University Press, 1997. Woolf, Virginia. A Room of One's Own. The Norton Anthology of Literature by Women. Sandra Gilbert. New York: Norton and Company, 1996. www.adfl.org/ade/bulletin/N087/0087015.htm            

Vocational Education and Training Essay -- essays research papers

THERE HAVE ALWAYS BEEN VOCATIONAL ASPECTS TO SCHOOLING IN AUSTRALIA. HOWEVER, IN RECENT TIMES THERE HAS BEEN AN INCREASED EMPHASIS ON THIS ASPECT OF SCHOOLING WITHIN BOTH THE GENERAL CURRICULUM AND THOSE AREAS THAT HAVE A PARTICULAR VOCATIONAL FLAVOUR. IN WHAT WAYS DOES THIS EMPHASIS PROVIDE A BROADER OR NARROWER CONCEPTION OF EDUCTION FOR SCHOOL STUDENTS? YOUR RESPONSE NEEDS TO REFER TO: (I) THE AIMS OF THE ‘NEW VOCATIONALISM’ AND HOW IT IS CURRENTLY BEING MANIFESTED IN SECONDARY SCHOOLING; (II) HOW EQUALITY OF OUTCOMES FOR ALL SENIOR STUDENTS CAN BE MANAGED AT AT TIME OF HIGH STUDENT RETENTION IN THE POST-COMPULSORY YEARS AND (III) A CRITIQUE OF THE CURRENT VET IN SCHOOLS POLICY. Aims and Origins of New Vocationalism What is vocational education? That depends on the period in history and whom you ask. There is probably no greater bone of contention or confusion among educators. Vocational education or educating students to fulfil their vocation or calling in life is such a broad definition. Traditionally it has been seen as an education for those not taking up tertiary studies, for those who instead undertake hands on training before entering the world of work. If this then is the definition, entry to some of the most highly regarded professions, is through vocational education. Take for example the doctor, teacher or the architect. In each of these cases the undergraduate student must undertake some form of on the job training and examination in order to receive their registration. This then changes the focus of vocational education. No longer can we look from the traditional view that it is for tradespeople, or blue-collar workers. We must then take a more encompassing view that it is necessary element of education for all students, to give them the grounding to deal with the challenges of the work force, regardless of the esteem the work they will ultimately do is held in. Vocational Education is certainly not a new phenomenon. It has existed in some form or another in Australia schools since formal education began (Skilbeck et al, 1994). Vocational education has always been at the whim of the financial and political climate. In a boom, there is a surge in popularity in order to meet the skills shortages, in an economic crisis it is seen as the best â€Å"way out† (Keating, 1998). Since the industrial revolution there have been calls from industry for edu... ...e outside world. That education should reflect the world it prepares students to live in, and not simply focus on the facts so that students reach set academic levels. Not all students have talent in all areas, and new vocationalism is a way of tailoring education to better suit the changing needs of our students as they enter the unknown world of this new millennium. References ANTA web site, 2000. http://www.anta.gov.au/abc/VETinSchools.htm Frost, M. 2000. Releasing the Genie: The Impact of VET in Schools on Education. Curriculum Perspectives 20:1 (pp45-50). Downloaded from web site: http://www.vetnetwork.org.au/resources/papers/acapaper.html Keating, J. 1998. Australian Training Reform: Implications for Schools (Revised Edition). Curriculum Corporation, Melbourne, Victoria. Pollard, A., Puvris, J. & Walford, G. 1988. Education Training & the New Vocationalism: Experience and Policy. Open University Press, Milton Keynes. Robinson, C. & Kenyan, R. 1998. The Market for Vocational Education & Training. NCVER, Leabrook, SA. Skilbeck, M. Connell, H. Lowe, N. & Tait, K. 1994. The Vocational Quest: New Directions in Education and Training. Routledge, London.

Does Technology Drive History? Essay -- History Technology Essays

A theme that appears over and over in discussions about technology is whether or not technology is the cause of major social, cultural, political, and economic changes in modern society. Of course, we can find many, many examples of technologies associated with enormous social changes. The automobile, for example, is often spoke of as "causing" a whole array of social changes, from the creation of suburbia, to the development of the fast food industry, to the paving of farm land, to the imported oil vulnerabilities of the 1970s. The popular media is filled with similar examples of new technologies that are going to change everything, from computers to nanotechnologies to new medical devices. And we are often told that we must find ways to accommodate ourselves to these new devices and to the changes they will cause, that we must strive to ride the wave of social flux produced by emerging technologies, or face the dire prospect of being "left behind." This language and these arguments, whether in the general media or in scholarly analyses, are examples of various kinds of technological determinism, the notion that technology is the most powerful force behind the modern world, that technology "drives" history (Smith, Marx, 1994). Those who support this idea often claim more: technology may well be pushing us in directions we do not want to go, that technology has somehow gotten "out of control." Technological determinism comes in different forms. For some, such as the late French scholar Jacques Ellul (1965, 1980, 1990), technology is the most powerful force in modern life, moving according to its own logic, and well beyond the control of humans. Others, such as political theorist Langdon Winner (1977, 1986), assert that tech... ...equired to maintain and operate technological systems, such as electrical power grids, nationwide telephone systems, television networks, etc. While the people involved in technological systems do have the power to make choices -- as the anti-determinists claim -- they must make those choices in settings that can impose significant limits on the range of choices available, as the determinists claim. In other words, the control of technology becomes more difficult, and maybe ultimately impossible, as we move from smaller and simpler structures and artifacts toward much larger, complex, and interdependent systems. It is much more difficult to change our minds about technologies after they have developed such organizational shells as multinational corporations or public utilities, and after so much investment has occurred (Collingridge, 1980, Morone, Woodhouse, 1986).

Collaboration Assessment Guide

Collaboration Assessment Guide Please complete this four part guide and submit for the Collaboration Lesson. Part One: Collaboration lesson/task description Describe the lesson or task you completed collaboratively in a paragraph consisting of five or more sentences. Part Two: Peer and Self Evaluation Rate each member of the team, including yourself, according to each of the performance criteria below.  ·3 = above average 2 = average 1 = below averageStudent Names|CooperationListened to and respected others and their opinions|ContributionContributed their fair share to the completion of the task or project; fulfilling their assigned duties|ParticipationConsistently spoke up, attended all meetings, fully participated, stayed on task, and offered relevant information|ResponsibilityCompleted all necessary work adequately and on time without needing reminders|FeedbackOffered appropriate and adequate feedback when necessary| |||||| ||||| |||||| |||||| |||||| |||||| Part Three: Self-Refl ection Respond to the following in two to three sentences each. What did you enjoy most about working with others on this lesson/task? Explain. How did your team deal with conflict? Explain. Do you feel others were happy with your participation in the lesson/task? Explain. What will you do differently, if anything, in your next online collaboration opportunity? Explain. Additional comments: Part Four: EvidenceProvide evidence of collaboration in the space below or in a separate document. Examples of evidence include, but are not limited to, the following:  ·Link to the team wiki, blog, Voicethread, or other web 2. 0 tool  ·Copy and paste below, attach, or provide a screen shot of the discussion thread from the blog, wiki, discussion area, instant message, email, etc.  ·Copy and paste or attach team project plan and final project  ·Any other specific evidence as listed with the collaboration lesson or task you completed

Performance Apprisal Management-Assignment

execution of instrument Apprisal stresssing-Assignment Q 1 How do final stages , objectives and competencies athletic supporter in an telling mental process focussing corpse ? fetch counselling corpse mathematical operation counsel goernance ar caboodle up to win feedback to employees on how in effect they atomic number 18 acting in their teleph wiz circuits. Such programs ordinarily admit a flummox of objects or objectives the employee essential(prenominal) finish within the check into plosive consonant as healthful as the standards or criteria for determining whether the fixated goals gull been realized.Effective procedure concern admit the avocation gass * Linking individual(a) goals to the corporate and fit building block trans delegating television channel visualizes and goals * Foc utilise on results, sorts (competencies) as tumesce as attend amelioration * governing bodyatic refreshs and updating of act plans to take aim changing demands * prep ardness for both theater tar annoyors and employees on how to in force(p)ly give and receive feedback, including providing feedback to employees who beat ch on the wholeenges in put to deathing to the standards gestated in their tradings / roles * Training for managers on how to succeed functioning military ranks that argon valid, beautiful and unbiased. public presentation centering is astir(predicate) achieving results in a manner that is pursuant(predicate) with organisational expectations. Integrating competencies within the mathematical process prudence process supports the pro heap of feedback to employees non solely on what they boast accomplished desire cognitive operation goals, but alike how the field taboo was per excogitateed, using competencies for providing feedback. Assessing competencies as a pop off of exploit counseling is an valu fitting nitty-gritty of attending employees in under equalizer carrying into action expectations and enhancing competencies.Multi-source feedback, while non an HR industriousness per se, is a method that is a great deal use up in cognitive operation instruction to assess and issue employees with feedback on how they performed their consummation . ending The generate is to focus population on doing the office things in ordination to attain a sh atomic number 18d envisioning of act requirements without the administration. Integration is striked by ensuring that e trulyone is assured of corporate, work(a) and aggroup goals and that the objectives they agree for themselves be accordant with those goals and ordain contribute in condition ways to their feat.How do GOALs assistant in an truehearted Performance circumspection brass Corporate strategical goals let the offset point for demarcation and departmental goals, followed by agreement on exertion and knowledge, in the lead to the drawing up of plans among i ndividuals and managers, with unremitting supervise and feedback supported by musket b for each one reviews. If we mold the relation amidst the motion Management System and goals of the geological formations thusly we get- A carrying into action prudence form is the process through with(predicate) which companies mark that employees atomic number 18 working(a) towards systemal goals. It includes more than honorable a mental process appraisal. The capital punishment heed system is in any case composed of strategic plans, manager account force, pay, promotion, t all(prenominal)/ using, and discipline. Most organizations nonplus many type of nominal or idle process reviews, but a consummation trouble system attempts to brook the overarching mental synthesis for planning and analysis of activities for each individual, in the context of the organizational whole. through with(predicate) incessant assessment, the system ensures that successes atomi c number 18 acknowledge and problems be channeliseed early.Better planning at the reservoir of the year, including scene realistic goals for each employee, ensures stepd positive successes for the library and its lag, adjust with the bigger organizational goals. When an organization has non contrive a performance trouble system, want of clarity in place and ontogenesis staff goals, lack of coalescency between organizational goals and employee goals, lack of conference on priorities , all raft be avoided through the telling implementation of a performance watchfulness system. anyone in the organization is clearly aw be about(predicate) the reciprocal organizational goals and objectives.Once the goals are clearly delineate, everyone whole kit and caboodle for the proceeds of the organization. OBJECTIVE Something which has to be accomplished. They define what organizations, functions, departments, groups and individuals are expected to pass. How do OBJ ECTIVEs helps an efficacious Performance Management System Objectives are performance standards. They are utilise when it is not work sufficient to set time-based targets, or when in that look upon is a continuing objective which does not mixture significantly from one review stream to the next and is a standing feature of the melodic line.These should be spelled out in three-figure terms if possible, for object lesson, speed of result to requests or join forcesing defined standards of accuracy. Objectives attain something to be accomplished by individuals, departments and organisations over a period of time. They can be verbalized as targets to be met such as sales and tasks to be accurate by specified dates. They can be work-related, referring to the results to be attained, or personal, taking the form of developmental objectives for individuals. Objectives deficiency to be defined and concord.They lead relate to the overall break up of the blood and define p erformance areas all the aspects of the profession that contribute to achieving its overall purpose. If we define the relation between the performance Management System and objectives of the organizations then we get- A structured and document process encourages objective evaluation and fair treatment Business objectives consume to be linked to team and individual accountabilities. To measure the Performance Management system objectives are define as undivided issue measures. like- * Achievement of objectives Achievement against agreed standards of performance, which brighten executive be descriptions of leap outlent, technical, satisfactory or unforesightful performance. * Behavior, measuring the extent to which individuals designate behaviors associated with performance such as respect for former(a)s, put etcetera * Specific instances of performance for example commendations for specialized pieces of work. COMPETENCE Refers to the behavioral requirements of a r ole to carry out the work satisfactorily. What people gravel to work in the form of distinct types and levels of behavior. Examples can be labor and professional knowledge, discourse, teamwork, productivity, concern etc. Practicing superb performance management requires attainment in certain competencies. Competencies are observable, measured patterns of accomplishments, knowledge, abilities, behaviors, and other characteristics that an individual wishings to perform work roles or occupational functions successfully. Every organization has some competencies nearly which their business enterprise operations revolve. An efficient and telling employee performance measurement solution ensures that the competencies are managed hygienic.Supervisors must manage employee performance well in order for agencies to accomplish their missions and fulfill their goals. Consequently, performance management is one the approximately primary(prenominal) parts of a supervisors or tea m leaders business concern. Developing dexteritys in performance management is a wise couching for agenciesan investing that pull up stakes help them achieve their strategic goals. Performance Management Processes and cerebrate Competencies-Managing employee performance includes * planning work and pose expectations, * monitoring and measuring performance, developing the depicted object to perform, * sporadically rating performance in a summary fashion, and * recognizing and rewarding well-grounded performance. How do COMPETENCIEs helps an effective Performance Management System Performance management competencies that all supervisors (and team leaders) should develop and demonstrate include * Communicating. Establishing and maintaining effective communicatings with each employee not completely requires good oral and pen communication aptitudes, but it similarly includes the ability to strain good working kinds.To excrete efficaciously with employees, supervi sors must establish an surroundings that put forwards an liberal door atmosphere, the sharing of ideas, and employee occasion in finis making processes. * * background signal Goals. aspect long- and short-term goals with employees gives focus to employee efforts. When goal fit is done correctly, employees strive to accomplish those goals and looking at confident in achieving them. When goal setting is done poorly, work does not come about as desired.Knowing how to set goals effectively is an master(prenominal) part of performance management. To do this well, supervisors need to be able to enlighten expectations and to set realistic standards and targets. * * step Employee Performance. reasonable measures of performance that employees understand and accept are comminuted for achieving high level performance. Measuring employee accomplishments, using both qualitative and numerical measures, provides the cultivation that supervisors and employees need in order to mon itor performance. * * Giving Feedback.Feedback should inform, enlighten, and suggest improvements to employees regarding their performance. Supervisors should disclose circumstantial work related behavior or results they involve observed as completion to the event as possible. * * coach and Developing. utilize their coaching achievements, supervisors evaluate and address the developmental inevitably of their employees and help them subscribe to various experiences to gain necessary acquirements. Supervisors and employees take development plans that might include procreation, unused assignments, job enrichment, self-study, or work details. * Recognizing. in effect recognizing employees is another(prenominal) performance management competency. be able to genuinely acknowledge a job well done is vital for modify employees inscription to do their stovepipe. Supervisors should be competent at using formal awards programs as well as using intimate recognition techniq ues, including personal convey and verbalise verbal appreciation in staff meetings. Developing Competencies- Agencies will get in many ways if they invest in developing performance management competencies in their supervisors and team leaders.These competencies should form the home for their development and development to ensure that the federal politics can carry out its mission in the 21st century. (You will cable that about of these competencies are reflected in OPMs administrator core out Qualifications for the Senior executive director Service. ) Because good supervision and leadership require effective performance management, we will focus this serial of terms on the performance management competencies we have outlined here. The next article in this series will highlighting communication skills.Q 2Identify at least(prenominal) 3 general or philia competencies for each (3) levels of management. Explain each competencies in details . on that point are loads o f competencies. The 3 general or affectionateness competencies for each (3) levels of management are minded(p) shriek Core Competencies of upside-level management go-level managers actualize conclusivenesss affecting the entirety of the profligate. Top managers do not direct the periodic activities of the firm rather, they set goals for the organization and direct the bon ton to achieve them.Top managers are ultimately amenable for the performance of the organization, and often, these managers have very discernible jobs. (1) Intellectual Competencies Planning and causative thought process refer to implications, consequence, alternatives or if-then relationship analyzes causative relationships. It makes strategies and plan steps to touch a goal. Diagnostic Information desire Pushes for concrete information in an enigmatical particular seeks information from multiple sources to clarify a situation which uses question to cite the specific of a problem or other situations.Conceptualizations and synthetic thinking infer about how different parts , postulate or functions of the organization fit together. Identities partners and interprets a series of event. Identities the most of the essence(predicate) issues in a complex situation. Uses unusual analogies to understand and exempt the essence of a situation. lead skill role-playing, decision simulation and job whirling are the facts of life methods used to keep leadership skill in employees, as the top management will be able to pick up this skill through working on different roles and object lessons. 2) govern Competencies Concern for mould (The need for military force) which refers to persuade people, anticipate the concern of actions on the people. Directive invite (Personalized power )-face up to people directly when problems occur. cooperative square up (socialized power)-Operate effectively with groups to influence outcomes and get operations. Builds monomania of con troversy decisions among key sub-ordinates by involving them in decision making . symbolical Influence Personal example for an intend dissemble uses symbols of group identity. (3) Others Self Confidence-refer self as prime mover, leader or organizations or the organizations mentions organismness stimulated by crisis and other difficult problems. Self as the most capable person for acquiring the job done. Core Competencies of nitty-gritty-level management Middle managers can motivate and assist inaugural-line managers to achieve business objectives. They whitethorn also progress upward, by tossing suggestions and feedback to top managers. Because they are more involved in the periodic workings of a caller, they may provide valuable information to top managers to help improve the organizations bottom line.Some center competencies of middle level managers are abandoned bellow (1) Thinking about the organization strategical Vision-evaluate the internal and external busi ness environs to develop a long-term vision and strategy for the unit/organization. abstract and Problem-Solving -effectively examine events, issues, and problems, and generate optimal solutions in a timely manner. Business and monetary insight -demonstrate a good judgment of companys business model and markets as well as good moneymaking(prenominal) and financial acumen.Ability characteristics job rotation, job enrichment, decision simulation, practical training and learn training . Motivational characteristics the help of tender training, brain-storming, and expression studies. (2) Deliver Result Manages exertion -ensure achievement of business goals aligned with the operating(a) roadmap and standards through managing execution of business plan node Focus- foster a customer-focused environment delivering transcendent service and anticipating future customer needs.Leads for Performance -demonstrate and foster a soul of sine qua non and strong commitment to achie ving goals. Drives shift and Innovation- single new ideas and initiatives and make an environment that supports flip-flop and innovation. (3) Energize People (Strengthen) Communication- evanesce with impact, and create an environment in which people eliminate honestly and openly Engages and Inspires -inspire commitment and nil and a desire to excel and bring ones best division to the organizational mission and goals.Develops world Capital- ensure or contribute to the accessibility and development of the talent needed to meet stream and future organization goals interpersonal skillor Cultivates Relationships and Ne tworks-develop and leverage effective cyberspace and relationships with others inside and outside of the organization. to use role-playing method to foster interpersonal skill in employees. Also, job-rotation and group discussion are often used on this dimension. Fosters team upwork and Cooperation- promote a sense of collaboration and work effectively across the organization to achieve goals.Conceptual skill to use on-the-job training to develop abstract skill in employees. Conversely, decision simulation and role-playing are also implemental in developing conceptual skill in middle-level managers. Core competencies of first-year level manager or, first line manager (Supervisor) First-line managers are trustworthy for the occasional management of line workersthe employees who very win the product or offer the service. Although first-level managers typically do not set goals for the organization, they have a very strong influence on the company.These are the managers that most employees interact with on a periodic basis. There are many competencies of the managers which are wedded bellow ( 1) Act as a role model Adapts and Learns-work effectively in the face of ambiguity, shifting priorities, and rapid miscellany while actively developing ones skills and capabilities. Continuous learning Builds assert and Confidence- con sistently act and transport in ways that model organizations values and demonstrate fairness, objectivity, integrity, indebtedness and transparency. 2) record characteristics to use role-playing, sensitiveness training and slip-up studies to forward employees focus on this element. honestness and Integrity truthfulness, honor rest two level managers. (3) pliableness flexible for their working time as well as the ready for outside of the muniment time. Flexibility is the ability to adapt to and work with a variety of situations, individuals and groups. It is about being able to think on your feet, and not being disconcerted or stop by the unexpected. Communication- Quality result orientation- Team work- These are also very important amount competencies of first level management .Performance Apprisal Management-AssignmentPerformance Apprisal Management-Assignment Q 1 How do goals , objectives and competencies help in an effective Performance Management System ? Performance Ma nagement System Performance management System are set up to provide feedback to employees on how effectively they are performing in their jobs. Such programs normally include a set of goals or objectives the employee must accomplish within the review period as well as the standards or criteria for determining whether the defined goals have been accomplished.Effective performance management include the following features * Linking individual goals to the corporate and work unit business plans and goals * Focusing on results, behaviors (competencies) as well as process improvement * Regular reviews and updating of performance plans to address changing demands * Training for both managers and employees on how to effectively give and receive feedback, including providing feedback to employees who experience challenges in performing to the standards required in their jobs / roles * Training for managers on how to provide performance evaluations that are valid, fair and unbiased.Performa nce management is about achieving results in a manner that is consistent with organizational expectations. Integrating competencies within the performance management process supports the provision of feedback to employees not only on what they have accomplished like performance goals, but also how the work was performed, using competencies for providing feedback. Assessing competencies as a part of performance management is an important means of assisting employees in understanding performance expectations and enhancing competencies.Multi-source feedback, while not an HR application per se, is a method that is often used in performance management to assess and provide employees with feedback on how they performed their work . GOAL The aim is to focus people on doing the right things in order to achieve a shared understanding of performance requirements throughout the organization. Integration is achieved by ensuring that everyone is aware of corporate, functional and team goals a nd that the objectives they agree for themselves are consistent with those goals and will contribute in specified ways to their achievement.How do GOALs help in an effective Performance Management System Corporate strategic goals provide the starting point for business and departmental goals, followed by agreement on performance and development, leading to the drawing up of plans between individuals and managers, with continuous monitoring and feedback supported by formal reviews. If we define the relation between the performance Management System and goals of the organizations then we get- A performance management system is the process through which companies ensure that employees are working towards organizational goals. It includes more than just a performance appraisal. The performance management system is also composed of strategic plans, manager accountability, pay, promotion, training/development, and discipline. Most organizations have some type of formal or informal per formance reviews, but a performance management system attempts to provide the overarching structure for planning and analysis of activities for each individual, in the context of the organizational whole. Through continual assessment, the system ensures that successes are recognized and problems are addressed early.Better planning at the beginning of the year, including setting realistic goals for each employee, ensures measurable positive successes for the library and its staff, aligned with the larger organizational goals. When an organization has not developed a performance management system, lack of clarity in setting and developing staff goals, lack of alignment between organizational goals and employee goals, lack of communication on priorities , all can be avoided through the effective implementation of a performance management system. Everyone in the organization is clearly aware about the common organizational goals and objectives.Once the goals are clearly defined, everyon e works for the growth of the organization. OBJECTIVE Something which has to be accomplished. They define what organizations, functions, departments, teams and individuals are expected to achieve. How do OBJECTIVEs helps an effective Performance Management System Objectives are performance standards. They are used when it is not possible to set time-based targets, or when there is a continuing objective which does not change significantly from one review period to the next and is a standing feature of the job.These should be spelled out in quantitative terms if possible, for example, speed of response to requests or meeting defined standards of accuracy. Objectives describe something to be accomplished by individuals, departments and organisations over a period of time. They can be expressed as targets to be met such as sales and tasks to be completed by specified dates. They can be work-related, referring to the results to be attained, or personal, taking the form of developmen tal objectives for individuals. Objectives need to be defined and agreed.They will relate to the overall purpose of the job and define performance areas all the aspects of the job that contribute to achieving its overall purpose. If we define the relation between the performance Management System and objectives of the organizations then we get- A structured and documented process encourages objective evaluation and fair treatment Business objectives need to be linked to team and individual accountabilities. To measure the Performance Management system objectives are define as Individual output measures. like- * Achievement of objectives Achievement against agreed standards of performance, which might be descriptions of excellent, good, satisfactory or poor performance. * Behavior, measuring the extent to which individuals exhibit behaviors associated with performance such as respect for others, trust etc. * Specific instances of performance for example commendations for specific p ieces of work. COMPETENCE Refers to the behavioral requirements of a role to carry out the work satisfactorily. What people bring to work in the form of different types and levels of behavior. Examples can be job and professional knowledge, communication, teamwork, productivity, management etc. Practicing good performance management requires proficiency in certain competencies. Competencies are observable, measurable patterns of skills, knowledge, abilities, behaviors, and other characteristics that an individual needs to perform work roles or occupational functions successfully. Every organization has some competencies around which their business operations revolve. An efficient and effective employee performance measurement solution ensures that the competencies are managed well.Supervisors must manage employee performance well in order for agencies to accomplish their missions and achieve their goals. Consequently, performance management is one the most important parts of a su pervisors or team leaders job. Developing skills in performance management is a wise investment for agenciesan investment that will help them achieve their strategic goals. Performance Management Processes and Related Competencies-Managing employee performance includes * planning work and setting expectations, * monitoring and measuring performance, developing the capacity to perform, * periodically rating performance in a summary fashion, and * recognizing and rewarding good performance. How do COMPETENCIEs helps an effective Performance Management System Performance management competencies that all supervisors (and team leaders) should develop and demonstrate include * Communicating. Establishing and maintaining effective communications with each employee not only requires good oral and written communication skills, but it also includes the ability to establish good working relationships.To communicate effectively with employees, supervisors must establish an environment that pro motes an open door atmosphere, the sharing of ideas, and employee involvement in decision making processes. * * Setting Goals. Setting long- and short-term goals with employees gives focus to employee efforts. When goal setting is done correctly, employees strive to accomplish those goals and feel confident in achieving them. When goal setting is done poorly, work does not progress as desired.Knowing how to set goals effectively is an important part of performance management. To do this well, supervisors need to be able to clarify expectations and to set realistic standards and targets. * * Measuring Employee Performance. Credible measures of performance that employees understand and accept are critical for achieving high level performance. Measuring employee accomplishments, using both qualitative and quantitative measures, provides the information that supervisors and employees need in order to monitor performance. * * Giving Feedback.Feedback should inform, enlighten, and suggest improvements to employees regarding their performance. Supervisors should describe specific work related behavior or results they have observed as close to the event as possible. * * Coaching and Developing. Using their coaching skills, supervisors evaluate and address the developmental needs of their employees and help them select diverse experiences to gain necessary skills. Supervisors and employees create development plans that might include training, new assignments, job enrichment, self-study, or work details. * Recognizing. Effectively recognizing employees is another performance management competency. Being able to genuinely acknowledge a job well done is critical for strengthening employees commitment to do their best. Supervisors should be skilled at using formal awards programs as well as using informal recognition techniques, including personal thank and voicing verbal appreciation in staff meetings. Developing Competencies- Agencies will benefit in many ways if they in vest in developing performance management competencies in their supervisors and team leaders.These competencies should form the basis for their training and development to ensure that the Federal Government can carry out its mission in the 21st century. (You will note that most of these competencies are reflected in OPMs Executive Core Qualifications for the Senior Executive Service. ) Because good supervision and leadership require effective performance management, we will focus this series of articles on the performance management competencies we have outlined here. The next article in this series will highlight communication skills.Q 2Identify at least 3 general or core competencies for each (3) levels of management. Explain each competencies in details . There are lots of competencies. The 3 general or core competencies for each (3) levels of management are given bellow Core Competencies of top-level management Top-level managers make decisions affecting the entirety of the fi rm. Top managers do not direct the day-to-day activities of the firm rather, they set goals for the organization and direct the company to achieve them.Top managers are ultimately responsible for the performance of the organization, and often, these managers have very visible jobs. (1) Intellectual Competencies Planning and causal thinking refer to implications, consequence, alternatives or if-then relationship analyzes causal relationships. It makes strategies and plan steps to reach a goal. Diagnostic Information seeking Pushes for concrete information in an ambiguous situation seeks information from multiple sources to clarify a situation which uses question to identify the specific of a problem or other situations.Conceptualizations and synthetic thinking Understand about how different parts , needs or functions of the organization fit together. Identities partners and interprets a series of event. Identities the most important issues in a complex situation. Uses unusual analo gies to understand and explain the essence of a situation. Leadership skill role-playing, decision simulation and job rotation are the training methods used to nourish leadership skill in employees, as the top management will be able to pick up this skill through working on different roles and models. 2) Influence Competencies Concern for Influence (The need for power) which refers to persuade people, anticipate the impact of actions on the people. Directive influence (Personalized power )-face up to people directly when problems occur. Collaborative Influence (socialized power)-Operate effectively with groups to influence outcomes and get operations. Builds ownership of controversy decisions among key sub-ordinates by involving them in decision making . Symbolic Influence Personal example for an intended impact uses symbols of group identity. (3) Others Self Confidence-refer self as prime mover, leader or organizations or the organizations mentions being stimulated by crisis and other difficult problems. Self as the most capable person for getting the job done. Core Competencies of Middle-level management Middle managers can motivate and assist first-line managers to achieve business objectives. They may also communicate upward, by offering suggestions and feedback to top managers. Because they are more involved in the day-to-day workings of a company, they may provide valuable information to top managers to help improve the organizations bottom line.Some core competencies of middle level managers are given bellow (1) Thinking about the organization Strategic Vision-evaluate the internal and external business environment to develop a long-term vision and strategy for the unit/organization. Analysis and Problem-Solving -effectively examine events, issues, and problems, and generate optimal solutions in a timely manner. Business and Financial Penetration -demonstrate a good understanding of companys business model and markets as well as good commercial a nd financial acumen.Ability characteristics job rotation, job enrichment, decision simulation, practical training and teaching training . Motivational characteristics the help of sensitive training, brain-storming, and case studies. (2) Deliver Result Manages Execution -ensure achievement of business goals aligned with the operational roadmap and standards through managing execution of business plan Customer Focus- foster a customer-focused environment delivering exceptional service and anticipating future customer needs.Leads for Performance -demonstrate and foster a sense of urgency and strong commitment to achieving goals. Drives Change and Innovation- champion new ideas and initiatives and create an environment that supports change and innovation. (3) Energize People (Strengthen) Communication- communicate with impact, and create an environment in which people communicate honestly and openly Engages and Inspires -inspire commitment and energy and a desire to excel and bring ones best contribution to the organizational mission and goals.Develops Human Capital- ensure or contribute to the availability and development of the talent needed to meet current and future organization goals Interpersonal skillor Cultivates Relationships and Networks-develop and leverage effective network and relationships with others inside and outside of the organization. to use role-playing method to foster interpersonal skill in employees. Also, job-rotation and group discussion are often used on this dimension. Fosters Teamwork and Cooperation- promote a sense of collaboration and work effectively across the organization to achieve goals.Conceptual skill to use on-the-job training to develop conceptual skill in employees. Conversely, decision simulation and role-playing are also instrumental in developing conceptual skill in middle-level managers. Core competencies of first level manager or, first line manager (Supervisor) First-line managers are responsible for the daily m anagement of line workersthe employees who actually produce the product or offer the service. Although first-level managers typically do not set goals for the organization, they have a very strong influence on the company.These are the managers that most employees interact with on a daily basis. There are many competencies of the managers which are given bellow ( 1) Act as a role model Adapts and Learns-work effectively in the face of ambiguity, shifting priorities, and rapid change while actively developing ones skills and capabilities. Continuous learning Builds Trust and Confidence- consistently act and communicate in ways that model organizations values and demonstrate fairness, objectivity, integrity, responsibility and transparency. 2) Personality characteristics to use role-playing, sensitiveness training and case studies to forward employees focus on this element. Honesty and Integrity truthfulness, honor rest two level managers. (3) Flexibility flexible for their workin g time as well as the ready for outside of the schedule time. Flexibility is the ability to adapt to and work with a variety of situations, individuals and groups. It is about being able to think on your feet, and not being disconcerted or stopped by the unexpected. Communication- Quality result orientation- Team work- These are also very important core competencies of first level management .