Postmodernism as Philosophical Style Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Postmodernism as Philosophical Style - Essay Example The essay "Postmodernism as Philosophical Style" examines postmodernism direction in philosophy. It is one of the stages characterizing the evolution of humankind philosophy. At first, the philosophy arena was dominated by pre-modernism, and then came the modernism thoughts and ideologies. Postmodernism is meant to challenge and evaluates the validity of the preceding philosophical direction, which was modernism. Postmodernism can be described as the rhetorical and strategic application of concepts like repetition, simulacrum, and difference to criticize other concepts like the historical progresses of ideology, epistemic certainty, and the universality of meaning. Postmodern philosophical thinking highlights some of the demerits of modernism as a direction of thinking. Postmodernists criticize by terming modernity as a western philosophy, which is outdated in the modern times. The most fundamental elements of postmodern ideology are the questions concerning the validity of Christian ity, truth and the general mentality. Postmodern philosophers question the validity of Christianity as a central feature of human morality. It asserts that the western philosophy continues to rely on ancient and traditional theological principles, capitalism, and rigid political systems. It also criticizes the aspect the irrational and unfair trade-off that exists between energy and the environment for their selfish economic reasons. France and Italy still work with the concepts developed from the structural revolution.

The Patchwork of Reality and Fiction in Tim O’brien’s the Things They Carried Essay Example for Free

The Patchwork of Reality and Fiction in Tim O’brien’s the Things They Carried Essay The Patchwork of Reality and Fiction in Tim O’Brien’s The Things They Carried Tim O’ Brien, in his recent fictional story The Things They Carried, illustrates the struggle to unravel and grasp ambiguities of the war in the most unusual way, by understanding it through the mind’s eye. He resolutely transgressed the boundary between fiction and reality, and struggles to demonstrate that the illusory dimension can frequently be more real, particularly in the events leading to the Vietnam War, than reality itself. Communicating the view of ambiguity of an ordinary soldier about what really took place in Vietnam by narrating the imagined domain as though it is the real work, and afterwards challenging these realities once more, can be viewed as a deviation of the poignant and disturbing statements American soldiers use to express their own doubt about what took place in Vietnam. They drew on these expressions to transform the inexpressible and horrifying and ambiguous into reality. Likewise, O’Brien narrates tales and realities that are merely fleetingly definite and factual. In the section ‘Notes’, O’Brien illustrated the process of merging illusion and reality (O’Brien 1990, 152): By telling stories, you objectify you own experience. You separate it from yourself. You pin down certain truths. You make up others. You start sometimes with an incident that truly happened, like the night in the shit field, and you carry it forward by inventing incidents that did not in fact occur but that nonetheless help to clarify and explain. In the above passage, O’Brien shows that impossibility of knowing exactly what took place. He urges his readers to become aware of the events in the Vietnam War that they do not know and perhaps will never be aware of. The Things They Carried brings the readers to the Vietnam War through the author’s webs of narratives. O’Brien informs us that we will never truly know what exactly happened in Vietnam. And the realities of the Vietnam War will die alongside the people who experienced the ‘real’ and ‘unreal’. References O’Brien, T. The Things They Carried. New York: Mariner Books, 1990.

The Spanish Inquisition Essay -- European History

The Spanish Inquisition The word â€Å"inquisition† means to examine. Inquisitors would â€Å"examine† suspected Heretics, people whose ideas do not match those of the Roman Catholic Church, and punish them accordingly. This included torture and burning. The great inquisition movement that took place in Spain, or Hispania as it was called before Spain united. It was called The Spanish Inquisition. It took place for approximately five hundred years, from the late 15th century to mid 19th century. Many ironic elements were involved in the history of the Inquisition. The Spanish Inquisition lasted longer than any other preceding it, and was the most cruel, bloodthirsty, and festive of all. The objective of the inquisition, in its early state, was to convert all Jews into Christians, but later it mutated into an ugly machine who’s new objective was to rid the country of the newly converted Christians. In an age where there was such a close bond between church and state, opposition to the church was intolerable. The Inquisition caused Spain to become intellectually backward, and economically and industrially damaged. The powerful influence of the Inquisition forbade social influences, such as books from other parts of Europe, to enter Spain. Consequently, the universities remained stagnant, unable to produce graduates understanding the world around them. from the lack of information on the other civilizations in the rest of Europe. As a result of this, they came into the 20th century intellectually inferior and bankrupt. With the banished, tortured, and persecuted heretics in mind, it is possible that the Spanish Inquisition is perhaps one of the most cruel acts performed on innocent people in the name of religion. Before the Spanish Inquisition took place, several other inquisition movements appeared, but none quite so barbaric and brutal as the Spaniard’s did. Waves of opposition towards the church swept Europe in the Middle Ages. In the 12th century, it was a modern belief that a peaceful, utopian government could be obtained if all of the population of the society were â€Å"pure† and Catholic The Medieval Inquisition started in France and Italy. During this time a group of people called the Albigensies lived in northern Italy and southern France. They had established a religion called Manichaeanism, which was the belief in two gods, one for good and one for evil. Pop... ...r of the bigotry and the persecution that took place. It is only one of many persecuting acts that are piled on top of Jewish history. Many Christians look back onto the Inquisition with shame and humidity. The Spanish Inquisition has inflicted untold amounts of damage onto the Spanish society and everyone else’s. It was one of the worst religious acts of ignorance and bigotry ever orchestrated by a group of people. Bibliography Lea, Henry Charles. [1966] A history of the Inquisition of Spain. AMD Press, New York, NY Llorente, Juan Antonio [1967] A critical history of the Inquisition of Spain, from the period of its establishment by Ferdinand V to the reign of Ferdinand VII, composed from the original documents of the Archives of the Supreme Council of the Inquisition and from those of subordinate tribunals of the Holy Office. J. Lilburne Co. Williamstown, MA. Roth, Cecil. [1964] The Spanish Inquisition. Norton Press, New York, NY. Sabatini, Rafael. [1924] Torquemada and the Spanish inquisition; a history by Rafael Sabatini. Houghton Mifflin Compan, Boston, MA/New York, NY. Turberville, Arthur Stanley. [1968] The Spanish Inquisition. Archon Books, Hamden, Conn.

Music Classroom Management

Classroom management is a challenge in any field. Effective classroom management in music classes or performance ensembles has the additional challenge of having to be able to encourage creativity and self-expression.   Gordon reflects that there are significant stress factors in music classes that it is critical that teachers develop all the necessary skills not only to ensure the artistic and co.uk/does-television-have-educational-value/">educational value for students but also to endure that classes also fulfill teachers (162-164). Considering these, music educators have to adapt standard classroom management skills to accommodate the nature of music as an expression and art (Moore et al 5-8). This entails an understanding of the students learning and performance, indicators of learning, manner of interaction and physical set up of the classroom. Those these factors are not the only ones to be considered, they are basic factors that are to be considered in any music classroom (Gordon 158-159). Students Learning and Performance Music classes require greater participation form students not only in discussions but also in actual performance. Similar to a physical education class, performance serves as the students’ main means of participation but music students are still required to master knowledge as they would in a science or mathematics class. Therefore, students will need equal amounts of knowledge in literature to allow understanding of notations and technique whiles at the same time just as much instruction to translate it to actual performance (Moore et al 37-40). According to the Teacher Vision sponsored article Strategies for Developing Basic Music Knowledge, this entails a child learning essentials of form in holding an instrument as much as learning to read notes. Both elements of learning are critical in music education which in a standard classroom for other disciplines may not be required as much. In other disciplines, there is a general inverse relationship between â€Å"book learning† and performance. At the same time, much of the studying that students do for the class lies beyond the direct control of the teachers. Mastery is of knowledge or a piece must be translated by students into practice. It thus becomes even more critical that students are driven to develop positive learning attitudes in students because of the interdependence of learning and practice in student performance (â€Å"Discipline Strategies in the Music Classroom†). Indicators of Learning As mentioned, there is an equal emphasis on the theoretical and practical application of music learning. However, music teachers also give greater allowance to the manner of performance to accommodate technique or style. Since music is inherently an expression, there should be an expectation that there are variances to the performance (Moore et al 17-23). Though mastery either in performance or form is a common indicator of learning, it should be remembered that it is not universal. Since musical aptitude varies greatly from one individual to another, standards may be developed in a progressive scale (Gordon159-160). After students learn the fundamental of music, the development of performance indicators becomes more challenging for music teachers. One suggestion for the qualitative indicators cites that learning in music must create value, allow for expression and be a tool for communication. Teacher Vision suggests that is important that students be able to learn the value of musical learning which can be indicated by the reflection and insight students make from the lesson of musical piece (â€Å"Strategies for Establishing a Thinking Music Classroom†). Next, students should be encouraged to use the learning as a means of expression whether directly or indirectly. Finally, music should create a foundation for communication for students whether they are performers or not. Manner of Interaction Communication and interaction is one of the most important elements in any music classroom. Since feedback is critical in improving performance, teachers have to develop interactivity among students. This is to be done by developing a communication platform among students and with the teacher that can facilitate not proactive critique and reinforcement as well as encourage accommodation or assimilation of various styles and techniques (â€Å"Strategies for Making Music Happen†). Though these are also critical in any standard classroom, music teachers have to develop this to a higher degree because of its significance in terms of encouraging expression and performance. This is even more critical in classes were there ensembles: in this scenario, individual students’ performances become only an element of the performance of the group (Moore et al 46-48). Students need to work more closely together or depend much more on each other’s performance and this in turn will require greater sensitivity in terms of managing friction among students (â€Å"Strategies for Making Music Happen†). Physical Set Up In a similarity to learning requirements, music classrooms must be set up to be conducive both to learning and performance wither individually or as a group. It should be helpful to develop specific sections of the room for specific uses or groups so that study can be done independently. Sectional divisions should be appropriately sized according to the needs of a section and ordered according to their association with other sections. These should also afford opportunities for collaborations as they may be needed (Moore et al 22-29). There should be particular attention given to the care and safety of not only students but instruments. Since most schools also use the music classroom to store or maintain instruments, a portion of the room should serve not only as warehouse. At the same time, there should be common area for performance or instruction. The common areas also serve as cohesive factor for the class (â€Å"Discipline Strategies in the Music Classroom†). Works Cited â€Å"Discipline Strategies in the Music Classroom†. Teacher Vision. 16 April 2007. <http://www.essaywriters.net/sys/index.php?rate=20&order=58130> Gordon, Debra G. Discipline in the Music Classroom: one component contributing to teacher stress. Journal Music Education Research (2001) Volume 4, Number 1. Pages 157-165 Moore, Marvelene C., Batey, Angela L.,Royse, David M. Classroom Management in General, Choral and Instrumental Music Programs. The National Association for Music Education, 2002 â€Å"Strategies for Developing Basic Music Knowledge†. Teacher Vision. 16 April 2007. <http://www.teachervision.fen.com/music/teacher-training/6764.html> â€Å"Strategies for Establishing a Thinking Music Classroom†. Teacher Vision. 16 April 2007. <http://www.teachervision.fen.com/teacher-training/printable/6766.html> â€Å"Strategies for Making Music Happen†. Teacher Vision. 16 April 2007. <http://www.teachervision.fen.com/curriculum-planning/music/6770.html>

Bhaviour across the lifespan

Erik Erikson’s psychosocial theory of development is I think explained best the personality development of an individual. His theory focused on the boundary between the child and the environment and then graphed the evolution of the maturing ego’s relations with an expanding social world. Psychological developments results from the interaction between maturational process or biological needs and the societal demands and social forces encountered in everyday life. His theory concerns psychological development throughout the lifespan, rather than just the birth through adolescence.He based his theory on the concept of epigenetic principle, which means that development takes place in order, clearly identified stages, and that phase ought to be adequately resolved for growth to proceed smoothly. The eight stages of the life cycle clearly illustrate the development of an infant to his older years. He believes that development does not end when maturity is reached, but extend s into old age which is very true. The process of learning continues throughout life. For instance, stage 1 of Erikson’s trust vs.mistrust theory, infants learn either to trust or mistrust that their needs will be met on the basis of their experience (Sternberg and Wilson, 2004). Successful passage of this stage leads to a child that wants to learn to become self-sufficient and to develop his own independence. At each step of development, children learn that certain behaviors are acceptable whereas others are not. The years of middle childhood are particularly for the learning taught by the family, culture, and society. Peer relationships become more important over family.Erikson believed that individuals on this stage search for an identity as part of the society and must balance the desire to be unique and the need to conform. Adulthood life stages focused on achieving unselfish love, the feeling of productivity and wisdom. Certainly, that many people experience conflicts a t the ages Erikson specified, everyone would undergo the eight life cycles, but then successful passage of these stages can be a healthy experience for an individual. Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) has been regarded as a neurotic disorder, like phobias and anxiety states.A neurotic patient, unlike a psychotic, he is aware that he has a problem- that is, he has insight and his contact with the outside world is relatively intact. People with this problem can suffer considerable distress, and often feel that they are helpless victims. Severe OCD can cause major incapacitation and drastically affects people’s lives. Criteria used for diagnosing OCD are: a person must have obsessions, compulsions or both; the disorder is not due to another disorder such as depression or organic disorders.Finally, the obsession and/or compulsion cause distress to the person and interfere with his life and activities (Penzel, 2000). A person with this disorder experienced unwanted recurrent and persistent thought which is not voluntarily produced just like when one is saying I am obsessed in football but experiences that invade a person’s consciousness that can be worrying, repugnant, blasphemous, obscene or nonsensical. An obsession is a passive experience: it happens to the person.He may be engaged in some activity, like driving a car, when the obsession intrudes into his consciousness. It disrupts his normal thinking and behavior. Compulsion on the other hand is a repetitive and seemingly purposeful behavior that is performed according to specific rules or in a stereotyped manner (Maj, 2003). The behavior is not an end in itself, but is usually intended to prevent some situation or event, though, the action is not related in a logical or reasonable way, or it may be clearly excessive.The person feels a strong compulsive urge to engage in a particular behavior which he carries out despite resistance and recognizing that it is irrational or excessive. Recovering f rom OC disorder is not simply a matter of sheer willpower or resistance. OC individuals need intensive help in retraining themselves, both in terms of behavior and their outlook on life. Therapies such as behavioral, cognitive and psychotherapy are the treatments that were used by psychiatrist in order to help an OC person to overcome his disease.Medications like antidepressants can also help to treat OCD, but important treatment came from the person itself, his willingness and the support from the people around him. WORK CITED Sternberg, R. & Wilson, J. (2004). Psychology. US: Thomson Wadsworth Maj, M. (2003). Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. England: John Wiley and Sons Penzel, F. (2000). Obsessive-Compulsive Disorders: A Complete Guide to Getting Well and Staying Well. New York: Oxford University Press

Intercultural Communication in the Workplace Essays

Intercultural Communication in the Workplace Essays Intercultural Communication in the Workplace Paper Intercultural Communication in the Workplace Paper The growth of interdependence of people and ultras in the global society of the 21 SST century has forced us to pay even more attention to intercultural issues. In order to live and function in this multicultural environment as effectively and meaningfully as possible, people must be competent in Intercultural communication, which includes verbal and nonverbal communication. Communicating with people from other cultures can be challenging regardless of where one works. At the same time, ones ability to foster successful communication between people of differing cultures will bolster ones success in business and career. In order to overcome the cultural barriers to effective communication, one must first learn what culture means. Culture is a shared system of symbols, beliefs, attitudes, values, expectations, and norms for behavior. I do have a couple of specific example to discuss but working In human resources. I have to be sensitive to many different cultures and will focus on the different situations I have encountered. The first instance of intercultural communication that comes to mind is a situation where I was trying to explain a policy to an employee. The particular employee who s from India originally but has been in the United States for some time yet is difficult to understand with her strong accent. The employee sent me an e-mail with a question regarding the use of annual and sick leave time and the length she would be allowed to be on vacation and sick leave combined. The second part of the question involved the insurance coverage of a treatment she wanted to receive while visiting India called Arrived (arrived is a system of medicine that originated in India several thousand years ago. The term Arrived combines two Sanskrit words your, which means life, and Veda, which means science or knowledge. Arrived means the science of life). Although this might seem like a simple answer It was not and Involved discussion with her manager and some research to understand what this treatment was all about and if it would be covered. Situations such as this one make it difficult to decide if the best approach is to communicate via e-mail or to attempt to communicate face to face to make sure one understands. The second situation involves a Package employee who works in our building and is from the Somalia. This person came here as a refugee and speaks very little English yet is always friendly and has a smile on his face. At Characteristic, It was suggested to adopt a Tamely Ana someone suggested patting NV Ana Nils Tamely. I tongue It was a wonderful idea yet the group had individuals who objected and said what about one of our employees! I thought that was very selfish and it should not matter whether it was a Court employee or a Package employee. However, the decision was made we would not adopt this family through the Court but a group of us decided it as the right thing to do and worked with Catholic Social Services to make it a special Christmas for him and his family after all but did so anonymously. In the first situation I had to do some research to understand what exactly this treatment was for and why she was not receiving the treatment here in the United States. What I learned is the treatment mainly comprises of powders, tablets, and detections, and medicated oils prepared from natural herbs, plants and minerals. The medicines are from natural sources and not synthetic, they are accepted and assimilated in the body without creating any side effects. Because she was going to be in India visiting family she wanted to take the opportunity to get this treatment from someone she trusted in her own country. I have also learned about the certain comfort zone in this culture as well as weddings can go on for three to four days, which is what she was going there for, and the culture is not good with paperwork. Had I taken the time to explore her culture or even ask her about it I could have learned this and been able to understand where she was coming from instead of making assumptions and Judgments. The result was she was allowed to take her 6 ekes of annual leave but was not able to use sick leave because having the treatment there was a personal choice and the medical insurance would not cover it. Although I thought I was being open to the cultures of others I now recognize that one can take it a step further and take the initiative to learn on my own and ask questions to become educated on the cultures of others. The second situation which involved adopting the family was also very important and was happy that we went to Catholic Social Services for assistance. The biggest factor in this situation was the employees who wanted to participate in this particular nation could but it would have to be anonymous as opposed to the employees presenting the gifts. I was fine with this approach but we again had others who wanted to be recognized for their contribution and choose not to participate. Well, what I learned is the reason it had to be done anonymously is because it might cause humiliation and embarrassment to this Package employee if the group presented the gifts for him and his family. The other reason is the Package employee would have felt like he owed those who donated items something and would have created a ruder for him. All these factors are part of his culture and who he is and I think it would be wrong for anyone to invade those characteristics. Cultures can differ in several ways that affect communication such as; stability: conditions which may be stable or may be changing either slowly or rapidly; cultures vary in the accessibility of information which can make things more complex; composition: because some cultures are made up of many diverse subcultures and generally the fewer subcultures in ones background, the easier communication is because of the fewer attention differences to consider; Acceptance: cultures carry in his or her attitudes toward outsiders, some can be openly hostile, some have a detached aloofness, and others are very friendly and cooperative with strangers. If one can work to bridge the Deterrence antelope above en or seen can Is taking ten relent approach to canceling intercultural communication. It might be easier said then done but I found the following 10 Commandments to follow when trying to bridge intercultural communication: 1) Be aware of differing social values; 2) Be aware of differing status humbly and how to demonstrate them; 3) Be aware of decision making customs: not all people like to make decisions quickly and efficiently; 4) Be aware of concepts of time: not all people like to see time as money; 5) Be aware of personal space: people from different cultures have different comfort zones; 6) Be aware of cultural context: people from certain cultures (called high-context cultures) rely less on verbal communication and more on the context of nonverbal actions and environmental settings to convey meaning. People from low-context cultures like the USA rely more n verbal communication and less on circumstances and implied meaning to convey meaning; 7) Be aware of body language: learn the basic differences in the way people supplement their words with body movement; 8) Be aware of different etiquette rules or manners: what is polite in one culture may be considered rude in another; 9) Be aware of legal and ethical behavior; 10) Be aware of language barriers: English is the most prevalent language in international business, but a easy mistake to assume that everyone understands it. If one is willing to learn as much as possible about another ultra it will enhance ones ability to communicate more effectively with many individuals. I know it can be easy to disregard the cultures of others and think because we are in the United States each person should become accustom to the way things work here. However, I have to say that approach would be selfish and the reality is we can learn so much f rom other cultures that might do one some good!

Climbing Out of the Wallpaper

Climbing Out of the Wallpaper Free Online Research Papers Can people really climb out of wallpaper? Charlotte Perkins Gilman gives the impression that the narrator does in her short story â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper.† The narrator and her husband (a doctor) vacation in a colonial mansion in order to rid the wife of her depression and anxiety. They bring along the husband’s sister to care for their young son. After going through many psychological conflicts, the wife finally overcomes her fears and anxieties. In the story, the yellow wallpaper and the colonial mansion help build a gloomy and cowardly ambiance. Contrast between the paper and the â€Å"haunted† house depict the narrator’s weakness and anxiety. However, various settings, the husband, and the wallpaper eventually help the narrator to conquer her fears by stripping away layers of societal expectations. With the estate remaining empty for so long and the cheapness of it, the house gives way to mystery and haunting. The narrator states, â€Å"I would say a haunted house† which reflects her concerns in life (513). The â€Å"haunted† house indicates a conflict within herself that she cannot control. She also questions, â€Å"Else, why would it be let so cheaply?† (513). She illustrates a sense of uneasiness being in a strange home; by questioning the price, she suggests that the house is unappealing to others and has an apprehension to it. Provoking negativity on her outlook of life, the â€Å"yellow wallpaper† as she says is, â€Å"pronounced enough to constantly irritate . . . they suddenly commit suicide† (514). The narrator influences and agitates easily. She demonstrates how the wallpaper drives her mad and promotes her depressing self-esteem. Although the narrator’s husband believes that the house is therapeutic, she perceives it as smothering. She said her husband â€Å"meant to repaper the room, but afterwards he said that I was letting it get the better of me, and nothing was worse for a nervous patient than to give way to such fantasies† (515). The yellow wallpaper intensifies the narrator’s diminutive feelings of self-worth and her pessimistic temptations. She considers herself as a burden because she has such nervous tendencies. Since the narrator is unable to provide care to her own son, a small child, her sister in law tends to him, which only increases her nervousness a nd negative feelings of confidence. The doctor does not even allow his wife to perform any of her wifely duties and forces her to nap, or so they think. The doctor’s â€Å"watchful eye† produces a discouraging effect on her. She mentions, â€Å"John has cautioned me not to give way to fancy . . . a nervous weakness like mine is sure to lead to all manner of excited fantasies† (515). While leaving her feeling defenseless and feebler, John does not realize the negative power he has over his wife. In his eyes, he is helping her to overcome her depression and nervousness by discouraging her to write; actually, he is making her feel vulnerable because he is controlling what encompasses her life. Strangely, the growing irritation of the wallpaper causes the wife to turn into a deranged woman. When she â€Å"gives way† to her fantasies and her writing, she becomes unbalanced. She says, â€Å". . . I can see a strange, provoking, formless sort of figure, that seems to skulk about behind that silly and conspicuous front design,† which portrays how she sees herself (516). By being formless, she depicts how she is not of importance. With her husband watching her every move, seeing herself as formless only adds to her insecurity. Slowly, her state of mind becomes growingly unstable as her depression becomes deeper. She states, that she is â€Å"getting dreadfully fretful and querulous. I cry at nothing, and cry most of the time† (517). John sees her crying as a sign of weakness instead of as a relinquishment of torment. She has held anguish inside for so long that she explodes over anything. Why does her husband not see this? Is it because a man does not understand the emotional aspects of a woman, or is it simply in the 1800’s, women were thought of as being frail and inferior? Whatever the case may be, she is reaching out to whoever will help her find her lucidity again. The figure reappearing behind the yellow wallpaper contributes to her realization that she is the one trying to free herself. As her husband is sleeping, she watches the paper until it makes her feel creepy. She whispers, â€Å"The faint figure behind seemed to shake the pattern, just as if she wanted to get out. I . . . went to feel and see if the paper did move . . . â€Å"(518). Climbing back into bed, she awakens John. He then asks, â€Å"What is it little girl?† adding further demeaning to her (518). As she explains, â€Å"I really was not gaining here, and that I wished he would take me away† she is trying to relay to John that although he is a doctor, she is not progressing and she knows what is best for her (519). Eventually, the yellow wallpaper gives her purpose in life; since confined to her room to rest, she makes it her soul purpose to study the paper in search of its meaning. She exclaims, â€Å"I really have discovered something at last,† seeing that she is the woman trapped within the â€Å"wallpaper† (521). Although she says the woman is, â€Å". . . trying to climb through,† she is unable to because the yellow wallpaper is strangling (521). The wife uses strangling to demonstrate suffocation herself because she is unable to make her own decisions. John makes her feel smothered because she is too feeble-minded in his eyes. She also says, â€Å"If those heads were covered or taken off it would not be half so bad† (521). Eradication of the heads allows her to release the strong inner person and grow. Only then is she able to detach herself from her flaws and strip off that revolting shell that surrounds her. When she â€Å"peeled off all the paper† she could reach, she announces her freedom (523). â€Å"I’ve got out at last . . . in spite of you and Jane. And I’ve pulled off most of the paper, so you can’t put me back† (524)! The strong, liberated woman from within finally emerges and stands her ground. â€Å"Now why should that man have fainted? But he did† she asks (524)? According to societal norms in the 1800’s, women should not behave in that manner to their husbands. Charlotte Perkins Gilman illustrates how women can emerge into thriving, independent people by believing in themselves and overpowering social constraints. When people look within themselves and see their true worth, they are able to climb through that wall. Gilman, Charlotte Perkins. â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper.† The Norton Introduction to Literature. 9th ed. Eds. Alison Booth, et al. New York: Norton, 2006. 513-524. Research Papers on Climbing Out of the WallpaperMind TravelArguments for Physician-Assisted Suicide (PAS)Honest Iagos Truth through DeceptionCapital PunishmentThe Masque of the Red Death Room meaningsThe Hockey GameBook Review on The Autobiography of Malcolm XPersonal Experience with Teen PregnancyThe Effects of Illegal ImmigrationTrailblazing by Eric Anderson

A Cost-Free Sample About Benefits of College Education Essay Online Aid

A Cost-Free Sample About Benefits of College Education Essay Online Aid A free informative essay sample about the college degrees and the benefits of having them. While every single person is entitled to an education, not everyone feels that an education is worth having the first place. And it’s terribly unfortunate notion. This may be the case because there is a large portion of people who are unknowing of the benefits and advantages of having an education, or, more specifically, a college degree from a four-year, accredited college or university. Whatever their reasoning may be, this unfortunate group doesn’t understand or know that having an education – a college degree – is the key to living a fulfilling, financially independent life. Not only does having an education generally earn people more money than someone without one, it allows a person to have freedom in choosing their career. A college degree also gives them job security, because they fall back on their education for employment. In turn, having a college degree means having a high quality of life. HOW TO WRITE AN INFORMATIVE ESSAY When a person graduates from college and earns a degree in a specialized field, it is an indicator to the working world that they have acquired the practical skills and knowledge necessary to help and grow a business. With an education – and the knowledge, verbal, written and critical-thinking skills that go with it – a person becomes eligible for jobs that pay well, for careers that will gradually pay more and more as that person gains more experience in that field. A person doesn’t need a college degree to be a plumber or a construction worker – occupations that actually pay very well – but a person generally needs a degree to be a journalist, a teacher, or a marketing consultant, just to name a few examples. It’s true that a person with a college degree taking an entry-level job will not be making as much money as even a blue-collar worker who has done their trade for a few years. But over their lifetime that person with the experience to match their education will see more opportunities for mobility and increases in salary than the person without an education. It is a fact. More about getting a degree: Doctoral Degrees Academic Assistance in Obtaining a Law Degree Academic Assistance in Obtaining a Nursing Degree Writing a Strong College Essay Another benefit of having a college degree is having job security. Employers, of course, want to hold on to employees with an education because they have a solid set of skills and can learn new skills, too; but, also, people who have a college degree – because an education is valuable in the workplace – have a greater chance of finding another job if they are, for example, fired or if their job position is terminated when compared to someone without a college education. Having an education means a person is quick to learn, intelligent, capable of learning almost anything, highly skilled and can communicate effectively and follow directions closely. A college degree will forever mean they are smart, employable, are hard-working to a degree and can learn things quickly, all things that mean to an employer that someone would be good for a job. Lastly, because an education is so highly regarded and sought after in the business world, people who have a college degree are not pigeonholed by the job or even the type of career they chose. A person with an English degree, for example, doesn’t have to be a writer, editor or poet; they can be a teacher, a marketing representative, or just about anything they want to be. That’s the point of having an education. And a person with a teaching degree doesn’t have to be a teacher their entire working life. Instead, people with an education – because they do, indeed, have an education – are freer than those with no education, only experience, to choose and develop a career that suits them, one they enjoy and find fulfilling and worthwhile. Whereas the person with no education does not have this luxury, but rather has to develop certain skills just to find employment. Those without a college degree mostly have to fall back on their experience. Others wit h an education can fall back on their experience and degree for employment. In conclusion, there are many benefits to having a solid education and a college degree from a reputable academic institution. From having a well-paying and long-lasting job to having job security and the freedom to choose an enjoyable, productive and fulfilling job, there is virtually no limit to the many advantages of an education. INFORMATIVE ESSAY TOPICS In general, an education leads to a high quality of life. With financial independence, a career that hardly feels like work because it is fun and enjoyable, and without the stress of worrying about the future, it is safe to say that having an education, at the very least a college degree from a reputable four-year college or university, is perhaps what sets people up for a good life of success and happiness. However, it is unfortunate, all over the world, that some people are ignorant of this fact, that having an education is the key to a better life. It is not their fault – they are only a product of their environment – and educated individuals who understand this should do all they can to help guide such individuals.   can move you closer to the college degree by helping in your informative writing. Along with the given above informative essay sample, youll find some college essay examples placed on our website. If you need an informative essay on a  similar topic, feel free to contact us or place an order.

Obser and inquire Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Obser and inquire - Research Paper Example In this regard, using the observation experience as in input in the current essay, the aim of the discourse is to pursue responding to a developed inquiry that: â€Å"Women in Mainstream American Culture Tend to Take on More Child-Rearing Duties than Men†. Upon closer examination of the points of inquiry, one established the need to delve into further research on the validity of women taking on more child-rearing responsibilities than men. In the working draft written by Robert Max Jackson, a whole chapter devoted to the responsibility for child rearing provided extensive and comprehensive details that aim to address the question: â€Å"why women so regularly contribute most of this effort† (Jackson 126). Although the author ventured into providing theories that explain the disparate role and skewed responsibilities towards women, Jackson concluded his arguments by indicating that â€Å"mens economic position gives them individual competitive advantages and collective power that allow men individually to beat out women in the labor market and collectively to impose institutionalized discrimination† (Jackson 146). It is interesting to note that the theoretical framework to rationalize women’s propensities for child-rearing tasks from Chodorow’s theory, to wit: it "has unquestionably been true that women have had primary responsibility for child care, (and that) women by and large want to mother, and get gratification from their mothering;" and that "women have succeeded at mothering" (Chodorow; cited in Jackson 133). The observation noted at the shopping mall have effectively validated that mothers were more restrictive and verbally reminding their children to stay close and not to wander far. In contrast, fathers were more lax and were self-assured that they could immediately find their wandering children. Using Chodorow’s theory, mothers would not be complacent in their primary responsibility

Subjects Unto the Same King Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Subjects Unto the Same King - Essay Example It will also define the reasons behind the success of the faction. The paper will conclusively confirm if the chosen group’s story is parallel to that of other people in the English Atlantic Empire. Massachusetts Bay Colony had a staunch position on authority. Its colonists championed the fact that the colony's charter entrusted them with the final authority in New England and that even the King’s appeal cannot deny them that privilege. This fostered a lot of conflict between them and the Indians while other neighboring colonies used this conflict to preserve or enhance their own power. Massachusetts enjoyed the support of three English colonies and the opposition of three other colonies. After the settling in the Massachusetts Bay, the colonizers demanded that the Indians recognize their superiority. This led to a struggle for authority that the Massachusetts won. Their success relied on many factors. First, there were divisions among the Indians in responding to the M assachusetts leaders’ demand. Some agreed, others sought power in other colonies and those who resisted were very few (Pulsipher 3). The lack of a common stand led to their defeat. The population of Massachusetts was incomparably larger than that of other colonies and specifically than that of Indians. ... The magistrates supported the Massachusetts and in one of such cases, the General court condemned the Indians for raising a complaint against the Massachusetts who had attacked them (Pulsipher 288). This favoritism led to the success of the Massachusetts. The lack of fighting tools such as guns and gunpowder also led to the defeat of the Indians. The English refused to give or even sell them this merchandise to the advantage of the Massachusetts (Pulsipher 325). The Indian soldiers were lowly paid and thus their morale was low in fighting with the well-equipped and paid Massachusetts. They actually dared to quit the struggle because of this dissatisfaction (Pulsipher 329). Additionally, Massachusetts got some external assistance from the French though this fact was highly disputed by the English and the French as recorded in the Francis Card declaration (Pulsipher 324). This support only strengthened the already strong side and thus catalyzing their success. Another factor that led t o the failure of the Indians was the lack of unity among the Indians and selling of Indians to slavery and defections of Indian commanders (Pulsipher 321). This weakened the Indian resistance and the hence the success of the Massachusetts. The double stands applied by the English in condemning Indian attacks and commending Massachusetts attack on slumbering Indians at Turner’s fall catapulted the Massachusetts struggle for maintaining authority (Pulsipher 318).The Indians experienced a language barrier which again favored the Massachusetts. All these factors contributed to the success of the Massachusetts in asserting authority over the Indians. However, even as the colonists won they paid heavily for the damage

Current event article related to the management topics Essay

Current event article related to the management topics - Essay Example Such agencies are usually established under the Chinese Labor Contract Law to provided workers who can offer services for subsidiary and temporary positions (Chen). Contracts for the outsourced workers are signed with the employment agencies and not the companies that the employees end up working for. Such an arrangement constitutes domestic outsourcing and it provides a means through which organizations can easily address the issue of labor shortfalls as a result of employee turnover by having a quick access to qualified labor. Domestic outsourcing has also helped organizations to manage their labor costs by only hiring the exact amount of labor needed during a particular time. Domestic labor outsourcing has been widely used in administrative, research and teaching posts in universities in China. However, the outsourced staff enjoys fewer social security benefits and lower wages compared to the regular workers on similar jobs. They are also discriminated by the organizations’ training and promotion opportunities. The practice has been blamed for the rising cases of inequalities among workers especially in public service (Chen). In Beijing alone, universities have outsourced an approximated 3,500 workers in administrative, teaching and research positions. The figure is 1000 less in Shanghai (Chen). The domestic outsourcing model should be reviewed to ensure equal rights are enjoyed by all employees in the public

J.R.R.Tolkien and the Concept of Medievalism Essay

J.R.R.Tolkien and the Concept of Medievalism - Essay Example Both Bilbo and Gandalf are perfect examples of knights inserted into the context of Tolkien’s tales. They function as the bringers of salvation, the hint of light amidst the darkness. Their skills and their strong devotion and compassion for those who need them make them the â€Å"knight in shining armour† as what most fairytales depict. Chivalry is the main concept which makes The Hobbit a medieval piece. Adventurism is another key concept why The Hobbit is medieval in its traits. The primary setting of the story is based upon the elvish and the dwarvish realms of Middle Earth. The characters embark on a journey based on the geographical settings of Tolkien’s imagined world thus, their quest causes the build-up of the story’s adrenaline which creates an exciting pace where the protagonists combat mythical creatures and monsters, especially in their hurdle with Smaug – the dragon in the Misty Mountains. Along the way, Gandalf the Grey discovers his sword, Glamdring, and Bilbo finds the One Ring in an accidental skirmish with the goblins. From what is shown above, the setting of the story gives way to the medieval aspect of The Hobbit. Like most medieval stories, heroes embark on tiresome quests and encounter hurdles of unfathomable danger which, in the end, the hero gives justice to his own skill and reputation. The notion of adventure and the setting of the story are partners which make a good medieval story. Indeed, The Hobbit clearly lives up to medievalism because the characters exhibit chivalry in their quest amongst the dangerous mountains of Middle Earth. Amongst all of Tolkien’s fantasy works, it is the Lord of the Rings trilogy that solidifies the medieval influence in his fiction. The clarity if chivalry is dominant within every character of the trilogy. One perfect example of a chivalrous character is Aragorn, the king of Gondor.

Critical Thinking Exercises Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Critical Thinking Exercises - Essay Example As a consultant, the data that should be reviewed and analyzed to determine whether the Ford Motor Company is discriminating against their employees because of age is the following: the age of the employees, the year the employees was hired, and whether the employees have reached or is approaching the age of retirement. First, the age of the employees would be evaluated because the lawsuits were claiming that the Ford Motor Company is discriminating against age. Should the Ford Motor Company be discriminating against age, the ages of most employees should range within the younger age brackets, depending on the age after which the Ford Motor Company considers employees to be "older." Second, the year the employees were hired is important because, in the Title VII class action age and reverse discrimination suit, President Jacques Nasser was accused of eliminating older employees because he wanted to build his management team with younger employees. The year the employees were hired would help determine whether the employees were employed on with the Ford Motor Company during Nasser's presidency. Lastly, whether employees have reached or are approaching the age of retirement is important because it would settle the reason why older employees who have reached or are approaching the age... Additionally, the Ford appraisal system is fair in that it rates the employees on job performance. Employees should perform their job well in order to maintain their position at the company. Ford has much to offer their employees, and they probably adopted the forced-discrimination approach to eliminating their employees because they needed to eliminate the employees that were employed but not performing their jobs well. 8.1 - Workplace Diversity Training The diversity program that will be designed for incoming freshman will, first, consist of training towards all of the ethnicities of the university. Further, all ethnicities of the university will be represented because the freshman will, most likely, encounter all of the ethnicities at least once during their term as a student at the university. Second, the diversity program will consist of training for both male and female students. Women are not the only ones that have problems with racial comments or sexual harassment in the workplace. Men are also subjected to this treatment. As a result, the training should be geared towards both men and women. Third, the freshman will be entered into groups where they will role-play situations in which they might find themselves. All ethnicities of the university might not be represented in the students present, but the role-plays will include a script for all ethnicities.Males will discover diversity and harassment in the workplace from a female's perspective, and the females will get to portray the males. The different ethnicities will have a chance to portray another ethnicity and realize the situations with which they are presented. The diversity program will also have training

J.R.R.Tolkien and the Concept of Medievalism Essay

J.R.R.Tolkien and the Concept of Medievalism - Essay Example Both Bilbo and Gandalf are perfect examples of knights inserted into the context of Tolkien’s tales. They function as the bringers of salvation, the hint of light amidst the darkness. Their skills and their strong devotion and compassion for those who need them make them the â€Å"knight in shining armour† as what most fairytales depict. Chivalry is the main concept which makes The Hobbit a medieval piece. Adventurism is another key concept why The Hobbit is medieval in its traits. The primary setting of the story is based upon the elvish and the dwarvish realms of Middle Earth. The characters embark on a journey based on the geographical settings of Tolkien’s imagined world thus, their quest causes the build-up of the story’s adrenaline which creates an exciting pace where the protagonists combat mythical creatures and monsters, especially in their hurdle with Smaug – the dragon in the Misty Mountains. Along the way, Gandalf the Grey discovers his sword, Glamdring, and Bilbo finds the One Ring in an accidental skirmish with the goblins. From what is shown above, the setting of the story gives way to the medieval aspect of The Hobbit. Like most medieval stories, heroes embark on tiresome quests and encounter hurdles of unfathomable danger which, in the end, the hero gives justice to his own skill and reputation. The notion of adventure and the setting of the story are partners which make a good medieval story. Indeed, The Hobbit clearly lives up to medievalism because the characters exhibit chivalry in their quest amongst the dangerous mountains of Middle Earth. Amongst all of Tolkien’s fantasy works, it is the Lord of the Rings trilogy that solidifies the medieval influence in his fiction. The clarity if chivalry is dominant within every character of the trilogy. One perfect example of a chivalrous character is Aragorn, the king of Gondor.

Select a Code of Conduct to Revise Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Select a Code of Conduct to Revise - Assignment Example In addition, the communication language in which the code of business conduct should convey the message should be understood by the employees (Waldmann, 2006). Corporate companies like Diageo and Coca-Cola prohibit their employees from taking for themselves or directing business opportunity to other people that business opportunity that the organization has turned down. This code of business conduct needs to be revised. This is because of the fact that if organizations like Coca -Cola are not interested with the business opportunity they should therefore provide the employees with the chance of taking up the challenge and provide the services needed. This should be allowed to provide the employees the chance to grow themselves. If an organization is not interested in a business opportunity, then it means that it is giving other people that opportunity. Therefore, why not give the same opportunity to the employees to empower them and make them have better income and advance their careers (Barth, 2003). However, this opportunity should not be discovered using corporate property or information. Diageo should ensure that employees should not use the organization’s resources, information or position for personal gain or competing with the firm. It may be hard to sometimes determine the line between personal and firm benefits. The best action to do is ask for permission for the use of any firm property or services that is not solely for the benefit of the organization. In addition, in order to protect the interests of an organization, it is important for companies to monitor and review all data and information contained on an employee’s company issued property. This is for the sole purpose of protecting the organization’s information from outsiders. Moreover, strict measures and discipline should be instilled to those violating the rules. In conclusion, it is important for organizations to have the code of business conduct as it serves as a

Worlds Ayurveda Tourism Essay Example for Free

Worlds Ayurveda Tourism Essay Ayurveda, considered to be the oldest system of medicine in the world, had its origin in India about five thousand years ago. A holistic method of healing using remedies offered by nature, Ayurveda which when followed can restore, rejuvenate and revitalize body, mind and soul. Mention of Ayurveda can be found in the Vedas, Upanishads, Bhagavat Gitaand other ancient texts of wisdom. Of the four Vedas, namely Rig Veda, Yajur Veda, Sama Veda and Adharva Veda, Ayurveda is said to be the Upaveda or the sub branch of Adharva Veda. The word Ayurveda is made up of two Sanskrit words: Ayu which means ‘life’ and Veda which means ‘the knowledge of’. According to Charaka, ayu consists of four essential parts- mind, body, senses and the soul. In short, Ayurveda is the knowledge of life. Ayurveda is said to have been created by Lord Brahma (the Creator of the Universe and one of the Trimurthis) himself and handed down to mankind through Gods and great sages who possessed extensive knowledge and extraordinary insight. Initially, this knowledge was taught and learnt orally and it was much later that it was documented in palm leaves and thaliolas. As the thirst for knowledge grew, extensive research and observations were made and Ayurveda developed swiftly. Two schools of Ayurveda emerged, namely the School of Medicine and the School of Surgery. With this amazing progress, India saw some of the greatest minds in history such as Charaka, sometimes referred to as the father of anatomy and Susrutha, the father of plastic surgery. Ayurveda is more than just a medical system. It is based on India’s culture and a profound philosophy which gives instructions for attaining health, both physically as well as spiritually and also discovering our unknown potential by following optimal lifestyle regimes. It is also a discipline  which tells us the proper way to do the simplest of day-to-day activities such as breathing, drinking, eating, working, exercising and even thinking. Ayurveda helps to maintain health in a person by using the inherent principles of nature. In essence Ayurveda has been in existence since the beginning of time because we have always been governed by nature’s laws. Ayurveda, the ancient Science of life, is believed to be the knowledge handed down from the Gods themselves. It was developed into what it is today by great sages and rishis of vast wisdom and knowledge. A lot of research followed with physicians studying the anatomy of the human body by dissection, examining the various conditions of patients as well as investigating the cause and cure for every malady. Consequently Ayurveda developed and the interest in this phenomenal way of healing grew exponentially. Ayurveda soon emerged into two- the school of medicine and the school of surgery. The school of medicine was propounded by the physician Charaka and of surgery by Susrutha. Susrutha who lived in the 6th century BC is considered to be the father of modern surgery. He is credited to be the author of ‘Susrutha Samhitha’, a treatise covering all aspects of Ayurveda and which is referred to by physicians even now. Evidence shows that Susrutha possessed deep and thorough knowledge of the functioning of the human body and complicated surgical procedures. He understood the causes behind ailments such as hypertension, diabetes, obesity etc. He is also known to have performed cataract surgeries, plastic surgeries and so on. Famed to be the ‘Father of Anatomy’, Charaka authored the Ayurvedic treatise Charaka Samhitha covering various aspects of physiology, embryology, pathology and etiology. He was well acquainted with the principles of anatomy, metabolism, immunity, genetics and so on. It was as per his scheme  that Ayurveda was divided into eight branches. Vaghbata, who is supposed to have lived in the 7th century AD, wrote the treatises named Ashtanga Sangraha and Ashtanga Hridaya Samhitha. Ashtanga Hridaya combined the teachings of Charaka and Susrutha and revised it with up-to-date observations in herbology, surgery and treatment methods. The three texts, Susrutha Samhitha, Charaka Samhitha and Ashtanga Sangraha, are considered to be the oldest texts in Ayurveda and which laid the foundation of medicine. The next notable contributor to Ayurveda is Madhavacharya who specialized in the diagnosis of diseases and came up with the book ‘Madhava Nidana’ in the 12th century. Sharangadhara, in the 14th century, became well-known as the authority on pharmacology and as the author of ‘Sharangadhara Samhitha’. Considered to be among the best physicians in the 16th century, Bhavamishra combined his learning and observations in the book ‘Bhava Prakasha’. These three books are regarded as the Laghu Traya or Junior Triad of Ayurveda classics. The benefits of Ayurveda are many: * The Ayurvedic approach to an illness is holistic and therefore after an Ayurvedic treatment a person will find an improvement in their physical, mental and psychological conditions. * The ingredients used in Ayurvedic medicines are mostly derived from herbs, plants, flowers, fruits etc. making it a remedy close to nature. * There are practically no side effects for Ayurvedic medicine. * Ayurveda has been found to be an effective cure for many chronic diseases. * An Ayurveda treatment can bring about wellness to the entire body and will be in effect for a longer time than Allopathic treatment. * Ayurveda not only helps in treating diseases but also in preventing the occurrence of diseases. * Ayurveda gives guidelines on how to keep away diseases by means of simple dietary and lifestyle changes. * Ayurvedic medicines are good even for healthy people since they are restorative in nature and helps in nourishing the body  and enhancing mental ability. * Ayurvedic treatment and medicines are comparatively cheaper than other systems of medicine. * Ayurveda recommends readily available herbs and spices for minor ailments. * Ayurvedic therapies can give relief from stress and rejuvenating the body. * Principles of Ayurveda Ayurveda Philosophy * Ayurveda, the Upaveda of Adharva Veda, is one of the most ancient and unique healing systems in the world. It is based on an innate philosophy explained in detail in the Vedas, the Upanishads, the Bhagavat Gita and other religious texts. The four main objectives of human life are Dharm (Duty), Arth (Wealth), Kaam (Desire) and Moksha (Salvation). Moksha, or the liberation from the cycle of births and rebirths is the ultimate goal of an individual. For attaining Moksha, one needs a sound body and mind, plus the instinct to preserve his health. It naturally paved way to a well-framed medical system in India. As per the principles of Ayurveda, every human being is a microcosm of the universe, that is, a universe within the universe. Everything in this universe is connected. Ayurveda advocates that the relationship and interaction between energy and matter, individual and consciousness determine the health of a person. Vaidya or physician is a bridge between the microcosm and macrocosm. In fact he is the dynamic system controller keeping the two complementary systems in equipoise. This concept of Man as an Epitome of universe is the hallmark of entire Ayurvedic philosophy. Cosmogony The origin of universe is explained in Indian philosophy by the concept of Mahabhutas. According to this concept every living and non-living being in this universe comprises five eternal elements called Pancha Mahabhuthas. In Ayurveda, contemplating beyond this concept is not the job of a physician or researcher. Concept of the Mahabhutas or the five aspects of the  Universe.

Project Life Cycle in Construction

Project Life Cycle in Construction The project is broken into phases, and then into control points that are relevant to the particular development. This gives management an organized structure to the overall development. Cooperatively, the project phases are known as the project life cycle. These are sequential. Phases and control points are agreed by management. Due to the complex nature of the office block phase will overlap the concurrent phase. This method will also fast track the project. Overlapping phases can save time and cost however the risk of discrepancies is increased due to progression without accurate information being available from the previous phase. The first phase initiates the project by establishing a need for the office spaces. A P.E.S.T analysis is generated to determine the objective. Perth has seen a significant growth in the number of National and Regional headquarters servicing the Mining, Resource and Oil and Gas sectors. It has been reported that a further 250,000 offices are required in Perth by 2014. F, Murphy. (2011). P.E.S.T. Analysis A PEST analysis was created for this project and the following information was recovered. (P)olitical Political is the factors that influence the project. These can be government, economic or even other business. Political factors represent policies such as taxes and environmental. The current rate of GST in Australia is 10%. J, Scully. (2012). this is added on to all purchases. Due to the client being a mining company a 30 per cent mining levy will also be charged, which was introduced in March 2012 for companies who have profits above $75 million. (E)conomic Economic refers to areas unique to economy and directly influenced by economy or comprised by economy, areas such as inflation rate and interest rate. With inflation rate reaching 1.5% in June 2012. P,Flynn. (2012). If the Inflation rate changes it would cause a dramatic impact on the development cost and profit margin. If an increase in the cost of capital and materials/labour rose then the break-even rate from this project would change. The cost of labour and materials could raise enough to deem the project unsuccessful, an increase in the cost of capital would significantly increase the cost of the project. All these areas can greatly influence the development, making them of high importance within the PEST analysis. (S)ocial Perth city is undergoing going a shortage of office space due to the growth in the mining industry. Many companies are expanding and require larger office while on the other hand many businesses are being created. The development has had a large increase in population over the last 10 years. (CSO 2011) this is mostly because of the mining boom, people started to relocate into Perth. 5.2 Organizing and preparing Once it has been proven that the project is viable the design and development phase commences. This involves outlining the build-method and developing detailed schedules and plans for making or implementing the product. Feasibility study and cash flow forecast are generated as part of this section. Feasibility study A company maybe trading successfully but if it does not have money to pay bills and wages then the company fails. Cash flow throughout the refurbishment of the office block will be an on-going requirement. For the business to succeed it needs efficient funds at all times. A profitable organisation can become bankrupt if they do not have enough cash to pay day to day bills. Factors such as expanded too ambitiously, or not receiving payment from debtors can cause this. To prevent from occurring a developers budget will be developed. 5.3 Carrying out project work This phase will implement the project as per the scope of work and design drawings. The Longest sequence of activities in the project will have to be completed on time to insure project is not delayed. A Critical path shows this and makes it possible to control all phases of the project. 5.4 Closing the project: The final phase of the development is closure. This confirms the development has been built to the design specification. There are various testing and procedures to be implemented these include inspections and any remedial work that may result from the inspections. In addition a checklist which includes certifications and approvals is signed off, finally a set of as built drawings are handed over before contractor receives final payment. Commission check list will be given to the contractor and all components will be checked and approved by superintendent before hand over to client. Commissioning of all equipment is undertaken and any faults are amended before all reports are handed over to the client. All Licences, certifications and registrations that are necessary by Australian Workplace Standards, shall be provided prior to the client accepting the project. A Defect liability period (DLP) of six months shall be in place and confirmed by the Australian Workplace standards. Adequate training sessions are held to educate the line managers in each sector. As-constructed or as-removed information must be submitted, prior to the project handover meeting. Executive control points are used in the development, this act like check points allowing progression on executive approval. These reinforce the construction manager on decisions to progress on the project. As the project proceeds through its lifecycle, the clients financial commitment and liabilities increase. At each control point a full management review is undergone this provides assurance that the development can progress to the next phase. It is determined that it costs about 10 times as much to implement a change during construction. This information gives the manager a level of control over the profile and timing of the project. The construction manager can therefore ensure that their project can be customized with minimum delay to the overall project. Equally, these formal approvals supply the project manager with the ability to drive the development to closure. It also provides guidance . The most significant control point in the project is the conclusion of the development phase. This symbolises the projects progression from feasibility to implementation. Feasibility studies provide this information. This information is document into a Project Brief. This gives the client an over view of what to expect. The project life cycle is subdivides the development into manageable project phases, in turn then are then subdivided into an input, process and output format. The following table shows the different components of the project lifecycle Control Points Each Phase is aligned one or more specific objectives for monitoring the project. These phases are all related the principal phase; the names are typically taken from their input into the development. Milestone and hold-points are created these provide focal point for the project team and impose control. These will close control of the interaction between activates to ensure full and proper integration and to minimize conflicts or misunderstandings. The contraction Phase is the most critical and every effort will be made to ensure all milestones are met. Close management is required to ensure delays are addressed. There are five control points that are key to the success of any project. Effective project management: make sure the safety, cost and schedules are implemented in the plan. Management staff is to understand and follow the projects critical path. Critical milestones play a significant part in sustaining an effective development. Cost management: The most effective approach is to develop a cost management function which focuses on all purchases. Budget control and expenditure tracking will be the most important. Supplier performance management: A QA (quality assurance) will reduce risk and improve the overall project. This improves third party performance which improves relationship with stakeholders. Healthy stage gates: develop a holistic capital project program with a control point for evaluating progress and enabling informed decisions about next steps. In addition to minimizing rework on front-end engineering and design, improve cycle time and generating punch lists for handoff maintenance, this discipline makes the project move more effectively. Early involvement is essential Risk assessment and reduction: To ensure the project is completed to a high standard cost controls and quality controls are implemented. This is completed on a day to day basic. Life cycle structure normally follows the following stages: Cost and staff requirements are high at the intervill of the project and slowly decrease as the project draws to a close. Figure 3 illustrates this. Stakeholder influences, risk and uncertainty are greatest at the start of the project. These decrease over the life of the project. Within the context of the generic life cycle structure, a project manager has the option to increase control over certain deliverables if required. More intricate projects may require additional level of control. In such instance, the work carried out to complete the projects objective ay benefit from being formally divided into phase.

Another New Horizon :: Personal Narrative Writing

Another New Horizon What did Mississippi have in common with New York, Hong Kong, Boston, Australia, Vancouver, Venezuela, Montreal, the Philippines, China, and Toronto? Nothing. Those were my exact thoughts as my parents tried to explain why we had to move once again. With a missionary as a father, our family constantly moved from country to country. When we had finally settled down in Canada, I had hoped that I would, for the first time, find some stability in my life. I listened to my parents and nodded while my heart broke for the thousandth time. Though I was only nine years old, I felt like I had already lived a lifetime of good-byes. As I stumbled up the stairs, I didn’t even remember where we were moving to; all I knew was that it was my world we were now moving from. I thought of all the friends I had already left behind, and I couldn’t even bear to think of the friends I would now have to leave. On the morning we left for Mississippi, my father picked me and my brother up from our beds and gently laid us down on the back seat of our small car. He never woke us up, knowing I would cry all the way to the airport. I thought about my best friend, Tim, as we waited to board the plane. I had promised him I would never forget him. But my greatest fear every time we moved was that I would forget. I was afraid of losing mymemories—the only things I could keep with me no matter where I went. I feared that if I just looked away for a second, I would lose my most precious possessions. I wanted never to lose the memory of Tim’s face whenever he laughed at my jokes or the feeling of invincibility when I finally made my Australian school’s soccer team or even the boring French songs we sang in our Canadian classes. I worried that once the bruises from my Kung-Fu classes had healed, perhaps all of Sensei’s teachings would just fade away. I feared most of all that I would forget who I was—that once the memories had passed, the very soul of my being would slip through my fingers. I thought that perhaps with every place I left, an irreplaceable part of me would also be left behind. The passengers began boarding the plane, and my brother and I fought only half-heartedly for the window seat.

Empowerment supports organisational objectives at the expense of the individual worker Essay

Introduction Companies today are designed in someway, at some level, to develop individuals either for their own sake, the company’s sake or hopefully for both. The team has become a sophisticated structure. I t is ‘finely engineered, maintained to a high standard, and when running smoothly it is highly productive’ (Cole, G, A, 1997: 63). It provides an environment in which energy can be maximised towards corporate needs, which also allows the individual to satisfy his or her own needs within work, rather than only outside of it. So often seemingly dull unimaginative and uncreative employees surprise their companies when they reveal the depth of their energy outside work. However it is the ‘corporate attitudes’ (Legge, K, 1995: 104) that stifled them, and when released companies recognise they have a pool talent, a wealth of resources, at their fingertips. In the ‘1980s and 1990s rationalisation and downsizing’ (Legge, K, 1995: 53) were very much the order of the day therefore empowerment became a business necessity. Empowerment has been in the ‘forefront of quality improvement efforts’ (Cole, G, A, 1997: 23). Several businesses worldwide have been and still are currently closely watching quality the ability to produce superior and distinguished goods and services to meet customer needs. The commitment to quality today is very present in ‘service industries, non-profit organizations, government agencies, and educational institutions’ (Mabey at el, 1998: 48). Total Quality, also known as Total Quality Management (TQM), is seen differently by different people. Organizations are reportedly introducing ‘soft and hard’ (Cole, G, A, 1997: 67) employee relations policies associated with the shift to human resource management (HRM). Softer aspects of HRM, based on the encouragement of employee commitment in support of management aims, have received particular attention given their proposed linkage with ‘improved organizational performance’ (Cole, G, A, 1997: 67). This has, in turn, led many organizations to adopt schemes designed to encourage employee involvement. The concept of empowerment has been identified as a ‘recent and advanced manifestation of employee involvement’ (Cole, G, A, 1997: 68). Empowerment has been defined in different ways. Some have claimed it is ‘a fundamentally different way of working together’ (Spencer & Pruss, 1992: 271) and ‘quite different from the traditional notion of control’ (Cole, G, A, 1997: 94). Cole (1997) is able to define the concept of empowerment as an application to ‘none managerial roles’ such as team members. However, he argues there are several possible meanings. These can range from having ‘increased authority’ (Cole, G, A, 1997: 53) and therefore their ability exercise a wider range of choices at work and to be given a more varied and interesting job in the form of job enrichment. At best empowerment increases individuals discretion over how they do their work. It may also provide additional opportunities for group problem solving on operational issues. Empowerment is seen as ways of giving people more opportunity or ‘power’ (Mabey et al, 1998: 38) to exercise control over, and have responsibility for, their work. It is intended to encourage individuals to use their abilities by enabling them to take decisions. According to Potterfield (1999), empowerment will be best defined as a way of bestowing upon employees ‘the power to use more judgment and discretion in their work and to participate more fully in decisions affecting their working lives’ (Legge, K, 1995:84). Others are more sceptical. Armstrong (1996) points out that ‘Empowerment, for example, may mean little more than giving employees the opportunity to make suggestions for change’ (Armstrong, 1996: 76). In practice, empowerment is intended to release active employee engagement only so long as it falls within the parameters for which it was selected as a strategy. In most organisations it is ‘management which defines and adjudicates and ultimately exercises control’ (Armstrong, 1996: 78). The concept of empowerment ‘is based on the belief that to be successful, organisations must harness the creativity and brain power of all the employees not just a few managers’ (Graham & Bennett, 1995: 3). The idea that everybody in the business has something to contribute represents a radical shift in thinking away from the old idea that managers managed and the workforce simply followed orders. The fact that empowerment does represent a radical shift in thinking explains why, in many organisations, the initiative has failed. Empowered organizations are composed of empowered persons, although it is not necessarily true that a group of empowered persons automatically creates an empowered organization. Organizations that are ‘truly empowered have moved out of the old paradigm of competition and beliefs in limitation and scarcity’ (Sparrow & Marchington, 1998: 291). The face of the contemporary workplace is drastically changing. More and more companies are realising the value of more ‘flat democratic organisational structure’ (Mabey et al, 1998: 23) over the traditional autocratic, hierarchical management styles. In contrast to empowered workplaces, disempowered workforce suffers from poor self-esteem, lack of a personal vision and a feeling of hopelessness. These ‘attitudes and beliefs form inner barriers that block growth and proactive development’ (Legge, K, 1995: 63) and manifest in the worker in the form of reluctance to accept responsibility, hesitance to communicate openly, lack of commitment and ownership and, ultimately, in below average performance. Such employees ‘become passive passengers who are more focused on having their personal needs met than on contributing fully’ (Sparrow & Marchington, 1998: 82) so that the company can grow. Because they feel afraid, uncertain and insecure, they will unconsciously sabotage new interventions and approaches. An example of this is the resistance management often experience when implementing a ‘quality management system’ (Sparrow & Marchington, 1998: 82). In this way employees become a stumbling block to progress instead of much-valued assets. In companies where managers make a concerted effort to delegate and share power and control, the ‘results are not always impressive’ (Graham & Bennett, 1995: 93). The reason for this is either a lack of understanding of the nature of empowerment, or a greater focus on applying a set of managerial techniques than on creating conditions that are essential for empowerment to thrive. Where empowerment does not work it is because ‘people do not think it through’ (Mabey & Salaman, 1997: 83). To avoid such failures it is important to gain commitment for the senior management team, and then to cascade this down to other levels of management. The hardest group to convince about empowerment are ‘middle managers’ (Spencer & Pruss, 1992: 92), because it is their jobs that are most likely to be affected. It is because these managers often have the most to lost that they may have a tendency to undermine or delay implementation of a new policy. The implementation of empowerment in organisations instead of the traditional hierarchies means a ‘flatter organisational structure’ (Cole, G, A, 1997: 57), which can give rise to considerable resentment and individual resistance. There are, naturally, many problems that can arise in the empowerment process. Many workers may ‘resist these new responsibilities’ (Mabey et al, 1998: 23); they in fact like having their decisions made for them and will resent the extra burdens (and work). There still may be those workers who resent the implications of greater self-direction, possibly even arising from an obvious fear. There is an interesting theory underlying this reaction. Maslow has called this the Jonah Complex, ‘the fear of one’s own greatness’ (Maslow, 1971: 34). While Maslow discussed this term in a more mystical, spiritual context, it is associated as a sort of classic block to self-actualisation. Since empowerment speaks to the same sort of needs as self-actualisation, it could be drawn that there is the possibility of a collective sort of Jonah Complex at the heart of many conflicts in organizational transitions. Employees may also be ‘cynical and suspicious of this approach’ (Gennard & Judge, 1997: 235, Hitchcock and Willard, 1995:27) as another way to get more work out of them for less money. However allowing employees to take an active part in the change process from the very beginning, and showing them that their organization is truly changing will remove some of their wariness. There is also the danger of the ’employees feeling too empowered’ (Legge, K, 1995: 57); in feeling so independent of other facets of the organization that there might also be troubles in transitioning to teams. Empowerment supports organisational objectives at the expense of the individual worker to ‘speed up the decision making processes and reducing operational costs’ (Sparrow & Marchington, 1998: 293) by removing unnecessary layers of management such as staff functions, quality control and checking operations. In retrospect empowerment is usually advocated to ‘release the creative and innovative capacities of employees’ (Armstrong, M, 1996:386), to provide greater job satisfaction, motivation and commitment and giving people more responsibility enables employees to gain a great sense of achievement from their work therefore. The reasons for ’empowerment emerging as a concept for our time’ (Armstrong, M, 1996:385) is the need to generate energy release in employees by providing them with visionary leadership and a supporting environment and by treating them as a valuable asset to be invested in rather then as a cost despite the fact that organisatio ns are driven by profit generating, cost reduction and market pressures. Empowerment at workplace level has ‘greater justification for management in HRM terms’ (Beardwell & Holden, 1994:582). Management needs to decide how much power to delegate to employees while controlling their levels of creative energies and at the same time ‘not undermining managerial prerogatives’ (Beardwell & Holden, 1994: 582). TQM (total quality management) ‘suggests a system whereby worker empowerment is restricted very much within the boundaries set by the management’ (Beardwell & Holden, 1994: 582). Training can provide ‘an opportunity to empower and motivate employees’ (Honold, L, 1997). Empowering workers in this small way (i.e., schedule the training sessions) during the actual implementation of the organizational change can provide workers with a small degree of control over what is essentially a change in process over which they have no control. Empowerment can be argued ‘as an objective in its own right as a means of extending worker satisfaction’ (Gennard & Judge, 1997: 211). This can be related to the concept of Quality of Working Life (QWL). It refers primarily to how efficiency of performance depends on job satisfaction, and how to design jobs to increase satisfaction, and therefore performance. The early psychological basis of QWL and of justifications of empowerment relating to increased worker motivation was Herzberg (1968). Herzberg developed a theory called the two-factor theory of motivation. Herzberg argued that ‘job factors could be classified as to whether they contributed primarily to satisfaction or dissatisfaction’ (Spencer & Pruss, 1992 : 64). There are conditions, which result in dissatisfaction amongst employees when they are not present. If these conditions are present, this does not necessarily motivate employees. Second there are conditions, which when present in the job, build a strong level of motivation that can result in good job performance. Management very rarely discusses the practical problems in attempting to apply empowerment through ‘quality management’ (Mabey & Salaman, 1997:34) therefore employee views and feelings are unheard. The argument in supporting quality management requires an increase in ‘workers skills and results in genuine employee empowerment’ (Mabey & Salaman, 1997:34). However, in contrast to the optimistic approach is the argument that empowerment through quality management results in the ‘increasing subordination of employees in return for little or no extra reward’ (Mabey & Salaman, 1997:35). Recently, empowerment has become ‘an important Human Resource Management tool’ (Graham & Bennett, 1995: 93) in many organisations. It has been portrayed as the ultimate tool to access unleashed potential and help leaders get the best from their people. In reality, however, organisations that are trying to empower people may be fighting an uphill battle. Managers who harbour a fear that affirmative action may jeopardise their jobs, may be more worried about keeping their jobs than about empowering others. With the rationalization of layers of management, promotion is becoming less realistic and, therefore, middle managers share with non-managerial employees ‘growing feelings of cynicism as well as a heightened sense of estrangement from the predominant goals and values of their employing organizations’ (Denham, N et al, 1997). According to Maslow (1998), people need a sense of ‘self-determination, autonomy, dignity, and responsibility’ (Legge, K, 1995: 221) to continue to function in a healthy, growth-motivated way. When placed in an environment where any or all of these qualities are removed from them and they are instead ‘forced to submit to another’s will and think and act under constant supervision’ (Legge, K, 1995: 221), their sense of esteem and self-worth is robbed from them. The implementation of empowerment can be used successfully as a HRM tool as it provides a competitive advantage ensuring ‘organisational survival’ (Mabey & Salaman, 1997:25) and at the same time protecting employees jobs. However, employee’s maybe compelled to work harder and more flexibly ‘for their own good’ (Mabey & Salaman, 1997:25) otherwise they might be made redundant for the greater good. The aim of empowerment is to ‘enable employees to actually have to deal with problems to implement solutions quickly and without recourse to supervisors’ (Gennard & Judge, 1997: 71) and or higher levels of management. This is increasingly necessary as large and bureaucratic organisations ‘delayer’ (Beardwell & Holden, 1994: 91) management hierarchies in the search for administrative efficiency and lower costs. Employee empowerment is a very important aspect when considering human resource management. The failure of employers to give employees an opportunity to participate in decisions affecting their welfare ‘may encourage union member ship’ (sparrow & Marchington, 1998: 53). It is widely believed that one reason managers begin employee involvement programs and seek to empower their employees is to ‘avoid collective action by employees’ (Cole, G, A, 1997: 83). Employee empowerment offers the employers and the employees the chance to be on the same level, so to speak. Empowerment allows them to help make decisions that affect themselves, as well as, the company. Basically, through empowerment, employers and employees are in a win-win situation. The ’employees feel like they are needed and wanted, while the employers gain satisfaction through their prosperity’ (Mabey & Salaman, 1997: 64). Employee empowerment can be a powerful tool. The now advanced leadership style can ‘increase efficiency and effectiveness’ inside an organization (Graham & Bennett, 1995: 13). It increases productivity and reduces overhead. Overhead expenses are those needed for carrying on a business, i.e. ‘salaries, rent, heat and advertising’ (Mabey & Salaman, 1997: 39). It gives managers the freedom to dedicate their time to more important matters. Managers can highlight the talents and efforts of all employees. The leader and organisation take advantage of the ‘shared knowledge of workers’ (Beardwell & Holden, 1994: 64). Managers at the same time ‘develop their own job qualifications and skills attaining personal advancements’ (Spencer & Pruss, 1992: 38). Empowered employees can make decisions and suggestions that will down the line improve service and support, saving money, time and disputes ‘between companies and their customers’ (Gennard & Judge, 1997: 291). Empowerment of qualified employees will provide exceptional customer service in several competitive markets; therefore it will ‘improve profits through repeated business’ (Beardwell & Holden, 1994: 76). Customers prefer to deal with employees that have the power to manage arrangements and objections by themselves, without having to frequently inquire of their supervisors (Beardwell & Holden, 1994: 76). Empowerment is a strong tool that will increase ‘revenue and improve the bottom line’ (Sparrow & Marchington, 1998: 280). Empowerment is also the best way to ‘promote a good long-lasting employee-customer relationship’ (Sparrow & Marchington, 1998:32). Empowerment also brings benefits to employees. It makes them feel better about their inputs to the company; it promotes a greater productivity, and provides them with a ‘sense of personal and professional balance’ (Cole, G, A, 1997: 91). It exercises employees’ minds to find alternative and better ways to execute their jobs, and it increases their potential for promotions and job satisfaction. It results in ‘personal growth’ (Mabey at al, 1998: 174) since the whole process enlarges their feelings of confidence and control in themselves and their companies. It is a process that makes workers utilize their full potentials. This enables them to stay behind their decisions, assume risks, participate and take actions. It is a ‘win-win situation’ (Wilkinson, A, 1998); customers benefit from sharp employees; organizations benefit from satisfied customers and sharp employees; and employees benefit from improving their confidence and self-esteems. Benefits come with changes in the organization’s culture itself. Benefits require ‘changes in management and employees’ (Mabey at al, 1998: 54). For empowerment to succeed, the ‘management pyramid’ (Mabey et al, 1998: 54) must be inverted. Old-fashioned managers must take a step back and for the first time serve their subordinates and give up control. Old-fashioned employees must also agree to changes. They could see ’empowerment as a threat’ (Spencer & Pruss, 1992: 147), especially if they became use to the convenient old style of management structure where the ‘rules and decisions always came from above’ (Legge, K, 1995: 94). Employee involvement and participation schemes are to ‘enhance job responsibility’ (Legge, K, 1995: 24) by providing individuals with more influence over how they perform their tasks (employee empowerment). Each individual can make a personal decision on how to perform his or her task instead of being instructed on how to do so by management. When employees are involved, they have some influence on how they perform their job. This in turn is likely to ‘increase their contentment with the job’ (Mabey at al, 1998: 134), the probability that they will remain in that job and their willingness to except changes in the task that make up the job. Individual employees are more likely to be ‘effective members of the workforce’ (Sparrow & Marchington, 1998: 76) if management taps into their knowledge of the job by seeking their opinion on how the job should be performed and how it can be organised better. For employees, the greater empowerment and control given to frontline staff and to their teams has meant a great degree of freedom than ever before in controlling their own working lives (Sparrow & Marchington, 1998:166). The power that managers have, the capacity that managers have to influence the behaviour of employees and work responsibilities, must be ‘now shared with employees’ (Gennard & Judge, 1997: 73) through the creation of trust, assurance, motivation, and support for competitive needs. Work-related decisions and full control of the work is being pushed down towards the lowest operating levels (Armstrong, M, 1996: 58). Self-conducted teams have also emerged, which are groups of empowered employees with no or very little supervision. These groups are able to ‘solve work problems, make choices on schedules and operations, learn to do other employees’ jobs, and are also held accountable and responsible for the quality of their outputs’ (Beardwell & Holden, 1994: 12) Guest (1987) argued under ‘high commitment management’ workers would be committed to management’s vision, and that management would favour individual contracts over collective agreements as a mean of furthering worker commitment and dependence, thus making unions redundant. Employees who feel they are in a stable work environment ‘will feel more secure and empowered’ (Cole, G, A, 1997: 94). Advancement opportunities and rewards/incentive programs should also be implemented, as they feed into how committed and employee feels to making positive contributions and whether or not they are recognised for their efforts. Morale, too, provides a good measure of the culture of the organisation. Organisations with a ‘restrictive, secretive environment where information is tightly controlled’ (Beardwell & Holden, 1994: 162) will have less informed less empowered employees. Organisations with a more open environment, where ideas are encouraged from all levels will have a freer flow of information, better-informed employees, and thus higher empowerment. Through the process of employee empowerment, ’employees feel more valued’ (Beardwell & Holden, 1994: 40) because they are able to participate in the planning process and the decision making process. Empowerment gives employees the opportunity to contribute to the company’s overall success (Beardwell & Holden, 1994: 40). This helps an employee feel that he/she is truly valued, rather than that they are just a back to be stepped upon by those trying to reach the top. All in all, if the employee is happy with their job, than a paying customer will see that and want to return. Empowerment allows an employee to find ‘new ways to express their creativity’ (Armstrong, M, 1996: 161). Through creativity, employees are able to make sales or transactions an unforgettable and pleasurable experience for customers, thus ensuring the customers return. Employee empowerment can have a ‘profoundly beneficial impact on the bottom line if used correctly’ (Mabey et al, 1998: 18). Empowerment allocates responsibility to an employee and creates the motivation to surpass customer expectations. In order to keep customers for life, employers must empower their employees to make their own decisions. Empowerment gives ’employees the opportunity to make decisions and suggestions’ (Cole, G, A, 1997: 39) that will down the line improve service and support, saving money, time and disputes between companies and their customers. Empowerment is an aspect, which must be considered in ‘negotiating an effective team contract’ (Spencer & Pruss, 1992: 69) .The team must be empowered to seek and find information across the existing management structures. The communication aspect of empowerment means that the team must be clearly shown where their work adds value to the company, where their effects will show results and where their work fits in with the company’s objectives. ‘Organizations wishing to instil a culture of empowerment must find a way of establishing systems and processes that do not restrict employees. By concentrating on what behaviour is considered optimal for the employees and what they do well, management can adapt, develop and change the organizational structure to produce the sought after behaviour’ (Erstad, M, 1997). Culture changed programmes are ‘commonly promoted’ (Mabey et al, 1998: 132) to increase the power of the worker, through empowerment. However, critics have argued empowerment is a means of increasing work intensity and gaining greater managerial control over labour (Brambell, 1995, Legge, 1989). Conclusion Work place attitudes such as ‘praising teams for success and punishing teams for failure are inherent in our society’ (Mabey et al, 1998: 32) where winning and survival have become synonymous. Businesses are installing empowerment into their organisations to ‘give people more responsibility and asking them to test the corporate boundary limits’ (Graham & Bennett, 1995: 91). A t the same time, organisations are asking staff to be more entrepreneurial, and take more risks. It can be argued employees who empower themselves can be called troublemakers and those who take entrepreneurial risks and fail are referred to as failures. The business ethic which condemns failure as a bad thing is going to ‘restrict its best people’ (Beardwell & Holden, 1994: 12), force them to avoid taking risks that may one day be beneficial and will prevent the team experiencing the excitement of the empowerment which is vital to motivation and team dynamics. The advantages gained through empowerment are numerous. Employee empowerment allows an organization to unleash the vital, untapped forces of employee creativity and motivation to solve business problems (Legge, K, 1995: 50). Empowering employee also allows them to make decisions on the spot. This is very important when you work in an industry where you work directly with a paying customer. When employees are empowered, the employer enables them to offer full service to their clients and protect them from the competition. ‘The rewards of empowerment outweigh the risks of losing the employees themselves’ (Spencer & Pruss, 1992: 203). The retail industry is a perfect example. Managers are ‘learning to give up control’ and employees are learning how to be responsible for the actions and decisions (Cole, G, A, 1997: 34). It is fundamental that management shares information, creates autonomy and feedback, and trains and creates self-directed teams for empowerment to work properly. Managers often prefer not to ‘communicate with employees, and not to share some extremely important information’ (Beardwell & Holden, 1994: 247) with them, but an effective leader must have no hidden agendas. They must treat employees as ‘stakeholders for the road of success’ (Beardwell & Holden, 1994: 247). Employees must have a clear vision of success, because if they are not aware of what success means to the company and where the company is heading, there is no way they can feel empowered to help accomplish this success. ‘Empowerment is not something, which can be passed over from management to employees as a pen is handed from one person to another. It is a complex process, which requires a clear vision, a learning environment both for management and employees, and participation and implementation tools and techniques in order to be successful’ (Erstad, M, 1997). 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