Wednesday, October 30, 2019
Review of Financial Statements Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1
Review of Financial Statements Paper - Essay Example for auditing Teva Pharmaceuticalsââ¬â¢ consolidated balance sheets including its subsidiaries and various other consolidated statements such as those of income statements, equity changes and cash flows. Kesselman & Kesselman is accountable for articulating their views upon the financial statements which are considered as the prime responsibility of the Management and Board of Directors of the company (Kesselman & Kesselman, 2011). The management of Watson Pharmaceuticals is primarily responsible for the preparation of financial reporting inclusive of the structure of internal controls and formation of various consolidated statements of accounts. The financial statements are prepared according to the Generally Accepted Accounting Principles. The financial statements are audited by the companyââ¬â¢s independent registered firm for public accounting, i.e. PriceWaterhouseCoopers. The responsibility of this audit firm is to express its opinion regarding the accountability of the financial statements of the company as per the standards (Watson Pharmaceuticals Inc (WPI), 2011). PriceWaterhouseCoopers is one of the well-known firms related to accounting and auditing throughout the world. It also provides with effective and competitive planning services aimed at the betterment of the organizational operations (BioJerusalem, 2011). Kesselman & Kesselman. (2011). Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm. Retrieved from http://google.brand.edgar-online.com/EFX_dll/EDGARpro.dll?FetchFilingHtmlSection1?SectionID=7731562-542814-549604&SessionID=ADoWHCg1k6TEkA7 Watson Pharmaceuticals Inc (WPI). (2011). Annual Report Pursuant To Section 13 And 15(d). Retrieved from
Monday, October 28, 2019
American Express Company Essay Example for Free
American Express Company Essay American Express Company, sometimes known as AmEx, is a diversified global financial services company headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1850, it is one of the 30 components of the Dow Jones Industrial Average. At present, there are 58,300 employees worldwide working in American Express earning annual revenue of $24. 5 billion. Its assets are valued at $124 billion, with $620 billion in annual purchase volume on American Express Cards and $87. 9 million cards-in-force. Each day, American Express makes it easier, safer and more rewarding for consumers and businesses to purchase the things they need and for merchants to sell their goods and services. An engine of commerce, American Express provides innovative payment, travel and expense management solutions for individuals and businesses of all sizes. Most of all, it helps the customers realize their dreams and aspirations through industry-leading benefits, access to unique experiences, business-building insights, and global customer care. It enables its customers to do more and achieve more. The vision of American Express is to work hard every day to make American Express the worldââ¬â¢s most respected service brand. ââ¬Å"Living up to our values is our first priority. â⬠They believe in three operating principles they are: Offer superior value propositions to all of the customers Operate with best-in-class economics Support the American Express brand American Express is the worlds largest card issuer by purchase volume. They process millions of transactions daily as the premium network for high-spending card-members. The American Express is also known for helping mall business owners succeed by delivering purchasing power, flexibility and financial control. Adding on to its roles American Express also provides commercial payment tools and expertise that help companies control their spending and save billions of dollars, offer marketing and information management insights that help merchants build their businesses. The American Express employees are customer loyal experts with industry-leading rewards programs and platforms. They operate the worldââ¬â¢s largest travel network serving consumers and businesses and are recognized as the most innovative company in our industries. They are dedicated to serving their customers, 24/7, around the world. The Values which they operate on reflect who the company is and what it stands for as a company. They believe in Customer Commitment, Quality, Integrity, Teamwork, Respect for People, Good Citizenship, Will to Win Personal and Accountability. Human Resource Practices at American Express Being a service industry firm, the employees form the base of all its operations and so the company gives a lot of importance to its HR practices which starts from assessing the need for new employees or new recruits. At American Express it starts with Projecting head counts, Assigning requisition number, identifying relevant profiles and estimating the number of candidates. The recruitment process starts with projecting the head counts i. e. by assessing how many candidates are required at a particular point in time in various departments. As per the requirements identified for different departments the company assigns a Requisition Number which differentiates various job requirements from one other. The Requisition Number is a unique code assigned by the company to different jobs which consists of the job description, minimum requirement for the job and the selection criteria. American Express then identifies the profiles that are relevant as per the requirements given by the Requisition Number and then estimates as to how many candidates will actually appear for the selection process. The company uses different sourcing channels for identifying relevant profiles as per its requirements. American Express uses both internal as well as external sources of recruitment. The Internal sources of the company consist of Employee Referral and Internal Sourcing Team under which the HR department asks its employees to refer the suitable candidates as per the job requirement. A candidate selected via an Employee Referral leads to the Employees getting a specific amount as a form of reward for contributing a resource to the Organization. As a part of the External sources the company contacts with External Vendors and Consultants and also goes to colleges for hiring. Beside this the company uses Job Postings also by advertising in job portals like www. Naukri. com, www. monsterindia. com etc. American Express also uses Social Networking Sites for inviting application by posting on www. facebook. com and www. linkedin. com . Beside the electronic media the company also advertise in newspapers like Times of India and Hindustan Times. American Express, for certain type of jobs, also invites walk-ins. After deciding when to hire and selecting different profiles as per the job advertisement given, the company goes for recruitment. For the recruitment process American Express generally prefers face to face interview. Face to face interview is given preference because of the fact that American Express being a service firm needs to test a candidateââ¬â¢s personality , his/her body language as how the person carries himself/ herself and his attitude towards work and also how he/she interacts with people. Face to face interview besides acting as a platform for assessing an applicant on the above mentioned parameters also allows the company to check the data provided by the candidate. The decisions regarding entry level staffing depends upon the attrition level of the company at a particular period of time. The entry level staffing is done in the form of bulk hiring and contacts from employment agencies are also utilized for the same. Wherein the company sends the required qualifications along with the Requisition Numbers for the vacant positions and then these requirements are matched up with the available candidatesââ¬â¢ profiles. American Express hires students from across Campuses of local colleges if they are invited for the same by that particular college for recruitment else they donââ¬â¢t go for hiring in campuses by their own judgement. The interviews are usually held on Fridays, but as the need may be, sometimes they are conducted on Saturdays and Sundays as well. The turn ups on weekend drive ranges from 300-350 for Non Voice Requirements and 150-200 for Voice Requirements. For executive hiring American Express has tie ups with employment agencies wherein experienced people are searched for the Organization. Along with executive hiring American Express is into head hunting as one of its processes for executive hiring to have talented pool of people for the organization. American Express also prefers people from IITs IIMs for filling up their executive positions. In case of executive hiring American Express generally sells its profile to have good resources for the organization. Once the selection mode is finalized then the series of face to face interviews gets started as the further steps of selection process. Executive hiring is process which requires time duration of 3-4 months at least. American Express is into Bulk Hiring for Voice Process as well as Non-Voice Process. Apart from Bulk Hiring it is also into Executive Hiring. American Express follows a set process for conducting these various levels of interview. Since the number of turn ups for the Voice Non-Voice Processes are largely high they avoid taking an initial HR Screening Process; the reason behind this is lack of time. The Requisition Numbers that they get have a deadline that need to be met hence a HR Screening Process becomes too time consuming so it is avoided in the cases of Bulk Hiring. American Express is very staunch when it comes to hiring any candidate per se. Hence they believe that a Face to Face Interview interaction would be an ideal way to judge the candidate. The American Express has four Levels of Interview. First, Personal Introduction Round, where the candidate is required to give an elaborate insight into his Educational Background, his past Work Experience, a glimpse into his personality the Attitudes and abilities he possesses. Next step is the Voice Assessment Test for Voice Process and the Written Test for the Non-Voice Process. Wherein the candidates are judged upon various parameters like, their Communication, Accent, Voice Modulation, Pronunciation, Vocabulary, Spelling, Grammer etc. The reason behind doing these tests is to find the right candidate for the right role i. e. f one would suit for a Voice or a Non-Voice Process. The third step is the Operational or the Technical Round. In this the candidate is assessed on the skills that they possess and that are crucial to meet that particular job requirements. The candidate is interviewed on his Technical competencies abilities. Finally, they have something called the Offer Round. It is also called the Salary Negotiation Round. This round is all about the Compensation Discussion, a discussion between the HR Manager the Candidate over the expected compensation the industry set Compensation Level. Once this discussion comes to a pause a final compensation is decided and an offer is rolled out to the candidate. The Levels of Interview slightly differ in the case of Executive Hiring. The First step in Executive Hiring is matching the profile according to the Requisition Number. Here the one thing that we need to make a note of is the fact that, a stringent HR Screening Process is followed, where the HR Manager strictly follows an HR Screening Checklist, to check whether the candidate matches the requirement as has been mentioned in and by the Requisition Number and the Job Description. All the other levels and steps being the same the only difference lies in the fact that they do not take any Written Test or Voice Assessment Test. This Step is eliminated from the process of Executive Hiring. The reason being that, this level generally constitutes of Top Level Management Employees Officials and their mode of operation differs from the base or Ground level Employees. Rest they go through the same levels and steps of the Interview Selection Process. American Express believes in On the Spot job offer for Bulk Hiring wherein once the interview process is completed the candidate is given an offer letter. Executive Hiring or Non Bulk Hiring Offer is rolled out in 2days. (Within which the Candidateââ¬â¢s Confirmation is required). When the company hires the candidates in bulk then the entire process of interviewing to offer takes around 2 days and after the completion all the selected candidates are offered a job-letter. To close each Requisition an Average of 2 months is required starting from the process of selecting the forms, short-listing the candidates then conducting group discussion and PI and finally closing up of interview takes around 2 months. Niche Skills and Top Level Security Profiles take approximately an average of 3-4months. The technical skills which are niche, uncommon and difficult in nature to find takes approximately around 3 months because in this the company looks for a specific quality which can be used for further growth and development of the organization. Profiles of Vanilla Skills take 2 months to close. The American Express conducts a thorough Criminal Background Check, education verification and work experience. All portions of the check are completed before the Employee can begin his/her employment with the Organization. These checks are often used by American Express as a means of objectively evaluating a job candidates qualifications, character, fitness, and to identify potential hiring risks for safety and security reasons. The Background check at American Express is also used to thoroughly investigate the Employees Background and past information in order to get a security clearance. So this background check is extremely crucial in American Express recruitment process. They give huge importance in the same. If any of the above mentioned criteria doesnââ¬â¢t match in this process or a failure to adhere to the background check norms could eventually lead to the cancellation of the Candidates offer and Blacklisting of the candidate. Wherein the company cancels the application of the candidate or the candidateââ¬â¢s selection is being closed. Informationââ¬â¢s which are being written in the resume has to be genuine and should be according to the actual background, experience of the candidate and basically those perfect information reflects the personality the ability of the candidate. It is very easy for the candidate to prove or perform the same on the spot and simultaneously differentiate himself as the able candidate for the respective post. The American Express out sources its Background Check process to various firms. These are Syndicate firms which does the background check for its new hires in return for a fee amount. The On-Boarding Process begins when Candidate joins them for an informative firstââ¬âday orientation where they learn the ins and outs of American Express history and culture. On-Boarding involves integrating and acculturating new employees into the organisation and providing them with the tools, resources, and knowledge to become successful and productive. It is a 2 day process. On boarding includes orientation collection of documents such as the Experience Certificate or Letter, Reference Letter, Educational Documents, Identification Proof etc. Orientation at American Express is a social function which serves as a familiarization programme provided to new employees. It stands as a ââ¬Ëgetting to know usââ¬â¢ programme. So they give information about their policies and working culture means how to work with American Express. In this on boarding process the new joiners are also made to fill various forms such as the provident fund and gratuity. A Separate Training Department with group or individual training in specified areas focused on carrying out assignments connected with related field they are working in which helps in improving the skills and knowledge of the employees. Special training is given to all the candidates from Campus Recruits to Bulk Hires to Executives who are recruited. This training focuses mainly on the rules and regulations the company follows and what all are the objectives the company has to achieve. The Training Methods or Forms of Training that American Express uses are vast. It comprises of Formal Training, for all employees whether they are new hires of existing employees. All and one have to undergo a formal training session in American Express. Another form of Training that American Express follows is Lectures and Classroom Trainings where in the Employees obtain training in a traditional classroom environment as per their convenience and time. It provides the employees with an environment that includes a lab, an instructor, and a structured approach to teaching. Another mode of Training that it follows is Online Training. This method is generally used in case of training the Top Level Officials and Managers. American Express Values every second of its Employees time especially when it is related to the Top management because they are involved with the major operations of the organization. So instead of disrespecting their time by calling them for a classroom session it looks for their convenience. They take up their training programs online which is quicker, simpler and convenient for them. The next form of Training method that they apply is Questionnaire. Where in the HR Manager floats a Questionnaire to it Employees / Trainees and they collect their responses and give them the feedback. ââ¬Å"An unusual method of training its employees but it tends to be more effective than classroom sessionsâ⬠says Saumyajit K. Pal, HR Manager (MIS Analytics), American Express.
Saturday, October 26, 2019
Dr. Myles Munroes The Purpose and Power of Godââ¬â¢s Glory :: Purpose and Power of Godââ¬â¢s Glory
Appeal to Ethos in Dr. Myles Munroe's The Purpose and Power of Godââ¬â¢s Glory The rhetorical term "ethos" allowed me to see my favorite book, The Purpose and Power of Godââ¬â¢s Glory by Dr. Myles Munroe, in a different way. I had never noticed how much Dr. Munroeââ¬â¢s character, authority, and credibility help to persuade the audience by appealing to "ethos". It added a lot to the book by allowing me to see Dr. Munroeââ¬â¢s character, authority, and credibility. I noticed Dr. Munroeââ¬â¢s virtuous character on page nine when he said, "That means that whatever our Daddy got, we got. Everything God ever intended us to be we already have---virtually infinite potential hidden inside these earthly bodies. God created us to have dominion over the earth; anything less squanders our potential." Dr. Munroe is an incredibly well-educated man, but because he worded things in such easy terms I did not feel like I was "over my head" in material that was too complex. It would have been easy for me to feel inadequate in comparison to his intelligence, but instead it made me feel that he had a warm, caring personality. Dr. Munroeââ¬â¢s character was also obvious to me on page ten when he said, "Human beings are Godââ¬â¢s representatives on earth. He created us in His image. We are not fake imitations. We are genuine masterpieces "painted" by the hand of the Master Artist. We are not counterfeits but the genuine article. No other creature in all creation has that distinction. Sin has distorted Godââ¬â¢s image and hidden it away under a lot of worldly "junk," so we are hard to identify as "Godââ¬â¢s originals." He has the power to dig down and cut through the junk to expose the glory---the telltale characteristics of His hand---that hides in each of us. He wants to display us as the masterpieces we are." I found this to be a testimony to his character because it was so empowering. It was edifying and encouraging, things that do not come from someone without good character. Dr. Munroeââ¬â¢s authority also added to the appeal to "ethos". On page ten he said, "After all my years of Bible study, seminary training, preaching, and teaching, and after all the books I have read, I have come to the conclusion and conviction that nothing is more important than the glory of God." Knowing that Dr. Munroe devoted so much time to this subject made me view him more as an authority figure than I would have if the book had been written by someone with less education on the topic. Dr. Myles Munroe's The Purpose and Power of Godââ¬â¢s Glory :: Purpose and Power of Godââ¬â¢s Glory Appeal to Ethos in Dr. Myles Munroe's The Purpose and Power of Godââ¬â¢s Glory The rhetorical term "ethos" allowed me to see my favorite book, The Purpose and Power of Godââ¬â¢s Glory by Dr. Myles Munroe, in a different way. I had never noticed how much Dr. Munroeââ¬â¢s character, authority, and credibility help to persuade the audience by appealing to "ethos". It added a lot to the book by allowing me to see Dr. Munroeââ¬â¢s character, authority, and credibility. I noticed Dr. Munroeââ¬â¢s virtuous character on page nine when he said, "That means that whatever our Daddy got, we got. Everything God ever intended us to be we already have---virtually infinite potential hidden inside these earthly bodies. God created us to have dominion over the earth; anything less squanders our potential." Dr. Munroe is an incredibly well-educated man, but because he worded things in such easy terms I did not feel like I was "over my head" in material that was too complex. It would have been easy for me to feel inadequate in comparison to his intelligence, but instead it made me feel that he had a warm, caring personality. Dr. Munroeââ¬â¢s character was also obvious to me on page ten when he said, "Human beings are Godââ¬â¢s representatives on earth. He created us in His image. We are not fake imitations. We are genuine masterpieces "painted" by the hand of the Master Artist. We are not counterfeits but the genuine article. No other creature in all creation has that distinction. Sin has distorted Godââ¬â¢s image and hidden it away under a lot of worldly "junk," so we are hard to identify as "Godââ¬â¢s originals." He has the power to dig down and cut through the junk to expose the glory---the telltale characteristics of His hand---that hides in each of us. He wants to display us as the masterpieces we are." I found this to be a testimony to his character because it was so empowering. It was edifying and encouraging, things that do not come from someone without good character. Dr. Munroeââ¬â¢s authority also added to the appeal to "ethos". On page ten he said, "After all my years of Bible study, seminary training, preaching, and teaching, and after all the books I have read, I have come to the conclusion and conviction that nothing is more important than the glory of God." Knowing that Dr. Munroe devoted so much time to this subject made me view him more as an authority figure than I would have if the book had been written by someone with less education on the topic.
Thursday, October 24, 2019
Apush Chapter 6 Outline Notes Essay
I. The Urban Frontier By 1890, New York, Chicago, and Philadelphia all had a population greater than 1 million. Louis Sullivan contributed to the development of the skyscraper. City limits were extended outward by electric trolleys. People were attracted to the cities by amenities such as electricity, indoor plumbing, and telephones. Trash became a large problem in cities due to throwaway bottles, boxes, bags, and cans. II. The New Immigration The New Immigrants of the 1880s came from southern and eastern Europe. They came from countries with little history of democratic government, where people had grown accustomed to harsh living conditions. Some Americans feared that the New Immigrants would not assimilate to life in their new land. They began asking if the nation had become a melting pot or a dumping ground. III. Southern Europe Uprooted Immigrants left their native countries because Europe had no room for them. The population of Europe nearly doubled in the century after 1800 due to abundant supplies of fish and grain from America and the widespread cultivation of Europe. ââ¬Å"America feverâ⬠caught on in Europe as the United States was portrayed as a land of great opportunities. Persecutions of minorities in Europe sent many fleeing immigrants to the United States. Many immigrants never intended to stay in America forever; a large number returned home with money. Those immigrants who stayed in the United States struggled to preserve their traditional culture. IV. Reactions to the New Immigration The federal government did virtually nothing to ease the assimilation of immigrants into American society. Trading jobs and services for votes, a powerful boss might claim the loyalty of thousands of followers. In return for their support at the polls, the boss provided jobs on the cityââ¬â¢s payroll, found housing for new arrivals, and helped get schools, parks, and hospitals built in immigrant neighborhoods. The nationââ¬â¢s social conscience gradually awakened to the troubles of cities. Walter Rauschenbusch and Washington Gladden were Protestant clergymen who sought to apply the lessons of Christianity to the slums and factories. Jane Addams established Hull House, the most prominent American settlement house. Addams condemned war as well as poverty. Hull House offered instruction in English, counseling to help immigrants deal with American big-city life, childcare services for working mothers, and cultural activities for neighborhood residents. Lillian Wald established Henry Street Settlement in New York in 1893. The settlement houses became centers of womenââ¬â¢s activism and of social reform. Florence Kelley was a lifelong battler for the welfare of women, children, blacks, and consumers. The pioneering work of Addams, Wald, and Kelley helped to create the trail that many women later followed into careers in the new profession of social work. The urban frontier opened new possibilities for women. The vast majority of working women were single due to the fact that society considered employment for wives and mothers taboo. V. Narrowing the Welcome Mat Ant foreignism, or nativism, arose in the 1880s with intensity. Nativists worried that the original Anglo-Saxon population would soon be outnumbered and outvoted. Nativists considered eastern and southern European immigrants inferior to themselves. They blamed the immigrants for the dreadful conditions of urban government, and unionists attacked the immigrants for their willingness to work for small wages. Among the antiforeigner organizations formed was the American Protective Association (APA). Created in 1887, it urged to vote against Roman Catholic candidates for office. Organized labor was quick to show its negative attitude towards immigrants. Immigrants were frequently used as strike-breakers. In 1882, Congress passed the first restrictive law against immigrants. It forced paupers, criminals, and convicts back to their home countries. In 1885, Congress prohibited the importation of foreign workers under contract-usually for substandard wages. Federal laws were later enacted that were made to keep the undesirables out of America. In 1882, Congress barred the Chinese completely from immigrating to the United States (Chinese Exclusion Act). VI. Churches Confront the Urban Challenge Protestant churches suffered significantly from the population move to the cities, where many of their traditional doctrines and pastoral approaches seemed irrelevant. A new generation of urban revivalists stepped into this spreading moral vacuum. Dwight Lyman Moody, a Protestant evangelist, proclaimed a gospel of kindness and forgiveness. He contributed to adapting the old-time religion to the facts of city life. The Moody Bible Institute was founded in Chicago in 1889 to carry out his work. Roman Catholic and Jewish faiths were gaining enormous strength from the New Immigration. By 1890, there were over 150 religious denominations in the United States. The Church of Christ, Scientist was founded in 1879 by Mary Baker Eddy who preached that the true practice of Christianity heals sickness. VII. Darwin Disrupts the Churches Published in 1859 by Charles Darwin, On the Origin of the Species stated that humans had slowly evolved from lower forms of life. The theory of evolution cast serious doubt on the idea of religion. Conservatives stood firmly in their beliefs of God and religion, while Modernists flatly refused to accept the Bible in its entirety. VIII. The Lust for Learning During this time period, public education and the idea of tax-supported elementary schools and high schools were gathering strength. Teacher-training schools, called ââ¬Å"normal schoolsâ⬠, experienced great expansion after the Civil War. The New Immigration in the 1880s and 1890s brought new strength to the private Catholic parochial schools, which were fast becoming a major part of the nationââ¬â¢s educational structure. Public schools excluded millions of adults. Crowded cities generally provided better educational facilities than the old one-room rural schoolhouses. IX. Booker T. Washington and Education for Black People The South lagged far behind other regions in public education, and African-Americans suffered the most. The leading champion of black education was ex-slave Booker T. Washington. He taught in 1881 at the black normal and industrial school at Tuskegee, Alabama. His self-help approach to solving the nationââ¬â¢s racial problems was labeled ââ¬Å"accommodationistâ⬠because it stopped short of directly challenging white supremacy. Washington avoided the issue of social equality. George Washington Carver taught and researched at Tuskegee Institute in 1896. He became an internationally famous agricultural chemist. Black leaders, including Dr. W.E.B. Du Bois, attacked Booker T. Washington because Washington condemned the black race to manual labor and perpetual inferiority. Du Bois helped to form the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) in 1910. X. The Hallowed Halls of Ivy Female and black colleges shot up after the Civil War. The Morrill Act of 1862, passed after the Southern states had seceded, provided a generous grant of the public lands to the states for support of education. The Hatch Act of 1887 extended the Morrill Act and provided federal funds for the establishment of agricultural experiment stations in connection with the land-grant colleges. Millionaires and tycoons donated generously to the educational system. Johns Hopkins University, founded in 1876, maintained the nationââ¬â¢s first high-grade graduate school. XI. The March of the Mind Due to new scientific gains, public health increased. William James made a large impact in psychology through his numerous writings. XII. The Appeal of the Press The Library of Congress was founded in 1897 from the donations of Andrew Carnegie. The invention of the Linotype in 1885 increased the production of texts. Joseph Pulitzer was a leader in the techniques of sensationalism in St. Louis. William Randolph Hearst built up a chain of newspapers beginning with the San Francisco Examiner in 1887. The Associated Press, founded in the 1840s, was gaining strength and wealth. XIII. Apostles of Reform Magazines partially satisfied the public appetite for good reading. Possibly the most influential journal of all was the New York Nation. Started in 1865 by Edwin L. Godkin, it crusaded militantly for civil-service reform, honesty in government, and a moderate tariff. Henry George, another journalistic author, wrote the book Progress and Poverty in 1879, which attempted to solve the association of progress with poverty. According to George, the pressure of growing population on a fixed supply of land unjustifiably pushed up property values, showering unearned profits on owners of land. He supported a single tax. Edward Bellamy wrote the socialistic novel, Looking Backward, in which the year 2000 contained nationalized big business to serve the public interest. XIV. Postwar Writing As literacy increased, so did book reading. ââ¬Å"Dime novelsâ⬠were short books that usually told of the wilds of the West. General Lewis Wallace wrote the novel, Ben Hur: A Tale of the Christ, to combat Darwinism. Horatio Alger was a Puritan-driven New Englander who wrote more than 100 volumes of juvenile fiction involving New York newsboys in 1866. XV. Literary Landmarks In novel writing, the romantic sentiment of a youthful era was giving way to the crude human comedy and drama of the world. In 1899, feminist Kate Chopin wrote about adultery, suicide, and womenââ¬â¢s ambitions in The Awakening. Mark Twain was a journalist, humorist, satirist, and opponent of social injustice. He recaptured the limits of realism and humor in the authentic American dialect. Bret Harte was also an author of the West, writing in California of gold-rush stories. William Dean Howells became the editor in chief of the prestigious Boston-based Atlantic Monthly. He wrote about ordinary people and about contemporary, and sometimes controversial, social themes. Stephen Crane wrote about the unpleasant underside of life in urban, industrial America. Henry James wrote of the confrontation of innocent Americans with subtle Europeans. His novels frequently included women as the central characters, exploring their inner reactions to complex situations with a skill that marked him as a master of psychological realism. By 1900, portrayals of modern-day life and social problems were the literary order of the day. Jack London was a famous nature writer who turned to depicting a possible fascistic revolution in The Iron Heel. Black writer Paul Laurence Dunbar embraced the use of black dialect and folklore to capture the richness of southern black culture. Theodore Dreiser wrote with disregard for prevailing moral standards. XVI. The New Morality Victoria Woodhull wrote the periodical, Woodhull and Clafinââ¬â¢s Weekly in 1872, which proclaimed her belief in free love. Anthony Comstock made a life-long war on the immoral. The Comstock Law censored ââ¬Å"immoralâ⬠material from the public. XVII. Families and Women in the City Urban life launched the era of divorce. People in the cities were having fewer children because more children would mean more mouths to feed. Women were growing more independent in the urban environment. Feminist Charlotte Perkins Gilman called upon women to abandon their dependent status and contribute to the larger life of the community through productive involvement in the economy. XVIII. In 1890, the National American Woman Suffrage Association was founded. The re-born suffrage movement and other womenââ¬â¢s organization excluded black women. Ida B. Wells helped to launch the black womenââ¬â¢s club movement, which led to the establishment of the National Association of Colored Women in 1896. XIX. Prohibition of Alcohol and Social Progress Liquor consumption had increased in the days of the Civil War and had continued to flourish afterwards. The National Prohibition Party was formed in 1869. The Womanââ¬â¢s Christian Temperance Union was formed in 1874 by militant women. The Anti-Saloon League was sweeping new states into prohibiting alcohol, and in 1919, the national prohibition amendment (18th) was passed. XX. Artistic Triumphs Music and portrait painting was gaining popularity. The phonograph, invented by Thomas Edison, enabled the reproduction of music by mechanical means. XXI. The Business of Amusement The circus, arising to American demand for fun, emerged in the 1880s. Baseball was also emerging as the national pastime, and in the 1870s a professional league was formed. The move to spectator sports was exemplified by football. Basketball was invented in 1891 by James Naismith.
Wednesday, October 23, 2019
Pesonal Response Nicholas Sparks The Notebook Essay
What is this Novel about? The structure of the novel is told on two levels ââ¬â one is the present day when Allie and Noah have grown old and live in a home; the other is the story Noah reads from the notebook in which he tells how he and Allie met, fell in love, lost each other, and then found each other again. The end of their love story is tragically altered by Allieââ¬â¢s Alzheimerââ¬â¢s diagnosis, but even that has no power over their love. Who introduced you to this novel? A friend called Emily introduced me to this novel; she was reading it in the library lessons we get at school and I remember her saying that it was very different to the movie. She stated a scene that was played near the end of the movie had already been written in the novel by the page number of 30. What appealed to you in this novel? This novel is a typical love story, of teenagers that fall in love over summer and are forced to part. What appealed to me in this novel was that I had seen and read some of Nicholas sparks other movies and books including Dear John, A walk to remember, and his newest book Safe Haven. Is it realistic? In my opinion no I donââ¬â¢t think it is realistic, the notebook and books similar to the notebook are giving teenage girls a different perspective on Love. The romance portrayed in the book represents both everything thatââ¬â¢s wrong in relationships and what woman want in relationships. This is a bad example for young adults, 1 because it is getting there hopes up that everyone will find love just like Allie and Noah and 2 because Love isnââ¬â¢t going to be easy. What do you think the message is? The Message behind the notebook is simply true love, no matter what you go through, Allie got diagnosed with a disease called Alzheimer, but despite this Noah read a Notebook every day to Allie hoping for a miracle to happen. A quote I found that pretty much explains everything is ââ¬Ëbehind every great love, is a great storyââ¬â¢ Who was your favorite character in this novel? My favorite character in the book is Noah, because he has pure commitment. Because he wrote to Allie after they had spent a summer together. He wrote her 365 letters one every day of the year, even with no reply because Allies mum had kept them from her. Why did the setting interest you? The book was set in early October 1946, and Noah Calhoun lived in North Carolina, in one of the largest homes in New Bern. The setting interests me because how the author describes the town that Noah lives in sounds a lot like the town I live in, very small, everyone knows everyone, people are so generous. This setting is where Noah meet Allies as Allies family were spending there summer in this town because her father worked for R.J. Reynolds. Was the Title a good one? Yes I do think the title was a good one, it perfectly describes the book in 2 words. The story is been read as a notebook and in fact it is a Notebook that Ally started writing when she was first diagnosed with Alzheimer so she would remember her life.
Tuesday, October 22, 2019
How useful are the terms realism and abstraction in acco essays
How useful are the terms realism and abstraction in acco essays In order to examine this question the words realism and abstraction must be defined. How useful are the terms of realism and abstraction? Realism a word which is used meaning fidelity to life, but more usefully confined to the 19th century movement in painting, a word that is also used in conjunction with the reaction against Romanticism (Read,1994, p299). Abstraction a term often used for not representing things pictorially it is also art that does not imitate or directly represents external reality, non-figurative art or not representational though ultimately derived form reality (Read, 1994, p7). The two pieces of works to be looked at are: Stenographic Figure c.1942 and Full Fathom five c. 1947 both are good examples of the rapid changes in Pollocks work. By the mid 1940s Jackson Pollock was painting in a completely abstract manner, and the drip and splash style for which he is best known emerged with some abruptness in 1947. Instead of using the traditional easel he put his canvas to the floor or the wall and poured and dripped his paint from a can; instead of using brushes he worked with sticks, trowels or knives, sometimes to add more texture to his painting he would mix sand, broken glass or other foreign matter into the paint. The term realism is particularly helpfully in determining the nature of Pollocks work. We see his reaction to romanticism he combines the oppositions of figure/non-figure and vertical/horizontal. He accomplishes this through the use of indistinct figuration on top of the linear web of the all-over drip paintings. Pollock's use of the opposition of figuration/non-figuration is defined by Krauss and Fried (although their interpretations differ in content). The second opposition that of the vertical/horizontal emerges upon close examination of the canvas and the materials used. Although the use of planar opposition hearkens back to Mondrian. ...
Monday, October 21, 2019
Child Battering Essays
Child Battering Essays Child Battering Paper Child Battering Paper Essay Topic: Whiplash Child abuse is the intentional use of physical force or intentional omission of care by a parent or caretaker that causes a child to be hurt, maimed, or killed. Child abuse covers a wide range of harmful actions, which generally vary with the age of the child. Infants and preschool children are most likely to suffer deliberately inflicted fractures, burns, and bruises. In 1997, over 3 million children were reported for child abuse and neglect to child protective service agencies in the United States. This figure represents a 1.7% increase over the number of children reported in 1996. Child abuse reporting levels have increased 41% between 1988 and 1997. In 1997, 1,054,000 children were confirmed by Child Protective Services as victims of child maltreatment. This represents 15 out of every 1,000 U.S. citizens (Wang). A recent survey commissioned by Prevent Child Abuse America found the following when surveying parents randomly by telephone. Thirty seven percent of American parents had reported insulting or swearing at their children within the past twelve months. Fifty percent of the parents had neglected their childââ¬â¢s emotional needs, with sixty percent of the respondents indicating that this neglect took place ââ¬Å"almost every day.â⬠Six percent had hit, or tried to hit their children with their hands or with a foreign object. One percent had kicked, bit or punched their children within the last twelve months (Wang). It may not sound alarming to say that one percent of parents report that they have kicked, bit or punched their children, but one percent of the estimated 103 million parents of children under 17 years of age still amounts to a large number of children. If you stop and think this only accounts for the parents who admit engaging in these behaviors, who knows how many more do it and do not admit to it. There are different forms of child abuse. Among them are physical abuse, emotional abuse, sexual abuse, and neglect. According to the 1997 survey, physical abuse represented 22% of confirmed cases, sexual abuse 8%, neglect 54%, emotional maltreatment 4% and other forms of maltreatment 12%. The most eye-opening statistic is that more than three children die each day as a result of child abuse or neglect. Child abuse is a real problem that plagues our society. Physical abuse, which constitutes twenty two percent of all substantial cases of child abuse, is the most visible form of abuse and may be defined as any act, which results in a non-accidental trauma or physical injury. Inflicted physical injury most often represents unreasonable, severe corporal punishment or unjustifiable punishment. This usually happens when a frustrated or angry parent strikes shakes or throws a child. Physical abuse injuries result from punching, beating, kicking, biting, burning or otherwise harming a child. While any of these injuries can occur accidentally when a child is at play, physical abuse should be suspected if the explanations do not fit the injury or if a pattern of frequency is apparent. The longer the abuse continues, the more serious the injuries to the child and the more difficult it is to eliminate the abusive behavior(Sedlak). Children who have been physically abused present with a multitude of psychiatric disturbance. Some of these may include anxiety, aggressive behavior, PTSD, depressive disorder, and poor self-esteem. If not treated for the abuse these children may become abusive parents themselves. What makes people abuse children? It is difficult to imagine that any person would intentionally inflict harm on his or her own child. Many times, physical abuse is a result of excessive discipline or physical punishment that is inappropriate for the childââ¬â¢s age. The parent may simply be unaware of the magnitude of force with which he or she strikes a child. Most parents want to be good parents but sometimes lose control and are unable to cope. Factors which contribute to child abuse include the immaturity of parents, lack of parenting skills, unrealistic expectations about childrenââ¬â¢s behavior and capabilities, a parentââ¬â¢s own negative childhood experience, social isolation, frequent family crises and drug or alcohol problems. Child abuse is a symptom that parents are having difficulty coping with their situation. One particular form of child abuse is Shaken Baby Syndrome. Shaken Baby Syndrome is when a baby is vigorously shaken, the head moves back and forth. The sudden whiplash motion can cause bleeding inside the head and increased pressure on the brain, causing the brain to pull apart and resulting in injury to the baby. This is one of the leading forms of fatal child abuse. A babyââ¬â¢s head and neck are susceptible to head trauma because his or her muscles are not fully developed and the brain tissue is exceptionally fragile. Head trauma is the leading cause of disability among abused infants and children(Sedlak). Shaken Baby Syndrome occurs most frequently in infants younger than six months old, yet can occur up to the age of three. Often there are no obvious outward signs if inside injury, particularly in the head or behind the eyes. In reality, shaking a baby, even for only a few seconds, can injure the baby for life. These injuries can include brain swelling and damage, cerebral palsy, mental retardation, developmental delays, blindness, hearing loss, and death. When a child is shaken in anger and frustration, the force is multiplied five or ten times than it would be if the child had simply tripped and fallen. Shaken Baby Syndrome often occurs because a frustrated parent or caregiver feels that shaking a baby is a harmless way to make the child stop crying. The number one reason a baby is shaken is because of inconsolable crying. Almost 25 percent of all babies with Shaken Baby Syndrome die. It is estimated that 25-50 percent of parents and caretakers are not aware of the effects of shaking a baby(Sedlak). Emotional abuse, which is four percent of all substantiated cases of child abuse, is commonly defined as the systematic tearing down of another human being. It is considered a pattern of behavior that can seriously interfere with a childââ¬â¢s positive development. Emotional abuse is probably the least understood of all child abuse, yet it is the most prevalent, and can be the cruelest and most destructive of all types of abuse. Emotional abuse attacks the psyche and self-concept and because of this the victim comes to see him or herself as unworthy of love and affection. Children who are constantly shamed, humiliated, terrorized or rejected suffer at least as much, if not more, than if they had been physically assaulted. An infant who is being severely deprived of basic emotional nurturing, even though physically well cared for, can fail to thrive and can eventually die. Less severe forms of early emotional deprivation may produce babies who grow into anxious and insecure children who are slow to develop or who might have low self-esteem(Hopper). There are different types of emotional abuse, which are as follows: 1.) Rejecting- Parents who lack the ability to bond will often display rejecting behavior toward a child. They tell a child in a variety of ways that he or she is unwanted. They must also tell the child to leave, call him or her names and tell the child he or she is worthless. They may not talk to or hold the young child as he or she grows. The child may become the family scapegoat, being blamed for all the familyââ¬â¢s problems. 2.) Ignoring ââ¬â Adults who have had few of their emotional needs met are often unable to respond to the needs of their children. They may not show attachment to the child or provide nurturance. They may show no interest in the child, express affection or even recognize the childââ¬â¢s presence. Many times the parent is physically there but emotionally unavailable. 3.) Terrorizing ââ¬â Parents may single out one child to criticize and punish. They may ridicule him or her for displaying normal emotions and have expectations far beyond his or her normal abilities. The child may be threatened with death, mutilation or abandonment. 4.) Isolating ââ¬â A parent who abuses a child through isolation may not allow the child to engage in appropriate activities with his or her peers. For example, the parents may keep a baby in his or her room, not exposed to stimulation or they may prevent teenagers from participating in extracurricular activities. Parents may require the child to stay in his or her room from the time school lets out until the next morning, or restrict eating to isolation or seclusion. 5.) Corrupting Parents permit children to use drugs or alcohol; to watch cruel behavior toward animals or to watch pornographic materials and adult sex acts. Parents may also permit children to witness or participate in criminal activities such as stealing, assault, prostitution or gambling(Hopper). Other types of abuse are usually identifiable because marks or other physical evidence are left; however, emotional abuse can be very hard to diagnose or even to define. In some instances, an emotionally abused child will show no signs of abuse. For this reason, emotional abuse is the most difficult form of child maltreatment to identify and stop. This type of abuse leaves hidden scars that manifest themselves in numerous ways. Insecurity, poor self-esteem, destructive behavior, angry acts, withdrawal, poor development of basic skills, alcohol or drug abuse, suicide and difficulty forming relationships can all be possible results of emotional abuse. It is very difficult for most people to talk about sexual abuse and even more difficult for society as a whole to acknowledge that the sexual abuse of children of all ages, including infants, happens every day in the United States. It is not an easy phenomenon to define, primarily because permissible childhood behavior varies in accordance with cultural, family and social tolerances. Sexual abuse, which is eight percent of all substantiated cases of child abuse, is defined as the involvement of dependent, developmentally immature children in sexual activities that they do not fully comprehend and therefore to which they are unable to give informed consent and/or which violates the taboos of society (Wang). A more simplistic definition would be abuse that involves any minor child that is intended for the sexual gratification of an adult. Sexual abuse is any misuse of a child for sexual pleasure or gratification. It has the potential to interfere with a childââ¬â¢s normal, healthy development, both emotionally and physically. Often, sexually victimized children experience severe emotional disturbances from their own feelings of guilt and shame, as well as the feelings which society imposes on them. Sexual abuse most commonly occurs by an individual known by the victim, parent or other family member. Rarely is the abuser a stranger. Interfamilial and incest sexual abuse is difficult to document and manage because the child needs to be protected from additional abuse and coercion to not reveal or deny the abuse, while attempts are made to preserve the family unit. Children themselves may also decide to recant their recent accusations of abuse due to fear of retaliation by the perpetrator or other family members. They may also recant out of fear of losing contact with the perpetrator who is commonly a family member or close friend tied to the family by various social means (Anderson). At the extreme end of the spectrum, sexual abuse includes sexual intercourse or its deviations. These behaviors may be the final acts in a worsening pattern of sexual abuse. For this reason and because of their devastating effects, exhibitionism, fondling and any other sexual contact with children are also considered sexually abusive.
Sunday, October 20, 2019
Habits and Traits of the Ant Family
Habits and Traits of the Ant Family Ask any insect enthusiast how they became so interested in bugs, and hell probably mention childhood hours spent watching ants. Theres something fascinating about social insects, especially ones as diverse and evolved as the ants, the family Formicidae. Description Its easy to recognize ants, with narrow waists, bulbous abdomens, and elbowed antennae. In most cases, when you observe ants you are only seeing the workers, all of which are female. Ants live underground, in dead wood, or sometimes in plant cavities. Most ants are black, brown, tan, or red. All ants are social insects. With few exceptions, ant colonies divide labor between sterile workers, queens, and male reproductives, called alates. Winged queens and males fly in swarms to mate. Once mated, queens lose their wings and establish a new nest site; males die. Workers tend to the colonys offspring, even rescuing the pupae should the nest be disturbed. The all-female workforce also gathers food, constructs the nest, and keeps the colony clean. Ants perform important tasks in the ecosystems where they live. Formicids turn and aerate the soil, disperse seeds, and aid in pollination. Some ants defend their plant partners from attacks by herbivores. Classification Kingdom ââ¬â AnimaliaPhylum ââ¬â ArthropodaClass ââ¬â InsectaOrder ââ¬â HymenopteraFamily ââ¬â Formicidae Diet Feeding habits vary in the ant family. Most ants prey on small insects or scavenge bits of dead organisms. Many also feed on nectar or honeydew, the sweet substance left behind by aphids. Some ants actually garden, using gathered leaf bits to grow fungus in their nests. Life Cycle The complete metamorphosis of an ant may take from 6 weeks to 2 months. Fertilized eggs always produce females, while unfertilized eggs yield males. The queen can control the sex of her offspring by selectively fertilizing the eggs with sperm, which she stores after a single mating period. White, legless larvae hatch from eggs, completely dependent on worker ants for their care. The workers feed the larvae with regurgitated food. In some species, pupae look like colorless, immobile adults. In others, pupae spin a cocoon. New adults may take several days to darken into their final color. Special Adaptions and Defenses Ants employ a fascinating variety of behaviors to communicate and defend their colonies. Leafcutter ants cultivate a bacteria with antibiotic properties to keep unwanted fungi from growing in their nests. Others tend aphids, milking them to harvest sweet honeydew. Some ants use a modified ovipositor to sting, like their wasp cousins. Some ants function as little chemical factories. Ants of the genus Formica use a special abdominal gland to produce formic acid, an irritating substance they can squirt as they bite. Bullet ants inject a strong nerve toxin when they sting. Many ants take advantage of other species. Slave-making ant queens invade colonies of other ant species, killing the resident queens and enslaving her workers. Thief ants raid neighbor colonies, stealing food and even young. Range and Distribution Ants thrive throughout the world, living everywhere except Antarctica, Greenland, Iceland, and a few isolated islands. Most ants live underground or in dead or decaying wood. Scientists describe nearly 9,000 unique species of Formicids; almost 500 ant species inhabit North America. Sources Insects: Their Natural History and Diversity, by Stephen A. MarshallAnt Information, University of ArizonaFormicidae: Information, Animal Diversity Web
Saturday, October 19, 2019
Steamboat Bill, Jr. 1928 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words
Steamboat Bill, Jr. 1928 - Essay Example Moreover, the film gets thrilling as ones goes through the incredible stunt that are dangerous (Wickstrà ¶m). A reflection on the plot, stunt, comedy, director, themes, and soundtrack helps in analyzing the film. The plot of the movie begins at the steamboat. Steamboat Bill is shown as being a high tempered man but also an acclaimed pilot. He is also seen as heavily built with a strong stature as compared to his compatriots. He receives a letter of the impending son visit. The son had lived with his mother since being a child and had just graduated from a renowned college in the east. The son arrives dressed in a unique way that did not please his father. He was dressed in a polka-dot tie, beret, and pencil-thin moustache (Miller and Feaster 1). The father is also not pleased of his body stature as he thought he would meet a stocky person. As a result, the father with his mate Tom Lewis engages in ways that could transform his son. At the time of his arrival, a strong opposition faced the father in the steamboat business from the business magnate J.J. King (Tom Lewis (Miller and Feaster 1). To make the matter worse, King daughter arrives in the area for a visit and get acquaintance with Will iam Jr. (Miller and Feaster 1). The fathers of the two are strongly opposed to their unions. In fact, they make desperate attempts to prevent the two from meeting. In the meantime, William junior shows weakness in harnessing the ropes of piloting a steamboat. On the other hand, Billââ¬â¢s boat is condemned in the river as authorized by King. He is annoyed and confronts bill and this land him to jail. This provided an opportunity for William junior to prove himself as he tried to get his father from jail (Miller and Feaster 1). He also manages to save his father boat from the junk heap and reunion with Kitty (Miller and Feaster 1). First, film is designed in a way it captures the attention of the audience. The capture takes place
Friday, October 18, 2019
Moral Permissibility of Abortion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words
Moral Permissibility of Abortion - Essay Example Finally, moderate view supporters will consider the stage of fetus development and suggest that abortion is possible at the early term. In this essay, I will argue that despite the fact that Deb has a legal right to terminate the pregnancy, she needs to choose a solution which would give more positive consequences that the opposite one. Pro-life critics would oppose this argument saying that there is not case where human life can be taken away by other people. Human life is the biggest value. However, challenging the way people define ââ¬Ëhumanââ¬â¢ and ââ¬Ësentienceââ¬â¢ can lead to acceptance of abortion under some circumstances. In many ways, moral permissibility of abortion depends on the state of fetus development. According to Sumner (1981), human fetus is not static in its development. First of all it is constantly developing. Second, it is developing gradually and, third, there is a huge difference between the beginning of the pregnancy and the end of pregnancy where fetus is well-developed (Sumner, 1981). When a woman becomes pregnant, there is only a zygote in her body which does not look and act as a human being. In the process of development, zygote transforms becoming more developed and human-like. During late stages of pregnancy, the fetus is already well-developed. If a child is born being seven, eight or nine months, it can survive with the help of doctors. This fact proves that sentient characteristics in fetus develop in time; they are not presented in zygote initially. Thus, abortion during at the early term is permissible. These three characteristics used by Sumner (1981) in moral reasoning of abortion lead to the rejection of the main argument of prohibitionists as it does not consider that fact that pregnancy is a dynamic process. Conservatives argues that abortion is evil under any circumstances because it is the act of killing a
Pay plays a crucial role in motivating people at work. How far do you Essay
Pay plays a crucial role in motivating people at work. How far do you agree, or disagree, with this statement - Essay Example It is all very well to say that money does not matter. Actually it matters unless an individual is living in an island like Robinson Crusoe. If the person has to live in a society, with the ordinary requirements that other people have, he need to have money to have a roof over his head, to feed his family and to fulfil his and their desires and necessities. Hence, it is not possible for any person to live without money and not to appreciate its power over humans. There is nothing wrong in assuming that the most significant place at work is taken by the pay. Without pay no worker would work, unless it is a part time kind of work for charity in which he believes. Even then, he has to earn his living and no charity worker can do voluntary work full time, unless he has some other adequate income coming in. There is an important place for the pay at work and there exists a belief that pay could motivate people at work. I agree with the statement to some extent, but not fully. There are areas like Sales, where keeping people motivated without pay and incentives could be difficult. But it need not apply everywhere. Pay definitely is the source of motivation to do better work and this perhaps depends on the kind of motivation the worker is looking for. No doubt, there is an enormous impact when the minimum wage is increased; but motivation could be connected to many needs and desires. MOTIVATION "Motivation is the force that energises, directs and sustains behaviour" http://community.ocr.org.uk/core/community/public/download_filerid=202 Motivation is connected to Reinforcement Theory, Need Theory and Cognitive theories. Reinforcement could be different things to different people and cannot be applied to all. Need theory has fallen short of expectations and cannot be applied everywhere. "Research has not found much support for the theory and application of the theory to motivate workers in the workplace has fallen short of expectations. The main asset of Maslow's theory is its humanistic appeal: it projects the idea that many human needs are bound up with work, not just the need for a pay cheque as earlier theorists proposed," (ibid). But according to cognitive theories like Equity Theory, etc., workers are motivated by a desire to be treated equitably and fairly, but research shows that this too cannot be a measuring stick. Hence, motivation cannot be generalised easily, because one person's motivation need not be another person's. At the same time, it has to be connected with the organisational behaviour. Organisat ional behaviour is usually a collective behaviour and not an individual one. Just like motivation, organisational behaviour cannot be generalised, because every organisation is unique and the behaviour changes according to the organisation in which the worker is working. As the worker is always a small part of the team, his behaviour will be more of one in the crowd, and not highly individualistic. IMPORTANCE OF SALARY Pay influences people individually and collectively both. Pay perhaps is the most motivating of all the perks, with position following it closely. Money definitely motivates people to a very large extent at work. After all, people work for money and to collect wealth which provides security in life. In addition, it is the visible form of appreciation and the means of saying that his work is worth a lot for the organisation. It gives the
Thursday, October 17, 2019
Comparing and contrasting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1
Comparing and contrasting - Essay Example More specifically, the paper will focus on separation of powers, federalism, parliamentary sovereignty, bicameralism, bill of rights, heads of power, control of finances, and power of the electorate among others. One of the most crucial aspect of both the United States and Australian Constitution is Federalism. This aspect refers to the sharing of powers between the state and national governments. In the United States, state have existed for a long time. They were formed before the national government and it is their union that led to the creation of the federal government. Under the federal system of governance, the United States Constitution holds that the federal government has the power to oversee issues that affect America as a nation. Thus, national issues are dealt with by the federal government. The state governments only deal with issues within their jurisdiction. Under the constitution, the federal government has powers to make laws that affect the entire nation. However, the constitution limits these powers. For example, trading activities between states can be regulated by the federal government, but it has no powers to influence trade occurring within a state (Zines, 2008). The United States Constitution is similar to the Australian Constitution, which is also based on the federal system. Power is divided between the state and Federal government. The federation was formed in 1901. In Australia, there are six states. Since Australia is governed by the laws of the Commonwealth, the government is also referred as the Commonwealth government. The powers of the Federal government in Australia have been clearly indicated in Section 51 of the Australian Constitution. Most financial decisions, including those affecting the individual states, are made by the central government. Although the federal structure makes the United States Constitution similar to the Australian Constitution, there are differences in that the United States has more
E-commerce in the life of Qatari Women Research Paper
E-commerce in the life of Qatari Women - Research Paper Example From the perspective of a business, IT allowed companies to operate online and reach global customers at the most cost efficient way. One of the dimensions of IT is e-commerce and it acts as a tool that facilitates online business. In addition, it has also helped customers to carry out online purchases irrespective of the time and geographic location. The negative factors on the other hand appeared in the form of security threats. Before getting further deeper into the study, a brief overview of e-commerce is presented below. The notion of e-commerce can be traced back during the epoch when the concept of the internet just came into light. During the earlier days, e-commerce was deemed as the process through which companies used to carry out their transaction over the electronic platforms (Majumdar, Cave, and Vogelsang, 2005). During this period, the concept of Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) and Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) has also emerged and companies used these tools to tra nsact in an efficient manner. These technologies have allowed companies to complete transactions electronically and companies were hugely benefitted by it. However, the commercialization of e-commerce only became possible during the early 1990s and as soon as it became commercialized a number of business houses such as eBay and amazon.com have taken their business online (Reynolds, 2004). In the early stages, companies had shown more interest in using the internet as a tool for promoting the business, but for the last decade it companies became more active in selling their products and services over the online platforms (eCommerce-Lund, 2004). From the point of view of customers, e-commerce eased several kinds of activities. For example, it allowed customers to shop during their convenient time and also allowed them to carry out shopping sitting inside the home (Bhasker, 2006). The sales figures also experienced huge growth. According to reports, the growth was around 32% in 2012, i n comparison to 2011 (Provost, 2012). Apart from e-shopping, e-commerce also allowed customers to carry out banking transactions. Hence, it is evident that e-commerce now acts as part and parcel of the life of human beings. Executive Summary This study seeks to shed light on the impact of e-commerce in the life of Qatari Women. The primary objective was to identify the problems faced by Qatari women in using e-commerce in their daily life. In order to address the objectives, the study will carry out a survey of 10 people so as to know their perception about e-commerce. In order to analyze the findings, the study used qualitative approach. Both primary and secondary research was undertaken to identify the problems associated with e-commerce in the life of Qatari women. The key findings of the study were that Qatari women face problems related to the payment gateway, security issues, delivery issues and issues pertaining to terms and condition. In order to triumph over these issues, t he Qatari women should make themselves more familiar with such platforms and should only use authentic platforms. Similarly, the government must ensure that the websites are transparent enough and is offering secure payment gateways. The Problem The women of Qatar exercise full right so as to take a proactive role in the society and simultaneously act as a vital element in the development process of the country. With the modernization of the society, the Qatari women have also adopted themselves with the shifting market dynamics (qatarembassy,
Wednesday, October 16, 2019
Comparing and contrasting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1
Comparing and contrasting - Essay Example More specifically, the paper will focus on separation of powers, federalism, parliamentary sovereignty, bicameralism, bill of rights, heads of power, control of finances, and power of the electorate among others. One of the most crucial aspect of both the United States and Australian Constitution is Federalism. This aspect refers to the sharing of powers between the state and national governments. In the United States, state have existed for a long time. They were formed before the national government and it is their union that led to the creation of the federal government. Under the federal system of governance, the United States Constitution holds that the federal government has the power to oversee issues that affect America as a nation. Thus, national issues are dealt with by the federal government. The state governments only deal with issues within their jurisdiction. Under the constitution, the federal government has powers to make laws that affect the entire nation. However, the constitution limits these powers. For example, trading activities between states can be regulated by the federal government, but it has no powers to influence trade occurring within a state (Zines, 2008). The United States Constitution is similar to the Australian Constitution, which is also based on the federal system. Power is divided between the state and Federal government. The federation was formed in 1901. In Australia, there are six states. Since Australia is governed by the laws of the Commonwealth, the government is also referred as the Commonwealth government. The powers of the Federal government in Australia have been clearly indicated in Section 51 of the Australian Constitution. Most financial decisions, including those affecting the individual states, are made by the central government. Although the federal structure makes the United States Constitution similar to the Australian Constitution, there are differences in that the United States has more
Tuesday, October 15, 2019
Gender Across Cultures Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words
Gender Across Cultures - Essay Example The chromosome construction of males and females are different. According to biological analysis XX-type chromosomes are found in females and XY-type of chromosomes are found in males. However, there are various effects of society, ethnicity and culture that complete the behaviour and identity of men and women based on the difference in the gender group (Zevin, 2014, p.57). The impact of ethnicity and culture over sex and gender can be clearly illustrated with the help of the research of Margaret Mead. Margaret explained about different cultures with wide variety of examples. According to Margaretââ¬â¢s research it has been observed that the native people of New Guinea have completely different approach towards the two major genders that represent the human society. For example, the people of Tchambuli culture in New Guinea have represented women to be the leading members in their society (Wetherell, 2001, p.88). Females have the ultimate control of economic life and they work tow ards the betterment of people. According to the research it has been observed that the women participate in different type of professions to earn their living. The males of the society generally participate in arts and theatres. The males of the society do-not have any direct control over the regulation of economy of the Tchambuli society. The Tchambuli women have been found to be engaging themselves in manufacturing of products and food. The initiations of sexual relations are also taken by the females of the society.
Duchess of Malfi Essay Example for Free
Duchess of Malfi Essay The Duchess of Malfi written by John Webster was first performed around 1613. A dramatic tragedy, the play is about a forbidden marriage between the Duchess and Antonio her steward, and the wrath of her brothers which leads to many of their deaths. Webster focuses on the role of rank to detail the emotions between relationships in an aristocratic family in a time when class was all important. He uses many distinctive features to convey the substance of the play and its characters, and give the actors playing the roles cues for stage performance. This extract is part of the proposal and marriage scene, one of the biggest emotional dramatic scenes of the play. The duchess is marrying in secret against her brothers wishes; their fear is that she will demean the familyââ¬â¢s honour by remarrying. It also forms the most positive aspect of the play, using one of the traditional stage conventions of love, defiance and disapproval (Pacheco and Johnson (2012) pg. 93). This serves to provide a ââ¬Ëliftââ¬â¢ to an otherwise dark play, and compares the lighter side of the Duchessââ¬â¢ sexual desire to her brother Ferdinandââ¬â¢s. The extract is set at the second half of Act 1 scene 1, the first half being to set the backdrop for the audience and give them a good idea of each character and a good indication of things to come. Specifically, the extract is between the Duchess finding out how Antonio feels about marriage and their union itself; here, the Duchess is convincing Antonio that he is worthy of her, that she is woman enough despite her brothers, her rank and her status as a widow. This is achieved by the features of Websterââ¬â¢s distinctive language and the stage directions (both written and performed through reading). The Duchess uses double meaning in her dialogue, ââ¬ËSo now the grounds broke/ you may discover what a wealthy mine/ I make you lord of.ââ¬â¢ (Webster, (2010[1623]) 1.1.432-33). She is referring to her own wealth and the value of his rank when they marry. This wordplay is also in the line ââ¬Ëwe are forced to woo because none dare woo us:ââ¬â¢ (Webster, (2010[1623]) 1.1.446) she is again referring to her rank and playing on the word ââ¬Ëwooââ¬â¢ to mean ââ¬Ëwoeââ¬â¢ (and the irony being that she is wooing him). These are very persuasive lines for Antonio, who feels unworthy of the Duchess despite the traditional gender roles being swapped, and the dominance of the Duchess being prevalent. He realises this with the line ââ¬ËThese words should be mine,ââ¬â¢ (Webster, (2010[1623]) 1.1.476). There is also wordplay in ââ¬ËAll discord, without this circumference, / Is only to be pitied and not feared.ââ¬â¢ (Webster, (2010[1623]) 1.1.473). The Duchess is referring to the situation they are in (secret wedding and/or the room), the wedding ring she has given him and to the confinement her brothers wish for her. There could also be reference to how Antonio will be should they marry ââ¬â a higher rank, but it will be a secret for some time. The duchess is trying to assuage the fear of it all by saying without it there is only pity (for her). The metre and rhythm of the speech in this extract is another distinctive feature. It is un-rhyming blank verse and follows the rules of iambic pentameter except where Webster wants a character to pause, for example, ââ¬ËYou were ill to sell yourselfââ¬â¢ (Webster, (2010[1623]) 1.1.435) is only three feet of the full five feet line, leaving two for pause before the next line. This puts impact on that line but also on the ones following it. This technique is also echoed in the ââ¬Ëwooââ¬â¢ line (Webster, (2010[1623]) 1.1.446); the metre of the line is slightly too long, which shows the Duchessââ¬â¢ unwillingness to follow orders. Likewise, the line ââ¬ËYou have left me heartless, mine is in your bosomââ¬â¢ (Webster, (2010[1623]) 1.1.453) is too long, giving emphasis on the line and a cue for the actress playing the Duchess to use it for stage direction. The Duchess and Antonioââ¬â¢s dialogue overlaps through most of this extract; it makes them sound as if they are thinking together ââ¬â giving the audience a feel for the emotional charge between the two characters. We have already seen from earlier in scene 1 that the Duchess is clearly defiant of her brothers, so it is little surprise to see that in response to Antonioââ¬â¢s fear of them she shrugs them off with the line ââ¬ËDo not think of them.ââ¬â¢ (Webster, (2010[1623]) 1.1.472). this confirms the audiences view of her as being strong and resilient but also somewhat naive, and also gives them a clue of what is to come, especially when she follows with the lines ââ¬ËYet, should they know it, time will easily/ scatter the tempest.ââ¬â¢ (Webster, (2010 [1623]) 1.1.476). This dramatic irony confirms what the audience knows but Antonio does not: that her brothers are unaware of their impending marriage. Indeed, with these lines Webster is inviting the audience to fear the brotherââ¬â¢s reaction too after hearing their earlier death threat to the Duchess. (Webster, (2010[1623]) 1.1.298-344) The depth of each character and difference of rank is shown in this extract by Websterââ¬â¢s use of figurative language. The Duchess continuously shows her determination and sprit, something which continues throughout the play ââ¬â even to her death. And poor Antonio, who despite being honest and loyal, is overwhelmed at the turn of events and the metaphoric swapping of gender roles to the point where he is seeking solace in the Duchessââ¬â¢s words and is happy to be deluded ââ¬ËWould not have savoured flatteryââ¬â¢ (Webster, (2010[1623]) 1.1.478). He is painfully aware that he is not equal in rank but will be in marriage, and his fears exaggerate her strength ââ¬ËThese words should be mine,/ And all of the parts you have spoke, if some part of it/ Would not have savoured flattery.ââ¬â¢ (Webster, (2010[1623]) 1.1.476-8) As for performance, the extract only provides one written key stage direction ââ¬Ë(she kisses him)ââ¬â¢ (Webster, (2010[1623]) 1.1.468). However, there is plenty in the reading of the extract to relate to performance. This also leaves room for interpretation in relation to performance possibilities. The pace of the dialogue changes depending on which character is speaking, for example, lines 445-462 are full of short syllables which quicken the rhythm of the metre to make it energetic and erratic, ââ¬ËAnd fearfully equivocates,ââ¬â¢ (Webster, (2010[1623]) 1.1.448). It could serve to make the Duchess sound tense yet determined, and she could be sort of ranting in her attempts to convince Antonio. These lines also provide many words that can be used as stage direction, for example while she is speaking between lines 445 and 451 she could be pacing the stage and using her hands to emphasise her point ââ¬ËThe misery of Thing it is notââ¬â¢ (Webster, (2010[1623]) 1.1.445-52). Also in ââ¬ËGo, go brag,ââ¬â¢ (Webster, (2010[1623]) 1.1.452), she could point off stage as if inviting him to leave, either in an angry or defeated way. After, in ââ¬ËYou have left me heartlessââ¬â¢ (Webster, (2010[1623]) 1.1.453), her hands could go to her heart, and then onto his with ââ¬Ëmine is in your bosomââ¬â¢ and leave them there for ââ¬Ëyou do tremble (Webster, (2010[1623]) 1.1.453-54). She could shake him at ââ¬Ëawake, awake, man,ââ¬â¢ (Webster, (2010[1623]) 1.1.459). The pace slows down again after Antonio has promised to protect her reputation; the syllables become longer and more even and written commas slow the dialogue to make it measured. This follows to the end of the extract so we can see that the Duchess is calmer and happy now that Antonio has accepted her proposal. This should reflect in the way that the person playing the Duchess should perform, especially when she is shrugging off the fear of her brothers, as it is almost nonchalant. The stage set up should have enough room for there to be complete focus on the characters and no superfluous scenery ââ¬â perhaps only what is required to make it obvious what the room is, plus the table and chair for Antonio and the curtains for Cariola to hide behind. If the Duchess is pacing the stage while she rants there should be adequate room for this, and Antonio could follow behind her. Indeed, if he is seeking solace in her words, the actor may wish to appear meek (and therefore filling the gender and rank role) by following her blindly but also allowing her to turn to place her hands on him where necessary. In all, we can see how the distinctive features of Websterââ¬â¢s language have brought the play into being. The use of dramatic irony, metre and rhythm, imagery and figurative language to convey emotion, bring scenes to life and help the audiences perception. Webster also especially does this in his use of figurative language to create stage directions for the cast, which in turn helps them to set and convey the scene. With the play only having little written stage directions, Webster leaves the play open for the actorââ¬â¢s interpretation, and its possibilities onstage.
Sunday, October 13, 2019
Relationships Between Employees And Employers
Relationships Between Employees And Employers The subject of this study is the relationships between employees, employers and their representatives in the United Kingdom and mainly the changes that have occurred in the last few years. What is meant exactly by employee relations? What has changed since the Industrial Revolution? Salaman (2000) defines employee relations as a reflection of the development of more diverse employment patterns, the growth of high tech and commercial sectors, reduced levels of unionisation and use of management strategies aimed at individualising the employment relationship, in other terms it is the new management of all the variables which influence the work namely the management style, the level of employees motivation, the work environment, job satisfaction, the objectives of the company etc. We can differentiate three phases in the evolution of employee relations since the end of the Second World War, the third one being the partnership approach. Until 1979 (date of the election of the Conservative Party), work relations were based on collective bargaining and collective agreement aiming to determine and regulate, in varying degrees, the terms on which individuals will be employed (Flanders, 1968), with a strong voluntarism encouraged massively and informally. The trade unions (basically, it is an association of wage earners, totally independent of employers pressure, who struggle to improve work conditions) had a lot of power and everything was negotiated through deals. In fact, a Trade Union, through collective bargaining can force employers to deal with labour as a collective identity, rather than isolated individuals, and so, secure better the terms and condition of employment (Webb Webb, 1920). However, when the conservative party was elected in 1979, everything changed. The new government introduced a lot measures to limit the role of trade unions. In addition, it introduced an enterprise culture in which individuals and organisations, rather than government, were to be held responsible for economic performance. Thus, as well as rejecting the maintenance of full employment as a major policy objective, they in effect abandoned the commitment of their predecessors to voluntary collective bargaining as the most effective method of determining pay and conditions. Then, there was a total break with the old work patterns but an explanation of this will be the economical context. In fact, after the war, there was a period of reconstruction that engendered a lot of work; manufacturing was the backbone of the economy, it was a period of full employment. After that, there was a wave of privatisation, many companies became multinationals, and there was an internationalisation of business. The aim of the study will be to analyse and evaluate the new approach to the management of employee relations. Firstly, the author will define and explore what the partnership approach is. Then, the study will continue by examining the advantages and the disadvantages of this approach to each stakeholder (employees, employers and Trade Unions). Finally, an evaluation of the prospects for success of the partnership approach and an expression of a critical comparison with the previous ones will be highlighted. The Employment Relation (ER) Employment relationship is an economical exchange of labour capacity in return for the production of goods and services. It is very important to understand the implications of all the aspects of employment relations. High levels of collaboration between the workforce and management are likely to be consistent with greater reliability of production and quality of output, which in turn would bolster the organizations market position. Thus, employment relation is one of the most significant areas that need to be invested (Rollinson, 1993). Salaman (2000) defines employment relations as a reflection of the development of more diverse employment patterns, the growth of high tech and commercial sectors, reduced levels of unionisation and use of management strategies aimed at individualising the employment relationship, in other terms it is the new management of all the variables which influence the work namely the management style, the level of employees motivation, the work environment, job satisfaction, the objectives of the company etc. The state (all levels of government) plays a crucial role in employment relations, both directly and indirectly. The roles undertaken by governments may be categorised into five components including maintaining protective standards; establishing rules for the interaction between the parties; ensuring that the results of such interaction were consistent with the apparent needs of economy; providing services for labour and management such as advice, conciliation, arbitration and training; and as a major employer. The management of the ER system in Britain Britain is a country of Western Europe comprising England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. Until July 2003, the British population is 60,094,648. At the height of its power in the 19th century it ruled an empire that spanned the globe (Stewart, 2005: 23-25). It is the dominant industrial and maritime power of the 19th century, played a leading role in developing parliamentary democracy and in advancing literature and science. The first half of the 20th century saw the Britains strength seriously depleted in two World Wars. The second half witnessed the dismantling of the Empire and the Britain rebuilding itself into a modern and prosperous European nation. It is also a leading trading power and financial centre, is one of the quartets of trillion dollar economies of Western Europe. The British industrial relations system has a long history and has undergone much change in recent years. There are three phases in the evolution of employee relations since the end of the World War II, the third one being the partnership approach. Until 1979 (date of the election of the Conservative Party), work relations were based on collective bargaining and collective agreement aiming to determine and regulate, in varying degrees, the terms on which individuals will be employed (Flanders, 1968), with a strong voluntarism encouraged massively and informally. The partnership approach What is it? The use of this term is a relatively recent political phenomenon. Some people affirm that it is just a term used by the Government to attract popular support because nobody can be against Partnership (Knell, 1999). Some others, more optimistic, see in this term a new pluralist approach to industrial relations. This concept comes from the idea that enterprises should recognise the interests of each stakeholder, namely employees, employers and their representatives, in order to satisfy each party. The aim of this approach is to find a common interest of management and labour, through trust and mutual involvement, instilling a sense of belonging and involvement. The Involvement and Participation Association (IPA, 1992) identifies six key principles: A shared commitment to the success of enterprise, including support for flexibility and the replacement of adversarial relations. A recognition that interests of the partners may legitimately differ. Employment security, including measures to improve the employability of staff as well as limit the use of compulsory redundancy. A focus on the quality of working life. A commitment to transparency, including a real sharing of hard, unvarnished information, an openness to discussing plans for the future, genuine consultation and preparedness to listen to the business case for alternative strategies. Adding value the hallmark of an effective partnership is that it taps into sources of commitment and / or resources that were not accessed by previous arrangement. For the New Labour government, partnership at work becomes an important objective. B. Its dimensions 1. Who are the partners? The partnership is between individual employer and individual employee and their representatives but the latter partner is weak in the new work relation. The partnership approach is more focused on individual relationships than a collective one, like in the past. Indeed, New Labour insists on individual choice. For them, it is not an obligation to integrate a working union. It emphasises that individuals are the best judges of their own individual interests. That is to say that the individual has the choice of whether or not to join a trade union and whether or not to take part in the coverage by collective agreement. It might mean the new government is not really in favour of the trade unions. In fact, some people think that a trade union would be an enemy of the partnership approach in the sense that trade unions defend the workers interests and they always have a confrontational relationship with the employers. Then, how can a partnership be formed if one of the partners does not make an effort to find a common agreement? In this way, the trade unions role has to be redefined. They have to play a co-operative role with employers in order to find some common interests which satisfy both the employees and the employers. The psychological contract The psychological contract is the basis of a partnership approach. It is the link between employers and employees. It establishes the expectations, aspirations and understandings which they have of each other (Herriot, 1998). The author has noticed that the psychological contract has changed since the last few years because of the changes of the work environment (change in workforce structure, re-engineering, downsizing.). The old psychological contract was based on security and predictability, now it is more situational and short term and assumes that each party is much less dependent on the other for survival and growth. According to Hiltrop (1995), the new contract can be defined as follows: There is no job security, the employee will be employed as long as he/she adds value to the organisation, and is personally responsible for finding new ways to add value. In return, the employee has the right to demand interesting and important work, has the freedom and resources to perform it well, receives, pay that reflects his or her contributions and get experience and training needed to be employable here or elsewhere. The psychological contract has to be strong and truthful to allow a partnership relation The voluntary aspect of the partnership New Labour insists on the voluntary aspect of the new work relation. The partnership should be introduced through cultural changes which will lead to more positive relationships between employers and employees than the letter of the law can ever achieve. That is to say that the law itself can not resolve the problem of employee relations, some cultural changes have to emerge first. Employers and employees have to make some effort to improve the work relationship. The advantages and the disadvantages of the partnership approach: A. For the employees 1. Advantages With the partnership approach, employees benefit from a Family atmosphere with friendly policies. For example, they benefit from new working arrangements which allow a greater flexibility. There is a harmonisation of working conditions, policies and procedures for all employees under training. The partnership approach introduces a new pay structure: pay is monthly through credit transfer, and the traditional annual pay is replaced by an objective formula. Moreover, a reduction of the working week for manual and craft employees can be observed. 2. Disadvantages However, the partnership approach introduces the notion of the individual worker. In this way, trade unions are less useful in the employer/employee relationship and lose their power. Then, the employee is in a weaker position than his/her employer (a caution has to be noticed because, trade unions have a right to accompany their members during the disciplinary or grievance interview). B. For the employers 1. Advantages Firstly, the partnership gives a good reputation to the enterprise which applies it. Moreover, it allows a greater stability of employment because employer talks to employee and establishes some rights and some obligations that each party has to respect (limit the turnover, strikes and so on). The relationship between both is more respectful and equal. Furthermore, the partnership allows a greater openness over the enterprise. Through it, the employers know what is wrong with the employees and try to find how they can fix it. The work atmosphere is more friendly and truthful. The partnership approach is, as well, a need for a change in approach to the trade unions. To date, the relation between employers and trade unions is based on confrontation. This new approach gives a secondary role to the trade unions and privileges the individual employer/employee relations, which is easier to manage. Moreover, employers try to improve work conditions, in return they profit from a greater activity because workers feel good in the company. In addition they can have greater performance appraisal and a new understanding of performance management through control and feed back. 2. Disadvantages This approach demands a lot of administration and is quite constraining for a company. To fire an employee who has a poor performance for example, the employer has to give a first warning and propose a disciplinary interview in order to detect what is wrong with this employee. If nothing has changed, the employee can receive another warning, the last one, before the dismissal (or other sanctions). Sometimes, procedures take too much time and engender an economical loss. Moreover, the enterprise can lose some power in relation to its employees. Previously, employers had the economic power over employees, now this power is more shared between both because their relationship is more interdependent. C. For the trade unions 1. Advantages There is a new stake in their role as representatives. They have to prove the value of the employers to the employees and the value of the employees to the employers. Moreover, the trade unions can profit from a partnership fund in order that employers and employee representatives work together to support innovative projects to develop the partnership approach in the workplace (Lord McIntosh Lord Hansard, May 1999). 2. Disadvantages The partnership approach has more disadvantages than advantages for the trade unions. Through it, trade unions lose some power. Firstly, their recognition is limited. According to the government, the trade union has a secondary role in the employer/employee relationship. Then, their role has to be redefined in a more consultative sense; it has to focus on the information, the communication, the representation and the partnership. Their contribution to the partnership is potentially useful but far from being essential. Thus, trade unions are worried about their traditional role which is to defend the workers interests. They think that in this new approach, employee representatives will become part of the management. Moreover, according to the IPA, the partnership needs a different channel than the union one, because this model is not adequate anymore. In fact, the union presence is weak or non-existent in the majority of companies in Britain, therefore, the partnership needs a new representative structure. Evaluation and criticism of the prospects for success of the partnership approach The employment relation through the partnership approach becomes fairer. For example, union co-operation in more flexible work patterns, teamworking, the introduction of annualised hours and the harmonisation of terms and conditions of employment are all greater assets of the partnership approach. Concerning job security, the partnership approach remains limited: The job security guarantees have been identified as the hallmark of partnership approach by many of its advocates, although, they have no featured in all such agreements. In most cases, they amount to relatively limited management commitments to avoid the use of compulsory redundancy as a means of labour shedding- a fairly familiar practice in organisations that can attract sufficient candidates for early retirement and voluntary redundancy with enhanced severance payments. Moreover in some partnership agreement, trade unions and employees are required to co-operate with measures with make the avoidance of compulsory redundancy easier, including the acceptance of the companys use of subcontracted, temporary or short-term contract staff ( Taibly Winchester, 2000 and Bach Sisson,2000). Moreover, the fundamental need for a successful approach requires some cultural changes; we have to break with the old practice (industrial/adversarial ones) because we cannot access a new form of management without this. Furthermore, the partnership approach appeared in a particular political context. In fact, it was the end of the Conservative government (characterised by a policy of deregulation) and the beginning of the Labour party which developed the important idea of commitment to the partnership in the workplace. But, its aim has to be analysed very carefully because we can notice that the government refused to take part in some social policy proposals developed by the European commission. This reaction is contrary to the apparent willingness of the government to introduce fairness in work and at work. However, some surveys show that employees feel better with the partnership agreement. We can notice that job satisfaction level is greater than before (Bach Sisson, 2000) but this result has to be taken with caution if we refer to the recent strike of the Post Offices which occurred last month. Then, the question is whether the partnership approach is successful? In the historical, political and economical context, the author thinks that partnership and the willingness of each stakeholder are present. The difficulty is just trying to apply it in the best way. Britain has made a lot of effort to improve work conditions. Compared to the past, this approach is the compromise between the two previous ones. Indeed, the first one (~1945-1979) was too dominated by the trade unions. The following one was too adversarial; the employees lost all their rights. Thus, this new approach tries to satisfy both parties. Conclusion The work is not finished. If the partnership approach succeeds in satisfying the stakeholders, it needs to be improved again. Britain needs to work on other more social law proposals and take part in the European ones. However, the employment relations are governed by the variation of the market as well; hence, it is very difficult to satisfy everybody. But, the important thing is to try to do the best. Moreover, there will always be some disagreements and unfairness in work and at work; we have to be patient because it takes time to change the mind of each person.
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