Erik Erikson

The aim of this essay is to select a major theorist and discuss their contribution to the cognitive and social development in childhood. Erik Erikson was one of the most distinguished theorists of the 20th century. He discovered and developed psychosocial theory. He was also one of the first theorists to cover the entire lifespan of an individual. Erikson’s proposed eight psychosocial stages which he named â€Å"The Eight Ages of Man†, which range from birth to 65 years and onwards (O’Brien, 2008). Throughout this essay I will discuss stages one to four which occur during childhood 0-12 years old.Erik Erikson was born on June 15th 1902, in Frankfurt Germany. When Erikson finished school he left home and moved to Florence to pursue his interest in art and enrolled in Baden State Art School. A year later, he moved to Vienna where he became an art teacher in a psychoanalytic school for children run by Dorothy Burlingham and Anna Freud who was the daughter of Sigmund Freud. While in Vienna, he also took classes in the University of Vienna which led him to receive a certificate in the Montessori Method (Puckett and Diffily, 2004).This move changed his life and career. When Erikson met Anna Freud he became interested in psychology which led him to study psychoanalysis. He was influenced by the work of Freud and this turned his career towards the study of children and their development (Salkind, 2004). Erikson extended Freud’s theory by combining his primary assumptions and expanding on them, considering other factors that could influence development. Erikson’s theory highlights that an individual’s personality develops in stages from social and cultural experiences across the lifespan.Freud’s theory of personality development concentrates on sexual and aggressive impulses through different psychosexual stages (Keenan and Evans, 2009). Erikson's theory of psychosocial development helps us understand children's feelings and how their emotional and social lives affect their learning (Pound, 2011). Erikson’s theory describes that an individual’s personality develops at each of the eight psychosocial stages of life. Erikson suggested that at each stage there is a different sort of conflict or crises that arises between the individual and relationships with others.He believed that each crisis must be resolved successfully for the individual to be prepared for the next life crisis. A negative or positive outcome of how the crisis is resolved leads to the change and development of the individual (Shaffer, 2009). Erikson’s first psychosocial stage of life is called Trust versus Mistrust. This stage takes place from birth to one year. The basic idea of the first stage is for the infant to develop trust. This occurs when the child’s needs for warmth, food, sleep and nurturing are consistently met. The infant is completely dependent on the caregiver and relies on them to meet thei r needs.By providing the child with consistent care, the caregiver helps them to develop self-trust and the ability to trust others and their environment (Essa, 2010). In a case were the child’s needs are not adequately met, a sense of mistrust in themselves and others around them is developed. They then move through future stages with this sense of mistrust, seeing the world as threating place filled with unreliable or untrustworthy people. When working with children Erikson’s theory is still used in practice nowadays. Teachers working with infants take particular care to provide a predictable environment and consistent caregiving.Babies are completely dependent on adults to meet their needs. Therefore, it is very important that they are nurtured by admirable, positive adults who are affectionate and sensitive in response to the babies needs as soon as they occur. The infant can then start to develop a sense of trust in the world that will support their growth into th e next stage (Gordon and Browne, 2010). The second stage of life is known as Autonomy versus Doubt. This occurs from two to three years of age. According to Erikson during the second year of life toddlers begin to assert both their motor and cognitive abilities by trying to become more independent.Although they are still very dependent, they must learn to reach a balance between reliance on their caregiver and their desire to explore new things. One possible conflict revolves around toilet training. Successful growth through this stage gives the child a feeling of self-control and accomplishment of their own abilities (Essa, 2011). Erikson portrays a view that if children are made feel ashamed of their efforts they can develop a sense of self-doubt and insecurity. Children need to be able to express their growing independence within the safety of a loving, supportive environment.The search for autonomy not only requires great efforts from the child but also patience and support from their parents (Pressley and McCormick, 2007). For example, by encouraging children to explore and try new tasks parents hope to further their sense of independence. When children complete a task independently and successfully their sense of autonomy grows. Some children fail to develop a sense of autonomy. This may be because they failed at most tasks they attempted or discouragement from parents and developed a sense of shame and self-doubt instead (Newman and Newman, 2006).In early childhood education programmes children are praised for their achievements such as toilet training. A relaxed attitude from teachers and praise for their students helps the child gain a sense of independence without shame. Providing encouragement for both the child’s success and failure of a task gives balance between the child’s natural doubts and their drive for independence. The third stage of Erikson’s theory is Initiative versus guilt. This stage takes place from three to six years. During this stage children observe their parents and want to attempt many tasks that they watch them perform.Their sense of autonomy which developed from the last stage gives them the independence to attempt activities that are beyond their competency. If the parents give the child support and guidance in their new activities, this will result in feelings of achievement and pride in their own initiative. If the child is made feel that they are wrong for trying out new activities and are punished when the child tries to show initiative, they will be left with feelings of guilt (Berns, 2009). At this stage children have a great imagination and are very curious about their surroundings.In schools, children are encouraged to play with a variety of different toys to promote creative play and are exposed to different experiences such as school trips to learn more about the world. They are encouraged to ask the teacher questions, use their imagination and are given freedom to play a nd choose their activities. This promotes their feeling of initiative (Pillitteri, 2010). Erikson believed that the crucial point in this stage is the activity of children playing together. Playing allows the child to explore their communication abilities through such behaviour as deciding what to play.By using their initiative, children learn that they can make decisions, present a course of action and implement plans. As a result of this, children learn the basic skills of problems solving while working with other. These basic skills are an essential foundation for coping effectively in society (Carducci, 2009). The final stage of Erikson’s theory involved in childhood is called Industry versus Inferiority. During this stage the child has developed from their curiosity to try different things to their need to master certain activities (Ray, 2011).Such activities may include learning to read, write or playing a sport. As they start to master certain activities, children deve lop a sense of industry and begin to use their skills in a more personal way. For example, reading a book of their interest. While learning these skills in the company of their peers, some children may discover that their standard of skill is lower than others in their peer group. This awareness can cause the child to develop a sense of inferiority, and can lead them to lose interest in certain activities (Carducci, 2009).This feeling of failure and inferiority can result in the child giving up on certain activities because they believe they do not have the skill or ability required. Children continuously receive praise and attention for their efforts during school and social activities to encourage a sense of Industry (O’ Brien, 2011). Erikson’s theory contains 4 stages which are involved in the area of childhood. These four stages include trust vs. mistrust, autonomy vs. doubt, initiative vs. guilt and industry vs. inferiority. These range from birth to age twelve.Er ikson has helped to contribute to our understanding of child development through these eight psychosocial stages. He describes the important issues for young children and the support we need to provide to help them gain a healthy development. Erikson’s stages have provided a framework for teachers working with young children. By using Erikson’s theory this helps the teacher promote healthy development in there students and is still used now in the modern classroom. Reference List Berns, R. (2009). Child, Family, School and Community: Socialization and support. th ed. , Belmont: Wadsworth Carducci, D. (2011). The Psychology of Personality. 2nd ed. , Malden: Brooks/Cole Publishing Essa, E. (2011). Introduction to early childhood education. 6th ed. , Belmont: Wadsworth Gordon, A. and Browne, K. (2010). Beginnings and Beyond: Foundations in Early Childhood Education. 8th ed. , Belmont: Wadsworth. Keenan, T. and Evans, S. (2009). An introduction to Child Development. 2nd ed . , London: Sage Publications New, R. and Cochran, M. , eds. (2008). Early Childhood Education: An international encyclopaedia. Vol. , Westport: Praeger Newman, B and Newman, P (2006). Development Through Life: A Psychosocial Approach. 8th ed. , Belmont: Wadsworth. O’ Brien, E (2008). Human growth and development: An Irish Perspective. Dublin: Gill & Macmillian O’Brien, E. (2011). Psychology for Social Care: An Irish Perspective. Dublin: Gill & Macmillian Pillitteri, A. (2010). Maternal and Child Health Nursing. 6th ed. , Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins Pound, L. (2011). Influencing Early Childhood Education: Key terms, Philosophies and Theories.New York: McGraw-Hill Pressley, M. and McCormick, C. (2007). Child and Adolescent Development for Educators. New York: Guilford Press Puckett, M. and Diffily, D. (2008). Teaching young children: An introduction to early childhood. 2nd ed. , New York: Wadsworth Ray, D. (2011). Advanced play therapy: Essential conditi ons, knowledge and skills for child practice. New York: Routledge Shaffer, D. (2009). Social and Personality Development. 6th ed. , Belmont: Wadsworth Salkind, N. (2004). An introduction to theories of Human Development. London: Sage Publications Erik Erikson The most interesting topic that we discussed in class the semester, was the theory that Erik Erikson had developed. Erik Erikson's theory of psychosocial development is one of the best-kenned theories of personality in psychology. Much akin to Sigmund Freud, Erikson believed that personality develops in a series of stages. Unlike Freud's theory of psychosexual stages, Erikson's theory describes the impact of convivial experience across the whole lifespan. One of the main elements of Erikson's psychosocial stage theory is the development of ego identity.Ego identity is the conscious sense of self that we develop through interaction. According to Erikson, our ego identity is fluctuating due to incipient experiences and information we acquire in our circadian interactions with others. I learned that when psychologists talk about identity, they are talking about the notions, ideals, and values that avail make up a person's comportment. Identity commences when were very puerile and it bec omes very paramount and critical in the adolescent teen ages. Shaping our identity never really ends it'll change for the good and maybe even for the bad for the rest of our lives.Our personal identity gives each of us something unique that dissevers one's self from every other person in this world. Erikson additionally believed that a sense of competence motivates someone’s actions. Each stage in Erikson's theory is concerned with becoming competent in an area of life. If the stage is handled well, the person will feel as if the have achieved something great, which is sometimes referred to as ego strength or ego quality. If the stage is managed poorly, the person will emerge with a sense of inadequacy.In each stage, Erikson believed people experience a conflict that accommodates as a turning point in development. In Erikson's view, these conflicts are centered on either developing a psychological quality or failing to develop that quality. During these times, the potential f or personal magnification is high, but so is the potential for failure. I believe that, that’s something that a lot people are faced with. It’s like having a dream and going after it, say for hockey. For me I dream big with it, I want to make it in the professionals.Therefore I’m taking a risk, I can either achieve what I’m aiming for or I can fail. I also feel that for my identity I need to be more than just a good hockey player. I need to be a good person all around. You see a hockey player, you’d never know he’s a professional athlete. But once you put the skates on him, he becomes a beast. So overall Erikson proposed a lifespan model of development, taking in five stages up to the age of 18 years and three further stages beyond, well into adulthood. Erikson suggests that there is still plenty of room for perpetuated magnification and development throughout one’s life.Erikson put a great deal of accentuation on the adolescent perio d, feeling it was a crucial stage for developing a person’s identity. Like Freud and many others, Erik Erikson maintained that personality develops in a predetermined order, and build upon each precedent stage. This is called this epigamic principle. The outcome of this ‘maturation timetable' is a wide and integrated set of life skills and abilities that function together within the autonomous individual. However, Instead of fixating on sexual development, he was intrigued with how children socialize and how this affects their sense of self. Erik Erikson The aim of this essay is to select a major theorist and discuss their contribution to the cognitive and social development in childhood. Erik Erikson was one of the most distinguished theorists of the 20th century. He discovered and developed psychosocial theory. He was also one of the first theorists to cover the entire lifespan of an individual. Erikson’s proposed eight psychosocial stages which he named â€Å"The Eight Ages of Man†, which range from birth to 65 years and onwards (O’Brien, 2008). Throughout this essay I will discuss stages one to four which occur during childhood 0-12 years old.Erik Erikson was born on June 15th 1902, in Frankfurt Germany. When Erikson finished school he left home and moved to Florence to pursue his interest in art and enrolled in Baden State Art School. A year later, he moved to Vienna where he became an art teacher in a psychoanalytic school for children run by Dorothy Burlingham and Anna Freud who was the daughter of Sigmund Freud. While in Vienna, he also took classes in the University of Vienna which led him to receive a certificate in the Montessori Method (Puckett and Diffily, 2004).This move changed his life and career. When Erikson met Anna Freud he became interested in psychology which led him to study psychoanalysis. He was influenced by the work of Freud and this turned his career towards the study of children and their development (Salkind, 2004). Erikson extended Freud’s theory by combining his primary assumptions and expanding on them, considering other factors that could influence development. Erikson’s theory highlights that an individual’s personality develops in stages from social and cultural experiences across the lifespan.Freud’s theory of personality development concentrates on sexual and aggressive impulses through different psychosexual stages (Keenan and Evans, 2009). Erikson's theory of psychosocial development helps us understand children's feelings and how their emotional and social lives affect their learning (Pound, 2011). Erikson’s theory describes that an individual’s personality develops at each of the eight psychosocial stages of life. Erikson suggested that at each stage there is a different sort of conflict or crises that arises between the individual and relationships with others.He believed that each crisis must be resolved successfully for the individual to be prepared for the next life crisis. A negative or positive outcome of how the crisis is resolved leads to the change and development of the individual (Shaffer, 2009). Erikson’s first psychosocial stage of life is called Trust versus Mistrust. This stage takes place from birth to one year. The basic idea of the first stage is for the infant to develop trust. This occurs when the child’s needs for warmth, food, sleep and nurturing are consistently met. The infant is completely dependent on the caregiver and relies on them to meet thei r needs.By providing the child with consistent care, the caregiver helps them to develop self-trust and the ability to trust others and their environment (Essa, 2010). In a case were the child’s needs are not adequately met, a sense of mistrust in themselves and others around them is developed. They then move through future stages with this sense of mistrust, seeing the world as threating place filled with unreliable or untrustworthy people. When working with children Erikson’s theory is still used in practice nowadays. Teachers working with infants take particular care to provide a predictable environment and consistent caregiving.Babies are completely dependent on adults to meet their needs. Therefore, it is very important that they are nurtured by admirable, positive adults who are affectionate and sensitive in response to the babies needs as soon as they occur. The infant can then start to develop a sense of trust in the world that will support their growth into th e next stage (Gordon and Browne, 2010). The second stage of life is known as Autonomy versus Doubt. This occurs from two to three years of age. According to Erikson during the second year of life toddlers begin to assert both their motor and cognitive abilities by trying to become more independent.Although they are still very dependent, they must learn to reach a balance between reliance on their caregiver and their desire to explore new things. One possible conflict revolves around toilet training. Successful growth through this stage gives the child a feeling of self-control and accomplishment of their own abilities (Essa, 2011). Erikson portrays a view that if children are made feel ashamed of their efforts they can develop a sense of self-doubt and insecurity. Children need to be able to express their growing independence within the safety of a loving, supportive environment.The search for autonomy not only requires great efforts from the child but also patience and support from their parents (Pressley and McCormick, 2007). For example, by encouraging children to explore and try new tasks parents hope to further their sense of independence. When children complete a task independently and successfully their sense of autonomy grows. Some children fail to develop a sense of autonomy. This may be because they failed at most tasks they attempted or discouragement from parents and developed a sense of shame and self-doubt instead (Newman and Newman, 2006).In early childhood education programmes children are praised for their achievements such as toilet training. A relaxed attitude from teachers and praise for their students helps the child gain a sense of independence without shame. Providing encouragement for both the child’s success and failure of a task gives balance between the child’s natural doubts and their drive for independence. The third stage of Erikson’s theory is Initiative versus guilt. This stage takes place from three to six years. During this stage children observe their parents and want to attempt many tasks that they watch them perform.Their sense of autonomy which developed from the last stage gives them the independence to attempt activities that are beyond their competency. If the parents give the child support and guidance in their new activities, this will result in feelings of achievement and pride in their own initiative. If the child is made feel that they are wrong for trying out new activities and are punished when the child tries to show initiative, they will be left with feelings of guilt (Berns, 2009). At this stage children have a great imagination and are very curious about their surroundings.In schools, children are encouraged to play with a variety of different toys to promote creative play and are exposed to different experiences such as school trips to learn more about the world. They are encouraged to ask the teacher questions, use their imagination and are given freedom to play a nd choose their activities. This promotes their feeling of initiative (Pillitteri, 2010). Erikson believed that the crucial point in this stage is the activity of children playing together. Playing allows the child to explore their communication abilities through such behaviour as deciding what to play.By using their initiative, children learn that they can make decisions, present a course of action and implement plans. As a result of this, children learn the basic skills of problems solving while working with other. These basic skills are an essential foundation for coping effectively in society (Carducci, 2009). The final stage of Erikson’s theory involved in childhood is called Industry versus Inferiority. During this stage the child has developed from their curiosity to try different things to their need to master certain activities (Ray, 2011).Such activities may include learning to read, write or playing a sport. As they start to master certain activities, children deve lop a sense of industry and begin to use their skills in a more personal way. For example, reading a book of their interest. While learning these skills in the company of their peers, some children may discover that their standard of skill is lower than others in their peer group. This awareness can cause the child to develop a sense of inferiority, and can lead them to lose interest in certain activities (Carducci, 2009).This feeling of failure and inferiority can result in the child giving up on certain activities because they believe they do not have the skill or ability required. Children continuously receive praise and attention for their efforts during school and social activities to encourage a sense of Industry (O’ Brien, 2011). Erikson’s theory contains 4 stages which are involved in the area of childhood. These four stages include trust vs. mistrust, autonomy vs. doubt, initiative vs. guilt and industry vs. inferiority. These range from birth to age twelve.Er ikson has helped to contribute to our understanding of child development through these eight psychosocial stages. He describes the important issues for young children and the support we need to provide to help them gain a healthy development. Erikson’s stages have provided a framework for teachers working with young children. By using Erikson’s theory this helps the teacher promote healthy development in there students and is still used now in the modern classroom. Reference List Berns, R. (2009). Child, Family, School and Community: Socialization and support. th ed. , Belmont: Wadsworth Carducci, D. (2011). The Psychology of Personality. 2nd ed. , Malden: Brooks/Cole Publishing Essa, E. (2011). Introduction to early childhood education. 6th ed. , Belmont: Wadsworth Gordon, A. and Browne, K. (2010). Beginnings and Beyond: Foundations in Early Childhood Education. 8th ed. , Belmont: Wadsworth. Keenan, T. and Evans, S. (2009). An introduction to Child Development. 2nd ed . , London: Sage Publications New, R. and Cochran, M. , eds. (2008). Early Childhood Education: An international encyclopaedia. Vol. , Westport: Praeger Newman, B and Newman, P (2006). Development Through Life: A Psychosocial Approach. 8th ed. , Belmont: Wadsworth. O’ Brien, E (2008). Human growth and development: An Irish Perspective. Dublin: Gill & Macmillian O’Brien, E. (2011). Psychology for Social Care: An Irish Perspective. Dublin: Gill & Macmillian Pillitteri, A. (2010). Maternal and Child Health Nursing. 6th ed. , Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins Pound, L. (2011). Influencing Early Childhood Education: Key terms, Philosophies and Theories.New York: McGraw-Hill Pressley, M. and McCormick, C. (2007). Child and Adolescent Development for Educators. New York: Guilford Press Puckett, M. and Diffily, D. (2008). Teaching young children: An introduction to early childhood. 2nd ed. , New York: Wadsworth Ray, D. (2011). Advanced play therapy: Essential conditi ons, knowledge and skills for child practice. New York: Routledge Shaffer, D. (2009). Social and Personality Development. 6th ed. , Belmont: Wadsworth Salkind, N. (2004). An introduction to theories of Human Development. London: Sage Publications

First Amendment to the United States Constitution Essay

We live in a society where we pride individuality and staying true to who we are, but contradictingly enough we have large numbers of minorities being discriminated for being who they are. Racism being a strongly relevant issue, even in our day and time, doesn’t get dealt with as seriously as it should. Charles R. Lawrence III takes a firm stand addressing this issue arguing that racist speech should be regulated in universities rather than be protected by the first amendment. He claims that universities need to regulate racist speech in order for their students to really receive the equal educational opportunity they deserve. Getting rid of racist speech would be the only way to give all students the equal opportunity to learn and participate in their university. Lawrence makes strong claims in his argument; however, a lot of his argument is supported through his writing techniques. Charles Lawrence in his argumentative essay â€Å"On Racist Speech,† implements emotion-provoking diction, subtle figurative language and a thoughtful use of detail in order to effectively dispute the need for the regulation of racist speech. In his essay, â€Å"On Racist Speech,† Lawrence argues that universities should regulate racist speech. He points out that when racist speech involves insults, catcalls or assaultive speech, it becomes â€Å"fighting words,† which have been declared by the Supreme Court to not be protected under the first amendment of free speech. Lawrnence argues that racial insults shouldn’t be protected by the first amendment anyway because, the speakers intentions aren’t to â€Å"discover the truth or to initiate dialogue, but to injure the victim†. He also says that the need for regulations on racism advocated under the university’s responsibility to offer equal educational opportunity. Students don’t have the equal opportunity to learn and participate when they are crippled by the fact that at any time they could be struck with verbal harassment or assault. Lawrence offers a counterargument saying how free speech is the lifehood of our democratic system and that it is impossible to outlaw racist speech without suppressing other kinds of speech necessary for our democratic society Using certain words with specific emotional appeal, Lawrence effectively draws emotion out of the reader and strengthens his argument putting the reader at an emotional, personal level with the argument. For example, he first mentions how â€Å"we will be forced to combat [bad speech]† (51). He specifically chooses to use â€Å"combat,† a word with a far more aggressiveconnotation and weight, rather than a more passive word such as address. By doing so Lawrence expresses to the reader the urgency and grave seriousness of the situation; how racist speech is an actual, reckonable force that nees to be contended with. Also, he depicts the matter to be a â€Å"cry† from â€Å"victims† with â€Å"injuries† and â€Å"burdens,† all words with implied emotional context (51, 54). Just by picking certain words, Lawrence successfully uses pathos, pulling the emotions out of the reader and making them feel pity for the minorities. Ultimately with the right words, Lawrence makes the minorities more than just demographics; they become a group of people pressed under injustice and in need of help. He essentially, uses diction to play the readers heartstrings in a manner to make them feel sympathy for the minorities and further sway the reader to support his argument. Lawrence implements figurative language providing material from which the reader can mentally draw an image or feeling from, by which he further intensifies his argument, and ultimately making it more real and relatable. For example, he describes racism to have â€Å"rising flames† in the beginning of his essay (51). He draws a parallel between the situation of racist speech and an out of control fire. By painting such a strong image, he expresses the severity of the issue as well as how it must be addressed urgently. Rising flames aren’t something to shilly shally around with; likewise, neither is the problem of racist speech. Another example is when he describes the â€Å"use of words as assault weapons† (54). By comparing words, simple means of expressions, to assault weapons, firearms meant to hurt, he suggests the brutality of the issue. By putting racist speech next to weapons of destruction, Lawrence effectively shows how racist speech has actual ramifications that hurt and damage others. Also by giving this comparison, he’s able to put a nasty, cruel feeling in the reader’s mind, a feeling that would really stick with them. Lawrence’s use of figurative language proves to be very effective in getting to the reader, because it puts images, and consequently feelings, in the readers mind. He manages to give actual substance to the argument, substance the reader can see or feel. Lawrence sensibly avoids expounding upon the particulars of â€Å"racist speech,† which would have added smaller, more complicated arguments, and ultimately added extra baggage that could turn away readers. Touching upon sensitive issues of racism and free speech, he already packs a heavy load of content for the reader to digest and reflect upon. If he were to add more with what he believes racist speech should be defined as, he would risk losing readers, and not just to an overload of content. By providing a set definition, Lawrence would basically just be throwing out one more thing for the reader to possibly disagree with. Would his definition be too strict, he’d lose some rather more lenient readers and vice versa. Asserting more of his opinion would have created more room for disagreement with the reader, especially when discussing such touchy subjects. Drawing boundaries of racist speech would have just made his controversial essay more controversial. Lawrence having already sensitized the reader talking about â€Å"racial violence† on â€Å"victims† with â€Å"injuries† and whatnot, portrays his argument to be more than just a cold expression of his opinion. Having evoked the reader’s emotions, he had to consider them, making sure not to say something too sensitive that would really strike the reader. By leaving the definition open to the reader, not only does he allow the reader to create their own stand on the issue, where they could personalize it and make it relatable to their lives, but he avoids coming off as overbearing which would have been a clear turn off to readers. Also, by steering clear of precarious details, Lawrence is able to really stick the nitty gritty to the reader and just get his argument out there and heard to a wider array of audiences. Lawrence effectively uses rhetorical devices such as diction, figurative language and details in favor of his argument to regulate racist speech. As serious and urgent Lawrence calls for the regulation of racist speech is, realistically it seems impossible. â€Å"Racist speech† is far too subjective of a matter to have any form of regulation. Plus, it would be impossible to outlaw racist speech without suppressing other speech. That however, does not dismiss the issue. We should rather confront the issue on smaller levels and address it from the source—ourselves. Simply if we were all to simply just stop making or encouraging racist remarks, whether that be indirectly or just for laughs, there would no need for racism to be regulated. If we all were to progress to be accepting of all races, racism would just plainly be a thing of the past.

Effects on Saudi Arabia due to the events of the winter of 2010-2011 Research Paper

Effects on Saudi Arabia due to the events of the winter of 2010-2011 - Research Paper Example Saudi allies have fallen out of power in recent months, including former Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak. King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia responded quickly by distributing about $36 billion in state funds to youth throughout the country, hoping that money would satisfy any lurking desire to follow the examples of other Arab populations. The result, however, of the Arab uprisings has affected the population of Saudi Arabia, as demands for reform are being offered to the government while protests are emerging for different causes but with small turnouts. The list of demands includes lower taxes, better support for those unable to work, a solution to unemployment rates, higher minimum wages, and a cancellation of some restrictions on women (Bar’el). However, this is hardly radical, as this list calls for only a brief number of economic changes and very little social reform, even concerning women. What it lacks is any demand for governmental reform, regime change, civil liberties, or religious freedom. When compared to the revolutions of other Arab states, the issues in Saudi Arabia are of an entirely different nature. These demonstrations, however, have already been met with a violent response, urging them into the same categories of neighboring movements. Human Rights Watch claims that over 160 dissidents have been locked up since February. Protests were not limited to the usual Sunni Muslim citizens of Saudi Arabia, but also consisted of separate movements by Shia members of society who were speaking out against religious intolerance and the imprisonment of peaceful activists. As if reaffirming what the Shia Muslims were protesting, Saudi police made arrests in April that included a prominent intellectual leader of the Shia sect, Al-Saeed al-Majid. (HRW) The Saudi government has been forced into a position of vigilance, as it intends to swift put down any attempt to destabilize the country. Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdul Aziz bin Abdullah al-Sheikh, a top Muslim authority with close ties to the Saudi royal family, decried the uprisings as â€Å"chaotic acts† that â€Å"have come from the enemies of Islam and those who serve them†. (Saudi) This statement may refer to Western powers, although Saudi Arabia usually depends on the American military for security on its borders and throughout the region—especially in the Gulf. The Gulf itself is in many ways entirely separate from the greater Arab world in that it tends to look inward rather than out. While Tunisia, Libya, and Egypt all have been concerned with their own neighbors as well as what is happening within their borders, Saudi Arabia looks across the Gulf to Iran, a rising Persian Shia power that is the antithesis of the Arab Sunni monarchy in the Arabian Peninsula. The Grand Mufti’s quote may indeed be referring to Iran and the Shia sect as the enemies of Islam, thus supporting Saudi crackdown on Shia protests. Saudi Arabia has taken specific action outside its borders, and has arguably put more focus into its foreign policy over its domestic policy in reaction to the regional uprisings. Saudi Arabia’s neighbor, Bahrain, is a Sunni monarchy as well, but rules over a Shia Muslim majority. In Bahrain, the government faced a grave threat as its citizens sought to uproot the monarchy, and the Saudi

The nature of communication Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The nature of communication - Essay Example The manager’s complaint was that the area was not cleaned to her liking in the allotted time. She was accurate in her assessment, but because of mitigating circumstances, including an extensive influx of customers late in the evening, and minimal help from co-workers who had left earlier, she mis-communicated the blame. While elements of her criticism were effective, a great deal of it was misdirected as it was founded on erroneous assumptions. It fell short in that it didn’t leave room for a dialogue to occur that could create a constructive solution. Instead, the observations were relayed in a way that spoke to the necessarily limited perspective of one individual. For work place communication to be effective, open communication among workers within the organization must be promoted. Without this collaborative environment, the workplace becomes dry and monotonous and the creativity necessary for beneficial improvements is squashed. I believe effective communicators embody a number of positive traits that emerge when they relate to fellow human beings. In the situation at my work, communication did not occur because there was not an open dialogue occurring between the two individuals, but a one sided lecture. Effective communicators must take an interest in the people they communicate with, as nobody wants to listen to someone who isn’t engaged in the conversation. It’s important they look at the person’s eyes as it indicates that you are intent and engaged in the conversation. They speak clearly and directly, using language suitable for the conversation. While situations and types of language will differ greatly, effective communicators have a way of speaking that goes beyond merely giving a speech. They are able to strategically and competently relate to the individual and adapt the conversation to better convey the message they are attempting to impart. In not opening the

Crime and persistence of drugs in American Society Essay

Crime and persistence of drugs in American Society - Essay Example Criminologists supporting the conflict tradition argue that the inevitable process of capitalism is the main cause of crime. That is to say, disputes emerge between those who embrace the society in a pluralistic view and those who do not. Pluralists believe that groups in the society exercise power with an objective of furthering their own influence and power within that society. These criminologists, or conservative conflict theorists, argue that difference in economic status, and culture or the struggle in ideology, morality, status, race, ethnicity, or religion are the sources of crime. These theorists believe that such groups that gain allegiance to the mainstream culture obtain control of the necessary resources that allow them to criminalize those conflicting individuals who do not observe the same cultural values and moral code. According to Siegel, therefore, crime has its root in the instrumental or symbolic conflicts that occur at different sites of a fragmented society. Cr itical theories concerning crime base their arguments on group difference on the larger social environment; some highlight class difference, others gender difference, and others societal difference. In this regard therefore, there are different critical arguments and theories on crime, but all focus on group difference in power. The theories include Marxist theory, institution anomie theory, and feminism theory. The capitalist class (those who have means of production like businesses and factories) advocate for laws that criminalize and prohibit low-class street crimes, but merely restrict or prohibit some harmful actions resulting from their factories and business. ... The theories include Marxist theory, institution anomie theory, and feminism theory. According to Marxist theory, the capitalist class (those who have means of production like businesses and factories) advocate for laws that criminalize and prohibit low-class street crimes, but merely restrict or prohibit some harmful actions resulting from their factories and business (Siegel 2011). These individuals use power to their advantage, and their main aim is to make profits. The theory on institutional anomie borrows from social learning and control theories to argue that the high rates of crime in the US result from the emphasis on the â€Å"American Dream†. People are encouraged to achieve success in monetary terms, but with no emphasis on the legitimate means of obtaining such success. Lastly, the feminist theories base its argument on crime because of gender difference in power. They try to explain why men engage in most forms of crime in comparison to women. Structural argument s on crime try to use a structural methodology in developing theoretical perspectives on delinquency and crime. Theorists supporting this approach focus on the study of social structures with emphasis of power relations between groups or individuals. The common approach in the study of these social structures is the concern of vertical, hierarchical relations among the members of the society (Siegel, 2011). The structural approach to criminology embraces the study of power relations as the centre of criminology research. In essence, the approach studies both power relations to criminal behavior and other people’s reactions to criminal behavior. The main theory in structural criminology arguments is the power-control theory. According to the

Should China be Promoting Big Business Groups Essay

Should China be Promoting Big Business Groups - Essay Example As the discussion stresses Chinas enterprise groups have performed better than any other enterprise. They are competitive and ready for the challenge of improving the nation’s economy. They have driven the economy of china to a higher level. The process of transforming these enterprises is better known as Jituanhua. By 2004, china transformed about 2692 enterprises into enterprise groups. This enterprise groups provided employment for almost 30 million people in china. Their output has grown up to 21% annually. These enterprise groups expanded more as many more companies joined in to work together.From this paper it is clear that  China has adopted the East Asian style to development. This started all the way from 1980s when it was realized to be one of the fast growing economies in East Asia. They key models imitated by the Chinese economy from other already developed states in East Asia are state controls over the finance, government intervention in state firms, substituti ng imports in some industries and high export activities. A lot of saving and investment is also encouraged locally. Much similarity is noticed between Taiwan and china since they both have private and state enterprise sectors that play the crucial role in their development strategies.  It is surprising that this was the case even though china shared most of the affected sector with other East Asian countries.... This started all the way from 1980s when it was realized to be one of the fast growing economies in East Asia. They key models imitated by the Chinese economy from other already developed states in East Asia are state controls over the finance, government intervention in state firms, substituting imports in some industries and high export activities. A lot of saving and investment is also encouraged locally. Much similarity is noticed between Taiwan and china since they both have private and state enterprise sectors that play the crucial role in their development strategies. In 1997 and 1998, there was a financial crisis that affected the East Asian countries though china was affected at a minimal degree. It is surprising that this was the case even though china shared most of the affected sector with other East Asian countries. The East Asian financial crisis According to (Yang & Tyes, 1999), the East Asian countries were doing remarkably well in the financial development around the year 1997. Financial and currency crisis affected this greatly. Many economies in this region that had expanded started to slow down. This era experienced currency depreciations. According to (Yang & Tyes, 1999) â€Å"The external crisis combined with domestic reforms and with the changes that were taking place in the macroeconomic policy to retard overall economic growth and an increase in employment.† The Chinese people had long valued the culture of saving and using the savings future which saved china’s economy from collapsing like the rest of the East Asian states. Japan experienced a drop in investment to about a tenth in the years 1997-1998. In some countries, the economy declined by a half. Production of

Nutrition for Life Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Nutrition for Life - Essay Example Since man has lost touch with nature, he does not eat raw food available from it. The food that humans intake goes through a lot of processing, thus, they lose most of their nutrients. Another crucial field that is interconnected with human life is healthcare. Healthcare is one of the main reasons that death rates all around the world have decreased comparing to the ancient era. Humans have evolved a lot from the way they were during the primitive times. The advancements have made them reach new heights. However, along with such progress, comes their inability to live a healthy life. The fast paced lifestyle that everyone follows now lands them on the path of self-destruction. People nowadays are so busy with work that they do not have time to focus on their food or nutrition. They eat according to different food fads that they acknowledge in their day-to-day lives. People just read the nutritional information given behind different cartons and packets and buy according to what they assume to be healthy. They do not know what is best for them and producers take advantage of this situation sometimes giving false data about ingredients as well as nutirional qualities. Manufacturers have now come up with â€Å"functional foods, which provide a health benefit beyond what is provided by the same food in its traditional form† (Vitamins: Micronutrients with Macro Powers pg 186). These types of food products, also known as â€Å"nutraceuticals† are the new trend now. Various commercials and such other advertisements lure the people into buying these things, which have been transformed into something healthier, as per the commercial. People ponder upon the new terms related with these new products and undergo the dilemma of whether or not to buy it. In the end, that small voice inside their heads tells them that they really need â€Å"some extra vitamins, calcium fortified juices, soy milk, multivitamins† and various other â€Å"vitamin enhanced pr oducts† (Vitamins: Micronutrients with Macro Powers pg 186). When people come to know of water that has been filtered through reverse osmosis systems and undergone ozonization, they do not wait to think of another option. They think it better to drink this water than the one they get from their taps. It is only obvious how much the world is concerned with nutrition now, or else water would taste best when it comes out of a natural spring, not some UV sterilizing machine. There are various establishments and institutions that have devoted themselves to providing the best healthcare and medicine for the people. One such organization is the United States Pharmacopeial Convention (USP), â€Å"which sets standards for the identity, strength, quality, and purity of medicines, food ingredients, and dietary supplements manufactured, distributed and consumed worldwide† (About USP par.1). It is a non-profit institution, founded by an association of 11 physicians in 1820, who want ed to provide â€Å"a national lexicon of drug names and formulas† for the public (About USP par.1). During the time, medicines, drugs and such things were not closely administered by any authority. Patients bought medicine and consumed them according to what they thought would help. Wrong dosage and wrong intake of medicines and drugs also caused serious setbacks in the lives of people. It was not until the formation of USP that the essentiality and importance of this problem was recognized. People then were mostly illiterate and did not know how to read the information given about any product or medicine. Thus, USP played a very important role during the time and since has been catering to the needs of people regarding medicine, drugs and food. This organization follows the standards created and

SEMESTER 1501 COURSEWORK ASSIGNMENT Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

SEMESTER 1501 COURSEWORK ASSIGNMENT - Essay Example The Labour party took power and halted the sales of the houses. This decision made Mr. Gibson sue the respondents claiming a breach of a binding contract. The county court and the court of appeal ruled in his favour but this was appealed to the House of Lords where the earlier decision was quashed. The dispute was a result of distinguishing between an offer and an invitation to treat. Notably, it should be comprehended that an offer is an expression of the desire to contract on various conditions upon acceptance while mere negotiations to enter into a given contract are not offers but invitations to treat. However, Geoffrey Lane LJ who was a court of appeal judge dissented and held there was no enforceable contract. The House of Lords unanimously allowed the appeal and made a final decision that there was no binding contract between the two parties. The principle behind the decision of the court of appeal was affirmed by Lord Denning. The honorable judge emphasized that the communication between the parties should be also established by their conduct. Their conduct had supposed a binding contract between them and this led to the parties coming into an agreement. The House of Lords had a unanimous approach in this case. The court affirmed that there was never an offer by the council available to be accepted or rejected. Therefore, if there was no offer in the first place then, a binding contract was not realized between the two parties. The council cannot be accused of breaching. Lord Diplock embraced the conventional approach which affirmed that there was never an offer which constituted to a legally enforceable contract. The conventional approach requires that the documents to be relied upon to be analyzed thoroughly and ascertained whether in their construction there can be found a contractual offer to sell the house and an acceptance of such an

How a person would act if they had super powers Essay Example for Free

How a person would act if they had super powers Essay Some people my age dream of having superpowers. Some people read comic books,watch movies, watch television, and wish they could have super powers like flying or becoming invisible. I on the other hand am gifted with both of these powers and use them every day Invisibility and the ability to fly arent just useful in everyday life they are just plain fun. I recieved my powers out of nowhere.One day I was sitting on the couch watching Television, and I fell asleep. I had a weird dream that I had the aability to fly and could become invisible. Well strangely enough when I woke up I was floating in mid air! It took some struggling to get back on my feet because I did not exactly know how to, but when I finally did I went to the bathroom to look in the mirror and see if I could become invisible. In my dream if I concentrated hard enough I could become invisible, well sure enough I became invisible.This was a long time ago and I have just about got both of my powers under my control now. Being able to fly is, needless to say, is very useful. Such as after school when everybody is waiting in the thirty minute line to go home I just fly off home laughing at everyone wasting their gas. It definitely saves me money on gas, and I know I will not wreck because their is no one else who can fly. Also since I am gifted with powers I enjoy helping people out when they are in trouble. It is also a whole lot of fun doing tricks in the sky. Being invisible has a lot of advantages. It first of all helps me out when I am flying so nobody can see me. Also instead of wearing a dumb outfit so nobody knows who I am when I am helping people. The best part of being invisible though would probably not be helping people it would be messing with people and pulling pranks on them because they have no clue who it is. It also helps if you do not like to study so you can sneek into the teachers classroom and get the answers to the quiz or test. Super powers are alot of fun, but also a big responsibility. They help out in life and make everyday things like traveling fun and exciting. Its also really rewarding to help people out when they are in trouble. I do not know how I got my powers, I do not know how long I will have them. I do know one thing though I will be enjoying them.

Staff Training and Development Essay Example for Free

Staff Training and Development Essay From a company perspective, training and development of company employees are essential for organizational operation. From an employee perspective, the same factor is critical for skill development and for career advancement. â€Å"The retention of valued skill sets, are important for continued business achievements† and as a supervisor it is important to continuously train and develop your staff’s skills (McClelland, 1993). As a supervisor of employees whose task is to assemble tuning devices that go into cell phones, it is important to investigate why the quality of work has diminished. Training, managerial development and training, and performance management are some factors that could be attributing to the decrease in quality of the tuning devices assembled by the employees. Trial and error will need to take place in order to determine if the lack of training has been contributing to poor quality work. The training of employees leads to â€Å"increased employee satisfaction, facilitates the updating of skills, leads to an increased sense of belonging and benefit, increased employee commitment to the organization, and strengthens the organization’s competitiveness† (McClelland, 1993). It also improves productivity efforts. â€Å"It is improbable to produce improvements in human performance without relying, to one degree or another, on training† (Asim, Waqas, Cheema, 2012). To determine if training should be necessary or required, it would be important for the supervisor to look back at past training modules and new processes. Employees may need retraining on assembling tuning devices and the importance of quality work ethics. Audits of employee training will focus on task evaluations, work practices, and methods in an attempt to address the problem that has been affecting the employee’s quality of work. Managerial training and development could also play a part of the employee’s quality of work. It is important as a supervisor to attempt to â€Å"improve managerial performance by imparting knowledge, changing attitudes, or increasing skills† (Dessler, 2011, p. 155). Improving managerial skills can assist with implementing ways to improve employee performance and development. As a supervisor, it is important to work on goals and to figure out which goals are not working for your employees. A supervisor needs to assess their management skills to see if it is hindering or affecting the employee’s work ethics. Feedback on employee knowledge or changes in quality need to further discussion with employees on a weekly base especially if there has been a significant decrease in the quality of work. Another factor that a supervisor must ask is how often appraisal performances are conducted and what affect that has been having on the employee’s work quality. Appraisals help the supervisor make â€Å"promotion and salary raise decisions†, it lets the supervisor develop â€Å"a plan for correcting any deficiencies† (the quality of tuning devices), and it facilitates career planning by â€Å"providing an opportunity to review the employee’s career plans in light of his or her exhibited strengths and weaknesses† (Dessler, 2011, p. 170). Creating an appraisal process can shine light on the current issue with the employee’s work quality. If the employees have not been given a goal and/or do not understand their job, it will affect productivity and the quality of work being performed. The supervisor’s appraisal process would reward productive employees and assist the professional growth and development of inexperienced and unproductive individuals. A quarterly appraisal can take place discussing the job description, the process of assembling tuning devices, previously determined goals and objectives; and ongoing observations and communications of performance. These quarterly appraisals provide information for the employees and can assist with assessing the causes of poor assembly of tuning devices. During the annual appraisal, if training or what was previously discussed in the quarterly appraisal has not improved the quality of work, then it may not be training and the Human Resources Department may need to get involved. One other factor not mentioned at the beginning is the potential of environmental change. As a supervisor, any new change in the work environment needs to be taken in consideration. Where there any new changes in assembling of tuning devices for the cell phones that was not covered or mentioned in training? Not all employees are ready for change and if not done correctly it can affect the quality of work. Asim, Waqas, and Cheema (2012) noted â€Å"employees thinking, acting and behaviors are important elements for consideration in order to achieve organizational change successfully†. A change may have been implemented that could be affecting the quality of assembling tuning devices. To improve the employees task to assemble tuning devices that go into cell phones training development, managerial development, performance appraisals, and monitoring change may need to be implemented. Constant monitoring of training and development will assess how the training succeeds. The supervisor will devote time to ensuring that employees get the training programs that is most appropriate for them given their existing skill sets. The supervisor will improve their managing skills and take into consideration any changes in the work environment that has been affecting productivity levels. Assessing these factors will assist in closing the gap between how the employees currently perform in their assembling work and how they need to perform to meet company objectives.

Pay And Reward Management In Practice Management Essay

Pay And Reward Management In Practice Management Essay Introduction Before undertaking a critical analysis of collective and individual pay systems and how these systems have been affected by key socio- economic changes in Britain over the past thirty years, it is important to first define the meaning of pay, reward/ reward management, collectivism and individualism. From here the author will consider the key socio-economic factors that have influenced the change in practice and look at the development of reward management within the context of personal development. Pay, Reward, Collectivism and Individualism Pay is used to denote the wages, salaries or fees paid by employers in return for the provision of labour. (Hollinshead, Nicholls and Tailby, 1999, p. 332) The concept of reward has developed over the last twenty five years and has evolved from the concept of basic pay. Reward management involves the analysis and effective control of employee remuneration and covers salary and all benefits. It assesses the nature and extent of rewards and the way they are delivered as well as considering their effect on both the organisation and staff. (Cornwell website, 2007) Reward management therefore is a strategic pay control system, which is central both to the organisation and to the management of Human Resources within that organisation. The term Reward Management was coined by Armstrong and Murliss in 1988 and they and other scholars support the view that: Reward management is not just about money. It is also concerned with those non financial rewards which provide intrinsic or extrinsic motivation. ( Armstrong and Murliss, 1988, p.12) Collectivism or Collective Bargaining is the process of negotiation between unions and employers regarding the  terms and conditions of employment  of employees, and about the rights and responsibilities of trade unions. It is a process of rule making, leading to joint regulation. (Eurofound website, 2007). Collective Bargaining is fundamentally a representative process, in which Trade Unions, who represent the employee, negotiate with key organisational personnel i.e. managers, who represent the organisation, in order to reach agreement on the terms and conditions of employment. According to the WERS Report 2004 Inside the Workplace, collective bargaining is most prevalent in large organisations. The term Individualist, Performance Related Pay or Contingent Pay is the standard term used to describe schemes for providing financial rewards which are related to individual performance, competence, contribution or skill. (Armstrong and Stephens, 2005, p.231) Socio Economic Considerations Before delving into the detail of collectivism and individualism, it is important to look at the socio-economic changes that have taken place over the last thirty years. The rise of Thatcherism and the focus on the personal society and the concept of market forces have played a significant part in the changes to pay and reward within the workplace. The Thatcherist doctrine of the 1980s was heavily focussed on curbing the power of the Trade Unions. This she successfully achieved, but at some cost to certain elements of society. Although, still significant players, trade unions are not now as influential as they once were. For example, According to the findings of the WERS Report 2004 Inside the Workplace, the decrease in the number of Trade Union representatives (particularly within non public sector and small work places) between 1988 and 2004, has lead to a decline in collective power. Additionally, the report noted that pay issues were far less likely to be discussed in workplace consultative committees, if a Trade Representative was not present. Again, this demonstrates a move towards a new pay orthodoxy. Margaret Thatcher viewed market forces as a means to promote healthy businesses and expose the weaker ones, seeking to create an entrepreneurial society, with a focus on individual success and performance. This has been the prevalent idea since the mid 1980s and has influenced workers expectations of reward. (BCC website, 2004) The following extract from the Guardian, gives a helpful summary of the economic changes brought about under Thatcher:- The Conservative economic revolution of the 1980s casts a long shadow. It broke the power of organised labour, deregulated the economy and opened it up to global market forces. Geoffrey Howes 1981 austerity budget of public spending cuts and tax increases pitched Britain into mass unemployment and helped destroy the last vestiges of the post war welfare consensus. In 1978 there were 7.1 million employed in manufacturing, by 2008 that had fallen to 3 million. There has been no significant private investment in the de-industrialised regions. They have still not recovered their social fabric or productive economies and are now sustained by government spending. (The Guardian website, February 2010) There are four points to highlight from this quotation:- The rise of individual entrepreneurialism The reduction in the power of the Unions The break-up of large organisations, both manufacturing and other industries (coal.) In such organisations collective pay settlements were the norm, if those people are now employed at all now, it is likely they are in smaller businesses, which tend not have collective bargaining. The change from mainly an industrial, manufacturing economy to one where the service industry dominates. Over the last thirty years, the standard of living in this country has increased significantly for middle and working class workers but as a consequence, contemporary workers have far higher expectations, with regards to pay and reward and want their efforts to be individually recognised. High performance workers demand to be recognised and rewarded and thus both social and economic pressures currently exist to support individualist pay systems. The Development of Reward Management Pay management systems in Britain have changed considerably over the last thirty years and many of these changes have occurred as a result of important external and internal influences on organisations. The author has chosen to focus on the work of Armstrong (1988) to carry out this analysis, as he is a renowned scholar in the field of pay and reward in the U.K. Old Pay Systems The Early 1980s According to Armstrong and Murliss (1998), these were:- Pay based on the national going rate negotiated centrally with the main Trade Unions White collar and managerial fine pay structures, created to assist promotion increases that did not fall within the norms of income policy, were often open to abuse and resulted out of decaying job evaluation initiatives Limited Performance Related Pay or incentive schemes for office, technical, professional or managerial staff Incremental increases on fixed service-related pay were the norm Senior management Tax- effective benefits The late Enterpreneurial 1980s According to Armstrong and Murliss (1998), the entrepreneurial 1980s witnessed dramatic changes to pay systems. During this period pays role changed from being viewed as a back office function to a key management mechanism for change during the formation of the Enterprise Culture. Pay systems became dominated by performance related pay and incentive schemes. Armstrong and Murliss (1998) argue that during this period reward managements philosophy developed important features which demonstrated many similarities to Human Resource Management philosophy, including:- Treating employees as organisational assets Earning the commitment of these employees to the organisations core values and objectives Allowing staff members to achieve their full potential and to contribute fully to organisational goal achievement The Post Entrepreneurial 1990s Many of the simplistic pay models implemented in the late 1980s failed to achieve their objectives (Armstrong and Murliss, 1998) New Pay Systems The 1990s saw the adoption of a more strategically focused pay systems, which are still operational in contemporary private and public sector organisations. Armstrong and Murliss (1998) noted that the main developments to be incorporated into new pay systems in the 1990s included:- People-based pay, with emphasis on role adaptability and a move towards generic roles and job families, which focus on continual development and competence The introduction of second/ third generation performance- related pay, which focuses on improving performance rather than merely rating it Determining the value of employee inputs and outputs in Performance management i.e. development and motivation Recognising the employees as an organisational stakeholder, who is included in processes which affect their parts of the employment relationship for example pay According to the findings CIPD Survey 2004 of Performance Management, (cited in Armstrong and Stephens, 2005), 56% of the 566 respondents had some type of Performance related Pay. Armstrong and Stephens (2005) argue that many people view Performance Related Pay as a key people motivator, however they argue that non financial rewards i.e. the work undertaken and the working environment form an important part of the whole reward package. However, according to the findings of The e-research 2004 Survey of Performance Related Pay (cited in Armstrong and Stephens, 2005) the main factors for using Performance Related Pay are:- To acknowledge and reward superior performance To appeal to and maintain excellent personnel To enhance organisational performance To concentrate efforts on strategic values and results The Decline of Collectivism According to the WERS Report 2004 and Edwards (2003) the declining influence of the trade unions led to the decline of collectivism, which the WERS Report 2004 noted occurred between 1988-2004, particularly in non public sector and private organisations. The WERS Report 2004 noted that By far the most common pay determination in 2004 was unilateral pay setting by management. (WERS Report, 2004, p.19) i.e.individualism. Collective Bargaining in the Public Sector According to the WERS Report 2004, despite the decline of collective bargaining, it is still used as a means to set pay in larger organisations for example, in public sector organisations, for example, in the public administration and Utilities Industries. Collective Bargaining in the Private Sector According to the WERS Report 2004, Collective Bargaining was virtually non- existent in private sector organisations, for example, the Hotel and Restaurant Industry. In addition, the report noted that collective bargaining has not been replaced by any other single pay determination method, however mixed methods were less used and varying methods of single pay determination were used across the workplace. (WERS Report, 2004) Evidence of the Decline of Collectivism in the U.K. The decline in the use of Collective Bargaining in the U.K., as a pay determination method, over the last thirty years, is clearly illustrated in Table 1, Appendix 1. The Rise of Individualism or Performance Related Pay Some of the key reasons for the rise of individualism in pay systems in the U.K. can be summarised as follows:- The Terms and conditions of staff are increasingly important Aspiration and expectation increasingly staff want to be rewarded for doing a good job As mentioned above the socio-economic factors decline of the trade unions Increased competitive pressures Increasingly market forces constraining employers discretion Driving change (in pay and reward) is the need to strengthen the link to business performance , cost control, support for organisational change and recruitment and retention pressures ( Wright, 2007) As we have moved away from Collectivism, the last thirty years has been dominated by change and experimentation. Basic pay, which applies to the collective is supplemented and enhanced by pay systems that seek to differentiate between individuals in some way. Inconsistencies in Individualism/ Performance Related Pay From the research undertaken, it is clear that contemporary pay systems, some of the features of which are noted in brief on page 7, are determined through collective bargaining or Individualism/ Performance Related Pay, the latter of which has given rise to organisation- based pay setting, which has led to inequalities in pay in the U.K. since 1980. (Edwards, 2003) Individualism/ Performance Related Pay does not apply across the board to all categories of staff. Of particular note is the disparity in packages between managers and workers, for example, The WERS Report 2004 recorded that 45% of managers had company cars, while only 15% of workers had company cars and 38% of managers had private health care, while only 16% of workers had private health care. Performance related pay matrices, as illustrated in Appendix 2, are often used to determine pay increases in relation to performance and pay range position ( Armstrong and Stephens, 2005) Managers need to apply these systems both equally and fairly and therefore, there will need to be some form of mediation with all senior managers to ensure o harmonisation and the implementation of quotas, as not everybody can be rated, as excellent, as it would cost the organisation too much money. Decline in Popularity of Individualism/ Performance Related Pay Performance Related Pay became popular in the late 1980s, as noted earlier on pages 5-7, however, numerous reasons have lead to a decline in its popularity , for example:- Performance Related Pay has become surrounded by complaints about inconsistencies, as noted above, and (therefore) bias Managers who carry out appraisals and administer related monitoring processes often lack the necessary training Performance Related Pay assumes that performance is totally in the hands of the individual, however performance is affected by the organisation/ environment they work in The qualifying criteria for Performance Related Pay demanding and difficult to achieve ( Armstrong and Stephens, 2005) Labour Research, September 2000, reported some significant failings of Performance Related Pay in the public sector, by citing IRS Pay and Benefits Bulletin Survey, which found for example, that 75% of public PRP schemes were too insignificant to motivate staff and that 29% of public sector organisations felt PRP was too costly. According to Wright (2007), the Approach has moved on from simply collectivism and individualism to refining thoughts about individualism, taking into account staff engagement, trust and commitment. There is a need to develop management when looking at the design of reward systems. Wright (2007) cites Milsome (2005), who noted from the Reward Management Symposium (2005) that reward practices are rarely based on evidence of what produces good organisational outcomes and what does not. (Wright, 2007, p.159) Pay and Reward Today According to the CIPD (2010) Today the notion of linking pay to a wider definition of employee contribution is gaining ground. This emphasises not only performance in the sense of output (the end result that is achieved) but also the input (what the employee has contributed in a more holistic sense. (CIPD Website, 2010) It could be said that these developments demonstrate a more rounded and fairer approach to measuring individual performance. The CIPD (2010) refer to a members poll, carried out in March 2009 to gauge the effects of the economic crisis on performance management. It is significant to note 92% of the respondents believed there had been an increased level of performance management in general, 88% of the respondents felt that it was necessary to re-evaluate performance measures to replicate the more demanding work environment. With reference to rewarding performance, 63% of respondents felt that it was harder to reward good performance in the current climate and 90% of respondents felt that reward performance should include the use of increased levels of non-financial incentives. (CIPD, 2010) The results from the CIPD members poll clearly demonstrates the continued importance of performance management but it does also highlight that the current economic crisis has and is likely to continue to affect Performance Related Pay. Conclusion It is true that collectivism has declined and individualism has increased but it is not as simple as one approach replacing the other. Collectivism really started to decline in the Thatcher years with the destruction of the trade unions power and the support for individual endeavour in an attempt to improve the UKs economic performance. Thatcher was a great believer in meritocracy and open competition. This lead to the rise of the importance of the individual. Over the years we have seen this develop from being just about Pay to encompassing the wider concept of Reward (e.g. longer holidays, flexible hours, private health, etc). In the early Eighties this type of Reward was the preserve of Managers, but is now applied at many different levels. This has been strengthened in recent years as a result of two key factors: (i) two recessions within the space of 20 years where companies have struggled to find ways to retain and reward skilled employees other than the traditional financial remuneration, (ii) the changing face of the UK industry from manufacturing to services. However, Collectivism still has its place in larger public organisations and some private ones, particularly where it is very difficult to differentiate between the performance of individuals doing exactly the same lightly skilled jobs, and where the going rate for the job is still a valid concept. Although Individualism does dominate, it has itself developed again in the last 15 years where it has moved from pure Performance Related Pay to systems which are more objective in their assessment and also endeavoured to focus on staff improvement and development. Bibliography:- Armstrong, M., and Murliss, H., (1998.4th ed.) Reward Management : A Handbook of Remuneration Strategy and Practice, Kogan Page, pp.1-57 Armstrong, M., and Stephens, T., (2005) Individual contingent pay, in Employee Reward Management and Practice. London, Kogan Page, pp.231-254 BBC News, Retrieved, 2nd January 2011 from http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/3681973.stm, Cornwell website, Retrieved 7th January 2011 from http://www.cornwell.co.uk/people_management/reward_management.asp CIPD (2010) Performance Related Pay Factsheet, Retrieved 10th January 2011 from: http://www.cipd.co.uk/shapingthefuture/_eccrsplrst.htm?IsSrchRes=1 Eurofound website, Retrieved 6th January 2011 from: Edwards, P.,( 2003 ed.) Industrial Relations, Oxford Blackwell Hollinshead, G., Nicholls, P., and Tailby, S., (1999), Pay, in Employee Relations, London: Pitman Publishing, pp.332-377 Kersley, B., Alpin, C., Forth, J., Bryson, A., Bewley, H., Dix,G., And Oxenbridge, S., (2004) Inside the Workplace, First Findings from the 2004 Workplace Employment Relations Survey ( WERS 2004) Labour Research Department (September 2000) Performance -related pay failing in the public sector, Publications Online for Amicus members The Guardian (2010), Retrieved on 2nd January 2010 from: http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2010/feb/28/economics-conservatives-legacy-housing-election Wright, A., (2007), Through a Glass Darkly: problems and issues in reward, in Porter, C., Bingham, C., and Simmonds, D., (2008), Exploring Human Resource Management, McGraw Hill. London, pp.159-177 Appendix 1 The Decline of Collective Bargaining in the U.K. Membership % of Density % Covered by Collective Bargaining 1979 13 million 59 70 1997 7.8 30.2 33.3 2006 7.6 28.4 35.3 Constructed from data provided through the Workplace Industrial Relations (and Employee Relations) Survey series 1980-2004 and a certification Office report for 2007

Displaying the Confederate Flag :: Racism Confederate Flag Symbolism Essays

Displaying the Confederate Flag Ever since I first moved here, I have always wanted to know why so many people from this area go out of their way to display a symbol that is regarded by many others as a symbol of hate. I see it everywhere I go—on clothes, backpacks, license plates, and even in yards. The confederate battle flag is flaunted by many in this area, and I think that we can all attest to this. Why do so many people display this flag on an everyday basis, and who exactly are these people? What does the flag’s glorification say about these people, and how do they want to be thought of by displaying this symbol? Finally, I would like to better determine what the flag means to me and to other people of the area who do not exhibit the flag. The first step in understanding this cultural phenomenon is to determine who exactly is responsible for creating it. It is pretty obvious who these people are. Have you ever seen a plain confederate battle flag shown off by an African American, Hispanic, Asian, or any other non-whites? I would bet my life savings that over half of the flag pushers are people who have never lived in a racially diverse area or a large metropolitan location, as this symbol is not tolerated in these types of areas. In addition, I think it is safe to say that many of these people come from the more rural, conservative areas of the country. All in all, however, the flag’s promoters are essentially the white people who choose to display it. I have come to the conclusion that these people display this flag for a number of different reasons. There are some people out there who actually use the flag as a representation of being from the south. Unfortunately, I think this belief is more often utilized as an excuse for displaying a symbol of racial intolerance than as a hometown indicator. The Ku Klux Klan, which houses its capital in nearby Harrison, has used the flag for years as a sign of white supremacy. Is it just a coincidence that many other whites from surrounding areas so proudly display the symbol as well? I wonder why the supposed non-racist southerners decided to use the same particular flag instead of the many other symbols that can be used to show southern pride.

Caregivers Behavior Contributes to Offspring Behavior Essay example --

Caregivers' Behavior Contributes to Offspring Behavior The field of violence prediction research has advanced to the point where predictions about serious criminal violence by men who have already committed one violent offense can be made with a considerable degree of accuracy (Rice, 414). This group, although a small proportion of the population, is a group whose violence is the focus of much societal concern. Research on the nature of psychotherapy is yielding new insights into a group of offenders who are highly prone to violence. There is every reason to believe that applying the results of violence research to make policy changes in the criminal justice system would make society safer. Research conducted on treatment of psychopaths suggests that there may be little "wrong" with psychopaths for therapy to "fix". However, their research does suggest that certain treatments, such as the therapeutic community, may actually increase psychopath's future violence. This idea is supported by other research stating that programs that help increase self-esteem can increase aggression (Baumeister et al., 1996). Their theory about psychotherapy is that it is an adaption rather than a disorder. Violence by psychopaths might be reduced through careful monitoring and supervision therefore increasing the likelihood of detection. The researcher's theory begins to take a close look into a psychopath's childhood. The theorists determine that by means of close monitoring of the subject's aggressive and antisocial behavior by caretakers early in life it might shape the later behavior of persons with a genetic disposition to psychotherapy (Rice, 1997). The research demonstrated the importance of evaluating any interventions that are d... ...co; American Psychology Association, Incorporated. vol. 64 pgs. 5-7. February 1996. Lewis, M., Feiring, C., McGuffog, C., and Jaskir, J. (1984). Predicting psychopathology in six-year-olds from early social relations. Child Development, 55, 123-136. Main, M. (1991). Metacognitive knowledge, Metacognitive monitoring, and singular (coherent) versus multiple (incoherent) models of attachment. Findings and directions for future research. In C.M. Parker, J. Stevenson-Hinde, and P. Marris (Eds.) Attachment Across the Life Cycle. pgs. 127159 London: Routledge-Kigan Paul. Rice, Marine. American Psychologists. vol. 52. pgs. 414-423. April 1997. Rosenstein, Diana S., Horowitz, Harvey A. Adolescent Attachment and Psychopathology. Journal of Consulting and_ Clinical Psychology. co; American Psychology Association, Incorporated. vol. 64 pgs. 244-253. April 1996.

Cognitive Ability Essay

Any company needs a system of control and measurement. This is all the more true in the food industry, wherein the expected output is not only about taste or profitability, but also on several factors that could cause a multitude of praise or problems such as quality of service, effective controls, innovative product mix, brand image, etc (Profitable Tips For All Restaurant Owner, by Kevin Moll). Although the restaurant operations group, central office, administrative support, and upper management are all expected to be calibrated and to work in harmony, this type of business requires a funnel point, or local management whose role to act remotely on behalf of, but in full calibration with, upper management in terms of policy implementation, achieving store targets, local marketing, and other operational tasks. This funnel point is the Restaurant Manager (Ninemeier, Jack D. ; Hayes, David K. (2006). Restaurant Operations Management: Principles and Practices. Upper Saddle River, N. J: Pearson Prentice Hal). In recent years, it has been a recurring problem of the Shakey’s Philippines operations team that some of the Restaurants have not been meeting its target Quality, Service, Cleanliness, and Hospitality (QSCH) Score and Profitability Goals (Based on the 2012 Audit Scores). Although several initiatives have been rolled out to coach each employee’s performance, the consistency of the store’s QSCH scores and the achievement of target profitability have been directly linked with the performance of the respective Restaurant Manager (Store QSCH Score is included in Restaurant Manager’s total Performance Appraisal rate). Although coaching initiatives and continuous improvement programs have been launched and maintained, the problem resurfaces when attrition happens. Whether the attrition is expected or unexpected, the fact is that new talent coming in, either from the outside or from within, will always face the same pitfalls and challenges, plus problems that have been newly developed or caused by the failure of the previous local management handling the store; this causes the aforementioned coaching and continuous improvement initiatives to be re-implemented and relearned, ending and beginning this loop again with attrition, even slowing down the effectiveness of improvement initiatives. The process of learning and relearning, which is highly dependent on the Restaurant Managers’ cognitive ability, makes the difference when dealing with this loop(Schmidt, Hunter, and Outerbridge’s (l986)  causal model of job performance); it defines how much the Restaurant and, consequentially, the store itself can progress from the loop and continuously improve on its operational performance. This study aims to understand the significance and relation of the Restaurant Managers’ cognitive ability on the achievement of store objectives, and to address such problems. Background of the study Schmidt, Hunter, and Outerbridge’s causal model of job performance suggests that cognitive ability is the most important cause of job performance and that the relationship between ability and performance is stable over time (Development of a Causal Model of Processes Determining Job Performance, Frank L Schmidt and John E. Hunter). Though there is a lack of studies that specifically discusses the impact or effect of Restaurant Managers’ cognitive ability on the store performance, the scope of the universal model developed by Schmidt, Hunter, and Outerbridge could be used for restaurant industry. There are three factors to consider, before discussing the relationship between the Restaurant Managers’ cognitive ability and the performance of the stores the Managers respectively handle: 1. The Restaurant Manager’s Duties and Responsibilities needed to be accomplished, as well as targets to be achieved; 2. The Restaurant Manager’s Personal and Technical Competencies needed prior to placing any candidate, external or internal, into this position; 3. The current average and modal store performance in a given sample population versus the scores of the Intelligence Quotient (IQ) tests taken by the Restaurant Managers who run the stores in the sample population. The first two factors are found in the Restaurant Manager’s Job Description, which differs from company to company, while the third factor will be based on actual data from the sample population within a prescribed performance appraisal period alongside the last known IQ test scores of the respective Restaurant Managers. The first two factors are what will be used to describe, respectively, the current deliverables expected from all Restaurant Managers, and who the ideal Restaurant Manager should be as well as the capabilities in running store operations effectively. From the analysis of this information we can further elaborate the significance of measuring cognitive ability for prospective Restaurant Managers for screening purposes, as well as current Restaurant Managers for continuous improvement and internal screening purposes. The third factor shall be used to analyze the current relationship between the Restaurant Managers’ cognitive ability and their respective store’s performance. The analysis will include possible trends to further reinforce or debunk any possible relationships. Objectives of the study †¢ To identify the relationship of Restaurant Managers’ cognitive ability and achievement of store objectives †¢ To determine the acceptable level of applicant’s IQ in hiring or promoting Restaurant Managers †¢ To recommend either changes or retention in assessment tools to accurately determine the cognitive ability of prospective Restaurant Managers Significance of the study This study, if used in similar contexts, may be used as follows: †¢ To improve company selection processes, either to reinforce or debunk current practices of measuring job applicants’ Intelligence Quotients; †¢ To create more focused people development strategies, either more or less focus on increasing employees’ cognitive abilities; †¢ To reinforce or debunk the relevance of cognitive abilities on employees’ job performance, to gauge employees’ and applicants’ capabilities to take on certain responsibilities; and †¢ To properly plan and create succession plans and manpower requests within organizations. Scope and limitations For the purpose of this study, the Job Description, performance data, and IQ test scores to be studied will be those of the Restaurant Managers of company-owned Shakey’s branches, covering Manila areas only. It shall not include data from Franchisee-owned branches and the Restaurant Managers running these branches. This study shall also cover data from Restaurant Managers who have run their respective, company-owned stores for at least one year. This is to ensure the integrity of the data, and factor out possible cultural and functional adjustment periods brought about by new-hire status, lack of experience of newly-promoted Managers, newly-built store locations, and other similar scenarios. As such, data from Restaurant Managers of company-owned stores within the sample population whose tenure is less than the period prescribed in this study shall not be included. The IQ test results to be considered shall be those taken using the proprietary internally-developed IQ test only, and will not include results from any previous IQ tests. It must be noted that this test is used on all Restaurant Managers screened either for hiring or for promotion within all locations of Shakey’s Philippines, and its norms have been based on the current manpower of the company, across all levels and departments. Therefore, this IQ test is, for the purpose of this study, valid. Convenient Sampling Method shall be used for this study, both due to logistical limitations, as well as evening-out the sample population. It should also be noted that this study shall also take into context several factors that could have an effect on the success or failure of any given establishment aside from the Restaurant Manager’s cognitive ability, such as personal competencies, values, and the working experience of the Restaurant Manager. Whichever outcome and results may arise, this study does not denote that the store’s performance is solely or definitively dependent on the Restaurant Manager’s cognitive ability. The definition of Cognitive Ability is taken from Dr. Pascale Michelon, (Author of Max Your Memory and the Founder of Memory Practice). Cognition is how a person understands the world; it is a set of abilities, skills, or processes that are part of nearly human action. Cognitive abilities are the brain-based skills we need to carry out any task, from the simplest to the most complex. Dr. Michelon states that cognitive ability has more to do with the mechanisms of how we learn, remember, solve problems, and pay attention rather than with any actual knowledge. It refers to the individual’s capacity to comprehend, think, reason and solve problems (What is a Cognitive Ability/What are Cognitive Abilities and Skill, 2006). The hospitality sector is known to have the highest employee turnover rate among all other industries (The Economic Times, Highest Attrition in Hospitality and Aviation Sectors Survey, April 2012). The Human Resources (HR) departments of companies in this sector are required to hire talents who can adjust immediately to their new working environment and possess the ability to learn, continue, and finish the tasks left by the person previously holding the vacated post in the soonest possible time, with minimal training and supervision provided (Copyright 2003-2006  www. iBizResources. com). This also holds true in Shakey’s Philippines where Restaurant Managers leave the company either for opportunities outside the country or because of better offers from competitors. Shakey’s Philippines has an estimated 8% turnover rate for the Restaurant Manager employees in 2012 (Data Collected from Shakey’s HROD). Given this situation, it is important for Shakey’s Philippines, as with any other company facing similar dilemmas, to implement programs and initiatives that will counter the negative effects of this attrition. To better understand the impact of a Restaurant Manager on an organization in the Food industry, analysis of the Restaurant Manager’s job scope is needed. The main duties and responsibilities of a Restaurant Manager of Shakey’s Philippines are as follows: 1. Oversee overall operations of the restaurant including personnel management, stocks and inventory management, maintenance management and other administrative function 2. Develop and implement Local Store Marketing strategies, and ensure proper implementation of company wide marketing promotions 3. Ensure proper implementation and compliance to company controls and standards 4. Solve problems and decide on critical issues concerning but not limited to customer complaints, employee related conflicts, administrative cases, store accidents, decreasing sales due to strong competition, equipment breakage, delayed delivery of raw materials, etc. 5. People Development For Restaurant Managers to effectively carry out these responsibilities, certain abilities are required to be identified in prospective internal and external candidates. The Qualifications and Skills of a Restaurant Manager of Shakey’s Philippines are as follows: 1. Ability to set goals and implement sales building initiatives to ensure achievement of the target sales 2. Ability to use benchmarking and trade area awareness as analysis tools. Can analyze sales trends and performance. a. Has the ability to identify business opportunities within his trade areas b. Has the ability to study competitors within his areas and implement improvements to ensure his store is at par with his competitors, c. Is constantly calibrated with the best practices of the industry, which are to be implemented and practiced in the respective store 3. Ability to plan, direct, monitor, organize, control the restaurant financial resources. a. Has the ability to conduct profit and loss analysis and easily spot discrepancies in financial reports. b. Can determine factors affecting contributing to high cost efficiently. c. Can implement action plans and preventive measures to ensure a sound operational cost d. Can manage restaurant cost to acceptable level, and can create ways and means in managing cost. 4. Can implement and monitor quality standards in the store. Has the ability to consistently achieve an excellent QSCH Audit Result. 5. Ability to develop team capabilities. a. Has the ability to energize and inspire his team, and work towards the common goals. b. Has the ability to train his management team on various restaurant system (inventory, cash control, workforce planning, etc) 6. Ability to develop and implement effective local store marketing that boost sales and build brand 7. Has the ability to develop and implement effective merchandising techniques All these qualifications and skills are most likely to be present in people with higher cognitive abilities, based on Dr. Michelon’s abovementioned definition of cognitive ability. Cognitive ability plays a major role in learning new systems and operations, as well as making correct actions in each problematic situation that people encounter at their respective workplace. This particular ability helps newly hired employees perform well in their recently acquired roles, enabling them to hit the ground running (Development of Causal Model of Processed Determining Job Performance, Frank L Schmidt, John E. Hunter). Schmidt, Hunter, and Outerbridge’s Causal Model of job performance suggests that cognitive ability is the most important cause of job performance; that it is the primary determinant of job performance, and that the influence of this ability either remains stable or increases over time. Further analysis has suggested that cognitive ability retains its influence on the employee well-past the initial stage of employment, when incumbents are learning how o do their jobs, and is still a major contributing factor for job performance measurement among more senior job incumbents. Cognitive ability enables incumbents to acquire and apply job knowledge, and is also related to the employee’s ability to solve novel problems and to make appropriate judgement in situations where routine procedures do not apply; this will be most important in situations where the employee must learn new procedures or techniques, or where novel problems or job demands require sound judgement c alls from the employee. It is necessary, then, to hire Restaurant Manager replacements with high levels of intelligence; without the ability to adapt quickly towards their new working environment, new-hires’ and employers alike will be facing problems such as losing profitability to lost opportunity cost. This is especially true in Shakey’s Philippines, as it is so for all restaurant companies, whose profitability is dependent on their Restaurant Managers’ performance.