Project Management Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 2

Project Management - Assignment Example Also I learned these questions will direct me towards the correct projects. During that training, I learned that planning enables managers to have predetermined criteria on how they can execute duties, and have well informed decisions. The training involved 5PM techniques which included; Initiation, planning, executing, Monitoring, and controlling. This techniques enables to define who authorizes the project, enable me to describe the management of the project, be able to help the group members to work together to complete a project, and how to check the progression of the project and rectify the problems. Being a Project Manager, I have been assigned a task of upgrading system software in an organization. The organization has an old system that needs to be upgraded so as to be efficient, and save time. Such undertakings are subject to many challenges if proper planning and execution is not done well. So utmost care must be taken. Some of the risks that such projects suffer include; on-time and on budget completion, security compromise, software compatibility issues and lack or no training to the users of the organization (Barbier, 2003). The software upgrade done should be able to have a specific timeline i.e. a life cycle that has a start of use and when the program should be replaced because it has become obsolete with time. There is also the aspect of the scope of work the software can and not do. This has to be defined from the beginning The compelling purpose of this project is to enhance efficiency, increase functionality, and thus productivity of the organization by use of Software. The organization has been suffering from incompetency because of lack better software to help the firm to run its auditing work. Thus it has led to the company to rely on paper work which is slow, bulky, and untidy. Digitizing a system cannot be underestimated. Because operation costs and

Feminism and the Body in Art

Feminism and the Body in Art Modernism is described usually as a movement and a tendency to provoke reflection and an individual character. During this period, art was seen to be set in its ways and people wanted to expand with new ideas and not stay in the lines of colour and structure. This movement was a representation of alternative modes for literature, art, photography and film. Its intention was to find new hidden meaning in human kind and use them to the best of their ability in experimentation. I feel therefore I exist. (Internet Archive Jean Jacques) The Oxford English Dictionary refers to postmodernism as a style and concept in the arts characterized by distrust of theories and ideologies and by the drawing of attention to conventions. (Internet Oxford Dictionary) Post Modernism didnt seem to have a theory, it was what it was, which meant it had smaller narratives and people gained the knowledge to do something with it. This is also portrayed in what was thought to be the start date of post modernism as no one really knows when modernism ends and postmodernism starts, what it does illustrate is cultural thinking and the way we live, what came with this is the reaction to what people thought modernism was. People rejected the thought of perfection but wanted design and purpose. Known for her conversation on bodies, sexuality and gender Carolee Schneemanns work is fundamentally characterized by research into visual convention. Schneemann focuses on the body as an individual and its relationship in general. Schneemanns family was largely supportive of her enjoyment of freeness with her body. As a child, her friends described her as a mad pantheist, due to her relationship and respect for nature'(Kate Haug p114) Schneemann cites her earliest connections between art and sexuality to her drawings from ages four and five, which she drew on her fathers prescription tablets (Linda Montano p135) Carolee Schneemann started her art career as a painter in the late 1950s. Neo-Dada was something that had because an accruing characteristic in her work, adopting box structures coupled with expressionist brushwork. These were shared with Robert Rauschberg using heavy textural characteristics. Schneemann described the atmosphere in the art community at this time as misogynistic and that female artists of the time were not aware of their bodies. These works integrated influence by artists such as Post-Impressionist painter Paul CÃ ©zanne and the issues in painting brought up by the abstract expressionists. (internet archive Jane Harris) Schneemann chose to focus on expressiveness in her art rather than accessibility or stylishness. Still describing herself as a formalist, unlike other feminist artists she didnt want to distance herself from male-oriented art history. Schneemann acknowledges that she is often labelled as a feminist icon and that she is an influential figure to female artists, but she also notes that she reaches out to male artists as well. Though she is noted for being a feminist figure, her works explore issues in art and rely heavily on her broad knowledge of art history. Though works such as Eye Body were meant to explore the processes of painting and assemblage, rather than to address feminist topics, they still possess a strong female presence. Revolving herself around sexual expression and liberation Schneemann decided not to revolve around victimization and repression of women. According to artist and lecturer Johannes Birringer, Schneemanns work resists the political correctness enforced by some branches of feminism as well as ideologies which feminists claim are misogynist, such as psychoanalysis. He also asserts that Schneemanns work is difficult to classify and analyze as it combines constructivist and painterly concepts with her physical body and energy.'(Kristine Stiles p3) In her 1976 book CÃ ©zanne, She Was a Great Painter, Schneemann wrote that she used nudity in her artwork to break taboos associated with the kinetic human body and to show that the life of the body is more variously expressive than a sex-negative society can admit. She also stated, In some sense I made a gift of my body to other women; giving our bodies back to ourselves. She preferred her term art historical (without the h), so as to reject th e his in history (Bonnie Marranca Review) While Jo Spence being a surliest and a feminist started her art life working on documentaries, which was very motivated by her political views. Spreading her working life across various camera projects, including being the founder of Hackney Flashers in 1974. After being diagnosed with cancer, Spence became particularly fascinated with the doctor patient relationship Passing through the hands of the medical profession can be terrifying when you have breast cancer.'(Jo Stanley article) Spence decided to document everything that was happening to her through photography, a piece taken while she had a mammograph done truly showed the brutality of her illness as she put her whole body under the scrutiny of one machine making her an active subject in her work. After a lumpectomy, Spence decided to undertake the holistic approach to cancer and underwent various Chinese medicine treatments, as she felt no need for chemotherapy or radioactive drugs. She also decided to use photography as a healing drug putting the emotion and passion into her work as she felt like cancer was able to take everything else. Through phototherapy she managed to capture the relationship between the doctor and the patient, her feelings towards cancer and the powerlessness as a patient. All of this was a need for Jo Spence to portray as not only a patient but a feminist. She was particularly interested in the perception of the breast as substance of desire, a medium for nourishing babies, and finally in her case of breast cancer, as a possession to be installed in the hands of the medical institution. This is what has really inspired me with her work, and her experience during her suffering of cancer. This is demonstrated in her photo of her breast, marked with pen t he property of Jo Spence? where she appears to question her rights over her own body, using the breast as a metaphor for womens struggle to become an active subject. (Bonnie Marranca Review) She puts no limits on her work and covers many social issues while her own pain. Jo Spence really makes me think about the body as a subject rather than an object. Thinking about the body and what it is used for, you never expect it to be destroyed by such an evil mass and this is what Jo Spence looks at. I think Spence has a certain power over her work and having such a raw quality which she uses to her best advantage, this is something I can only hope to achieve in my future work. After looking at her work I can only appreciate her time going through her ordeal of cancer, as I have only been a witness to what cancer can do no one can fully understand it until you go through it. Spence using photography captures the story but what cant be told. Internet Archive The Confessions Of Jean Jacques Rousseau Now For The First Time Completely Translated Into English With Out Expurgation Volume II [internet] [accessed 15.11.2009] http://www.archive.org/stream/confessionsofjea012146mbp/confessionsofjea012146mbp_djvu.txt The Oxford Dictionary, Oxford University Press 2009 [internet] [accessed 15.11.2009] http://www.askoxford.com/concise_oed/postmodernism?view=uk Journal Haug, Kate (1998). An Interview with Carolee Schneemann (1) P 114 (accessed 20.11.2009) Montano, Linda (2001). Interview with Linda Montano. Imaging Her Erotics: Essays, Interviews, Projects (accessed 20.11.2009) Morgan, Robert C.1997. Carolee Schneemann: The Politics of Eroticism. Art Journal 56 (4): pp. 97-100 (accessed 20.11.2009) Harris, Jane (1996). Review / Carolee schneemann http://www.plexus.org/review/harris/schneemn.html (internet) (accessed 20.11.2009) The Art of Transgression. Jo Stanley, editor. Routledge.1995 (accessed 20.11.2009) Stiles, Kristine (2003). The Painter as an Instrument of Real Time. Imaging Her Erotics: Essays, Interviews, Project (accessed 22.11.09) Marranca, Bonnie (1999). Book Review: Bodies of Action, Bodies of Thought: Performance and Its Critics p20 (accessed 22.11.09) Bonnie (1999). Book Review: Bodies of Action, Bodies of Thought: Performance and Its Critics p41 (accessed 22.11.09)

Ghosts in a Massachusetts Village :: Ghosts Spirits Hauntings Essays

Ghosts in a Massachusetts Village Sabine Heartwood passed through Moose River Junction years ago with her mother, an itinerant fortuneteller. Raised on the road as Ruby crisscrossed the country in her battered VW minibus, Sabine longed to settle down and was inexplicably drawn to this rural hamlet, where everyone knows everyone. Now that one of the town’s favorite sons has returned for his grandmother Beatrice’s funeral, at least there’s something to talk about. Danforth Smith is an up-and-coming assistant film director in New York, romantically linked with a bitchy, beautiful, ambitious actress. Shy Sabine is instantly attracted to him but she knows she can’t compete with the likes of Karen. And handsome Dan would never want to give up such a glamorous life to stay in Moose River Junction and care for his aging, mentally retarded uncle Nagy, per his mother Beatrice’s wish. Even though Beatrice, imperious and theatrical to a fault, insisted in her will that Nagy never be instit utionalized and instead be permitted to take tickets and sweep up at the Palace Theatre (her dead husband’s pet project and final legacy). Sabine intuitively senses Dan’s dark secret, but not its exact details. Yet Dan, given to solitary brooding, reveals all to the reader in interior monologues: he holds himself responsible for the accidental fire that killed his feuding parents when he was only six. He and Nagy were playing with a lighter, and his grandmother Beatrice always told Dan that the fire was his fault, not Nagy’s. Hmm†¦so that’s why Sabine seems to smell smoke in his presence but she doesn’t understand why. Gee, where does this strange knack for reading minds come from? The supposedly psychic young woman can’t figure it out, but mother Ruby is waiting in the wings with a grim secret of her own: Sabine is the child of an alcoholic gypsy, who raped Ruby when she was only fifteen. Ghosts in a Massachusetts Village :: Ghosts Spirits Hauntings Essays Ghosts in a Massachusetts Village Sabine Heartwood passed through Moose River Junction years ago with her mother, an itinerant fortuneteller. Raised on the road as Ruby crisscrossed the country in her battered VW minibus, Sabine longed to settle down and was inexplicably drawn to this rural hamlet, where everyone knows everyone. Now that one of the town’s favorite sons has returned for his grandmother Beatrice’s funeral, at least there’s something to talk about. Danforth Smith is an up-and-coming assistant film director in New York, romantically linked with a bitchy, beautiful, ambitious actress. Shy Sabine is instantly attracted to him but she knows she can’t compete with the likes of Karen. And handsome Dan would never want to give up such a glamorous life to stay in Moose River Junction and care for his aging, mentally retarded uncle Nagy, per his mother Beatrice’s wish. Even though Beatrice, imperious and theatrical to a fault, insisted in her will that Nagy never be instit utionalized and instead be permitted to take tickets and sweep up at the Palace Theatre (her dead husband’s pet project and final legacy). Sabine intuitively senses Dan’s dark secret, but not its exact details. Yet Dan, given to solitary brooding, reveals all to the reader in interior monologues: he holds himself responsible for the accidental fire that killed his feuding parents when he was only six. He and Nagy were playing with a lighter, and his grandmother Beatrice always told Dan that the fire was his fault, not Nagy’s. Hmm†¦so that’s why Sabine seems to smell smoke in his presence but she doesn’t understand why. Gee, where does this strange knack for reading minds come from? The supposedly psychic young woman can’t figure it out, but mother Ruby is waiting in the wings with a grim secret of her own: Sabine is the child of an alcoholic gypsy, who raped Ruby when she was only fifteen.

Communication and Hr

4DEP (HR) Developing Yourself as an Effective Human Resources Practitioner By Susanne Collier 7th November 2011 Activity 1 Today Human Resources (HR) is at the centre of business performance. HR professionals have an important role to play in driving decisions that enable their organisations to thrive in both the short and the longer term. Where in the past the function delivered the fundamentals that underpinned the employee lifecycle (such as recruitment, induction and salary administration) supporting organisation performance is now the theme running through HR’s work. The CIPD have introduced the HR Profession Map which sets out what HR practitioners need to know, do and deliver at all stages in their career. The Map is structured around ten professional areas of HR activity and it focuses on the knowledge, activities and behaviours required in the profession today. The first two professional areas, Strategy, insights and solutions (uses deep understanding of the business – activities, strategies and plans and underlying drivers of and barriers to sustainable performance, and needs of customers and employees – and unique insights to drive business performance through the creation and delivery of HR strategy and solutions) and Leading and managing the HR function (leads and manages a fit for purpose HR function, with a strong track record of operational excellence and a deep understanding of the organisation requirements. Ensures that the function has the right capability, capacity, and organisation design, and that HR employees are fully engaged, work collaboratively and possess a deep understanding of organisation and the drivers that create value). These are central to understanding the organisation and delivering an HR function that delivers success. There are eight behaviours shown on the HR Map that identify in detail how professionals need to carry out their activities and make a contribution to organisational success. Please see Appendix 1 for description of the eight behaviours. The behaviours have been clustered into the following groups: Each professional area and behaviour is described at four bands of professional competence, the bands range from those entering the profession at band one, to those that are leading it, at band four. I currently work as an Office Manager for Miller Heiman Inc at their EMEA headquarters in Milton Keynes. As part of my remit I have to ensure that the delivery of Human Resources (HR) service and information to leaders, managers and staff within the organisation is accurate, efficient, timely and cost-effective and that HR data is managed professionally as I am the first point of contact for all HR-related queries. I have therefore chosen to look at the Service Delivery and Information professional area at Band One, as I believe this is most relevant to my current role. There are eight activities, eleven skills and three behaviours that apply to band one within this professional area, please see Appendix 2. Within my role the behaviours detailed with the respective activity and knowledge are Collaborative, Driven to Deliver, Personally Credible, Curious, Role Model and Courage to Challenge. Collaborative Build appropriate professional, friendly and accessible relationships with employees, line managers, directors and network of suppliers. Driven to Deliver * Assist in the recruitment process – i. e. liaise with recruitment agencies, set up interviews and issue relevant correspondence. * Administer HR-related documentation, such as offer letters, contracts of employment, leavers' and pensions information. * Provide relevant documentation as requested for example employee handbooks, latest policy updates, sickness forms. * Provide data for and prepare management nformation reports, mainly around absence management. * Ensure the relevant HR databases are up to date, accurate and comply with relevant legislation. * Administer Childcare Voucher Scheme, liaising with employees and external providers. Personally Credible * Provide support and advice to employees and line managers, explaining policies and procedures in a timely and effective manner, including maternity, paternity, adoption, parental leave and health ; safety processes and queries regarding benefit and pay issues. * Assist in the development of HR procedures and policies. Take responsibility for own work. * Communicate well both in writing and verbally. * Use own initiative. * Have the ability to work accurately with attention to detail. Curious * Take part in teams meetings, events and training as required. * Have the flexibility and willingness to learn. * Constantly review suppliers for a cost/quality/se rvice comparison. * Good understanding of HR policies and procedures, health ; safety and basic understanding of employment legislation. * Attend Employment Law updates on a regular basis to keep abreast of changes in legislation. Role Model * Be resilient and able to work in an organisation that is undergoing change due to development and growth. * Use tact and diplomacy, being sensitive and respectful to others. * Contribute to the development and implementation of the overall ethos/work/aims of Miller Heiman. * Appreciate and understand the need of confidentiality in dealing with all HR and training issues. * Work in accordance with current policies and procedures. * Appreciate that projects need to be completed, methodical approach with an ability to work under pressure. Courage to Challenge Feedback and look at any changes that are needed in our current practices and implement. * Constantly review personal development plan in line with organisational objectives. Activity 2 HR Customers The HR department has many internal and external customers to serve, including employees, their managers, directors and legal and regulatory agencies. The needs of which may sometimes be in conflict. Below are the main cust omers I have to deal within my role on a daily basis and an example of a few of their needs: Directors| Line Managers| Staff/Peers| Latest Legislations UpdatesManagement Reporting| Appraisal DocumentationPolicy DocumentationHealth ; Safety issues| Payroll QueriesBenefit Entitlement QueriesSickness Forms| A need conflict may arise if for example a director has requested an absence report analysis for a disciplinary meeting be produced for the following day but unexpectedly a line manager has advised you of a potentially serious health and safety issue. Both needs are important to the person requesting them, and I would therefore look at the needs individually to assess their priority and risk to the business if they were not dealt with as a matter of urgency. The absence report could be to assist the director with looking into an individuals time keeping as part of a disciplinary, which is important as this could affect the way forward with the hearing, but the health and safety issue could be a greater risk to the business and/or individual at that precise moment in time so a risk assessment would need to be carried out immediately and then a decision could be made whether action was needed immediately and would therefore then take priority over the absence report. Communication Methods Communication Method| Advantages| Disadvantages| Electronic (Email)| * Quick * Log receipt * Complete * Can send large documentation * Cost advantages| * Eliminate Equal Opportunities due to lack of access * No tone * No relationship * Could be misconstrued | Written (Printed Material)| * Meets legal requirements * Clear audit trail * Provides reference * More in depth detail| * Lack of face to face contact * Unsecure * Slow * Expensive| Verbal(Telephone/Face to Face)| * Checking of understanding * Personal * Immediate| * Trepidation * Language * Lengthy * Lack of control * Cost of calls| Effective communication as explained by Albert Mehrabian in his communication model found that spoken words account for only 7% of what a listener perceives, the remaining 93% of what a listener comprehends originates from the speaker’s body language and tone employed in the delivery of the words. Building and Maintaining Effective Service Building Relationships – It is important to develop a positive attitude, be less judgmental and more accepting of others. Gather Improve Your Communication Skills,  listen carefully and focus on the speaker's message. This will allow you to respond appropriately and avoid misunderstandings. Resolve conflicts early. Treat ALL colleagues with respect and always be courteous and professional. Be open and honest about your feelings and allow others to do the same. Understand and accept personal or cultural differences. Dealing with Difficult Customers and Resolving their Complaints – Listen to the customer and thank them for bringing the problem to your attention. Sincerely convey to the customer your apology for the way the situation has made them feel, but avoiding blame and determine what the customer is seeking as a solution. Once this is established seek to agree on the solution and take quick action to resolve and follow up to ensure the customer is completely satisfied. Meeting time and Budget Constraints – Set goal and deadline expectations at the outset. Prioritise workload and delegate if there is an opportunity too if time is restricted. Research and compare costings to ensure the best value is gained without compromising quality. Must ensure the regular updates are provided. Continuous Improvement – To ensure high levels of customer satisfaction, it is important for HR to continually measure and monitor the needs of its various customers, determine how well it is meeting those needs and identify any areas that represent gaps, this could be done in the form of an annual employee survey, issuing feedback forms for completion or requesting short feedback via email as well as looking at your PDP plan at your annual review and at regular intervals throughout the year. BIBLIOGRAPHY CIPD HR Profession Map http://www. cipd. co. uk/cipd-hr-profession/hr-profession-map/explore-map. aspx (28 Oct 2011) Albert Mehrabian Communication Model http://www. vestedoutsourcing. com/the-psychology-of-outsourcing-part-4-albert-mehrabian-and-comminication/ (31 October 2011) APPENDIX Appendix 18 Behaviours Description Appendix 2Service & Delivery and Information Professional Area Description

Is Gatsby Really Great

For some, greatness is something they are born with naturally, but for others it is something they themselves must achieve in order to have. In The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald portrays Jay Gatsby with admirable qualities, a mysterious persona covering up his truths, superficial faults, and a loyal innocence dedicated to fulfilling his dream. Mr. Gatsbys traits entitle him to being labelled ‘great'. Gatsby has admirable qualities that contribute to defining his excellence.Jay's first encounter with the narrator, Nick Carraway, focuses deeply on his smile, explaining how: â€Å"It was one of those rare smiles with a quality of eternal reassurance in it, that you may come across four or five times in a life.. † (Fitzgerald 48). Along with his captivating appearance, Mr. Jay Gatsby has a superior perspective to compliment it. His generosity is proven after one of his extravagant parties when Lucille accidentally tares her dress on a chair. She mentions that: â€Å"he asked me my name and address- inside of a week I got a package from Crorrier's with a new evening gown in it. (43). The dress Mr. Gatsby delivers is not just any dress Lucille explains, it was a value of Two hundred and sixty-five dollars. With his money, surprisingly, does not come arrogance as shown afterwards when Nick fails to recognize that he is already conversing with the mysterious man himself. Gatsby modestly responds by saying: â€Å"I thought you knew, old sport. I'm afraid I'm no a very good host,† (48). Gatsby's reaction reveals the humbleness in his character, even though this mishap is arguably not his fault. Jay's features of excellence earn him to be classified as great.The illusion Gatsby expresses in his persona gives off a sense of greatness in the aspect of magic and make-believe. Nick attends his first party at the Gatsby residence and eventually finds himself in the Library of the mansion. Alongside Jordan, ‘Owl Eyes' explains to him the truth beh ind the crowded bookcases: â€Å"It's a bona-fide printed matter. It fooled me.. Knew when to stop, too- didn't cut the pages.. † (46). Owl Eye's investigating proves the books to be real. However, he also discovers the pages of the book have not been cut, thus, have not been read.Aside from the physical props he uses, Gatsby as a person is really just an invention. At age seventeen, James Gatz is given the opportunity to become his dream by recreating himself. He escapes his unworthy past because, â€Å"His parents were shiftless and unsuccessful farm people- his imagination had never really accepted them as his parents at all. † (99). Thanks to the yacht owner, Dan Cody, James Gatz has the privilege to transform himself into the prestigious Mr. Jay Gatsby. Now Gatsby lives the cookie cutter life of the American Dream, which in the end is just another illusion.The obsessive need to capture his dream develops his relationship with past love, Daisy, for the most part as a fantasy. Near the end of chapter seven, the glorified image of Gatsby and Daisy is suddenly shattered when she tells him: â€Å"Even alone I can't say I never loved Tom,† (133). The devastation Gatsby faces leaves him in denial, blinded by the pursuit of his dreams. The false impression Gatsby illustrates is something the average human being is not capable of doing. Perfection is never achieved within Gatsby, though his faults are only that of superficial matter.Tom outs Gatsby's past crime life in front of Daisy, revealing that: â€Å"He and this Wolfsheim bought up a lot of side-street drug-stores here and in Chicago and sold grain alcohol over the counter. † (134). Though illegal at the time, it is hardly and immoral crime against foolish illegitimate laws. Truthful accusations are also made about truth telling, or lack thereof. Essentially, Gatsby lies in spite of his dreams. The faith he devotes to making Daisy a primary part of his life is the explanation behi nd his dedicated lies.The whole reason â€Å"he invented just the sort of Jay Gatsby that a seventeen-year-old boy would be likely to invent, (99) is to innocently stay loyal to Daisy, without harmful intentions. Gatsby's faults are that of depth-less incidents and should not be used against his nobleness. Gatsby's sense of hope towards his dream and pure optimism is really what separates him from everyday people. His unmistakable smile: â€Å"understood you just as far as you wanted to be understood, believed in you as you would like to believe in yourself, and assured you that it had precisely the impression of you that, at your best, you hoped to convey. (48). These feelings are brought to Nick with a simple, yet intriguing, flash of his grin. Originally, Gatsby's life begins as a poor man, in love with a woman born from old money, but his unmitigated belief allows him a fighting chance against social differences. Though, â€Å"he let her believe that he was a person from much the same stratum as herself- that he was fully able to take care of her. As a matter of fact, he had no such facilities-† (149) he enforced this security into his life mainly because he never yields to cynicism. Even after Mr.Gatsby passes, optimistic thoughts still roam throughout Nicks head; â€Å"Gatsby believed in the green light, the orgiastic future that year by year recedes before us. It eluded us then, but that's no matter- tomorrow we will run faster, stretch our arms farther†¦ † (182). Gatsby's presence undoubtedly affects Mr. Carraways final thoughts of The Great Gatsby, substantiating his life changing positivity. In final analysis, the creation of Jay Gatsby makes him fitting to be labelled as ‘great'. Mainly, this dubbing is deserving because of his confidence he uses to make his vision a reality.Similarly, the ‘mistakes' he makes on this journey are not those of evil behaviour, only occurring because he is so absorbed in his own dream. N evertheless, greatness can be looked at as an illusion, which Gatsby significantly portrays as well. Finally, because his qualities in general are admired by most and held in high respect. Greatness is not usually looked for following a format; it can not specifically define who is and who is not, but when it is recognized it is commonly the simple things that distinguish it.

Dr. Kings Letter From Birmingham City Jail Essays - Open Letters

Dr. Kings Letter From Birmingham City Jail Essays - Open Letters Daniel Kang Ms. Menard Honors English 8 31 March 2014 Dr. Kings Letter From Birmingham City Jail In the essay Letter from Birmingham City Jail by Martin Luther King Junior inspires and arouses the negroes of Birmingham, Alabama to revolt. He started off with some background knowledge about civil rights and exercising our right to revolt. Also, about the Alabama Christian Movement of Human Rights Organization. King was arrested for civil rights demonstrations on April 16, 1963. I am in Birmingham because injustice is here (Luther 233). He always knew and expressed that violence was never the answer. King states four steps of a non violent campaign. This plan was to help Birmingham one of the most segregated city in the United States. Here are some of the outlines of the plan: In any nonviolent campaign there are four basic steps:(1) collection of the facts to determine whether injustices are alive,(2) negotiation,(3) self-purification, (4) direct action. We have gone through all these steps in Birmingham. There can be no gainsaying of the fact that racial injustice engulfs this c ommunity (Luther 234). Martin was a very smart man, he used direct action, but secretly for the use of negotiation. This is the counterexample he uses in the passage to show how even direct action can work in some situations. Nonviolent direct action seeks to create such a crisis and establish such creative tension that a community that has constantly refused to negotiate is forced to confront the issue. It seeks to so dramatize the issue that it can no longer be ignored (Luther 236). Martin Luther King Junior is still known today as a civil rights leader and one of the most famous of them.

Nothing to do with Raspberries, Exactly

Nothing to do with Raspberries, Exactly Nothing to do with Raspberries, Exactly Nothing to do with Raspberries, Exactly By Maeve Maddox You may soon be seeing media coverage of a newly discovered threat to the already endangered honey bee population called Rasberry crazy ants. This previously unnoticed type of ant is thought to have entered the U.S. by way of a Texas port and is now busily at work destroying honey bee larvae and other things that human beings value. Rasberry crazy ants are named for an exterminator named Tom Rasberry who first noticed their destructive habits in 2002. Theyve already caused millions of dollars of damage in Texas. Honey bees are not their only target. The ants are attracted to electrical equipment and chew through insulation, causing short circuits. Their scientific name is paratrenicha species near pubens. The epithet crazy comes from the fact that these ants dont travel in straight lines, but wander from side to side. Since their scientific name is not likely to catch on, we can expect to see the word Rasberry in the news, a circumstance that may lead to confusion among insecure spellers. The name of the fruit is spelled raspberry. raspberry: 1623, earlier raspis berry (1548), possibly from raspise a sweet rose-colored wine (c.1460), from Anglo-L. vinum raspeys, origin uncertain, as is the connection between this and O.Fr. raspe, M.L. raspecia, raspeium, also meaning raspberry. One suggestion is via Old Walloon raspoie thicket, of Gmc. origin. Raspberries can self-pollinate, but cross-pollination carried on by bees improves fruit weight and shape. Most of the fruit we like to eat, however, depends entirely on bees for pollination. As a volunteer Master Gardener Im especially aware of the plight of the honey bee. Its astounding to me that some politicians and journalists seem to find the topic laughable. NOTE: Some dictionaries list the forms honeybee or honey-bee. Entomologists write it as two words. Paratrenicha species near pubens Colony Collapse Disorder article about bee ridicule in the media Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Spelling category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:20 Types and Forms of HumorUsing the Active Voice to Strengthen Your WritingNominalized Verbs

Writing a History Book Review

Writing a History Book Review There are several acceptable ways to write a book review, but if your teacher doesn’t provide you with specific instructions, you might feel a little lost when it comes to formatting your paper. There is a format used by many teachers and college professors when it comes to reviewing history texts. It isn’t found in any style guide, but it does contain aspects of the Turabian style of writing. Although it might seem a little strange to you, many history teachers like to see a full citation for the book you’re reviewing (Turabian style) at the head of the paper, right below the title. While it might seem odd to start with a citation, this format mirrors the appearance of book reviews that are published in scholarly journals. Below the title and citation, write the body of the book review in essay form without subtitles. As you write your book review, remember that your goal is to analyze the text by discussing the strengths and weaknesses- as opposed to summarizing the content. You should also note that it’s best to be as balanced as possible in your analysis. Include both strengths and weaknesses. On the other hand, if you think the book was either dreadfully written or ingenious, you should say so! Other Important Elements to Include in Your Analysis Date/range of the book. Define the time period that the book covers. Explain if the book progresses chronologically or if it addresses events by topic. If the book addresses one particular subject, explain how that event fits into a broader time scale (like the Reconstruction era).Point of view. Can you glean from the text if the author has a strong opinion about an event? Is the author objective, or does he express a liberal or conservative viewpoint?Sources. Does the author use secondary sources or primary sources, or both? Review the bibliography of the text to see if there is a pattern or any interesting observation about the sources the writer uses. Are the sources all new or all old? That fact could provide interesting insight into the validity of a thesis.Organization. Discuss whether the book makes sense the way it is written or if it could have been better organized. Authors put a lot of time into organizing a book and sometimes they just don’t get it right!Author inf ormation. What do you know about the author? What other books has he/she written? Does the author teach at a university? What training or experience has contributed to the author’s command of the topic? The last paragraph of your review should contain a summary of your review and a clear statement that conveys your overall opinion. It is common to make a statement such as: This book delivered on its promise because...This book was a disappointment because...This book contributed significantly to the argument that...The book [title] provides the reader with deep insight into... The book review is an opportunity to give your true opinion about a book. Just remember to back up a strong statement like those above with evidence from the text.

Aristotle Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Aristotle - Essay Example At that juncture, Aristotle left Plato’s school and went off to have other adventures as a philosopher and teacher. Eventually Aristotle moved to the court of Philip of Macedonia, and became a teacher to Philip’s son, Alexander. Alexander would later become Alexander the Great, a military leader whose methods are still studied in military schools around the world. Aristotle’s influence on Alexander is evidenced by how he treated his enemies and conquered peoples. Aristotle taught Alexander until he assumed the role of king at the age of 18. In Aristotle’s lifetime he wrote many major works, but only 31 survive currently (IEP). Aristotle’s influence is world wide because his mind formed the basis of schools of philosophy for 2000 years and was used to reconcile church faith to education and logic. Authors Roy Matthews, DeWitt Platt, and Thomas Noble state that Aristotle â€Å"had the most comprehensive mind of the ancient world. His curiosity and va st intellect led him into every major field of inquiry of his time, except mathematics and music† (Matthews, Platt and Noble 74). Thus, Aristotle’s influence is wide. Schools of philosophy formed around Aristotle’s ideas. ... Having an effect on the theology of a church begs the question then, how much influence did Aristotle have on faith, rather than reason, and does this influence water down Christianity? Does philosophy belong within religion, which is supposed to be based on faith alone? During the dark ages there were some areas of light. Rulers, who would try to educate some of their subjects, made this light. Two outstanding educator rulers were King Alfred of England and Charlemagne, King of the Franks. European education died out when these two rulers passed from the world scene, but later a teacher, Abelard, who was affiliated with the University of Paris, would again go to Aristotle’s restored works to try to reconcile the church dogma with philosophy to end the rivalry between logic and faith. Aristotle was the bridge to achieve this peace. His logic in deconstructing an argument still is a standard and elementary concepts presented in any philosophy class. In the Poetics for example, Aristotle reasons the basic units of society and how they evolve into a state. He relates how man is a political being and gives advice about how humans need to live in a political state. These musings form some of the basis for western thought and politics that Americans use. The Founding Fathers used works of philosophy such as those of Aristotle as well as those from Enlightenment of the 1600s who were wrestling with science or reason over faith. The American founders put their faith in reason by separating church from state, as politics should not be faith based but based on logic and rationality devoid of any faith whatsoever. However, the current political field in the U. S. seems to have forgotten these basic philosophical rules when appealing

National Cholesterol Education Program Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

National Cholesterol Education Program - Essay Example Additional factors include age, a family history of heart disease, and being male. The risk of heart disease is the main reason why cholesterol level alertness is required. Heart disease, also known as cardiovascular disease (CVD) or coronary heart disease (CHD), is defined as any disorder, which impairs the normal functioning of the heart (Gandelman, 2006). Such disorders include arrhythmias, heart attack (myocardial infarction), and the various kinds of cardiomyopathy and angina. According to Barrett (2006), heart attack is ranked one among the most common causes of death in the United States and stroke is a close third. Epidemiological surveys demonstrated that there is a continuous correlation between CHD risk and serum total cholesterol levels over a broad range of cholesterol values (Grundy et al., 2004). High-risk and very high-risk people are individuals who have over 20% chance of heart attack within ten years (Barrett, 2006). The 2004 ATP III guideline regarding the said individuals state that drug therapy should be definite at 130 mg/dL (milligram per deciliter) cholesterol levels and it should be optional between 100 to 129 mg/dL levels (Barrett, 2006). This was a major change from the 2001 recommendation. Now, the goal for LDL-lowering therapy for all high-risk patients is a LDL-C level of less than 100 mg/dL (Grundy et al., 2004). According ... The ATP reports identified low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) as the main target of cholesterol-lowering therapy since "Many prospective studies have shown that the high serum concentrations of LDL-C is a major risk factor for coronary heart disease (CHD)" (Grundy et al., 2004). Cholesterol-lowering therapy involves statins and some clinical trials that tested the efficiency and effectiveness of these drugs are as follows. In a Heart Protection Study (HPS) conducted in the United Kingdom involving 20 536 adults, aged 40 to 80 years and at high risk for a CVD event, the patients were randomly allocated to 40 mg simvastatin or placebo daily (Grundy et al., 2004). The results demonstrated that in patients treated with simvastatin, all-cause mortality was significantly reduced by 13%. Moreover, "Major vascular events were reduced by 24%, coronary death rate by 18%, nonfatal myocardial infarction + coronary death by 27%, nonfatal or fatal stroke by 25%, and cardiovascular revascularization by 24%" (Grundy et al., 2004). On the other hand, the Prospective Study of Pravastatin in the Elderly at Risk (PROSPER) examined the efficacy of pravastatin treatment in older people with or at high risk of developing CVD and stroke. A total of 5804 subjects aged 70 to 82 years, with history of vascular disease or CVD risk factors, were randomly assigned pravastatin or placebo treatment. The follow-up averaged 3.2 years. Results showed that baseline total cholesterol ranged from 150 mg/dL to 350 mg/dL and prasvatatin reduced LDL-C levels by 34%. Major coronary events such as nonfatal myocardial infarction and CHD death fell by 19% whereas CHD mortality fell by 24%. The authors of PROSPER concluded that statin therapy can be extended to

Genetic Testing Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Genetic Testing - Research Paper Example Indeed, employers are also inclined to conduct these tests, either clandestinely or overtly, of their employees to ensure they could be able to match workplace environment or would develop diseases amid genetic abnormalities. Indeed, employers regard such individuals that could develop diseases from workplace hazardous substances as ‘hypersensitive’ and usually are reluctant to induct them in organizational hierarchy to save future health care and social costs, avoid absenteeism, litigation and productivity losses. It is worthwhile to mention that workers having ‘thalassemia gene, sickle cell’ and other genetic disorders are among sensitive individuals who could develop diseases if they work in environment that contain chemicals such as ‘lead, benzene, carbon monoxide particles, cyanide’ etc (Andre & Velasquez, 1991) and (Miller, 2007). Indeed, the proponents of Genetic Testing have raised many arguments for this strategy because employers may inform workers why business workplace may be deleterious for their health, which may lead to disabilities in the long-run. Hence, in this way, the workers could make rational decisions for personal health security and shun dangerous workplaces whenever they apply for job as well as could avoid untimely deaths because of chronic illnesses. Second, the tests enable employees to hire healthy and dynamic workers thereby increasing internal efficiency, lowering absenteeism and minimizing recruitment costs from reduction in employee turnover rates per annum. Third, the financial burden on government reduces because of low allocation for health budgets and fewer social security disbursements. Fourth, it has been considered the responsibility of an employer to offer safe and secure working environment to its employees. However, it may not be possible for business owners to offer 100% secure environment

Informal report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Informal report - Essay Example These are behavioral goals to create an inclusive work environment . It needs to be brought to the notice of all employees that under the Disabilities Act, it is discriminatory to behave unfavorably to employees with any kind of physical or mental disability. The company is bound under the law to provide desired facilities to disabled employees. All staff needs to be aware of the legal aspect of the law not to discriminate an employee even for having relationship with a person of disability . It should be clear to all concerned that our country’s law is against any such discrimination over employment, which may be related to hiring, notice to quit job, salary, job roles, promotions, layoff, training, fringe benefits, and other job related terms and conditions . Harassment of disabled employees is an illegal act. Even an offensive remark can be discriminatory if it is randomly made. It is necessary for the creation of congenial work environment that such derogatory comments are rarely made. Not only the colleagues or managers, sometimes customers also harass a disabled employee. We need to take extra precaution in this regard to check the behavior of all; it is very much in the wider interests of our company . It is our managerial responsibility to ensure that our employees with disabilities get suitable accommodation while performing the assigned work. We need to provide them with all the benefits and privileges of employment. Wherever a disabled employee requires a wheelchair or the provision of a reader or interpreter, it is the management’s responsibility to ensure facilitating him with these facilities . †¢ If an individual is understood to have a physical or mental disability, which is not temporary

Manufactured Operations in China Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Manufactured Operations in China - Research Paper Example There is an abundance of labor in China due to the fact that the country has the highest population in the world. The workers in China are more disciplined than its American counterparts and have higher respect for the job. A major obstacle to doing business in China is that companies must abide by the governmental rules of a communist nation. Companies that want to expand internationally have to seriously consider expanding to China. Abiding by the governmental rules is a constraint that can be overcome by the abundance of business opportunities for companies operating in China. The business rules of China are not as strict as in the past. Prior to China’s entrance in the World Trade Organization (WTO) in 2001 companies that wanted to penetrate China had to form a 50-50 joint venture with an established Chinese company (Cnn, 2001). Today firms from the United States or other parts of the world can form whole owned subsidiaries in China. I think that the rule that sales in China have to be contingent on a company establishing its operations there is not that bad. Operating a manufacturing center in China is an extremely profitable proposition due to the lower operating costs in comparison with other parts of the world. Exploiting the Chinese retail market is a very beneficial proposition. In China due to the industrialization movement and economic growth there is a growing middle class that is eager to purchase consumer products in order to increase their quality of living. The massive population of China can help any company increase its sales numbers in a short amount of time. Short term gains are very important to increase the immediate profitability of a company. There are opportunities for market penetration in China in many industries. Overcoming the cultural barrier in China is important towards the success of an enterprise that establishes operations there. The majority of Chinese

Duke Elington Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Duke Elington - Essay Example In my opinion success for him was being original and establishing his or her own self by their hidden qualities and discovering yourself. He was beyond all boundaries and crossed all perimeters of extraordinary work and therefore was beyond all the prevailing categories. Therefore he is an inspiration for many of us out there exceeding all the categories. 2.The two isolated principles or method that The Duke Ellington applied it life and music. These can help others to succeed in the following manner. According to him he applied innovation to his music. He was a revolutionist who brought new concept in the field of music which is the best example of innovation is his Jazz music. He brought changes which reshaped and revolutionized the present standards. That was set by his ancestors. Another thing that was remarkable and seen in his era was thathis efforts showcased unity. He was the first one to bring a change so he gathered so many people under one platform and formed a band. Ellin gton gathered them and amalgamated them into a single band which was formed to propagate this form of music. This is a great example of success through unity. He knew that he was not anything until and unless people supported him with the cause so he accumulated many men with the same mindset and propagated music formulating a band which is his greatest achievement. Another thing that led to success was that he did not care about gaining fame and popularity. He only worked to spread music therefore he gathered everyone and worked together in benefit of the cause which was to spread jazz music everywhere. 3. Looking at Ellington from the view point and perspective of my major and music, many of his achievement are as followsof Duke Ellington is the most prominent composer in the history of jazz music. He was the leader of a band who was managing a huge group simultaneously for about a time period of almost 50 years. The two features of his career that are very prominent are related t o the usage of Ellington's band as a laboratory to experiment music where he created new compositions and sculptured his writing in such a manner that would exhibit the qualities, talent and strength of his band members. Many of his band members were his partners from a very long time. Ellington was also in writing scores for films and also prepared musical programs for the stage. He devised various musical instruments which were incorporated in his songs that became standardized. While he was travelling a lot years he was in and years he was out, he continued to record extensively. Which eventually led to formation of a gigantic body of work he did which is still being accessed and admired by many of his followers even after a quarter of a century after he has departed from us. He still lives to serve as an inspiration for many. He is a revolutionist who was very devoted to his work and devoted his entire life for music. 4.The characteristics of Ellingtonia music is as follows: Ell ington's style encompassed five different and distinct tunes and compositions that were dance numbers, the style of jungle or the numbers of production for the cotton club, the mood pieces or the blue pieces, pop pieces which were initially work of others but later he produced his own and finally those musical compositions which

Manufactured Operations in China Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Manufactured Operations in China - Research Paper Example There is an abundance of labor in China due to the fact that the country has the highest population in the world. The workers in China are more disciplined than its American counterparts and have higher respect for the job. A major obstacle to doing business in China is that companies must abide by the governmental rules of a communist nation. Companies that want to expand internationally have to seriously consider expanding to China. Abiding by the governmental rules is a constraint that can be overcome by the abundance of business opportunities for companies operating in China. The business rules of China are not as strict as in the past. Prior to China’s entrance in the World Trade Organization (WTO) in 2001 companies that wanted to penetrate China had to form a 50-50 joint venture with an established Chinese company (Cnn, 2001). Today firms from the United States or other parts of the world can form whole owned subsidiaries in China. I think that the rule that sales in China have to be contingent on a company establishing its operations there is not that bad. Operating a manufacturing center in China is an extremely profitable proposition due to the lower operating costs in comparison with other parts of the world. Exploiting the Chinese retail market is a very beneficial proposition. In China due to the industrialization movement and economic growth there is a growing middle class that is eager to purchase consumer products in order to increase their quality of living. The massive population of China can help any company increase its sales numbers in a short amount of time. Short term gains are very important to increase the immediate profitability of a company. There are opportunities for market penetration in China in many industries. Overcoming the cultural barrier in China is important towards the success of an enterprise that establishes operations there. The majority of Chinese

Nora therapeutic nurse-patient relationship is cultural consideration Essay

Nora therapeutic nurse-patient relationship is cultural consideration - Essay Example In the case of Nora, the most important determinants of the therapeutic nurse-patient relationship would be cultural considerations and the nature of the nurse-patient rapport, which is dependent on effective communication. Communication between the nurse and the patients facilitates the transfer of information, concerns, queries and expectations between the two parties. If knowledge regarding the disease course, the treatment modalities available, and the post-hospitalization course is transferred effectively to the patient, it can result in greater patient satisfaction as the patient is well informed about what to expect (McQueen, 2000). Moreover, it also enables the patients to develop their trust in the nurses and helps in mitigating any existing anxiety or stress on the part of the patient (Kirk, 2007). Such communication can be achieved if the nurses posses effective communication skills, such as displaying empathy, active listening and use of non-verbal gestures in order to ma ke the patient comfortable and to establish a good rapport (Jasmine, 2009; Chant, Jenkinson, Randle, & Russell, 2002).

Plan for Closing the Achievement Gap for Latino Students

Plan for Closing the Achievement Gap for Latino Students Chapter 1 Definition of the Problem The American education experienced long and sustained period of school reforms filled with significant challenges. The policymakers as well as the governors made the school reform movement their top project priority since the 1980s (Sindelar, Shearer, Yendol-Hoppey Liebert, 2006). The school reform movement undergone profound achievements in the past and continues to tackle significant challenges although it has achieved its goal in creating changes to school conditions, student performance, and institutional policy. The National Governors Association for Best Practices is looking into the achievement gap challenge facing the schools today (Grant, 2009). This requires creating new policies and developing old policies to close in the achievement gap problems happening in several states. The policy primer discloses the nature of the achievement gap problem, its history, and the different states efforts to solve the existing problem. The primer also discusses alternative solutions and strategies at state level including important issues and factors to avoid in implementing solutions. Understanding the achievement gap context The achievement gap context is all about the differences one sees between people coming from different race and class (Chubb Loveless, 2002). There is an increasing difference concerning the performance of students coming from the disadvantaged minority as compared to the performance demonstrated by white students of the same grade level (Chubb Loveless, 2002). This achievement gap is a clear issue of racism and the effects of the power of the privilege. Educational institutions, educators, and policymakers face genuine lack of understanding creating and developing schools that can cope up with the context of a diversified society. The challenge goes on with the creation of correct policy that could help close the achievement gap. Federal response to the urgent persisting achievement gap problem The No Child Left Behind Act or NCLB is an attempt by the Federal government to close the achievement gap (Chamberlain, 2004). The policy set forth a new accountability practice for American schools to set the same standards with detailed plan for testing performance to ensure students meet preset standards of the schools. The framework of the NCLB allows a student to transfer to other schools located at the same district if he fails to pass the test performance set by the school. It is the responsibility of the school district to provide persistently failing students supplemental services as well as choices to study at other schools operating within the same district (Chamberlain, 2004). The school needs to demonstrate adequate progress about the problems of persistently failing students. Failure to show progress makes them open for state law corrective action (Chamberlain, 2004). The schools focus their performance targets based on the conditions of the students with disabilities a nd coming from disadvantaged family background. This includes students coming from ethnic or minority group that possess limited English language skills and proficiency. However, well performing schools are still required to alter school practices, policies, and governance to accelerate and enhance the educational experience of the disadvantaged group of students. The state considers a school as well performing only when they become successful in bridging the achievement gap. The intervention of the new Federal law on the educational scene has created quite a stir among schools struggling to meet the new set of policies and criteria. How do you measure the achievement gap? NCLB Act is clearly a Federal strategy to challenge the achievement gap brought by the effects and challenges of inequality among students in the US. Schools measure achievement gap by comparing African-American test scores and academic performance with the Hispanic group and white Americans using standard assessment tests (Chamberlain, 2004). Survey statistics gathered by the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) reflected a narrow gap between Hispanic and African-American 17 year old students reading scores for the period 1975 to 1988 (US Commission on Civil Rights, 2004). The gap becomes wider or somehow constant in the areas of mathematics and reading during 1990 to 1999. The NAEP charts on achievement gap raised concern over the intelligence and skills of the disadvantaged minority students. The Education Trust analysis on the NAEP data bothered policymakers. It concluded that the grade 12 level disadvantaged minority students performed similar to the level of the students studying four years behind them (Ferguson Mehta, 2004). The skills of the Latino and African-American 17 year old students are comparable to the skills possessed by the 13-year-old White students in the subjects of English, science, and mathematics (Ferguson Mehta, 2004). The educational attainment is another way to measure the achievement gap between races. The different ethnicities showed wider gap as to the highest educational level of attainment they had achieved in the past. The groups showed gaps in all discipline. Dropouts among African-American and Hispanic groups in high school are heavier even though the tuition fee rates are lower than those rates given to the Whites (Ferguson Mehta, 2004). The Whites show more effort in trying to get a college degree than the Blacks and Hispanic young adults. Policymakers and schools do not overstate the importance of achievement gaps but actually noted the big difference between Whites and other ethnic groups educational achievement specifically Hispanic and African-American groups (Chubb Loveless, 2002). The achievement gap is the outcome of local and national standard test measures between diversified groups of students mostly categorized by ethnicity and socioeconomic status (Chubb Loveless, 2002). The other forms of category applicable to the groups are their gender and ability. There are many ways that a school can measure the achievement gap between the groups such as test scores resulting from standardized test and average grades obtained by each group. The dropout rates, highest level of educational attainment, and population of college enrollees are other ways to measure the achievement gap between ethnicities (Strictland Alvermann, 2004). Although the results of this statistic survey came from different American states, the same thing is also happening with other countries. These achievement gaps noted across countries showed the possible effects brought by discrimination and social injustice. The government made a good move eradicating social discrimination. The move to bridge the achievement gap between ethnicities also responds to their effort to solve existing social discrimination at the same time. Eradicating the gap as a public policy would help eliminate the other problem of social discrimination. However, some people disagree that the core causes of the achievement gap come from a persons class, culture, or even biology. These people believe that policymakers can directly influence economics and education using progressive education based on multiculturalism. This idea is more effective in helping them achieve equality among ethnic groups. Identified factors causing the widening achievement gap Researchers do not have any clear idea about the real reason for the increasing achievement gap between ethnic groups. Structural as well as cultural factors played a major role to the widening discrepancy. Students lacking the cultural capital portrayed by the middle class are likely to show low academic scores and achievements especially if they experience little parental involvement concerning their education and home coursework (Strictland Alvermann, 2004). Annete Lareau stated that better resource students demonstrate more accomplishments in academics and life (Lareau, 2000). Other researchers believed that a persons ability to achieve more in life and academics largely depends on its socioeconomic condition and the classification of race from which he belongs. It is evident that students belonging to the disadvantaged minority suffer the adverse result of the achievement gap because they find themselves at a disadvantage position than the White students. Understanding the effects of the environment and culture to students performance The culture, traditions, beliefs, social roles, and environment of the student influence the students performance and are factors that need extra consideration and study when dealing with the core causes of achievement gap (Lareau, 2000). It would be for the researchers advantage that he should look into the lives, environment, economic condition, and practices of the disadvantaged minority to ascertain and identify specific cultural differences that can help explain the differences of the child-parent relationships between ethnic group families (Lareau, 2000). Cultural differences shaped the childs behavior and motivation to become achievers. The authors Jencks and Phillips argue that a child belonging to the Black family do not have much motivation and encouragement from their parents because of the lack of understanding about the benefits of education and obtaining academic skills (Jencks Phillips, 1998). The lack of awareness resulted to Black children going to school with little vocabularies than their White counterparts. Studies claimed that students with parental involvement such as homework assistance show more progress in school (De Carvalho, 2001). In comparison, the disadvantaged minority consists of single parents have to spend more of their time looking for money to cope up with their household economics and other needs rather than staying and getting involve with their childs homework (De Carvalho, 2001). The minority group also consists of parents that do not understand nor speak English well. The study points two major causes of the childs difficulty namely unavailable English speaker at home and lack of parental involvement for homework. Researchers highly believed that children from the minority group do not attend school because they are not willing to find themselves in comparison with the Whites and accused as behaving like the White children by their peers (De Carvalho, 2001). The children of the minority group simply lack the motivation and the understanding to pursue higher education because they do not see and believe the benefits and role of education in their future. They possess little understanding about the benefits that knowledge and higher education bring to their lives and how it could improve years of hard work (De Carvalho, 2001). The common minority behavior from lack of motivation to do better in school is plain rejection of the idea to achieve something more in their future. It is like giving up their potential and the ability to do more by not studying and working hard to make any progress in their social status as well as to receive higher wages. Furthermore, researchers found that schools often set up their performance measures based from the students knowledge as well as familiarity about the White group that belongs to the middle class cultural capital. It is obvious that the disadvantaged minority is not familiar about the middle class cultural capital background of the White group. Schools need to change their test for students performance and base it on their understanding of the subject matter. The test should be solely base on how they understand and perceive the subject they are taking. How structures of the institutions influence the students? Students coming from the disadvantaged minority group definitely go to schools categorized by the district as poorly funded schools (Danielson, 2002). Children belonging to low-income household attend poorly funded schools because it is the only affordable form of education. Schools belonging to the poorly funded school category have limited resources and employ teachers with less qualification (Danielson, 2002). Schools tried to solve the achievement gap between ethnicities by placing students in tracking education groups. The framework of the tracking education group assigns students within the same school into several groups base on their skills and academic abilities (Ansalone Biafora, 2004). The schools then tailored the teachers lesson plans to meet the varying requirements of the different sets of learners abilities (Ansalone Biafora, 2004). The strategy made dramatic progress to some learners. However, some schools based their grouping from the students cultural capital and socioeconomic status that results to the disadvantaged minority overly representing the lower educational group (Ansalone Biafora, 2004). This made schools placed the African-Americans and the Hispanic students into the lower educational group. Their perception about the minority group wrongly placed the African-Americans and the Hispanic students, which reflects practice of institutional racism (Ansalone Biafora, 2004). This confirms some researchers beliefs that the initiation of the tracking education groups implies the existence of racial segregation within the school system itself. Several studies performed on tracking education groups provided negative results. The implementation of the tracking education groups harmed the potential of the minority students to learn more skills because the teachers assigned to their groups are less qualified (Molnar, 2003). The curriculum design for the minority group is also less challenging and provides less opportunity for advancement in their academic fields. The peers as well as the teachers of the students belonging to the lower tracking educational group labeled them as slow learners. This greatly affected their self-confidence and motivation to continue their studies, which resulted to increasing minority school dropouts. Concerned psychologist claimed that the schools tracking groups outcomes might not be beneficial to all groups (Molnar, 2003). They cannot identify any lasting benefit to the grouping. Chapter 2 Rational The schools explanation over the creation of the tracking education widely varies. The goal to find applicable institutional and policy solutions to narrow the achievement gap gave birth to drafting education reforms. The categorization leads schools to provide remedial classes as well as tutoring sessions for identified less performing students. Strategies applied to narrow the ethnicities achievement gap The school provided tutoring sessions to the less advantaged and low performing students after school. They also offer remedial classes to help underperformers. The main problem noted with the categorization program is the pressure it gave to minority students. The program pushes minority students or underperformers to learn at a fast pace in an attempt to catch up with the performing groups usually comprise of their White counterparts. The catch up required more efforts from the teachers and gave much pressure to the students. The schools changed their categorization by race to grouping the students according to their ability. This new grouping criteria enabled schools to provide fair quality education for the students without considering ethnicity. The detracking scheme made schools and teachers perceive students equally (Burris Welner, 2005). This also made schools provide more teachers that are qualified to the different groups, design their curriculum appropriately, and provide more resources to the learners. Understanding the condition of the minority The Blacks and the Latinos usually describe the low-income minority of the United States (Aragon, 2000). These students usually come from poor families and comprise the less performing group in school. The schools can easily identify minority students based on their SAT scores. Minority students often obtain lower scores than their White peers (Aragon, 2000). The schools broke down their SAT scores according to their socioeconomic status. The results showed that the Blacks and the Latino students usually achieve lower SAT scores than the Whites. However, Asians still achieve higher SAT scores than their White peers who belong to the same family income level. The analysis of the authors Steven G. Rivkin and Eric A. Hanushek fully explained the core causes of the increasing achievement gap. In their book published last 2006, the authors discussed the effects of the schools effort to group the students according to their socioeconomics and ethnicity (Hanushek Rivkin, 2006). The racial concentration in certain groups created the unequal distribution of experienced teachers and the inexperienced teachers (Hanushek Rivkin, 2006). The study noted the increasing achievement gap in the grades 3 and grades 8 levels. Looking into the structure of the high performers that belongs to the minority group There are minority students who managed to excel in their grade levels. One great example of minority high performers is the students attending at Davidson Magnet School of Augusta, Georgia. The other school with minority high performers is the Amistad Academy located in New Haven, Connecticut. The schools strategically employ traditional and rigorous training instructions that include providing direct instruction to students. Researchers found direct instruction effective and efficient in developing the skill levels of the learners coming from the inner city of the research title Project Follow Through (Harris Graham, 2007). Black schools sometimes perform higher than their White counterparts do. The results of the annual test during the later part of the 19th century at Washington, DC can prove this claim. The Blacks performing higher than the Whites do continued until the middle of the 20th century. The M Street School gave quite a performance during this period by exceeding on the national standardized test. The author Carl L. Bankston III and his partner researcher Stephen J. Caldas claimed that the achievement gap causes the segregation of the schools in US (Caldas Bankston, 2005). The book titled â€Å"A troubled dream: The promise and failure of school desegregation in Louisiana† published in 2002 and the other book titled â€Å"Forced to fail: The paradox of school desegregation† published in 2005, clearly pointed that students benefit more when placed in the same school with high achieving students (Caldas Bankston, 2005). Their research also showed that students experienced academic disadvantage when they interact more with low achieving schoolmates. This proves their perception about the achievement gap as the core cause of school segregation. This means that parents played a major role and are greatly involve in the creation of school segregation for the fact that many parents even avoid sending their children to schools with larger minority student population (Caldas Bankston, 2005). Understanding the standards based form of education reform The standard based education reform based its classification by the education characteristics and income level of the student regardless of performance (US Commission on Civil Rights, 2004). Most schools in US decide to adopt the education reform. The policymakers believed that students regardless of race and gender have the potential to become achievers and receive higher pay levels. There is a need to study the content and context as well as the effects of the states education policy and compare them with the education policies of other nations. Improved performance is attainable using the standard based assessments with clear set of incentives such as examination for high school graduation (US Commission on Civil Rights, 2004). The student reforms of whole language, multiculturalism, affirmative action, block scheduling, desegregation, inquiry-based science, and reform mathematics were not successful in improving the achievements of the students. The recent NCLB legislation requires students to take annual testing and demonstrate progress at an acceptable rate every school year. The federal government imposed sanctions to schools with larger population of under performing students. Obviously, the schools having the greatest attendance of minority and poor students face the problems of coping up with the legislation and working on the skills of the students. Those who favored the traditional education claimed that the schools are not designing the education reforms in a constructive way because the reforms are not curriculum and student based. The IQ tests and the SAT are widely accepted as norm-referenced tests. Some people claimed the ACT as limiting chances for the minorities. Many people favored the standards based assessment because they have a clear definition and design of the criteria for the reference test (US Commission on Civil Rights, 2004). The criteria are acceptable and regarded as free from any cultural bias. The students can easily pass the reference test criteria. In 2006, states like the Washington questioned the effectiveness of the approach. The assessment became a mandatory requirement for graduation. Terry Bergeson, a Superintendent, believes that students coming from the disadvantaged minority can compete and are capable of achieving higher scores (Thomas, 2005). However, these minority students need additional help to perform more. MCAS in Massachusetts showed higher percentage of graduating students for all races. In the Fairtest point, there are still many minority students dropping out and performing less than the Whites and Asians. Although the Washington state has narrowed the achievement gap, researchers cannot find any conclusive evidence that the standard based reforms are effective in closing the achievement gap. The author of the book titled â€Å"The Bell Curve†, Charles Murray, looked into the point gaps and its relative improvement (Locke, 1995). His analysis implied that the test is theoretically easy to pass but actually difficult to answer. The test consists of open-response questions that are mostly problem solving, reading, writing, and mathematics. Minorities who fail the test are about twice or even four times than the population of the students that achieve high scores of the testing history. In 2006, only one sophomore student belonging to the minority group passed the standard test. One needs to pass WASL to obtain a diploma. The tasks of keeping American public schools from educational failure depends on how fast policymakers and educators provide efficient policies and effective structure of framework for teaching that can respond to the students individual differences and capabilities. There is a rising need for educational institutions to meet projected challenges posed by changing demographic trends and requirements. The most crucial part is the transmission of societal values from diversified students of differing religion, philosophy, history, and political context. The lack of understanding of each ethnic group values and culture endangers the opportunity of any education reform to work for the learners. Chapter 3 Significance of the problem The American Indian group always ranked below the Latino and the African American students in terms of graduation rates and standardized test scores. The three groups always showed significant numbers concerning dropout rates. The achievement gap persists in the US history. The study published in the Education week revealed that American Indian or Alaska Native students graduation rate is about 47.4 percent. The foundation of the couple Bill and Melinda Gates funded the study. The statistics showed that American Indians were 30 points below their White peers, which means that about half of the graduating students belonging to the minority failed. The Council of Chief State School Officers report in 2006 declared that the low attendance of American Indian students across the country is a significant problem among the states specifically West Mississippi (Council of Chief State School Officers, 2006). The persisting problem about the achievement gap of the African Americans, Hispanic, Asian Americans, and Caucasian students present a challenge to the present structure of public education (Zajda, 2005). The gap narrowed a little during the 1970s and the 1980s and then started to widen again in 1990. The gap persists to widen until today (Vanneman, Hamilton, Anderson Rahman, 2009). There were about 22% grades 4 White students who scored below the basic NAEP test for reading in 2007. The report also showed about 50% Hispanic and 54% Black students who obtained scores below the basic NAEP. There were about 16% White students at grades 8 who scored below the basic mark required to pass the reading test. There were about 42% Hispanic and 45% Black students performing below the basic mark required to pass the reading test. The wide achievement gap reflected in their math scores also. Some people argued that district resegregation across the states reinforced the rising disparity problems. This is especially true in the northern and southern districts (Kozol, 2005). The White parents enroll their children in high quality suburban schools while the African-American as well as the Hispanic families enroll their children in racially isolated schools. These racially isolated institutions normally provide school instruction of very low quality and normally face other types of problems (Zajda, 2005). The California state is the most affected state in the US. Jack OConnell, State Superintendent, considers the task of helping the minority as moral, economic, and ethical imperative (Gerston Christensen, 2009). The California Department of Education (2009) revealed the state needs to prepare and train the students especially the African-American and the Latino to compete in the global economy. This would make California gain a competitive edge over world economic leaders. The success of the task largely depends on how well the students respond to the NCLB standardized test. Taylor (2006) is the main advocate of the Critical Race Theory. He tried to bring awareness about the racial minority and institutionalized oppression hidden under the Federal as well as state policies. Although the Federal government created the NCLB in an attempt to bridge the achievement gap, Taylor claimed that the Federal regulation puts too much pressure over the educators and students in trying to improve academic performance. Taylor claimed that the movement did not correctly address the issues stated in The Colors of Poverty by Lin and Harris. Taylor claimed that putting pressure to perform better does not respond to the racial segregation practices and policies. People and policymakers do not even understand the occurrence and the consequence of the practices nor do they have the ability to reverse its occurrence (Taylor, 2006). Understanding the context of differentiated instruction Differentiated instruction makes students the center of learning and teaching based from the theory that students come to school bearing different skills implying unique differences on their learning needs (Tomlinson, 1999). The varying degrees of differences may refer to their personal and educational context, community or environment background, and academic skills. The educators under the differentiated instruction design and employ several methods of instruction that can facilitate the learning experiences of the diversified students in the classroom effectively. The goal is to match students skills to the resource materials in a qualitative manner. The program includes blending the needs of the whole class with the design of their individual instruction using effective approaches and methods to expedite the processing of knowledge, input and output, of the learners. This requires constant assessment of the students progress by their respective classroom teachers. Policymakers considered the differentiated instruction movement as a proactive approach to educational issues facing practitioners today (Tomlinson, 1999). The proactive approach makes the students become more comfortable in pursuing their education. Educators refine and tailor their instructions according to the needs of the students. This also entails adjusting the curriculum to fit the students academic needs. Teachers committed to this approach understand that the students they teach shape their teaching style and practically believe that students create awareness on teachers how to shape them. The students personality and learning style necessarily influence the instructors teaching philosophy and methods (Tomlinson, 1999). This is the only way to get through them and seems the only possible way that they get to learn things. Creating a model for differentiated instruction requires student centered approach that supports the key elements of interest, readiness, and learning profile (Allan Tomlinson, 2000). The Russian psychologist, Lev Vygotsky, declared that people receive and learn more things when they are ready to learn these things (Daniels, 2001), which is the theory behind the differentiated instruction movement. The differentiated instruction approach matches the individuals interest and methods of learning. This approach supports the student interest, which is one of the key elements of differentiated instruction. Jerome Bruner claimed that the moment a teacher gains the interest of the student is the specific moment that a student starts to learn and the learning experience becomes more rewarding (Tomlinson Allan, 2000). The American psychologist who wrote about the multiple intelligence theory, Howard Gardner, claimed that a human being is a unique individual that possesses different levels of intelligence and perceives learning in different ways. This led him to suggest that schools need to look into the possibility of providing individual-centered approach. The framework tailors the curriculum to the intelligence and preferences of the child (Tomlinson Allan, 2000). This suggestion fits to the different student learning profile key element of differentiated instruction. The context of differentiated instruction supports and integrates the learning styles of the students to the conditions of their brain development. This constructivist learning theory details and analyzes the various factors that influence the readiness, intelligence preferences, and the interest of the students that motivate and engage them to learn at school (Anderson, 2007). Kathie Nunley, an educational psychologist, stated that the movement for differentiated instruction is crucial to the classroom makeover from the 1970s homogeneous groupings to the present heterogeneous learners (Nunley, 2006). Educators using the differentiated instruction approach are able to ascertain and meet the differing needs of the students, help each student in their learning process, and exceed expectations from established standards (Levy, 2008). Tomlinson believed that the need to implement differentiated instruction came from the fact that learners are unique individuals that vary in different ways. The student population is also fast becoming academically diverse, which presents higher probability that diversity will continue for a long time. Pre-assessment criteria for differentiated instruction The most crucial part of the differentiated instruction program is the assessment, identification, and determination of the students skills and knowledge. Educators need to understand the level of their skills for identification and design of the instruction methods and approach. The students skill levels and knowledge base are crucial

The Flower Problem - Original Writing :: Papers

The Flower Problem - Original Writing Carwood Creek was sleeping at his desk when there was a knock at his door. He woke suddenly and beckoned the person in. In came Dr. Foster, Creek's long time detective partner and another man, whom Creek had never laid eyes on. The other man was short and plump, he wore emerald overalls and had bags under his eyes. Creek pointed to the chair and the man sat down. 'This man, Henry Lipton, has a mystery for you to solve,' Foster told Creek. Creek nodded his head and asked for the man to proceed. 'I have come here to ask you to solve a crime and mystery that is happening at my shop,' Lipton explained, 'I chose you to try and solve it because I have heard you have a very good record at solving crimes. The story starts off like this, I work at a florist and every time I get a delivery of flowers I find the heads cut off before I arrive to open the shop. After this had happened five times I decided to have them delivered inside the shop. I couldn't believe it when I came in next day to find the heads cut off still and half of my batch gone. This act is losing me customers and I am losing lots of money fast.' 'Are there any others florists near by.' 'Only one, and their business is booming due to the failure of mine.' 'Does anyone else apart from you work in your shop. 'Yes, only occasionally. His name is Richard Spears and he works just Saturdays.' 'When are the flowers delivered?' 'On Friday and there are double orders as it is the run up to Christmas.' 'So tell me about this other business. Who is the other owner? Do you get along well with him?' 'He is Ronald Philips. He hates me and always finds a way to humiliating me. I hate him in return. He has an assistant Andrew Christenson, who works there all the time and is like a brother to

Humorous Wedding Speech Made by a Fellow Teacher :: Wedding Toasts Roasts Speeches

Humorous Wedding Speech Made by a Fellow Teacher Ladies and gentlemen, it's an honour to be standing here. I suppose I should actually say it's an honour and a pleasure, but I know the pleasure won’t kick in until this speech part is over. I must admit to being a little surprised when James invited me to his wedding as I only met him a few years ago. But on reflection, I think he was swayed by the fact that I know very little about the first years of his life, which therefore puts some rather embarrassing stories out of reach. James and I have been close ever since we met whilst (while) teaching at Ferndale secondary school - so close, in fact, that he has told me secrets that nobody else knows. One of those secrets is that James keeps a diary. In preparation for this speech, I decided to swipe his diary and would now like to read to you a few of the entries that chart the blossoming romance between James and Anis. [pull out a diary prop] So here it goes: September 5th 1998 – Today was my first day as a teacher. When the kids got out of line, I just got loud and acted tough like dad does. I hope they don't realize that I am really just a big sissy. September 6th 1998 – A pretty teacher at school talked to me today. That was weird. September 7th 1998 – I said â€Å"hi† to the pretty girl today. It's a good thing Jason [best man] taught me how to be cool. September 13th 1998 – Ate dinner at Pizza Hut tonight with Jason, Sarah, and the pretty girl named Anis. I think I like her. September 14th 1998 – I couldn't sleep last night with all the butterflies in my stomach. I think I like this girl more than my car. September 15th 1998 – Jason is the coolest guy I know. I hope he doesn’t decide to go out with Anis. September 14th 1998 – Anis kissed me. It was amazing. I haven't kissed a girl since Freshers’ Week at Uni (the university). December 7th 2001 – I proposed to Anis today. She accepted, but only after criticizing my way of kneeling. This is one of the happiest days of my life. Unfortunately, I can't see much because I've been crying like a little girl.

Magnet Status

While many nurses are campaigning for staffing ratios, others are putting their hopes in a different kind of â€Å"magnet† – hospitals throughout North America (and one in the United Kingdom) that have received special designation by the American Nurses Association (ANA) through its American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC). Some supporters of the â€Å"Magnet hospital† concept view it as a substitute for ratios, others don’t. The term â€Å"Magnet† was coined in the 1980s, when researchers for the American Academy of Nursing (AAN), and ANA affiliate, began analyzing hospitals with a good record of nurse retention. The forty-six facilities studies in the original 1983 report were places where nurses, not surprisingly, said they liked to work. These hospitals had low turnover and vacancy rates, although they were located in areas with a lot of labor market competition for nurses (Gordon, 2005). Hospitals that act as a â€Å"magnet† for excellence creates a work surrounding that distinguish, rewards, and promote proficient nursing. Organization attributes that attract nurses to magnet hospitals support better patient care and outcomes, including a strong presence of nurses in patient care decision making, a high level collegiality between nurses and physicians, and more time for nurses to care for and teach patients, and the encouragement and expectation of critical thinking. Magnet designation is also an effective marketing tool for attracting patients and for recruiting and retaining quality nursing staff. Although the magnet designation provides numerous benefits for a hospital, the road to attaining it is not an easy one. The written application for magnet status must demonstrate how the hospital implements the Scope and Standards for Nursing Administrators and how it incorporates the forces of magnetism within nursing services. It can take two or more years to perform the assessment, compile the documentation, and have the site visit by magnet reviewers (Grossman, 2007). Some tips on making the journey to magnet designation a successful one include the following: –  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Get buy-in front from executive management, nurse managers, and nursing staff –  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Seek advice from other organizations that have navigated the process –  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Organize the effort across all organizational levels and departments –  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Establish a timeline to keep team efforts on track and promote team focus –  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Coordinate personality styles and team members’ strengths, teaming â€Å"thinkers† with â€Å"doers† Hospitals meet the magnet standards by having a flatter organizational structure that allows nurses more say in both patient care and how their jobs are designed, making the chief nursing officer part of the executive team, hiring more staff nurses and reducing or eliminating agency and travel nurses, and supporting top nurses in pursuing research and advanced degrees (Porche, 2005). References: Gordon, S. (2005). Nursing Against the Odds: How Health Care Cost Cutting, Media Stereotypes, and Medical Hubris Undermine Nurses and Patient Care. New York: Cornell University Press. Grossman, S. (2007). Mentoring in Nursing: A Dynamic and Collaborative Process. New York: Springer Publishing Comapny. Porche, R. A. (2005). Issues and Strategies for Nurse Leaders: Meeting Hospital Challenges Today. Oakbrook Terrace, IL: Joint Commission Resources.   

Corporate social responsibility Essay

Social responsibility is an ethical theory that an entity, be it an organization or individual, has an obligation to act to benefit society at large. Social responsibility is a duty every individual has to perform so as to maintain a balance between the economy and the ecosystems. Businesses can use ethical decision making to secure their businesses by making decisions that allow for government agencies to minimize their involvement with the corporation. Critics argue that Corporate social responsibility (CSR) distracts from the fundamental economic role of businesses; others argue that it is nothing more than superficial window-dressing; others argue that it is an attempt to pre-empt the role of governments as a watchdog over powerful corporations though there is no systematic evidence to support these criticisms. A significant number of studies have shown no negative influence on shareholder results from CSR but rather a slightly negative correlation with improved shareholder returns. Corporate social responsibility (CSR, also called corporate conscience, corporate citizenship, social performance, or sustainable responsible business/ Responsible Business) is a form of corporate self-regulation integrated into a business model. CSR policy functions as a built-in, self-regulating mechanism whereby a business monitors and ensures its active compliance with the spirit of the law, ethical standards, and international norms. In some models, a firm’s implementation of CSR goes beyond compliance and engages in â€Å"actions that appear to further some social good, beyond the interests of the firm and that which is required by law. CSR is a process with the aim to embrace responsibility for the company’s actions and encourage a positive impact through its activities on the environment, consumers, employees, communities, stakeholders and all other members of the public sphere who may also be considered as stakeholders. FUNCTIONS OF CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY The function of corporate social responsibility is for corporations to hold themselves accountable for the ethical, legal, societal and ecological impacts of their business practices. Corporate social responsibility practices are self-monitoring, meaning there aren’t laws requiring corporations to behave in a socially responsible manner. Rules regarding corporate responsibility practices are generally written into the corporate bylaws, mission statements and employee handbooks. Ethical Function Ethics are one of the most important aspects in corporate governance and therefore have an important function in corporate social responsibility. A company must have internal controls regarding the expected ethical behavior and consequences of unethical business practices of its top executives and employees. Behaving ethically makes the company as a whole accountable to its investors, shareholders and consumers. The ethical function of corporate social responsibility helps to prevent conflicts of interest between earning corporate profits and maintaining the integrity of the company and the goods and services it produces. Legal Function The legal function of corporate social responsibility is to encourage transparency in a company’s business practices and financial reporting. Maintaining high levels of legal business practices, such as adhering to Occupational Safety and Health Administration, or OSHA, regulations promotes goodwill toward employees. Maintaining high levels of legal financial practices maintains good will among investors, stakeholders and government financial-reporting regulatory agencies such as the Securities and Exchange Commission, or SEC. Societal Function The societal function of corporate social responsibility is to respect and invest in the communities in which the company operates. Companies are aware of how the production of their products affects the local community. These companies take necessary actions to diminish the negative impacts of factors such as increased traffic, noise and pollution for the communities in which they operate. The societal function of corporate social responsibility also includes companies reinvesting in the communities in which they operate, such as donating money to local charities. Ecological Function The ecological function of corporate social responsibility is to not only respect the immediate environment in which the company operates but also to respect the company’s effect on the global environment. Companies are aware of the environmental impact the production of their products have on their local communities. In corporate social responsibility, these companies adhere to strict standards in an effort to diminish the negative impact of the environmental byproducts such as air and water pollution from the production of their products. Having such standards impacts both the local and global environments. CHARACTERISTICS OF CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY The idea of Corporate Social Responsibility, CSR, first appeared in the late 1960s in response to the need for businesses to address the effect of their pursuits on the environment and society, in addition to the interests of their shareholders. CSR attempts to portray corporations as responsible citizens who are concerned with issues of social and environmental welfare. The Public CSR argues that corporations bear responsibility for the effect they have on other sectors of society. The activities of corporations have an impact on individuals who don’t work for them and don’t buy their products, through, for example, secondary economic impacts and degradation of the natural environment. CSR acknowledges this, and attempts to make the interactions between corporations and society positive and productive. This can be done by consulting with neighbors and citizens who are affected by corporate activities and by striving for transparency in corporate pursuits so that the public knows what is going on. The Environment Increased knowledge on the part of the public about declining resources, toxic waste and global warming is compelling companies to make more efforts to be more environmentally benign. The traditional view that the natural world is merely a source of materials and an equally convenient dump for waste is being challenged from many quarters, and CSR is an attempt by corporations to respond to these concerns. The sincerity of changes being made on the part of corporations includes some serious efforts to achieve sustainability and other efforts that are essentially â€Å"greenwashing,† activities in which corporations put more effort into appearing green than into actually being green. Clients CSR challenges the traditional wisdom that the interests and needs of the clients of a corporation will be adequately protected by the market itself. Because the free market has been severely compromised by a combination of government subsidies and manipulative marketing practices, CSR attempts to remedy this situation by installing practices into corporate life that will monitor the interaction between corporations and their clients in an attempt to ensure that nobody is being exploited or cheated. Consumer protection can be enforced by the government or voluntarily pursued by companies, the latter course have clear advantages for the public relations of the company. Staff Staff and employees of corporations have a right to expect fair pay, safe working conditions and meaningful work. CSR is one aspect of a transformation in the corporate world that attempts to overcome archaic views of workers as mere means to an end on the part of shareholders. Particularly in less developed countries that are often the sites of intensive resource extraction, the treatment of labor is frequently substandard. CSR is intended to promote the rights of all workers and to ensure that corporations respect these rights and make whatever changes are required to prevent the exploitation and mistreatment of labor. FOUR TYPES OF CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY As large corporations begin to dominate the world economy, it raises questions about the importance of corporate social responsibility in business. A variety of types of corporate social responsibilities have emerged in public discussions, and understanding their implications is important. Environmental Responsibility People expect businesses to exhibit environmentally responsible behavior, as evidenced by a PricewaterhouseCoopers survey that found that the No. 1 issue for companies in the future, according to U. S. respondents, is carbon emissions reductions. Specific environmental issues that affect businesses include global warming, sustainable resources and pollution. Businesses are being urged by environmental groups and governments to reduce their carbon footprint, to obtain their materials from sustainable sources and to reduce their pollution. Human Rights Responsibility The 21st-century marketplace is highly global. This means that when a product is purchased in the United States, for example, it may have been produced in China, or have components from South America. The ethical issue for corporations is ensuring that human rights are respected throughout all levels of the supply chain. Major companies have received criticism for their use of sweat shops and for sourcing resources that are harvested by unfairly treated workers. This has lead to a push for the use of strict labor standards to be applied to suppliers, and a demand for fair trade products such as chocolate and coffee. Financial Responsibility Financial responsibility is an important issue in corporate social responsibility. In the wake of the accounting fraud perpetrated by Enron and Arthur Andersen and Ponzi schemes orchestrated by the likes of Bernie Madoff, businesses are questioned about the accuracy of their financial reporting by increasingly skeptical shareholders and government officials, as evidenced by the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. Employees are expected to act as whistle blowers in such situations, and white collar crime is seeing high-profile prosecutions like that of Martha Stewart or former Worldcom CEO Bernie Ebbers. Political Responsibility Trading with repressive regimes is a difficult issue in corporate social responsibility. Some businesses argue that working with these regimes will help to advance them and bring rights to the countries. People and governments have demanded that businesses stop trading with repressive regimes, which was most notably observed when several western governments launched an embargo against the Apartheid government in South Africa during the 1980s. Shell Oil received considerable consumer backlash during the 1990s for its complicit involvement with the Nigerian government that murdered anti-oil activists. These issues make doing business with certain governments an important consideration for corporate social responsibility. PROS & CONS OF CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY Corporate social responsibility is generally perceived as a positive business ideology in the 21st century, despite some challenges. A significant expansion of basic business ethics, CSR establishes guidelines for ethical and socially responsible behavior. It addresses how companies that want to satisfy government and societal requirements should treat key stakeholder groups, including customers, suppliers, employees and the community. Pro 1: Social Responsibility and Customer Relationships One of the foundational elements of CSR is that it causes companies to reason beyond basic ethics to consider the benefits of active involvement in communities. In his article â€Å"The 7 Principles of Business Integrity,† business strategist Robert Moment argues that 21st-century companies must prove themselves to customers to build long-term, trusting relationships. They must also get involved in the community to give back. This community connection endears your company to the local markets in which you operate. Pro 2: Motivated Employees Employees are a company’s most valued asset. This is the premise of a company’s obligation to this key stakeholder group with regard to CSR compliance. This means treating employees with respect and offering fair working conditions. It also means establishing fair hiring practices and promoting a non-discriminatory workplace. This improves morale within the workplace and encourages teamwork. Additionally, a writer on the As You Sow website stresses the importance of managing a diverse workplace so that you can benefit from a variety of backgrounds and life experiences. Con 1: Expenses The main reason any company would object to participating in CSR is the associated costs. With CSR, you pay for environmental programs, more employee training and efficient waste management programs. Proponents of CSR agree that any expenses to businesses are ultimately covered by stronger relationships with key customers. However, David Vogel indicates in his Forbes article â€Å"CSR Doesn’t Pay† that investment in CSR programs may not necessary result in measurable financial results. Con 2: Shareholder Expectations Another challenge for companies when considering CSR is the possible negative perception of shareholders. Historically, publicly-owned companies had a primary focus of maximizing shareholder value. Now, they must balance the financial expectations of company owners with the social and environmental requirements of other stakeholder groups. Some shareholders are happy to invest in companies that operate with high integrity. Others may not approve of the aforementioned expenses of operating under CSR guidelines. IMPORTANCE OF CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY Social responsibility is so important to current and long-term business success that corporate social responsibility, CSR, has become a widely recognized business process in the early 21st century. An entrepreneur point out that CSR is an evolution of corporate ethics because it involves balancing the social expectations of all stakeholders, including shareholders, citizens, providers and customers, along with environmental responsibility. Basic Integrity Most experts and CSR analysts agree that this broad business concept is an evolution of basic business ethics and integrity. Entrepreneur and business strategist Robert Moment â€Å"The 7 Princes of Business Integrity† agree that treating stakeholders with respect and earning trust of customers through ethical business operations is the CSR foundation. Leading advocate of corporate accountability, the As You Sow Foundation, also stresses the importance of internal business controls that mandated ethics from corporate leaders and employees. Community Relations The word â€Å"social† is key to understanding how CSR goes beyond basic integrity. Moment states in one of his seven principles that as a CSR adherent, you must â€Å"remain involved in community-related issues and activities thereby demonstrating that your business is a responsible community contributor. † This community involvement and participation shows your marketplace that you are interested in more than just taking money from their pockets. In the long run, this strategy leads to a stronger public reputation and more profitable business relationships. The Environment Another reason CSR is much broader than conventional business ethics is its necessary inclusion of environmental responsibility. Once an opportunity for companies to add value and enhance their brand image, green-friendly operations are now a societal requirement with CSR. As You Sow discusses the importance of preserving the environment, optimizing efficient use of natural resources, such as renew, reuse and recycle, and reduction of waste as important to the environmental component of CSR. Companies that do not consider these initiatives draw the ire of the government, public and consumer watch groups. Bottom Line The underlying question is whether CSR operations improve a company’s bottom line performance. David Vogel argues in his 2008 Forbes article that â€Å"CSR Doesn’t Pay. † Vogel argues that operating under CSR guidelines is not likely to produce higher tangible profits for a company throughout time. Now that socially responsible behavior is expected, it goes largely unnoticed, argues Vogel. He does agree, though, that companies that ignore CSR may experience public backlash and negative business consequences. Still, many advocates of CSR believe that companies can still profit in the long run through stronger business and customer relationships. PRINCIPLES OF CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY The main principles involving corporate social responsibility involve economic, legal, ethical and discretionary aspects. A corporation needs to generate profits, while operating within the laws of the state. The corporation also needs to be ethical, but has the right to be discretional about the decisions it makes. Levels of corporate social responsiveness to an issue include being reactive, defensive, responsive and interactive. All terms are useful in issues management. Selecting when and how to act can make a difference in the outcome of the action taken. CSR has inspired national governments to include CSR issues into their national public policy agendas. The increased importance driven by CSR has prompted governments to promote socially and environmentally responsible corporate practices. Over the past decade governments have considered CSR as a public issue that requires national governmental involvement to address the very issues relevant to CSR. The heightened role of government in CSR has facilitated the development of numerous CSR programs and policies. Increasingly, corporations are motivated to become more socially responsible because their most important stakeholders expect them to understand and address the social and community issues that are relevant to them. Understanding what causes are important to employees is usually the first priority because of the many interrelated business benefits that can be derived from increased employee engagement (i. e. more loyalty, improved recruitment, increased retention, higher productivity, and so on). Key external stakeholders include customers, consumers, investors (particularly institutional investors), and communities in the areas where the corporation operates its facilities, regulators, academics, and the media. The debate, on whether responsibility of a business enterprise is only to its shareholders (owners) or to all stakeholders, including environment and the society at large, is an on going one and continues. In received literature â€Å"Stakeholder†, as an expression is fairly recent in origin, reportedly appearing first in an internal memorandum of the Stanford Research Institute in the year 1963. According to a definition given by Edward Freeman â€Å"A stakeholder is any group or individual who can effect, or is affected by the activities and achievements of an organization. † Friedrich Neubauer and Ada Demb in â€Å"The Legitimate Corporation† identify six groups of distinguishable stakeholders (not necessarily in this order) as follows a) Providers of funds b) Employees c) General public d) Government e) Customers and f) Suppliers An increasing number of companies are reporting publicly on their social, environmental and ethical performance, both as a communication to stakeholders, and as a management tool. However, as this practice has only become more widespread since the mid 1990s, there is as yet no standard format to address the type of information companies choose to report, or how that information is collected, analyzed and presented. At the same time, many stakeholders are becoming increasingly sophisticated in the type and quality of information they are demanding from companies. In an effort to meet these demands – as well as to strengthen the credibility of their social and environmental reports – some companies are choosing to have their reports externally verified. In doing so, companies recognize that verification by a third party can add value to the overall social and environmental reporting process by enhancing relationships with stakeholders, improving business performance and decision-making, aligning practice with organizational values, and strengthening reputation risk management. Social Responsibility Principles The Corporate Social Responsibility is based on the following principles: Legal Compliance Principle: The enterprise shall comply with and understand all applicable, local, international, written, declared, and effected laws and regulations, in accordance with fixed, specific procedures. Adherence to Customary International Laws Principle: The enterprise shall adhere to international and governmental agreements, executive regulations, declarations, covenants, decisions, and guidelines, when setting its policies and practices pertinent to Social Responsibility. Respecting Related Stakeholders lefts Principle: The enterprise shall acknowledge and accept the diversity of related stakeholders’ lefts and interests, and the diversity of the major and minor enterprises’ activities and products, among other elements, which may affect such related stakeholders. Transparency Principle: the enterprise shall clearly, accurately, and comprehensively declare its policy, decisions, and activities, including known and potential effects on environment and society. Moreover, such information shall be available to affected persons, or those who are likely to be affected materially by the enterprise. Respect for Human lefts Principle: the enterprise shall execute policies and practices which shall result in respecting existent human lefts in the Universal Declaration of Human lefts. Because CSR can influence economic, environmental and social factors in a variety of ways, there is no â€Å"one size fits all† approach. An effective CSR strategy must consider alignment with the organization’s business strategy, commercial added value, and sustainability of impact. The benefits of an effective CSR approach to an organization can include: Stronger performance and profitability Improved relations with the investment community and access to capital Enhanced employee relations and company culture Risk management and access to social opportunities Stronger relationships with communities and legal regulators CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY AT RELIANCE POWER LTD Reliance Power Limited is part of the Reliance Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group, one of India’s largest business houses. It was established to develop, construct and operate power projects in the Indian and international markets. Reliance Energy Limited, an Indian private sector power utility company and the Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group promote Reliance Power. With its subsidiaries, it is developing 13 medium and large-sized power projects with a combined planned installed capacity of 33,480 MW. Reliance Natural Resources merged with Reliance Power in 2010, shortly after its initial public offering. The group operates across multiple sectors, including telecommunications, financial services, media and entertainment, infrastructure and energy. The energy sector companies include Reliance Infrastructure and Reliance Power. Reliance Power has been established to develop, construct and operate power projects both in India as well as internationally. The Company on its own and through its subsidiaries has a portfolio of over 35,000 MW of power generation capacity, both in operation as well as capacity under development. The power projects are going to be diverse in terms of geographic location, fuel type, fuel source and off-take, and each project is planned to be strategically located near an available fuel supply or load centre. The company has 1,540 MW of operational power generation assets. The projects under development include seven coal-fired projects to be fueled by reserves from captive mines and supplies from India and elsewhere; two gas-fired projects; and twelve hydroelectric projects, six of them in Arunachal Pradesh, five in Himachal Pradesh and one in Uttarakhand. Reliance Power has won three of the four Ultra Mega Power Projects (UMPPs) awarded by the Indian Government so far. These include UMPPs in Sasan( Madhya Pradesh),Krishnapatnam( Andhra Pradesh) & Tilaiya(Jharkhand). UMPPs are a significant part of the Indian government’s initiative to collaborate with power generation companies to set up 4,000 MW projects to ease the country’s power deficit situation. Besides these, Reliance Power is also developing coal bed methane (CBM) blocks to fuel gas based power generation. The company is registering projects with the Clean Development Mechanism executive board for issuance of Certified Emission Reduction (CER) certificates to augment its revenues. Reliance Power in its continuous efforts to positively impact the society, especially the areas around its sites and offices, has formulated policies for social development that are based on the following guiding principles: Adopt an approach that aims at achieving a greater balance between social development and economic development. Adopt new measures to accelerate and ensure the basic needs of all people. Work towards elimination of all barriers for the social inclusion of disadvantaged groups- such as the poor and the disabled Give unfailing attention to children for in their hands lies the country’s future. It is for their sake that health, education and environment get topmost priority in our programs and investments. In areas around its power plant sites in Sasan,Rosa,Krishnapatnam,Butibori,Chitrangi and others, Reliance Power has been actively involved in various social and environmental organizations to address the issue of sustainable development and social uplift. The Company in discharge of its responsibility as a corporate citizen actively contributes to community welfare measures and takes up several social initiatives every year. Reliance Power Ltd. has been closely working with institutions and social organizations and supporting their programs for social development, adult literacy, adoption of village, tree plantation schemes etc. HEALTH Health and safety are of universal concern across the spectrum of communities. As a company, we are not only committed to compliance with legal norms but its is our endeavour to voluntarily go beyond that and provide quality healthcare facilities in the regions around our site. We are committed to providing all possible support to create awareness on various health related issues impacting the local people. We believe in a multidimensional approach that considers the needs of the area leading to an effective plan to address all issues in consultation with the local administration, community workers and NGOs working in the area. At its various project sites, Reliance Power sites runs medical facility center, physiotherapy center, and mobile medical vans that dispenses free medicines and provide free health check-ups. Also periodically we come up with health camps like general health check up camps, gynecology camps, eye check up camps and corrective surgery camps for disabled children. EDUCATION Education is a basic tool to bring development to an area and its people. We aim to create an awareness pool of human resource both within and across our area of operations. We are committed to bridging the digital divide between the ‘haves’ and ‘have nots’ in educational infrastructure and facilities. Exposure to technology along with a sustainable education model could be strengthened through partnership with government and quasi-government agencies. Reliance Power is involved in a surfeit of activities that have changed the lives of the people residing at the sites or the PAFs (Project Affected Families). Education is the main thrust of these activities. Major contributions made in the area include building of a DAV school at the site for the children of the PAFs and the children of the villages around the sites, free school bus facility for the students, stipend to every child who attends school (a boy child gets Rs. 250 per month while a girl child gets a stipend of Rs. 300 per month), free uniforms, study tours for children, teaching aids to the teachers, training of teachers, as well as night schools for uneducated adults etc. EMPLOYMENT Community is an integral part of the business environment and the basic commitment lies towards augmenting the overall economic and social development of local communities by discharging our social responsibilities in a sustainable manner. Reliance Power invests significantly in skill up gradation of people around the sites. The trained manpower available for construction will ensure quality and accident free working. CIDC, a Government of India initiative has been engaged and has trained about 300 project affected youths as electricians, welders, carpenters and masons and bar benders in batches of 40 each. To further encourage them we paid them, a monthly stipend of Rs. 1000 per month. In addition efforts are on to enroll the oustees in short term courses at the ITI operating in the region. Apart from these, training is also provided are: Computer coaching centre English speaking classes Personality development classes Physiotherapy training center Training by NAC (National Academy of Construction) and use them for future requirement of the construction. For the women folk of the villages, in an effort to empower them the company trains them in soft skills like tailoring and poultry farming etc. Reliance Power provides assistance to women keen on starting their own businesses. THE HUMAN TOUCH BEYOND POLICY IMPERATIVES Although the main thrust of Reliance Power’s CSR lies in providing quality education, health care and livelihood, we don’t restrict ourselves to it. In order to better lives around our areas of interest and business, we strive to provide basic amenities like electrification in the villages, augmentation and development of roads connecting the village to the main roads, old age support for senior citizens of the project affect families, development of the grazing lands for the cattle of the villagers, afforestation and veterinary camps for domestic cattle. Moral and financial support is extended during social occasions like marriages, community prayers, funerals and other such occasions.