Power and Communication Essay

Language discrimination has been prevalent in society for thousands of years. This has been something that happens in every civilization and will not stop now. Language discrimination is unfair treatment of an individual by the way that they compose themselves in a verbal matter. What I mean by this is to treat someone unjust because of factors such as accents, vocabulary size, or just that they speak a different language. This happens a lot to tourists who don’t know how to speak proper English in the United States. I have lived in the United States my whole life and I have witnessed multiple accounts of this. There are multiple situations in which language discrimination occurs. Situations include work, school, vacation spots, and in the general public. The workplace is supposed to be free of any type of discrimination but it is not. People are discriminated against if they speak different or even remotely act differently than what we experience inside the walls of our community. School kids are picked on by other kids if they are a different nationality, this being because they speak different languages and are trying to learn the English language. Tourists on vacation trying to enjoy their stay are constantly pressed with the fact that next to nobody around them knows their native language providing a barrier of communication. The general public tends to look down on a person if they have a speech impediment or an accent even if they are still natives of the United States. They are made to look like tourists in a nation of their own. Some examples of language discrimination I have observed come mainly within my own community. I have witnessed people from work picking on other individuals because they are a different nationality such as Hispanic. Some Hispanics are American-Hispanic being born in the United States. They are typically not discriminated against like the full blood Hispanics are. This  is because they have not grown up in such a culture before and are trying to adapt. The same thing would happen to me if I was traveling to a different country. I would be looked at as an outsider as soon as I open my mouth. There are many identity labels that contribute to discrimination. Labels such as â€Å"Working class† or â€Å"Black† are just a few of them. These are a form of discrimination in themself. Labels are a way to identify someone in the wrong way. They may be â€Å"working class† but may not want to be considered as that. They may want to be known as â€Å"rich† or â€Å"powerful†. Or may find it an insult because they have to work to make a living. â€Å"Black† is also a common term used to identify some African-Americans. This is discrimination because one individual is not better than the next. This may be degrading to anyone who is classified under any sort of label. I do not believe that discrimination in communication is ethical because I feel as if it is a nonverbal or verbal form of abuse. It can be degrading at times and can cause a person to be uncomfortable in their own community. Regardless if I agree with discrimination or not, it will still continue to happen even long after I’m gone.

On the Roles of Microfinance in Developing Countries

Much of the underdeveloped world grows and produces agricultural products. Because many of these underdeveloped nations have very little political clout with the rest of the world, and because farmers in wealthy nations have lots of political power, the goods from these poorer nations are tariffed and quota'd right out of the richer nation's markets. † -Keith Brown, Free Trade & Foreign Policy: The Independent Institute, May 1, 2000 IntroductionThe quote above provides a very nice generalization of exactly what we will discover in this chapter: the roles of microfinance in promoting economic growth, development, and sustainability. Microfinance can provide exactly what most of the underdeveloped world needs: capital to invest in themselves in order to reach themselves out of poverty, thus creating self sufficiency. However, as Mr. Brown stated, what microfinance has failed to do (albeit it was not designed to do) is make these poorer farmers globally competitive.They cannot be competitive due to larger ountries' inability to make the free market free for all nations, not Just those who control most of it. However, even without making major strides on the global market, microfinance has done most of exactly what it was designed to do. It has brought most of its participants out of a fruitless future, one full of deabilitating poverty. There are many statistics out on the books about microfinance's effect on the poor of the world. Throughout the chapter, we will go into further detail on how these statistics reflect the exact influence of microfinance on the world, poor and middle class.The statistics will reflect exactly what has been stated in past chapters: microfinance works. It isn't the end-all, be-all solution to the world's poverty, but it is a solid start to eradicate it. Another topic we will cover in detail is the paradox between economic growth and sustainability, and whether or not they are mutually exclusive. An article, brilliantly written by Dr. Karen Higgins of Claremont Graduate University in California suggests that â€Å"limitless economic growth counters sustainability'. If the economy grows too big, will we end up exhausting our resources, thus actually making the economy more hort lived?Furthermore, we will go in depth on the effects of microfinance on the world, and more specifically, developed and developing nations. There is a plethora of information on what impact microfinance has on the world, mostly in the form of a poor farmer receiving a loan to buy supplies in order to make more product, so that the farmer's family can actually live on as well as sell their stock. However, there are also stories in which an especially lucky person receives a loan, invests in a good product or business, and actually goes from abject poverty to middle class.Such As you read, keep in mind that, as stated earlier, microfinance will not solve poverty and all its ills. Whether you are a passionate skeptic or supporter of it after reading this book, know that there are many more obstacles in the way of a poverty free world, those obstacles including political corruption, power inequalities on a global scale, climate change, war and conflict, disease, education, and availability of resources. By no means does microfinance seek to save the world.It does not mean to take the place of charity and giving, nor does it mean to take the place of hard work and perseverance. However, it does hope to make it easier for those who struggle amidst hard work, perseverance, and charity. It means to give every child a chance to live and be educated. In a world where nanotechnology and outer space travel are taken for granted, why does three quarters of the world still live on less than a dollar day? While we know that there are many answers to that question, we also know for a fact that microfinance can solve some of those problems.What is Economic Growth, Development, and Sustainability? According to the Center for the Advancement of the Steady State Economy (CASSE), economic growth is defined as: â€Å"†¦. n increase in the production and consumption of goods and services. It entails increasing population and/or per capita consumption. It is indicated by increasing gross domestic product (GDP). † It goes on to say that â€Å"economic growth literally refers to an economy that is getting bigger, not necessarily one that is getting better†. According to BusinessDictionary. om, economic development is defined as progress in the economy, or a qualitative measure relating to it. It usually refers to the adoption of new technologies, the transition of agriculture-based to industry-based economy, and a general improvement in living tandards Finally, according to Wise Geek, economic sustainability is â€Å"the term used to identify various strategies that make it possible to use available resources to their best advantage†. So what do those definitions mean when we apply microf inance to them?Simply put, microfinance can be attributed to all three of these things. As has been proved since microfinance first stepped onto the economic scene, microfinance can cause economic growth in the simple fact that once a poor family receives a microloan, they can use it to invest in themselves or their children, thus making it possible for them o repay the loan, and in due time (in most cases) make a profit that will allow them to expand their propensity to consume. In terms of economic development, microfinance has also changed the face of businesses, small and large.Poor farmers in the third world can receive a microloan, and go from having to perform backbreaking labor to purchasing a machine to help them do it. Finally, as for economic sustainability, microfinance can assure that stocks are not going to waste, and in the case of poor farmers, they can actually sell their crops, instead of having to eat them to stay alive. Economic Growth, Development, & Sustainabil ity As much as we would all love a straight answer to the question that is poverty and scarce resources, we all are aware that such a big problem is rooted in more than one thing.However, we all know that complex problems also have complex solutions. Microfinance is one thing that contributes to economic growth, but sometimes, its effect can be negated and bolstered by factors out of the control of those who run microfinance firms. Gender and Sex Inequalities Women in America are considered to be independent. Most women work, have their own property, and in some cases, even are the heads of their households. The same goes for most of the developed world. The problem here is that in developing nations, women are still, with little hope of the contrary, subjugated to men.Women in developing nations have nowhere near the rights as their developed nation counterparts do. In most Middle Eastern countries, women are still expected to wear veils over their faces, in accordance with the Mus lim religion. Furthermore, they are also expected not to work, but to bear children and take care of home. In short, most of the world still has a very traditionalist point of view. This being said, when a oman's husband dies, or leaves her, what is she to do other than to starve? Her children come first, but she barely has enough to feed the eight of them that her husband gave her before his passing.Microfinance has helped women gain more equality to their husbands and to men in general, but the fact of the matter that only when these restricting views are abolished will the chains of poverty start to come off. Once women are allowed to make their own money, they will be able to feed their children, saving the from malnutrition. They will be able to pay for their education, thus setting the children up to make something of themselves. Once women become independent, no longer will they not be able to live with a man by their side.They will be able, all things considered, to sustain their standard of living without falling into the traps of poverty. Power Trip: Political Corruption This mainly pertains to Africa and it's long, dark history of warring nations. Ever since time began, tribes have been fighting in Africa over land, resources, and money, which could all be considered the same thing. While the heads of these tribes and regimes are eating plentifully, their followers still live in abject poverty, and are food insecure. Also, they are dying at an alarming rate. Yes, that's right.In some African nations, men, women, and children are brutally murdered in the name of politics and power. The shameful part is that microfinance can't stop a bullet. So how exactly do we counteract the chains of political corruption? A microloan may help a child get an education, but it means nothing if we cannot motivate them to do greater things. Just think about all of the potential Albert Einsteins, Barack Obamas, and Marie Curies out there, growing up in Africa. Now think about the fact that they were either too scared of the politics of government or killed too early to ven try and show off their potential.A main stay of the microfinance movement as well as economic development is to need to make their living situation better. What purpose do American doctors serve coming to Africa if the children they are healing never get the chance to be great like them? What purpose does a microloan serve when it pays for a child's education that will only end up dying at the age of 1 5 from a gunshot wound? These are the questions that skeptics of microfinance need to ask themselves. Without the proper learning environment, or the proper environment in general, a child cannot be uccessful by conventional means.That goes double for a child whose parents never had an education either. A Deadly Detriment to Economic Growth: Disease Yes, a few dollars can get you that cough medicine that you need to get rid of that dastardly common cold. A few more dollars, and yo u can get the vaccine for the flu. A doctor's visit is rarely too costly, but Just in case you're running a really high fever, a call to your insurance company can get you to the nearest hospital, where you can get quality care by trained doctors that rarely have too many patients that they can't attend to your needs. Such is the luxury of living in the developed world.At least for the lucky ones. However, if you're that special person who has to choose between your medicine or paying for college tuition, then this may mean something to you. A huge number of the Juvenile deaths in developing nations comes from disease, whether it be HIV, AIDS, malaria, malnutrition, birth defects, or even cancer. What's worse is that in most of these developing nations, they dont have the luxury to pay for, not to mention the convenience of even being close to a research hospital. Consequently, we are presented with the same problem I mentioned before.Children, full of potential and intelligence, de ad before their time. Microfinance can only do so much, but it can cause a domino effect. Say you aren't in reach of a hospital as a poor family in West Africa. You apply for a microloan, and invest in your children's education as well as your farm. In time, your children go from becoming potential HIV infected children to being able to work on a cure for it. Of course, that's an idealist's situation, but also a completely possible one. The point here is that disease, although completely natural, is responsible for much of the turmoil we see in the developing world.However, food inequality is a big part of this. Most people don't realize how countries like the United States suffer from obesity and heart disease while countries like Indonesia suffer from malnourishment and starvation, which leads into the next detriment from economic growth, development, and sustainability. Nominal FMF: Free Market Freedom Ever since the introduction of the free enterprise system, especially on a glo bal scale, the intelligent, innovative, and witty people of the world have amassed fortunes beyond the wildest dreams of even their middle class counterparts in the developed world.They have had the opportunity to be themselves and create something that will ultimately better the world, and make a decent fortune at the same time, with certain government regulations, but not too many as to limit creativity. Such is the same in all the developed world. People have made fortunes from Steve Jobses, Bill Gateses, or Mark Zuckerbergs come from the developing world. The answer to that dilemma is quite simple, and it was the first thing you read. Most businesses in the developing world are agriculture based instead of industry based.However, that is all that they have in terms of business. They grow food, and their economy depends on selling the food to prosper. The cruel irony is that they have been unceremoniously taken out of the free market economy to sell their goods to richer nations. Tariffs and quotas have done their Job well, making selling goods on the world market a process that makes pulling teeth look like the easiest thing in the world. The free market has been that way in name only. The reality is that only those who control most of the free market are actually free in it.Just think if an African country like Sierra Leone traded frequently with the I-JK? Sierra Leoneans would have more money than they could spend on a regular basis. However, the I-JK has so many trade barriers set up that Sierra Loeneans cannot afford to trade with them, thus forcing them to trade locally, and limiting their earning potential. Why would the US and their allies do something like this? Most sources say security. Trading with African nations, especially in the midst of political turmoil could lead to another world war.Also, African nations are not exactly household names. For example, you will usually buy a purse made of Italian leather instead of leather made in South Afr ica. The biggest motive is money, but what richer nations dont realize is that trading with African nations can actually alleviate some of the problems that they face. When you have an abundance of land and resources, you no longer have a need to fght, and conflicts can be solved diplomatically, more or less. Microfinance can't sway the decision of a country that has been doing something a certain way for over a century.But what it can do is provide a developing country with not only the money to be able to afford to trade, but the power to take control of their own lives, instead of being pushed back and forth into poverty based on the ecisions of a few, powerful nations. It All Starts Here: Education and Microfinance If you are reading this book, then you already know the value of a quality education. You know for a fact that without one, you can be stuck in a situation with no hope of getting out of it. Education, or better yet, and abundance of it, can only add to our economy.Un fortunately, not everyone has access to the same quality education. Even in developed nations, we can see that certain nations have an edge over others, and thus the more educated you are, the better standard of living you can enjoy. Take America, for example. A high school diploma is much more education than you can get in a developing nation, but in America, the mean salary for a high school graduate only is 38% less than the mean salary for a college graduate, from a study done by the Department of Education's National Center for Education Statistics.Accordingly, based on a study done by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, there was an unemployment rate of 14. 4% among those with only a high school diploma. Among those with a college a degree, the unemployment rate was 7. 6%. The irony is that Sweden, and Japan in terms of education, and accordingly, we have a lower standard f living. The lower you go down the ladder, the worse the standard of living gets. Let's take a country lik e Ethiopia.Ethiopia is a third world country on the east coast of Africa, and it is needless to say that they are in need of a better educational system, but for the sake of proof, here are some facts. In the years 2007-2011, a study from UNICEF showed that 82. 5% of Ethiopian children who were of age attended primary school. In those same years, the same study showed only 16% of Ethiopian children of age attended secondary school. Translation: only 16% of Ethiopian children went past the sixth grade. The previous section was aimed at what we need to get rid of in order to promote economic growth, development, and sustainability.Now we focus on what drives those things. Education is the only one worth noting, because the others are only possible when things like disease and political corruption and nominal freedom are no more. While it is not equal among nations, it is to be noted that educational competition sparked outer space travel, one of man's greatest innovations, back when t he United Stated and the former USSR were in competition. Maybe that same fire with education will spark a race to end poverty once and for all.

The Jamestown Fiasco Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Jamestown Fiasco - Essay Example When the settlers arrived they were not aware of all the troubles that they were going to face. They did not make a wise decision in choosing their location because it was surrounded by a swampy area and it did not provide them access to proper water and also they did not realize that the area that they had chosen was not occupied by Indians but still they could easily reach there. The settlers did not have a very high opinion of the Indians from the beginning and they thought that they did not deserve any rights because they were uncivilized people with no religion. So even before they had set a firm ground in Jamestown they had no plans of proper negotiations with the Indians. The Indians had a different thought about the settlers. They wanted to cooperate with them and in return get access to modern weapons and tools for themselves. The colonists should have realized that to make a good place for themselves they should have availed the opportunity and they should have shaken hands with the Indians and worked in collaboration with them giving the Indians what they needed and taking from them the things required by them. The Indians soon realized that the motive of the settlers was to get hold of their land. As soon as the Indians got to know of their ill plans they started attacking the settlers. Thus the death toll of the colonists rose and within a few moths their number decreased to less than half. 2. Why were the Jamestown settlers unable and/or unwilling to feed themselves. During the time period when everything was under John Smith the relations between the Indians and the colonists took a very good turn. At first when John Smith took over he also used oppressive means against the Indians but soon he was advised by Ocanindge who was an Indian associate to think about the outcome if the Indians would stop working on their fields. He advised him to work in collaboration with the Indians for the betterment of both the communities. The turning point actually came when John smith and some of his fellows came under the attack of the Indians. In this attack most of the men who accompanied John Smith were killed and he was made captive by the Indians. The leader of the Indians who was Powhatan ordered the killing of John Smith but he was saved by the leader's daughter Pocahontas and following this event many things changed for the good. The Indians in return for modernized tools from the English provided them with crops and food for them. This helped both the parties to enjoy the benefits of each others services and this essay would further describe these events. This did not last for a very long time because in 1609 when the area was hit by harsh winter the Indians were not able to provide the settlers with crops. The Indians knew about such conditions and they had kept food reserves for themselves. Thus now they became unable to supply the settlers with food and the relations between the two sides became tense again. The settlers used oppressive forces against the Indians and the Indians replied in a similar manner. This continued for a long time until the supplies were sent to the settlers. The settlers had stayed there for a very long t

Ommunicating sexuality Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Ommunicating sexuality - Essay Example Until 1985, the definition of heterosexuality inferred that to be a heterosexual was natural. The Shorter Oxford English Dictionary of 1970 defined heterosexual as â€Å"pertaining to or characterized by the normal relations of the sexes† (Sullivan 2003, p. 119). In its 1985 publication, The Shorter Oxford English Dictionary defined the term heterosexual as involving and relating to â€Å"or characterized by a sexual propensity for the opposite sex† (Sullivan, p. 119). All indications are that the roots of prejudice against bisexuals and homosexuals are tied to the presumption that heterosexuality by definition is normal. By implication, the definition of heterosexuality means that any sexual identity that is not heterosexual in nature is decidedly abnormal. Despite this modification of the definition of heterosexuality, Western society for the most part continues to adhere to the belief that heterosexuality is the â€Å"norm† with the result that â€Å"homosexual relations are stigmatized† (Caplan 1987, p. 2). Caplan explains: Nonconformity to the norms of heterosexuality threatens the dominant ideology’s view of sex as ‘innate’ and ‘natural’ (Caplan 1987, p. 2). Therefore both historically and culturally, we live in and are exposed to a heterosexually driven world which forms the basis of the popular understanding of human sexuality. ... ern society for the most part continues to adhere to the belief that heterosexuality is the â€Å"norm† with the result that â€Å"homosexual relations are stigmatized† (Caplan 1987, p. 2). Caplan explains: Nonconformity to the norms of heterosexuality threatens the dominant ideology’s view of sex as ‘innate’ and ‘natural’ (Caplan 1987, p. 2). Therefore both historically and culturally, we live in and are exposed to a heterosexually driven world which forms the basis of the popular understanding of human sexuality. Essentially, that understanding for the most part is that heterosexuality is the ideal sexual identity. The construction of this normative heterosexual world was tested by Kitzinger (2006, p. 169) who analysed a series of conversations harvested by conversation analysts over approximately twenty years. The result was that co-conversationalists took for granted that the world was predominantly heterosexual. Regardless of their own sexual preferences or sexual identity, the co-conversationalists reflected and reproduced â€Å"a profoundly heterosexual social order† (Kitzinger 2006, p. 169). It would therefore appear that even homosexuals and bisexuals have resolved that heterosexuality is the norm. As a dominant norm, heterosexuality is â€Å"ageless† (Katz 2007, p. 8). In other words, historically, heterosexuality marked the underpinnings of sexual identity. Essentially, the male dominated institutions previously functioned to align heterosexuality with masculinity. This heterosexual masculinity is hegemonic and functioned to perpetuate an ideology which not only defines, but also sets standards for the sexuality of both young women and men (Holland, Ramazanoglu, Sharpe and Thompson 1998, p. 13). This historical and cultural background accounts for the

Water shadow Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Water shadow - Essay Example is structured into diverse parts that include the formation of water wave shadows, factors that contribute to their formation, how water waves move, and the strength of water wave vibration when an object is placed in a water tank. The structures promote the understanding of how water waves movement influence life on atmospheric of the building. The key observations or propositions evident are that, the used of the physical theories and case studies to understand the theoretical framework, test ideas and evaluate the potential for an architecture and design project that highlights awareness of the metaphysical. The paper also covers the role of reflection in enabling individuals to notice the shadows and water waves. As hypothesized, water waves shadow is outlined to how effective atmosphere can be created in architecture through invisible media? The invisible waves also show the interaction that exists between water, audience, and light. This highlights the importance of the atmosph ere and human beings in the development of architectural designs building. Water waves are beams that cause immense ripple effect as the intensity of light from a particular source increases. The waves also promote cultural practices in various communities as they enable individuals to formulate viable ideas and shape perceptions on the nature of atmosphere including how people interact. Notably, water waves are a unique type of waves as compared to light and sound waves since they show up in various substances. There interaction within the space is also imperative in promoting effective design of buildings. Effective interaction enlightens individuals knowledge on the kind of design that is necessary towards the realization of harmony, peace, and wellbeing in the atmosphere. In most cases, the shadows are evident in liquid substances especially on the underneath part of tanks where they show up. The shadows are characterized with high wavelength capacity, lack of clarity underneath

Strategies for Reaching global markets Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 1

Strategies for Reaching global markets - Essay Example According to Kanter (1995) such an action will not constitute an adequate response. This is so because success is based on an organisation’s ability to create, rather than predict the future by developing those products that will literally transform the way the world thinks (Kanter 1995:71). Within the context of today’s global competition, businesses and firms no longer compete as individual companies but try to corporate with other businesses in their activities (Wu & Chien 2007:2). These researchers went further to argue that, this strategy has become quite common in many businesses. The conventional vertical integrated company based business model is gradually being replaced by collaborative relationship between many fragmented, but complementary and specialized value stars and constellation (Wu & Chien:1). Against this background, this paper examines the various strategies used by companies to reach the global market. The first part of the paper, examines forms of foreign direct investment, the second part appreciates each of the methods while the last part of the paper presents the summary, conclusion and recommendation. In the years that follow after the Second World War, trade and investment have become increasingly intertwined. Within the first few decades after the war, most countries from Asia and Africa viewed Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) with suspicion, and wariness and the flow of FDI towards these areas has been relatively slower (Buckley 2004, Sumelong et al., 2003). To most of these countries, the presence of Multinational Enterprises (MNEs) was seen as an impeachment to their national sovereignty. The situation was further aggravated with previous colonial experience and the fact that to some, FDI was a modern form of economic colonialism (Sumulong, Fan & Brooks 2003). According to the World Trade Organisation (WTO), the flow of FDI has substantially changed the

World history Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

World history - Essay Example This two commodities were the most highly commodities. A community’s strength was measured by its ability to produce high quality commodities in the market. Communities which could produce gold, silver or diamond controlled much of the trading markets. This strengthened kingdoms as the disadvantaged communities played second fiddle to these factors. According to Bernier the division of labor was the also significant to human development and creation of leadership figures (316). In his notes Bernier also claims superiority in trade defined the way a dynasty will lead other factors towards a certain direction (316). These leadership traits created what are the common day trade controlling nations. This factor was significant in human development in how trade boundaries and rules were created. Apart from this influence on human development, trade had other ways in which it influenced human development in the 1750. One significant factor on trade was the trade of people. This particular was viewed as an inhumane act that involved strong dynasties and obsolete communities mostly in Africa and South America. However, this trade was significant in the creation of the great civilization that the globe experienced. In an argument by Bernier human trade is responsible for revolution that brought change in human development (316). The author highlights the American Revolution that was greatly initiated by the trade of people from Africa to America. If the trade was not carried out the revolution would have not taken place (Origins of civilisation, 94). Trade had also negative effects in the 1750. There was rampant spread of diseases and constant war fares that were mostly brought by trade disagreements. This was a great hindrance to human development. In words by Bernier diseases and war fares in 1750s was the great enemy to what civilization wanted to achieve (316). In trade in

Security Technologies for Online Payments Literature review

Security Technologies for Online Payments - Literature review Example There are several security technologies that are adopted by organizations to ensure smooth execution of online payments without any exposure or leakage of data to unreliable third parties. 2. Security Technologies in E-commerce According to figures from Ali (2011), cyber crimes cost Britain around 27 billion pounds every year. Such instances proved to expose the weaknesses of the credit card payment systems. Due to the appalling increase in the instances of data and identity thefts, organizations have started investing significant fractions of their resources to deploy effective security measures for online payments. Several researchers have also exerted their efforts in devising reliable security technologies. Some of the common ones have been discussed below: 2.1 Payment Gateway Get Started with an Ecommerce Payment Gateway (n.d.) defined the payment gateway as the intermediate pathway that encrypts information between the participants and ensures the completion of a transaction in the most secure environment. A payment gateway workflow is considered to be amongst the numerous pathways that are deployed in the whole cycle of an E-commerce transaction; this workflow is responsible for the authorization of the information. The following figure explains the placement and functions of the payment gateway: Figure 1: Workflow of Payment Gateway (Graham, 2006) The payment gateway works on the basis of the following steps: 1. The customer chooses the products and fills in the credit card details. 2. The credit card information is encrypted and verified for its authenticity with the card companies. The encryption function protects the data from being read by intruders and eavesdroppers. 3. Upon the validation of the information, the customer is displayed the summary of his transaction details; otherwise he is checked out of the whole process. 2.2 Geolocation Bratby (2011) stated that geolocation is a technology that identifies the geographic location of the user to en sure that there are no anomalies between his provided information and his location. Such identification is aimed to reduce instances of identity thefts and credit cards frauds. If a credit card issued from UK is being used to initiate an online payment from South Asia then flags will be raised at the respective online shopping website for possible anomalies or attempts for malicious activity. A general approach is to inquire security questions, PINs etc to ensure that the individual issuing the request is the owner of the card or account. The IP address of the user is translated into geographical locations by the geolocation administrators; these service providers maintain extensive database of IP addresses in relation to locations on the planet. Glover et. al (n.d) stated that the technology is so effective that most of the service providers claim to identify the user within 50 miles. The following figure shows a graphical representation of the geolocation technology: Figure 2: Pro cess of identifying the geographic location of the user (Svantesson, 2004) 2.3 Blacklisting and Whitelisting Approach Application Whitelisting: A New Security Paradigm (2008) stated that blacklisting approach follows a reactive strategy by protecting the system against malware. Extensive records are

A Separate Peace Essay Example for Free

A Separate Peace Essay It is important to confront reality, no matter how harsh it is. People will always face difficult situations, but avoiding them is often more dangerous than the situation itself. In his novel, A Separate Peace, Knowles explores what can happen when a person or even an institution tries to avoid painful circumstances. In the story, Gene, the protagonist, and his friends are students at the Devon boarding school; and the troubling issues they face are wars, the external, World War II, and the intimate conflicts that often arise between close friends. Knowles uses the motif of the transformation of Devon, Finny, and Gene to show the importance of confronting head-on the wars within and around them. Devon boarding school shields Gene and his classmates from the hardships of World War II. Gene’s class, the â€Å"Upper Middlers,† are too young for the draft. This causes the teachers at Devon to see them as the last evidence of â€Å"the life the war was being fought to preserve† (29). The teachers are afraid to expose the boys to the terror of war and so they hide it from them. While throughout the country, others participate in the war effort, Gene and his classmates remain apart and spend their time â€Å"calmly reading Virgil† (24). Because of this separation, the war becomes â€Å"completely unreal† (24) to the Upper Middlers. The entire world appears to be churning in the upheaval of the war, but Devon tries to remain the same, shielding the boys from its hardships. Unfortunately, when the effects of the war inevitably come to Devon, its attempts at avoidance result in a negative transformation with bitter and unintended consequences. In its efforts to deny the war’s existence, Devon changes from idyllic and relaxed in the Summer Session to rigid and uncompromising in the Winter Session. In the summer at Devon, the boys play games on the â€Å"healthy green turf brushed with dew† to the calming sounds of â€Å"cricket noises and the bird cries of dusk† (24). Such imagery makes Devon seem like a peaceful oasis for the Upper Middlers. However, this relaxed atmosphere of the Summer Session ends with Finny’s fall from the tree at Devon River. Jumping from the tree was an activity originally designed to prepare soldiers for war and Finny’s injury from it represents the boys’ first experience with the pain that war brings. To Devon, Finny’s fall proves that the relaxed atmosphere of the Summer Session could not protect the boys from the reality of war. As a result, Devon rejects the carefree environment of the Summer Session and changes into a strict school where â€Å"continuity is stressed† (73) in the Winter Session. This transformation proves negative as evidenced by Knowles stark change in his description of the Winter Session. For example, while in the Summer Session the boys freely roamed the â€Å"healthy green turf† of Devon’s fields, they crowd into the dark â€Å"Butt Room† a smoking room that Gene compares to a â€Å"dirty dungeon in the bowels of the dormitory† (88). Where once the boys played in beautiful fields, they are now confined in close, dark rooms. Gene further classifies the transformation as negative by immediately remarking that â€Å"peace [has] deserted Devon† (72) when he returns for the Winter Session. In attempting to avoid the effects of the war, Devon sacrifices its status as a haven for the boys. When the reality that the world is at war inevitably strikes Devon, its transformation makes it less able to deal with the effects of the war. Gene compares the inexorable arrival of the war to the snow that blankets the school grounds. He calls the snowflakes â€Å"invaders† that cover the â€Å"carefully pruned shrubbery bordering the crosswalks† and likens them to the â€Å"invasion of the war on the school† (93). In making this comparison, Gene seems to show that just as Devon’s â€Å"carefully pruned shrubbery† cannot escape the snowfall, its structured atmosphere cannot escape the war. In fact, it is that structured atmosphere that makes the war seem all the more attractive to the very boys Devon tried so desperately to protect. Representing this is the Upper Middlers’ decision to clear snow from train tracks designed to transport troops. This is their first serious contribution to the war effort and requires that they travel away from Devon, symbolizing their desire to leave their school and participate in the war effort. As they work, the boys see a train car of soldiers whom they view as â€Å"elite† in comparison to their â€Å"drab ranks† (101). Directly after seeing the troops, all they boys can discuss is the â€Å"futility of Devon and how [they] would never have war stories to tell [their] grandchildren† (102). The boys see Devon’s strict unchanging atmosphere as inadequate amidst the upheaval of the war. As a result, the Upper Middlers slowly reject Devon, resigning from clubs, leaving the school to enlist in the war, and losing their academic vigor. They resent Devon for keeping them from the war and remain forever distant from it. Gene exhibits this distance when he describes Devon after graduating. Gene calls Devon a â€Å"hard and shiny† (11) museum; he feels no connection to it. He finally concludes that â€Å"The more things stay the same, the more they change after all† (14). In trying to remain untouched by the war, Devon changed to a school that pushed its students to the very war it tried to avoid. Like Devon, Finny does not accept the hardships or existence of war in his life. Throughout the story, Finny embraces the glorified aspects of war, but refuses to accept its atrocities. For example, Finny wears his pink shirt to celebrate the Americans bombing of Central Europe. However, when he realizes that the bombing killed women and children, he tells Gene that he doesn’t think the bombing took place. He does not want to believe that innocent people are often casualties of war. Eventually, Finny decides that the war cannot exist because it causes too much suffering. Similarly, Finny calls Gene his â€Å"best pal† (48) and openly displays his affection for him. However, when Gene confesses to deliberately jouncing him from the limb out of jealousy, Finny refuses to listen. He cannot accept that a friend could become an enemy. Eventually, Finny’s denial of the conflicts in his life lead to a negative transformation. In trying to retain his rejection of the war, Finny changes from a confident, athletic leader into an embittered invalid. In the summer, Finny excels, becoming a natural leader of the boys and easily winning over teachers. Finny is also physically impressive as evidenced by Gene’s description of him playing in the Devon River. Gene says that Finny is in â€Å"exaltation,† with glowing skin and muscles â€Å"aligned in perfection† (34). In this description, Finny seems like an ideal, almost God like figure, completely in control and confident. Finny’s injury at the end of Summer Session, however, signals a dark transformation. Gene shakes the limb Finny is standing on while about to jump off the tree at Devon River and Finny falls and breaks his leg. Because Gene deliberately jounced Finny out of a tree used to prepare the seniors for war, Finny’s fall and subsequent injury symbolizes a forced confrontation with the potential pain of World War II and the war between Gene and himself. Rather than working through the hardship and pain, Finny rejects his former status as an athlete and leader and lets his injury define him as an isolated invalid. Instead of using his athletic abilities to overcome his injury, Finny seems to remain permanently maimed. Although his leg heals and his cast becomes so small that an â€Å"ordinary person could have managed it with hardly a limp noticeable† (157), Finny’s gait is permanantely changed. His inability to heal completely from his injury symbolizes his inability to confront and move on from the conflicts that caused it. Similarly, Finny loses his place as a leader among the Upper Middlers. When Finny returns to Devon for the Winter Session, he finds that the war dominates the Upper Middlers’ conversations. Finny does not believe the war exists and so he isolates himself and stops spending as much time with his peers. Where once he was a natural leader, he becomes an outcast to preserve his disbelief in the war. Finny’s negative transformation makes him more vulnerable to the wars in his life. At the end of the Winter Session, Brinker conducts a mock trial and convicts Gene of his role in Finny’s injury. Finny is again forced to face the reality of Gene’s jealousy. Furthermore, during the trial, Finny speaks to Leper for the first time after his return from the army. Leper’s insanity, induced by the war, forces Finny to confront its painful implications. Because of Finny’s transformation, he is even more susceptible to these implications. Symbolizing this are the events following the mock trial. After Brinker convicts Gene, Finny falls while trying to run away. He re-breaks his leg, reopening the wound of the summer and revisiting the pain of the wars in his life. Where before the injury only crippled Finny, this time, Finny eventually dies from it. Just as his invalid state made him more vulnerable to re-injuring his leg, Finny’s transformation in response to the war made him more vulnerable to it. Unlike Devon and Finny, Gene faces the reality of the war around him and his inner struggle with Finny. While Gene enjoys the peaceful atmosphere of Devon in the Summer Session, he recognizes its inadequacies. Gene explains, â€Å"Perhaps I alone knew Devon had slipped through their [the professors’] fingers during the warm over looked months† (73). Gene realizes that the Summer Session, and the realities it avoided, would be the undoing of Devon. Furthermore, while the other Upper Middlers deny the existence of the war, Gene understands it at a deep level. Gene explicitly says, â€Å"The war was and is reality for me† (32). He embraces the war instead of masking it. Similarly, Gene recognizes the inner war with Finny. Gene knows that he deliberately jounced the limb of the tree so that Finny would fall. He repeatedly tries to confess this to Finny, openly and inwardly confronting his jealousy. Finally, when Leper goes to war and is discharged for mental instability, Gene is the only student who visits him in his home and sees him in his worst state. Gene is able to witness the shock and horror of the war. Because of his ability to face the wars around and within him, Gene undergoes a positive transformation. Gene confronts the conflicts in his life and uses them to mature from a fearful, insecure boy to a balanced and strong man. Initially, Gene identifies the presence of fear in his life. As an adult reflecting on his childhood, Gene can see â€Å"with great clarity the fear [he] had lived in† (10). Gene is also initially in-athletic. While Finny garners many athletic awards, Gene does not often participate in sports and focuses on his studies. This makes Gene feel inferior to Finny and so he often succumbs to Finny’s desires, often at the expense of his own academic success. Gene feels inadequate and insecure in the Summer Session, but the Winter Session signals a change within him. Before returning to Devon for the Winter Session, Gene visits Finny and confesses his guilt. After confronting his jealousy and confessing to Finny, Gene returns to Devon and becomes increasingly independent and secure. Symbolizing this is Gene’s experience in the Naguamsett River. On his first day back to Devon, Gene falls into the â€Å"ugly, saline,† (79) waters of the Nagaumasett. Incidentally, Gene calls this encounter with the filthy waters a â€Å"baptism.. on the first day of this winter session† (79). This use of the word baptism, a term associated with initiation or rebirth, seems to convey that Gene is beginning a new life. Just as he emerges renewed from the gritty disgusting waters of the Nagaumasett, he emerges renewed from his painful, uncomfortable confrontation of his inner war with Finny. Directly following Gene’s â€Å"baptism,† Finny returns to Devon as an invalid and he and Gene’s roles reverse. Now, It is Finny who needs Gene, both physically and emotionally, to help him deal with his injury and his functioning at Devon. Gene’s sudden athletic prowess represents this role reversal. Since Finny cannot participate in sports, he trains Gene. As he excels in his training, Gene notices that Finny seems â€Å"older. nd smaller too† (121). He then realizes that he is actually bigger and Finny is only smaller by comparison. Gene has used the conflict in his life to leave behind his insecurities and become a strong, independent man. Gene’s transformation proves positive as it enables him to grow from the conflicts in his life. The results of the mock trial do no break Gene like the do Finny. He has already confronted his jealousy and guilt, and is secure enough to withstand the pain. Likewise, when Gene finally graduates from Devon and enlists in the army, he endures the war without losing his sanity like Leper. Gene is able to do this because he â€Å"already fought [his] war† (204) at Devon. He learned to confront harsh realities, and therefore can overcome them. As an adult, Gene is able to return to Devon content and secure, having made his â€Å"escape from† (10) the fear that plagued his childhood. His ability to confront his wars enable him to mature through them. Devon, Finny, and Gene all transform throughout the story. However, Devon and Finny changed to avoid the war, but Gene changed to grow from it. These transformations and stark difference in their outcomes powerfully convey the importance of unflinchingly confronting wars without and within.

Mans Evil Nature in Lord of the Flies by Golding Essay Example for Free

Mans Evil Nature in Lord of the Flies by Golding Essay When young boys are abandoned on an uninhabited island without adults, even they are capable of murder. This is the scenario depicted in the British author, William Goldings novel, Lord of the Flies, written and published in 1954 during World War 2. Comparing the characters of Jack, Ralph, Piggy and Simon with Freuds theory of id, ego and superego, one can prove that man has an underlying evil nature. The characters are represented with Jack as id, Ralph as ego, and Piggy and Simon as superego. Freuds theory of id, ego and superego influences the spheres of ones being. The id represents violence, and the drive to kill. The id is the desire to hurt others, and to dominate. In contrast the ego persuades one to make actions that make ones actions acceptable by others around them. It also controls the need for acceptance and the need to be in control. Though different, the superego lies within ones spirituality and need for order. It values rules, and commandments. Jack as id, represents the carnal drives in man. He illustrates this through painting his face. By painting his face, Jack suppresses his ego and superego, causing Jack to be capable of acts of violence without having any repercussions. Jack portrays this violence in different ways. First, Jack enjoys hunting because he gets to kill pigs. Often, in Lord of the Flies, Jack is consumed by killing pigs, and desires nothing more. The drive to kill rules his thoughts. In Jacks statement Were strong-we hunt! If theres a beast well hunt it down. Well close in and beat and beat and beat-(83), he demonstrates his carnal desire to hint and kill. Next, Jack also strove to control others. He would even resort to torture, What d you mean by it, eh? said the chief (Jack) forcefully What d you mean coming with spears? What d you mean by not joining my tribe? The prodding became rhythmic. Sam yelled.'(166). The desire to kill is what proves that Jack has an evil nature, and the fact that he came from a civilized society shows that anyone can become like him. Ralph displayed himself as being ego through his need for acceptance and his leadership. Ralphs need for acceptance is so strong that he would even go as far as to insult an other so all the boys would like him, and see him as  fitting in. An example of this is when Ralph said Hes not Fatty, cried Ralph his real names Piggy!(20) when he had promised Piggy earlier that he would tell no one else his name is Piggy. Ralphs desire to be one among the crowd made him stoop so low as to insult and hurt another, just so he could look better. When Ralph begins to fall away from the group, he begins to lose all his leadership. Often times Ralph would forget all the important things he would need to remember to become chief, and start to digress to savagery, just so he could be with the group. With Ralphs need for acceptance and loss in leadership power, it is apparent that even he was naturally evil. Piggy and Simon were the representations of superego. Piggys need for rules and Simons mysticism both suggested that superego was the largest influencing force in their lives. Piggy would often try to set up rules, and other tools of civilization to create order. Without that order, Piggy knew that there would be no hope in there situation. He proved this need for rules with his need to take names, Piggy moved among the crowd, asking names and frowning to remember them.'(17). Different from Piggy, Simon had a strange quality of mysticism about him. He had an understanding about the nature of the beast that no one else had. He illustrated this understanding when he had this vision, Fancy thinking the Beast was something that you could hunt and kill! said the head. For a moment or two the forest and all the other dimly appreciated places echoed with the parody of laughter. You knew, didnt you? Im part of you? Close, close, close! Im the reason why its no go? Why things are what they are?(130). With Piggys need for rules and Simons understanding of the nature of the Beast it is apparent that they both had the capabilities of the same savagery as the other boys. Through Freuds theory of id, ego, and superego, it is apparent that man does have an underlying evil nature in the novel Lord of the Flies. Jack, Ralph, Piggy, and Simon each display these aspects of mans evil nature, and also prove that if it can happen to  them that it can happen to anyone. Young children are typically thought of as more pure and innocent that those more experienced in the world. If they are  capable of such acts, it is sad to think what the rest of the world is capable of.

Consolidation of City and County Government

Consolidation of City and County Government Most people have very busy lives, we own businesses, have families, and jobs. Running for a political office takes a lot of time and money and typically only the â€Å"rich† or â€Å"well off† have the disposable income, and time to run for a political office. Citizens do like to be involved in government to a certain extent, but typically only when issues strikes home with them such as smoking in public places, sexual predators in the neighborhoods, drug free school zones, etc. The fundamental difference between a mayor and a city manager is that mayors are elected officials and managers are not.A City manager is typically appointed by mayors and city councils on the basis of the manager’s background, education and past experience. Elected officials often expect that a manager’s decisions and actions will be guided by professionalism, ethical principles, and the will of the city council. A mayor is the â€Å"front man† on all local issues, they are expected to be aware of the issues facing them (city/county issues), and to be able to deal directly with these issues. For example, James Knowles is the Mayor of Ferguson, MO, Since the shooting death of Michael Brown the city of Ferguson has been subject to mass protests, hacking and looting. Knowles has pleaded with the looters to stop, has canceled protests, and told the media â€Å"We want people to have faith in the process.† Earlier he had defended the officers’ policing of the looting, saying â€Å"The officers did their best. They’re only human.† (heavy.com, 2014). A city manager has a somewhat varying role in government today. Some city managers envision themselves as policy managers; others see themselves as administrative managers, a prudent city manager should not wish to appear as a policymaker even if they are so inclined to be. A city manager oftentimes must roll with many of the city councils ideas as they depend on them to keep them in their position. Just a few years ago in my town, Jim Bourey, a city manager resigned due to may disagreements with the Greenville city council, Bourey said his resignations was forced. In this case, theres a comfort level that the manager needs to have and council needs to have with the manager, and that wasnt where they wanted to be. (foxcarolina.com, 2010). Mayors are free to engage in political activities, as it is required of them to represent their political affiliations; Mayors are elected because of their politics, even if/when they hold nonpartisan positions. Mayors are, in short, living examples of the local democracy at work. City managers are not free to be Republican or Democratic managers; City managers are required to represent the bureaucracy, and the decisions made by the elected mayor of their jurisdiction and city council. A City Manager that strays into the political arena lack the legitimacy endowed by an election, not to mention good survival instincts (weshare.cityofalbany.net, 2009) References: Politics in states and communities (Rev: 14): Pearson Education (10/15/2012) Dye, T. R., MacManus, S. A. heavy.com, www.heavy.com/news/2014/08/ferguson-mayor-james-knowles-michael-brown- shooting/, Accessed 26 December 2014 foxcarolina.com, www.foxcarolina.com/story/14756034/greenville-city-manager-jim-bourey-resigns-4-19-20 10#ixzz3MzB9QJmX, accessed 26 December 2014 weshare.cityofalbany.net, www.weshare.cityofalbany.net/2009/10/09/the-difference-between-mayors-and-city-managers/, Accessed December 26, 2014 After the end of the Second World War the United States experienced unprecedented population growth that to this day has shaped the social and political landscape of the country, and changed how and where many Americans live. Known as the baby boom, this population expansion took place between the years 1946 and 1964, with the peak occurring in 1957. The elevated birthrate, unparalleled in American history, added more than 50 million babies by the end of the 1950s. (countrystudies.us, 1998). And with this tremendous growth Americans developed their love affair with the automobile. Up until the Second World War many people had lived in cities with dense populations, after the war many wanted to have a piece of the â€Å"American Dream† and started moving in droves to what was once known as the countryside into what was becoming known as the suburb. Suburbs have grown incrementally since the end of the war, but the most significant works have been since the 1970’s. The suburbanization of American was primarily driven by two things, one that I previously mentioned being the motorcar and the second being the development of interstate highways and expressways. On June 29, 1956, President Dwight Eisenhower signed the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956. The bill created a 41,000-mile â€Å"National System of Interstate and Defense Highways† that would, according to Eisenhower, eliminate unsafe roads, inefficient routes, traffic jams and all of the other things that got in the way of â€Å"speedy, safe transcontinental travel.† At the same time, highway advocates argued, â€Å"in case of atomic attack on our key cities, the road net [would] permit quick evacuation of target areas.† For all of these reasons, the 1956 law declared that the construction of an elaborate expressway system was â€Å"essential to the national interest.†Ã‚  (history.com, 2014) Some of the governing issues that arose from the urbanization of the countryside were very basic in nature, such as how to police such a large area, typically there is the town police force that dealt with issues in town and did not stray too far from their assigned areas, this developed two new police force expansions one within the local sheriff’s department, by giving them a broader scope within the county they served as well as the growth of the state police department which had far superior jurisdiction statewide. Other issues of the suburban sprawl had to do with the provision of services such as electricity, water and sewage, as well as garbage collection and fire and rescue department’s expansion. (McManus, 2012, p421) In my humble opinion it seems that the best way to govern metropolitan areas is through a consolidation of the management system and services offered to the citizens of the city/county, as many of the services offered are fragmented at best, for example, in my hometown of Greenville, SC the city has a paid fire department and ambulance service that has 24/7 shifts and recently on the news they stated that the typical wait time for a 911 call response for either of those services was about 9 minutes, the flip side of this is that I live in the same county, but in the suburbs, there was an occurrence with one of my neighbors that required me to call for an ambulance, now we are a ways out of the city so we have a volunteer fire/rescue department, the response time for that call was over 20 minutes, granted it was a non-life threatening issue, but still required transport to the hospital. Would a centralized service have narrowed that time down, I don’t know, but I am sure that i f the service were centralized then the time could possibly have been shortened. Other examples of services offered by the city but not by the county are water sewer services, the city has a water service, the county does not, so my water comes from a well, is the water better from a well, maybe, but I still have to pay for the well to be dug, the water softener chemicals and if it were to go dry I would be out another $2000 to have a well dug. In this case it would cost the city to extend the water services 10 miles out of town and to provide the infrastructure to support it (pumping stations, etc.) that cost would obviously be supported by an increase in taxation, or the cost amortized over X amount of months in billing cycles, but I would not have the overriding concerns of a well running dry. I would support a consolidation of city and county services as I feel that in the long run it would be beneficial to all of the residents of the county and city regardless of what the actual service provided is. References: Politics in states and communities (Rev: 14): Pearson Education (10/15/2012) Dye, T. R., MacManus, S. A. countrystudies.us, www.countrystudies.us/united-states/history-114.htm, accessed 26 December 2014 history.com, www.history.com/topics/interstate-highway-system, accessed 26 December 2014

Subjective Reports of MDMA Use :: Ecstasy Illegal Drugs Hallucinogens Essays

Subjective Reports of MDMA Use In reading several reports of individuals who have experimented with MDMA several common experiences can be found, but no experiences can be thought of as universal. One of the most commonly reported experiences is a feeling of peace. Some users categorize this experience as a feeling of intense calm. They simply cannot imagine hostile or aggressive feelings towards any other person. This feeling objectively can be observed in the relative sedation of those experiencing a 'high'. In one person's experience, once the MDMA had begun to affect their body in earnest, they felt no desire to move or do anything other then remain sitting where they were. They didn't report so much an inability to move as much as an inability to imagine a situation better then their current situation. As evidenced by the number of dance clubs in which MDMA is used frequently, MDMA clearly does not block physical activity. Some experienced users report that they have a brief window of opportunity after ingesting MDMA to engage in an active behavior (such as dance). After this window is over, they become too entranced in their experience to change anything. I! f they manage to become active during this time, they feel very energized and report the calm as being a more external feeling. This externally manifested calm can be described be such terms as love, oneness, peace, happiness, trust and other such broad positive terms. MDMA users who have experience MDMA use at clubs or dances often comment on groups of users who group together. Reports from users involved in these groups express a synergistic effect of being around others who are using MDMA. Many users who came to social situations alone reported their attempts in finding other users with which to socialize. One user described the "cuddle puddles" in which several users would sit together. These areas would have pillows and water available for the users. The user reported that they would sit, talk and describe their sensations to each other. One of the primary sensations shared was their tactile sensations. A very commonly described effect of MDMA is an increased enjoyment of sensation. All sensations are described as being more interesting, or intense. One common sight described at several raves (underground dance parties) is the surgical mask smeared with mentholated petroleum. Often, users will crush MDMA and dust the inside of the mask with it, or will take MDMA

Training and Development at Toyota Motor Manufacturing of Indiana Essay

Training and Development at Toyota Motor Manufacturing of Indiana (TMMI) The main problem that Toyota Motor Manufacturing of Indiana, commonly known as TMMI, faces in the training and development of its employees is getting their group leaders trained. This program is structured so the group leaders can learn decision-making, leadership, communicating, problem-solving, and analytical skills to bridge the gap between the upper management and the team members on the assembly line. The problem with getting group leaders trained is the fact that they also work on the line. The production of vehicles is the primary reason they are there, and it is very hard to pull them away from the line to train them. This does not make sense in an automobile manufacturing plant, but the production of vehicles gets in the way of the training of group leaders. Kirkpatrick’s A Practical Guide for Supervisory Training and Development mentions that the main issue with on-the-job training is the actual job itself. On-the-job training is the main type of training that is used at this time, so TMMI is â€Å"up to speed† with everyone else with the training program they are using. It is just a matter of â€Å"getting the bugs worked out† of the program since they are such a new company. TMMI is located in Princeton, Indiana, which is approximately 25 miles north of Evansville on Highway 41. They first opened their doors in 1997 for the development of orientation. In February of 1998, team members started to enter the plant for the first time. In September of the same year, the supervisory program was introduced at Toyota. To begin training, group leaders were brought from the Kentucky plant, as well as from Japan, in order to instill the correct corporate culture into TMMI’s team members. Some managers of the TMMI plant were sent to Japan for training at the Toyota headquarters. Toyota of Indiana was to specialize in the production of the Tundra pickup truck and this process began in December of 1998. This was initially the only vehicle to be built in Princeton, but now the plant is being expanded to produce the new Sequoia sports utility vehicle that Toyota is adding to its line. The Siena mini van, which is currently made at the Kentucky plant, will also be produced at TMMI in the near future. When the expansion is complete, Toyota will provide work for over 4300 Souther... ...ked together. It was easier once we knew how everyone else’s work ethics and how they usually went about trying to solve problems and tackling assignments. The only thing that really changed about the way our group worked was we started taking initiative and grabbing parts of the project to finish. Overall, this project has been a huge learning experience for all of us. References Davis, Tom-TMMI Group Leader. Personal Interview. March 2000. Kirkpatrick, D.L. (1971). A Practical Guide for Supervisory Training and Development. Reading, Massachusetts: Addison-Wesley Publishing Company. Nowack, K.M., Hartley, J., and Bradley, W. (1999). â€Å"How to Evaluate Your 360 Feedback Efforts†. Training & Development, Vol.53. â€Å"Supervisory training program available†. (1996). Air Conditioning Heating & Refrigeration News, Vol.197, p.101. Uiterwijk, J. (1998). â€Å"Test Center Comparison: Web-based training solutions; The virtual classroom; Education is the key to a motivated and loyal workforce, but it is the first to go in a budget crisis†. InfoWorld, Vol. 20. Wilson, Tracy-HR, Training and Development. Telephone Interview. January 2000.

Document 2 analysis Strayer Essay

1.)The Mesopotamian ideal of kingship is looked down upon. The kings treated the commoners & peasants so poorly during this time. 2.)That the afterlife isn’t so great. Gilgamesh goes out to find morality but it turns out it is tragic. â€Å"There is the house whose people sit in darkness; dust is their food and clay their meat.† That doesn’t sound like much fun. That states that even in the afterlife you can be miserable. 3.)The philosophy of life that comes from the Gilgamesh Story is that, you should appreciate what you have in the life you live, and not try to find it somewhere else. (Or in a power beyond you.) 4.)The epic portrays the gods as awful people, they don’t have a great relationship with people, and they treat them poorly. Document 2.2 1.)Shown from the Code of Hammurabi, one can conclude that they were very adamant about getting what was right. Society was all for it, shown in â€Å"If a man put out the eye of another man, his eye shall be put out.† The economy wasn’t great. If something went wrong, the king would take his life or his home. They wanted the city to be kept in good conditions, â€Å"If any one be too lazy to keep his dam in proper condition, and does not so keep it; if then the dam break and all the fields be flooded†¦ he would be sentenced to punishment,† because of the crop damage. 2.)The kind of economy prevailed in the region was either you were rich or you were poor. 3.)The different social groups mentioned in this code were mainly peasants. Slaves, and poorer men and women. There are specific sections â€Å"On Class and Slavery† and â€Å"On Men and Women†. 4.)Women couldn’t, â€Å"open a tavern, or enter a tavern to drink, then shall this woman be burned to death†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"If the ‘finger is pointed’ at another man’s wife about another man, but she is not caught sleeping with the other man, she shall jump into the river for her husband†¦Ã¢â‚¬  women couldn’t drink or cheat on their husbands. But women could declare a man to not be her husband if they did not have intercourse, and â€Å"If a man take a wife, and she be seized by disease, if he then desire to take a second wife, he shall not put away his wife who has been attacked by disease, but he shall keep her in the house.† 5.)The kind of social problems that afflicted ancient Mesopotamia were simple in a way. An eye for an eye; tooth for a tooth was one if wrong was done to you by someone, wrong would be done back. If something was stolen you were punished to death, and if you cheated on your spouse you were also sentenced to death. 6.)The principles of justice that underlay Hammurabi’s code are simple. An eye for an eye; a tooth for a tooth. So if something is done wrong to you, its done wrong back to the person that did you wrong. 7.)People living at the time of Hammurabi would assess this system of justice as normal. Considering they didn’t know anything else, they would have gone with whatever was given to them. 8.)People in the 21st Century would assess this system as harsh. Because, when one would steal an animal they would be sentenced to death. Or, when you cheated on your spouse you would also be sentenced to death. Today, cheating doesn’t matter in the sense of law and stealing is usually dealt with less harshly. Document 2.3 1.)The afterlife of the pharaoh is represented by warm greetings. Resembling that Teti never really dies. He meets his father, and he rejoices at the sight. â€Å"Kisses you, caresses you, the hidden ones worship you, the great ones surround you,† The afterlife is good for a pharaoh; it’s almost as if he never died. 2.)In the Pharaoh’s afterlife, it is great, almost as if he’s not dead. But in Gilgamesh’s afterlife, its horrible. â€Å"There is the house whose people sit in darkness; dust is their food and clay their meat.† That doesn’t sound like much fun. Document 2.4 1.)Once the Negative Confession came out, only ones with money could buy this way into the afterlife. Stated in the intro paragraph, â€Å"The spells could be purchased by anyone who could afford them. The owner then inscribed his own name and title and had the document placed in his tomb.† This changed from traditional Egyptian religious thinking, because now you could just buy it. 2.)When one buys the Negative Confession, they are then making the claim for eternal life. 3.)The Negative Confession provides more violence and wrong doing, now that you can purchase the right thing. This causes conflict and discord in New Kingdom Egypt because now you can buy something saying â€Å"I have caused no man to suffer.† Or â€Å"I have made no man weep. I have slain no man.† This compares to the social problems revealed in the code of Hammurabi, because in Mesopotamia if you couldn’t pay you got thrown in the river. Same in Egypt, if you can’t buy your way into the afterlife, you practically can’t go. Document 2.5 1.)In Egypt there were several different occupations, a washerman, pot maker, watchman, cobbler, merchants, ship crew, outworker, soldiers, and scribes. Everything, but the scribes were viewed poorly. For instance â€Å"The cobbler mingles with vats. His odor is penetrating. His hands are red†¦, like the one who is smeared with blood†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Then when the scribe is mentioned, â€Å"Be a scribe and be spared from soldiering!† You were only safe if you were a scribe. 2.)Learning how to write offers you many things. â€Å"I instruct you to†¦make you become one whom the king trusts; to make you gain entrance to treasury and granary. To make sure you receive the shipload at the gate of granary. To make you issue the offerings n feast days. You are dressed in fine clothes; you own horses.† You become a higher power than others. 3.)A timeless frustration of a teacher evident here is that kids don’t listen and they don’t want to write. â€Å"Young fellow, how conceited you are!†¦ But though I beat you with every kind of stick, you do not listen†¦ you are a person fit for writing, through you have not yet known a woman. Your heart discerns your fingers are skilled; your mouth is apt for reciting†¦ But though I spend the day telling you ‘Write’ it seems like a plague to you†¦Ã¢â‚¬ 

E-bay Case Study

At least 30 million people will buy and sell well over $20bn in merchandise (in 2003) – more than the gross domestic product of all but 70 of the world's countries. More than 150,000 entrepreneurs will earn a full-time living selling everything from diet pills and Kate Spade handbags to  £30,000 BMWs and hulking industrial lathes. More automobiles, of all things, sell on eBay than even no. 1 US dealer AutoNation. So what does this add up to? ‘This is a whole new way of doing business,' says Whitman. ‘We're creating something that didn't exist before.It wasn't planned, but as users plunged into consumer electronics, cars, and industrial gear, eBay followed. Today, eBay has 27,000 categories, including eight with gross sales of more than  £1 billion each.eBay’s business modelValue in eBay is created by proViding a virtual world ¬wide market for buyers and sellers and collecting a tax on transactions as they happen. The business model of eBay relies on it s customers being the organisation's product-development team, sales and marketing force, merchandising department, and the security department.The organisation, headed by Meg Whitman, was founded in 1995, when Pierre Omidyar launched a basic site called Auction Web. His girlfriend wanted to trade her collection of Pez dispensers, but Omidyar had a broader vision in mind, namely empowering everyday consumers to trade without the need for large corporations. He even wanted traders to be responsible for building the community and deciding how to build the website. It worked; soon he found himself answering e-mails from buyers and sellers during the day and rewriting the site's software at night to incorporate their suggestions, which ranged from fiXing software bugs to creating new product categories.Some 100,000 messages from customers are posted per week in which tips are shared, system glitches are pointed out and changes are lobbied for. The COO, Brian Swette, is quoted as saying, ‘The trick is to keep up with what  buyers and sellers want. We've had to constantly change how we run. We start from the principle that if there's noise, you better listen.' Currently the technology allows every move of every potential customer to be traced, yielding rich information.Structurally, the business model is realised through 5,000 employees, roughly half of whom are in customer support and a fifth in technology. A key role in eBay is ‘category manager', a concept Whitman brought to eBay from her days in marketing giant P&G. Category managers direct the 23 major categories as well as the 35,000 subcategories, from collectibles to sports gear, to jewellery and watches, and even jet-planes.Conventional companies might spend big money on getting to know their customers and persuading them to provide feedback, but for eBay such feed ¬back is often free and offered without the need for enticement. Even so some of the company's most effective ways of getting us er input do not rely on the Net and do not come free. eBay organises Voice of the Customer groups, which involve flying in a new group of about 10 sellers and buyers from around the country to its San Jose (Californian) every few months to discuss the in depth. Teleconferences are held for features and policies, however small a change involve. Even workshops and classes are held teach people how to make the most of the site. Participants tend to double their selling activity on after taking a class.The company is governed from both outside and The eBay system has a source of automatic control in the form of buyers and sellers rating each other on each transaction, creating rules and norms. There's an educational system that offers classes around the country on how to sell on eBay. Both buyers and sellers build up reputations which are valuable, in turn encouraging further good behaviour in themselves and others.When that wasn't quite enough, eBay formed its own police force to patro l the listings for fraud and kick out offenders, the Trust and Safety Dept, now staffed by several hundred eBay employees worldwide. They do every ¬thing from trolling the site for suspicious listings to working with law enforcement agencies to catch crooks. eBay also has developed software that recognises patterns of  behaviour common to previous fraud cases, such as sellers from Romania who recently started selling large numbers of big-ticket items.eBay’s managementMeg Whitman's style and past has heavily influ ¬enced the management of eBay. When she joined the company in 1998, it was more of a collection of geeks, handpicked by the pony-tailed Omidyar, than a blue-chip – something which underpinned Omidyar's recruitment of Meg. Meg, an ex-consultant, filled many of the senior management roles includ ¬ing the head of the US business, head of interna ¬tional operations and vice-president of consumer marketing with consultants.The result: eBay has become data and metric driven. ‘If you can't measure it, you can't control it', Meg says. Whereas in the early days you could touch and feel the way the organisation worked, its current size means it needs to be measured. Category managers are expected to spend their days measuring and acting upon data within their fiefdom.Some measures are standard for e-business and include how many people are visiting the site, how many of those then register to become users, how long each user remains per visit, how long pages take to load and so on. A measure Meg likes is the ‘take rate', the ratio of revenues to the value of goods traded on the site (the higher the better). She meas ¬ures which days are the busiest, directing when to offer free listings in order to stimulate the supply of auction items. Noise on the discussion boards is used to understand whether the community is in ‘supportive' or ‘ready to kill you mood' on a scale of 1 to 10. Normal for eBay is around3.  Ca tegory managers in eBay, unlike their counter ¬parts in Procter and Gamble, can only indirectly control their products. They have no stock to reorder once levels of toothpaste or washing-up liquid run low on the supermarket shelves. They provide tools to buy and sell more effectively. ‘What they can do is endlessly try to eke out small wins in their cate ¬gories – say, a slight jump in scrap-metal listings or new bidders for comic books. To get there, they use marketing and merchandising schemes such as enhancing the presentation of their users' products and giving them tools to buy and sell  better.'Over and above this unusual existence, the work envir-onment can be tough and ultracompetitive, say ex-eBayers. Changes often come only after PowerPoint slides are exchanged and refined at a low level, even ¬tually presented at a senior level and after the change has been approved in a sign-off procedure which includes every department. An advance in the ways shoes could be searched for took ten months to happen. Aware that analysis can mean paralysis, Meg commissioned consultants (who else) to benchmark the rate at which change is indeed implemented in eBay.eBay was rated as average amongst the com ¬panies surveyed. Over time eBay has upgraded its ability to ensure the technology does not rule. Until the late 1990s, the site was plagued with outages, including one in 1999 which shut the site down for 22 hours courtesy of software problems and no backup systems. Former Gateway Inc. Chief Information Officer Maynard Webb, who joined as president of eBay's technology unit, quickly took action to upgrade systems. Now the site is down for less than 42 minutes a month, despite much higher traffic.Meg is a leader who buys into the company in more ways than one. Having auctioned some $35,000 worth of furnishings in her ski condo in Colorado to understand the selling experience, she became a top seller among the company's employees and ensured that her learning from the experience was listened to by fellow top execs. Meg is also known for listening carefully to her employees and expects her managers to do the same. As the business is as much, if not more, its customers, any false move can cause revolts within the community that is eBay.Most of all eBay tries to stay aware and flexible.Nearly all of its fastest-growing new categories emerged from registering seller activity in the area and quietly giving it a nudge at the right moment. For example, after noticing a few car sales, eBay cre ¬ated a separate site called eBay Motors in 1999, with special features such as vehicle inspections and shipping. Some four years later, eBay expects to gross some $1 billion worth of autos and parts, many of which are sold by professional dealers.The democratic underpinning of eBay, whilst easily embraced by customers, can, however, take some getting used to. New managers can take six months to understand the ethos. ‘Some of the terms you learn in business school – drive, force, commit  ¬don't apply', says former PepsiCo Inc. exec William C. Cobb, now senior vice-president in charge of eBay's international operations. ‘We're over here listening, adapting, enabling.'

Funny in Farsi Immigration

America has often been called â€Å"The Land of the Free†, where opportunities are like the bounteous fish caught at sea; the catch may be large or small, may come sooner or later. Just as the Gold Rush prompted for many miners to come about, the promising opportunities have prompted for immigrants to pour into in America. Although this chance for a new beginning has vastly beckoned immigrants, there are sacrifices immigrants must make along with newfound chances. Succumbing to social alienation is one of the sacrifices that immigrants must make. In the memoir, Funny in Farsi, by Firoozeh Dumas, and the studies of Djuro J. Vrga on Differential Associational Involvement of Successive Ethnic Immigrations: An Indicator of Ethno-Religious Factionalism and Alienation of Immigrants, the depths of social alienation and its influence on immigrants are reviewed. Dumas’ memoir describes the experience of an Iranian growing up in America, whilst Vrga’s study is applied to different sociocultural aspects of life immigrants may encounter. Cultural differences in morality, ethics, values and political standings all play an substantial role when discussing social alienation. However, more often than so, the Americans are the social alienators while the immigrants are the socially alienated. Though Americans were once so to speak—immigrants, as if Americans are rotten crops from the harvests of heritage, immigrants are the freshly picked fruits of culture and tradition, and a batch of flawless tomatoes obviously stand out amongst the rundown veggies. Firoozeh Dumas highlights the awkward feelings entailed with social alienation as a theme throughout the memoir. Dumas recalls on several occasions how uneasy and disturbing it is to be singled out, â€Å"I cringed. Mrs. Sandberg, using a combination of hand gestures, started pointing to the map and saying, â€Å"Iran? Iran? Iran? † Clearly, Mrs. Sandberg had planned on incorporating us into the day’s lesson. I only wished she had told us that earlier so we could have stayed home. † (Dumas 6). Merely because it was a tad unusual to have an Iranian family join the community, Dumas’ teacher decided it would be perfectly normal to use people of a unique heritage for the lesson as though they were show-and-tell puppets when they are after all, people. Daily ‘encounters’ with other Americans through Dumas’ experiences epict how the lack of geographic knowledge has further contributed to alienation and its bond with immigrants, â€Å" Inevitably, people would ask us where we were from, but our answer didn’t really matter. One mention of our homeland and people would get that uncomfortable smile on their face that says, â€Å" How nice. Where the heck is that? † (Dumas 37). Despite the seemingly minor extent of social alienation found in Dumas’ more humorous examples, the isolation of cultures does occasionally meet with a rather unreasonable but inevitable high tide. As the Iranian Revolution took place, the media fed its always starving Americans with the news that Iranians had violently taken a group of Americans hostage, â€Å" For some reason, many Americans began to think that all Iranians, despite outward appearances to the contrary, could at any given moment get angry and take prisoners. (Dumas 39. ) This kind of media induced prejudice created an unsafe social environment for Iranians, ultimately forcing them to lie about their ethnicities, â€Å" My mother solved the problem by claiming to be from Russia or â€Å"Torekey. † (Dumas 39. Other than lying about one’s ethnicity, finding and keeping a job was nearly impossible during these sorts of times, â€Å" Even worse, with the turmoil in Iran, the value of my father’s pension dropped to the point of worthlessness. At fifty-eight, my father found himself unemployed and with no prospects. Nobody wanted to hire an Iranian. †(Dumas 117. ) Coinciding with the urgency of unemployment due to societal prejudices, Djuro J. Vrga’s views on the matter are quite blunt, â€Å" An immigrant must make two kinds of adjustments: (1) to his own ethnic group, and (2) to the larger ociety. † (Vrga 239. ) Without restriction to the Iranian Revolution, Dumas’ experience and Vrga’s analogy reveal a now unearthed concept that social alienation is composed of both a minority and a versing majority. All throughout her life, Firoozeh Dumas was forced to contend to a traditional upbringing contrary to the contemporary surroundings she lived in. These two opposing factors were the necessary ingredients creating the recipe for social alienation, whereas if Dumas were not Iranian and born purely American there would be a missing ingredient. Even in marital matters, Dumas faced the same kind of discouraging social issues, â€Å" Francois and I had agreed that we would be married both in the Catholic Church and in a traditional Persian ceremony. The tough part was finding a Catholic priest who would be willing to officiate at a mixed marriage. † (Dumas 145-146. ) The interracial circumstances binding the wedding like a serpent does its prey, Firoozeh Dumas consistently meets with American shortcomings. In 1977, Washington, D. C. , Iranians were invited to welcome the Shah, or Iranian leader, who was cheduled to meet Jimmy Carter, a newly elected president. Unfortunately, anti-Shah demonstrators interfered with the event, â€Å"The demonstrators had crossed the road. They were stampeding toward us waving sticks with nails driven into them. People were screaming and running. Instead of Iranian flags, the lawn was covered with bloody and injured Iranians. My parents and I ran and ran and ran. † (Dumas 113. ) The segregation of Iranians uprooted into a violent and gruesome scene, agreeable with Djuro J. Vrga’s perspective on such issues, â€Å"The ethnic group is a social system through which its members atisfy many of their social needs and express frustration resulting from unsatisfied expectations and aspirations in the larger society. (Vrga 239. ) The larger society in Dumas’ case was composed of the anti-Shah demonstrators, whom successfully destroyed a political event with their distaste for Iranians. Regardless of the many stages social alienation has set, it appears that time has an influential hand when it comes to deciding whether the stage will be a dandy garden, or a gloomy swamp. Funny in Farsi is a memoir that not only shows how growing up an immigrant can be, but how t affects one’s social standings in society. Djuro J.  Vrga’s Differential Associational Involvement of Successive Ethnic Immigrations: An Indicator of Ethno-Religious Factionalism and Alienation of Immigrants serves only further in accentuating the conditional aspects an immigrant must face. Though social alienation may be a recurring theme in Dumas’ memoir, it is truthful and consequently a recurring theme in possibly any immigrant’s life. Humorous indeed, it could be Funny in Any Language; there are no restrictions on where social alienation might pop up, but Dumas provides a great example nonetheless.

Reasons for Job Role Suitability

I feel that I would be ideal for this position and would fit in well into your organisation because of the relevant skills and experience that I have acquired in previous roles that I have done. My last job was dropping off and picking up disabled children to and from their school. One child is wheelchair bound and the rest have severe mental problems, (i. e. autism), therefore my driving had to be calm and stable avoiding sudden movements whilst keeping to a schedule to make sure that the children would arrive to school on time.Sometimes the children required special attention and patience for which I was prepared for and did gladly, as my character is that of being helpful and caring as I feel satisfaction from doing so. I have a lot of experience dealing with customers in previous customer service roles that I've done, sometimes having to deal with awkward and angry customers and I would try to deal with them with a positive and helpful approach not taking any abuse that I would r eceive personally and in my experience this would always resolve these types of situations well. I am able to work well in a team but I can also work well on my own initiative.I work in a responsible manner making sure all the required tasks are done to the best of my abilities and on time. I am an organised and punctual person able to work well to schedules and making sure that I pass on any required information to the relevant people. Overall I think that my strengths and skills are well suited for your organisation not only in a bus driver role but also any other position that you feel would be suitable. I am looking for a job that is permanent and think that this role would be ideal for that reason, and I am a very good driver or so I have been told by many people.

Case study of the Image Cafe

Case study of the Image Cafe Image Cafà © was founded by Clarence Wooten in 1998. Prior to that he was also a founded of Envision Designs while he was an undergraduate in 1991 and Metamorphosis Studios in 1994 with co-founder Andre Forde. However, the three company did not really last long. In 1998, Metamorphosis Studios had sold to Medisolv, Inc and Image Cafà © was acquired by Network Solution after sever months of market launch (Clarence Wooten, Jr., 2005). About Clarence Wooten, Jr. Clarence Wooten had a big dream since childhood. His dream is to get rich someday. His childhood hobby was playing with computer games. He was so obsessed with computer that his parents banned him at the age of 14 (Kathryn F, Spinelli, 2004: 33-40). At the age of 18, he attended college to study architecture in Catonsville Community College. During that time he believes that by taking up architecture courses can satisfy his creative instincts. In the early 1990s, many professional architects went back to school to upgrade them selves due to the recession. At that point of time, he manages to learn from the senior architects. After the first two failure of his business, he realised that he did not really understand anything about finance after he read the stories from Fred Smith, Reginald Lewis and Bill Gates. This had inspired him to upgrade himself with a business administration and finance. In 1998, he was graduated with B.S. in Business Administration from Johns Hopkins University (Kathryn F, Spinelli, 2004: 33-40). Clarence Wooten, Jr. Venture Spirit Clarence Wooten started Envision Design which was his first business while he enrolled for Catonsville Community College. The type of service he was offering was using form and cardboard to model out a proposed building. The company did not perform well during that time and eventually closed down (Kathryn F, Spinelli, 2004: 33-40). In 1994, Clarence Wooten started his second company Metamorphosis Studios with his co-founded Andre Forde by focusing on spec ial effects and multimedia presentations. Their first customer is Bingwa, an educational software company. However, Bingwa require Metamorphosis Studios to relocate to Princeton, New Jersey and worked for Bingwa. After a thought Clarence Wooten and Andre Forde turned down the offer as they know they are heading for something big (Kathryn F, Spinelli, 2004: 33-40). Metamorphosis Studios was not a successful project too, in 1998 Metamorphosis Studios was acquired by MediSolv, Inc (Clarence Wooten, Jr., 2005). In early 1998, Clarence Wooten started his third company Image Cafà ©. Back in 1995, internet service began to grow. Many companies had started to create their own companies website in order to promote their products and services over the World Wide Web. However, during that time, many companies do not have their own expertise to create a website. Clarence Wooten knew that this is an opportunity and started Image Cafà © to help companies by design their website to promote their products and services over the web (Kathryn F, Spinelli, 2004: 33-40). At the start of Image Cafà ©, Clarence Wooten went around to search for capital in order to start his business. What Clarence Wooten wants was $300,000 capital based on $3 million valuation. In total he received $110,000 from 10 different investors. Image Cafà © website was ready to launch after four month of preparation. However, at that point of time, Clarence Wooten had utilised the cash during the launch. He went back to the existing investors to ask for additional $150,000 in form of bridge loan. This time, Clarence Wooten expects to raise $3million at $10 million valuation (Kathryn F, Spinelli, 2004: 33-40).

Mental Models and Perception Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Mental Models and Perception - Essay Example As the report declares several organizations have coaching and mentoring schemes to facilitate employee learning and skill development. This involves having role models within the organization who serve as a reference point for employees. This is most common when nurturing leadership skills in young employees who learn certain skills from the current leaders. Individual organizational members undergo a learning process that contributes to the overall organizational learning. The human mind has proven to have cognitive limitations as well as an infinite capacity in terms of learning. Much of organizational learning depends on individual stimulus-response by continuous interactions with other members. This paper stresses that human beliefs are based on individual perceptions and assumptions and those about the world around us. The accuracy with which employees understand their employers and clients depends on how they perceive their subjects. Understanding how organizations should be led or managed contributes to the development process of employee bias. Employee interaction with managers, mentors, client, and fellow workers determine the type of perception formed in their mind. These features form the mental framework that drives assumptions, beliefs, and the ultimate actions. The quality of the relationship between employers and employees determines the quality of learning in the organization. Successful organizational learning and change depends on the ongoing participation and commitment of employees. This determines the level of interaction and how each member of the team perceives the other person. Team work in every organization facilitates learning and depends mostly on in dividual perception (Waldeck, 2006). Human beings rely on their senses to form mental models about the world surrounding them (Lecture 1-3, 2012; Parker, E. S. 2007). These models create the lens through which human beings view the world. This in turn determines individual attitude, behavior, results, and relationships with others. Mental models can occur in the form of attitudes, beliefs, opinions, perceptions, assumptions, and so forth. They can also occur in the form of generalizations such as certain types of people are untrustworthy or are caring than others. Mental maps of the way things are and how they are supposed to be form frames of reference. These references are consulted every time an individual meets a new person or acquires a new experience. Many individuals in an organization fail to reach their optimum potential due to negative mental models harbored in their minds. Ideas and innovations also fail to be translated meaningfully due to their conflict with the mental models existing in an organization (Morgan, 2002; Hoeft, R. M.2008). Individual reactions to people are determined by the mental models formed through perceptions. They determine the type of details recorded by the mind when an individual meets new people. This explains why some employers or employees love certain people in an organization and others despise the same people. The type of details recorded by an individual’s mind when they meet for the first time determines the relationship that will exist afterwards. Workers in an organization can have ingrained internal images about employers or fellow workers that make them fail to adjust even when they are