Teacher and Confucius

Confucius What kind of person was Confucius in everyday life? Focus on the following: his clothing and diet, his possessions, his pastimes, the company he kept, and anything else that is relevant. In everyday life Confucius was a relaxed and cheerful man who was constantly in search of new knowledge. He studied the Chinese Classics mainly focusing on the Books of Odes, History and Rites. In his spare time, however, he liked to relax in his manor. He was very picky with the people he chose to keep around. They had to love strategy and the possible success you could get from it.He taught culture, conduct, conscientiousness and good faith and was also picky about who he let in to his school. They had to be modest and willing to listen because he didn’t repeat lessons. He loved music. He would sing in the company of those who were singing. When passing through Ch’I he heard their music and said, â€Å"I did not imagine that music had reached such perfection. † (Confu cius 35). This having been said he also traveled with his students and neglected his family duty. Once when his son saw him in passing and Confucius asked him if he had â€Å"Studied the Odes? (Confucius 102) His son said no so Confucius told him that he would have nothing to use in conversation. So his son left determined to study the book of Odes. On a different day his son saw him again and a similar thing happened only this time Confucius asked about the Rules of Ceremony. The result was exactly the same as the first time. This goes to prove that those who can teach don’t always put their own teachings in to practice. Why is Volume One, Book Two entitled â€Å"Concerning Government† but barely mentions government?Hint: the contents of Book Seven may assist you in answering this question. You can’t teach someone how to run a government but you can teach them how to be a better person in hope that they will be able to better govern the country. One must corre ct themselves before they try to correct others. This is exactly why Volume One, Book Two says little about government and a lot on how to be a better person. Confucius said â€Å"If a man put himself aright, what difficulty will he have in the public service; but if he cannot put himself aright, how is he going to put others right? (Confucius 75) This saying is basically saying one must correct themself first and others later, but if one can’t correct themself then they have no right to attempt at correcting others. In some senses Confucius was a very straight forward man and in others he was just plain confusing. This was one of the areas that he was straight forward with his teaching. It was very important to him that one knew how to act. Despite his reputation as a charismatic teacher, Confucius makes no claim to originality—in fact, it is hard to discern exactly what his teachings are.Why is this the case? He himself did not claim to be a teacher at all. It was h is disciples who made him so. He had people who followed him and listened to what he said and this was enough to make him a teacher, whether what he was saying was original or not made no difference. What mattered was that he had a group of students who were willing to listen to what he said and put it into practice. His teachings, however, were hard to understand. This was because he didn’t want just anyone to be able to follow and understand what he was saying.They had to be smart and make an effort to understand. This was also because sometimes he just spoke in riddles and didn’t give a simple answer. When he did this it would seem that what he was saying was completely unrelated to the question asked, but in some roundabout way it was actually the answer to the question all along. His students just had to think it over a lot before they understood. Confucius himself had no desire to be a teacher but because so many people liked his teachings, it just sort of happen ed that way.What contrasts does Confucius present with the religious figures of ancient Egypt, India, Mesopotamia, China, etc.? Does he strike you as a particularly â€Å"religious† figure? Why or why not? In contrast to the religions of the ancient world Confucianism is more about teaching someone how to live justly. Confucius teaches his students to respect their family and honor their ancestors not about the gods and the afterlife; this is probably the biggest difference. He teaches about what it means to live in this life and how one should go about doing so.In the religions of ancient Egypt, India and Mesopotamia there has always been a priest like figure who would perform religious and sacrificial ceremonies. This figure also had the task of letting everyone know about their religion and how to follow it properly. Sometimes these religious leaders were the head of their country/city/empire and if they weren’t, the leaders had almost always practiced the same or a very similar religion. Confucius was neither the king nor a particularly important person in society (or at least that’s what I gathered from the Confucius Analects).He was just an ordinary man who just so happened to know what he was talking about and how to teach others how to properly live their lives. One could do this by honoring their ancestors and by living a virtuous life. In these other religions, however, there has always been some form of afterlife, be it cheerful or gloomy, and most of these ancient civilizations buried their dead (especially those who were important) with luxury items for them to take to the afterlife. Confucius never taught about the afterlife though.Once a student of his asked about death and Confucius replied, â€Å"Not yet understanding life, how can you understand death? ’ (Confucius 61). Confucius does not seem like a religious figure at all. In fact, there is some debate about whether or not Confucianism can actually be considered a religion. What Confucius taught was how to live a moral life as a human being. He taught that one should study the Chinese Classics and follow a few basic rules of life. This is why he does not seem like a religious figure or to have been a religious man.

Analysis of ‘Teenage challenge’ article

Q.- Read the article ‘The Teenage Challenge' and comment on:- * The content of the article. (message) * The language features. * The design features. * Any other aspect you think is relevant. > Structure The article ‘The Teenage Challenge' was published in The Daily Mail, Friday, December 27, 2002. It is divided into two parts/sections, the first section written by Sarah Harris, Education correspondent; and the second by Edward Enfield (Father of Harry†¦). > The content of the article. The article ‘The Teenage Challenge' is divided into two sections and is written in response to Charles Clarke's (education secretary) ideas of introducing the 18 ‘Basic skills'. The first section by Sarah Harris projects both the positive and negative view points, supported by comments from various personalities. Edward Enfield, in the second section is deadly against the education secretary's views and is rather sarcastic in his comments but rarely supported by authoritative opinions. > The language features The title ‘The Teenage Challenge' consists of three words which perfectly suit the conventions about the title. The sub-heading of the first half seems like a continuation as it begins with ‘OR'. The subheading of the second half looks like a sentence rather than a title. The by-line is given in both the sections. In the case of the first section, the designation of the writer (Education Correspondent) Sarah Harris is given, while in the second the Edward Enfield is just identified as a father of Harry, who created Kevin the Teenager. The beginning of the first half is capitalized ‘ANYONE' which catches the reader's attention. This also provides a generalized viewpoint. Throughout the article; we can see many examples of alliteration as well as assonance. These serve to stress the ideas put forward by the writer, e.g.: ‘picking up piles', ‘from their bedroom floor', ‘top five task' and ‘this is his business', ‘traditional parental' are assonance. The alliteration and assonance used in ‘Parents' patience' in the sub-heading of the first half gives it more effect similarly, the alliteration and assonance in the sub-heading of the second half -‘The useful thing would be teaching them how to read'. The paragraphs are kept relatively short, that sometimes a single sentence takes us the whole paragraph, so we can say sentences used mainly are complex and in some cases compound. E.g.: ‘Yet, with the experience of two months as Education Secretary, Charles Clarke reckons parents should be requiring them to do a whole lot more' this is a complex sentence having one main clause ‘Charles Clarke†¦..more' and the subordinate clause ‘Yet with the experience†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.Secretary'. ‘Of course it maybe that teenagers of today are particularly stupid, but I think they are only stupid at intelligent things like reading books' is a compound sentence having two independent clauses joined together by the conjunction ‘but'. Most of the paragraphs seems like a continuation of the previous one, beginning with conjunctions, otherwise called paragraph connectives. E.g.: ‘Yet', ‘like', ‘And'. All throughout the article, there are words in a single speech marks/quotes. This gives a suggestion that somebody else's word not necessarily approved by the writer. E.g.: ‘life skills', ‘nanny state', ‘top five'. When the quotation continues to the next paragraph, the speech marks are not closed but are reopened. ‘As†¦..without help. ‘we†¦adult life. ‘I†¦.old'. To support her viewpoints, Sarah Harris has quoted from different sources. E.g.: ‘Rebecca O'Neil, a researcher', ‘Conservative Education spokesman oraham Brady', all their words adds more authority. Edward Enfield, on the other hand has only given his personal opinions, not at all imbibing other's ideas. The first half of the article henceforth looks more objective, while the second seems subjective. The scientific terminology as well as mathematical terms add weight to this article. E.g.: ‘botulism', ‘proteins', ‘imperials', ‘metric units'. The positive word used by the economist ‘boom' ends the article in an affirmative tone. The quotes are introduced by, e.g.: ‘Conservative education spokesman Graham Brady said' rather than followed by it as in the case of fiction. The use of statistical or numerical data shows how precise the authors are. E.g.: ‘All by the age of 16.', '18 basic activities', '15 other things'. The slang and colloquial language used in the article makes it an informal one and shows the friendly approach of the writers and their effectiveness. E.g. ‘any of this is his business.', ‘he was flipped'. The use of hyphen gives a pause to the reader, as well as to show the breakup of ideas. E.g.: ‘As any parent-or indeed any TV viewer familiar with my son's comic creation-can testify, teenagers are proud to be ‘Kevins'. There are many compound words used especially in the second half, e.g.: ‘not-too-difficult', ‘over-joyed', ‘rave-up'. The use of the rhetorical question ‘why on earth†¦such trivia?' is meant to give a stress on the basic idea it tries to convey. The 18 basic skills put forward by Charles Clarke is introduced by using -ing form of the word. E.g.: ‘cooking', ‘working', ‘cleaning'. The second half is dominated by the use of the negative words, e.g.: ‘shattered†¦.noise†¦.filthy'. the collective noun ‘horde' which normal refers to hooligans shows the uncivilized nature of the youngsters. > The design features: The entire article is enclosed in a rectangular frame. The title ‘The Teenage Challenge' is written in bold, big lettering and stands out from the rest of the copy. The sub-heading of the first half is larger than the text but not as striking as the title. It is also underlined. Whereas, the sub-heading of the second half is bolder but not as the title and is not underlined. The by-line in both the halves is written in bold and in the second section, a close-up photograph of the writer is also given. The picture of the clumsy slouching teenager taken from a close-up, eye-level shot is immediately striking to the reader's eyes. The teenager covers a rectangular frame which has the title ‘Preparing for life in the real world' written in white lettering on a black background. Within the rectangular frame, there are three photographs and a note pad. The photographs are given with a caption. The picture of Prince William, a royal example adds authority. The second picture uses the proverb ‘knowledge is power'. These photographs can be considered as a photo-montage taken from a high-level, close-up shot. The notepad is slightly titled and comes out from the frame which shows the power the youngsters will have once they acquire these 18 Basic Skills. These skills are mentioned in the notepad with numbering and on alternate dark and light backgrounds. > Any other aspect you think is relevant. This is an article written using the code of written language and still graphic images. This is meant for youngsters, their parents and adults who are mostly involved in teenager's education. The purpose of this article is to inform us about Charles Clarke's idea of 18 Basic Skills and persuade the readers to give their opinions and suggestions to it. The article was effective in conveying the idea of 18 Basic Skills. As a reader, I was able to grasp both the positive and negative viewpoints behind introducing these 18 Basic Skills in school curriculum. According to my opinion, the schools must concentrate more on academics rather than the practical skills. The basic skills can be learned at home but they shouldn't be made a criteria for judging the teenagers.

Strength Assignments Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Strength Assignments - Essay Example The proposal got accepted. Since it was my idea, my team members looked up to me to know the details and where to start. I began by searching my knowledge base all I knew about selling Babson hats. I assigned Martha to fill in the information gaps by searching over the internet. She refused as she said she did not like the idea of selling Babson hats and warned that she was going to leave the team. I thought I could easily convince her since all other members agreed. With the consent of others, I came up with the idea that we all would take her to Pizza Hut for lunch if she did not leave. That came out to be a magic trick. Thus, we all started and it was me who assigned everyone his task. When somebody disagreed, I sat down with him, listened to his objection and would come up with a sound alternative that was acceptable to everyone. That was the biggest strength I found me, that is, I could help others to find compromises between differing viewpoints. I also tried to introduce new a nd fresh ideas to the team which everyone welcomed. We had arguments over the project most of which were so time-consuming that we would not know when the class time was over. This was because we seldom reached a decision acceptable to all members. Everyone had his objections which I tried to resolve using my wits and logic. I would not get swayed by emotional arguments often raised by Bob whom I had named Mr. Emotion and everybody had laughed so much. The only weakness I found in me was that I occasionally became aggressive when somebody came late for discussion or left early or did not meet deadlines. I think I could better convince them to be punctual by being nice instead of being aggressive. I always tried to remain on the positive side during all arguments and this was what all members of my team loved when they felt disappointed or distressed over the project. I tried to lift their spirits through my humor and commitment. I always praised them

Market Myths Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4500 words

Market Myths - Essay Example Myth Number One is that some people equate investing in the stock market to gambling with their money. As a result of this fallacy, a significant number of individuals avoid the stock market. An understanding of the reasoning behind purchasing stocks needs to be well-known in order for an individual to understand how investing in them is different from gambling. It is important to remember that a share of stock represents partial ownership in a company, and it gives the person who owns the stock some of the profits that the company makes and allows that individual to share assets (Investopedia, 2008, pg. 1). "Too often, investors think of shares as simply a trading vehicle, and they forget that stock represents the ownership of a company. In the stock market, investors are constantly trying to assess the profit that will be left over for shareholders. This is why stock prices fluctuate. The outlook for business conditions is always changing, and so are the future earnings of a company" (Investopedia, 2008, pg. 1). It is a rather daunting task to determine the value of a company at any given point. The Random Walk Theory applies, and this theory states that "there are so many variables involved that the short-term price movements appear to be random (Investopedia, 2008, pg. 1). ... 1) Also according to the article by Investopedia (2008, pg. 2), "Gambling, on the contrary, is a zero-sum game. It merely takes money from a loser and gives it to a winner. No value is ever created. By investing, we increase the overall wealth of an economy. As companies compete, they increase productivity and develop products thatcan make our lives better. Don't confuse investing and creating wealth with gambling's zero-sum game." Myth Number Two is that the stock market is some type of fancy, executive club reserved for the wealthy and for brokers and that the average person cannot play, or at least cannot play very well. The fact is that brokers do not hold all of the secrets anymore. Thanks to advances in technology and the advent of the Internet, all of the forecasting a research tools that brokers use are available to the general public as well, and they are really easy to get at pretty much any retail store that sells books and electronics (Investopedia, 2008). "Actually, individuals have an advantage over institutional investors becauseindividuals can afford to be long-term oriented. The big money managers are under extreme pressure to get high returns every quarter. Their performance is often so scrutinized that they can't invest in opportunities that take some time to develop. Individuals have the ability to look beyond temporary downturns in favor of a long-term outlook" (Investopedia, 2008, pg. 3). The third market myth is that stocks that have risen high and fallen will rise again. This is not necessarily true. Investopedia (2008, pg. 3) offers the following example: "Suppose you are looking at two stocks: XYZ made an all time high last year around $50 but

How Attractive is the Keurig System in the Office Coffee Market Assignment - 1

How Attractive is the Keurig System in the Office Coffee Market - Assignment Example The data was collected from these test locations and from the feedback that was received from the office, as well as from the different facility managers in these locations. As per the feedback received by the Keurig company, these managers had mentioned that the OCS was considered to be a wonderful type of benefit, which they were able to provide the company staff and this created a better atmosphere in the entire workplace. Indeed the office managers were really positive regarding the performance and the benefits that the coffee machine placed by the Keurig Company since now they feel that the staffs enjoy the coffee breaks because of the in-house availability of the coffee. In addition to this, the company is also able to save valuable office time with the OCS machines, since the staff would otherwise be wasting precious time by taking coffee breaks outside the organization, at the nearest coffee houses. The flavor offered by the Keurig’s coffee machines was also quite acceptable to the staff since there was a total of eight varieties of flavor. Apart from this the marketing team at Keurig maintained that the use of the OCS coffee machines would lead to lowering the wastage levels of the coffee, that would have otherwise been washed off the drain due to the flavor problems, incorrect type of brewing, or because the coffee becoming stale. In addition to this, the OCS machines could be easily cleaned and maintained quite efficiently. The company also marketed what was popularly called as the K cups. Thus as per the company management, it was decided that the company would market and sell both its brewers as well as the K cups through its regional distributors to the offices. Thus the Keurig company was very successful in this market segment since there was approximately a total   1,700 of the OCS distributors and each one of them was able to achieve a whopping sales of $1.4 million.

Who represents us Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Who represents us - Research Paper Example This would end any need for private insurance to cater for medical expenses. The national system would be funded by the taxpayer, meaning that Americans will collectively ensure a functional medical system to all citizens alike. The healthcare system will not be expensive as it may be seen from the outset. As it is, the system will eliminate the private insurance companies that currently offer medical insurance, which means the companies’ administrative overheads and the overall cost of healthcare will reduce significantly. This will enable that everyone in the United States will have access to any medical services he or she needs with much ease. This is good news to everyone alike since there will be no more constraints as they are now experienced especially by the poor who are unable to access quality medical care whenever they need it. I believe the right to access medical care is fundamental and no one should be denied. It is in line with the inalienable rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness that should be enjoyed by all within the American territory. My elected official in the House of Representatives at the federal level supports the bill. He has been a champion for health care reform in the house for quite some time now. He is a member of the house committee on health and has, therefore, dealt with many matters that concern health care in the United States. Even though he supports the bill, he is of the opinion that it should be modified further to remove some of the clauses and include others. Even then, he agrees that the bill will reform the healthcare system in the United States, since the proposed system of health care in the bill is better than the current system. Talking about the current system, the representative views the current system as overly inefficient and burdensome to persons with low income who cannot afford the medical insurance. The representative prefers the bill over the other

Workplace Collaboration Assessment Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Workplace Collaboration Assessment - Term Paper Example Prototypes provides both inpatient and outpatient care to those it helps. Because of the very nature of the type of company that Prototypes is, they would benefit from workplace collaboration. There are over seventeen locations in six towns that are run by Prototypes. That adds up to a large, widespread, .employee base for one organization. Larger organizations need collaboration just as much if not more so than smaller organizations. If the employees and different centers are not communicating and working with one another as well as with the board of directors, the organization could fall apart due to lack of cohesiveness. Assessing risk management as well as administrative ecology are two excellent ways of helping implement and strengthen the necessary collaboration required for Prototypes to become the strongest organization possible. Suggested Methods of Collaberation Administrative ecology is a very good choice for evaluating and structuring collaboration of Prototypes. Prototyp es is an organization that must work closely with their patients and the environments and backgrounds that their patients originate from. It is rare that the administrators of a large organization work hand in hand with the public. However, with a not for profit like Prototypes, it is essential that the administrators deal directly with their patients and, therefore, the public. ... A big part of becoming and remaining a successful organization is to know your client’s history inside and out so you can better serve them. Administrative ecology is practical way to learn about clients (Weizhang, p. 241). For instance, if the soil in an area is bad, because the area was built over, say a former landfill, that could affect the health and genetics of the people who live, work, and play in that area every day. If a school doesn't have computers or technology, the education of its students is automatically rated substandard, especially in today's technological world. It would be important to have a whole picture of a client, and if the client had a substandard or mediocre education, then that would be something useful to know in dealing with and developing a treatment plan for that client. Trust development is also crucial for effective collaboration, especially with such a widespread organization. There has to be trust between the patients and the staff, of cou rse. Otherwise the company is doomed to fail. However there also exist other forms of trust which must be addressed. Calculus based trust (which is trust that is based on information and decisions); Identity based trust both between participants and staff, as well as between staff members and team members. Institution based trust comes from the laws and restrictions which define acceptable behavior as well as unacceptable behavior (Dawes, p.2). Especially with an inpatient situation, all of these trust variants must be satisfied in order to continue the success of the organization and its work. Going hand in hand with trust is the concept of risk management. Every business takes risks. Some are calculated, and some are not. In a business that works with patients, be it a private

Comm page 383 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Comm page 383 - Essay Example no longer making profits; thus, they cannot sustain a massive workforce, and unfortunately, there seem to be no chance of the situation improving anytime soon, as the president of the company Bob Hastings, â€Å"I ain’t running a charity, and frankly I can’t say chances are good these folks are going to get their jobs back.† Looking for a good job is another work in itself. Besides many people lining up for an interview for that same job, the pay is peanuts. For example, the supermarket packing job that Schwartz went for an interview pays $8.5 while at his previous job he was paid $12.50. Moreover, despite having the required qualifications, the job seekers feel like they are begging to be employed rather than deserving to be employed. A Schwartz puts it, â€Å"I always feel like I am begging†¦..Asking for favors† . Nevertheless, he expresses hope that the economy might change soon, and the likes of him will be able to secure a job and take care of their

The Good and Evil Desire of Macbeth Essay Example for Free

The Good and Evil Desire of Macbeth Essay Desire in itself is a powerful force. In fact, almost every action we take, good or evil, is prompted by desire. Success and advancement is also something we all seem to want. It is something people spend hours, days, and years of their life either preparing for, or chasing after. It is a desire that we are often striving for, and the things acquired or accomplished along the way are how we define our lives. Ultimately, at one’s funeral people will remember a person by how their lives summed up in the good or the bad that has been contributed, and the actions took in doing so. In William Shakespeare’s play, The Tragedy of Macbeth, depicts the story of an individual’s desire for success and advancement. In this case, a heroic man’s desire becomes something evil that causes tragic events, including murderous acts committed by Macbeth in a bloody rise to power and eventually leads to his complete and utter destruction. In considering any moral question one must use rational thinking to come to a logical conclusion of what is right verse wrong, or good verse evil. In Macbeth’s case, his lack of using rationality, common sense and logic caused a normally healthy emotion of desire for success and advancement into a self destructive one because, it continually led him to make terrible decision. American writer and philosopher Aryn Rand asserts, â€Å"Man must obtain his knowledge and choose his actions by a process of thinking† otherwise, â€Å"Man has the power to act as his own destroyer† (534). Taking into consideration Rand’s moral philosophy of ethical egoism, a person ought to do what is in his or her own best interest further proves that Macbeth desire became evil or was wrong because it led to his death. While Rand’s quote in itself is rational and quite fitting considering Macbeth’s died due to his actions, on the other hand, moral questions cannot be decided alone by appealing to moral authority. For example, take into consideration, German philosopher Frederick Nietzsche. According to Oscar Levy, desire for success and advancement can relate to how â€Å"Nietzsche believes that the fundamental creative force that motivates all creation is the will to power. We all seek to affirm ourselves, to flourish and dominate. † (122). Many people in today’s society can also agree with that belief and how it relates to the story of Macbeth. A person in today’s society could measure their success and accomplishments in a job title, valuable contributions on projects and the feelings of joy from recognition or respect from peers thus leading to a promotion to a higher position, monetary raises, and authority over others. In The Tragedy of Macbeth, Macbeth is Thane of Glamis. This social title indicates him as a baron. This is a position in the upper class of aristocracy that includes owning a castle and lands. In addition, his valuable and heroic contribution as a valiant soldier in a recent battle has given him respect and recognition among his peers. This furthers his advancement and success by King Duncan, thus granting him an additional title, Thane of Cawdor. However, the problem with Nietzsche’s belief, no matter how fitting, is that it is an unsound argument because it is a hasty generalization. Not â€Å"all creation† seeks to â€Å"affirm ourselves, to flourish and dominate† (122). For example, take a person in today’s society who is offered a promotion. This promotion comes with a more responsibilities such as, managing a department of people. It is quite possible that this person is currently happy with their position and does not wish to have the extra responsibilities of exercising control over other staff members. Therefore, in Nietzsche terms they do not want to â€Å"dominate† other people. It is an illogical statement to include all creation in the premise. Another problem in appealing to Nietzsche’s moral authority is that a person could simple disagree with his reasoning of good and bad. According to Nietzsche in Goodness and the Will To Power, Good is â€Å"all that heightens the feeling of power, the Will To Power, and the power itself in a man,† bad is â€Å" all that proceeds as weakness,† and happiness is â€Å"the feeling that power is growing, that resistance is overcome† (134). In Macbeth’s case, his desire for the crown and to remain in power led to him committing regicide, killing the groomsman, hiring murderers to kill his friend Banquo, and ordering the death of Macduff’s wife and children. While Nietzsche would agree that all of those actions are good, society would not look too kindly upon the act of murdering innocents. Even if a person has the credentials to be an authority of a subject, there should be ways of testing the truth or reasonableness of moral judgments. As a matter of fact, Macbeth would fail any test of happiness because he consistently had what Nietzsche considered as bad or weak reactions. For example, instead of being happy that his power was growing after killing King Duncan, Macbeth stated he was, â€Å"afraid to think what I have done† (2. 2. 64). His bloody rise to power to gain and secure the crown may of produced a brief flicker of pleasure but resulted in the enormous price of his conscious destroying him. This included insanity in where his guilt and paranoia led to hallucinations in such as severe nature that he couldn’t distinguish reality from fantasy. As I previously stated, people will remember a person at their funeral by how their lives summed up in the good or the bad that they contributed, and the actions took in doing so. Ultimately, Macbeth will be remembered as a man who committed regicide and a murderer of a woman, children, and his kinsmen. His lack of using rationality, common sense and logic led him to make terrible decision and began a vicious circle causing a chain reaction of horrendous acts and consequences resulting in the suicide of his wife and ultimately his own death. Overall, Macbeth’s desire for success and advancement became truly evil that had severe consequences on not just himself and his wife but of innocents. Works Cited Nietzsche, Friedrich. Beyond Good and Evil. The Moral Life: An Introductory Reader in Ethics and Literature. Ed. Louis Pojman and Lewis Vaughn. 4th. New York: Oxford UP, 2011. 121-134. Print. Rand, Ayn. In Defense of Ethical Egoism. The Moral Life: An Introductory Reader in Ethics and Literature. Ed. Louis Pojman and Lewis Vaughn. 4th. New York: Oxford UP, 2011. 531-541. Print. Shakespeare, William. â€Å"The tragedy of Macbeth. † Ed. Paul Werstine and Barbara A. Mowat. New York: Simon Schuster Paperbacks, 1992. Print.

Marine Pollution Essay Example for Free

Marine Pollution Essay From our early years in school, our science teachers have taught us that two thirds or roughly 70% of the surface of the Earth is covered by water. And yet it is probably the most neglected element in the environment. The oceans are home to a diverse number of wildlife and an important source of food for most of the inhabitants of the earth, including humans. From this fact alone, the importance of the ocean can’t be more emphasized. Besides being a source of food, the ocean also provides us with various medicines through the abundance of life that it produces. Around 500 types of sea species have potentially cancer curing chemicals (WWF fact sheet, n. d). Marine Pollution In layman’s terms, marine pollution is simply the destruction of the quality of water through contamination, but in scientific terms, marine pollution is the â€Å"distortion of marine environment health† (Sinha, 1998). Anything that we dump to a body of water that is not supposed to be there is marine pollution. The question whether the act of dumping is intentional or not is irrelevant because the intention does not reduce the damage done to the body of water. It has been once thought that the ocean is so vast that it would be able to dilute all the wastes that are put in it. Of course we know now that this is not true. We have polluted the oceans so much, and in a lot of different ways, that we are now feeling the effects of our neglect. We have to stop marine pollution now if we, and the generations after us are to enjoy our world’s number one resource. Sources of Pollution: Causes, Effects, and Solutions Oil Pollution – according to the National Research Council, the oceans suffer more than it seems in the news. Occasionally, major oil spills reach our television screens but so much more is dumped into the ocean every year and they are not even because of accidents (NRC, 1985). Major oil spills are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to oil polluting the ocean. Oil spills are just more visual, because they are televised most (or some) of the time, but oil spills from ships or platforms are just some of the reasons on how oil can be dumped into the ocean. The following graph shows that major oil spills is second to the least source of the total oil that reaches the oceans. Source: Ocean Planet. Oil Pollution. The part that shows the most contribution to oil pollution is known as the run-off effect. It is the combination of all the oil that is spilled in land that seeps through the soil and find its way to the ocean. Run-off pollution is very harmful to the environment and our health. Not only does it damage the oceans but it also damages the smaller bodies of water that the oil used to reach the ocean. The oil can disrupt marine life, and ultimately destroy it (MarineBio, n. d. ) Lots of marine animals are killed due to oil spills because they come in direct contact with the oil, hindering their movement, and therefore their chances of survival, not to mention that the oil is toxic. Despite the decreasing popularity of oil, it would be always there as long as humans can extract them from the earth, so we can’t stop collecting them. What we can do, is to pass laws that would make present laws on the oil production business stricter, and therefore safer. But as mentioned, direct oil spills on the ocean are the least of our worries. We must properly dispose the oils that we use in land because it contributes the most in mixing that oil with our waters. Toxic Chemicals – oil is just one of the pollutants that contribute to the destruction of marine environmental health. There are a number of toxic chemicals out there that are spilled in to the ocean. These chemicals don’t just contaminate the water, the creatures of the sea are also contaminated and create a domino effect on all those that belong to its food chain. We should be concerned about these toxic chemicals because we are part of that food chain (assuming that most people eat fish). â€Å"†¦many pollutants accumulate in marine organisms, humans are exposed to pollutants when they consume food from polluted areas. † Some studies have shown that humans that eat a lot of seafood are prone to chemicals such as dioxins, furans, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB’s) and a number of heavy metals (Dewailly et al. 1999). Like oil, toxic chemicals also find their way to the ocean due to the run-off effect, although sometimes accidents at sea can cause direct spillage of toxic chemicals into the ocean. These are chemicals being transported by ships and somehow, by whatever reason, end up where it should not be. These chemicals destroy the environment much like how oil does, the only difference is some toxic chemicals are invisible. Seemingly harmless seafood products can be contaminated by these chemicals and be transmitted to our body if we consume them. One of these toxic chemicals is a marine antifouling paint ingredient called tributylin. Trubutylin is known to have some bad effects on gastropods and molluscs (Matthiessen and Law 2002). Perhaps the best way reduce chemical spills is to minimize our use of these toxic chemicals. They are toxic anyway ,so we might as well not use them. Use of alternative products in place of these chemicals might be possible, safer, and more environment friendly products. Anything that is harmful to the environment should be phased out or at least be used in moderation. The effects of these chemicals to the environment and our health are far too great for us to continue to use them. Other Pollutants – apart from oil and toxic chemicals, there are other toxins that add up to marine pollution. Some of these are sewage, plastic, and dredged materials. Most sewage still find their way to the ocean, sewage contain nitrogen and phosphorus. Nitrogen and phosphorus is what some toxic algae thrives on. These toxic algae consume the oxygen of an affected area making it a dead zone. One incident happened just a few years ago and is mentioned in the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) Fact sheet for marine pollution: A few years ago a massive slick of poisonous algae spread through the channels, which separate the coasts of Sweden, Norway, and Denmark. The slime affected 200km of coastline, killed millions of fish and forced tourist beaches to close (WWF, n. d). Plastic is the most common trash found on the ocean. They are non-biodegradable materials, they take an eternity of years to be broken down by nature. While at their current un-broken state, plastics can be mistaken by marine creatures for food which is most of the time lethal to them. If animals aren’t killed by eating them mistakenly, they are caught by it, strangling them until they drown, or reduce their capacity to move, making them prone to attack from predators. Finally, dredged materials are things that are removed because of construction purposes. Dredged materials may contain harmful chemicals that are dumped into the ocean and cause sediments to form on coral reefs (WWF n. d) Conclusion These are just some of the reasons why we should stop polluting our oceans and our environment in general. Our oceans surround us, any ill effects that it experience would surely be felt by the inhabitants of the earth. The effects that are caused by marine pollution can be so devastating that it can alter our way of life as we know it. Food supplies, possible medicines, and the overall health of the planet is based on the health of the oceans. We must do everything we can in order to preserve it, for our own, and our children’s sake. Reference World Wildlife Foundation. (n. d). Fact Sheet no. 30: Marine Pollution. November 7, 2008. from: http://www. wwf. org. hk/eng/pdf/references/factsheets/factsheet30. PDF Sinha, P. C. (1998). Marine Polution. November 7, 2008. from: http://books. google. com. ph/books? id=XcWGR-w4-HkCpg=PA19lpg=PA19dq=Marine+Pollution+Argumentssource=blots=fnpHZgsWKIsig=WiDQH-ietk7MZPJviDXhjEC6tkchl=tlsa=Xoi=book_resultresnum=2ct=result#PPP1,M1 – National Research Council. 1985. Oil in the sea. National Academy Press, Washington D. C. November 7, 2008. from: http://seawifs. gsfc. nasa.gov/ocean_planet_scripts/footnote. pl? per1+1 Marine Bio. org (n. d). Ocean Dumping Grounds. November 7, 2008. From: http://marinebio. org/Oceans/OceanDumping. asp Dewailly E, Mulvad G, Pedersen HS, Ayotte P. , Demers A, Weber JP, et al. 1999. from Concentration of organochlorines in human brain, liver, and adipose tissue autopsy samples Greenland. Environment Health Perspective 107:823-828. Matthiessen P, Law RJ. 2002. Contaminants and their effects on estuarine and coastal organisms in the United Kingdom in the late twentieth century. Environment Pollution 120:739-747.

The many failures that lead to the disaster at the Royal Bank of Scotland finance

The many failures that lead to the disaster at the Royal Bank of Scotland finance Among the many failures that led to the disaster at the Royal Bank of Scotland, there was obviously a failure of corporate governance. So it is only right that, along with all the other regulatory reviews, there should be a review of the governance of corporate governance. In Britain, this is partly a matter of self-regulation, with companies expected to follow the best practice corporate governance standards set out in the so-called Combined Code. It is surely only a matter of time before some headline-grabbing politician identifies the root cause of all our problems: we have been letting the rascals regulate themselves. So it is very sensible for the Financial Reporting Council, which acts as caretaker of the Code, to try to get its retaliation in first. And it is very sensible that it will work closely with Sir David Walker, who is conducting a separate review of governance of banks. Critics of the British approach to corporate governance particularly in America enjoy pointing out that RBS was, in fact, a model pupil. It did everything by the book, ticked all the boxes and filled page after page of its annual report with an exhaustive analysis of its corporate governance performance. In particular, it had a separate, non-executive chairman a central pillar of the UK code, but far from standard practice in the United States a post is designed to restrain an over-mighty chief executive. Yet the RBS chairman Sir Tom McKillop failed to restrain Sir Fred Goodwin, with catastrophic consequences for the bank and the taxpayer. American critics of the British system claim that we are so focused on ticking the boxes that it makes us complacent. It is one thing following all the rules, but boards also have to ensure that they are working in practice. There are a few obvious areas the review should examine. The roles of chairman, chief executive and senior non-executive director need to be better-defined. The code should encourage non-execs to seek outside advice on big decisions. It should consider whether there should be special rules applying to banks it would clearly be advantageous if at least the chairman and members of the risk committee of banks had specialist experience. The review should consider ways to encourage more active involvement of shareholders in corporate governance questions. And not just traditional institutions, but also sovereign wealth funds and even hedge funds. The problem with all this is that, however they are structured; boards are only as good as the people on them. And, for many reasons, the job of non-executive director of a big company, let alone chairman of a bank, is not getting any more attractive. Even good people fail. Example is RBS board. It included the likes of Peter Sutherland and Sir Steve Robson. And, given that so many reputations have been tarnished by the credit crisis, the pool of good people is shrinking. But it would be a mistake to allow the few good people to take on too many jobs. As chairman of BP, Mr Sutherland is now supporting the reappointment as a director of Sir Tom, whom he helped to become chairman of RBS. Sir Tom, the man ultimately responsible for Sir Freds pension, even sits on the BP remuneration committee. Research Question and Methodology: Royal bank of Scotland was a good example of following corporate governance which follows all the code of corporate governance. Despite this RBS had to bail out by taxpayer money, and majority of its share now owned by taxpayer. Board of directors of RBS was all outsiders and reputed on their own field and there was no inner member on the Board. This proposal found a report that RBS trader bought  £34 billion pounds of sub-prime toxic assets in US without informing its Board. The sub-prime assets are being blamed for causing the banks near collapse in 2008. Last year RBS posted a loss of  £28 billion the largest in British corporate history. There may be a conflict between Board of members and Management. Maybe if there were member in Board from inside or from management this trouble in RBS might be avoided. This proposal will try to find out structure and role of Board of Member and Management at RBS. And try to find out any conflict between Board and management which put RBS in turmoil. This proposal will try to research on theory of corporate governance and their practice at RBS; try to find out the impact of corporate governance and its practice at RBS. This proposal will use secondary date for its quantitative research. Literature Review: Corporate Governance Board of Directors The Corporate Governance is a wide and important subject that covers a range of issues from accountability and transparency and the relationship between the board of directors, management and shareholders to help in determining the path and performance of the corporation (Hunger Wheelen, 2007, p. 18). The corporate governance system was designed to help oversee the decisions and best interest of the shareholders. The system should works accordingly: The shareholders elect directors, who in turn hire management to make the daily executive decisions on the owners behalf. The companys board of directors position is to oversee management and ensure that the shareholders interest is being served. Corporate governance focus is with promoting enterprise, to improve efficiency, and to address disputes of interest which can force upon burdens on the business. Ensuring that the clearness, and truth in a companys business can make contribution to improving the enterprise standards and public g overnance. In brief, corporate governance is the system of controls to ensure that investors can assure themselves that they will get their investment back. Depending on laws and other standard it might vary, but generally Board of Director describes as bellow: Those who set the overall path, vision and mission within the business. Those who make the decisions to hire and, or fire any top management member (Hunger Wheelen, 2007, p. 19) Those who oversee management and evaluate strategy. Those who have the shareholders best interest in mind. Those who review and approve the use of company resources, as well as monitoring the effectiveness of the governance practices. Corporate Governance in U.K. Corporate governance is varied in almost every country depending on a number of factors such as the economic development of the country, the strength of the legal system, the stability of the government but despite this the U.K is decidedly different from that of its neighbouring regions in the E.U. There is a unitary board of management and a broader shareholder bases as well as hardly any dual shares and no pyramid structures. (Franks et al. 2004) An examination of the history and development of corporate governance and legislation in the U.K may provide some answers to the considerable differences that have occurred in contrast to many other European countries and worldwide. The U.K corporate governance practices have evolved from an agency perspective and the principal agent theory with a strong bias towards shareholder protection and shareholder rights. The protection of shareholders, in particular minority shareholders is covered by Company Law and is a major reason for the wide shareholder base characteristic of U.K listed companies. The major developments of a workable corporate governance system for the U.K came about due to a few notable high profile financial scandals and public corporate collapses such as Maxwells Communication Corporation and Bank of Credit and Commerce International (BCCI). Robert Maxwell had been taking money out of the pension funds to aid his downwardly spiralling financial situations and managed to bypass auditors and shareholders alike. His uncurbed power made this possible. The BCCI scandal had a worldwide effect. The Bank was guilty of bribery, arms trafficking, money laundering, the sale of nuclear technology, tax evasion, illegal immigration etc. Auditors were blamed again. After these and various other scandals there appeared to be a lack of confidence in the ability of many U.K companies to accurately report on their financial situations. This led to an important committee being formed; the Committee on the Financial Aspects of Corporate Governance. The report issued by the committee in December 1992 is one the most influential codes on corporate governance and has been used and adapted by many other countries in the development of their corporate governance systems. Sir Adrian Cadbury was the Chairman of the Committee and so the report became known as the Cadbury Report. This report made many valuable recommendations on the composition and roles of the board of directors as well as the non executive directors. Some of the recommendations given in the Cadbury Report were the separation of the Chairman and the CEO, the inclusion on non executive directors, regular and scheduled board meetings, directors access to advice, the length of appointments, the system of appointing non executive directors, disclosure of remuneration and the system of reporting and controls. All U.K registered companies who want to be listed must comply with the Codes of Best Practice recommended by the Cadbury Report. This comply or explain system as opposed to statutory regulation is said to give the United Kingdom an advantage in that it doesnt unnecessarily constrain business practice and innovation. (Financial Reporting Council 2006)

Borges, the Apologist for Idealism :: Philosophy Philosophical Papers

Borges, the Apologist for Idealism ABSTRACT: In Nueva refutacià ³n del tiempo, Borges explicitly interprets both Berkeley and Hume as genuine exponents and "apologists" of idealism. We may not owe Berkeley the discovery of a doctrine which according to Borges is practically as "ancient" and "popular" as metaphysics itself. However, his arguments connote a unique philosophical achievement. Borges himself adheres to these arguments and goes beyond them. He makes Berkeley's doctrine flow into Hume's which in turn flows into the uniform ocean of pantheistic idealism as envisioned by Schopenhauer and by Oriental philosophy. A close reading of the story "Tlà ¶n, Uqbar, Orbis Tertius" shows how the epistemology inherent in the language descriptions of this planet leads its metaphysicians to move from the underlying Berkeleian-Humean principles to the acceptance of pantheistic idealism. This story is not only a subtle, imaginative fantasy; it is also a work of intellectual elegance reading deep into the problem of knowledge of the external world. Berkeley and Hume devoted their whole attention to this issue and developed views that could adequately address the problem. Borges avoids arguing whether their doctrine falls under the denomination of "immaterialism," "phenomenalism" or "idealism." He seems either to deliberately ignore this scholarly dispute or to go beyond it in an effort to let the texts speak for themselves. Thus, Berkeley's Principles, and Hume's Treatise and first Enquiry show a common fact: the world is mind-dependent. Noli foras ire, in te ipsum redi, St. Augustine, De vera religione, XXXIX, 72. The first person narrative voice in "El Zahir," one of the stories included in El Aleph, states that according to the idealist doctrine the verbs "vivir" y "soà ±ar" son rigurosamente sinà ³nimos ("living and dreaming are rigorously synonymous," OC I 595). Borges portrays himself as a fictional character — a common narrative device used in many of his stories — and talks with a voice that seems to echo other voices. The attentive listener will detect many. Only a few, such as Schopenhauer, Hume, and Berkeley, have a distinctive recurrence in Borges' writings, but they also echo other voices in this our infinite "Library of Babel." In volume II of Die Welt als Wille und Vorstellung we read that the world must be recognized as "akin to a dream," a mental creation (vol II, 4).For Schopenhauer, no truth is more certain than this: everything that exists for knowledge is only object in relation to the subject, perception of the perceiver, or "representation" (vol. Borges, the Apologist for Idealism :: Philosophy Philosophical Papers Borges, the Apologist for Idealism ABSTRACT: In Nueva refutacià ³n del tiempo, Borges explicitly interprets both Berkeley and Hume as genuine exponents and "apologists" of idealism. We may not owe Berkeley the discovery of a doctrine which according to Borges is practically as "ancient" and "popular" as metaphysics itself. However, his arguments connote a unique philosophical achievement. Borges himself adheres to these arguments and goes beyond them. He makes Berkeley's doctrine flow into Hume's which in turn flows into the uniform ocean of pantheistic idealism as envisioned by Schopenhauer and by Oriental philosophy. A close reading of the story "Tlà ¶n, Uqbar, Orbis Tertius" shows how the epistemology inherent in the language descriptions of this planet leads its metaphysicians to move from the underlying Berkeleian-Humean principles to the acceptance of pantheistic idealism. This story is not only a subtle, imaginative fantasy; it is also a work of intellectual elegance reading deep into the problem of knowledge of the external world. Berkeley and Hume devoted their whole attention to this issue and developed views that could adequately address the problem. Borges avoids arguing whether their doctrine falls under the denomination of "immaterialism," "phenomenalism" or "idealism." He seems either to deliberately ignore this scholarly dispute or to go beyond it in an effort to let the texts speak for themselves. Thus, Berkeley's Principles, and Hume's Treatise and first Enquiry show a common fact: the world is mind-dependent. Noli foras ire, in te ipsum redi, St. Augustine, De vera religione, XXXIX, 72. The first person narrative voice in "El Zahir," one of the stories included in El Aleph, states that according to the idealist doctrine the verbs "vivir" y "soà ±ar" son rigurosamente sinà ³nimos ("living and dreaming are rigorously synonymous," OC I 595). Borges portrays himself as a fictional character — a common narrative device used in many of his stories — and talks with a voice that seems to echo other voices. The attentive listener will detect many. Only a few, such as Schopenhauer, Hume, and Berkeley, have a distinctive recurrence in Borges' writings, but they also echo other voices in this our infinite "Library of Babel." In volume II of Die Welt als Wille und Vorstellung we read that the world must be recognized as "akin to a dream," a mental creation (vol II, 4).For Schopenhauer, no truth is more certain than this: everything that exists for knowledge is only object in relation to the subject, perception of the perceiver, or "representation" (vol.

The Temporal Lobe and its Effects on Language Essay -- Neurology Neuro

The Temporal Lobe and its Effects on Language My paper has to due with the duties of a Neuropsychologists when examining damage or abnomalities to the Temporal lobe of the human brain and the various impairments that can happen to language. The temporal lobe is a vital area of the brain for many of the humans abilities such as memory and auditory processing, an also language. The neuropsychologist responsibility is for evaluating problems in this area when dealing with a client and implementing therapy solutions. Also the duties of a neuropsychologist are in the aspects of research and developing tools to assist people with temporal lobe malfunctions and other areas of the body too. This paper will delve into these functions of a neuropsychologist and how the practitioner uses these tools to assist people with the various afflictions that arise from problems in the human temporal lobe. A pivotal area of the temporal lobe and language comprehension is the Wernike’s area. When theirs damage to this section of the brain a condition related to language problems is known as Wernike’s Aphasia. Aphasia is known as a severe language impairment but with this version the person is still able to speak fluently but are unable to comprehend written and spoken language. (Kalat, 2005) The principal signs of aphasia are impairments in the ability to express oneself when speaking, trouble understanding speech, and difficulty with reading and writing. Aphasia is most often the result of stroke or head injury, but can also occur in other neurological disorders, such as brain tumor or Alzheimer's disease. The effects of aphasia differ from person to person, and can sometimes b... ...areas of the brain. Unfortunately my client’s condition has not improved from the help of these professionals, and treatments for him are almost to a stand still or non-existent. Works Cited Aphasia.org (2005). Introduction to Aphasia. Retrieved May 2,2005. From Aphasia.org. Appel, A. (1997) What is a Neuropsychologist. Retrieved April 23, 2005. From tbidoc.com. British Medical Association. (2003). Mesial temporal sclerosis lobe epilepsy. Retrieved April 24, 2005. From WWW.info-trac.com. Kalat, J. (2004). Biological Psychology. 8Th edition, Chapter 15.3. Martin, R.C. (2003). Language processing: functional organization and neuroanatomical. Annual Review of Psychology. Annual 2003 p55(35). NewsRX. (2001). Area of Language Recovery in Brain Imaged. Pain & Central Nervous System Week. Jan 13, 2001 p14.

Lessons Principals Must Learn Essay

Gary Hopkins compiled some of the lessons learned by school principals in his article â€Å"Principals Share Lessons Learned: Dealing With Student Discipline, Parent Involvement. † He has, however, like in other of his articles, failed to express his reason as to why write the article. Perhaps, and most probably, it was to share these lessons to other principals. Although some lessons may be self-explanatory, Hopkins has also failed to discuss in depth the lessons principals have learned. He had failed to incorporate reason and clarity to his articles. The current article in question may also have a wrong or inaccurate choice of title as some of the lessons discussed doesn’t involve sudent discipline and parent involvement. One lesson discussed in the article is that principals should focus on discipline among students. The principal who shared this lesson held that â€Å"big problems can be solved by tackling small problems† (Hopkins 2004). True enough, any small effort can really make a big difference. Perhaps discipline should be enforced by the teachers as well, not just by the principal, and must also involve themselves, not just the students. Teachers and school administrators are also models for the students, and they should act like it. Children will often think right and immitate what they see among their elders. Another lesson discussed is involving the parents in decision-making. It is, after all, for their sons’ or daughters’ interests whatever decision is made concerning the school. Involving the parents doesn’t necessarily mean asking for their approval or asking them individually. Asking for their opinion on a proper forum or informing them of something that concerns the school which may affect the students is sometimes enough. Read more:  Most Important Lesson Learned in Life Essay Other lessons that were discussed in the article includes being cautious in giving lectures to the children and being prepared when discussing issues with the parents. One principal advised to include classroom observations in a principal’s activity and to talk with students regarding school goals and ideals. Another advised to instill pride for the school when administering discipline. Lessons that does not fall under the category â€Å"Dealing with Student Discipline and Parent Involvement† includes lessons learned from keeping harmony and unity within school organization and, as with any other organization, lessons in politics. It is sad that even in educational institutions politics play a critical role in the activity of administration. One principal said that â€Å"politics, not students, come first† (Hopkins 2004). Seems that education is no longer a priority for most of the people. Perhaps one of the most important lesson that school admintrators must learn is according to Brian Hazeltine, principal at Airdie Koinonia Christian School in Canada: â€Å"we cannot fix everything as principals, but in every situation there is either a best course of action or a fair and reasonable one† (Hopkins 2004). What really is peculiar about these lessons is that they are common, applicable to any organization. The difference is that they came from principals who experience what may be experienced in some other organization, regarding people they deal with—teachers, students, and officials higher up. Another is that Hopkins fails to expound on the lessons learned, confine it with matters of school administration. The lessons included in the article are dull, lacking in details and essence. Furthermore, some of the lessons are off topic.

HND Business Human resource management Essay

Personnel Management Personnel Management is essentially an administrative record-keeping function, at the ground level. Personnel Management professionally manages employee’s activities for individual departments for example in Bhs you will have a personal manger for customer services. It is assumed that the outcomes from providing justice and achieving efficiency in the management of personnel activities will result ultimately in achieving organizational success. Human Resource Development – Human resource management is concerned with the Training, promotion development and implementation of people strategies, which are incorporated with business strategies, and guarantees that the culture, values and structure of the organization, and the quality, incentives and commitment of its members contribute fully to the achievement of its goals. Human Resources Management is focused with carrying such task as, job analysis, recruitment and selection, employee relations, performance management, employee appraisals, compensation management, training and development. But, the Human Resources method performs these functions in distinct way, when compared with Personnel management. Personnel management is about the continuance of personnel and administrative systems, Human Resources Management is about the anticipation of organizational needs, the continual monitoring and adjustment of personnel systems to meet current and future requirements, and the management of change. Differences between Personnel management and Human Resources management Personnel management is more workforces focused, aimed mainly at the organization’s employees; such as, arranging for them to be paid, and justifying management’s actions etc. Whereas, Human Resources management is more resource centered, Personnel Management is fundamentally an operational function, concerned principally with carrying out the day to day people management activities. While on the other hand, Human Resources Management is strategic in nature, that is, being concerned with directly assisting an organization to gain competitive advantage. HRM is a more strategic and proactive form whereas personnel management is a reactive. Human Resources Management has been considered as the strategic and logical approach to the management of an organization’s most valued. The personnel management has functions which are conventional and systematic whereas HRM deals with innovative ideas and are committed to enforcing better business conditions. Personnel management has evolved from being an independent function of the company to human recourses management which is an integral part of the company. 20 Points of Difference between Personnel Management & HRD Dimension Personnel Management Human Resource Development Beliefs & Assumptions 1. Contract Careful delineation of written contracts Aim to go ‘beyond contracts’ 2. Rules Importance of devising clear rules ‘Can-do’ outlook; impatience with ‘rule’ 3. Guide to management Action Procedures Business – need 4. Behaviour Referent custom & practice Values/Mission 5. Managerial Task vis-à  -vis Labour Monitoring Nurturing 6. Conflict Institutionalized De-emphasized STRATEGIC ASPECTS 7. Key Relations Labour Management Customer 8. Corporate Plan Marginal to Central to 9. Speed of Decision Slow Fast LINE MANAGEMENT 10. Management Role Transactional Transformational leadership 11. Key Managers Personnel/IR Specialists General/business/line managers 12. Communication Indirect Direct 13. Standardisation High (e.g. ‘parity’ an issue) Low (e.g. ‘parity’ not seen as relevant) 14. Prized management skills Negotiation Facilitation KEY LEVERS 15. Selection Separate, marginal task Integrated, key task 16. Pay Job Evaluation (fixed grades) Performance – related 17. Labour Management Collective bargaining contracts Towards individual contracts 18. Job categories & grades Many Few 19. Communication Restricted flow Increased flow 20. Job Design Division of Labour Teamwork AC1.2 The Role of Human Resource Management in Organizations Managers in the Human Resources profession have the essential job of organizing people so that they can effectively perform their job description. Human resources professionals work together to develop employees’ skills. For example, HR professionals advise managers and supervisors how to assign employees to different roles in the organization, thereby helping the organization adapt successfully to its environment. In a flexible organization, employees are shifted around to different business functions based on business priorities and employee preferences. Human resources professionals also suggest strategies for increasing employee commitment to the organization. This begins with using the recruiting process or matching employees with the right positions according to their qualifications. Human resources management team helps a business develop a competitive advantage, which involves building the ability of the company so it can offer a unique set of goods or services to its customers. They can do this by hiring the right individuals but it’s not just about hiring talent; it is about keeping people and helping them grow and stay committed over the long term. The Human resources team has to identify needs of the employees regarding career goals and work upon them to make the employees feel important and motivated by providing them with training related to their field of interest. If the employee does not feel their skills are being utilized fully towards performing their duties they will start to underperform due to lack of motivation. Human resources duties also concern understanding and defining the overall objectives of the organization, its mission as well as vision. It does not only include the present organization requirements but also forecasting the future needs and making strategies for fulfilling them. Human resources team is also responsible for ensuring the availability for  training the employees. Human resources management team understand that if the employees are properly trained and developed, it can prove to be the best investment made by the company which will definitely furnish quality returns in future. Human resourc es team is responsible for selecting the best workforce from the prospective employees by using the recruitment options like, Personal interviews and group interviews Trial etc. Human resources team is responsible for ensuring employee health and safety by abiding to the employee health and safety regulations and managing grievances and ensuring provisions benefits to keep employees motivated. Human resources team keep a record of the employee profiles and database so that it can be readily available at the time of recruitment and staffing and also ensuring its confidentiality. AC1.3 The role of line managers in HR Resource The Line managers are managers to whom individual or teams of employees directly report to and who have responsibility to a higher level of management for those employees or teams. Line Managers are authorized to direct the work of subordinates and are responsible for accomplishing the organization’s tasks. Typically the management responsibilities carried out by line managers might include: Employee management Managing operational costs Providing technical expertise Organisation of work allocation and rotas Monitoring work processes Checking quality Dealing with customers/clients Measuring operational performance. Line managers also carry out activities that such as providing coaching and guidance, undertaking performance appraisals and dealing with discipline and grievances. Line Managers are responsible for: ensuring that any staff  experiencing performance difficulties are managed appropriately and working with the employee to identify measures that could be used to improve performance. Ensuring the staff member has a full understanding of the consequences of not improving, Setting realistic and measurable standards of performance and an action plan incorporating targets, standards, deadlines. Line managers manage operational functions that are crucial for the company’s survival. Line Manager Responsibility 1. Ensuring that any staff experiencing performance difficulties are managed appropriately 2. Ensuring the staff member has a full understanding of the consequences of not improving 3. Placing the right employee on the right job 4. Starting new employees in the organization 5. Training employees for jobs that are new to them 6. Improving the job performance of each person 1.4 Impact of the legal and regulatory framework on HRM British legislations have employment laws, affecting topics such as employee criminal record checks, preventing offenders from working in certain professions these legislations are supposed to protect vulnerable people like children or stop unwonted people from obtaining the job. National minimum wage Act was brought into force to ensure that employees are getting a fair wage in relation to their work. Wage and Hourly rates The national minimum wage establishes the amount of the minimum wage an employee receives per hour. Human resources managers should continuously verify the accuracy of the amount paid to employees Race Relations Act 1976 Prevents discrimination because of race in employment. The impact this has in the workplace is a Varity of different cultural backgrounds in the work place and this can have a really positive effect if managed effectively Anti-discrimination Sex Discrimination Act 1975 Protects men and women from discrimination because of sex in the workplace, this legislation is about equal opportunities in the work place across the sexes men and women in the workplace should be treated equally. Disability Discrimination Act 1995 Prevents discrimination against people because of disabilities in employment. The impact this Act will have in the workplace would be there would be a few more disabled individuals in the workplace which will benefit the economy. Equal Pay Act (1970) Aspect of the Sex Discrimination Law Gives the right for men and women to be paid the same rate of pay, for the same, or equivalent, work Gives individuals the right to the same pay and benefits as a person of the opposite sex in the same employment where the man and woman are doing; 1. Same grade work 2. Work rated as equivalent under a job evaluation study 3. Work that is proved to be of equal value Developing policies Human resources develop policies to make sure that managers and employees are aware of how these legal restrictions and how to deal with potential violations AC 4.1 There are many reasons for termination. Employee termination also can be voluntary, when an employee decides to leave a company for some reason. Reasons can include unacceptable performance or as a result of a change in business conditions for example a recession. Termination with just cause In law, termination with just cause means that an action or error by the employee has irreparably damaged the employment relationship between the  employer and the employee. Usually, termination with cause occurs when an employee is dismissed for a serious reason related to the employee’s conduct. There are seven main Examples of misconduct. 1. Theft and dishonesty 2. Violence 3. Drug and alcohol abuse 4. Breach of confidence 5. Insubordination 6. Absenteeism 7. Misconduct outside of the workplace Some common grounds used in termination with cause are: 1. Fraudulence – stealing or fraud by the employee that is serious enough to authorise dismissal from organisation. 2. Noncompliance – an employee frequently breaks organizational policies and discipline has not resulted in a change in behaviour 3. Incompetence – an employee is incompetent at their job and performance has not improved even though the employee has been given the direction, foundations, training and time needed to improve. Incompetent Job Performance Employee’s contracts may get cut because the person is unable to perform some or all of the necessary aspects of the job. Before dismissal the employer, should point out their deficiencies during a performance evaluation and provide counselling to help her improve. If they show little or no improvement, consider moving them to a more suitable position, if possible. When employees are hired to work for a company, they are given a job description that outlines the duties they’re expected to fulfill. When employees fall short in achieving their goals, managers are faced with deciding whether or not an employee’s performance warrants his termination. Poor performance can include everything from not hitting target sales goals and overlooking project details to not missing deadlines. Employees may also be terminated because they lack the knowledge and skills needed to fulfill assigned tasks. Business Conditions Unfavourable business conditions may force you to lay off employees for economic reasons as opposed to poor performance. The layoff may be permanent, or the employee may be called back to work if business conditions improve Merger/Buyout A merger or a buy-out usually requires changes within the Company’s’ structure, which might affect employment. Although the employer is not legally required to do so, some employers offer a severance package to employees terminated under these circumstances. Layoffs if there is a lack of work, or the company is undergoing financial problems the company might lay off employees. The employer must ensure the layoff is fair and legal. Employers must give employees advance notice of closings and mass layoffs. This gives the employees and their families’ time to adjust to loss of employment and to seek alternative support. Unacceptable Behaviours / for cause You may need to fire an employee due to unacceptable behaviour; actions can include stealing company property, or verbally or physically threatening another employee. The employee may also display a pattern of disrespectful or insubordinate behaviour directed toward you or your supervisors that results in a disruption of your work environment. Absenteeism An employee who misses work frequently or is habitually late negatively affects your business’s productivity and can place an unfair burden on your other workers. Chronic absenteeism could be a sign that the employee is dealing with job dissatisfaction. Voluntary redundancy In a voluntary termination, an employee hands in their notice from their job. Reasons for resignations have that included: a new job, returning to full time education, and retirement. If a contract isn’t renewed This is considered to be a dismissal, and if the employee has 2 years’ service the employer needs to show that there’s a reasonable reason for not renewing the contract Workers have the right: not to be unfairly dismissed after two years’ Dismissal when your employer ends your employment – they don’t always have to give you notice. If you’re dismissed, your employer must show they have a valid reason that they can justify and also that they have acted reasonably in the circumstances They must also: be consistent – not dismiss you for doing something that they let other employees do Fair and unfair dismissal A dismissal is fair or unfair depending on the reason for it and how the employer acted during the dismissal process. Constructive dismissal This is when an employee resigns because you’ve breached their employment contract. This could be a single serious event or a series of less serious events. An employee could claim constructive dismissal if you: cut their wages without agreement unlawfully demote them allow them to be harassed, bullied or discriminated against Wrongful dismissal This is where you break the terms of an employee’s contract in the dismissal process, eg dismissing someone without giving them proper notice. AC 4.2 describe the employment exit procedures used by two organisations The exit procedures of ASDA Step One, Resignation handed to personnel manager Step Two Personal manager informs human resources department. Step Three Employee has to return the companies possession of equipment and supplies. Human Resources team is responsible for initiating and following through  with the exit process. If the resignation is voluntary HRM invites employee to attend an exit Interview to gather information and improve quality of work life at the organization. The secondary reason is to provide closure to the separating employee The exit interview Primary Purpose is to gather information to improve employee relations practices Spot developing trends Identify areas of weakness Identify areas of strength Exit interviews are also used to understand, and try to identify patterns in, reasons for resignation they are conducted face -to-face, by telephone, or as a survey. Focus is on reasons for leaving, reflections on the positive and negative aspects of the organization, level of satisfaction with various aspects of the organization. Processing a Resignation NHS West Midlands Step one The Line Manager gives notice to the Human Resources department upon receipt of a resignation. Step two the Line Manager recognizes resignation in writing and forwards the letter of resignation to the Human Resources department. Step Three Line Manager forwards confirmation of employee’s last working day and details of any other relevant information to the Human Resources department. The Human Resources department prepares a Termination Form on the basis of the information provided by the Line Manager and ensures it is forwarded to the Payroll department in time to meet the monthly deadline Step Four the Human Resources Department writes to the employee offering them An exit Interview and enclosing an exit Interview Questionnaire for them to Complete in preparation for the interview. The Human Resources Department forwards the Line Manager a confirmation of Service Proforma to complete and return.   The completed proforma will be retained on the employee’s personnel file and will provide the basis for any employment references given by the Board Interview is conducted by an appropriate member of the Human Resources team. All information collected remains confidential and is stored in line with the Data Protection Act 1998. 4.3 AC 2.1 analyse the reasons for human resource planning in organisations Human Resource (HR) Planning is the practice of determining and analyzing the requirement for and supply of workforce in order to achieve the organization’s goals and objectives, fulfill its mission and reach its vision (Mathis & Jackson, 2000). Human resource department know that planning is of paramount of importance to achieving an organizations objective. This part of my assignment will discuss the importance of HR planning and the six steps of HR planning which consist of: 1. Forecasting; 2. inventory audit, 3. HR Resource Plan; 4. Implementation of Plan; 5. Monitoring 6. Control. HR Planning involves gathering information, making objectives, and making decisions to enable the organization achieve its objectives types of questions HRM may consider 1. How many staff does the Organization have? 2. What type of employees as far as skills and abilities does the Company have? 3. How should the Organization best utilize the available resources? 4. How can the Company keep its employees? The most important reason why HR Planning should be managed and implemented is the costs involved. Because costs forms an important part of any Organizations budget. Whenever there are staff shortages, the organization should be in a position to utilize the skills of employees available more readily. HRM planning determines future employment needs by analyzing current business conditions and current trends within the business, for example over the Christmas period most big high street retailers will employ more short term staff because the demand for goods over the Christmas period. Identifying these trends and planning for them will let the business be in a more positive position to be conducting business. HRP is also concerned with employee turnover within the business as management needs the right employees at the right place to make a profit and benefit the organization. (2.2) Steps in HR Planning Forecasting HR Planning requires that we gather data on the Organizational goals objectives. One should understand where the Organization wants to go and how it wants to get to that point. The needs of the employees are derived from the corporate objectives of the Organization. They stern from shorter and medium term objectives Therefore, the HR Plan should have a mechanism to express planned Company strategies into planned results and budgets so that these can be converted in terms of numbers and skills required. Inventory After knowing what human resources are required in the Organization, the next step is to take stock of the current employees in the Organization. The HR inventory should not only relate to data concerning numbers, ages, but also an analysis of individuals and skills. Skills inventory provides valid information on professional and technical skills and other qualifications provided in the firm. It reveals what skills are immediately available when compared to the forecasted HR requirements. Audit HR inventory calls for collection of data; the HR audit requires systematic examination and analysis of this data. The Audit looks at what had occurred in the past and at present in terms of labor turn over, age and sex groupings, training costs and absence. Based on this information, one can then be able to predict what will happen to HR in the future in the Organization. HR resource plan Here we look at career Planning and HR plans. People are the greatest asserts in any Organization. The Organization is at liberty to develop its staff at full pace in the way ideally suited to their individual capacities. The main reason is that the Organization’s objectives should be aligned as near as possible, or matched, in order to give optimum scope for the developing potential of its employees. Therefore, career planning may also be referred to as HR Planning or succession planning. The questions that should concern us are: a) Are we making use of the available talent we have in the Organization? b) Are employees satisfied with our care of their growth in terms of advancing their career? Actioning of Plan There are three fundamentals necessary for this first step. 1) Know where you are going. 2) There must be acceptance and backing from top management for the planning. 3) There must be knowledge of the available resources Monitoring and Control. This is the last stage of HR planning in the Organization. Once the programme has been accepted and implementation launched, it has to be controlled. HR department has to make a follow up to see what is happening in terms of the available resources. The idea is to make sure that we make use of all the available talents that are at our disposal failure of which we continue to  struggle to get to the top. 2.3 Recruitment and selection process. Recruitment is the process of approximating the available vacancies and making suitable arrangements for their selection and appointment. Recruitment is understood as the process of searching for and obtaining applicants for the jobs, from among whom the right people can be selected. The result is a few eligible applicants from which new employees are selected The difference between recruitment and selection: Recruitment is identifying and encouraging potential employees to apply for a job. And Selection is selecting the right candidate from the collection of applicants. Goals of selection are to select a candidate that will be successful in performing the tasks and meeting the responsibilities of the position. Selection process Selection process involves a number of steps. The basic ideais to solicit maximum possible information about thecandidates to ascertain their suitability for employment 1).Screening of Applications Prospective employees have to fill in some sort of application forms. These forms have information about the applicants like their achievements, experience. 2) Selection Tests Selection tests to know more about the candidates or to reject the candidates who cannot be called for interview. 4) Interview The basic idea here is to find out overall suitability of candidates for the jobs. It also provides opportunity to give relevant information about the organization to the candidates 5) Approval by appropriate Authority Suitable candidates are recommended for selection by the selection committee or personnel department. Functional heads concerned may be approving authority. When the approval is received, the candidates are informed about their selection and asked to report for duty to specified persons. 6) Placement After all the formalities are completed, the candidates are placed on their jobs initially on probation period may range from three months to two years. During this period, they are observed keenly, and when they complete this period successfully, they become the permanent employees of the organization. Recruitment and selection process at Tata Having received the applications, the next step is to evaluate applicants experience and qualifications and make a selection. Screening purpose is to evaluate the application and eliminate applicants whose profiles do not match the job requirements, Short-listing of CVs received from various sources are screened by the HR function within a week of commencement of sourcing activity. Knowledge and aptitude test is conducted for all trainees and laterals recruits. The result of test will be criteria for short listing /screening candidates for the purpose of interview. Psychometric Test is done to find out the â€Å"CRISP† fit. While hiring at Tata, they look for the following attributes C – Customer Focus R – Result Orientation I – Initiative and Speed S – Self Confidence P – Passion for achievement Interview This is powerful technique used to assess the capabilities/skills of the candidate and to understand the softer aspects that a difficult to measure from resumes. After finalizing a date and time, short-listed candidates are invited for an interview Selection Process and interviews for Tata motor cars Duration of written/online tests and interviews 1) Aptitude Test 0-30 Minutes Aptitude Test 2) Technical Test 30-60 Minutes Technical Written 3) Psychometric Test 4) Group Discussion 5) HR Interview 0-30 Minutes HR Interview 6) Technical Interview 0-30 Minutes Technical Interview Technical subjects to study for written test Theory of Machines, Automobile engineering, Fluid Dynamics and Machinery. The Psychometric test questions the test the way you handle situations under different circumstances. Recruitment at Asda Phase one Applications are registered through Asda’s online recruitment system, Asda’s HR team then shortlist appropriate candidates for interview or an assessment centre. Two documents are vital here: a job description and a personal specification. These inform applicants and help managers select the candidates that best match the requirements for the position. Step two attend the assessment centre known as either ‘Asda Reality’ this provides an opportunity for candidates to demonstrate their strengths which align to Asda’s culture, beliefs and way of working. Step three interview  once selected, the final part of the recruitment process involves providing appropriate training. At Asda, each new colleague is put into a specific training plan designed for their role. (2.4) The first phase of recruitment at Asda is automated you can upload your curriculum vitae and edit your personal details on line, this way it makes it simper for the recruiters to narrow down the employees they would like. Asda’s online recruitment process has improved the speed and efficiency of recruitment, making applications easier for candidates and selection faster for management. On the second phase is really about meeting your potential employer and selling your skills and experience to see if you could fit in with the organisations overall vision. The recruitment and selection at Tata is far more complicated than that at Asda this is because of the more highly skilled aspects of the work. Phase one is based on receiving applications for the vacant position. Phase two evaluate applicants experience and qualifications and make a selection. Screening purpose is to evaluate the application and eliminate applicants, whose profiles do not match the job requirements, Phase three are tests to test the competence of potential employees theses test consist of technical and written aspects Phase four is the Human resources interview and phase five is the technical interview. L03 Appraisals and rewards system at Tata Motors are based on key results area. There are reviews at regular intervals, promotions are based on performance, and productivity and rewards comes in the form of profit linked incentives schemes. Positive appraisals can affect your career pathway with fast track options for high performers and interviews for positions above manager’s positions. Tata motor company employees have appraisals twice a year whereby employees get feedback which gives them a chance to look at their approach of working, The necessary steps are also undertaken for employees who deviate from their goals Tata motors have introduced a comprehensive system of quarterly appraisals whereby each employee selects their own key results areas or goals and every quarter they have the chance to go back and asses their own performance against the parameters. For many front line employees these performance related quarterly payouts designed to reward them with incentives for their performance. Tata Motors have midterm reviews for all employees that have had positive appraisals creating an expectation of a salary rise twice a year if they perform well. At Tata employees and supervisors can set up joint participations goals this method often leads to employee commitment along with smart goals Specific – precise and detailed Measurable – with criteria for determing progress and success Achievable – attainable Realistic – Relevant Time related – Grounded in a time frame This system is commonly known as 90 degree appraisal system. Performance rating Process at Tata Motors Exceptional contributor Significant contributor Performs consistently and substancly above all exceptions in all areas Performs exceptionally well in all areas. Achieves a final score of greater than or equal to 115% Achieves final score between 100-114% Consistently delivers on stretch targets Versatile in their area Proactive Little or no supervision Spots and anticipates problems, implements solutions Sets examples for others Sees and exploits opportunities. Take ownership of own development Delivers ahead of time Coaches other Sees wider impact across business Demonstrates business initiative Focuses on what’s good for the business Self motivated Herzberg motivation theory Frederick Herzberg in 1966 came up with a theory that job motivators were closely connected to job And the motivator’s appeared to produce motivated behavior whereas hygiene factors produced dissatisfaction From the way Tata motors conducts its appraisals and gives incentives I can see they firmly believe in some key points Herzberg mentioned in 1966 regarding Achievement, recognition, advancement and growth, giving employees with good appraisal reports promotions and pay rises will motivate employees and lead to extreme job satisfaction Factors leading to extreme dissatisfaction Hygiene Factors Factors leading to extreme satisfaction Motivators Company-policy & administration Achievement Supervision Recognition Relationship with supervisor Work itself Work conditions Responsibility Salary Advancement Relationship with peers Growth Personal life Relationship with subordinates Status Security Asda used 360 degree feedbacks for appraisal in this process employees are assessed based personal and professional skill sets, customer service and multitasking skills to see if they can perform multiple tasks under pressure. For slightly senior employees they consider coaching skills to be an essential part of leadership skills. In this process they judge how a person can train the subordinates. Apart from that it also judges the counseling skills of the people that help them in guiding the subordinates in expanding responsibility and capacity and delegate work according to their individual potential. Asda has redesigned 360 degree program to develop the employee performance through the process like Individual bonus, program The individual bonus factor is used to promote the best employee from their performance. This process aims the organisational objectives through the employee performance. As the Result of this process, the employee survey conducted in ASDA that shows the individual bonus process will be a great success through the high level of employee commitments and improvements through the self-motivation. In 1911 the engineer Frederick Taylor published one of the earliest motivational theories. According to Taylor ´s research, people worked purely for money this approach of paying workers by results was good for the business. The outcome was greater production but gave little opportunity, encouragement or time for employees to think for themselves or be creative in what they did. This limited people’s development and their use within the company Peer recognition Peer recognition is the modern performance appraisal process also includes in the 360 degree process. This process is to award and acknowledge an individual for their outstanding performance in the company. This would be could be more non-financial factors based which can motivate employees to improve their output. One such factor may be the desire to serve people; others may be to improve personal skills or achieve promotion. Employees  are more motivated if they feel content in their work. This often happens when their employer creates a good working environment where employees feel valued, generally through increased communication and being asked for their opinions. Employee motivation is also likely to be higher if the organisation invests in its staff through training and development. In turn this enhances their knowledge, skills and their sense of job satisfaction. Positive and negative reinforcement plays a vital role in motivation in the work place in the form of 1. Praise for good work 2. Encouragement 3. Constructive criticism The organisations leader should always communicate the organisations culture, values and beliefs to the group members. Performance feed back Team leaders should constantly provide feedback to members on: 1. How they are doing in their task and in the team 2. How results are progressing in comparison to plans and standards set out for them Feed back is essential both for motivational and for learning and development to adjust performance and bring it back in line where necessary to the original plan. The manager should motivate his or her team, both individually and collectively so that a productive work place is maintained and developed and at the same time employees derive satisfaction from their jobs. . References Phillip, Harris. Managing the Knowledge Culture. Human Resource Development Press, March 2005. Johnston, John. Time to Rebuild Human Resources. Business Quarterly. Winter 1996. Mathis, Robert L., and John H. Jackson. Human Resource Management. Thomson South-Western, 2005 Ulrich, Dave. Delivering Results: A New Mandate for HR Professionals. Harvard Business School Press, 1998. Gary, Dessler. Human resource management, Eleventh Edition 2005 Subba, rao. Essentials of HR Management and Industrial Relations, Fourth Edition 2007