Examine the Impact of Multinational Corporations Setting up in Developing Countries Essay

There has been an exceptionally disputable discussion over years now about the effect of global enterprises setting up in creating nations, which have numerous supporters just as adversaries. Most likely there isn't just a single method to take a gander at this increasingly more typical marvel that influences the host nations in numerous both positive and negative ways that are talked about in this paper. The term worldwide organizations (MNCs) is utilized â€Å"to distinguish firms that have broad inclusion in global business and participate in remote direct speculation (FDI). MNCs own and control esteem including exercises in more than one nation that are normally organized from focal headquarters† (Griffin and Pustay, 2005). The speculation of MNCs in the creating nations has incredibly expanded since the mid-1980s, as a result of globalization as they searched for new assets and bigger markets (Greer and Singh, 2000). By and by, there are more than 35,000 global enterprises with in excess of 15,000 remote auxiliaries, which is around 33% of the entire world creation. Their worth is assessed to be more than $1.5 trillion, 33% of which in the creating nations (GhanaWeb, 2012). The creating nations with most global speculation are those with most elevated development possible like Asian nations: China, Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore, and Latin American ones: Mexico, Argentina and Brazil. The African nations get under 4% while the least fortunate 50 nations overall get under 2%. Over a portion of business exercises of MNCs manage assembling and administrations and 33% with oil and gas (GhanaWeb, 2012). As per the report by the Institute for Policy Studies out of 100 biggest world economies, in view of corpor ate deals and nation GDPs, 49 of those economies are nations while the other 51 are global enterprises. Additionally, it is expressed that the deals of the Top 200 partnerships are equivalent to the 27.5 percent of world financial movement (Institute for Policy Studies, 2012). These numbers show how ground-breaking MNCs are and howâ important they are to the world economy, yet what is their effect on the creating nations? From one perspective, worldwide enterprises setting up in creating nations have an extremely beneficial outcome on their host nations. As a matter of first importance they give direct work to neighborhood individuals and move of aptitudes through instruction and experience. They likewise influence the backhanded work through paying rent for land or structures and helping out nearby providers, who currently have more interest and should convey more excellent items. As occupants have more possibilities for money they can buy more and improve their ways of life, while there is commonly more noteworthy choice and accessibility of merchandise and enterprises. The way of life of nearby individuals in some creating nations like Bermuda, the Bahamas, South Korea, Singapore, Hong Kong, and Taiwan has improved to a great extent after the venture o f worldwide organizations there (Action Institute, 2012). What's more, pulling in outside interest in the creating nations brings about financial development and higher national salary. Such nations are typically happier with higher improvement rates, higher fares, lower imports and extra duty incomes originating from the worldwide companies. For example, when Toyota began working in Georgetown, Kentucky it paid $1.5mln in property charges, which was around one-fourth of the town’s civil financial plan. By drawing in outside direct venture creating nations will likewise make generous expense incomes that can be later on spent on social insurance, instruction and other local needs (Griffin and Pustay, 2005). So as to pull in outside direct venture neighborhood governments commonly rival each other to offer better conditions to global financial specialists and lower the annual charges for their companies. However they despite everything get extraordinary measures of cash from the organizations that they would not get something else. Besides, while moving into creating nations worldwide companies move innovation and ability with them. There are likewise incredible upgrades made to the nearby framework to permit the compelling activity of the organizations (Action Institute, 2012). That is a significant viewpoint for t he creating nations as it improves their turn of events and brings them in any event somewhat closer to the created nations. Creating nations get a report on innovation that individuals become acclimated to and figure out how to take a shot at, while the entire nearby society profits by improved foundation like better streets, media communications and so on. On theâ other hand, global enterprises can have an extremely negative impact on the creating nations. They are an extremely solid direct rivalry to neighborhood firms that are compelled to close down and because of their political and financial force they have favorable circumstances given by the nearby governments over little, national or new companies. A case of such extra favorable circumstances to global enterprises over neighborhood firms incorporate lower tax assessment, less exacting laws and less organization in setting up and later on working the business exercises. This outcomes in out of line rivalry, while quieting down nearby firms prompts joblessness and now and again imposing business model (Global Issues, 2012). Besides, because of their extraordinary size and riches global companies ordinarily increase incredible monetary and political influence that can be abused. They typically have large effect on the nearby governments and are regularly connected with corporate debasement, pay off, campaigning or supporting legislative issues battles during decisions. As the companies develop greater they have a more prominent convergence of riches, influence and impact in the neighborhood. The nearby specialists regularly face the danger of worldwide partnerships pulling back the neighborhood advertise if there should arise an occurrence of stricter laws, higher tax collection or different issues. In situations when worldwide companies truly pulled back such markets, the entire procedure devastatingly affected neighborhood economy unequivocally dependant on the outside speculation paces of joblessness went up and paces of financial development went down without a moment's delay (Adeyeye, 2012). Furthermore, since global partnerships can bear the cost of the best attorneys and bookkeepers they are perceived for their enormous scope charge shirking particula rly through mispricing moves and bogus invoicing. In 2008 it was assessed that the creating scene loses $160bn every year in charge income from just those two types of duty evasion (Global Issues, 2012). Also the way that nearby governments as a rule give partnerships the benefit of lower tax collection so as to pull in the remote venture. Tragically, the creating nations generally don't have the ability, information, riches and influence to address such issues. The worldwide partnerships are additionally known for their method of working together: benefit over individuals and their human rights. The motivation behind why they choose to put resources into have nations is to reduce expenses and expand benefits. In the event that the expense of working together was the equivalent in home and host nations no organization would choose to take such an extraordinary hazard to grow abroad with no extra advantages. An incredible open door forâ corporations is reducing expenses in one of the most costly factors of creation: work. Everybody has known about instances of work misuse, very low wages, youngster work, poor working conditions and no human services in plants possessed by global enterprises in creating nations. In situations when neighborhood governments need to mediate and force stricter laws on work wellbeing, compensation or even contamination controls they regularly need to manage dangers of market withdrawal and loss of remote venture (Global Issues, 2012). In any case, the wages paid to neighborhood laborers appear to be low by western principles, however in nearby measures are satisfactory and are obviously superior to not having an occupation by any means. Numerous worldwide organizations like Nike have found a way to improve the working states of their representatives in creating nations. Barely any years prior Nike was censured for the poor working conditions and hard ladies a nd youngster work in its plants in China, yet the organization didn't know about these issues as it was subcontracting with Asian makers. These days the organization works all the more intimately with subcontractors on issues concerning worker rights and working conditions in its abroad plants (The World Bank Group, 2012). To wrap things up, numerous adversaries to the wonder of worldwide organizations setting up in creating nations guarantee that the main explanation they choose to put resources into have nations is to access their valuable regular assets. These organizations misuse the non-sustainable characteristic assets of creating nations like oil or gas for significantly less than their real worth. In return they contrarily influence the neighborhood condition by contaminating air, land and water through mining, auto, oil and compound enterprises. At that point inhabitants are left with no drinking water and illnesses brought about by intensely contaminated condition like in China or India. Be that as it may, little neighborhood firms likewise contaminate the earth (for a littler scope) and the issue needs stric ter government guidelines (The World Bank Group, 2012). Since these partnerships do everything to minimize their expenses and expand their benefits, they use non-earth neighborly strategies for creation and non-inexhaustible assets and dispose of creation squander in a risky manner. It is the government’s duty to ensure these partnerships secure nature through overwhelming guidelines, controlling and ensuring they are placed by and by. To summarize, global companies have both positive and negative effect on creating nations they are setting up in. They offer work to nearby individuals and improve their ways of life, bring financial development, higher national pay and assessment incomes, also t

Motivation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 2

Inspiration - Essay Example This can be clarified as the craving and will to put forth additional attempts in achieving goals in the interest of the organization simultaneously as perceiving the ability of one’s exertion in accomplishing individual needs. The aim of this paper is to give a systematic and inside and out illumination into the pattern of worker inspiration and simultaneously clarify how the impact of inspiration can be on the employee’s commitment and work execution in an association. This will be made conceivable with relevant models and speculations, relating inspiration of representative. So as to deliver an engaged sort of introduction the paper will be closed by me through the introduction of executions that are useful of either any or a greater amount of the speculations talked about on one specific association to figure out what components influence the examined representative inspiration theories at that association. This will be done to look at how inspiration is firmly rela ted to the devotion and execution at work in any association. ... lease points of view will be displayed so as to be the plan on what impact inspiration has on representatives as far as their loyalty, commitment and the degree of execution of work in the association. Therefore an example concentrate on a pertinent case concerning worker inspiration will be introduced and this will bolster the theory on representative inspiration execution in an association and how this has affected the worker inspiration and the loyalty in the organization. Through this procedure I expect I would have accomplished the fundamental goals set for this article. Hypothetical Background Motivation The word inspiration is gotten from the word ‘move’ and it just methods the internal drive that is significant to direct people’s activities and practices towards objectives either close to home or hierarchical objectives. Mullins, (2005) clarifies that â€Å"this ‘force’ is a degree to which an individual needs and decides to participate in ce rtain predefined practices. Then again, the practices that are roused are for the most part decisions done intentionally constrained by the individual doing the said activity and simultaneously this can contain a few stage techniques that extends a person towards a particular objective. In the business condition, the director or the administrator may go about as the help, will need to persuade the components that will propel their staff who for this situation are the workers for them to perform at their most elevated levels of efficiency. Despite the fact that numerous speculations exist that attempt to clarify the inspiration, even wonder, there are no particular answer that can depict precisely what spurs individuals to work. Representative Motivation This is the drive that causes the staff to submit themselves in exceeding expectations to achieve the objectives and destinations that is very

Decoding SIPA Courses for Prospective Students COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY - SIPA Admissions Blog

Decoding SIPA Courses for Prospective Students COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY - SIPA Admissions Blog When I was looking at graduate schools, I wanted to know what my course load would look like and what electives I would be able to take. I didn’t want to be stuck taking two years of core classes and I wanted to make sure there were elective classes that suited my interests. Here’s the guide for past-Julia on how to decipher SIPA’s courses. All students must fulfill their “core requirement” courses which include Microeconomics, Macroeconomics, Quantitative Analysis I, Financial Management, and Management. Students will also need to take a Professional Development course, internship, and complete a capstone project which usually takes place second year, last semester. Students can take up to 18 credits per semester, though most take around 16 credits. You can view sample course schedules in each Concentration’s “Sample Path” or “Sample Program” tab (Eg: Energy and Environment’s sample path, Economic and Political Development’s sample program) All prospective students can find SIPA’s list of courses here. You can then filter for semester as well as degree programs, concentrations, and specializations if you click “advanced search criteria”. Clicking on the blue plus button on the left of the course title, you will be able to find the course description, professor, and time/location of class. Key notes on searching for classes: Students who are in the MPA and MIA program are blocked from registering for EMPA courses (Executive MPA program) There are 3 credit courses and 1.5 credit courses. 1.5 credit courses are usually half-semester courses or courses that are completed in two weekends. Enrolled students will be able to find past course syllabus and evaluations. Not all courses are offered every semester or every year. As you’re completing your application for SIPA, take a look at the courses we have to offer, and if you can,  sign up to sit in on one or two! Note from Admissions: As Julia mentioned, class visits are open. You can sit in on up to two SIPA classes and get a feel for the classroom experience and community. Sign up soon as seats are first come, first serve.

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder ( Ptsd ) Essay - 1453 Words

Among those who served in the Vietnam War, 84.8% of those diagnosed Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder still show moderate impairment of symptoms, even 30 plus years after the war (Glover 2014). As of today, the Unites States has 2.8 million veterans who served in the Afghanistan and Iraq wars, of those it is estimated that 11 to 20% currently suffer from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. As of 2013, a total of 12,632 veterans of the Afghanistan and Iraq wars are currently diagnosed with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (Glover 2014). Of course it is to be taken into account that these numbers are based on those who admit to experiencing symptoms and seek treatment. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder statistics are exceedingly difficult to gauge among veterans. According to the following source, â€Å"it is possible to have undiagnosed PTSD for 30 years and not realize it† (Veterans and PTSD). Symptoms may not be diagnosed anywhere from 1 year after service to a lifetime. Also, it must be taken into account that after retiring many veterans may lose touch and not receive treatment for symptoms or further affiliate with the military. In the 1980s, regarding PTSD in Vietnam veterans, it was found that 15%-30% of veterans reported having PTSD; however, in 2003 a new study found that four out of five reported symptoms. In regards to treatment there are good treatment options available for those who have been diagnosed as Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. When first diagnosed, it may beShow MoreRelatedPost Traumatic Stress Disorder ( Ptsd )990 Words   |  4 PagesPost-Traumatic Stress Disorder Post-traumatic stress disorder is a common anxiety disorder characterized by chronic physical arousal, recurrent unwanted thoughts and images of the traumatic event, and avoidance of things that can call the traumatic event into mind (Schacter, Gilbert, Wegner, Nock, 2014). About 7 percent of Americans suffer from PTSD. Family members of victims can also develop PTSD and it can occur in people of any age. The diagnosis for PTSD requires one or more symptoms to beRead MorePost Traumatic Stress Disorder ( Ptsd )1471 Words   |  6 PagesRunning head: POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER 1 Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Student’s Name Course Title School Name April 12, 2017  Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Post-traumatic stress disorder is a mental disorder that many people are facing every day, and it appears to become more prevalent. This disorder is mainly caused by going through or experiencing a traumatic event, and its risk of may be increased by issuesRead MorePost Traumatic Stress Disorder ( Ptsd ) Essay1401 Words   |  6 PagesAccording to the Mayo-Clinic Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, commonly known as PTSD is defined as â€Å"Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental health condition that s triggered by a terrifying event — either experiencing it or witnessing it. Symptoms may include flashbacks, nightmares and severe anxiety, as well as uncontrollable thoughts about the event† (Mayo Clinic Staff, 2014). Post Traumatic Stress disorder can prevent one from living a normal, healthy life. In 2014, Chris Kyle playedRead MorePost Traumatic Stress Disorder ( Ptsd )1198 Words   |  5 Pages Post-traumatic stress disorder(PTSD) is a mental illness that is triggered by witnessing or experiencing a traumatic event. â€Å"PTSD was first brought to public attention in relation to war veterans, but it can result from a variety of traumatic incidents, such as mugging, rape, torture, being kidnapped or held captive, child abuse, car accidents, train wrecks, plane crashes, bombings, or natural disasters such as floods or earthquakes(NIMH,2015).† PTSD is recognized as a psychobiological mentalRead MorePost Traumatic Stress Disorder ( Ptsd )1423 Words   |  6 Pages Mental diseases and disorders have been around since humans have been inhabiting earth. The field of science tasked with diagnosing and treating these disorders is something that is always evolving. One of the most prevalent disorders in our society but has only recently been acknowledged is Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Proper and professional diagnosis and definitions of PTSD was first introduced by the American Psychiatric Association(APA) in the third edition of the Diagnostic andRead MorePost Traumatic Stress Disorder ( Ptsd ) Essay1162 Words   |  5 PagesSocial Identity, Groups, and PTSD In 1980, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD,) was officially categorized as a mental disorder even though after three decades it is still seen as controversial. The controversy is mainly founded around the relationship between post-traumatic stress (PTS) and politics. The author believes that a group level analysis will assist in understanding the contradictory positions in the debate of whether or not PTSD is a true disorder. The literature regarding this topicRead MorePost Traumatic Stress Disorder ( Ptsd ) Essay1550 Words   |  7 PagesPost Traumatic Stress Disorder â€Å"PTSD is a disorder that develops in certain people who have experienced a shocking, traumatic, or dangerous event† (National Institute of Mental Health). Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) has always existed, PTSD was once considered a psychological condition of combat veterans who were â€Å"shocked† by and unable to face their experiences on the battlefield. Much of the general public and many mental health professionals doubted whether PTSD was a true disorder (NIMH)Read MorePost Traumatic Stress Disorder ( Ptsd )944 Words   |  4 Pageswith Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD Stats). Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder is a mental disorder common found in veterans who came back from war. We can express our appreciation to our veterans by creating more support programs, help them go back to what they enjoy the most, and let them know we view them as a human not a disgrace. According to the National Care of PTSD, a government created program, published an article and provides the basic definition and common symptoms of PTSD. Post-traumaticRead MorePost Traumatic Stress Disorder ( Ptsd )1780 Words   |  8 Pagesmental illnesses. One such illness is post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Post-traumatic stress disorder is a mental illness that affects a person’s sympathetic nervous system response. A more common name for this response is the fight or flight response. In a person not affected by post-traumatic stress disorder this response activates only in times of great stress or life threatening situations. â€Å"If the fight or flight is successful, the traumatic stress will usually be released or dissipatedRead MorePost Traumatic Stress Disorder ( Ptsd )1444 Words   |  6 PagesYim – Human Stress 2 December 2014 PTSD in War Veterans Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a condition that is fairly common with individuals that have experienced trauma, especially war veterans. One in five war veterans that have done service in the Iraq or Afghanistan war are diagnosed with PTSD. My group decided to focus on PTSD in war veterans because it is still a controversial part of stressful circumstances that needs further discussion. The lifetime prevalence of PTSD amongst war

The New Monarchies

Historians have identified changes in some of Europe’s leading monarchies from the mid-fifteenth to mid-sixteenth centuries, and have termed the result the ‘New Monarchies’. The kings and queens of these nations gathered more power, ended civil conflicts and encouraged trade and economic growth in a process seen to end the medieval style of government and create an early modern one. Achievements of the New Monarchies The change in monarchy from medieval to early modern was accompanied by the accumulation of more power by the throne, and an according decline in the power of the aristocracy. The ability to raise and fund armies were restricted to the monarch, effectively ending the feudal system of military responsibility on which noble pride and power had been largely based for centuries. In addition, powerful new standing armies were created by the monarchs to secure, enforce and protect their kingdoms and themselves.  Nobles now had to serve on the royal court, or make purchases, for offices, and those with semi-independent states, such as the Dukes of Burgundy in France, were bought firmly under crown control. The church also experienced a loss of power – such as the ability to appoint important offices - as the new monarchs took firm control, from the extreme of England which broke with Rome, to France which forced the Pope to agree on a transfer of power to the king.Centralized, bure aucratic government emerged, allowing for a much more efficient and widespread tax collection, necessary to fund the army and projects which promoted the monarch’s power. Laws and feudal courts, which had often been devolved to the nobility, were transferred to the power of the crown and royal officers increased in number. National identities, with people beginning to recognize themselves as part of a country, continued to evolve, promoted by the power of the monarchs, although strong regional identifies remained. The decline of Latin as the language of government and elites, and its replacement by vernacular tongues, also promoted a greater sense of unity. In addition to expanding tax collection, the first national debts were created, often via arrangements with merchant bankers.​ Created by War? Historians who accept the idea of the New Monarchies have sought for the origins of this centralizing process. The main driving force is usually claimed to be the military revolution – itself a highly disputed idea – where the demands of growing armies stimulated the growth of a system which could fund and safely organize the new military. But growing populations and economic prosperity have also been cited, fuelling the royal coffers and both allowing and promoting the accumulation of power. Who Were the New Monarchies? There was massive regional variation across the kingdoms of Europe, and the successes and failures of the New Monarchies varied. England under Henry VII, who unified the country again after a period of civil war, and Henry VIII, who reformed the church and empowered the throne, is usually cited as an example of a New Monarchy. The France of Charles VII and Louis XI, who broke the power of many nobles, is the other most common example, but Portugal is also commonly mentioned. In contrast, the Holy Roman Empire - where an emperor ruled a loose grouping of smaller states - is the exact opposite of the New Monarchies’ achievements. Effects of the New Monarchies The New Monarchies are often cited as being a key enabling factor in the massive maritime expansion of Europe which occurred in the same era, giving first Spain and Portugal, and then England and France, large and wealthy overseas empires. They are cited as setting the groundwork for the rise of the modern states, although it’s important to stress they were not ‘nation states’ as the concept of the nation was not fully advanced.

Succubus Shadows Chapter 1 Free Essays

string(73) " brocade coat and a powdered wig over what was normally thin brown hair\." I was drunk. I wasn’t entirely sure when it had happened, but I suspected it had occurred around the time my friend Doug had bet me I couldn’t take down three vodka gimlets faster than he could. He’d promised to take my weekend shift at work if I won, and I was going to do his stock duty for a week if he won. We will write a custom essay sample on Succubus Shadows Chapter 1 or any similar topic only for you Order Now When we’d finished, it looked like I wasn’t going to be working next weekend. â€Å"How did you out-drink him?† my friend Hugh wanted to know. â€Å"He’s twice your size.† Through the crowd of people crammed into my condo, I peered at the closed bathroom door, behind which Doug had disappeared. â€Å"He had stomach flu this week. I’m guessing that doesn’t go so well with vodka.† Hugh raised an eyebrow. â€Å"Why the fuck would anyone take a bet like that after having the flu?† I shrugged. â€Å"Because he’s Doug.† Hoping Doug would be okay, I scanned the rest of my party with the pleased air of a queen sizing up her kingdom. I’d moved into this place back in July and had been long overdue for a housewarming party. When Halloween had finally rolled around, combining the two events had seemed like a pretty reasonable solution. Consequently, my guests tonight were clad in an array of costumes, everything from elaborate Renaissance fair quality garb to the slackers who’d simply thrown on a witch’s hat. Me, I was dressed as Little Bo Peep – well, that is, I was dressed the way Little Bo Peep would if she was a stripper and/or a shameless strumpet. My frilly blue skirt stopped just above the halfway point on my thighs, and my puff-sleeved white blouse was so low-cut that I had to be careful when leaning over. The crowning achievement – literally – was my curly mane of flaxen blond hair, neatly arranged into two pigtails tied with little blue bows. It looked perfect, absolutely indistinguishable from the real thing because†¦well, it was real. Shape-shifting always came in handy as a succubus, but for Halloween, it was golden. I always had the best costumes because I really could turn into anything I wanted. Of course, I had to keep it within reason. Too much of a change would raise the suspicions of the humans around me. But for a hair change? Yeah. Shape-shifting was pretty convenient. Someone touched my elbow. I turned, and my smug enthusiasm dimmed a little when I saw who it was: Roman, my sociopathic roommate. â€Å"I think someone’s getting sick in the bathroom,† he told me. Roman was a nephilim, half-angel and half-human, with soft black hair and sea-green eyes. If not for the fact he occasionally went on immortal killing sprees and had me on his hit list, he would have been a pretty good catch. â€Å"Yeah,† I said. â€Å"It’s Doug. He lost a vodka challenge.† Roman grimaced. He wore devil horns and a red cape. The irony wasn’t lost on me. â€Å"Hope he’s got good aim. I don’t want to clean that up.† â€Å"What, you don’t do housework either?† asked Hugh. He’d recently learned Roman wasn’t paying me rent because he was â€Å"between jobs.† â€Å"Seems like you should pull your weight around here somehow.† Roman gave Hugh a warning look. â€Å"Stay out of this, Spiro Agnew.† â€Å"I’m Calvin Coolidge!† exclaimed Hugh, highly offended. â€Å"This is the same suit he wore at his inauguration.† I sighed. â€Å"Hugh, nobody here remembers that.† That was one of the downsides of being immortal. Our memories became obsolete as more time passed. Hugh, an imp who bought souls for Hell, was much younger than Roman and me, but he had a lot more years than any human here. Slipping away from Roman and Hugh’s argument, I headed across the room to mingle with my guests. Some of my coworkers from the bookstore Doug and I worked at were huddled around the punch bowl, and I stopped to chat. Immediately, I was bombarded with compliments. â€Å"Your hair is amazing!† â€Å"Did you dye it?† â€Å"It doesn’t even look like a wig!† I assured them it was a very good wig and dealt out praise for them in return. One person, however, earned a rueful head-shake from me. â€Å"You have more creativity than all of us put together, and that’s the best you could do?† I asked. Best-selling author Seth Mortensen turned to look at me with one of his trademark, slightly scattered smiles. Even when I was dizzy with vodka, that smile never failed to make my heart speed up. Seth and I had dated for a while, plunging me into the depths of a love I’d never imagined possible. Part of being a succubus was an eternity of seducing men and stealing the energy of their souls – a real relationship had seemed out of the question. And in the end, it had been. Seth and I had broken up – twice – and while I usually accepted that he had moved on, I knew that I would love him forever. For me, forever was a serious matter. â€Å"I can’t waste it on a costume,† he said. His amber-brown eyes regarded me fondly. I no longer knew if he loved me too; I only knew for sure that he still cared about me as a friend. I kept trying to portray the same image. â€Å"Gotta save it for the next book.† â€Å"Lame excuse,† I said. His shirt depicted Freddy Krueger, which might have been acceptable if not for the fact I suspected he had owned it long before Halloween. Seth shook his head. â€Å"Nobody cares what guys wear at Halloween anyway. It’s all about the women. Look around.† I did and saw that he was right. All the elaborate, sexy costumes were on my female guests. With a few exceptions, the men’s dulled by comparison. â€Å"Peter’s dressed up,† I pointed out. Seth followed my gaze to another of my immortal friends. Peter was a vampire, a very fastidious and obsessive-compulsive one. He was clad in pre-Revolutionary French garb, complete with brocade coat and a powdered wig over what was normally thin brown hair. You read "Succubus Shadows Chapter 1" in category "Essay examples" â€Å"Peter doesn’t count,† said Seth. Recalling how Peter had painstakingly stenciled swans around his bathroom’s baseboards last week, I couldn’t help but agree. â€Å"Fair point.† â€Å"What’s Hugh supposed to be? Jimmy Carter?† â€Å"Calvin Coolidge.† â€Å"How can you tell?† I was saved from answering when Seth’s fianc? ¦e – and one of my best friends – Maddie Sato appeared. She was dressed as a fairy, complete with wings and a gauzy dress nowhere near as slutty as mine. Fake flowers wreathed black hair that had been pulled into a bun. Her being with Seth was something else I’d more or less come to accept, though I suspected the sting of it would never leave. Maddie didn’t know Seth and I had dated and had no clue about the discomfiture I felt over their whole relationship. I expected her to slip her arm around Seth, but it was me she grabbed hold of and jerked away. I stumbled a bit. Five-inch heels weren’t normally a problem for me, but the vodka complicated things a bit. â€Å"Georgina,† she exclaimed, once we were far enough away from Seth. â€Å"I need your help.† Reaching into her purse, she pulled out two pages torn from magazines. â€Å"With wha – oh.† My stomach twisted uncomfortably, and I hoped I wouldn’t be joining Doug in the bathroom. The pages showed photos of wedding dresses. â€Å"I’ve almost narrowed it down,† she explained. â€Å"What do you think?† Grudgingly accepting the man I loved was going to marry one of my best friends was one thing. Helping them plan their wedding was an entirely different matter. I swallowed. â€Å"Oh, gee, Maddie. I’m not very good at this stuff.† Her dark eyes widened. â€Å"Are you kidding? You’re the one who taught me how to dress right in the first place.† She apparently hadn’t taken the lessons to heart. The dresses, while beautiful on the anorexic models wearing them, would look terrible on Maddie. â€Å"I don’t know,† I said lamely, dragging my eyes away. The dresses were conjuring mental images of Maddie and Seth walking down the aisle together. â€Å"Come on,† she entreated. â€Å"I know you have an opinion.† I did. A bad one. And honestly, if I were a good servant of Hell, I would have told her they both looked great. Or I would have endorsed the worst one. What she wore was no concern of mine, and maybe if she showed up at her wedding looking subpar, Seth would realize what he’d lost when we broke up. And yet†¦I couldn’t. Even after everything that had happened, I just couldn’t let Maddie do it. She’d been a good friend, never suspecting what had occurred between Seth and me before and during their relationship. And as much as that petty, selfish part of me wanted it, I couldn’t let her go forward in a bad dress. â€Å"Neither are good,† I said at last. â€Å"The full skirt on that one will make you look short. The flowers on top of that one will make you look fat.† She was taken aback. â€Å"Really? I never†¦Ã¢â‚¬  She studied the pictures, face falling. â€Å"Damn. I thought I had this stuff down now.† I can only assume my next words came from the liquor. â€Å"If you want, I’ll go with you to some places this week. You can try some stuff on, and I’ll tell you what works.† Maddie lit up. She wasn’t gorgeous in the popular, magazine sort of way, but when she smiled, she was beautiful. â€Å"Really? Oh, thank you. And you can look for your dress too.† â€Å"My what?† â€Å"Well†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Her smile turned sly. â€Å"You’re going to be a bridesmaid, aren’t you?† At that moment, I reconsidered my earlier thoughts about nothing being more painful than helping plan her wedding. Being her bridesmaid pretty much blew that out of the water. Those who believed we made our own hells on earth must have had something like this in mind. â€Å"Oh, well, I don’t know†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"You have to! There’s no one else I’d rather have.† â€Å"I’m not really the bridesmaid type.† â€Å"Of course you are.† Maddie’s eyes suddenly looked at something beyond me. â€Å"Oh, hey. Doug’s back. I’m going to go check on him. We’ll talk about this later. You’ll give in.† Maddie scurried off to her brother, leaving me numb and speechless. I decided then it was worth risking illness to go get another drink. This party had taken a definite U-turn. Yet, when I turned around, it wasn’t toward the bar. It was toward my patio. One of the best features of this condo was its expansive balcony, one that looked out over Puget Sound and the Seattle skyline beyond. As I stood there, though, it wasn’t the view that captivated me. It was†¦something else. Something I couldn’t explain. But it was warm and wonderful and spoke to all my senses. I imagined I could see colored light on my balcony, kind of like the waves of an aurora. I could also hear a type of music that defied all human words and had nothing to do with the Pink Floyd blasting from my stereo. The party faded into the background as I slowly moved toward the balcony. The door was open to air out the hot room, and my two cats, Aubrey and Godiva, lay near it to look outside. I stepped past them, drawn toward that which had no explanation or description. Warm autumn air engulfed me as I groped for what called me. It was all around me and yet out of my reach. It was summoning me, drawing me toward something right on the balcony’s edge. I almost considered climbing on the ledge in my heels and looking over. I had to reach that beauty. â€Å"Hey, Georgina.† Peter’s voice jerked me out of the trance. I stared around, startled. There was no music, no color, no beckoning embrace. Only the night and the view and the patio furniture on my balcony. I turned around, meeting his eyes. â€Å"We have a problem,† he said. â€Å"We have a lot of problems,† I said, thinking of Maddie’s wedding dress and the fact that I’d nearly walked off my own balcony. I shivered. I definitely was not going back for that next drink. Sick was one thing. Hallucinations were another. â€Å"What’s wrong?† Peter led me inside and pointed. â€Å"Cody’s in love.† I looked over at our friend Cody, another vampire and Peter’s apprentice. Cody was a young immortal, optimistic and endearing. He was dressed as an alien, with green antennae sticking out of his shaggy blond hair. The perfection of his silvery space suit made me think Peter had played a role. Right now, Cody was staring across the room, mouth open as he gazed at someone. He looked like I had felt just moments ago. Her name was Gabrielle, and she’d just started working at the bookstore. She was tiny, almost pixie like, and wore black fishnets and a ripped black dress. Her spiky hair was also black, as was her lipstick. Easy coordination. Cody was staring at her like she was the most beautiful creature on earth. â€Å"Huh,† I said. Hugh dated all the time, but I’d never really thought of the vampires – particularly Peter – having any sort of romantic interactions. â€Å"I think he likes that she’s dressed as a vampire,† said Peter. I shook my head. â€Å"Actually, that’s how she always dresses.† We walked over to Cody, and it took him several moments to notice us. He seemed excited to see me. â€Å"What’s her name?† he breathed. I tried to hide my smile. Cody being smitten was one of the cutest things I’d ever seen and a welcome distraction from the other drama tonight. â€Å"Gabrielle. She works at the store.† â€Å"Is she single?† I looked back at her as she laughed at something Maddie had said. â€Å"I don’t know. Want me to find out?† Cody blushed – in as much as a pale vampire could. â€Å"No! I mean†¦unless you think it wouldn’t be too obvious? I don’t want you to go to any trouble.† â€Å"No trouble for me,† I said, just as Doug walked by. â€Å"Hey.† I caught hold of his sleeve. â€Å"Do me a favor, and I’ll take my shift back.† Doug, whose Japanese-American skin was normally golden tan, could have also currently passed for an alien with his green hue. â€Å"I’d rather have my stomach back, Kincaid.† â€Å"Go investigate Gabrielle’s romantic status. Cody’s interested.† â€Å"Georgina!† exclaimed Cody, mortified. Sick or not, Doug couldn’t resist a little intrigue. â€Å"Sure thing.† He headed off across the room and pulled Gabrielle to him, leaning down so she could hear. At one point, he glanced over toward us, and Gabrielle looked as well. Cody nearly died. â€Å"Oh God.† Doug returned five minutes later and shook his head. â€Å"Sorry, kid. She’s single, but she doesn’t think you’re her type. She’s into the Goth and vampire scene. You’re too mainstream for her.† I was sipping a glass of water and nearly choked on it. â€Å"That,† said Peter, as soon as Doug was gone, â€Å"is what we call irony.† â€Å"How is that possible?† exclaimed Cody. â€Å"I am a vampire. I should be exactly what she wants.† â€Å"Yeah, but you don’t look like one,† I said. If Gabrielle had been a Trekkie, he might have had a shot tonight. â€Å"I look exactly like a vampire because I am one! What should I dress up as? Count Chocula?† The party continued in force for another couple hours, and finally, people began trickling out. Roman and I, playing good hosts, smiled and bade each of them farewell. By the time everyone left, I was weary and more than happy for it all to be over. I’d refused to drink after the balcony incident and now had a headache as a pleasant reminder of my indulgences. Roman looked as exhausted as me as he scanned the messy condo. â€Å"Funny, huh? You throw a housewarming party to show the place off, and then people trash it.† â€Å"It’ll clean up fast,† I said, studying all the bottles and paper plates with remnants of food. Aubrey was licking frosting off a half-eaten cupcake, and I hastily took it away from her. â€Å"But not tonight. Help me take care of the perishables, and we’ll do the rest tomorrow.† â€Å"There’s no ‘we’ in ‘clean,'† Roman said. â€Å"That doesn’t even make sense,† I said, covering up some salsa. â€Å"And Peter’s right, you know. You really should do more around here.† â€Å"I provide good company. Besides, how can you get rid of me?† â€Å"I’ll get Jerome to,† I warned, referring to his demon father, who also happened to be my boss. â€Å"Sure. Run off and tell on me.† Roman stifled a yawn, demonstrating just how worried he was about his father’s wrath. The annoying part was, he had a point. I couldn’t get rid of him on my own, and I doubted Jerome would really help. Still, I could hardly believe it when Roman did wander off to bed and leave me alone with the cleanup. I hadn’t thought he’d go that far. â€Å"Asshole!† I yelled after him, getting only a slammed door in response. He really wasn’t that bad of a roommate, but our troubled past often made him want to annoy me. It worked. Fuming, I finished the necessary tidying and dropped into bed a half-hour later. Aubrey and Godiva followed me, lying side by side at the end of the bed. They were a contrast in colors, like some piece of modern art. Aubrey was white with black specks on her head; Godiva was a riot of orange, brown, and black patches. All three of us drifted off to sleep immediately. Sometime later, I woke to the sound of singing†¦or, well, that was the closest I could come to describing it. It was the same thing I’d felt earlier, an alluring, haunting pull that spoke to every part of me. Warm and bright and beautiful. It was everywhere and everything, and I longed to have more of it, to walk toward the light that shone with indescribable colors. It felt so, so good – like something I could melt into, if only I could reach it. I had the impression of an entrance, a door I simply had to push open and step through and – Rough hands gripped my shoulders and jerked me around. â€Å"Wake up!† Like before, the sensory overload vanished. I was left alone in a quiet, empty world. No more siren song. Roman stood in front of me, hands shaking me as his face stared down at me with worry. I looked around. We were in the kitchen. I had no memory of getting there. â€Å"How – what happened?† I stammered. The face that had taunted me earlier was now filled with concern, something that troubled a small part of me. Why should someone who wanted to kill me be worried about me? â€Å"You tell me,† he said, releasing his grip. I rubbed my eyes, willing myself to recall what had happened. â€Å"I†¦I don’t know. I must have sleepwalked†¦.† His face was still drawn and anxious. â€Å"No†¦there was something here†¦.† I shook my head. â€Å"No, it was a dream. Or a hallucination. I had it happen earlier†¦. I just drank too much.† â€Å"Didn’t you just hear me?† There it was again, fear for me underneath the anger. â€Å"There was something here, some†¦force. I felt it. It woke me up. Don’t you remember anything at all?† I stared off, trying to summon up the light and haunting melody. I couldn’t. â€Å"It was†¦it was exquisite. I wanted†¦I wanted to go to it†¦to be part of it†¦Ã¢â‚¬  There was a dreamy, wistful note in my voice. Roman’s expression grew dark. As a succubus, I was a lesser immortal, one who had once been human. Greater immortals, like angels and demons, had been created at the universe’s beginning. Nephilim were born and fell somewhere in the middle. As such, their powers and senses were greater than mine. Roman could detect things I couldn’t. â€Å"Don’t,† he said. â€Å"You feel it again, you pull away. Don’t let it draw you in. Under no circumstances should you go to it.† I looked back at him with a frown. â€Å"Why? Do you know what it is?† â€Å"No,† he said grimly. â€Å"And that’s the problem.† How to cite Succubus Shadows Chapter 1, Essay examples

The Case of Lady Sannox free essay sample

The Case of Lady Sannox BY 122 The Case of Lady Sannox Would you ever consider lying to the person you love? The one person you trust and care about most in the world? In the last few years, divorce rates have risen dramatically. Many of these divorces are the effects of secrets, lies, and the rise of temptation in our modern world. The relationship between Lady and Lord Sannox in the short story The Case of Lady Sannox, by Arthur Conan Doyle, is an example of a marriage destroyed by deceit and lies. In Doyles story, each character portrays deceitful qualities while Lord Sannox takes his revenge upon the arrogant Doctor Stone and Lord Sannoxs unfaithful wife. The lives of the characters in this story are controlled by many of the qualities that cause marriages to fail such as revenge, arrogance, and deceit. Revenge is the desire to repay injury for injury, which is exactly what Lord Sannox does. We will write a custom essay sample on The Case of Lady Sannox or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page His heart is brutally broken by his promiscuous wife who is having affairs with several men, including a man named Doctor Douglas Stone. So, in order to pay her back for the pain she causes him, he derives a plan. One night, he disguises himself and begs for the Doctors help, claiming his situation is urgent. After some explaining and a very persuasive bribe, Doctor Stone agrees to check on the mans wife (who supposedly has a poisonous infection) and see what he can do. Lord Sannos then brings him to his house to perform an operation he convinces the doctor is necessary for her to live. Although this scheme is gruesome and horrifying, Lord Sannox finds reat satisfaction in watching his wife, Lady Sannox, have her lip be surgically removed by the oblivious Dr. Stone, using no anesthetic or pain reliever. As a result, Lord Sannox obtains his revenge on not only his wife, but also her arrogant lover. To be arrogant or proud means to exaggerate ones importance in an overbearing manner. Doctor Douglas Stones character portrays this quality by neither caring if people find out about the affair nor trying to keep it a secret. He is well known for his ork, so he does not feel it is a problem if there are rumors about him and the married Lady Sannox. Because he is such a successful doctor, he is very proud, which is the only reason he decides to take the Job offered by Lord Sannox. He is not performing the surgery because the patient desperately needs it, but because he worries what others will think of him if he turns down the man and his wife, and if they hire someone else. Although proud, arrogant, and selfish, Dr. Stones character is not nearly as cruel and deceitful as that of Lord Sannoxs wife. Deceit is the distortion of the truth for the purpose of misleading. Lady Sannoxs character is the first to act untruthful; however, all three characters are deceitful in the story. By being unfaithful to her husband, Lady Sannox is lying to him and breaking his heart which soon causes him to lose his mind. The pain Lord Sannox feels because of the betrayal causes him to crave revenge and grow to be completely mad. Doctor Stone is deceitful by having an affair with a woman he knows is married, and for acting self-righteous and pompous about it. The crazy Lord Sannox lies and convinces Doctor Stone to perform a gruesome operation on his lover, making him deceitful as well. So, although they are all deceitful at one point, they each express In the short story, The Case of Lady Sannox, Lord Sannox takes drastic measures to capture his revenge on the well-known, arrogant Doctor Douglas Stone and Lord Sannoxs deceitful wife, Lady Sannox. He obtains his revenge by convincing the doctor to remove his wifes lower lip because he claims she has a poisonous infection, when ll he really wants is to repay his wife for the pain she causes him. He also disguises himself with a beard and hat and tells Doctor Stone anesthetic is against their religion to cause his wife to feel as much pain as he feels. The way Doctor Stone acts about the affair makes his character seem arrogant, with his nonchalant attitude. Lady Sannox has affairs with other men although she has a loyal yet oblivious husband at home, making her a deceitful liar. So by choosing to betray and lie to her husband, Lady Sannox not only risks her marriage, but also her life.

Societal Impact on Fixed Value Systems

Societal Impact on Fixed Value Systems Free Online Research Papers Societal Impact on Fixed Value Systems The dynamic of values subjected through the mind set of individuals directly is a result of the consequences of the environment we are subjected to. Effective relationships with a myriad set of vendors, customers, stakeholders and clients requires applying basic ethical principles when associating and forming linkages with people and organizations that can have an effect on your life and livelihood. I intend to explore how my own personal constitution is the bedrock upon which value judgments are decided. Culture emanates from a set of moral principles that guide and shape our values. Cultural and personal values are shaped in our formative years, providing a guide to the nature of our identity and how we identify with others in a social context. Being responsible, and virtuous or true necessitates adherence to laws and norms that govern aspects of our interactive behavior. Therefore, cultural behavior is shaped by cultural, organizational and personal values. These values then, define the ways in which we interact on a professional scale, whether in the workplace or the community. We are not only creatures of habit- our fundamental principles shape and guide the decisions that we make that are most functional and palatable to us. In part, the rationale for justifying learned, agreed and patterned states of behavior is based on not only obeying the law because we have to, but laws in and of themselves do not constitute ethical behavior. The law and principles that are established could be argued are standards for ethics, but only in a free society where laws are established by the consent of the governed. Societies that have no barriers between church and state apply no official sanction for what is considered wrong or right and justice can be metered out by the state, the community, or the family. Hence, individuals are responsible for their actions, but not their decisions. In this society we are subject to the whims of popular discourse, new regulations, outdated laws that no longer apply and the like. People routinely leave their children in hot cars in the summer, not realizing it is dangerous or against the law now. Others don’t follow township regulations and water their grass on uneven days, for example. The rude fan at the football game who spills a cup of beer on you while cheering or the lady who refuses to take off her hat in church don’t realize that it sometimes is not them, but you who face the consequences of shame and/or disillusionment because a) that is not my team or b) you don’t speak on a lady’s fashion at church. I do not presuppose that laws are made to be broken but some in our society have taken to a fundamentally individual focus on extremism. Without regard to practicality and common sense, ever since I became culturally aware and more socially conscious, I have noticed this subtle shift in attitudes to a more sub strata type of co existence in my society. From Hollywood stereotyping during the exploitative filmmaking era of the 1970s that characterized young African American men and women as hustlers, pimps and hookers; to the gangsta rap era of drive bys, drug sales and casual sex, I have witnessesed and experienced firsthand the novelty of freedom of expression but the despair and distraughtness over the realities of unencumbered free association. For example Gordon from Sesame Street was one of the most stereotypical black Hollywood actors as a pimp and a hustler, yet progressed career wise into a paternal father-uncle figure to children once he received a measure of success. Just last week personally I was going to get beat up by a friend of my brother’s who kept impaling me with ideas like ‘everythi ng in life ain’t all about school’, ‘you act like but you don’t know you(‘re) a ‘God’, a reference by members of the Nation of Gods and Earths that men are gods and women are earths. I had had these issues before, up until about 15 years old in school and until about 25 ‘on the street’. Now that most of my peers have matured, little of this subjugation based on education remains but is often taken for granted to not speak on educational attainment as an unspoken show of mutual respect to those who have learned how to survive in the street or as a form of endearment to elders who may have had to work hard and struggle to provide for us without the benefits an education brings. The focus, instead is material and expressive. It focuses on the ‘bling’ or flashy jewelry, money, cars, fine homes and other aspects that satisfy our basic needs of food, clothing and shelter as espoused by Maslow, but are more of a status symbol of what one is able to get away with, by any means, (but not necessary). According to Nonis, Sarath, Swift, Cathy O. (2001), for example, situational factors may cause different value dimensions to have more or less of an influence in different contexts. Sometimes this manifests itself in many unusual ways of socializing, such as going to work in Grosse Pointe watching customers grab their kids, purses, bags, lock their cars and all that while I have several degrees, 2 jobs, volunteer in the community and seek support and investment. But does it justify the manager who socializes with the line staff, playing video games and chasing women while on the clock, because the most efficient team is on the floor? Or how about the six year veteran of the company who takes a little here and there from donations to a non profit organization, because oh, they’re all millionaires (founders, sponsors or benefactors) and they won’t miss a few grand. Byrd (2005) suggests students so often think of themselves as powerless that they neglect to look at their lives in terms of the decisions they have made. They do not see that one bad decision can transform them from a student with friends, a car and a room of their own to a lonely individual in a ten-by-twelve cell. We must accept that humility and a willingness to listen should form the basis for rational decision making. Filtering out extraneous messages and delineating the best course of action is a consequence of correct behavior. For example, who wouldn’t jaywalk to catch a fleeing bus or to hail a passing taxi? Only by peaceful nonviolent protest for example, can we petiton city hall or picket unfair labor practices. However, jostling in line to get great tickets to the big game or sleeping outside the electronics store to get a free laptop may be fraught with insecurities and uncertainties about what standards we accept as ethical or right. Imagine the dilemma faced by a social worker who won’t tell a young girl’s parents that she is pregnant. Confidentiality agreements and codes of ethics regulate us and hinder the capacity for freedom of thought and action. What if that same worker pressured a physician to perform an abortion to save face, money and attentio n given to the matter all the way around? Some of the principles we learned I felt assumed we always base our relationships with people based on our core cultural values. That is, expectations will be set before you even speak with someone, or form an opinion about their behavior, or characteristics that may or may not have been acquired or acquiesced but on existential traits that cant be truths only hypotheses. I recently got my first 76 in the mystery shop score, a tool our organization (Staples) uses to measure customer satisfaction. The customer complained I had bad karma. But my super had us hustling to clean up and make the store more attractive to ostensibly cover him when the corporate VP came by for a visit. I brought the issue up to my super because I wanted to show that I found out about it and understood that he was held responsible for such a gaffe that I had never had any issue with before. But our organizations core values place the focus on team to the public, but the responsibibility on the individual (i.e. what if this got in the news, what would your mother think). Responsibility carries with it an awesome measure of power that can influence the way people think. The only consequence, therefore is whether or not we can assess how fair in our dealings, tradings, selling and promotion we can be. Acting out of self determination does not relieve us of our words, ways and actions but external variables can make us creatures of habit, making little conscious effort to remain true to ourselves when living, working and playing within the context of an even larger network of presuppositions, expectations and norms. George Fotis (1996) explains that with balanced self discipline, this person listens, and therefore, communicates well. This individual is tactful and highly persuasive, adapts to new situations and is objective, yet sensitive to the feelings and needs of others. I don’t want to become a bitter old man, waxing paradoxically about what could have been, what breaks I didn’t get, or who wasn’t in my corner. I cant bring back the past, no matter how much I can relive an idyllic lifestyle or wish to bring back 1976. But my community, my religion, my company, my country, my school all keep me grounded to the environment that shapes my life. When I decide to run for an office, I know that socially you have to go to the right church, marry the right woman, be raised in the right family and have the right politics, I have no problem with that, nor with stating any differences I have with any subgenre of those issues. But when I feel that I have measured what I have to give I want to follow Tait’s example, †¦the true role of public servants is not just to serve â€Å"customers† but also to balance the interests and preserve the rights of citizens. For this perspective, renewal of the public service does not mean choosing between the â€Å"traditional† and â€Å"new† values. Rather, serving the public interest in some instances, means finding the appropriate balance between them. References and Citations Byrd, Ronald E. (2005). Decision-Making. Yale-New Haven Teachers Institute, curriculum unit 80.06.03. Retrieved October 11, 2005 from yale.edu./ynhti Colero, Larry. ethics.ubc.ca/papers/invited/colero.html, visited October 14, 2005. Fotis, George W. Management Review. New York: Dec 1996. Volume 85, Issue 12; pg. 46, 2 pages. Nonis, Sarath, Swift, et al., (May/Jun 2001). Personal Value Profiles and Ethical Business Decisions. Journal of Education for Business, 08832323, 8 pages. Tait, J. (1997). A strong foundation: Report of the Task Force on Publis Service Values and Ethics (the summary). Canadian Public Administration/ Administration publique du Canada, 40, 1-22. Research Papers on Societal Impact on Fixed Value SystemsComparison: Letter from Birmingham and CritoAnalysis Of A Cosmetics AdvertisementRelationship between Media Coverage and Social and19 Century Society: A Deeply Divided EraIncorporating Risk and Uncertainty Factor in CapitalDefinition of Export QuotasInfluences of Socio-Economic Status of Married MalesThe Relationship Between Delinquency and Drug UseAssess the importance of Nationalism 1815-1850 EuropeThree Concepts of Psychodynamic

5 steps to finding a job in another state

5 steps to finding a job in another state A new job can often take you to a new, exciting place. But what if you’re ready for the excitement of a change of scenery, but don’t know where to start when it comes to finding a new job? Whether you need to move for family reasons or are simply unsatisfied with your current location, here’s a few steps to hone your job search and up your chances of landing a gig from far away. Step 1: Research your optionsLocation, location, location is the mantra of the house hunter, but it should also be the mantra of the job seeker. Not only is it important to research where the jobs are within your industry, it’s also important to narrow your search to the location that will satisfy and support the rest of your life. Whether you’re looking for the nearest metro center within driving distance of family, or you want to be on the coast, or you just want to live in a place with a lower cost of living, getting as much information as possible before you start your j ob search is key. Does a particular city have a subway system or bus? Would you bike to work or drive? Are you looking for better weather or one of the nation’s healthiest cities? It’s important to prioritize locations that will work better for you and support your reasons for moving in the first place.Then, once you zero in on your ideal locations, make sure you also research the area for practical day-to-day issues: housing, travel, and cost of living. The median salary in a new location may be less than what you’re used to and can filter you out of contention for the perfect job in the perfect area. When you’re searching from far away, and you don’t already have a lay of the land, this is something important to keep in mind. Also, be sure to check if certain cities have a local job search network, as many do. Local sites may help you learn more about a new place in addition to finding more opportunities in a particular area.Step 2: NetworkDoes y our current job have possible transfer opportunities? Do you have personal or professional contacts in your preferred area? Referrals are a time-tested avenue for employers to find good hires- and that’s a two-way street. Put the word out on social media and your text chains and see what opportunities people in your desired location already know about. Also, chances are your alumni network has contacts in your new desired area. Take advantage of whatever resources and contacts you have that can get you an â€Å"in† with the place you want.Step 3: ApplyWhen applying, consider the perspective of your potential employers. You don’t want to become automatically disqualified simply for having an out-of-state address. It’s often more practical for an organization to hire local talent rather than consider having to cover transportation or moving costs for quality candidates. So leave your address off the resume and cultivate a compelling reason for why you want to move to a new area. Providing a good, honest reason for your desire to move and presenting the choice in a positive light for your professional advance can show a future employer that you are a serious candidate.Step 4: Sharpen your Skype skillsEven though almost everything is online, job-searching from another state will present a challenge when you get close to the interview process. Taking a transatlantic flight for a first-round interview may prove costly and impractical if the job opportunity doesn’t pan out. Interviewing in person is very different than interviewing via Skype or by phone. Don’t be afraid to ask if this is a possibility for first-round interviews. And practice your Skype performance: find a quiet, clean, and properly lit spot to do your online interviews, pay for quality WiFi to prevent dropped calls, and get used to making eye contact with the camera rather than the screen.Step 5: Realize you might need to compromiseSometimes a great job oppor tunity will lead you to another state, but it’s a little harder to do this in reverse. This doesn’t mean you will need to automatically take a pay cut, but if you prioritize location, you may need to budge somewhere else. You might not get the ideal job in the ideal location. So, if you really need to move, you need a back-up plan. Find a starter job in your ideal location where you can stay for a while and continue your job search from a stronger position once you’ve moved.

Reaesrch Analysis Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Reaesrch Analysis - Research Paper Example This was necessary in order to ascertain the accuracy of data and help in statistical analysis. On the part of Kramer, et al. (2008), they adopted randomized or true experiment research design in their study. It had a double blinded trial with placebo controlled comparison between children aged below six years using acetaminophen and ibuprofen. In these two groups, the two medications were alternated with placebo in order to check whether there was a 0.6o C difference between the groups. The rationale for designing this study in this way was so as to check temperature differences between the two groups under study. As such, it was proper because they were checking on the efficacy of these two antipyretic drugs. Link between the Research purpose/question and Design There is a definite link between the research question and design in the study carried out by Britz, J. A., & Dunn, K. S. (2010). The aim of this study was to check on quality of life of patients with heart failure in relat ion to deficits that occasionally arise from healthcare provision. According to Newell & Burnard (2006), data that is used in any scientific study should be collected or based on parameters that are a reflection of the desired outcome. In this regard, the data was collected from three different sources which touched on quality of life. In order to make the design more elaborate, personal data of the patients such as age was also incorporated into the study. The same is true for the study undertaken by Kramer, et al. (2008) who were trying to find the efficacy of two antipyretic drugs. From practice, it is clear that these two drugs acetaminophen and ibuprofen are commonly used interchangeably by pediatricians to handle fever problems in children. However, there have been doubts about their efficacy when used together. To check on these doubts, it was necessary to use a controlled double placebo randomized study design. Intervention in Each Study There were no interventions in both t he studies. The Independent and Dependent Variables In the study undertaken by Britz, J. A., & Dunn, K. S. (2010), the dependent variable is quality of life whereas the independent variables were specific self-care deficits. In this study, there was no blinding because it was a descriptive study that relied mostly on data from other sources. According to Newell & Burnard (2006), descriptive studies usually use data from other sources as opposed to data that is measured scientifically in a study. In this regard, the data were either obtained from the patients through questionnaires or from charts of patients. On the other hand, the study by Kramer, et al. (2008) had temperature as the dependent variables whereas efficacy of acetaminophen and ibuprofen was the independent variable. In this study, there was blinding on both groups under study since both of them were using the two drugs. In each group, the participants were supposed to be put on one of the drugs and placebo according to the required dosage prescribed. Each group was assigned a specific drug which was supposed to be administered alternating with the placebo. The pharmacist who administered the drugs to both the groups was not blinded and therefore knew what medication each group was being given and the schedule being followed. However, for the children, their parents and guardians were blinded as to which regimen was being administered to the subjects.

Business ethic Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Business ethic - Coursework Example Less emphasis is placed on how Lower level managers and employees define ethical issues, think about ethics and resolve ethical issues. Thus, on this premises, this paper seeks to explain how the lower level managers and employees perceive ethics, in comparison with how the top managers perceive ethics. In establishing an ethics program, a bottom-up approach is recommended (Brown, 2005). This entails engaging all the employees in the discussion and thinking about ethics. This makes it easier to implement as everyone in the company may feel that they had an input in deciding about ethics program. As fact, top-down nostrums are less effective in most organizations. They tend to perpetuate even further, the varied perception toward corporate ethics as perceived by the employees and the top management. Nevertheless, senior managers are known to influence the character and the scope of the organization’s corporate ethics program. They are charged with the responsibility of ensuring the integration of the ethics into the day-to-day routine of the organization. In general, senior managers have much to play in the successful implementation and management of ethics in an organization. Thus, their take and perception on ethics matters a lot. Research has evidenced that senior manager in most companies exhibit a more positive perception towards organizational ethics as compared to the lower level managers and employees. On the other hand, lower level managers and employees tend to be more cynical when it comes to business ethics in organizations. Thus, there is a clear contrast in perception towards organizational ethics between the two groups. Even so, many senior managers have proved to be ignorant of the ethical problems and matters affecting their organization. This plays a pivotal role in discouraging ethics as well as perpetuating the differences in perception towards ethics in most organizations. On the other

Starbucks Recruitment and Selection Process

Starbucks Recruitment and Selection Process Starbucks is a speciality coffee house which originated in Seattle. Today the organisation has over 15,000 outlets worldwide. It sells a range of hot and cold drinks, food items and accessories. Its philosophy is to create an experience for the customer and a human connection. With the introduction of the Starbucks Card purchasing drinks, food etc. from the outlets has now been made a lot easier. Customers can top up their cards and use them as a method of payment. Starbucks products are also available from supermarkets. Some of the range includes packets of coffee, coffee makers, gift sets etc. Starbucks is constantly innovating its offer to keep up to date with competition from McDonalds, Cafe Nero, Costa Coffee etc. You are required to answer the following questions making reference to Starbucks. Task 1 – Recruitment, Selection and Retention A Barista at Starbucks must have a number of personal characteristics and skills which will enable them to carry out their role. These skills and characteristics are likely to include friendliness, attention to detail, a commitment to providing customer service and an ability to work in a fast-paced environment. Pilbeam and Coridge indicate that successful resourcing is as much to do with good organisational fit as it is to do with HRM best practice, and therefore the first stage of recruitment should be to undertake a role or person specification in order to establish the skills and attributes necessary for the role. Phillips and Gully suggest that successful recruitment, selection and retention should also be aligned to the strategic objectives of the firm and therefore care and consideration should be given to the most suitable recruitment and selection methods in order to ensure they will attract the best potential candidates and also that the entire process will result in long t erm employee retention. Bratton and Gold state that recruitment is the process of generating a pool of capable people to apply for employment to an organisation. Selection is the process by which managers and others use specific instruments to choose from a pool of applicants a person or persons more likely to succeed in the job(s), given management goals and legal requirements. Accordingly, Torrington et al observe that there are a number of alternative recruitment and selection strategies including interview, assessment centre, and psychological testing. Each has its own advantages and disadvantages and therefore it is not uncommon for multiple approaches to be used in combination depending on the seniority of the role in question. However, before recruitment and selection can commence it is necessary to determine a suitable specification for the role. Thus the suggested specification for a Barista at Starbucks is given below:- Figure 1: Personal Specification Template for a Barista at Starbucks (Source, Author) Requirement Essential or Desirable? Qualifications / Education / Training: No essential qualifications required, food safety or food hygiene would be desirable Desirable Experience: Customer service, food handling, retail Essential Knowledge: Some retail knowledge would be desirable, along with a knowledge of various coffees Desirable Skills Competencies: attention to detail; ability to work in a high pressure environment, customer-centric Essential Personal Attributes: open friendly, keen to provide an exceptional customer experience Essential Other: Prepared to go the extra mile to offer exceptional service and use own initiative when necessary in order to promote the brand and concept Desirable The specification is not exhaustive and further attributes may be considered such as an ability to communicate in more than one language, especially if the location of the outlet is such that overseas tourists regularly visit (eg parts of London).   The most cost-effective form of recruitment and selection process for Baristas would be CV and subsequent interview as managers in Starbucks at a local level have a clear idea of their local customer demographic and demand and thus potential applications who submit a CV can be easily screened for desirable and essential skills and attributes. The manager can then interview potential applications before making a decision on selection. An interview has further benefits as it allows the manager to identify the personal attributes and characteristics of the application in order to assess how the application would fit within the existing team, as much of the Starbucks ethos and working model requires a high level of teamwork. Potential questions which might be asked at interview for the Barista would include asking the application to describe their retail experiences to date and getting them to explain how these experiences have relevance at Starbucks. This would test for depth of experience and also organisational fit in terms of focus on the customer experience. Other technical questions might relate to Food safety and handling in order to ensure that the application understands the critical importance of this when delivering an exceptional customer experience. From a regulatory perspective the manager conducting the interview must be sure not to inadvertently discriminate against any potential applications during any stage of the recruitment and selection process. Therefore all applications must be asked identical questions and none should relate to issues of gender, age, race, ethnicity or sexual orientation. In short, Starbucks is proud of its heritage as an equal opportunities employer. During the recruitment process potential applications must be offered full opportunity to ask their own questions in order to ensure that they fully appreciate the nature of the role which they may be committing to. Task 2 – Building Winning Teams One of the foremost scholars of team building, Meredith Belbin, identified that in order to function effectively an organisational team requires members with different skills and attributes. In her research she identified that there are nine alternative team roles as she described them (see Appendix for full details). Belbin observed that the most effective teams possessed at least 5 and ideally 7 of the roles, and that an individual member within a team was capable of fulfilling more than one role, but rarely more than two. Tuckman established that when people are first brought together in a team they experience various stages of team development, popularly referred to as forming, norming, storming and performing. This concept is reflected in Figure 2 overleaf. In short, the theory holds that as employee are brought together in a group they experience an evolutionary process whereby they come to understand and appreciate one anothers skills and strengths and then utilise these compl ementary skills for the best advantage of the team as a whole. History has shown that Tuckmans theory has almost universal application, however, when used in combination with Belbins theory it becomes even more powerful as it becomes possible to identify in advance whether or not a group I likely to succeed based on the unique skills and attributes of each team member. For example, if there are too many plants within a group then it is likely that the group will be highly creative but the ideas will rarely be translated into action. Similarly, too many co-ordinations is likely to result in arguments as the co-ordinator role is known to be quite stubborn and even manipulative. When applying these theories and concepts to teams at Starbucks it can be observed that different skills are required for different parts of the operation. Holistic observation of a team working at Starbucks demonstrates the power of team working. Each person has a defined role which they focus upon in order to ensure maximum efficiency and quality of output. For example in any Starbucks outlet one person focuses on taking orders and payments, another one or two (depending on the size of the outlet) focus on making the orders and a further team members is constantly ensuring that the outlet is clean and tidy and well stocked. It can be suggested that this requires a high level of group communication and co-ordination and also a high level of trust as those baristas making the coffee must take on trust the orders given to them by their colleagues. Similarly because two Baristas can work on the same order simultaneously there must be complete understanding and uniformity to the order p roduction process such that they can interchange their roles at any point. Under Tuckmans model it is clear that a team in Starbucks is at the very least in the norming stage of the model and most probably at the performing stage. The concept of team work within organisations has gained increasing prominence in recent years and with good reason as highly effective teams are more efficient and productive. Furthermore, Armstrong identifies the benefits of empowering team members within a role so that they feel more engaged with the organisation and therefore more committed to delivering the best possible experience for the customer or client. At Starbucks one means of achieving this would be to ensure that every team member is fully cross-functional and that they are given stretch performance targets which require them to work as a team. Full cross-functionality means that each team member has an appreciation for other roles and therefore they tend to be more considerate of outcomes. Moreover, a cross -functional team which has accountability for its own results will typically find more effective means of delivering a service in order to reach targets.  Armstrong also discusses how increased responsibility and accountability increase engagement which in turn increases motivation. Some HRM scholars regard the relationship between engagement and motivation as symbiotic, but there is little doubt that engagement and motivation are strong indicators of a high performance team that is committed to exceed expectation and delivering exceptional service. Furthermore, research by Saunders demonstrates that highly engaged teams have lower levels of staff churn. This point is useful as it is closely correlated to the previously discussed matter of recruitment and retention, and thus if the right people are brought into the organisation and they are motivated to stay because they feel the business (for whatever reason) is a good fit for them, then there is reduced churn, increased engagement and greater productivity. In summation, engaged team members are more profitable for the business and thus it becomes a mutually beneficial relationship. Task 3 – Leadership Motivation There is a vast amount of literature and research which embraces the topic of leadership; furthermore, leadership theories have experienced a considerable amount of transition over time as societal perceptions of leadership have changed. Leadership has been defined by Mcquire and Molbherg as the process of social influence in which one person can enlist the aid and support of others in the accomplishment of a common task. Theories of leadership range for discussions as to the traits of leaders their styles of leadership and transactional and transformational theories of leadership. One of the most popular theories used to explain leadership style is the Managerial Grid as developed by Blake and Mouton and shown in figure 3 below:- As can be seen in the figure, the Managerial Grid examines the prevailing managerial technique of leaders within an organisation in order to identify their preferred style. In ideal circumstances Blake and Mouton believe that a manager and leader should adopt a team style which is participative and empowering and allows the employees of the organisation to make their own decisions within the remit of the organisations objectives. It can be suggested that the concepts of the Managerial Grid share some parallels with the discussions as to transformational and transactional leadership whereby Burns argues that in the longer term transformation leadership is far more effective because it empowers employees to deliver the best possible performance as they have accountability for their own daily working lives. It is evident that there are close linkages between leadership and motivation insofar as good leaders motivate their employees and team members to succeed through a combination of techniques such as engagement, empowerment and delegation of power. Armstrong and Cheese et al believe that the use of these techniques in conjunction with other factors such as employee voice ensure that individual employees align their personal aims and objectives with those of the organisation and therefore voluntarily strive to ensure that the service provided by the organisation is a success. It should also be acknowledge that several scholars perceive there is a difference between a manager and a leader within an organisation. The distinction is subtle and relates to the fact that managers generally focus on day to day operational tasks and leaders tend to occupy a more strategic role. However the distinction is certainly not clear cut and considerable debate still centres on this division of roles. Furthermore a leader can also be a manager by dint of their role within the organisation, and thus leadership tends to be regarded as a personality trait as opposed to an organisational position. In short, a leader tends to be more effective at motivating and inspiring employees because of their ability to engage them and encourage them to strive for enhanced performance. In times of change and development, and also in times of difficult circumstances such as recession, leadership and talent management skills are highly valued. In application to Starbucks it should be observed that in times of recession when consumers tend to cut back on luxuries such as coffee from coffee shops, Starbucks must strive to offer improved service to customers in order to retain them. The managers (and ideally leaders) of Starbucks must also continually strive to motivate Baristas to deliver exceptional service even when customers become more demanding. This concept is closely correlated with that change management and goal setting whereby engaging Baristas with the process can ensure that they feel empowered to respond to the challenge and that they have responsibility for it. At a local level this may mean running small promotions which would suit the customer demographic in order to attract and retain more customers. Furthermore, if Starbucks wish to retain their emplo yees it is prudent to continue to invest in training and development in order to ensure that they are highly skilled and capable of responding rapidly to changes in customer demand. This might include job exchanges with Baristas from other retail outlets in order to share best practice, or creating a forum where Baristas can put forward their suggestions for improvement. Although these are relatively small steps they can help individual Baristas to progress within Starbucks and this ensures that Starbucks generates a reputation as an employer of choice which fosters home grown talent and treats employees with fairness and respect.  Research into the prevailing management style at Starbucks reveals that they have a relatively flat hierarchy which ensures that it is easy to disseminate information widely and effectively within the organisation. Starbucks has a clear mission to inspire and nurture the human spirit – one person, one cup and one neighbourhood at a time and this is fully evidenced in their training policies and ethos. The structure and leadership style of Starbucks also ensures that the business can be responsive to customer needs because the baristas are in direct contact with customers every single day and also have the necessary mechanisms to ensure that they can provide valid and timely feedback to their managers in order to improve the customer experience. Task 4 – Work and Development Needs and Performance Management Armstrong defines performance management as a process which contributes to the effective management of individuals and teams in order to achieve high levels of organisational performance. As such, it establishes shared understanding about what is to be achieved and an approach to leading and developing people which will ensure that it is achieved. It is important to observe that from a HRM perspective performance management is not solely concerned with disciplinary procedures, but rather it is concerned with ensuring that each and every employee has the necessary support to achieve their objectives and potential. Thus, performance management is often closely correlated with learning and development as in order to achieve to their maximum potential employees must continue to expand their skills and to develop their capabilities. Furthermore, scholars such as Benson et al have observed a link between training and development and employee retention, which as previously identified, helps to ensure increased engagement and reduced employee churn. However in order to monitor and improve employee performance it is first necessary to set suitable objectives and targets and to apply metrics and benchmarks to these objectives and targets in order to objectively assess employee performance and development. At Starbucks there are two core elements which form the basis of employee performance; these are technical capability that is to say the ability to consistently produce a high quality cup of coffee, and secondly the ability to interact with other stakeholders including team colleagues and customers. The former can be objectively assessed by observation against agreed performance metrics such as speed of production and consistency of taste. This has benefit to individual employees and Starbucks as a whole because it ensures consistency of service and product quality across the network of franchises meaning that the reputation of Starbucks is maintained and also that Baristas are employable across a range of franchises that they ma y be prepared to travel to, thus increasing their value to the company. The second performance metric to assess is more intangible and pertains to perceived service level and customer and colleague interaction. In terms of colleague interaction this can be assessed through a variety of measures such as 360 degree feedback, line manager observation and self-reflection during a performance review. Research has shown that generally speaking individual employees are reasonably self-aware of their skills and capabilities and it is rare that a performance review highlights anything that the employee was not at least already aware of at some level. However the benefit of performance review is that it can demonstrate to individual employees specific areas where they could improve or would benefit from training to enhance their skills set. For example a food safety certificate to help ensure that an individual franchise was fully compliant with legislation, or perhaps rudimentary book-keeping skills to help ensure that the cash is managed accurately in each store . In terms of assessing Barista performance when interacting with customers this can be achieved through feedback forms and customer incentives. For example it is becoming increasingly common that receipts from retailers encourage customers to provide feedback about their service online. This has the dual benefit of helping the organisation to become more engaged with customers and response more rapidly to customer feedback. It can also be used to gather individual barista feedback if specific questions in the feedback questionnaire relate to performance and service such as speed and friendliness and helpfulness of the Barista. The information gathered from feedback surveys can be fed back to each barista in regular performance reviews in order to help them identify areas of development and subsequently improve performance. As noted at the outset of this section, performance management techniques should not be designed with the sole intention of discipline employees, although it is alm ost inevitable that at some stage a form of discipline may be required for certain employee. However, best practice makes it clear that regular performance reviews can help to forestall any such issues as if they are held regularly and reasonably frequently it should be possible to forestall any problems before they become issues of concern. Finally it is necessary to consider how Starbucks applies principles of delegation in order to motivate Baristas. As discussed previously in this review, Starbucks encourages team working and the creation of stretch targets to help Baristas develop and to take responsibility for their own areas of production. This approach is closely linked to effective performance management because empowering Baristas to set and achieve their own targets helps to motivate them to achieve as they feel in control of their targets and daily responsibilities. Targets can be used to monitor and evaluate Barista performance and at each performance review they can be revised as necessary in order to help the Barista improve. For example in the early days of a baristas employment this could be to improve the speed of production and to obtain a certain customer service rating. In due course this could progress to internal training courses in advanced customer service management and customer experience. This holistic process also helps Baristas to appreciate that they are valued and therefore this leads to them becoming more engaged and motivated and delivering improved performance. References Armstrong, M. (2009) A Handbook of Human Resource Management Practice (11th Edition) – Kogan Page, London  Beardwell, J. Claydon, T. (2007) Human Resource Management: A Contemporary Approach (5th Edition) – Pearson Education, London  Belbin, R.M. (2010) Management teams: why they succeed or fail. 3rd ed. London: Butterworth-Heinemann.  Benson, G. S., Finegold, D., Mohrman, S. A. (2004) You paid for the skills, now keep them: Tuition-reimbursement and voluntary turnover. Academy of Management Journal, 47(3): 315–331.  Blake, R.; Mouton, J. (1985). The Managerial Grid III: The Key to Leadership Excellence. Houston: Gulf Publishing Co.  Bloisi, W. 2007. Management and organisational behaviour. 2nd ed. Maidenhead: McGraw-Hill.  Boddy, D (2008) Management: An Introduction (4th Edition) – Prentice Hall, London  Bratton, J. Gold (2007). Work and organizational behaviour. 2nd ed. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.  Burns, J. M. (1978). Leadership. New York: Harper and Row Publishers Inc..  Cheese, P., Thomas, R.J. and Craig, E. (2008) The talent powered organization: strategies for globalization, talent management and high performance. London: Kogan Page.  Foti, R.J., Hauenstein, N.M.A. (2007). Pattern and variable approaches in leadership emergence and effectiveness. Journal of Applied Psychology, 92, 347-355.  Govaerts, Natalie, et al. (2010) Influence of learning and working climate on the retention of talented employees, Journal of Workplace Learning 23:1.  Harrison R (2009) Learning and Development, London, CIPD  Hoque, K Noon, M (2004) Equal Opportunities Policy and Practice in Britain in Work, Employment Society vol.18 no.3 pp.481-506  Huczynski A, Buchanan D (2003) Organisational Behaviour: An Introductory Text – Pearson Higher Education, London  Mcquire, D., Molbherg J. K., (2011) Human Resource Development Theory Practice London: Sage.  Murphy, N. (2009) Talent managements role in a time of recession. IRS Employment Review. No 927, 13 August. 5pp.  Phillips and Gully (2009) Strategic Staffing Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River, New Jersey, pp12-35  Pilbeam, S. Corbridge, M. (2010) People Resourcing: Contemporary HRM in practice. 4th ed. London: Prentice Hall International. Ch 2  Saunders, M.N.K., (2011) Trust and strategic change: an organisational justice perspective in R Searle and D Skinner (eds) Trust and Human Resource Management. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar.  Starbucks (2012) Search and Apply [online] available at http://careers.starbucks.co.uk/job-search-and-apply retrieved 3rd Feb 2012  Starbucks (2012) Mission Statement [online] available at http://starbucks.co.uk/about-us/company-information/mission-statement retrieved 3rd Feb 2012  Torrington, D. Hall, L. Taylor S (2007) Human Resource Management (7th Edition) – Prentice Hall, London  Zaccaro, S. J., Gulick, L.M.V. Khare, V.P. (2008). Personality and leadership. In C. J. Hoyt, G. R. Goethals D. R. Forsyth (Eds.), Leadership at the crossroads (Vol 1) (pp. 13-29). Westport, CT: Praege

Epistemic Opacity

Michelle Freeman 05/24/2012 English 101 Epistemic Opacity Computers, tablets, I-phones, I-pads, cellular phones, e-readers and more are now considered daily necessities as well as pleasure apparatus’ that society relies on exponentially to get through each day. From the time we wake until we lie our heads down at night, society is constantly â€Å"plugged in† to some sort of technological advance. Due to this dependency on these electronic devices, society has succumb to a world of bits and bytes with no real consideration to how these tools work or provide the connection(s) we have come to count on.Sherry Turkle, an Abby Rockefeller Mauze Professor of the Social Studies of Science and Technology at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology states in her essay How Computers Change the Way We Think, â€Å"Some thinkers argue that the new opacity is empowering, enabling anyone to use the most sophisticated technological tools and to experiment with in complex and creativ e ways. But it is also true that our tools carry the message that they are beyond our understanding. It is possible that in daily life, epistemic opacity can lead to passivity† (568).Epistemic opacity is a fancy way of saying that the understanding of how something actually works does not mean that you don’t know how to use or work that same something. Take a lawnmower for example; a person of general intelligence understands that gasoline needs to be put into the engine in order for it to run. That same person understands that depositing of oil is equally important for the engine to maintain lubrication and cooling. A turning of a sharp blade that is powered by the engine is what cuts the grass.Intellectually we understand not only how to use the lawnmower but how the lawnmower actually works. Typically we are not passive in our acceptance of such general day to day use items, such as said lawnmower. Technology however, is different. The intellectual understanding of t echnology and how it actually works does not seem to be a priority for the masses of today. The importance of understanding of personal technologies is key to counteracting this opacity that appears to be more and more prevalent as technological developments continue to progress.By not paying attention to the basic understanding of technology, we are willingly and openly allowing ourselves to be directed and manipulated in a way that removes individual opportunity for growth and understanding where technology is concerned; our development in this arena is left to creators of technology to decide. Intellectual lack and lesser intelligence regarding these tools of technology does not appear to be the consensus opinion among our fellow citizens but rather there is the general thought that we are all part of a growing technological wave that makes us all smarter and more advanced.However, in all actuality, it is more that cognitively people are running the risk of intellectual deficienc y and passivity as Turkle expresses. Turkle states that soon after she joined the faculty at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the late 70’s, which was coincidentally the end of an era of the slide rule and the beginning of the era of personal computers, she witnessed several senior professors in engineering complaining that the transitions from slide rule (a mechanical analog computer used primarily for multiplication and division) to calculators had affected their students ability to deal with issues of scale (564). The Professors were arguing that when students used slide rules, they had to insert decimal points themselves. They insisted that inserting the points themselves required students to maintain a mental sense of scale, whereas those who relied on calculators made frequent errors in orders of magnitude. Because of this, the students with calculators had lost their ability to do â€Å"back of the envelope† calculations, and with that, an intuitive feel for the material† (564).It is possible that because society accepts at face value the technology that we have come to depend on, that the level of passivity is leading to a reduced intelligence as a whole. Personal experience has led me to witness many people more interested in the brand, make and model of their personal technological items than as to how these items send, receive, record and process information. The general core mechanics of each individual piece of technology should be made common public knowledge.It is not so much that people need to understand the inner workings of every motherboard out there; as it is that we receive a general understanding of how personal technologies work. How does a touchscreen actually operate? How can picture messages float through the air and land inside another phone or make their way to someone’s email inbox? What do we know really about the implication of radiation, if any regarding consistently placing technology aga inst the sides of our heads?I cannot answer these questions and many others because that information is not something readily available to or sought after by the general public. Society accepts openly that these technological items do what they are marketed and sold to do. Through blind acceptance we become susceptible to a possible deprivation of necessary knowledge. It is important to comprehend the effects and/or implications of daily use, in order to facilitate continued intellectual growth that parallels the technological boom.Charles McGrath, writer and editor for the New York Times, touches on epistemic opacity in his essay The Pleasures of the text. McGrath is referring to text-messaging when he states â€Å"text-messaging is â€Å"lateral† rather than â€Å"penetrative,† and the medium encourages blandness and even mindlessness† (474). McGrath suggests that as Americans we use text-messaging with no real consideration or thought. He is referencing a com mon practice among individuals who use text-messaging to convey quick, mindless jargon in an efficient and non-personal way (474).This line of thought connects to opacity in that it shows how text-messaging is just one example of many how society has become so relaxed and comfortable in the use of technology that not only do we not consider how technology works, we have taken it even further and we don’t even truly consider what we put out into the world with our technological devices. Society has become lazy where this is concerned. Turkle supports this idea in her aforementioned essay when she expresses her personal witness to the psychological effects of computational objects in everyday life.She states that passivity regarding technology is becoming more and more apparent in that the â€Å"people who built or bought the first generation of personal computers understood them completely. The next generation of operating systems were more complex, but they still invited tha t old-time reductive understanding†. Turkle states that contemporary information technology encourages different habits of mind. She goes on to say â€Å"today’s college students are already used to taking things at (inter)face value† (568). I witness this daily in my own life every time I see my children access all different types of technology.When I ask them to explain the deeper operation of the technology they are currently using, they cannot do it. They explain it is not important to be able to use the current chosen technology. This attitude causes me concern because I worry that they are becoming a culture that does not ask the deeper questions. They just accept at (inter)face value as Turkle expressed. To grow along with the technological boom and to understand the deeper reasoning behind the operation of said technology will keep minds active and aware.It is important that resignation to acceptance of our technological world does not continue to grow an d expand. We can accomplish this by thinking for ourselves, preparing for our children and teaching future generations they must not blindly accept what is given to them. If they do, opacity and passivity will prevail to the point that we are all walking around filled with intellectual knowledge that has been directly controlled, removing individuality of thought and expression.Technology today is an amazing and powerful thing, at times it might even be considered beautiful. I personally look forward to technological advances and the wonderful happenings that will accompany these events; however, it must not be at the cost of our own personal intellectual development. Opacity and passivity are not conducive to society maintaining an upward intellectual growth regarding technology. Let us grow with and because of, technology.