.

Monday, September 30, 2019

The Ttc: Private, Public, or Private-Public Partnership?

In July 2012, the TTC was evaluated and given a disappointing grade by TTCriders Group based on its performance at five aspects. These five aspects are about fares, transit expansion, accessibility, service frequency, and environmental impact (â€Å"TTC gets†, 2012). Unlike any other major city in North America, the TTC fares covered 70% of its operating cost, which was the highest fare box ratio within the 11 major North American cities (See Appendix 1). After derailed for 16 months, transit expansion plan finally came back on track, still with concerns about certainty of funds.Due to budget constraints, the target timeline of making all new and existing subway accessible has been pushed back several times from 2020 to 2024, then to 2025. The TTC ridership increased by 12. 5% in 2011 while service levels only rose by 8. 4%, resulting in insufficient service to connect our neighborhoods. As for the environmental impact, the TTC collected no data for this purpose (â€Å"The st ate,† 2012). All these issues are mainly accounted for prolonged budget deficits, which the TTC has been struggling for many years.HISTORY OF THE TTC The Toronto Transportation Committee (TTC) is a public transport service agency established in 1954, the third largest transit system in North America that operates streetcar, transit bus, and rapid transit service (subway and RT) in Toronto. The TTC consists of four repaid transit service lines with 69 stations, 149 bus routes and 11 streetcar lines, making 243 connections among them. In 2011, the ridership went up to 500. 2 million, which exceeded all historical records.The TTC service covers the Greater Toronto Area benefited 4. 5 million people. Particularly, the TTC provides Wheel-Trans service that is responsible for door-door accessible transit service for physically disabled people, 2. 7 million trips made through this service in 2011 (â€Å"2011 TTC,† 2011). Toronto Private Transportation Companies 1849-1921 The W illiams Omnibus Bus Line was the first private-owned transportation company in Toronto, which carried passengers in stagecoaches drawn by horses erving a limited area along Young street in 1849. With the population growth, Williams Omni Bus Line was heavily loaded. The city then gave the first transit franchise for a street railway to Alexander Easton’s Toronto Street Railway (TSR) in 1861. After the franchise expired in 1891, the city passed on the right to a new company, the Toronto Railway Company (TRC), under James Ross and William Mackenzie. The TRC made the first electric car ran on August 15, 1892 to meet the franchise requirement.The city limits had extended greatly by 1912. The city attempted many times to force TRC enlarge its serve area, and failed. In order to build several routes and better serve the greater area, the city created its own street railway operation, the Toronto Civic Railways (TCR). By 1921 when TRC’s franchise expired, the city created the Toronto Transportation Commission combined with the TCR (Filey, 1996). Toronto Transportation Commission 1921- 1954 Toronto Transportation Commission went through boom times and down times from 1921 to 1954.Streetcars and railways served progressively in the extended Toronto area. There were many remarkable milestones during this period such as: 575 new â€Å"Peter Witt† street cars entered service in 1921; first gasoline-electric hybrid bus entered service in 1926; in 1927, TTC expanded its lines of service with Island ferry, hydro-electric railway, and other intercity bus service; TTC overcome the stock crash in 1929 and made improvements; 745 PPC streetcars, which are also called â€Å"red rocket†, entered service in 1938; The great moment came on Sep. 8, 1949, that the city of Toronto was symbolized with its opening ceremony of â€Å" Canada’s First Subway†; in 1954 Toronto Transportation Commission was renamed as Toronto Transit Committee (â€Å"A c avalcade,† 1954). TORONTO TRANSIT COMMITTEE AND ITS BUDGET ISSUES Financial Situation at Beginning From the early 1950s, Toronto Transit Committee had been operated by the supervision of Metropolitan Toronto, which was under the auspices of Province of Ontario who united Toronto with other 12 suburbs. Since the opening of its first subway in 1954, TTC had planned to expand its subway due to increasing needs of the largely adjacent Metro area.This plan was facing obstacles because of the quadrupled bus service and the pressure from Metro Toronto to set up unprofitable service to the suburbs. The development of the TTC went forward because of the subsidy of Metro Toronto as well as the Province of Ontario, making the entire capital budget came from taxpayers. In the 1970s and the 1980s, the Toronto Transit Commission was seen worldwide as a ‘transportation showcase’. From 1979 until 1990, it won awards after awards for safety and design (â€Å"A BRIEF,† 2012) .From 1972, the TTC’s operating profit was greatly affected by the request from the City’s political pressure, which was to eliminate the fare zone system to prevent the suburban paying an additional fare. By the late of 1980s, the subsidies from Metro Toronto and the Province was up to a quarter of the taxpayers’ money, which was 32% of the TTC total revenue, however, the subsidy level within the North American cities was still the lowest (â€Å"A BRIEF,† 2012). Budget Cuts from the Province By the late 1990s, budgets shortage became a major issue for the TTC.Previously the TTC’s subsidies were split in halves provided by the Province and the City. On Feb. 18, 1996, the newly elected government of Mike Harris ended the province subsidy for the TTC. In 1998, provincial government put an end to the federal system of Metro Toronto and let Toronto become a unified City. The result was a significant cutback in transit services. The City of Toronto†™s subsidy of the TTC was roughly $150 million, and the TTC had a continental high farebox recovery of 82%. With passengers paying far more for far worse service, the TTC’s ridership had dropped to roughly 360 million (â€Å"A HISTORY,† 2012) (See Appendix 2).From that point on, the TTC has been always struggling among its fare box recovery, city subsidy, and possible subsidy from the province of Ontario. The TTC would sacrifice its frequent service and routes to save its operation cost. The TTC also have many employees working overtime to compromise the labor cost, saying that this way can be more cost efficient than hiring more employees. Nevertheless, the TTC was renowned because of its sunshine list that has more and more employees every year earning more than $100,000 annually. Other ProblemsAlong with struggles for its budget subsidies, the TTC also had been dragged off by other problems such as service cuts, fare hikes, and union strikes. In February 2012, The TTC reduced its frequency service on more than 35 routes in order to meet its targeted operating budget (â€Å"TTC bus,† 2012). In November 2009, the TTC board discussed a fare increases proposal that would generate $62 million (â€Å"TTC fare,† 2009). This fare hike was implemented on January 3, 2010 (Litwinenko, 2009) (See Appendix 3). The bargaining between the TTC and its union had been on and off for decades.In March 2011, at the request of Mayor Rob Ford, the Ontario government agreed to ban transit strikes in Toronto and would pass a bill to set the TTC as an essential service. In a long-run, critics argued that this would cost taxpayers more because TTC contract disputes could cause bigger raise to settle in the arbitration (â€Å"Liberals close,† 2011). OPTIONS FOR THE TTC Given the facts that the TTC consistently facing budget shortage, frequent service reduction and routes cut, and union issues, the discussion of finding solutions for the TTC has bee n ongoing for a long time.Some people think that privatizing the TTC would make the TTC operating efficiently and profitably in the hands of private company. Others argue that private sector emerging in a public transit could be a better option, giving the reason that private sector infuse profitable drives and boost skills in a public transit system. Many others defend that the TTC should stay public in order to serve better for the public rather than only chasing profit as what happened in private companies. Each of them gives insights of this transportation crisis. Privatizing the TTCThe voices of privatizing the TTC is not sound nowadays comparing to 1990s. Corcoran (1990) stated blankly â€Å"mass transit and mass losses go hand in hand†. He doubted the reason of government so heavily involved in public transportation and the seemingly inherent unprofitable operations. Despite the fact that government rejected the proposal by five developers for investment to build the s ubway extension, a public transit system proved its ability in managing this mass system, which was badly managed, underfinanced, poorly planned, and heavily subsidized. Private-Public PartnershipWith regards to privatizing the TTC, many people generally meant to privatize parts of the TTC because they still want the TTC remain the function to serve and benefit the public. Which parts should be privatized could be a complex process of evaluation. City councilor Karen Stintz thought â€Å"adding some private-sector appointees could boost skills on the TTC board without reducing its accountability to the public. Private-sector members could contribute project management, financial and customer service skills† (Kalinowski, 2010). Staying Public Staying public remains its power in many people’s thoughts towards the TTC.These people think public transit should benefit the public in its full strength. Serving the TTC riders at its very best could be conflict sometimes with g aining profit through the operation. Knowing and still offering some money-losing services to benefit its needed riders differentiate the public system from the private or so-called private-public partnership system. â€Å"Keep TTC public†, the message was given through a coalition, the public transit alliance with the members from the Toronto Environmental Alliance, the Amalgamated Transit Union, Local 113, and community activists.They held a $500,000 ad campaign for â€Å"Keep TTC public† to claim that private or private-public partnership can be a disastrous experiment for Torontonians, and the TTC should stay public (Yuen, 2010). The video of â€Å"Keep TTC public† presented compelling reasons against transit privatization, compared with other cities’ transit system that were in either private or private-public partnership. The examples used were London, Melbourne, Auckland, and Vancouver. In 2003, a Private-Public Partnership was introduced in London transit system. This partnership ended in 2009 because the 30 years contacted of ? 7 billion was used up in 7. 5 years, and even overspent more than ? 1 billion. Private companies ran Auckland transport by using the zone system. Due to the tickets difference, riding the similar distance as from Scarborough to Etobicoke would cost $16. 5 in Auckland. When Melbourne government decided to privatize its transit system, its original objective was to reduce the city’s subsidy and increase the quality of service by using the private company. By 1999 when the privatization became effect, the subsidy to the transit system doubled the previous level when it was in public.Till 2010, comparing between Melbourne and Toronto, the subsidy to Melbourne transit system was 4 times than the subsidy for the TTC, while the ridership of Melbourne transit system was just 1/3 of the TTC. Vancouver Canada line was another example for PPP (Private-Public Partnership) which drown money from the bus fa res to subsidize this rapid transit line. This video logically presented the historical cases from different angles to demonstrate the disability of the private system to public transit, giving an inevitable statement that the private company operates for the profit rather than the benefit to the ublic (â€Å"Keep TTC,† 2010). CONCLUSION In December 2011 the 2012 Budget Committee meeting, the TTC presented its less services on many routes because of the subsidy budget cut (Munro, 2011). It is a definite scheme that the TTC will still be facing various problems due to its political context, budget structure, service range, and union issue, simply put as its complexity. Looking back its history and steps of its developments, the TTC managed to meet the service requirement and survived in public for today’s economy. However, the debate of whichever is the best solution for the TTC will still be ongoing.There is no simple answer for this question, but only hopes that peopl e wish the TTC carry on its responsibility in better serving the people in Toronto. REFERENCES: A brief history of transit in Toronto. (2012). Transit Toronto. Retrieved from: http://transit. toronto. on. ca/spare/0012. shtml A calvalcade of progress. (1954). TTC. ca. Retrieved from: http://www. ttc. ca/About_the_TTC/History/cavalcade_of_progress. jsp A history on fares on the TTC. (2012). Transit Toronto. Retrieved from: http://transit. toronto. on. ca/spare/0021. shtml Corcoran.T, (1990). Privatizing the TTC would relieve strain on subway service. The Globe and Mail. Retrieved from: http://search. proquest. com. ezproxy. library. yorku. ca/business/docview/385631727/1383962EB1D56AD7336/2? accountid=15182 Filey. M, (1996). The TTC story. Toronto, Ontario: Dundurn Press. Retrieved from: http://www. ttc. ca/About_the_TTC/History/The_first_75_years. jsp Kalinowski. T, (2010). TTC board could could be public, private mix: Non-elected members, bring new skills: Stintz. Toronto Star. Ret rieved from: http://search. proquest. com. ezproxy. ibrary. yorku. ca/docview/812554793? accountid=15182 KeepTTCPublicToronto, (2010, September 17). Keep TTC public. Video retrieved from: http://www. youtube. com/watch? v=xAmnmehAy3w Liberals close debate on bill declaring TTC essential service. (2011). The Canadian Press. Retrieved from: http://www. cp24. com/liberals-close-debate-on-bill-declaring-ttc-essential-service-1. 614350 Litwinenko. J, (2009). TTC fare hike approved. Blogto. Retrieved from: http://www. blogto. com/city/2009/11/ttc_fare_hike_approved/ TTC bus service cut back. (2012). Toronto Star.Retrieved from: http://search. proquest. com. ezproxy. library. yorku. ca/business/docview/921300938/138368A888C7C5B89BC/2? accountid=15182 Munro. S, (2011). Can the TTC survive budget 2012?. Torontoist. Retieved from: http://torontoist. com/2011/12/can-the-ttc-survive-budget-2012/ TTC fare hike is unavoidable. (2009). Toronto Start. Retrieved from: http://search. proquest. com. e zproxy. library. yorku. ca/business/docview/439627577/1383691789B38A6B670/8? accountid=15182 2011 TTC operating Statistics. (2011). TTC. ca. Retrieved from: http://www. TTC. caTTC gets failing grade from TTCriders group. (2012). City News Toronto. Retrieved from: http://www. citytv. com/toronto/citynews/news/local/article/215620–ttc-gets-failing-grade-from-ttcriders-group The state of public transit in Toronto. (TTCriders, 2012). Retrieved from: http://www. ttcriders. ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/The-State-of-Public-Transit-in-Toronto-July-2012. pdf Yuen. J, (2010). Keep TTC public-coalition. Toronto Sun. Retrieved from: http://www. torontosun. com/news/torontoandgta/2010/09/20/15415186. html APPENDIX 1 REVENUE/COST RATIOS – CANADATTC Montreal Ottawa Vancouver 70% (2011) 56% (2009) 43% (2009) 48% (2009) REVENUE/COST RATIOS – U. S. TTC? Atlanta Chicago Los Angeles New York Philadelphia Boston Washington 70% 29% 40% 29% 54% 38% 42% 45% (2011) (2009) (2009) (2009) (2009) (2009) (2009) (2009) Source: City of Toronto Toronto Transit Commission 2011-2020 Capital Plan, http://www. toronto. ca/budget2011/pdf/presentation11_ttc. pdf APPENDIX 2 TORONTO STATISTICS FOR 1921-2004 APPENDIX 3

Sunday, September 29, 2019

The Godfather and the Meaning of Family

The Godfather A family is a basic social unit consisting of parents and their children, and is considered a group, whether they reside together or not; the traditional family, which usually consists of family values and beliefs. In American literature family serves as a base in our society which can be shaped and molded into many different forms. Mario Puzo’s The Godfather demonstrates family as a successful business, with strict and traditional Italian roots. The story is focuses on the Corleone family, a very close knit traditional Italian-American family, who all live on the same cul de sac and are neighbors to each other.Their business is based on the family’s mafia operations. They live their lives in the midst of crime. Some takes the law into their own hands, by avenging a crime to protect the weak while others use it to rise into a position of wealth and power. The executive or head of the Corleone family is the decision maker or â€Å"shot caller;† he is like the â€Å"Robin Hood† of the Sicilians people. To all those who have proven their loyalties to him are entitled to help from their â€Å"Godfather. † He is willing to help anyone who calls them his friend; because he believes that â€Å"Friendship is everything.Friendship is more than talent. It is more than the government. It is almost the equal of family† (Puzo 38). The executive or head of the Corleone family is Don Vito and after his death, Michael; his youngest son, who later takes the role. In a sense, both in the novel and film begin and ends with â€Å"the Godfather† and some may call him â€Å"the Don. † Through they both have very different experiences, they are believed to be â€Å"infinitely more intelligent and less obviously corrupt than any of the other characters† developed in the story (Williams 77).Both are willing to accommodate their competitors, take a step back, and not get involved unless necessary, for they beli eve to never hate your enemies because it affects your judgment and to keep their friends close and their enemies closer However, they are considered to be the most powerful organized crime family in the United States. â€Å"Great men are not born great, they grow great, and so it was with Vito Corleone. †¦ Vito Corleone made the final step from a quite ordinary, somewhat ruthless businessman to a great Don in the world of criminal enterprise.It did not happen in a day, it did not happen in a year, but by the end of the Prohibition period and the start of the Great Depression, Vito Corleone had become the Godfather, the Don, Don Corleone† (Puzo 213). A family of organized crime that is sometimes portrayed as so caring and helpful, that we don’t always think of them as bad guys per say. They have respect and are behaved in a way that is very elegant. But of course there are times when they must take action upon themselves even if it is against the law.It is a known that the main focus of a stereotypical Mafia family is centered around the use of violence. For instance, in both the novel and film, Connie Corleone; the daughter of the Don Vito gets married to an abusive and gets beaten down while pregnant, which later becomes one of the reasons for his death. Aside from that we also see many deaths cause by the vengeance and business. Another example is the opening of the movie, when Bonasera states â€Å"I believe in America. America has made my fortune. And I raised my daughter in the American fashion.I gave her freedom, but — I taught her never to dishonor her family† as he tells Don Vito, his grief about what had happen to his daughter (The Godfather). The family is cruel yet respectable, violent yet sophisticated and heartless, but not without rules. We as a viewer or a reader can overlook the evil and come to sympathize with the Corleone family. The Godfather permits an audience to support the mafia lifestyle and the sins th ey’ve commit. We overlook what is supposed to be right and sympathize with the lifestyle of these mobsters.We side with Corleone’s crime because of such quotes like â€Å"A man who doesn’t spend time with his family can never be a real man,† when Don Vito Corleone says this, we as the audience find ourselves liking a character they might not otherwise like. In America we tend to sympathize with people who are compassionate and are family oriented. Those who make their family priority number one, who shows and express true respect and defines a man by the amount of time he spends with those he loves. The Godfather narrative was able to supply the idea of a â€Å"strong and benevolent father to take care of both family and an unimpeded business life,† as stated in the MELUS Article, â€Å"The Godfather and American Culture: How the Corleones Became ‘Our Gang’† by Mary Ann Mannino. This simple image of a genuine family value allows for anyone to relate and understand the character even though at times the character may be immoral. Towards the end, Michael states â€Å"if I can die saying, â€Å"Life is so beautiful,† then nothing else is important.If I can believe in myself that much, nothing else matters. He would follow his father. He would care for his children, his family, his world. But his children would grow in a different world. They would be doctors, artists, scientists. Governors. Presidents. Anything at all. He would see to it that they joined the general family of humanity, but he, as a powerful and prudent parent would most certainly keep a wary eye on that general family† when family again is reconfirmed (Puzo 411). Works Cited Mannino, Mary Ann. The Godfather and American Culture: How the Corleones Became ‘Our Gang. ‘. † MELUS 28. 3 (2003): 218-232. Literature Resource Center. Web. 16 Nov. 2012. Puzo, Mario. â€Å"The Godfather. † Greenwich: Fawecett, 1969 . Print. Simon, William. â€Å"Analysis of the Structure of The Godfather, Part One. † Studies in the Literary Imagination 16. 1 (1983): 75-90. Rpt. in Contemporary Literary Criticism Select. Detroit: Gale, 2008. Literature Resource Center. Web. 14 Nov. 2012. The Godfather. Dir. Francis Ford Coppola. Perf. Marlon Brando and Al Pacino. Paramount Pictures. 1972. DVD.

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Benefits Of Developing Conservation Strategies Environmental Sciences Essay

Benefits Of Developing Conservation Strategies Environmental Sciences Essay Increases in the human population and degradation of habitats have caused many species that were formerly common to decline to near extinction. As a result, we have become increasingly involved in attempting to preserve populations of rare or endangered species (Deborah T., 1987). Over the last two decades almost all arguments about nature conservation have involved the issue of biological diversity and ways to preserve it. These discussions culminated in the 1992 Convention on Biological Diversity and its implementation (Glowka L, 1994). The conservation of biodiversity is a vast undertaking, requiring the mobilization of existing data, huge amounts of new information, and the monitoring and management of wildlife on an unprecedented scale (Malcolm L. Hunter, 2007). The biologists are fairly skilled at looking at the big picture, at seeing forests not just trees. They understand that we cannot maintain genetic diversity without maintaining species diversity and that we cannot maint ain species without maintaining without ecosystem diversity (Malcolm L. Hunter, 2007). In addition, the size of a habitat and the number of species it can support are systematically related. Physically larger species and those living at lower latitudes or in forests or oceans are more sensitive to reduction in habitat area (Drakare S, 2006).Therefore, endangered species conservation requires many lines of inquiry to provide the evidence required for a holistic approach to conservation planning (Sutaria D 2009). Conservation biology is reforming around strategic plans that include principles, guidelines, and tools for the purpose of protecting biodiversity (M. E. Soule, 1986). Conservation biology is crisis-oriented and multi-disciplinary, including ecology, social organization, education, and other disciplines outside of biology (F. van Dyke, 2008). Preserving biodiversity is a global priority in strategic conservation plans that are designed to engage public policy and concerns aff ecting local, regional and global scales of communities, ecosystems, and cultures (Gascon C., 2007). Action plans identify ways of sustaining human well-being, employing natural capital, market capital, and ecosystem services (G. W. Luck, 2003). A strategy, simply defined, is a set of actions that a conservation project implements to reduce threats, capitalize on important opportunities. Examples of strategies include building the capacity of local law enforcement, educating schoolchildren about wildlife, and developing alternative livelihood options such as ecotourism. One could say that the conservation of endangered species to be effective, both biological and social elements of the conservation process must be considered as a basic for minimizing threats (Beasley L. 2007). This essay will discusses about evaluating the conservation costs and benefits of developing conservation strategies focusing on species, then habitats and finally on the resources. Biological species – tigers, butterflies, trees, frogs, whales, and so on are integral to nature; they are the players on the stage; species and their interrelationships, including the relationship to people. Many of the closest relationships human beings have established with nature are based on species (IUCN, 2008). There are several strategies that are beneficial for species and human. One of several strategies is the Opportunities for Debt Investment in Environmental Conservation. By combining microfinance lending approaches with performance-based payments for conservation of environmental assets, long-term incentives for environmental conservation and sustainable economic development can be coupled. For example, migratory species like loggerhead and leatherback sea turtles suffer from a suite of human impacts, including harvest of eggs and adults on nesting beaches across many Pacific island nations and mortality from industrial fishing on the high seas. These species are at a critical point, it h as been estimated that loggerhead turtles may be extinct in 50 years. Some governments have taken steps to minimize impacts on marine turtles by limiting coastal development and regulating fisheries, at some cost to the public and private sectors. Investment in endangered species recovery in low-income countries can deliver local benefits, such as increased opportunities for sustainable harvest, nature-based tourism or other non-turtle related economic activities, as well as monetary and non-monetary dividends back to governments’ .There are a number of potential advantages with using debt investment as a tool for environmental conservation. The program is aimed directly at improving livelihoods and lending can be targeted at reducing unsustainable resource use, an environmental mortgage program could directly address the alleviation of poverty. In some instances local people are as motivated, or even more motivated than conservationists to protect the animals in their homela nd, especially when they represent a valuable resource for food or commerce. But for some communities, it comes down to protecting animals that are as much a part of a hostile environment as drought or fire (C. Josh Donlan). As with African villagers expected to protect an elephant herd that continually destroys their crops and leaves them hungry without a means of generating income. For example, when villagers living in or near a game reserve are told by authorities that they can’t hunt an animal because it is endangered even as they are struggling with hunger. Although, the African elephants are protected by CITES (Kimbra C, 2010).

Friday, September 27, 2019

Analysis of Apocalypse Film Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Analysis of Apocalypse Film - Essay Example Apocalypse is a film that features Vietnamese at war. This reveals how people from Vietnam were tired of taking orders from the Americans thus started a revolution meant to refute humiliation by their superiors. Many people incurred severe injuries during the war while others lost their minds due to the trauma they experienced. Benjamin is the main character, and he is suffering from posttraumatic experience, which affects him to the extent of divorcing his wife. Well, organization coupled with employing of diverse styles in this film has immensely helped in bringing out its themes effectively. Besides, editing of the film has benefit to it owing to its alignment of diverse scenes that comprise the film, hence making both the characters and their settings are in harmony. Apocalypse film starts with the words â€Å"Apocalypse Now†. Viewers hear the sound of a helicopter behind the screen and they are able to see a beautiful jungle that is full of life. Some minutes later a-bomb, napalm, and fire are experienced all over the jungle. Viewers see the helicopters as they drop the bombs and the destruction that is taking place. A beautiful man appears in the jungle but his image is upside down, he is shell-shocked and he looks lifeless. The man is smoking a cigarette that appears as if it is getting life from the fire of destruction. The man is alive but appears to be dead since he is hallucinating or he is remembering something in his life. Lighting is a crucial element in the movie together with the fogs and shadows. The look of the film is dark and shadowy incorporating the theme of war and the dark journey soldiers undertake. Willard begins the journey riding his boat at dusk. As the journey begins the light is high but the film gets darker as the journey gets deeper and deeper. Lighting in the film represents dangers in the jungle and the metaphorical journey soldiers undertake in spiritual land. Lights in the film are brash and painful to the eyes as the blacks are demanding and tiresome.  

Thursday, September 26, 2019

Discuss the ways in which recent work in areas related to Essay

Discuss the ways in which recent work in areas related to organisational theory have challenged or contributed to conventional understandings of the subject - Essay Example The persons working for a profitable organisation will receive rewards in the form of salaries. If it is a non profitable organisation like The Salvation Army then the rewards could simply be prestige, social interaction or just the satisfaction of helping others.. â€Å"An organisation is a group that makes up a legal entity which has boundaries, holds responsibilities to others, can be liable for all sorts of damages, and thus can be taken to court if they conduct their business in an inappropriate manner which goes against morals, has ill effects on individuals or other organisations† (Evan Sycamnias - Evolution of organisational theory). All groups are not organisations. Consider the case of a football or cricket team. Even though they form a group and work for a common aim to win the matches, they cannot be referred as an organisation. It can be considered as a sub group of an organisation, the football club. The goals of an organisation are difficult to define. From a sociological perspective we could think of organisations as providing services, generating wealth and providing infrastructure to the members of the society. The goals of organisations are multi- faceted and not readily amenable to definition. In order to make a group an organisation the group should follow certain criteria. The group should be properly registered under the government authorities who will provide them the registration codes and other details. An organisation is thus become a legal entity and will have certain responsibilities and duties which abide the by the laws and regulations of the country. Organisational culture can be defined as of the shared knowledge, values, and beliefs of the members of the organisation. Organisations can be of two types: Profitable and non profitable organisations. Multinational corporate companies or manufactures of certain product or services can be called as profitable organisations. Salvation Army, LTTE in Sri

Nutritional Knowledge amongst community pharmacists Dissertation

Nutritional Knowledge amongst community pharmacists - Dissertation Example Appendix 3: Results of Reliability Analysis 57 Acknowledgment Nutritional Knowledge amongst Pharmacists Abstract This study ventured to examine the nutritional knowledge and awareness among community pharmacists in the West Yorkshire region in the United Kingdom, to find ways by which the potential of this group of health care professionals can be harnessed to advance health promotion and disease prevention in the neighbourhood. Descriptive research was adopted in the conduct of the study, utilizing quantitative techniques and survey methodology. A 37-item researcher-constructed questionnaire was developed and piloted to establish stability reliability using the pre-test - post-test procedure. Respondents were selected by way of simple random sampling, where a total of 84 respondents voluntarily participated in the study. Results of the study were presented using both descriptive and inferential measures. Key findings revealed that the respondents are most knowledgeable in the areas of pregnancy and elderly and general nutrition and that these pharmacists are taking an active stance in their expanding role as nutrition counsellors. However, 87.5% of the pharmacists admitted they do not have sufficient nutritional background. The nutritional assessment showed that the mean overall percentage score was 62.81%. Only the scores in the areas of general nutrition and drug – nutrient interactions showed significant relationship with nutritional background. Among the recommendations formulated to support the counsellor role of the community pharmacists are: incorporation of substantial modules in nutrition in the pharmacy curriculum, institution of formal mechanisms to foster interest among pharmacist to hone their expertise in nutritional counselling, and encouraging research in the field of nutrition in the pharmaceutical context. 1.0. Introduction and Literature Review The role of a professional pharmacist was depicted by Reeves (2005) as one which â€Å"has fitted itself and its practitioner to the needs of the public health and welfare, whatever they might be and regardless of mode or pattern ... [one] who holds dear the glorious heritage of the thousands of years† (p. 175). The task of pharmacists may be traced back early in history to be of common ancestry with a physician in general practice as apothecaries. As recalled by Bond (2009), apothecaries used to dispense medicines prescribed by doctors, and / or recommend medications for those members of the population who can not afford to consult a physician. In the modern era, pharmacists are health care professionals whose specialty includes the actions, use and chemistry of drugs, as well as their formulation into medicines, and the methods by which these are utilised in the management of illnesses. The main function of a pharmacist is, therefore, to apply such expertise to enhance the efficacy of patient care. Another role of a pharmacist is to guide patients in deriving the greatest benefit from their prescribed medication and in offering advice to the general public regarding the management of the so-called self-limiting and minor conditions (Bond, 2009). Pharmacists also help consumers in the selection of effective medications from a range of over-the-counter drugs or as members of a team of health care professionals. Traditionally, pharmacists practice their profession in association with a health care facility or either as independent or salaried

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Environments of organization Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Environments of organization - Essay Example To create the fruit of this cooperative enterprise, LEJ employs about eleven full time staff and employs approximately fifty paid youth interns each year. Pfeffer & Salancik argue that Organizations are inescapably bound up with the conditions of their environment & they engage in activities which lead them to quicker adjustment in their environment (Pfeffer p.233). The Resource Dependency Theory (RDT) developed by Pfeffer & Salancik highlights that most important task of an organization is to survive & the most influencing factor on the shape of an organization is not how it consumes resources but how it acquires it (Pfeffer p.234). Therefore according to Pfeffer & Salancik, the effective organization is the one which satisfies the demand of those in the environment from whom it requires support for its continued existence (Pfeffer p.242) DiMaggio & Powell similarly argue in their seminal article on institutional isomorphism & collective rationality that organizations tend to look more and more similar the more an organizational field develops (DiMaggio & Powell, P.147). This process which they name Isomorphism in organization not necessarily drives it towards more efficiency but more acceptability. They argue that the major factor which organizations must take into account is other organizations as they not only compete for resources and customers but also political power & institutional legitimacy (DiMaggio & Powell, P.150). They suggest three mechanisms for this change which they term as coercive, mimetic & normative isomorphism. The biggest survival issue for any non-profit organization like LEJ is the constant supply of funding to various projects. With propping up of new non-profit organization with the same domain of work & the temporary down turn in economy post 9/11 caused LEJ to reconsider its funding issues. The leadership decided to stick to its mission principle and reject any funding & project proposals which are outside its scope to create an image of a principled organization which appeals to donors having environment related donations. This required restructuring, introducing processes within the organization which makes channelizing of ideas easily into grants proposals and actively pursuing potential donors for grants and ideas which can quickly be converted to grant proposals. This resulted into creation of a slot for full time grant writer, who can convert ideas into grant proposals. This was a classical attempt to improve their chances of securing their resources which in case of non-profi ts is extremely important. As Pfeffer & Salancik have argues that organizations always attempt to secure their resources without owning it (Pfeffer & Salancik, p. 236) in the environments once continuous availability of a resource is a problematic issue. Coercive Isomorphism always comes into play while dealing with Government & Donors (in case of non-profits). The constant change of government's procedures to ensure check and balances in non-profit organizations, LEJ has to constantly transform how it works through employee orientation and training for the departments which deal with government like taxations and audits etc. Moreover funding by donors also comes with certain compulsions in denial of donations to certain projects and emphasis on certain others, LEJ has to ensure that they constantly satisfy their

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Abbott Alkaloidal Company Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Abbott Alkaloidal Company - Term Paper Example The common stock of the company is traded in the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) under the symbol ABT. The closing price of ABT stock on September 3, 2011 was $51.04. Abbott has a staff composed of over 90,000 employees worldwide. In 2010 the company generated $35.2 billion in sales. The company operates over 100 facilities globally. The corporate headquarters of the company are located in Chicago, Illinois and the CEO of the company is Miles D. White. SWOT Analysis A strength Abbott has is its tremendous variety of healthcare products. The company has a managerial staff that is fully committed to the R&D process. In 2010 firm invested $3.7 billion in research and development. The financials of the company are solid. The firm generated 2010 net income of $4.6 billion. The net margin of Abbott in 2010 was 13%. The firm’s profitability performance is quite impressive considering that in 2010 most companies in the industry loss money and as a result the industry average net margin was-23.9%. Abbott has paid a growing dividend for 39 consecutive years. A weakness Abbott has is that it faces lots of competition in the pharmaceutical sector. Another inherent weakness of the company is that pharmaceutical companies have to spend over $800 million to develop a new drugÃ'Ž A third weakness Abbott faces is strict regulatory environment which includes compliance with FDA rules and protocols. A threat Abbott faces is the production of counterfeit d rugs. Counterfeiting is a multi-billion industry that targets the pharmaceutical, software, and apparel industries among others. A second threat the company faces is the launch of new drugs that are more effective and cheaper than their products. A third major threat Abbott faces is not being able to recruit sufficient scientists with the specialized skills needed due to a shortage of available talent in technical professions. Another threat that Abbott must be aware of is the possibility of lawsuits by customers who claim one or more of their products are defective. These customers could claim that instead of helping the products hurt the health of the customers. There are opportunities that Abbott can exploit to achieve greater growth. The company currently does not have a market presence in 35% of the countries of the world. A goal for the company should be to achieve penetration in 100% of the world’s nations. The firm has other opportunities that can be achieved through innovation such as becoming the first company to find a vaccine for the AIDS/HIV virus. A cure for cancer is another breakthrough project that could generate the company billions of dollars in revenues. Strategic Objectives A strategic objective of the company is to use a diversified product offering to differentiate Abbott from the competition and to achieve superior operating performance. The strategic objectives of the firm were achieved in 2010 through growth of existing product lines, new product launches, geographic expansion and acquisitions (Annual Report: Abbott, 2010). Plans to Meet Objectives For the firm to meet its strategic objectives the executive management team has to implement various tactics and strategic options that will allow the firm to continue its path towards greater success. The firm can achieve better international growth by aggressively expanding its business in emerging economies outside the United States. China represents a market that must be target m ore aggressively by the

Monday, September 23, 2019

Cultural Differences in Uncertainty Reduction Essay

Cultural Differences in Uncertainty Reduction - Essay Example The basic difference between high context cultures and low context ones is that while high context cultures view communication as a means for social bonding, low context cultures see it as a means for information transmission. As a result people while people from these varied cultural backgrounds are faced with anxiety when dealing with strangers, the manner in which they tackle the issue is rather different. Charles Berger's Uncertainty Reduction Theory deals with this concept of 'uncertainty' and focuses on how different aspects of communication can increase or decrease our uncertainty level about others Uncertainty reduction is all about understanding a stranger and being able to predict and explain his/her behaviour in a given context. (Griffin, 2006)The first part of this paper focuses on Charles Berger's uncertainty reduction theory and how this theory is important to our understanding of communication between cultures. The second part of the paper discusses the issue of cultural differences between societies and individuals. This section will describe the various characteristics of high and low context cultures and how they try to reduce uncertainty while dealing with strangers. Expanding on Berger's theory,. ... Expanding on Berger's theory,. William Gudykunst and his colleagues found out that all cultures seek to reduce anxiety and uncertainty in the initial stages of the relationship, but they do so in different ways (Littlejohn & Foss, 2004). The difference can be explained by whether one is a member of a high-context culture or low-context culture. Central to the uncertainty reduction theory, which was originally formulated by Charles Berger, is the assumption that when strangers meet, their primary concern is one of uncertainty reduction or increasing predictability about the behavior of both themselves and others in the interaction (Wright, 2000). The original formulation of uncertainty reduction theory in initial interactions posited seven axioms and 21 theorems which specify the interrelations among uncertainty, amount of communication, nonverbal affirmative expressiveness, information seeking, intimacy level of communication content, reciprocity, similarity, and liking (Gudykunst, 1985). The seven axioms that Berger uses to reinforce his theory are; as verbal communication increases, the level of uncertainty decreases; uncertainty causes increased levels of information seeking; high levels of uncertainty result in low levels of self disclosure; uncertainty causes increased levels of reciprocity; similarities decreases unce rtainty whereas dissimilarities increase uncertainty; and high levels of uncertainty causes a decrease in liking whereas low levels of uncertainty increase liking (Wright, 2000). Charles Berger's Uncertainty reduction Theory focuses on how human communication can be used to gain knowledge and create understanding. (Griffin, 2006) . Uncertainty reduction follws a three step pattern of developmental stages namely, entry personal and exit. At

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Investigation of temperature on catalase activity Essay Example for Free

Investigation of temperature on catalase activity Essay The aim of this experiment is to find out the effect of temperature on catalase or hydrogen peroxide. This will enable us to tell at what temperature hydrogen peroxide is most efficient. This (degradation) reaction will help us determine some of the catalases different attributes. HYPOTHESIS In this experiment it would be safe to hypothesise that no activity would take place at 1 to 20 degrees. It would be probable that a little activity would take place around 40 degrees. When the water gets to around 60+ the oxygen bubbles start to froth. It is almost certain that this will happen due to the behaviour of the atom. This means that the hotter the water gets the more active the water molecules become. Thus the colder the water gets the less active the water becomes. Another theory is that different things adapt according to their habitat. Therefore, catalase would be most active at around 37 degrees body temperature. This means that in this experiment catalase would be most active in the water bath that is at 40 degrees Celsius. METHOD Before the experiment could be started the following apparatus needed to be obtained: Cork Borer Water Baths at 3,20,40 and 60 degrees Celsius Potato Ruler Stopwatch Detergent Hydrogen Peroxide Now that all this apparatus has been obtained, it is possible to start the experiment. Eight test tubes will be required because the experiment is being done twice in each water bath. Use a marker pen to mark the specific temperature on the test tubes so as to make sure that there are no possible errors. Now place these test tubes in a test tube rack. Take the cork borer no. 4, and take a cylinder of potato using the cork borer. Do this until you have eight cylinders. If there are any cylinders that are uneven in size, then take the cylinder again using the cork borer. Now that you have good cylinders, cut them to equal length equal to 1.5cms. cubed. Once this has been done, put each potato cylinder in a test tube. Now it is almost time to start the experiment, so have a stop- watch at the ready. Pour 5cms cubed of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) into each test tube. Now go to the first water bath that is 3 degrees Celsius and take a pipette and pour 10 drops of detergent into the first 2 test tubes (the test tubes that are labelled 3 degrees Celsius). Once you have done this, immediately start the stopwatch and simultaneously put the 2 tubes into the water bath. Repeat this process for the next 3 water baths. Although only 1 stopwatch has been used, the time will be fairly accurate since a delay has been created. When 5 minutes is up go to the first water bath with a ruler and measure the amount of froth on each test tube. RESULTS Experiment No.Temperature (oC)Height of Froth (cm)Average Height of Froth (cm) 133.33.15 2333.15 1203.43.5 2203.63.5 1406.56.0 2405.56.0 16032.95 2602.92.95 CONCLUSION In conclusion to this experiment, it is evident that catalase is most active at 40 degrees Celsius. There is a trend in a graph that shows the froth increases up towards 40 degrees Celsius and dips when reaching 60 degrees Celsius. It is not just a case of the Enzymes activity decreasing it becomes denatured shortly after it reaches its optimum level of activity. EVALUATION In this evaluation, the flaws and the limitations of this experiment will be outlined. The procedures in this experiment were very effective. Unlike many other experiments the control of the variables was without fault, because a machine was controlling them, i.e. the water bath. There were not many limitations of equipment, and the only way the equipment could have been improved would have been to have the experiment monitored by computer. All the sources of error in this experiment were with the non-variables. Firstly, there was no way of being sure that each potato was the exact same length or mass. A way of improving this would be using a guillotine-type device, meaning that the potatoes were at least the exact same length since  they were cut at equal angles all together. Another flaw is the amount of H2O2 poured into each separate test tube. This is cannot be improved upon unless done by machine. Other sources of error that could only have been improved upon by machine are height of froth, and amount of detergent. A major defect that could have affected the results is the timing. This is because of the delay system used. The only way that the delay system could have worked like clockwork is if it took the exact same time to measure froth as to pour detergent. There are two ways of improving this. The first is to make the experiment last longer. This would mean that it would not matter if there were a few seconds difference in the times, because no more froth could have been produced. The second is that if the experiment was timed separately for each bath.

Saturday, September 21, 2019

A World Health Organization

A World Health Organization Why is health a social issue? Health, in the light of World Health Organization definition, is understood as subjectively felt physical, mental and social well-being as a result of appropriate adaptation to the environmental conditions. Psychical health relates to proper human system functioning. Mental health is connected with ability to recognition of peoples feelings and emotions, coping with difficult situations, problems and stress. Social health concerns the human community, its development and adaptability to the environmental conditions, what means ability to live independently as well as in a social group and retain both individual and group identity. There were many attempts to classify factors conditioning health. During early 20th century up to 1970s, it was considered, that health mainly depends on health service. At the beginning of the 1970s way of perceiving determinants of peoples well-being changed. In 1974 Marc Lalonde, Minister of Health for Canada, proposed The Health Field Concept, in which he distinguished four basic factors conditioning health (Fig. 1.): Lifestyle (50%) Physical and social environment (20%) Human Biology (20%) Health Care Organization (20%) This approach influenced on change in health policy and established base for health promotion In modern societies, some of the main problems regarding the health such as illnesses induced by ageing, globalization, new technologies, and genetic engineering have cultural and social grounds. State of health is strongly dependent on social processes and occurrences such as lifestyle (for instance nutrition, recreation, reaction for stress), social cohesion, wealth, education, working conditions and emotional relations. All this things can on the one hand make worse or on the other hand improve the state of health. Currently, it is considered that, the socioeconomic factors (for instance incomes, social status, education level, social support) affect a persons health to the highest degree. Depending on these conditions, the peoples lifestyle can favour health or be harmful to it. Poverty and low level of education are reasons of health inequalities. In general, people with low social status are less healthy, have worse access to health care and take risky for health actions more often. Social support in human living environments is regarded as significant factor shaping positive health and fighting pathogenic influence of potential stressors. In recent decades, people witness a dynamic development of technology and science. As might be expected, new technologies facilitate human lives and make them more efficient. It is possible to say, that in present circumstances, people are able to have an influence on their state of health. However, not always advances of science and in technology go hand in hand with improvement of quality of life. People, preoccupied with making their lives more comfortable, more and more frequently forget about their biological existence. New facilities, means of transport, automation, all kinds of machines are reducing physical activity in their daily life to a minimum. Mass-media, especially television, take them a lot of free time and force them to the sedentary way of life. Nowadays, people suffer from many ailments defined as civilization diseases, which increase alongside with the (continuously) quickening pace of living. Undoubtedly, work is also a very important determinant of health. When it is done for pleasure, work can give a sense of happiness and positive energy. In practice, it means that actions based on harmony with the environment and self-realization favour persons health. Work, which is not a vocation, is a reason of stress, unwillingness and apathy. Meanings of health change in the popular culture and public awareness. Besides strivings for avoiding diseases, more and more people need fitness, vitality, good looks and good mood. Apart from interest in length of life, there appeared care for its sense and quality. In recent years, there is observed a considerable increase in importance of health in sphere of personal aspirations, aims, and values of individual. Health is no longer defined only as an absence of disease and discomfort. Healthy lifestyle becomes in many environments a phenomenon on the verge of fashion. Health issues come into prominence in public discourse, concerning inter alia social and political priorities. The right to health is one of the most important elements of the human rights. Nowadays, health and disease become valuable goods of expanding market.

Friday, September 20, 2019

Cloning - It’s Time to Stop the Cesorship of Science :: Argumentative Persuasive Topics

It’s Time to Stop the Cesorship of Science How responsible are scientists for science and its applications? In a recent issue of the journal Science the 1995 Nobel Peace Prize laureate, Sir Joseph Rotblat, proposes a Hippocratic oath for scientists. He is strongly opposed to the idea that science is neutral and that scientists are not to be blamed for its misapplication. Therefore, he proposes an oath, or pledge, initiated by the Pugwash Group in the United States (Science 286, 1475 1999). "I promise to work for a better world, where science and technology are used in socially responsible ways. I will not use my education for any purpose intended to harm human beings or the environment. Throughout my career, I will consider the ethical implications of my work before I take action. While the demands placed upon me might be great, I sign this declaration because I recognise that individual responsibility is the first step on the path to peace." These are indeed noble aims to which all citizens should wish to subscribe, but it does present some severe difficulties in relation to science. Contrary to Rotblat's view I claim that reliable scientific knowledge is morally and ethically neutral and ethics only enter when science is applied to making a product, for example genetically modified foods (Is science dangerous? Nature 398, 281). If genes are responsible for determining some of our behaviour, that is the way the world is - it is neither good nor bad. Knowledge can be used for both good and evil. Of course, scientists in their work have the responsibilities of all citizens to do no harm and be honest. Their additional responsiblity is to put their work and its possible applications in the public domain. Rotblat does not want to distinguish between scientific knowledge and its application, but the very nature of science is that it is not possible to predict what will be discovered or how these discoveries could be applied. Cloning provides a nice example. The original studies related to cloning were largely the work of biologists in the 1960s. They were studying how frog embryos develop and wanted to find out if genes which are located in the cell nucleus were lost or permanently turned off as the embryo developed. This involved putting the nuclei of cells from later stages in development, including adult cells, back into an egg from which the nucleus had been removed to determine whether the genes in that nucleus would allow the egg to develop.

Thursday, September 19, 2019

Frankenstein :: Essays Papers

Frankenstein3 The conflict in the story Frankenstein is self vs. another. Victor Frankenstein is a man interested in chemistry, who alters dead flesh therefore creating a superhuman being of rotted corpses. Mr. Frankenstein is very interested in chemistry, and he basically tries to play God by creating a life in a laboratory. However, the life that he makes is a monster. One day Frankenstein receives a letter telling of the death of his brother William. Justine Morizt, a family friend, was the presumed murder of William. However, when approached, the monster confesses to awful slaying of Victor’s brother. The monster claimed that he was trying to get back at Frankenstein for artificially giving him life. The monster did not know right from wrong and he especially did not mean to kill anybody. As the story continued, the monster demanded that Victor create a female companion. At first, Victor agrees to the monter’s proposal. However, he soon realizes that another super being would harm the life of not only him, but those who he loved. Still, the monster wants revenge on Frankenstein, and so everything in Victor’s life ends up being destroyed, including his wife and best friend. Frankenstein in a good example of why human beings should not try to play God and artificially create a being in a laboratory. With the technology that we have today, wouldn’t it be scary to see what super human could be created in our labs? The first setting of Frankenstein is in Geneva, Switzerland. However, later in the story, the setting shifts back and forth throughout central Europe. Frankenstein was written in first person point of view. Mary Shelley, the author, probably chose to write this way because she felt that it was important to know the thoughts and feelings of Victor Frankenstein, the main character. Frankenstein is a man who is totally interested in chemistry. Therefore, taking dead flesh, he artificially creates a super being. The monster is created by Victor. He does not know right from wrong. Therefore he kills Frankenstein’s brother, William. Later in the story he also kills Victor’s wife and best friend. William is Victor’s brother who is killed by the monster.

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

Roman Polanskis Repulsion Essay -- Film Movies

Roman Polanski's Repulsion Analysis of an aspect of visual form in the film ‘Repulsion’ In the 1964/65 film ‘Repulsion’ by Roman Polanski, the story is about the conflict between reality and fantasy or sanity and insanity inside the main character’s mind – Carol played by Catherine Deneuve. Therefore the narrative technique of symbolism is used to display visually to the film’s audience what happens to Carol’s mind. In this particular instance, the degeneration of Carol’s state of mind is symbolised. Carol’s state of mind degenerates, or breaks down because of her repulsion of masculinity in a sexual context. Through Carol’s eyes, we see masculinity as being aggressive, obsessive, crude/sexually suggestive, rapacious and sinister, and although these are masculine traits, they are not a full representation of males/masculinity in society. Therefore one can see that Carol has misunderstood and become very wary of men. She is a very pretty woman and the film uses her to display an almost stereotypical femininity – weak/ fragile and delicately featured – ironically, the complete opposite to Carol’s own view of men. And so, overall, the film basically represents male domination and female vulnerability. Also to highlight the difference between Carol’s reactions to men and her reactions to women, the writer has chosen to place her character in a beauty parlour. This is used to represent a pleasant but superficial world against a nasty one – through Carol’s eyes that is. From the beginning, one can tell that there are going to be elements of surrealism in the film by the style in which the credits are run. These opening credits run generally upwards (I say generally as some of the credits are at angles – but still maintaining an ‘upward-ish’ direction) over an extreme close-up shot of Carol’s face, and also some credits finishing on-screen at her top eyelids whereas some finish by running off-screen. During the film, we see Carol go to work at the beauty parlour. By the camera-man shooting over her shoulder, a personal view of her life and how she sees life around her. If the camera was used as her eyes, it would have made these scenes too subjective and too unsubtle. We can therefore look at the same things as Carol, but for our own sakes, though this does leave a certain ambiguity. For example, when Carol walks to work, she looks at an empty, da... ...late with the rotting rabbit and the cut-throat razor on it. This could symbolise that she is on the ‘razor’s edge’ and that it is rotting her mind away. It is unclear why Carol has become repulsed by men and sex. It is suggested that it is to do with something or even someone in her past, e.g. she might have been sexually abused by an older person. Maybe that is why she is repulsed by the landlord and in her irrationality, she attacks him. She also regards the photo of her when she was young with happiness. That, along with the bells and the sound of girls running around dubbed over the film at that point, could suggest that she went to a convent school, which are all girls, and therefore makes her feel safe and protected, as the beauty parlour does. Carol’s neurosis of life might be that she see men as sexual objects only, not as real people, and so she is repulsed. Then one can ask, why is she repulsed by this? And the only possible answers are that she might have been abused in her childhood, or something else deep and psychological of a very sexual nature affected her back then. But it is extremely hard to say exactly what, since we are never shown any part of her past.

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

Impact of education on Iran post-revolution Essay

Iran’s capital is Tehran, which is also the largest city and acts as a center for the commercial, industrial, administrative, educational activities. Apart from Tehran, there are other cities like Esfahan, Mashhad, Tabriz, Shiraz, Ahwaz, etc. It was estimated in 2002 that the population of Iran was about 66,622,704, which was almost double than that of 1975 population. The population of Iran is made up of numerous ethnic groups; Persians being the dominant and largest group, who have migrated from Central Asia to Iran in the beginning of the 7th century BC establishing the first Persian Empire way back in 550 BC. they include Gilaki, Mazandarani. There are several other ethnic groups such as the Kurds and the Lurs. The official language of Iran is Modern Persian, which is derived from an ancient literary Persian language, which was written in the Pahlavi script; but in the 7th century, after the Arab conquest a new form written in the Arabic script developed during the 9th and 10th centuries; which formed the basis for the Modern Persian language used today. The official religion of Iran has been Jafari Shia Islam since the 16th century about 93 % of all Iranians follows Shia Islam, mostly of the Jafari group. In 1979 Iran’s constitution has assigned important political leadership roles in the government to the Shia clergy. Personal conduct and group behavior endurance of cultural values such as obligations to extended family, hospitality toward guests, and striving to act morally far predated the Islamic conquest of the 7th century and continued to influence the Iranian culture. In1979 with religious rhetoric revolution it was heavily imbued. The leaders barring different forms of entertainment activities such as casinos, nightclubs and dance halls, movies featuring nudity or sexual themes, and pop and rock musical genres. In spite of economic growth, strong Shia opposition led by Ayatollah Khomeini against the Mohammed Reza Shah has brought Iran closer to the situation of civil war; which was the beginning of Iranian Revolution resulting in the departure of Shah from Iran on Jan. 16, 1979. Finally on April 1, Ayatollah Khomeini declared an Islamic republic with a new Constitution reflecting his ideals of Islamic government. He also became Iran’s supreme spiritual leader (Valy-e-Faqih). As a consequence, many demonstrations were held to show dissent to the new rules, like extreme regulations on the code of dress of women. Iran’s Education system: In 1906 after the country’s first constitution was drafted, public primary education was introduced in Iran, primarily in urban system, gradually expanding, but did not included secondary education (until 1925). During 1979 Islamic revolution, enrolment of only 60% primary school age children, and less than 50 % of secondary school age, has taken place in the public schools of Iran; adult literacy rate accounting only to 48 %. The reform in 1960 is known as the White revolution and the reform in 1979 is known as the Islamic revolution. After the revolution, a reform in education system was brought up to fortify the nation through developing education . Education was included in the high priority list of the government, focusing on programs like adult literacy, constructions of new schools, and expansion of public colleges and other higher education institutes. As a result of that the literacy rate had reached for all Iranians aged 15 and older to 94. 6 percent by the year 2001; higher for males (96. 6 percent) than for females (92. 5 percent); and also higher in cities than in rural areas. Compulsory Education is made for children between the ages 6 to11. Every village consisting at least a primary school, by the expansion of both public and private education system; and in 1996, 89. 6 % of primary school-aged children and 74. 2 % of secondary school-aged children’s enrollment in schools has taken place. But dropouts are still high in the rural areas. Improvement in the educational opportunities for girls after the revolution has taken place but the dropout rate is still higher for girls which can be evident from the fact that 87% of eligible age of girls though attended primary school, only 69% percent attended secondary school. More than 30 tuition-free public universities apart from many other institutes of higher learning including medical universities, teacher training providing colleges, agricultural colleges, etc. are present in Iran. But up to 1996 only 17 % Iranians of relevant age were enrolled in higher learning institutions. The major center for higher education is Tehran, with more than 15 universities along with numerous colleges and institutes. Additionally, there are other Universities located in Hamedan, Esfahan, Shiraz, and Tabriz. Besides, Islamic Free University that has been involved in the development of campuses in the cities throughout Iran since its establishment in the late 1980s and a private system of higher education consisting of theological colleges. The number of young Iranian women getting admitted in to the universities has been raised dramatically in the recent years. More than 60 percent women entries have been registered in the Universities, only in the last five years in Iran that is a surprising development for the Islamic Republic of Iran. Education has a strong social value for the Iran’s women, according to experts who observe it as a way to achieve greater freedom. But some Iranian officials do still expression of concern about the trend. This growing trend of increase in number of the young women in Universities of Iran is regarded as a phenomenon in the male dominated society. University studies are used as a means to leave home, postponement of marriages, earning greater freedom and social respect by the Iranian women. According to Dr.  Said Peyvandi, a Paris-based professor, sarcastically, after the 1979 revolution and the country’s Islamization educational institutions the girls from traditional or conservative families began to go to school this may be due to the reason that the traditional families who would not sent their girls to school before, due to presence of men teachers or saying that the school was not Islamic has started sending them to school. As a result the girls took the maximum advantage from the schools’ Islamization, and also justifying their presence out of the home . This growing number of female university graduates started to impact on Iran’s labor market already. The women attending the higher education in Iran has been increased since 1989 . Women entering into a number of professions, public as well as private sectors; and also taking an active part in the business world currently making up to 10 % of the work force. About a third of the women who were working were laid off by the new regime in the earlier years of the revolution but now, Iranian women are returning as factory engineers and specialists, instead of those female office workers and secretaries. Which actually, is causing an influx of female specialists in Iran’s labor market, who can replace men. A labor force made up of women specialists can be seen in Iran presently that never existed in Iranian history. According to the managing director of an educational and cultural magazine ‘Lowh’ Mohammad Ghaed, the rise of many Iranian women to top professional positions that were previously dominated by men is observed; presenting a common scene such as women at the head of an office or a bank where they are capable of giving orders to their subordinates including men. Iran’s family structures are also presenting the change raising the average marriage, fall in the birthrate, etc. Which are considered as a direct result of the growing number of women pursuing university education causing the improvement in conditions for women in Iran; according to Peyvandi. Seeing the greater social demands from women some concerns are raised especially by the conservatives who argue that the shift represents a danger to traditional ethics. Recently a quota system was proposed aimed at limiting the number of women enrolling in courses like medicine, where predominance of female students can be seen; by The Education Ministry. Some conservatives and reformists are in trial to scale back the women’s overall access to higher education in Iran as it is resulting in the liberalization of women. Therefore they are also using economic excuses, trying to impose some restrictions, are even approaching for laws in order to limit the admission of women to universities. In recent years Iranian women have made many great achievements but a larger part of society is still not ready to accommodate them. Over the last 10-15 years the problem of unemployment has worsened both in men as well as women, consequencely, there are no jobs for university graduates. Social issues like the number of families with annual incomes below the poverty line have been reduced from 47% to 19% during1979 – 1996; yet poverty continues to be a major problem of the society. Measures like subsidies for food, fuel, and utilities to support low-income families have been taken up by the Govt. o decrease the impact of poverty. Inadequate Health care services in rural areas, widespread use of illegal drugs for recreation, especially among young people are some of concerns for the society. Various public social services including national health insurance program – providing free or low-cost health care in village clinics or city hospitals that are run by the government; providing pensions to the retired employees, survivor benefits to widows’ of Veterans killed in action or deceased retirees, disability payments, etc are going on successfully. Reading Lolita in Tehran: One of the Novels, ‘Reading Lolita in Tehran: A Memoir in Books’ reflects the life of the narrator Nafisi, her personal and intellectual events in Iran after the revolution; she also narrates the dream of revolution among the Iranians and how that was shattered according to her. She also indirectly condemns the lowering of marriage age for girls to nine years by the Islamic regime, which took power in 1979 by referring to the incidence of a middle aged man becoming sexually obsessed with a 12 year old pubescent girl. It also mentions her refusal to wear veil causing her dismissal from the university of Tehran in 1980. Though she criticized the restriction of freedom in the Iranian regime, she also called for self-criticism in her speech at the National book festival in 2004, one has to see what he / she (people) has done to create a particular situation instead of blaming wholly on the Islamic regime.

Monday, September 16, 2019

On Becoming a Leader Essay

The book I chose to review is â€Å"On Becoming a Leader† by Warren Bennis. At the crux of this book is a search to understand how leaders are made. Throughout the book, the author tries to prove through polls and observations, that leaders are not born but are made through a combination of nature and nurture. Leaders who excel tend to have similar characteristics which have been developed by a series of experiences in their lives (these include embracing mistakes, taking risks and learning from adversity). Another idea discussed in the book is that of the role of education in making leaders. Bennis notes a number of qualities and abilities that are common amongst the leaders he interacts with. Some of those are relating well to others, trusting others and in turn being trustworthy, the ability to motivate people and to not give up, inspiration and competence in the job. However, he claims that a major problem in business & leadership is the â€Å"societal disease of our time† (as said by Norman Lear to him) – short term thinking. He highlights throughout the book that this form of thinking is not beneficial to organizations and that a good leader should be able to look further and not give the short term too much importance. At one point he claims that short term thinking is what kills one of the most important attributes a leader must have – innovation. The author mentions that leaders are important to an organization since they are of paramount importance to the operational performance, stability and integrity of the organization. To this end, Warren Bennis presents in a systematic manner various attributes that are required of a leader to be able to perform well. The first attribute discussed is the ability to â€Å"Master the context†. In this chapter, the author discusses the fact that a leader must be able to understand the reasons and outcomes of different situations. Only once he has managed this, will he be able to act in the best possible way for his organization. This is in line with what we have learned throughout our course regarding improving one’s self-awareness as well as the 4 perspectives of organizational effectiveness. A leader must be able to understand the context of work and respond by being aware that he needs to look after different perspectives of people and systems related to the organization. The second thing discussed is â€Å"understanding the basics†, which is quite similar to mastering the context. In this, Warren Bennis explains that leaders need to understand the underlying concepts at work before making decisions. He lists a series of attributes that can be found in most leaders including self-knowledge, passion, vision and trust. He argues that most of the leaders are not born with these attributes but life experiences and a desire to lead people enables them to develop a good understanding of this. Their drive to acquire and learn are much higher than on average and they actively pursue these drives while taking risks and placing lesser importance on their drive for safety. In this he also discusses the difference between managing people and leading them. We have gone through various topics related directly to this effect in class. According to me, one of the strongest drives an individual has is the drive to safety. An individual would be much more comfortable if they can trust their leader. The ability to understand the thought process of their leader and their belief/trust in him helps shore up their drive for safety. Across cultures, people tend to avoid uncertainty and if a leader is able to, through knowledge and an understanding, provide people with an image of consistency; it goes a long way in settling people and reducing stress. The third lesson is â€Å"knowing yourself†. Warren Bennis argues that in order to lead others, one must fully understand themselves. To be able to trust your decisions/inner feelings is extremely important for leading people and making correct choices. The author goes on to highlight 4 lessons that enable an individual to understand themselves. They are â€Å"you are your own best teacher†, â€Å"accept responsibility†, â€Å"you can learn anything you want to learn† and â€Å"true understanding comes from reflecting on your own experience†. All these lessons are at the core of organizational behavior as we have learnt. These 4 lessons can apply even to organizations as well as being useful for individuals. Self-concept is an important part of an individual’s make up and to feed that we must be able to reflect on our past experiences to learn from them. Social learning, learning through reinforcement and learning through experience are discussed as important factors of learning in organizations in our course. I believe this same applies to individuals as they are able to develop their social identity and self-concept through these lessons. Next, the author discusses â€Å"Knowing the world†. This takes a similar route to the previous subject of knowing yourself, while developing a greater scope to the understanding. Cultural understanding is an extremely important attribute in a leader. In an increasingly diverse workforce coupled with increasing globalization, a leader must have the ability to and desire to understand various cultures and behaviors. Values and behavior are very different for different cultures, and a lot of organizations have failed due to the incompatible understanding of their leaders. The HP-Compaq merger was a major case where while it was beneficial financially and operationally for the companies to merge, their leaders were not able to fully adapt the two company’s cultures properly, causing the merger to have not performed anywhere near expectations. One point that I found particularly interesting and felt that was very important was the need for a person to find a mentor who can help them enhance and shape their cultural understanding. The social learning aspect discusses similar concepts, where a person learns from someone whom they aspire to be. Being able to find a mentor who has an in depth understanding of cultures, or at least has a desire to learn cultural differences can help an individual become a more complete leader. The next thought discussed by the author is â€Å"Operating on instinct†. This discussion focuses on the fact that a good leader should be able to believe in himself and should be able to take decisions from his gut feeling. More often than not a leader and even individuals will have to make decisions without knowing all the details they would like to know. The presence of incomplete information should not make the leader less likely to make a decision. A good leader will have developed enough self-awareness and through self-evaluation and verification be able to rely on his instinct to make the right choice. This enables the leader to be able to quickly and decisively contemplate and decide issues. The next discussion is based on †Deploying yourself†. In this the author talks about the fact that a successful leader is a person who is willing to take on challenges even though he might have failed in earlier challenges. The drive to learn and acquire are, I feel, major contributors to this topic. A good leader will be able to reflect on his past experiences and learn from them; and this gives them confidence to continually drive for newer challenges and tasks. Another topic discussed is â€Å"Moving through chaos†. In this chapter, Warren Bennis describes the difference between all individuals and leaders. He points out that everyone faces problems and issues in their career, but that leaders analyze these problems and tend to learn from these. Conflict resolution can take many forms through third-party conflict resolution or negotiation. Leaders reflect on their conflicts and develop an understanding of how to overcome those challenges. â€Å"Getting people on your side† is the next topic covered. The main point of this discussion, and a very important learning for me personally, is the ability of the leader to be trustworthy. To be trusted, a leader must display consistency in his actions, congruity – meaning what they say, reliable to their followers and have a strong integrity. This once again gravitates towards the drive for safety individuals have. To be lead by someone, an individual must trust them to act on their behalf and be able to predict to a certain extent what their leaders will do for them. The concept of romanticizing leadership is down to this ability of leaders. If a leader is able to bring their employees/followers on their side, the leader’s ability to work through tasks and challenges is increased. Even mistakes made by them will be viewed in a positive light, enabling them to continue taking risks. â€Å"Organizations can help – or hinder† is the next topic that is discussed. This focuses on the fact different organizations will have different expectations from their leaders. The culture at an organization will dictate how well a leader will be able to lead the organization. A good leader will be able to understand the context of the organization and will try to devise strategies he can implement to make changes. The author also mentions that the leader should try and develop organizational characteristics that are in line with their culture. This also transposes into the last discussion of â€Å"Forging the future†. The impediments faced by leaders in an organization can be very hard, but a good leader will be able to develop his own culture and characteristics to move the organization forward. One major issue I had with this book was that while the author continually refers to short term thinking as a â€Å"societal disease†; he himself to a certain extent subscribes to that notion. His interaction with the leaders seems comparatively very short term. Throughout the statements made in the book, it felt that the interviews were more about successful past rather than forward looking. I understand that one of the major attributes is to learn from experiences but the I’d prefer if the author also focused equally on the leader’s thoughts about the future. Secondly I felt that there was quite a bit of political commentary in the book. I knew that it was going to have some after reading the reviews while selecting the book, but the political leadership aspect seemed to be a comparatively one sided. I feel that the author could have refrained from making this political and focused instead on the corporate leadership aspect.

Sunday, September 15, 2019

On The Sidewalk Bleeding Essay

On the Sidewalk Bleeding â€Å"On the Sidewalk Bleeding†, by Evan Hunter is a story about a boy from a gang, getting murdered in a dark alley, by members of the rival gang. It is written in the third person omniscient point of view. The story focuses on the theme of realization of one’s true identity. This theme is depicted with the help of several literary devices such as symbolism, to create depth in the meaning of the story, thoughtful use of irony and characterization elements, which create clarity in the readers mind about the characters thoughts and situation. Symbolism plays a major role in highlighting the character’s realization of his true identity as the purple jacket, which is the main symbol in the story, represents labels put on people in society. A young couple sees Andy in pain and the boy rushes towards him but soon denies him help. â€Å"He saw the lettering on the jacket then. THE ROYALS.† shows the reason the couple did not want to get involved. The jacket being a symbol of prejudgment, determines the way society sees Andy. The name on the jacket defines him to the passers by and the person inside does not matter to them. The Royals being written on the jacket causes the couple to rethink the consequences of helping him. Instead of asking him his name or what had happened, they make a judgment that Andy could only mean danger and trouble, because of the gang name on his jacket. The jacket, the symbol of prejudice, leads to his death. Right before he dies â€Å"It seemed very important to him that he take off th e purple jacket.† At this point he realizes that he is dying and needs to be known for who he really is, instead of for the name on his jacket. He comes to realize in his last moments, that his true identity is his own name. Hence he tries to take off the label, literally and metaphorically, that society has given to him. The removal of the jacket symbolizes Andy’s desire and attempt to get rid of the stereotypical label of The Royals and the prejudice that it brings along. However, changing society’s opinion is not easy for Andy. This is seen when â€Å"He lay struggling with the shiny jacket.† The denotation here is shown by the word ‘struggle’. It shows that he cannot remove the jacket as easily, because he is wounded. However the line suggests that, even though Andy desperately tries to get rid of people’s  influenced, prejudiced view of looking at him, he cannot do so very easily. This implies the author’s opinion that society’s prejudiced opinions cannot be easily escaped, and that disposing of the labels one acquires through their life, is a lifelong struggle. T he jacket being the symbol for such labels and prejudice, removing it shows Andy’s realization of his true identity, making clear that he now wants to be known for who he really is, eliminating any influence that the jacket may have. Hunter uses irony to emphasize the contrast between the character’s realization of his true identity and society’s perception of the character. This is shown when readers learn that â€Å"He felt alone.† It is ironic that he feels lonely when the reason for his murder is that he belongs to a gang. Belonging to a large gang which was evidently a great part of his life, and yet being lonely while suffering, suggests that Andy comes to realized that in the long run, he should stand alone, defined by his own individuality. He realizes that ‘The Royals’ was just a name given to the gang and it should not, in any way, influence people’s opinion of him as a person. Another example of irony can be seen in the end of the story when â€Å"He was very close to dying when they found him, he did not want them to say, â€Å"Oh, it’s a Royal.†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬Å"A Royal.† Andy’s last wish is to be recognized as ‘Andy’ and n ot as ‘a Royal’. The fact that he is on the verge of death makes readers believe that he will be granted his dying wish. However, at the end of the story, when cops find his dead body, they do exactly what he is afraid they will do. Andy struggles in his suffering, to remove the jacket in an attempt to eliminate its influence, but in the end ironically, the cop picks it up and refers to him as â€Å"A Royal.† The cop completely ignores the fact that his name is Andy and repeats the title as he writes it down, emphasizing on the ironic idea of society disregarding Andy’s dying attempts to be known as an individual. Dramatic irony is presented when it is said that, â€Å"The jacket was a stupid meaningless thing†. The jacket is described as meaningless when, ironically, the jacket carries tremendous meaning to society as portrayed in the story, being the sole reason of his death. Had he not been wearing the jacket, he would not have been denied help and wouldn’t have been shot in the first place. In this situation, the readers understand a completely different connotation of the jacket compared to the character’s  understanding of its purpose. The jacket symbolizes the prejudgment in society to the readers, while it seemingly carries no meaning to Andy. Such use of irony throughout the story convinces the reader of Andy’s struggle to realize and be recognized for his true identity. The characterization elements used in the story, focusing on Andy’s dynamic character, highlight the theme of realization of one’s true identity. â€Å"Even in his pain, there had been some sort of pride in knowing he was a Royal. Now there was no pride at all.† shows the change in Andy’s thinking, before and after being stabbed. He has always felt proud about being a part of The Royals and had never imagined this. As a result of being assaulted just for being in the gang, he now understood the significance of being known for his true identity rather than as a member of the gang and felt no pride in wearing the title of ‘The Royals’ anymore. His character is seen to have changed significantly as he transitions from being oblivious and proud of the title to being filled with regret and misery. In â€Å"Wondered why the rumbles and the jumps and the purple jacket has always seemed so important to him before. Now they seemed like such small thin gs in a world he was missing.† readers understand that not only has Andy changed his attitude towards the jacket and the title, but also his perspective of the world has changed. At first he is so proud and taken up by the fact that he is part of a famous gang, that he forgets to appreciate or even notice the other things in the world. After lying on the sidewalk, dying, he realizes that there is much more to life than gang brawls and jackets with titles. It is seen that had he lived, he would have changed the way he lived. His character changes from a materialistic, proud teenager to a more mature, aware and perceptive human being, desperate to live. Andy comes to doubt the meaning of his title, â€Å"He was a Royal. There had been meaning to the title†¦ he wondered about the meaning. If he died he was Andy. He was not a Royal.† Initially the jacket means everything to Andy. He mentions how ecstatic he was when The Royals accepted him. He now understood that it was all over and that the title was now worth nothing. He wanted to be known as Andy before and after his death. He himself was proud of being A Royal and recognized himself as one. However as he dies, he realizes that he was more than just ‘A Royal’ and wanted everyone to know that. He was no more proud or infatuated by the  titl e and appreciated his true identity, which was his name. Andy’s character changes in many ways through the course of the story, the main change being recognizing the importance of his individuality, as he understands the prejudice that exists against the gangs in society. The characterization elements help readers see this dynamic character, giving a better understanding of Andy’s realization of his true identity. The theme of realization of one’s true identity is successfully presented through the use of symbolism, irony and characterization elements. The jacket symbolizes the prejudgment in society, marking its removal as a turning point in Andy’s discovery of his individuality. Irony shows the contrast between the character’s changing feelings and the reality. Characterization elements portray the character as a dynamic character that changes drastically in terms of thoughts, feelings and perspective, by the end of the story. These literary devices help readers understand the theme of realization of one’s true identity.

Saturday, September 14, 2019

Important Characteristics of a Co-Worker Essay

We all work or will work in our jobs with many different kinds of people. In your opinion, what are some important characteristics of a co-worker (someone you work closely with)? Use reasons and specific examples to explain why these characteristics are important. Answer It is efficient to work with co-workers. We can cooperate to successfully accomplish a job. However, not all co-workers are good partners. There are characteristics to be a good colleague. Of them, three of the characteristics are described in the following paragraphs. First, good co-workers are cooperative. We tackle the same work together. Thus, we have to cheer ourselves. For example, if one of the members mistakes, the others should encourage him or her. They make up for the mistake together. We get to trust each other by this event. Therefore, we can do our best by cooperating at any time. Second, good co-workers are smart. When smart workers work together, the work goes on well. It is strong for business if people gather together to make an elite group. Nowadays, business is very combative. We have to win the game to any other groups. Otherwise, we will lose in the society. People want to work with smart co-workers to succeed. The group will give benefits to any members of the group. Third, good co-workers are ardent to any job. It is fundamental, but is very significant. When people work with somebody, they have to work enthusiastically. This behavior stimulates other people. Unenthusiastic people look lazy. They look to work as they want if they are not. That is because other people of the group do not feel good to work with them. A project should tackle cheerfully. If they do not work enthusiastically, the ambience of the group will changes very badly. To work with unenthusiastic people is a disadvantage for the group. Overall, characteristics of co-workers are important. To encounter the best co-workers is rare. However, the characteristics above are at least sought by our society. These conditions are manners to work with other people.

Friday, September 13, 2019

Personnel Resourcing and Development Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Personnel Resourcing and Development - Essay Example It includes the required outcomes of an organisation with the contribution from the individuals or the teams. It is essential to achieve the strategic objectives of an organisation as well as an individual. Moreover, performances encompass both the financial and the behavioural outcomes of an individual. This is due to the fact that an individual’s behaviour may lead to the final outcomes. Thus, it can be affirmed that performance of an individual is directly correlated with the potentials of an individual which is based on his/her method of comprehension and realisation (Australian Public Service, 2001). Performance management is referred as the procedure of creating a working situation, which can enable individuals to enhance their quality of performances. It is described as the procedure of monitoring and analysing the performances of an individual in order to obtain requisite outcomes (Melin, 2010). It is necessary because it may lead to varied rewards and recognitions, re sulting in augmentation of the brand image of an organisation as well as reputation of an individual. The prime objective of performance management system is to train and to educate the staff in order to enhance the level of performances. It also helps in attainment of constructive and constant feedback about the underlying barriers of the performances of an individual so that it can be treated to reduce those discrepancies (Dattner, 2010). Subsequently, performance management system also facilitates in evaluating the high as well as poor performers of a particular group, which provides a detailed idea about the types of training programmes required to maintain the trends of performances (Apriority Learning, n.d.). For this reason, performance management is described as the current buzzword, which plays an active role for an organisation that facilitates in its sustainability in this era of competitiveness. In order to do so, performance management system includes certain specific c omponents, namely planning, reassessing and performance appraisal and constant feedback (Slideshare, n.d.). This aspect is depicted in the below figure. Performance Management Components Source: (Slideshare, n.d.) Planning is the most crucial part of the performance management procedure which forms the fundamental source of performance appraisal (Apriority Learning, n.d.). It is mainly performed in order to evaluate the level of performance of an individual among other employees of an organisation. This method of performance appraisal is done with joint effort of appraisee along with reviewee to detect his/her level of action. With the help of this process, the major areas of responsibility along with individual skills, knowledge and priorities can be easily analysed (Department of the Interior, n.d.). Moreover, it also helps in development of an action plan in order to enhance the level of performance thereby diminishing the drawbacks or shortcomings. Other than this, reviewing als o plays an active role in the entire process of performance management system. In this process, the appraisee is offered a form to appraise him/her-self, but later again reviewed or quantified by his/her seniors (Slideshare, n.d.). After completion of the entire process, the reviewee provides a dynamic contribution within the process of appraisal in order to investigate the loopholes of the performance and to overcome them (Melin, 2010). It also helps in constant progress and development of the individuals through varied types of guidance programmes, which might facilitate in augmenting those loopholes. In addition to these steps, the other significant component of performance ma