“Othello” By William Shakespeare Essay

William Shakespeare’s â€Å"Othello† I feel is one of the most interesting plays Shakespeare wrote. It’s hard to put down a play because you don’t know what happens next. What I think made this play great was that it has a villain behind the motive, which makes the play more interesting for me. â€Å"Othello† takes you on an adventure that makes you aware of whom you can and cannot trust; and who are your true friends. You can’t always believe what you hear. In the beginning of act one Roderigo (a wealthy Venetian gentleman) and Iago (Villain, Othello’s ancient) tells Brabantio who is Desdemona’s father that his daughter eloped and she’s having sex and she will have the devils children. Othello was accused of tricking Desdemona into marrying him because they sneaked away and eloped. Since Othello is black they assume that Desdemona was tricked since no one at this time would marry a black man. Brabantio takes Othello to the duke to settle the matter. Othello says to the Duke and to the others to send for Desdemona and she herself will tell that she married Othello willingly and by her own choice. When Desdemona arrives she tells all that she loves Othello. Desdemona was attracted to his war stories and his adventures of his world travel. The love that Desdemona feels for Othello is on the inside not the outside. In return Othello loves Desdemona because she is young and beautiful and he respects her. Now Iago is jealous that Othello chose Cassio (Othello’s Lieutenant and is part of the framework on Desdemona and does not know it and he is the foil of Othello) as his Lieutenant. Iago is also jealous over Othello because he wants his life. He hates Othello but has no reason to so he makes up these problems and manipulates. Roderigo is in love with Desdemona and Iago tells him that he could have her if he sells his land and gives Iago the money and he will buy all these jewels and he will give them to Desmonda. Iago is a manipulator. In Act two Iago in his crazy mind pretends to believe that Cassio is in love with Desdemona. Iago acts on this and starts manipulating others more. Iago  tells Othello that Cassio and Desdemona are in love with each other. Iago wants to turn Othello against Cassio and fire him from his Lieutenant position. This was the night that Othello and Desdemona were celebrating their wedding. When they leave Iago gets Cassio drunk because Iago knows Cassio can’t handle alcohol and will not be aware of his behavior. Then Iago tells Montano (Othello’s predecessor in the government of cypress) Cassio is drunk and tells Roderigo to fight Cassio. During the fight Cassio hurts Roderigo and Montano because Montano was breaking the fight up. Othello finds out about Cassio’s behavior and takes his Lieutenant’s position away. Cassio is hurt by Othello’s decision, so Iago tell Cassio to talk to Desdemona and she will help get his job back. Iago also tells Roderigo that Cassio was fired. Roderigo now has hope that he will be with Desdemona. Iago tells Emelia (his wife) to make sure Cassio talks to Desdemona. The only reason he wants this is so Othello will see them and he will think Desdemona is unfaithful. In Act three Cassio is talking with Iago and tells him he made plans to meet with Desdemona. Iago tell him he will help him. Cassio finally meets with Desdemona and she tells him that Othello still loves him very much and she will do all she can to help him get his job back; she will put in a good word for him. From a far Iago is with Othello; he planned it that way so Othello would see Desdemona and Cassio together. Iago begins to brain wash Othello into believing Desdemona is unfaithful to him. Othello is vulnerable to Iago’s insinuation because he doesn’t believe Iago would lie to him. Othello considers Iago to be a true friend because they had fought in wars together. Another reason Othello questions Desdemona’s loyalty was because she was able to deceive her father who she loved very much so she could easily deceive him. When Othello sees Desdemona after this he is still in shock and tells her that he has a headache and needs to lay down. Desdemona while talking to Othello drops her handkerchief (her first gift from Othello; it was his mothers). Emilia finds the handkerchief and gives it to Iago. Iago in his sneaky way knows he can use this to manipulate the situation. Iago plants it in Cassio’s home so Cassio will find it (he does not know it’s Desdemona’s). Othello does not yet believe that Desdemona is unfaithful and Othello wants proof from Iago. Iago tells Othello that he saw  Cassio with Desdemona’s handkerchief Othello then makes Iago his Lieutenant and wants Cassio killed which is Iago’s responsibility and Othello would take care of Desdemona. Desdemona now is looking for her handkerchief and mentions it to Emilia; Emilia denies ever seeing it. Othello asks Desdemona for the handkerchief and she tells him it is not lost; she has just misplaced it. Desdemona begins to ask Othello about Cassio and he yells at her and sends her away. Desdemona runs into Cassio and explains to him that her helping him get his job back isn’t going well. Also Cassio found the handkerchief in his house and gives it to his mistress Bianca. In Act four Iago is still his usual manipulating self. He is still manipulating Othello by telling him Desdemona is unfaithful to him and fooling around with Cassio. What hurts Othello most is that the handkerchief is missing and Iago tells him she gave it to Cassio. Iago starts talking to Cassio and asking him things about his mistress. Now from the other side Othello is watching and he thinks that Cassio is telling Iago about him and Desdemona; then Cassio’s mistress shows up and throws the handkerchief at Cassio and fights with him. Iago then makes Othello believe that he must kill Desdemona because what she has done and he will kill Cassio. Othello meets with Emilia and asks her if Desdemona is unfaithful to him by fooling around with Cassio. Emilia explains that nothing is happening between them and their relationship is strictly platonic. Othello finally confronts Desdemona in the bedroom with Emilia by her side helping her get ready for bed as they talk about the situat ion. At this point Desdemona’s depressed. Act five starts out on the street with Iago and Roderigo. Iago is telling Roderigo how to kill Cassio. Iago at this point is nervous because Roderigo keeps asking about the money he gave Iago that he was supposed to give to Desdemona. Cassio comes by and Roderigo starts to attack Cassio but Cassio stabs him first, then Iago stabs Cassio from behind. Iago then stabs Roderigo one more time and kills him to make it seem as if he was protecting Cassio. Bianca comes to attend Cassio and Iago point’s fingers at her trying to make it seem she is guilty so no one is suspicious of him. The next scene takes place in Othello and Desdemona’s room. Desdemona is still asleep and Othello kisses her. She awakes and Othello asks her if she has prayed, so  when she dies her soul will go to heaven. Desdemona is still confused on what wrong she has done. Othello confesses that he knows she gave Cassio her handkerchief, which means she has been sleeping with him. Desdemona tells Othello she is innocent and to call for Cassio and he will tell the truth, that nothing happened between them. Othello tells her Cassio is dead and he confessed as he died. Othello and Desdemona go on arguing and Desdemona tries to make Othello believe that she has always loved him and been faithful to him. Othello looks at her and then kills her. Emilia comes in and Othello tells her he has killed Desdemona and in Desdemona’s last breath she says she did it to herself making Othello look innocent. Emilia tells Othello that she found the handkerchief and gave it to Iago. Iago is now seen as guilty and kills his wife by stabbing her. Iago leaves and runs but is captured and comes back with Cassio and Lodovico. Othello then stabs Iago. Lodovico now finds out that Iago and Othello tried to have Cassio killed and were behind it. Cassio explains he found the handkerchief; Iago confesses that he planted it in his room. Othello ultimately kills himself over the grief he feels. The true identity of who your friends are may surprise you. â€Å"Othello† is proof that greed and true bitterness can cause more damage then originally intended. Othello is a weak character that is easily convinced of wrong doings that never happened. His mind set on believing his friend over his wife is his ultimate downfall. The human mind is fickle and Shakespeare makes this the common theme throughout the play.

Being a Part of a Team More Important Than Leading It

â€Å"Being part of a team is more important than leading it. † It is too difficult these days during the complexity of business and corporate pressure to build out teams, in order to resolve business challenges situations like service, product renovation, turnaround recovery plans, launch new products, meet the market changes and challenges it’s important to pay attention to building a team.Team, by concept, is a group of members whom could be selected or nominated usually by management; the role is to execute a certain business â€Å"mission† within the organization under a very clear goals and objectives with a defined timeline as well as deliverables. Now a day’s both economy and the business growing very fast and the challenges is continuously increasing.New concepts came up, new technology and new strategies invented ,the world moving very fast ,everything now in a mass, production in a mass ,corporate in a mass ,so all the people they don’t h ave time to work individually to achieve the mission assigned to them ,so now the techniques to work in a group came up with all the challenges we have it, one person can’t solve the problem right from the first time and with required time.Single person doesn’t have the time, the required skills and /or the expertise to accomplish various tasks, task that must be carried out successfully in order to successfully tackle the problem of interest. By wording we are calling it a team not a group, hence there is a big difference between the both, we can’t call the football or basketball team a football group, group not like the team, team usually have one goal, one mission, one task and one problem to solve, but the group is a group of people from different place and different objective but they met together, Like a random sample taken. There is no I in team but there is in win† , team must have a harmony between each other’s and with the team leader they must have the same spirit and the same challenges with different skills /experiences to complete each other’s and reach to the ideal team, â€Å"I am a member of a team, and I rely on the team, I defer to it and sacrifice for it, because the team not the individual is the ultimate champion†, It is not only the matter to form a team and nominate a team leader to let the team working under his/her coaching, but all the team member including the team leader must be an effective member, and to be an effective team member it is must have good people skills and communication skills in addition to a high strong technical skill set, the guidelines for being an effective team member include: ResponsibleA team member must be a proactive ,if they came to know there is a task needs to be solve or done, the team member have the skills to do it ,a team member has to take the initiative to do it and to be dependable to do fair share of the work and strive to accomplish any tasks in a timely manner, doing so will allow the team to meet the dead line, and to be accountable if the team member agreed to take on a specific task. It is also important to deliver his promises and if he faces difficulties in solving the problem he has to communicate to the team at the right time so they can come up with alternatives to solve a problem and meet the dead lines as well as obligations, as a result the team can meet the goal desired. Effectively communicationGood communication skills s important for an effective team member, that’s mean all the team members must be open to each other, talk to each other, listen good and show the respect to the new ideas and take the intuitive to share to add value to the ideas generated by any team member, this is important to reach to the a good guidelines to achieve the team mission at the end, a good communication style involves honesty, friendliness, thoroughness, and high quality in achieving the goals. Respect As a team member, one has to respect other members and understand each member is an expertise in his field and has the enough knowledge to meet the task required from him, the respect attitude has to be shown between all the members and therefore there is no one better than the other, all are equal and complete each other’s. ContributionAll the team members must contribute with each other each member must do the his/her full efforts and contribution to meet the team objectives and goals, this one of the important role for an effective team leader to get all the member share equally the contribution and spread the spirit of working in an effective teal to let the team succeed. Team could suffer heavily from a team member who is not cooperating, or blending, or benefiting the team with his expertise and input. A survey conducted by The American Institutes for Research, showed that one-third of 1,000-plus respondent organizations reported that strong internal resistance and/or sabotage is a sign ificant barrier to be overcome on the road to successful team implementations. Conflict of interestConflict is unavoidable whenever we work in a team, each member has a different views/opinions and sometime stuck on it, as an effective team member one must work on it and show the other member respecting of his/her views and try work with and adapted it slowly to show the positive if we do some alteration or changes for the member views and this one of the most common difficulties meet an effective t eam. Appreciations Not all of the team members do the same efforts, it different from one member to the other, and here the role of the team leader appear to give the credit to the member who do the best efforts and encourage other members to do the same and get the credit and keep up the work, but this tactics must be done by the right way to avoid any bad feelings against the other member. All the above mentioned points rose to reach for an effective team member to achieve the team mis sion, and goals. The way a team plays as a whole determines its success, you may have the greatest bunch ofcindividual stars in the world, but if they don’t play together, the club won’t be worth a dime† , as we covered the guide lines to have an effective team member, now it comes the role of the team leader, the objectives, the goals and the leadership style. The leadership style is simply the patterns of behavior a leader adopts to plan motivate and control, it is the extent to listens, set the goals and standards, develop action plan (long/short term), guide others, gives his/her feedback and reward and punish. Although the leaders face an unlimited range of situations, research has shown that there are six styles or behavior patterns that they apply to the situations they encounter: 1-The coercive styleThis style primary objective is immediate compliance from employees but the downside of it is lack of flexibility, empowerment and responsibility. This style can be used in straight forward tasks and in crisis situation (team needs clear directions and you have relevant information), but it is a least effective in a complex tasks and over the long term. 2-The authoritative style This style primary objective is providing long term direction and vision for the team, the downside is that it’s not good with expert groups, this is can be more effective when a new vision is needed and new team member needs guidance, this style should be avoided when employees are experienced and know as much if no more than the leader. 3- The affiliative styleThis style has the primary objective of creating the harmony among employees and between the leader and the team, the downsides of this style is lack of constructive feedback and direction, this style to be used more effective in a straightforward task and with an adequate performance, this is style should be avoided when employees’ performance is inadequate and corrective performance feedba ck is required. 4-The democratic style This style has the primary objective of building commitment and consensus among employees, the downside of this style is the time consuming, leave team member confused, this style is more effective when the team member are competent and have a knowledge more than the team leader and least effective in crisis situation and there is no time for a meetings or discussions. 5-The pacesetting styleThis style has the primary objective of accomplishing tasks to a high standard of excellence, the downside of this style can lower moral and lead to feelings of being overwhelmed and pressured, this style more effective when team members are also pacesetters and resource or time constraints necessitate the leader involvement. This style is least effective when direction of the team is unclear and team members are unconvinced 6-The coaching style This style has the primary objective of employees long term professional development, this is style is not effect ive when employee lacks motivation, resistant to changing, or leader lacks expertise, this style most effective hen the team member have a clear sense of aspirations and are motivated, this style is least effective if the team members are new and have a lack of experience, it’s important to avoid this style during crisis situation. Before applying any style from the above mentioned leadership styles, the leader has to stimulate his/her thinking about which style to use, and how the style will affects others motivation, the effective manager has to diagnose the demand of the situation, the experience of the team, the strengths and weakness of the team member, another dimension to watch is the complexity of the task, time pressure, resources available, and keep an open mind and watch out for changes in the situation.Leader should avoid using one style as a habit, the style should match the situation as one style does not apply for all ,the team leader has to select a style that best fit the situation and even the leader can as the team member too to assist him/her to select the style matching with the situation and the team goals and objectives ,the team leader must be flexible to switch from one style to another, even the leader can mix two or more styles to meet all required tasks and to assist for achieving the team goals, â€Å" A working relationship that provides influence or support on a regular basis for the most important decisions a has to make† , Form my opinion I think the team must slow down first before speeding up to tasks, most of the teams like to jump right into the task, but relationship building, active development of norms, and goal setting is needed first. The team leader must be more strategic about the first team meeting, he/she must structure team culture first and not to leave it to chance, building a relationship and trust first is a key to avoid long term problems like task conflict and discovering expertise. One of the most crucial components of success is to know how to work productively in a team environment, working well with others and having strong interpersonal skills can take a person far in life, in career settings and beyond.It is a combinations between the team leader and the team member starting from constructed the team till set the team goals and objectives, all parties including team member and team leader have to work together effectively to put the style of work and agreed to spread a good spirit between all the members, the whole team has to work as one person everyone knows his/her responsibilities very well and ready to assist the other to achieve their goals, it’s not about raising the hands and step away from the other member hence the successful of the team depend on all parties not one party , It is the responsibility of the team leader to set everything before starting the task and the responsibilities of the others to believe they are like a stone corner for the tea m no way the team finish the task without the other ,,, Amgad Ali ——————————————– [ 1 ]. Michael Jordan. [ 2 ]. Mia Hamm. [ 3 ]. Case commentary by Ed Mussel white. Ditto. [ 4 ]. Babe Welch. [ 5 ]. Nigel Nicholson.

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Types of Advertising Essay Example for Free

Types of Advertising Essay

Article About Time Travel

Article About Time Travel Suppose that i give you a time machine and you travel some seventy years back and kill your grandfather. Since your grandfather would not have been married by then your fathers birth is not possible and you cannot be here today to travel back in time to kill your grandpa. Hence your grandpa is alive then and you are here today, now there is again the possibility for you to travel back and kill your grandpa. Soà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ I stopped my lecture and looked at the children .Some of them were baffled but many had bright faces. Though they didnt understand they were all enthusiastic so I continued my lecture. This has no solution it is like an infinite loop, we call it grandfathers paradox and it is one of the problems in time travel. There are others for exampleà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦,I stopped to pick up my ringing phone , I was shocked to learn that my grandfather passed away. As I was on my two hour flight to Hyderabad I spent my time reminiscing about my grandfather .He often said that there were no coincidences but only choices, either ours or others. But it was not my choice to hear about his demise while talking of grandfathers paradox, may be it was gods. My grandpa worked as an engineer in The Archeological Department of India, and headed the project for discovering the lost Indus valley civilization. He used to tell me strange stories about the Indus valley civilization when I was a child, but one of them was so fanciful that I just took it to be a mere fable but as I grew older my scientific knowledge and reasoning taught me that it was also possible. So I have asked him whether it was true or not and he always replied with a smile I have made an arrangement for you to know about it after I am dead . After the funeral my bereaved mom handed me a file which my grandpa wanted to give me. It was a collection of reports about the archeological discoveries around the world, UFO sightings etc., cut off from the newspapers. They looked decades old and I couldnt find their age coz there were no dates on them. As I scanned those articles one of them titled- Mysterious artifact found in the excavations at Harappa, caught my attention .My heart started pounding with anxiety to know whether this was the proof I was waiting for ,and I started reading it. A mysterious artifact resembling those found in 1903 at the excavations near the pyramids in Egypt was found at Harappa last month .Neither the material from which it is made nor its age were found by carbon dating spectrum analysis, but due to its dumble shape scientists believe it to be a toy. They also claim that this establishes that there was trade between the ancient Egyptians and the Indians. I was dazzled by his creative genius, coz he created a great story based on this article and it went like thisà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ ******** He conceived the world around him in a different way, he used to say dont just look manavada (grand son), observe and question ,and at that age I couldnt really understand the difference. When I was in sixth grade I asked him the same question, he stared at me for a while and asked me do you know how many stone blocks were laid to construct the Giza pyramid ?,I said no. about 25 lakh stones each weighing about 25 tons, have u ever wondered how they constructed such a great structure in those days when they had no iron to cut the stones. Have u ever wondered how they transported or lifted such heavy blocks. I said no. It is simple, someone with the technology must have helped them. May be they were constructed by aliens. come on thathayya ( grandpa) not a fairy tale againà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦., why is it impossible manavada, as Sherlock holmes says when you have eliminated the impossible, the remaining however improbable it may seem is possible. then which alien civilization do you think is responsible? May be the one a billion light years away or a well advanced civilization from this planet itself What, how is it possible for a civilization belonging to the same period to be so advanced than the Egyptians Not of the same time, may be their own future generations, time travellers. What nonsense ok then explain me this, the mortar used in the construction of the pyramid is responsible for its strength ,even the mortar we use today isnt that strong. Our scientists were able to decode its chemical composition but not the process by which it is made. Now imagine that in the future our scientists figured out this process and also some other science freak invented the time machine. To test the strength of this mortar our scientists go back 4500 years and help the Egyptians to construct the pyramids with it. Since our scientists discovered the process by reverse engineering the mortar and gave the technology to the Egyptians, it would not have been possible for the Egyptians to construct the pyramids without our scientists help, and if that is the case there would not have been the source for our scientists to reverse engineer and travel back in time to give it to the Egyptians. Now tell me who found the process first the ancients or our time travellers? . I was befuddled and told him that I dont believe in time travel just to save myself from his wizardry. Then he said I am gonna tell you a secret and please keep it a secret, I travelled in time once. I broke with laughter and said do I look so foolish?, where did u get such a huge time machine from? The time machine need not be a machine at all. There is a state called singularity, it is the state of matter at the core of a black hole. When a large star explodes it is called a supernova. The substance present at the core of a supernova is called Dark Matter, and the dark matter can be used to harvest a worm hole. And Albert Einstein stated that by constructing such worm holes we can travel back and forth in time. In 1952 I was sent to Egypt for fieldwork, there we found strange dumble shaped tools. I secretly brought one of them to India and gave it to my friend who is a physicist to find what material it is. He found a small portion of darkmatter that must have been left by some time traveller and we used it. Though it seemed silly I was awe struck by his creativity, so I asked him where did you go then? Do you know what caused the extinction of Indus valley civilization? Well there are several theories like Aryan invasion, frequent floods of the Indus, continuous seismic activity etc.. These theories are only a twenty or thirty years old, in 1952 the only theory was Aryan invasion theory. And we traveled back 3500 years to the time when this civilization started declining to verify this theory. But to our wonder we found no sign of any invasion, floods or other calamities. We were enthralled by the brilliance of the harappans, and the splendor of the hakra and indus rivers, our rivers today are just canals when compared to them. They were constructing a behemoth sized dam over the hakra river that even the great pyramid is no match to its magnificence. I never heard of any such large construction on the Indus before let me complete, as we were on our way back something unexpected happened. My friend used a little more amount of the darkmatter to create the worm hole , as we entered the worm hole a huge explosion occurred and it shattered the dam causing a chain of floods and earthquakes leading to the decline of the Indus valley civilization. Now do you understand why the Indus valley civilization became extinct?. Obviously because of you and your friend, if you would not have gone there it would not have become extinct, if it was not extinct you would not have gone there to find the reason, causality paradox I guess. So the Aryan invasion theory is false. No, infact it is the only true theory and the Aryans were none other than me and my friend. why didnt you travel back in time again to prevent the destruction? How could we, in that chaos we left the dumble there and now we cant go back.

Team Performance within Marks and Spencer

Team Performance within Marks and Spencer Performance management is a systematic process which improves performance of organization by developing the performance of individuals and teams. It is a strategy of getting better results from the organization, teams and individuals by understanding and managing performance within an agreed framework where goals are planned, standards and required competence are clearly defined. Strategic performance management is a process for establishing mutual understanding about what is to be achieved, and for managing and developing people in a way that makes it possible to achieve the goals in the short and longer term. It deals with broader issues of the organization. It is a tool to evaluate how the business is performing. Line management plays a key role in strategic performance Management who drive and fully owned this as per corporate governance regulation. I like to quote some other definitions as below, Performance management is: The development of individuals with competence and commitment, working towards the achievement of shared meaningful objectives within an organisation which supports and encourages their achievement (Lockett, 1) Performance management is: the process of Directing and supporting employees to work as effectively and efficiently as possible in line with the needs of the organisation (Walters, 3) Performance management is a strategic and integrated approach to delivering sustained success to organisations by improving the performance of the people who work in them and by developing the capabilities of teams and individual contributors (Armstrong and Baron, 4) Be able to set performance targets to meet strategic objectives. Links between team performance and Strategic objectives. Team performance is directly related to companys strategic objectives. Organisation consists of number of people who works collectively to achieve common objective of the company which is profitability, thus if team performs well whole company will perform well. Every member of a team is assigned with specific day to day tasks which he/she is expected to do well and contribute fully for team collective output. Within team tasks are divided and resources are shared, they are interlinked and work with in cycle so, if one member doesnt finish his / her task in time it may slow down a whole next chain which can lead to slow down performance of a team as a whole. Slow progress may result loss of potential opportunities existed in the market and result in loss revenue which goes directly against the strategic objective of the company. Therefore, it is vital that each member of staff is chosen on the merit of job requirement and are fully equipped to perform his/her tasks with given time period. Team is judged on the basis of result they deliver. In Marks and Spenser each role is aligned with specific duties as per job description, over all aim is clearly defined, each member of staff is expected to deliver best customer services and are assigned with specific day to day tasks which ultimately lead to achieve organisational objectives such as monthly sales targets. Greater the team performance is the better chances are to meet organisational objectives. This proves that team performance is directly related meeting strategic organisational objectives. The principle is everyone will be working together to contribute to corporate profits. 1.2) Tools and technique available to set team performance targets There are many performance improvement models and tools available to set team performance targets, decision makers choose any model which best suits companys needs and assist its process. Ive listed below some which are most commonly used, Balance Scorecard: A multi-dimensional framework for managing strategy by linking objectives, initiatives, targets and performance measures across key corporate perspectives. Business Process Reengineering: An approach to review and redesign organisational processes in order to achieve improved performance in terms of cost, quality of service and timeliness EFQM Excellence Model: Organisational improvement framework for assessing strengths and areas for improvement across the spectrum of an organisations activities. Investors in People: National standard for improving organisational performance by training and developing people to achieve organisational goals. ISO9001 Quality System: Global standard and approach for quality management systems. The standard focuses on the management of processes and documentation in order to meet customer needs and expectations. Six Sigma: A disciplined methodology for process improvement that deploys a wide set of tools based on rigorous data analysis to identify sources of variation in performance and ways of reducing them Management by Objectives: It is a process where objectives are agreed with in organization so management and employees understands what they are in the organization. It is driven by objectives. Evidence over the past five years suggests that the use of the various improvement models and tools has been variable with equally variable impact. The aim of the review is to raise awareness and understanding of some of the more popular performance improvement models and tools available to organisations and to share learning in their use to date. It is hoped that the review will enable authorities to make more informed choices on the use of appropriate approaches or tools if appropriate to use them at all. MS uses investor in Business model and invest vast amount of its resources on training and coaching to improve people skills to contribute more professionally and provide best customer services. There is a full time coaching staffs assigned for each shift whose duty is to be on the floor and assist instantly where ever any member needs assistance or to ensure the customer services is at its best. Every contribution adds to achieve corporate profit. 1.3) Value of Strategic Performance tools to measure future team performance Managing employee or system performance assist the effective delivery of strategic and operational goals. It saves time, assist to measure the output, it improves business results. It helps to check if efforts are in right direction and are serving the purpose of the organization rather wasting time. Companies are using integrated software to record employees contributions that assist them to measure, analyze and enhance employees output. This brings direct or indirect benefits to the companies. Direct Financial Gains Maximizes sales Minimizes costs Avoid any overruns Comply with the organizational Goals Speedy implementation of any changes in strategic or operational goals. Marks and Spencer (MS) took a great advantage by implementing and constant reviewing and adapting right strategic performance tool which best suits its need and manage to turn its portfolio from making loss to producing profit since 2006 onwards, since then they are managing to keep company in profit despite tough market condition like recession hit economy where buying capacity is at its low. Be able to agree team performance targets to contribute to meeting strategic objectives 2.1) How to determine required performance targets with in teams against current performance The term KPI has become one of the most popular terms in business development and management. In theory it provides a series of measures against which internal managers and external investors can judge the business and how it is likely to perform over the medium and long term. Different organisations need to monitor different aspects of their environment, there are many monitoring modules, and Ive chosen to list some of them below, Product/ service Competitive analysis Customer satisfaction Marketing management Personnel management IT management Contingency planning For each monitoring module, one can then establish what the current level of performance is in a measurable and understandable way. This is the current performance. From industry sources, the benchmark level can normally be introduced (getting to benchmarks is often a difficult process and one requiring a mixture of low cunning and/or sophisticated analysis). Then a target level of achievement can be entered. Let us take an example of customer satisfaction module in Marks and Spencer. Customer Satisfaction; Current Benchmark Target 60% 90% 100% A mystery shopper also visits twice monthly and assessed each store. If they are maintaining standards and providing best customer care which MS is renowned for and then award score. Each store is expected to score 100%. The KPI is central to a number of other elements in the planning platform which provides the Basis for answering the three crucial planning questions: Where are we? Where do we want to be (and when)? How are we going to get there cost effectively? The most rapid way to establish the KPI within any set of monitoring information is to work through the three criteria in sequence. Is the control information key to success of the organisation? Can we measure it and influence it? Does it provide leading edge indications of future developments? In MS when a new member of staff joins the company, proper induction is conducted, his role is fully briefed to him / her in detail and all key performance indicator markers (KPIs) are agreed with in one to one meeting with Manager. First three months are considered as probationary period where staff is expected to learn and demonstrate all basic qualities which are required at this role. There is a standard Career path and Job titles are self explanatory, so with in probationary period staff is provided with a title as trainee customer assistance. After successful completion of probationary period the staffs is promoted to qualified customer assistant. Next level is to become section coordinator which leads to become section Manager at next level. 2.2) need to encourage individual commitment to team performance in achievement of organisational goals. The overall aim of performance management is to establish a high-performance culture in which individuals and teams take responsibility for the continuous improvement of business processes and for their own skills and contributions within a framework provided by effective leadership. This stage refers to working to ensure the performance objectives are achieved. Identify development needs and support it with professional training one need. When performance objectives are agreed, line managers will need to plan how to achieve expected level of performance. Provide all support and resources which he/she may need to undertake specific day to day tasks. For any new role Introduce comprehensive induction and probation period is to assess employees performance and assess their need. All employees should be motivated to work effectively and efficiently. This applies to all including one who has been working for same post for over the years. The essentials of effective performance management includes, Appreciate its purpose Clarity in process cycle and how individual can best contribute in it. Recognition of responsibilities Prioritizing task Effective communication and feedback Suggesting ways to meeting individuals targets. Rewarding employees MS always encourages staffs and provide full support to increase performance. Staffs are rewarded with bonuses and reward vouchers based on feedback from customer as well as from mystery shoppers. Managers work closely with staff on the floor and assist them wherever required. Career path is designed to encourage employees to perform at their best which ensured their professional growth. It is highlighted that without every ones individual performance and contribution over all success of organization is not possible. 2.3) Application of delegation, mentoring and coaching to the achievement of the organisational objectives Mentoring is a popular tool of personal development and type of training which is long standing. It refers to support, advice and guidance of most experienced person with in organisation to new or inexperience person for his personal development which brings benefits to organisation. It is essentially a supportive form of development. It focuses on helping an individual manage their career and improve skills. Personal issues can be discussed more productively unlike in coaching where the emphasis is on performance at work. Mentoring activities have both organisational and individual goals. Coaching refers to developing persons skills to improve job performance in order to achieve of organisational objectives. It is generally short term more organised and time bounded with regular meetings. Coach needs to be qualified or experienced with formal occupational role. It focuses on development of work related and more specific issues or immediate goals. MS has kept a specific role as a coaching member who preset on the floor and helps staff with their day to day activities and trains them wherever required. Mangers also work on the floor with team and use mentoring wherever they feel necessary. Mangers also delegate work with in team and seeing them through with successful completion while paying attention to manage other tasks. All this leads to team success which ultimately help to achieve strategic objectives i.e. Best store lay out and customer service which brings more sale and help corporate profit. 2.4) evaluate a team performance plan A Team Performance Plan is a detailed plan used to: Identify the desired performance levels of the team Identify how these performance levels will be achieved Provide guidance and direction to the team Measure progress towards the desired performance levels Although there are no strict rules as to the format of a Team Performance Plan they normally contain the following information: Specific goals for team development Performance measures Actions required to achieve goals An indication of how long goals will take to achieve The Team Performance Plan should align with the organizations overall objectives. This can be achieved by: 1. Aligning the Team Performance Plan with the Team Purpose 2. Aligning the Team Purpose with the organizations objectives Team Performance Plans might include the following types of goals: Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) Goals to improve team competency Team building goals One of the most fundamental purposes of performance management is to align individual and organizational objectives. This means that everything people do at work leads to outcomes that further the achievement of the basis of performance management 7 organizational goals. Individuals and teams are provided with the opportunity to formulate their own goals within the framework provided by the defined overall purpose, strategy and values of the organization. Objectives should be agreed, not set, and this agreement should be reached through the open dialogues that take place between managers and individuals throughout the year. In other words, this needs to be seen as a partnership in which responsibility is shared and mutual expectations are defined. MS set KPI for each member for staff as per their role, lets take an example of customer assistant who is assigned with following objectives, Quantitative objectives include date rotation of all products which help to bring down daily waste ratio and ultimately help to increase profitability of store. Staffs is expected to keep a close eye on inventory to ensure products are available at all the time which help to achieve weekly sale targets of the store. Qualitative objectives includes all products are tagged with correct price and place in a right position which is legal requirement and standard of MS. Staffs are expected to ensure customer safety is paramount. If there is any spillage on the floor it should be cleared quickly and any slippery floor is sign posted to aware customer with any possible hazards. Staff need to ensure the Environment is clean and customer friendly. Staffs are fully aware of product position and its description to answer and satisfy customer query if any. Be able to monitor actions and activities defined to improve team performance 3.1) Process for monitoring team performance and initiate changes where necessary Performance management provides better management control; it is flexible and responsive to their needs. It facilitates to comply with companies legal requirement. It also helps out in Audit. Workers know the criteria they will be appraised against. Goals are pre-defined. All businesses, whatever sector they are in, will have plans, aims and objectives. In some cases these can be very sophisticated but in some small businesses very modest. Whatever they are a business will need to monitor its performance in relation to these goals. Following are different ways of monitoring team performances, Meet with Team Conduct weekly or bi-weekly meetings with team leaders to review issues, share experiences, and resolve problems and concerns. Make sure that team leaders hold similar meetings with their team members, and that identified issues are recorded, communicated, and followed through to closure. Communication: effective communication may require nothing more than routine, informal, interaction among the team. Recognize Success Positive reinforcement is a key element of effective team building. This can be as simple as a few words of praise or public recognition, or nomination for a more formal rewards and recognition, such as Impact. Monitor Team Morale On a small project, management by walking around will be sufficient to assess team morale. On a project with multiple subprojects and/or a distributed team, more formal techniques such as team surveys may be used to identify problem areas that require corrective action. Conduct Team Performance Reviews Make sure that the process defined in the Employee Performance and Development Program is followed to provide regular, constructive feedback on each persons performance on the project. Reviews should occur at the end of each major phase, whenever the team member or his/her team leader is about to leave the project, at the end of the project, or on a minimum six-monthly basis. Lets take an example of Marks and Spencer where manager walk around on the floor every hour or so and observe each members performance against their agreed daily tasks, if needed they provide direction to member by prioritizing tasks. I like to pick Mckinsey 7-S Model to define a broad view of what contributes to performance effectiveness. McKinseys 7-S frame work In 1981 Richard Pascale and Anthony Athos started investigating success of Japanese industry, in the same time Tom Peters and Robert Waterman were exploring what made company excellent. The Seven S model was born at a meeting in 1978 between these four authors it was taken up by global management company called McKinseys, since then it is known as their 7- S model. It is used to organise a company in holistic and effective way. Shared Values This is interconnected centre of McKinneys model which describes what organisation stands for and what it believes in. Strategy It is a plan division of available resources over the period of time to achieve identified goals. Skills It refers to core competence of company workforce and their distinctive capabilities. Staff Number and type of staff members with in organisation Style Refers to Management style and how they act to achieve companys goal. Systems A procedure, process and routines which explain how the work should be conducted, financial system, MIS, performance appraisals and recruitment process etc. Structure The way Management structure is outlines, its hierarchy, i.e. centralised or de centralised, a matrix etc. 3.2) Evaluate team performance against agreed objectives Performance reviews are conducted by filling up appraisal forms with set of question in relation to KPIs set out and previously agreed with employees in one to one meeting. The outcome of review performance determine what action are required to ensure improve performance and future tasks are met. Any training required should be planned and resources are allocated in budget. Reasonable steps are taken to rectify problem if any. Excellent performance should be rewarded with bonus etc and it is assured to employees that their feedback/comments are valuable and their efforts are recognised. Any capability issue should be taken with care. Any underachievement should be dealt with as per companys policy guidelines and employee should be engaged in way where all efforts are made to provide enough support to staff to increase their output in order to achieve their targets. Manager should use all methods to increase staff performance that includes flexible hours, sharing of work load, providi ng new pattern of work, independent occupational advice, additional training and support. Marks and Spenser (MS) pays great attention to outcome of performance review, a copy of each review is attached with employees personal file. Any recommendations for training needs are scheduled at earliest opportunity. Any under performer is dealt with as per companys standard guidelines. 3.3) evaluate the impact of the team performance in contributing to meeting strategic objectives The out put of appraisal confirms if member has been able to meet his KPIs, if yes how should you rate them as that rating has a direct reflection of his/her contribution to companies objectives, if employees does well he is rewarded with incentives i.e. bonus payment as well as salary increase if he falls behind he is dealt with as per companies policy. In Marks and Spenser up until last year all employees were rewarded with Bonus payments because MS did well against its budget as well as its forecast. It was evaluated that this can not be achieved with out a great hard work team members had put it. 4) Be able to apply influencing and persuading skills to the dynamic and politics of personal interactions 4.1) determine influencing and persuading methodologies to gain the commitment of individuals to a course of action Market research shows that organization that invests and care about motivation of staff generally performs better. Organization is tasked with developing individuals and rewarding and retaining those who perform well. Organisations have a vested interest in finding out if the incentive schemes that they implement are resulting in the desired behavior from individuals. I like to highlight below the link between incentives and employee motivation. Paying for performance Advocates of pay for performance systems argue that good systems motivate employees towards achievements that support corporate goals and strategies. Rewarding the right behaviour By rewarding staff for their right behaviour motivates them to make the good performance consistently or make every effort to deliver best services all the time. Incentives and staff performance Incentives are very much welcomed by staff weather its time off or free drinks or bonus payments it motivate them to achieve higher goals or achieve excellent performance. The rewards usually relate to the achievement of certain goals, either personal, team or organisational, or a combination of all. In addition, the critical success factors are: 1. To keep the scheme simple 2. Participants should be able to calculate their incentive 3. Payouts should be meaningful 4. Targets are set in month 1 and goal posts are not moved during the incentive period Incentives do not work well in isolation from other management practices. Rather, they are further supported by other elements such as good working conditions, performance management, performance appraisals, and training opportunities. Weak administration and processes will inhibit its effectiveness. There are three contributing factors for performance motivation. Money Social recognition Performance feedback. Traditional Motivational Models and persuading methodologies to gain the commitment of individuals to a course of action Maslows hierarchy of needs Each of us is motivated by needs. Our most basic needs are inborn, having evolved over tens of thousands of years. Abraham Maslows Hierarchy of Needs helps to explain how these needs motivate us all. Maslows Hierarchy of Needs states that we must satisfy each need in turn, starting with the first, which deals with the most obvious needs for survival itself. Only when the lower order needs of physical and emotional well-being are satisfied are we concerned with the higher order needs of influence and personal development. Conversely, if the things that satisfy our lower order needs are swept away, we are no longer concerned about the maintenance of our higher order needs. Source (http://www.businessballs.com/maslow.htm) Douglas McGregor theory x y Theory x (authoritarian management style) The average person dislikes work and will avoid it he/she can. Therefore most people must be forced with the threat of punishment to work towards organisational objectives. The average person prefers to be directed; to avoid responsibility; is relatively UN ambitious, and wants security above all else. Theory y (participative management style) Effort in work is as natural as work and play. People will apply self-control and self-direction in the pursuit of organisational objectives, without external control or the threat of punishment. Commitment to objectives is a function of rewards associated with their achievement. People usually accept and often seek responsibility. The capacity to use a high degree of imagination, ingenuity and creativity in solving organisational problems is widely, not narrowly, distributed in the population. In industry the intellectual potential of the average person is only partly utilised. Tools for teaching, understanding and evaluating xy theory factors There are a number of fundamental concepts that underpin the Excellence Model that are reflected in the criteria and sub criteria of the framework. These concepts are: 1. Results orientation 2. Customer focus 3. Leadership and constancy of purpose 4. Management by processes and facts 5. People development and involvement 6. Continuous learning 7. Innovation and improvement 8. Partnership development 9. Public responsibility. Source (http://www.businessballs.com/mcgregor.htm) Frederick Hertzberg theory Herzbergs research used a pioneering approach, based on open questioning and very few assumptions, to gather and analyse details of critical incidents as recalled by the survey respondents. Herzbergs research identified that true motivators were other completely different factors, notably: achievement recognition work itself responsibility advancement In MS Bonus payments, rewards vouchers are used to gain individuals commitment which has been very successful. In addition names are posted on notice boards who ever achieve best customer services award of the month to recognise their employees effort. This also motivate other employees to work extra hard and be no 1 next time. Promotions are also awarded to persuade employees to take more responsibilities and face fresh challenges in order to progress on professional career. 4.2) discuss the impact of individual dynamics, interest and organizational politics on securing the commitment of individuals to a course of action. The approaches and tools vary. However all aim to address one or more of the following objectives, with the ultimate aim of improving performance: 1. Help understand what customers need; 2. Help organisations and employees become more results orientated; 3. Improve the quality of service to customers by improving processes or practices; 4. Provide a structured approach to strategic management; 5. Create links between individual, service and corporate objectives; 6. Translate strategy in to performance measures and targets and in doing so rationalise performance information; 7. Help demonstrate individual staff contribution to organisational objectives and create ownership of performance by staff involvement in the improvement process; 8. Identify strengths and areas for improvement; 9. Aid internal and external communication. Marks and Spenser selected Mary Gober method as chosen service style in order to enhance its reputation, improve sales and business results, and make employee and customer proud of Marks and Spenser. Through employees efforts, this service style became a part of MSs very nature, character which never fades away. It acts as a powerful force, consistently delivering great service every time customer interacts. The method really helped changing individuals behaviour throughout the chains of store. It emphasised that employees should be positive, take ownership and responsibility, be respectful and be determined from the minute they say Hello to customer to the minute say Goodbye, everything In Between and Beyond. This makes a dramatic, powerful impact on the customer and leaves a feel good impression. Summary The study of strategic performance management gives us the knowledge that how managers achieve the organization overall long term goal. The study of SPM is all about the need for finding common ground between strategy management and operations management. While strategy management seeks to make strategy relevant to employees day-to-day responsibilities, operations management seeks strategic context for implementation and improvement projects. This assignment give us an idea and understanding to find out the gap between management strategy, management accounting, and strategic human resource management to analyze the link between organizational strategy and systems of planning and control.

HIV Vaccine Clinical Trials: The Standard of Care Debate Essay

Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) is a retrovirus infecting approximately 35.3 million people worldwide that leads to the development of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). HIV-1 selectively infects certain host immune cells, including CD4+ T cells, macrophages, and dendritic cells, resulting in the continual depletion of the host immune system (Global Report, 2013). More specifically, HIV-1 prevalence is concentrated in sub-Saharan Africa and other developing countries worldwide. In recent years, there has been much effort devoted to developing an effective vaccine against HIV-1. The vaccine clinical trials are typically held in these developing countries where HIV-1 prevalence is highest. The dilemma that continues to plague vaccine trials in developing countries pertains to the standard of care that should be provided to the participants who inevitably become infected with HIV-1 during the trial (Bloom, 1998). This standard of care debate revolved around top ics such as what type of treatment should be provided to the participants, how long should the treatment continue, will treatment continue after the trial has concluded, who has the obligation to ensure the standard of care protocols are enforced, what are the repercussions in failing to do so, and most importantly, who is paying for all of this (Berkley, 2003). The Declaration of Helsinki clearly endorses the view that all trial participants are entitled to the worldwide best standard of care (Lie et al, 2004). Unfortunately, efforts to devise an accepted standard of care have continued without success since the 1990s (Berkley, 2003). The root of the problem revolves around the expenses associated with treatment. This is an especially difficult ... ... 7. Lie RK, Emanuel E, Grady C, Wendler D. (2004). The standard of care debate: the Declaration of Helsinki versus the international consensus opinion. J Med Ethics 30: 190-3. 8. Macklin R. (2008). Standard of care: an evolution in ethical thinking. The Lancet 372(9635): 284-5. 9. Scott BR, Tsevat J. (2006). Is antiretroviral therapy cost-effective in South American? PLoS Medicine 3(1): 14. 10. Shapiro K, Benatar SR. (2005). HIV prevention research and global inequality: steps towards improved standards of care. Journal of Medical Ethics 31: 39. 11. Specter, M. (2003). The vaccine. The New Yorker 78(45): 56. 12. The Kaiser Family Foundation. Health expenditure per capita (PPP; $US). 2002. 2007. 13. UNAIDS/WHO, 2007 WHO/UNAIDS. Ethical considerations in biomedical HIV prevention trials: guidance document. Geneva: Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS.

My Volunteer Experience at a Nursing Home :: Community Service, Service Learning

Up until a few years ago I never thought that one of my grandparents would be in a nursing home. I had always been lucky to have them healthy. However, this changed about a year ago when my grandfather had a mini-stroke, which caused him to require extra care my grandmother could not provide. Watching my family deal with my grandfather made me aware of the care and services the elderly need and has made me realize how important it is to volunteer at a local nursing home. My grandfather's stroke affected his legs and his memory, which made it difficult for him to walk. My grandfather first used a cane, but his legs became too weak, so he tried a walker, but this lasted only a month. Not only could he not walk or take care of himself, but also he began to stay up at night and fall out of bed. My family started looking into nursing homes. It took us weeks before finally deciding. Unfortunately he will have to stay there until he improves, both mentally and physically. Since summer I have volunteered at his nursing home because I saw how lonely some of the residents were. I volunteered two days a week during the summer, which I have continued. I have learned many things about nursing homes and the factors to consider when choosing one, including the residents' quality of life, the care received, the environment surrounding them, and the nursing home's payment policy. I have been working with the recreation director, who plans activities for the residents. I have painted the women's nails and read them letters from their children. Also, I have helped with special days like Ice Cream Day, Summer Picnic Day, and Clown Around Day. For each we create special word scrambles. I also have taken patients for walks. We also have birthday parties and exercise days. Through my volunteering I have made a new friend - Irene. She has family, but they live faraway and cannot come to visit often. Our friendship grew through the summer. She grew up in Shelton and lived in Milford before she came to the home. She has two sons who seldom visit. Her grandchildren, however, do visit every weekend.

Boys In The Hood Essay example -- essays research papers

Hood: slang for neighborhood or black area/life. Before 1991 this concept of hood life was never before portrayed or looked into until John Singleton produced the black social drama Boyz N the Hood. This is the first film by a black director that actually goes deep inside the ghetto or inner city. Singleton carefully directs this film so that it appears to mirror the real world â€Å"having value as a kind of anthropological study of an unfamiliar way of life'; (Thompson 2). Set in lower-middle-class, predominately black, south central Los Angeles, a neighborhood where constant gunshots regularly interrupt study time and the sound of police helicopters flying above is a familiar tune, Boyz N the Hood is basically the story of three teenage friends coming of age in black urban America. It is their story of street life where friendship, pain, danger, and love combine to form their harsh reality. Unlike previous films Singleton addresses issues that relate more to the younger generation of that time. Tre, the main character is obviously the one who is on the right track toward adulthood. He has a job, plans to go to college and, â€Å"most important (as writer-director Singleton sees it, at any rate) he lives with his father'; (Tornquist 1). Brothers Doughboy and Ricky, on the other hand, live with their mother and are not good role models. Doughboy drives a fancy car but doesn’t appear to have a job, and has been in and out of prison. Ricky does a litt...

Importance of Measuring and Managing Performance Essay

It is very important to measure and manage employee performance at Leyton Sixth Form College. The consequences if they don’t manage performance is that teachers won’t know whether they are progressing or not. Whether they’re way of teaching is effective or not. It is important for new employees to assess their performance so that management can make judgements on measuring performance will enable teachers to know where they stand and have a clear view on what skills they need to improve on. Motivation is important in LSC because it gets the employee to work as hard as possible. t helps push employees to achieve targets set. By identifying areas where an employee may be losing his colleagues, a personal development plan can be put in place. Similarly, if a negative trend is seen among a number of employees, company controls and procedures can be evaluated to address these problems at a general level. Measuring and managing performance helps LSC look at employee progress to see whether they are achieving all their targets. Also the importance of managing performance is to give good motivation for employees to work hard since they are being evaluated. LSC do an employee evaluation that gives teachers constructive criticism and an idea on what they need to work on and what they doing a good job on. Measuring performance benefit LSC as they reveal the good and bad aspects of a given job. They improve the relationships and moral within the organisation. Another important matter is that measuring and managing performance helps improve the performance of individuals to ultimately improve the efficiency and productivity of the company. Which in LSC case is the staff by doing performance developments and appraisals can help employees reach their full potentials.

Paradoxes of Culture and Globalization Essay

Have you ever told someone that you are not a â€Å"mind reader† and you need them to specifically state their needs or what they are wanting? Or the opposite situation where you were able to tell what a person was going to say even before they even said a word? These examples illustrate differences between low and high context communication styles. People have a dominate way they prefer to communicate and cultures define these styles. There are differences in the way high and low-context culture members behave and interact with each other. However, there are times and situations where an individual will flex their style based on the situation at hand. In the end, both styles can be an effective way to communicate in the proper situation or context. A low-context culture is one that is explicit in its communication, orally and in writing. These cultures tend to be dominant individualistic cultures such as white, Anglo-Saxon Americans and Germans. In these cultures there is a desire to be very clear about communicating what they mean to ensure that there is a common understanding with other parties. For example in a low context culture, successful project managers and the teams will be very clear with deadlines and deliverables, such as the 2 page summary report will be due on Tuesday at 1pm. A person that favors a low context culture will appreciate the clarity in goals and expectations. Societies that favor low context communication are also seen as monochronic. These people find comfort in doing one thing at a time, make time commitments, are accustomed to short-term relationships, and stick to plans. An example of a profession that tends to be low-context is engineering. There is a saying that many engineers can easily relate to: â€Å"A place for everything and everything in its place†. This saying implies a high need for organization. I have worked on assignments with several engineers that get easily frustrated when details of the project or product change mid-stream due to a shift in the marketplace or a customer request. The feedback that is given to me from a few of the engineers is that it is difficult to deliver a project on-time when things change. However, without the change, the project may not achieve its overall goal: to satisfy the customer’s need. This is a prime example of how low-context cultures prefer to be very specific. They favor very clear, specific, and fixed objectives. On the other hand, high context cultures communicate in an implicit manner where members understand the message without direct oral or written communication. Mexico and Japan are examples of high-context cultures. People in these cultures have a difficult time refusing a direct request or disagreeing with others in public. There is a heightened sense to not embarrass others or to be embarrassed in these cultures. These cultures also are more polychronic. People that are polychronic are flexible with time commitments, are easily distracted, tend to form deep and long relationships, and value relationships over deadlines. Working with high-context cultures can feel very difficult for low-context individuals that are not aware of the difference in styles. Based on my personal experience when dealing with a high-context cultures and individuals, I have had many challenges because I was not aware of the culture difference. The challenges developed because I was not aware that the group may have been avoiding difficult conversations. For example, I thought that I had agreement from others in a Mexican factory with clear deadlines and deliverables for a project. Only later to find out that they thought our agreement was more of a â€Å"target† or a guideline for them to work towards. Deadlines were often missed by weeks even with weekly meetings confirming deliverables and deadlines. Another example using a similar context that I have had is when asking a team member from China and Mexico a question such as â€Å"are we on-schedule or ahead of schedule† and getting a reply of â€Å"yes† because it’s difficult for them to reply with an answer they may feel with disappoint me if the project is behind schedule. This can prove to be detrimental to a project if it’s unclear the project is behind schedule. However, a great attribute of high-context teams is their willingness to be flexible. They can also leverage their strong relationships with others to get tasks accomplished effectively. Both high and low context cultures will change their style based on certain circumstances and situations. I have personally seen communication styles flexed in contract negotiations. Many contract negotiations that I have been involved in have a final written document that both parties can use to refer back to at later times to understand the original agreement. This document is very explicit in nature and has specifically defined terms and language. This is an example of a low-context form of communication that high context cultures use even if it may be more comfortable to go through the negotiations using more high-context communication and strategies such as talking through ideas and feeling the other party out using social environment situations. On the other hand, an example of low-context individuals using high context tactics may happen is when couples are dating. Very few emotions or expectations are communicated explicitly early on in the relationship but yet even low-context individuals can â€Å"read between the lines† about another person’s feelings or emotions during the courtship phase. Another example of high-context communication that can be used by low-context cultures is the use of silence. This can be a very powerful tactic to encourage others to say more than they might normally say to break the silence or if they are assuming you are waiting for more information before responding. Silence can be a negotiators’ best friend when used appropriately to gather more information from other side. The Japanese have been known to use silence or length of pauses to communicate messages such as disagreement or rejection of an offer. In summary, high and low context cultures can behave in very different, almost opposite, ways when communicating. However, each can and will use other others’ style in different situation. The key for effective communication is to understand the other’s contextual style and be ready to be flexible to change your style as needed. Both low and high-context styles can be used to communicate well and neither is better than the other.

Political Philosophy and United States Essay

1. 1 Trace the origins of American government What is a democracy? How does a democracy differ from other forms of government in both practical and theoretical terms? What requirements must be met for a government to be called a democracy? Which of the democratic ideals do you foresee as not being achieved in Iraq, and why? Will Iraq still be considered a democracy without this ideal? From the other forms of government mentioned in this chapter, argue for a better form of government for Iraq than a democracy. 1. 2 Show how European political thought provided the theoretical foundations of American government. 1 Can socialism coexist with democracy? Is extensive economic freedom essential to democracy? Can the unequal economic outcomes of capitalism be considered â€Å"undemocratic†? In his 1651 Leviathan, Thomas Hobbes observed that without government, life would be â€Å"solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short. † Justify his argument. With this justification, justify the existence of government as it presently operates in the United States today. What demographic and socioeconomic factors do you think are related to democracy? Wealth? Education? A homogeneous population? Can you find countries that don’t meet your expectations? Does democracy require equality of income and wealth? Does majority rule undermine freedom and threaten individual rights? What was James Madison’s view, and what is your reaction? 1. 3 Describe American political culture, and identify the basic tenets of American democracy 1 Discuss the theories of elitism and pluralism as explanations of how American government works. Harold Lasswell’s book, Politics: Who Gets What, When, and How, can be seen as associated with the often-made statement â€Å"It’s not what you know, but who you know. † How do the two different statements relate to each other, as well as to present-day political realities? Americans often possess a healthy cynicism of government, whether large or small. Identify the reasons for such beliefs and how government should attempt to address these. Can a few elite decision makers control all important decisions made in the United States today? Some leaders are made by climbing the â€Å"ladder of success† rather than being born into power classes. How does this approach compare to â€Å"elitism† versus the approach defined as â€Å"pluralism†? How does democracy in America compare to democracy in other parts of the world? What are the most important sources of stability in American government? What are the most important forces for change in American government? Suppose the United States passed a constitutional amendment requiring all eligible citizens to vote, what would be the advantages and disadvantages of this measure? Do you agree with the statement, â€Å"Equality, individualism, and openness are the crucial values of American politics in the twenty-first century†? Although there is widespread support for the concepts of freedom and liberty in America, there have been many intrusions into basic rights in American history. Can you explain why we find such discrepancies in an area where we also find almost complete public support for the general principle? 1. 4 Explain the functions of American government 1 What are some of the goals of terrorist acts? How can terrorism affect the paradox of democracy? How can/should democracies respond? Must security come at the price of liberties? How can democracies, particularly the United States, deal with new restrictions imposed as a result of terrorist acts/threats? Identify the roles of government and the concept of â€Å"public goods. † Are there any other institutions, other than government, which might be charged with performing the roles of government? Is such a consideration realistic? What can individual American citizens do to influence the actions and policies of their government? Name some ways in which government policies influences your normal work/school day. Study the statements of President George Bush on the need to encourage the spread of democracy in the Middle East. Is this a good goal for the United States? Is it a practical goal? 1. 5 Analyze the changing characteristics of the American public. 1 Define and discuss politics in the business setting, the health-care setting, and the educational institution setting. What are the similarities and differences between politics in government and in the identified settings? Discuss the argument that most of American life is organized in anti-democratic fashion. In the family, the school, the factory, the office, and the church, decisions are made by the powerful, without much concern for majority opinion. Discuss ways whereby more Americans would be more likely to participate in U. S. political life. Use the beginning of the twenty-first century to stimulate your thinking about how should we be governed. What are the strengths of our democracy in the new millennium? Our weaknesses? Why? And what should we do about them? Today’s Americans often question the â€Å"American Dream. † What is the American Dream and how could you go about proving that the Dream is still alive or that the Dream is dying? What types of evidence would you need and where might you find it? Discuss the idea that if more citizens could attend college, then democracy would be strengthened in America. Is this assumption true or not and why? Given the remarkable diversity in America, how is the country able to function as smoothly as it does? Does this diversity threaten to make the country less governable now than in the past? 1. 6 Assess the role of political ideology in shaping American politics 1 Think about the role and size of government as central to contemporary American politics. Is the scope of government too broad, too narrow, or just about right? Discuss, using contemporary examples, what is meant by government being â€Å"too big. † Do you disagree with what â€Å"too big† is? Why? Why don’t Americans divide themselves into social classes? Why hasn’t the Communist Party caught on in America? What are both the weaknesses and strengths of â€Å"direct democracy†? Assume that millions of American televisions could be hooked up to a centralized computer system that in turn could register instantaneously the public’s views on issues (â€Å"yes† or â€Å"no† responses). Would this be a plus or minus for American democracy? 1. 7 Characterize changes in Americans’ attitudes toward and expectations of government. 1 Periodically, civil disobedience has been used to reform government processes, procedures, and even law. In the light of often-identified needs of society, what subjects today appear to justify civil disobedience? Today, large proportions of Americans believe that most or all politicians are corrupt, that government serves the interest of the few, and that government is dominated by the wealthy and powerful. Evaluate these statements. Discuss whether or not the tragic events of September 11, 2001 changed the increasingly detached behavior of Americans. Do you feel the events of September 11, 2001 changed the way Americans view immigrants and/or foreign visitors/tourists? Should English be the official language of the United States, and should all governmental business be conducted in English? Why, or why not? Discuss what could be done, either by the media or by politicians themselves, to refurbish the image of elected officials today vis-a-vis the public. How can the idea of politics as â€Å"an honorable profession† be inculcated, perhaps even in contemporary American youth?

Family meals Essay

The article present the issue of meals from a good perspective: it identifies that some families eat together and others do not. It states from researches that studies carried out on families that eat together on the same table are more likely to produce positive health results than others who do not: such positive health factors are enumerated in each paragraph. It states that such family meals make it easier to control diet, amount and quality. It promotes communication about nutrition; it helps to regulate the type of food consumed. Besides it is a good forum for socialization among the family members, and even visitors.   It provides the ‘opportunity to eat better’ and also the ‘chance to connect’. The latter helps to understand each other better, find about current issues in the lives of members, and even teaches the children cooking and eating etiquettes.   It concludes with a profound statement:   â€Å"Family meals aren’t just about food, they’re about family.† I am particularly interested in the type of meal that can earn the tag ‘family meal’. And really, it is worth remembering that meals can also be a time to get together with family members. For parents that do not have time for their children, this may not possible but for others who have such opportunity, I strongly believe it is a very good idea: it creates a forum for me to learn how to cook, how to serve and how to eat especially when it involves others. If I have anything bothering my mind, I can share it there. If I also notice something about my siblings, friends, visitors, other extended family members, I can bring it and the challenge/burden can be shared. It is also a good forum to celebrate any achievement. I like the idea of family meals because it helps to strengthen families and build loving homes. There is no doubt that if we can adopt this kind of idea all over the country, things would change, families are likely to become more stable and children will live in conducive happy homes. I think that the topic was presented in a good and lively way. It has information from researches and experts in the food. After going through the article, you’d have read through an unusual topic that makes a lot of sense. It starts with a description of meal times, connects to the advantages of family means and ends with the obstacle to achieving the concept. I am also concerned about this noble idea can be implemented in this kind of age, when everyone appears to be in a hurry chasing the wild wind. Is it really practicable in this jet age? Are there other means of achieving same socialization outside meals times? REFERENCE Family meals. http://www.cnn.com/2008/HEALTH/family/11/07/cl.family.meals/index.html