Personnel Management vs Human Resource Management

Personnel Management vs. Human Resource Management Word count 2500| January 30 2012 | HNBS 121 HRM Mr. Nick Pronger Diana Carvalho 09607 | | Self evaluation Prior to starting my assignment, I have researched and assessed various organisations to develop my case study and my choice was based on the proximity to one organisation I currently volunteer. Gathering information from the charity I volunteer was rather easy having access to the date I found it easy to select which information to collect and apply into my assignment.However, I had also provided information based on my personal experience. Through my assignment, I have used varied material sources such as, the lecture handouts, text books, the internet, articles, journals and personal experience. However, the lecture handouts were the most effective and straight forward as I was able to follow the template and apply it into my assignment by giving examples, where as text books had broader information, where I was able to get fu ll extended information but had to do more reading that I would like to in order to gather one aspect of a concept.In addition, my internet research reservations was the accuracy, validity as well as how updated it was, therefore, I looked for definitions rather than theories online, due to the language barrier and English not being my mother tongue, I was required to use dictionaries very often to define certain terms, I was unable to understand otherwise and could undermine further the assignment content and would ultimately lead me to the wrong direction and deliver wrong information.My time management was poor, which I intend to improve on my next assignments in other to give myself the spare time necessary researching, gather relevant information and receiving lecturers’ feedback before submitting my assignments. IntroductionOver the past twenty two years, since the world moved from personnel management, traditionally defined as â€Å"the task of ensuring the optimum us e of human resources to the mutual benefit of the enterprise, each person and the community at large† Armstrong (1997), to embrace human resource management, defined as â€Å"a strategic approach to acquiring, developing, managing, motivating and gaining the commitment of the organisation’s key resource – the people who work in and for it† Armstrong (1997), which functions are primarily concerned with putting â€Å"people first† and at the same time securing management objectives by maximising the ROI (Return on Investment). The manager in HRM is recognised as a holder of an organisation, which achieves organisational objectives through people, therefore, the support of a skilled and motivated workforce to put goals, knowledge and experience into practice, the complementation of efficiency levels can make or break an organisation. Personnel manager’s main job was to ensure that the needs of the workforce as they relate to their immediate conc erns were taken care of, it was more administrative, which included recruitment and selection, payroll, contractual obligations and other administrative tasks.Further, personnel managers typically played the role of mediators between the management and the employees and hence there was always the feeling that personnel management was not in harmony with the objectives of the management and many employers today have no training or knowledge of how to reward and treat employees as the key resource, for developing mutuality by concentrating on fostering their commitment and identification with the organisation through communicating well, involving them in organisational decisions, emphasising management and motivation strategic approach in order to retain them, even though most workplaces increased the importance of these concepts. Research methodology Secondary research * Books; * Articles; * Reports; * Online CIPD In order to acquire these resources I have gone to the Kensington & Ch elsea Library as well the British Library. Research findings In the 70s employment started to develop significantly as shown in figure 1. 1.Personnel techniques developed using theories from the social sciences about motivation through performance appraisal and manpower planning, which included the implementation of organisational behaviour through sophisticated systematic training (under the influence of the training boards), where selection testing became more widely used. Personnel management has gone through a period of major concern about the so-called demographic time bomb, referring to impeding unwelcome shortages of younger people entering the labour market. The recession of the early ‘90’s was affected by this problem, which is still a common place today, and the need to concentrate more on strategies for attracting and retaining high quality staff is just as urgent.The mentality of individualism and unjustifiable greed of the 80’s made way for the spiri t of consent and the value of teamwork as well as the concern for employees who were essential to the operation of the organisation since high commitment was required from these employees please refer to figure 1. 2. Recognition of personnel function as a contribution to bottom-line performance have become a more important strategy where an employer is a business partner sharing responsibility with his employees; the most important assets in an organisation, which their effective management will contribute to organisations’ success and it is most likely to be achieved if policies and procedures are closely linked with the achievement of organisational objectives and strategic plans. The organisational climate and managerial behaviour that originated from corporate culture and values will bring a major influence on the achievement of excellence. Strategic HRM is the process of linking the human resource function with the strategic objectives of the organisation in order to imp rove performance† Bratton & Gold (2007) Hestia is an empowering organisation, whom welcomes everyone, especially members a minority background. Human resource management department assists in developing volunteers’ skills through training in order to retain and empower them but as well achieving as Hestia organisational goals through a competence and motivated workforce. Hestia priority is to hire competent workforce and hire the right person for the right job, after that manpower decides about other tangible and intangible resources.Essentially, other resources rely on HRM to plan, organise and monitor human resources. HR department contribution to overall strategy is crucial for Hestia’s ultimate success and effectiveness, from areas ranging from strategic planning to image, the areas in which HR maintains control can enhance Hestias’ perception of the department throughout the workforce, improving Hestia’s essence and running with the knowledge o f how human capital affects organisational success. Strategic management takes part in organisational decision-making which underlies present staffing assessments and projections for future workforce needs based on organisations demand.From a financial perspective, skills and experience are necessary in order to set realistic development structures in regards to wages competition with organisations competing for employees with similar skills, the extensive conduct salary surveys in order to maintain costs in line with the organisation's current financial status and projected revenue, as well as the reduction of costs associated with turnover, attrition and hiring replacement workers, the ability to negotiate group benefit packages for employees, within Hestia’s budget and consistent with economic conditions, the department is also are familiar with employee benefits most likely to attract and retain workers. Under The Health and Safety at Work Act (HASAWA) 1974 Hestia is boun d to provide safe working conditions and HRM manages and ensures that the organisation complies with the regulations by maintaining accurate work logs and records and developing programs that reduce the number of workplace injuries and incidents by engaging employees in promoting awareness and safe handling of dangerous machinery and hazardous chemicals under The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) 1998 legislation.In case of dispute, HRM department investigates and attempts to mediate workplace issues, which unresolved, may escalate and place the Hestia in a legal dispute, which can stain its image as well as compensation pay outs to employees if found accountable. HR assists Hestia achieve high performance, morale and satisfaction levels throughout the employees, by promoting ways of strengthening good working relationships by administering employee opinion surveys, conduct focus groups and seek employee input regarding job satisfaction, also provides training that s upports the company's fair employment practices and employee development to prepare ambitious leaders for supervisory and management positions. They provide guidance to line managers who are not familiar with HR or standard hiring processes and determine the most effective methods for recruiting applicants best suited for Hestia’s needs.In HRM, â€Å"reward refers to all of the monetary, non-monetary and psychological payments that an organisation provides for its employees in exchange for the work they perform† (Bratton & Gold, 2007) â€Å"The average worker dislikes work and avoids it if possible – will only be made to work by control and threats. Carrot and stick approach; use of payments system to provide incentives† McGregor (1960) and its management process designs, implements, and maintains policies and systems in order to assist on organisational strategic plans, which are appointed to improve performance and productivity by attracting talent, ret aining, encouraging a committed and efficient workforce according to their value and contribution to the organisation. The role between managers and HR department leads to effective HRM practices, e. g. , performance appraisals.The success of Hestia’s performance appraisal system depends on the ability of both parties to do their jobs appropriately. HR department develop the system, while line managers provide the actual performance evaluations. Line managers direct employees' day-to-day tasks. From an HRM perspective, line managers are responsible for implementing HRM practices and providing HRM with necessary input for developing effective practices. Managers carry out many procedures and methods devised by HR professionals such as: * Placing the right person on the right job * Starting new employees in the organisation * Training employees for the jobs that are new to them * Improving the job performance of each person Gaining creative cooperation and developing smooth wor king relationships * Interpreting the organisation’s policies and procedures * Controlling labour costs * Developing the abilities of each person * Creating and maintaining department morale * Protecting employees’ health and physical condition * Interview job applicants * Provide and communicate job performance ratings * Recommend salary increases * Carry out disciplinary procedures * Investigate accidents * Settle grievance issues Hestia Legal Framework: Hestia operates policies and practices in line with statutory requirements. The present statutory framework applied includes e. g. , the legislation bellow: Gender: * Code of practice – sex discrimination Code of practice on equal pay * Gender Equality pay – Code of practice of England and Wales Race: * Statutory code of practice on racial equality in employment * Statutory code of practice on the duty to promote race equality * Statutory code of practice on racial equality in housing: England Disabilit y: * The duty to promote equality; statutory code practice: England and Wales * Code of practice: Employment and occupation * Guidance on matters to be taken into account in determining questions relating to the definition of disability Hestia legal and regulatory framework on human resource management has a great impact especially among the minority group.Being a charity assisting people gaining control over their lives, guiding and providing housing support as well as empowering mainly homeless, ex offenders, people mental health and HIV issues, service users get attached to the organisation and tend to volunteer, and in some cases end up getting paid employment within the organisation, therefore, a strong legal framework emphasis, specially confidentiality, it is crucial, due to the nature of service users situation. Motivation is defined as McGregor (1960) stated in, theory Y, the mental process also called as â€Å"Intrinsic motivation† which, is the motivation that come s from the inside of the individual due to self gratification of completing or carrying a task rather than the external factors, such as pay and rewards and theory X; the social process also called as â€Å"Extrinsic motivation† which, is the motivation that comes from the outside of an individual due to external factors, such as pay and rewards being the main gratification, thus tasks are carried and/or completed as a result.Within an organisation different individuals and teams are motivated by different factors, these factors have different levels as shown below on figure 1. 1 on Maslow’s need theory (1954), which suggests that people’s ultimate goal is to fulfil each level of need until self actualisation is satisfied, different ways of motivation, flexibility and commitment as McKenna and Beech (2002, p. 189) suggested such as the â€Å"appropriate management style, competitive compensation package and supportive culture† (cited by Armstrong and Murl is, 1994) will promote organisation success. Some would disagree with Maslow’s theory due to the fact that individuals’ needs vary, e. g. self-actualisation is not imperative to being successful for everybody, or an individual’s needs that are being met at home do not need to be met at the workplace but the theory establishes that ‘higher order needs’ will have to be aligned with rewards and incentives in order to motivate and satisfy and this approach enables organisations to understand the sort of rewards employees need to receive in order to have the following needs met: Training, opportunities for promotion and career progression| Recognition, the chance to make a difference| Staff room, team working opportunities | Health and safety provision, job security| Pay, decent working conditions | Figure. 1. 3 Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs & the Workplace Figure 1. 4 Herzberg’s Two-Factor TheoryHerzberg’s theory defined Motivators as factors, also called intrinsic rewards which can motivate employees to greater performance and positive attitude by offering job satisfaction of ‘higher-level needs’ associated with recognition, responsibility, achievement and career progression, proven to be effective. Hygiene factors, also called extrinsic rewards, which can only cause dissatisfaction if not fulfilled, needs associated with company policy, pay, working conditions and organisations, must ensure that motivators exit so that employees are satisfied and that hygiene factors are met so that employees are not demotivated. Herzberg’s theory has also been criticised particularly of job satisfaction on work performance â€Å"A satisfied worker is not necessarily a high producer and a high producer is not necessarily and satisfied worker† Armstrong, 2003).The two factor theory, focused mainly on job design, challenge, empowerment, responsibility, recognition and contentment of the work. Based on McClelland theory, high achievers are unlikely to remain in jobs that do not pay them well, reinforcing pay as a hygiene factor but total reward concept, seems to be the most effective in order to motivate employees as it combines extrinsic and intrinsic rewards. Most people aim when applying for employment is to secure an income, Taylor approach known as scientific management â€Å"What the workmen want from their employers beyond anything else is high wages, and what employers want from their workmen most of all is low labour cost of manufacture. (Taylor, 1911), his theory, was further explained as instrumental orientation, when people saw work as purely a form of income that may provide them with the opportunity in obtaining the things that the worker really wants, even though they might not necessarily like their job. The essence of scientific management is regarded as efficiency, which is the greatest output per unit of input, and workers get good rates of pay based on their p roductivity, demonstrating that output was influenced on other factors other than pay, although the size of income will impact on employees’ standard of living, most employees are mostly concerned with earning enough income to meets their needs, and know that their pay is fair in comparison with others, where legislation come into play under the equality Act 2010, the employment rights Act 1996 and the national Min wage Act 1998.Job evaluation is a systematic assessment of the respective worth of various jobs within organisations or industries in order to determine relationships between jobs and establish an internal outlook and design impartial wage rates structure and managing view. It is concerned with the internal outlook, which is, employees doing the same kind of work, receive the equal rewards. Job evaluation quantifies differences between jobs and lays them into groups and ranking order and can be categorised as follows: Scheme | Characteristics | Advantages| Disadvan tages | Factor comparison| Each job is compared individually in turn with all others being evaluated.Points awarded according to whether the job is more, less or equally demanding than the jobs with which it is being compared, points are added to determine the rank order and the scores are analysed and discussed. | Easier to compare a job with one other job than with whole range of jobs. | It neither explains why one job is more important than the other nor assesses differences between them. | Points rating| Separate factors are scored to produce overall points. | Consistency in judgement is assisted by having defined factor levels. Considered the best system in equal value. | Complex to maintain. Objectivity is apparent, subjective judgement required to rate jobs of different factors. Ranking| Whole job comparisons made to place them in order of importance| Simple, cheap, and easy to understand| Complex, whilst determining middle range jobs, and bias whilst assessing of the perform ance of the employee rather than the job itself| Job classification| Job grades defined and slotted into grades by comparing the whole job description with the grade definition| Simple, judgment is provided in the shape of grade definitions | Difficult to fit complex jobs into a grade without using elaborate grade definitions. | Competence & skill grading| Jobs placed in grades in accordance with level of competence/skill| Based on one input factor. Direct pay structure. Non-analytical, difficult to differentiate clearly between competence/skills levels. | Other factors determining pay Competence and skill analysis: Employee’s competence relevance to the needs of the organisation based on operational significance. External systems: when examining job evaluation is not longer the direct consideration where rewards is concerned, eternal market and environment conditions are of greater importance. A large number of employers have taken steps to move away from collective bargaini ng systems to a more individualised reward system. Performance related pay is a good example of this, which is a payment that takes into account the quality of performance instead of being related to a wage grade.External competiveness associated with a job evaluation scheme is a issue in determining rewards and this is evident when organisations adopt market driven reward systems where the rate for the jobs reflects the rate required to attract rather than being based on a payment that is undermined by an internal grading structure. Market rates of pay system: the collection of data on the pay rates for similar jobs with competition to establish their market rate and track movements in those rates. The aim is to assist set the organisation’s own pay rates at the suitable level in order to recruit and retain the staff. Although the concept of a market rate for a job is fairly common, there is no such thing as an accurate or scientific single rate of pay for a job or role, and rates may vary even for the same occupation and in the same location.A central decision relates to how the data will be interpreted, and for this organisations need to consider where they wish to position their pay levels in relation to the market – for example at the median or the upper quartile level of pay in the external labour market. Most organisations use pay surveys to get current and updated pay rate and the sources of information on market rates include: Published data from paid surveys and similar organisations give indication of going rates, it is limited because of problems in comparing like with like, but can help with periodic reality checks on levels and movements, and are valuable sources of data on specific occupations or localities. Pay clubs of employer groups that regularly exchange information on pay levels. These only allow participants access to the data.Special surveys launched by individual organisations from specialist pay consultancies but access is limited to the contractor and participants. Consultants’ pay databases containing data collected on a systematic or ad hoc basis which they relate to the results of their job evaluation schemes to compare pay rates across organisations on a common basis: this ability is one of the attractions of job evaluation to many organisations. To be viable it is important that the factors measure common job/role characteristics and can enable comparisons to be made across different jobs/roles and organisations; the data is based on an adequate sample; and the job analyses are carried out systematically and conscientiously.Market rates of pay will vary on supply and demand in the open market, factors such as: 1. Relative scarcity of particular skills 2. Sensitivity of employees to pay, as it may or may not be an incentive 3. Affordability 4. Culture and value system 5. Bargaining (trade union) 6. Government intervention Internal comparison: It is possible to use job evaluation as a wa y of matching jobs to enable market pricing to take place (although other approaches also exist to comparing jobs, as detailed below). However, there are certain tensions between job evaluation and market pricing approaches. Job evaluation has an internal focus as it ranks jobs and their relative mportance within an organisation – whereas the main focus of market pricing is external as it aims to compare the pay rate for an organisation’s jobs with those in the wider labour market. Employers may need to seek resolutions to such tensions if they wish to ensure that pay rates remain both internally equitable and externally competitive. For example, where higher earnings are commanded in the external market for a particular position than justified by an internal job evaluation exercise, one approach would be to use temporary market supplements to top up earnings for that role as necessary. Hestia aims to be a learning organisation with cultures of continuous improvement a nd staff development.To achieve this aim Hestia is committed to supporting everyone who works for the organisation to develop their professional skills and to achieve their full potential and that is achieved by rewarding and enhancing the contribution employees make to assist Hestia achieve their goals. The process is implemented through policies such as the work based learning policy, which is defined as any on-going and continuous activity that contributes to the development needs of the individual, team and organisation, where the responsibility for work based learning is that of the individual workers supported the line manager. These learning needs will be indentified and the objectives set at the following levels: Level| When set | Objectives set by|Individual| * Induction: when a new workers starts, or an existing worker transfers to a new post * Supervision: when learning needs will be identified to achieve job requirements, or, a requirement to improve performance has been identified * Appraisal: when longer term development learning needs are identified| * Individual & Line Manager| Team| * To enable the team to meet recommendations made by external stakeholders, e. g. CSCI, NOMS, Supporting People * To implement identified efficiency improvements * To implement changes to local working practice| * Project/Department Manager through annual team development team | Organisational | * Implement changes to organisational strategy *Ensure compliance with new, or changes to legislation * To implement the reorganisation of management or work practices | * Corporate management Team| Classification of Work Based Learning Needs: Core| Specialist | Professional| * Essential for all workers e. g. health and safety, induction, implementation of organisational changes| * To meet requirements of specialised work within different projects at a central team or individual level| * Link to relevant national occupational standards recognise the diversity of the work un dertaken within Hestia | | | | Professional Development Fund & Loans – This where Hestia invites employees without outstanding disciplinary actions whom passed their probationary period to apply for funding for a course lasting no longer than two years.Hestia commits to contribute up to a maximum of 50% of the cost of the course fees, which may be recovered if the applicant does not complete the course, or leaves the organisation within completing the course. In addition, Hestia will give an interest-free professional development loan of a relevant extended course, which the Human Resource Manager will determine whether or not the course is relevant. Study Leave & Day Release – Up to five days study leave per year can be agreed where an employee is studying a relevant course. The line manager will determine course relevancy and potential for disruption within the working team and where it does not does not disrupt, Hestia will allow paid day release for employees to at tend extended courses in a relevant area of work.The line manager will need to ensure that the cost of relief staff is within the budget and the Corporate Services Director must approve to the leave and budget release. Evaluation of Work Based Learning Activity – costs and benefits are evaluated in order to assess how effective work based learning activities have been in meeting organisational aims and objectives. The evaluation process is undertaken at a variety of different levels and the output is used to: validate the core plan for the previous year, identify any learning from evaluation that needs to be incorporated into following years core learning plan. Evaluation Level| Undertaken By| Timescales|Individual| Individual and Line Manager| * Immediately after activity (individual) * Two months after learning (line manager)| Team| Line Manager| * Annual to be completed by project/dept manager | Organisational| Corporate Management Team| * Annual to be completed by Human R esources | â€Å"A sample was selected using a random sampling procedure. Population frames were developed based upon geographic regions. A random selection was made of two or three offices within each sales region. A package of the appropriate number of surveys was then sent to each of the selected offices. Further, it was decided that questionnaires would be sent to each of the 75 district managers, regardless of whether their office had been selected for the study. Therefore, 100% of the district managers, 25. 2 1% of the sales mangers and 25 . 4% of the sales agents were surveyed for a total sample size of 534. † Shinew, (1993), The Attractiveness and effectiveness of Incentives Reward Options. Willingness To Increase Productivity On a 7-point scale anchored by â€Å"no additional effort at all† and â€Å"a great deal of additionaleffort,† respondents were asked to indicate how much additional effort they would be willing to exert in order to achieve each in centive reward. Their responses are displayed on the right. They were most willing to exert extra effort for cash, followedby sales conference trips and personal vacationtrips, respectively. These differences are statistically significant. Motivational EffectRespondents were asked to indicate on a 7 -point scale ranging from â€Å"motivating† to â€Å"not motivating,† their reaction to each of the incentives. When simply examining the â€Å"motivating† response category, sales conferences had the highest rating. Almost 65% indicated that they found the reward motivating. This was followed by cash and personal vacation trips, respectively. One of the objectives of the present study was to examine differences in levels of organizational commitment between employees who had received an incentive award in the past two years and those who had not. These two groups are referred to as recipients and non-recipients.In this analysis, only the achievement of cash, merchan dise and conference trip awards were considered. As illustrated in the graph on the right, the two groups differed in their levels of organizational commitment. Therecipients indicated higherlevels of organizationalcommitment than did the non – recipients. The difference between the two groups is statistically significant. â€Å"The three recipient groups were then compared in terms of their levels of organizational c commitment. The cash recipients indicated the highest level, followed by merchandise and conference recipients, respectively. † Shinew, (1993), The Attractiveness and effectiveness of Incentives Reward Options. The returned questionnaires provided valuable information regarding the effectiveness of the incentive rewards at the Company. The findings indicated that: * Sales conferences and personal vacation trips were the most attractive incentive rewards to the respondents. * Travel rewards were followed in attractiveness by cash, merchandise, recognition and status awards, respectively. These findings suggest that in terms of attractiveness, travel rewards were superior to the other incentive options. However, when asked to indicate how much additional effort they would be willing to exert in order to achieve each of the incentives, the respondents were most willing to exert extra effort to achieve cash, followed by sales conference trips and personal vacation trips. Shinew, (1993), The Attractiveness and effectiveness of Incentives Reward Options. Hestia Competence-based appraisal The appraisal is a two-way meeting between employees and the line manager once employees have completed the probation with Hestia. Pos probation period, it is several months until the annual appraisal, employees will be set a work-based and development plan following his/her probation review The annual meeting will usually take place each June/July to provide the employees the opportunity to: * Express how employees have performed in the previous year and to provide examples of how employees have met their outcomes and core competencies. Receive constructive feedback from the line manager on how employees have been performing, both to recognise and assure employees in what they are doing well and to guide them in their on-going work performance and continuous professional development * Discuss how employees are working through a competence-based review, * Identifying learning and development needs and agree the resources they require meet those needs, and * Agreeing relevant and realistic outcomes to achieve over the next twelve months At the end of the meeting employees should develop and work-based development plan which will be signed off by the line manger and reviewed (or possibly amended in light of changes) regularly through the year during employees supervisions.Employees appraisal plan will be review and signed by a a second line manager for consistency and to provide any additional comments. Timeline (Appendix 5) Conclusio n The present analysis was undertaken to answer the question of the value of rewards as motivators for employees. Intrinsic motivational factors have been found to be significant, in both the presence of Hestia’s training scheme and in its absence, this finding of the motivational importance of intrinsic factors within the organisation. Intrinsic rewards dominate extrinsic. Extrinsic motivators do play a role, but not to the extent that classical agency theory suggests a people are motivated by non-economic rewards.In addition, the importance of intrinsic motivators highlights the importance of context in the motivation of staff. It is through the organisation that employees are able to work with clients whom witness their successes, achieve a good work/life balance and have fun at work. Appendixes Figure 1. 1 Employment development Figure 1. 2 Referencing McKenna, E. , Beech, N. (2002) Human Resource Management a concise analysis. England. Armstrong, M. (1991) A Handbook of Personnel Management Practice. London BPP, (2010) Human Resource Management. London Shinew, (1993), The Attractiveness and effectiveness of Incentives Reward Options. NY. Available from: [30/01/2012]

The Challenges of the Baby Boom Generation

Renee Hollered The Challenges Of The Baby Boom Generation They are aging, and they are currently distressed from ailments and diseases that the generous before never really had to suffer through. Oddly enough, they are living longer despite these problems. Their healthcare is better than it has been before, but they are paying dearly for it. For some in this generation, getting good and thorough medical care can be a challenge.For a few, It Is almost Impossible without resorting to Medicare. This generation is facing a new challenge. To either retire early, and not have enough benefits and income to help them in their senior years, or to stay In their current jobs and not see retirement until they are well into their ass or even perhaps their ass This generation is the Baby Boomers. They were born between 1946 and 1964. They arrived after a brutal world war, the rise of nuclear power, of racial Identity and equality, and the start of the Love Generation.They are now getting older and want to retire and find that most cannot afford to end their careers gracefully. Some prefer to stay in the workforce. Even after retirement. Employers want these individuals to retire to free up space for newer and younger employees. A younger employee Is less of a risk health-wise than an older employee, Most Baby Boomers find that staying in the workforce reinvigorates them and keeps them feeling young and vital. Burr, M. T. (2006) â€Å"Almost 40% of utility workers will become eligible for runtime In the next five years.Assuming only nominal growth. By 2010 the industry will need to hire 10,000 new skilled workers each year. † (p. ) Finding younger workers in the utility field within the last 1 5 to 20 years, been relatively easy. Apprenticing with an older mentor meant the younger individual got to learn a new trade and thus, passed on the responsibility that their older mentor previously held. This also meant the younger initiate received health benefits trot the comp any they are now working tort, and the new trade the young Journeyman inherited, progressed from there. 2001) explains, â€Å"About half of the people between ages 50 and 59 who made the decision to delay retirement and remain in the work force reported that they were in excellent or very good health. But, over time, their state of health has declined. † (p. L) Diabetes, cardiac vascular disease and high blood pressure has been diagnosed more frequently in the baby boom generation, than any other before. One reason is because of easy access to food; food that is not healthy, e. G. Fast food.This may also have to do with living fiscally disabled because of perhaps living on worker's come, Social Security or both. For these people, able to afford good health care as well as good nutrition can be a challenge. It is getting harder for some cash strapped Baby Boomers to find affordable health care that will be there when they need it. In some cases, they will probably have to do w ithout. This author has seen first hand, some of his friends that he grew up with, going through some of the same things that he is going through as well, like health issues, financial issues, personal issues, etcetera.Many of them will go without health care insurance because they think they are still healthy enough to carry on without it. Some could go on Medicare, but to do it meaner a filling out paperwork and waiting weeks to finally see a doctor. The hope is that with rent challenges faced with getting good and affordable medical care, that our president will see what needs to be done, and not let the house of representatives dictate what will be the future of health care in the United States.Our president, whether some like him or not, will have the final say; the Baby Boomers could quite possibly, be a big influence in this area. Despite their health problems, the Baby Boomers will probably live as long as their parent's and grandparent's did because of the kind of medical c are they are receiving today as opposed to medical care 50 or so ears ago. More are taking up Jobs that tend to make them happy as well as give them the benefits they need. Some employers are not offering the same kind of benefits that the Baby Boomers have seen in the past.They are offering less in the way of full coverage benefits, and are opting to offer benefits where the aging employee has to pay more out-of-pocket for their own care. When retirement comes around, some opt to stay in their current Job longer. That offsets the Job pool and makes it harder for younger applicants to find good employment. According to Morris, T. J. (201 1), â€Å"Even Hough boomers are starting to reach the magic age of 65, a large number either cannot retire or simply don't want to. † (A Challenge For Baby Boomers, Para. ) Most cannot retire because they need the health care benefits their employer offers, so turn-around tends to be lower in this age range. Most types of companies like util ity and infrastructure maintenance companies are not seeing the vast labor pool of younger employees and younger applicants coming in like they did 15 to 20 years ago. Most of industry, than their counter-parts did previously. Burr, M. T. (2006) â€Å"l worry about the laity of the labor pool,† says Howard Hinkler, director of human resources strategy for Southern Co. In Atlanta. I'm not only concerned about the number of employees we'll need to hire, but about their readiness to take on the kinds of technical Jobs we need done. † (p. L) In other words, it will be harder to find a younger person today who wants to take up being a plumber, carpenter or lineman as opposed to 30 to 40 years ago. Those in the Baby Boom generation are staying on longer in their Jobs to fill these vacancies in this particular Job niche, and thus, the medical benefits for them ill have to adjust accordingly. The main concern here, is that getting the younger generation to apprentice in these k inds of Jobs, e. G. Lumber, carpenter, lineman, electrician, etcetera, is getting harder to have them want to expend their energies into labor intensive careers, and careers that could go back many generations. Burr, M. T. (2006) adds, â€Å"During the sass, utilities across the country focused on reducing their operating costs in an effort to become more efficient and competitive in an increasingly deregulated industry. Utilities minimized their Rockford growth by promoting people from within the organization, allowing attrition to make the staff leaner, applying labor-saving technologies, and outsourcing non-core functions where it made sense. (p. L) In essence, the Baby Boomers will probably be the last to do these kinds of Jobs, the only other way to replace individuals who did this work is to outsource to perhaps, overseas workers. Many jobs within the United States are already outsourced to other countries, and the thought of outsourcing Jobs within our infrastructure may be an uneasy prospect; nonetheless, it will have to be done if we want to keep the kind of lifestyle we have grown accustomed to. The Baby Boomer generation still has many challenges to face. The future for them is still uncertain.Their health is not up to the standards like it was 20 years hence, but they are living longer, and have the will to fight for receiving proper and affordable healthcare. Some say that the Baby Boomers tend to despise their parent's, and fear their children. This individual, the author, would say that the Baby Boom generation is not through yet. There is still a such work to be done in this country and the boomers want to be there when it happens. The challenge to the next generations would be to find those individuals who will take on what those before them excelled at and to keep those traditions alive and vital.This may be for naught since today's young generations do not, or will not, see what's coming around the bend for the next 50 years. They are young and will not bother with those concerns for now. Hopefully at some point, they will realize that what the generations before them had to come to terms with; that they will understand why the Baby Boomers did what they did, and will make their own determinations which will help get them into the next stage of their lives.

The paintings of 2 wheel building Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

The paintings of 2 wheel building - Essay Example The paintings of the house display the modernist housing that tries to displace the immersed relationship traditional notions about housing, the exterior and interior decorations of this house designed by Goldfinger as initially considered by many experts of architectural arts as the manifestos of modernity, the paintings and decorations in the interior sections of the two wheel building allows for an experience of the atmosphere that matches the conditions in the nineteenth century dwellings. The paintings of 2 wheel building communicate the architect Goldfinger's feeling about life. The paint decoration designs of the two wheel road house portrays a strange attraction, since it provides an aesthetic procedure that can be used to legitimate Goldfinger's understanding of what life pertains. It is understood that Golfinger's main motive in designing the 2 wheel house was to get a permanent resident for his family the interior designs that include the painting works of the house is the main painting of what he understood about life. In any architectural work, the architect can use the paintings to communicate the association of his understanding in regard to the real life perspective. This relationship aids in communicating the designers feeling about life. The exterior decoration gives the two wheel house unique appearance. The exterior decoration of the two wheel road house is made of stone, bricks, and concrete that makes it look as a hybrid project as it is not made to have the general modern.

Gender Equality and Social Institutions in USA and United Arab Essay

Gender Equality and Social Institutions in USA and United Arab Emirates - Essay Example It is clear from the discussion that in both USA and United Arab Emirates the education system followed in English, even though Arabic is taught in UAE. USA is famous as superpower and UAE is famous for its oil wealth. Both the countries are well known as the tourist destination. Both America and UAE has a large population of expatriates and is haven for migrant workers who look for better prospects in life and career. Just like America, UAE also consists of different states which are called â€Å"emirate† unitedly known as UAE. The currency of UAE is closely as valuable as American Dollar. Both American and UAE have a high living expense and high standard of living. The citizens of UAE like Americans lead a comfortable and quality life. Both these countries have a strict law system and criminals are punished severely once convicted. UAE like America has a population of an indigenous tribe who were early descendants of the country. In general USA and UAE, both allow freedom of religion to its citizens. The population of UAE is also similar to Americans in food habit as they love junk food. They too like Americans mainly follow a meat-based diet along with vegetables. Since UAE like the USA is a very modern, free-market country, people enjoy indulging in new products and different varieties of fast foods. For the very same reason, both countries have high obesity rates among citizens. The primary and prominent difference between both the countries is the religion they follow. UAE is an Islamic country and USA is predominantly a country which follows Christianity.UAE has Islamic laws governing the country whereas the USA is a secular nation. American is a highly liberal nation and gives complete freedom to its citizens whereas, UAE nationals are bound by Islamic laws. The USA has a government system whereas UAE is ruled by royal family of the nation. The national language of USA is English whereas UAE follows Arabic as their national language. The USA is a country with regions of varied geographical nature and climate, but UAE is a desert region and most part of the year is hot and humid. The geographical area of both these countries also varies drastically. USA is a huge country whereas UAE is a tiny country.UAE nationals unlike Americans are family oriented and are closely connected with family members. Among UAE nationals, the private functions are attended by men and women separately. The marriage ceremonies and other functions are truly Islamic law based. When it comes to the costume of UAE nationals they follow traditional outfit whereas American is casual and trendy in their dress sense. One will only find UAE men in white robe and women in a Black hijab with a veil on their face. America is famous for its pop culture and fast life but UAE follows Bedouin culture and lives a life which is medium paced.UAE imposes a restriction on dressing code, alcohol, and vulgarity in public while America is pretty much liberal.

Speech 1 - Speech of Introduction (2-4) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Speech 1 - Speech of Introduction (2-4) - Essay Example As a horticultural management and technology student, public speaking will enable me to share my knowledge with other people in my field of specialization. It will also enable me to pass important horticultural information to people such as farmers and suppliers. Public speaking will assist me to relate well with others and boost my confidence. At the place of work, public speaking can be one of the qualities required for promotions. Most of the greatest leaders are public speakers. In order to be a leader in any field, public speaking will be of essence. Ethics should always be a concern during speeches. Effective public speakers often employ ethics in their speech. Ethics enable the speaker to establish trust among the audience. Excellent speakers should be able to fully prepare their speeches, engage in ethical goals, avoid abusive language and practice honesty. An effective listener on the other hand is courteous, open minded and attentive. Ethics in public speaking enable the speaker to show respect to the audience and their time (Ocampo-Hafalla, 50). The objective of the speech should also be ethical and should not motivate people to get involved in illegal and harmful activities. ‘Good morning ladies and gentlemen? My name is Hawar Kadmer, a horticultural management and technology expert and will address you on the benefits of horticultural farming. First of all I would like to thank all of you for coming. Am aware of many farmers out there who have inadequate information pertaining to horticultural farming. Lack of information among such people has negatively affected their decision of changing to horticultural farming (Bussell & Mckennie, 30). Very few farmers are practicing horticultural farming with many others doing cereal crop production. I kindly request those farmers who are practicing horticultural farming

The self-esteem movement has caused young people to overvalue their Essay

The self-esteem movement has caused young people to overvalue their actual skills and has set many of them up for disappointmen - Essay Example 1). In considering this argument, it is important to note that studies have revealed that only about 12% of fourth graders are reading at grade level; and telling young learners that they are beautiful and gifted has not necessarily translated to higher test scores or better spelling skills (Colvin, p. 1). For which reason, various scholars have emphasized that the self-esteem movement has not achieved ideal goals for the students and for the educational system in general. It has instead gone too far in crediting children and other young people with skills which would not get them through the harsh realities of life. The self-esteem movement has also created an illusion for many young learners. It has overblown their self-concept and has seemingly given them more than a healthy dose of self-esteem. In other words, the movement has given them a bloated self-concept which seems to skate closely towards egotism and self-centeredness. This may be apparent in the case of bullies who have been â€Å"discovered to highly rate themselves in their academic performance and interpersonal relationships, and typically hold unrealistically positive self-esteem† (Tseng, p. 24). College professors also note that while citing spelling and grammatical errors, their students often claim that it is just the professor’s opinion. And these professors emphasize that wrong grammar and wrong spelling is not merely an opinion – it is just really bad writing (Jayson). Moreover, in assessing the different interests and values of teenagers and young learners, a survey was able to establish that when teenagers were asked about their biggest issues to date, one of their main issues is on "whether or not to have sex" and another concern is on their "popularity" (Psychauthors, p. 4). They expressed little concern for other issues like global warming, war, or politics. As compared to their parents' generations, these teens appear to display more self-confidence and self-est eem; but these qualities have not translated to happier and healthier teens. In fact, depression among teens seems to register at higher rates now than in the 1960s or 1970s; and not to mention, the number of teens suffering from eating disorders, anorexia and bulimia, have risen to alarming rates over the years (Psychauthors, p. 4). These numbers hardly express major gains in instilling improved self-concepts for young people; and if their academic gains were to be assessed, these show hardly any improvement at all. The self-esteem movement was conceptualized in order to give young learners the psychological tools to ward off bullies and other people who may underestimate their capabilities. These goals are to be admired; however, the overall impact that the movement has had on young people cannot be considered as major gains which can be used in the outside world. In the classroom, the movement emphasized that even if children made multiple grammatical and spelling mistakes in the ir schoolwork, these should be overlooked because it might damage their self-esteem (Jayson). However, as many of these young learners enter college where the merit system is based on strict and realistic standards, they often break at the slightest

Transformational Leadership Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Transformational Leadership - Article Example Thus, the leader plays the crucial role of ensuring that people take action that is in sync with the objectives and goals of the group. Leadership is a social phenomenon. As such, there are elements of leader-follower relationships that are mainly subjective in nature and are influenced by individual personality and the philosophical outline of the group (Nozick, 2010 p27). Due to this, the definition of leadership in itself is not quite clear. Gallos defines leadership as â€Å"a complex social process, rooted in the values, skills, knowledge and ways of thinking of both leaders and followers† (p18, 2008). This definition therefore means that leadership is influenced by some variables that influence the relationship between leaders and followers. However, there has been debates in academia and practice about how leadership can and must be construed (Stevenson, 2004 p2). Leadership can be seen as a transaction through which the leader gets to instruct and force his followers to attain the objectives of the group. In this sense, leadership is seen as a transactional event. A transactional event is â€Å"an activity or event whereby a group of people need some form of direction to attain a clearly identified goal† (Paulsen, 2010 p17). In the concept of transactional leadership, followers are required to attain stated ends and the leader is there to ensure that. This means that a formal relationship exists between a transactional leader and his followers. This relationship does not extend beyond the confines of attaining the objectives at hand. On the other hand, several contemporary writers like Bass and Burns have put forward the concept of transformational leadership. Transformational leadership seems to encompass some social aspects which enhances the relationship between leaders and followers outside the normal scope of work or organizational goals. This paper examines the concept of transformational leadership. It begins by identifying the default position of leadership in organizations, which is transactional leadership. From that point, the paper goes on to evaluate the role of transformational leadership as an improvement and replacement of transactional leadership. The paper also focuses on elements of t ransformational leadership and examines some important aspects of this type of leadership. Transactional-Event, Leadership and Authority Max Weber stated that there are three sources of authority and these sources of authority puts a person in a leadership position in a transactional event (Walonick, 1993). Weber's three sources of authority are patriarchal/traditional, rational/legal and/or charismatic/informal. Patriarchal leadership results from historical activities which gives individuals and families certain social status. Thus, people who acquire leadership through patriarchal authorities are mainly people whose births and families have some inherent power or rights of leadership which are transferred to them through inherently. On the other hand, rational/legal authority comes about because a person is legally accepted to have acquired the necessary education, qualifications/certification and relevant experience to fill a given position (Kalinowski, 2005). Such a position of authority is legally recognized by the laws of the land. Charismatic authority comes about as a result of certain informal qualities that renders an individual more powerful in a group. This power, when exercised gives the individual some kind of authority. In exercising authority, a leader could see the followers as a means to an end or an end in itself (Grint, 2002). The approach used, makes the leader either

Marketing management report Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Marketing management report - Term Paper Example on leveraging Korra’s product strengths to position itself as a premium brand, to realize higher margins from lower revenues and as a means to differentiate itself from the market. This translates to a sourcing strategy that shuns China as a supplier of products, because of quality issues that are incompatible with its premium and quality proposition. Opportunities in marketing online, via Facebook and Google and other relevant social media platforms, can be pursued, with promotions budgets aligned with sales (Hae, 2014). The challenge is to provide a comprehensive marketing plan for Korra Dancewear, by way of providing advice and guidance to Karolina Swietoniowska, who is the firm’s owner and primary creative force/designer. Based in Canada, in Ontario, the challenge is finding means to drum up interest in the new collection of dancewear created by the owner, and being solely focused on the online channel, and the goal is to translate improved attention to greater revenues, all while working with constraints in funding. These constraints translate to formidable challenges marketing-wise, and the owner has in mind a strategy that focuses on several key aspects of any marketing plan. Those aspects relate to promotions, extending the product line, and focusing on modes of distribution. Overall, the owner’s goal is to realize monthly sales of between $1, 000 and $2,000 every month by the start of 2014, and the marketing plan is the lynchpin by which Swietoniowska hoped to realize that reve nue goal (Hae, 2014). The channel for sales is online, and the selling prices of individual pieces of wear that the owner sold were along the range of between $40 and $70. The product range consisted of seven items broken down into 18 stock keeping units or SKUs, with the sizes options limited to medium and small. Of the seven items, six items each contributed five percent to overall sales, while one item, the Kai Bodysuit, contributed seven dollars out of every ten dollars

Gamestop Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Gamestop - Essay Example (Gamestop) The updated information lists its store network at 6,683 stores, all owned by the company, located in four key regions, namely Canada, Australia, Europe and the US. Its range of products extend to software, hardware, personal computer software, accessories, and related merchandise. It has a market capitalization of 2.85 billion dollars, a third of its peak market capitalization achieved in 2007. Share prices at present are comparable to levels in 2006 and have been at those levels since 2009, suggesting that prices are stable and that market prospects are stable as well (Google). It is clear from the business overview that its business strategy centers on excellence in distribution, and diversification to include all key segments of the gaming industry,, across different hardware and software platforms, and including online. It is a business strategy centered partly on achieving scale economies, and akin to the business model for Amazon and Walmart, catering to the targeted market of gaming (Google; Gamestop). A PEST analysis reveals that out of these four external environment factors, the stable political environment in the markets where the company operates means that political factors are not as important as technological factors, owing to the rapid changes in the gaming industry, and in the technology and information technologies industries in general (Google; Gamestop) Gamestops competitive position is ok, given its stable prospects as reflected in its share price, but not particularly invulnerable, given large shifts in the gaming industry from new developments in technologies, so that share prices are stagnant even as the company tries to expand its footprint as well as its sales (Google; Gamestop) Its key strengths include its large store network and online network, its significant gaming properties and its continued drive to expand, which all translate to significant scale economies and

Individuals with Disabilities Education Act Essay Example for Free

Individuals with Disabilities Education Act Essay The education system in our country was put in place in order to do service to our children. Despite this, in many cases, children that have disabilities are neglected by their schools. As a society, we all want to make sure that these children are being taken care of. However, there is a large spectrum of students with disabilities, and more needs to be done in order to meet every individual’s needs. In some cases, they do not receive enough attention, and others receive so much that it holds them back from succeeding on their own. Generally speaking, students with special needs benefit from integration into general education classrooms when it is handled appropriately; however in many cases, students are still being short-changed. Integrating students with special needs into a general education classroom has many advantages, both social and academic. For example, all students are required to receive and be tested on common core information, regardless of academic status. Julie Verdonik, an administrator at Maple Grove Jr. Sr. High School who is the head of the Special Education department , says if the students are not able to participate in the general education class, it is much more likely that they will not be taught all of the information that they are responsible for knowing. Special education classrooms slow down the pace of learning, and in many cases, this can actually be detrimental to the student (Verdonik). Verdonik also says, â€Å"When high expectations are set, generally the students are able to meet them. † Any students that are capable of handling the common-core curriculum should be given the opportunity to do so. Not only is the challenging curriculum good for them, but interacting with their peers is very beneficial as well. When asked if integration was socially beneficial for students with special needs Verdonik responded, â€Å"It is always beneficial to have students interacting together. † As a general rule, when students interact with each other, social skills are improved. This is no different for students with special needs. There are other life skills that are taught in a general education classroom that are important for these students too. They are taught the importance of meeting due dates, to listen to and respect a boss or a teacher, and how to handle challenges and frustrations that arise in daily life (Verdonik). By teaching these students important life skills, we are doing them a service that will stay with them their whole life. When integration is implemented appropriately, it is highly successful. There are specific requirements for children who are in need of special attention. They are not just left to cope with a challenging work environment. The government mandates that each eligible student receives an IEP or 504 plan under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, or IDEA, that will help them as they go through school (Koch). These plans are created on an individualized basis, and can include the implementing of a variety of practices to best help the student (NCLD). Different testing accommodations or formats can be assigned, as well as different classroom times or activities such as remedial classes and aides, or â€Å"study buddies† (â€Å"What is a 504 plan? †). Smaller, but equally significant, actions can be taken too, such as requiring that a student have access to a computer for every writing assignment, or that someone gives them a â€Å"backpack check† to make sure they have all of the right homework (â€Å"What is a 504 plan? †). All of these individualized requirements, added to integration, have a very strong and successful impact on the education of special needs students. There have been a number of success stories in our nation’s history when it comes to the education of special needs students. One in particular, told by Kathy Koch in her article entitled, â€Å"Do Students With Disabilities Get the Help They Need? † is the story of a young girl named Rose who suffers from cerebral palsy. Despite her condition, Rose has aspirations of attending college, and was elected onto the student’s council (Koch). Koch says that, â€Å"By nearly all accounts, the law has been highly successful at educating students once turned away at the schoolhouse door as ‘untrainable’†¦Ã¢â‚¬ . Julie Verdonik too believes that the program can be successful, and has confidence in the special needs students at Maple Grove. With all of this success, why is it necessary that the special education system be reevaluated? Despite the potential for success that IDEA creates, there are many students whose needs are not yet being met. Some states in our country ignore the act altogether, and do not provide their students with the resources and materials they need to be successful. In many cases, teachers in general education are not trained enough to handle students with special needs being a part of their classroom (Gable). The two of these factors combine to create an environment that slows down the learning process at no fault of the child. On top of that, many low-income areas do not receive enough funding to afford to service their students to the best of their ability, further hindering the child. Misdiagnosis is also a problem commonly found in low-income areas that holds students back from reaching their full potential (Koch). Students that are simply falling behind due to overcrowded classrooms are subjected to remedial reading and other needs-based classes when they don’t actually suffer from any disability (Koch). In some states, children with special needs are tested in a different category than the students in general education. Due to the fact that overcrowded classroom leave some students behind by nature, this method of testing often results in students who are falling behind being forced into special education classrooms unnecessarily to manipulate test scores (Koch). These students are robbed of the social benefits of being in a general education classroom, as well as the chance to face academic challenges. Students who are falling behind and are being pushed aside at no fault of their own often develop behavioral problems that are disruptive and detrimental to themselves and those around them (Gable). If teachers are not qualified to help these students, the problems only increase and multiply, unfairly leaving the student to cope in an environment that they can’t handle. The dropout rate of students with special needs is twice that of the students who have no disabilities (Gable). When schools fail to meet the needs of their students, the results aren’t beneficial to anybody. In too many cases, our current system is not effective enough to satisfy the needs of our students. Although there is potential for success in our system, more needs to be done to ensure that there can be adequate help for every student that needs it. Funding for special education needs to be increased to schools in low-income areas. If this were to happen, misdiagnosis, overcrowding, and a lack of resources would no longer be a problem for these districts. Teachers in the field of general education need to be adequately trained to handle the challenges that come from students with special needs in the classroom. It is not currently required that all teachers receive training in special education before earning their degree (DuBois). This should not be acceptable any longer, because even in general education classrooms, there will be students who require more attention based on behavioral and academic issues (DuBois). Most importantly, states need to be held accountable for the education that they are providing to their students. It is a common misconception that students with special needs do not match the level of achievement of students without disabilities. Many people think that the pace of classes and amount of curriculum they would be responsible for would be too much for these students to handle. However, with the proper accommodations, this would not have to be true. If necessary, an aide or special education teacher can be assigned to children through their IEP. These aides are beneficial to both the student and the teacher in the classroom. With another person to help explain concepts, as well as hold the child accountable for the work the child is responsible for, students can often meet and even exceed expectations (Verdonik). While it is true that bringing students with special needs into the classroom can introduce additional behavioral and academic issues, Verdonik says, â€Å"Having another person in the room that is trained to work with these kids can also take some of the pressure off of the teacher. † If teachers were trained more adequately to handle these problems on their own, and there was an aide available to the child, there is no reason to believe that they would not be able to adapt to and succeed in a general education classroom. There are some who believe that integrating special needs students among their peers would lead to bullying and other detrimental social problems. While theoretically this argument makes sense, there are many reasons to believe the exact opposite will happen. Integration would actually cause more tolerance and acceptance between these students. For one thing, they would be exposed to each other from a much earlier age, and would continue to be as they advance through school. Growing up together, students with and without disabilities would learn how to interact together, and even realize that they aren’t so different from each other anyway. Kathy Koch’s story about Rose is the perfect example of this. Rose’s cerebral palsy not only affects her mentally, but physically as well. Despite these defects, she was accepted by her classmates enough to be voted the secretary of her class (Koch). Anna Schuppenhaur, who suffered a stroke at the age of two, is still suffering from the physical and mental repercussions (DuBois). Her kindergarten teacher, Elizabeth Dubois, remembers celebrating Anna’s victories as a class with her students; when Anna learned how to swing all by herself, they had a party for her. Years later, in eighth grade Anna suffered from muscle spasms during class (DuBois). Anna received the support and concern of all of her classmates afterwards (DuBois). When recalling the event DuBois said, â€Å"I believe that if these children had not grown up learning to be supportive of each other, they would have reacted much differently to Anna’s situation. † Rather than feeling alone or unwanted by her classmates, the support given to Anna has helped her get through difficult times presented to her by her disability. Also, if special needs students weren’t treated differently from the beginning, there would be less distinction between them and the other students anyway. If the administration treats them differently, then they will be labeled as different. But if they are treated as equally as possible, discrimination would not develop into a problem from the beginning. If special education students are integrated into general education classrooms, general education teachers will be required to learn how to cope with the challenges that they present. However, teachers who teach in general education classrooms are not required to take special education classes before earning their degree (DuBois). It is true that training teachers in this area would be expensive. Either the individual would have to pay to take the classes at the collegiate level before earning their degree, the school district in which they work would have to pay to provide a workshop or other source of training for the teacher, or a combination of both of these options would be necessary. However, the result is worth the cost, because without the training, teachers are not able to do their job effectively. Inadequate teachers lead to higher lower test scores, misplacement of students into remedial classes (Koch), higher dropout rates, and emotionally and mentally detrimental effects for their students (Gable). Making sure teachers receive the proper training is crucial to the success of the special needs students in their classrooms. State and federal funding for special education needs to increase in order to enable schools to be capable of helping their students. The low-income areas that lack resources are not able to provide them because they cannot afford to (Associated). Helping children who require special education involves many extra expenses, such as hiring speech pathologists and psychologists, training teachers, and providing equipment and facilities, accommodations and other resources. With all of this, educating students with special needs can cost four times more students in general education (Associated). Federal funds cover a fraction of that expense, leaving the districts to their own means (Associated). Schools that are already struggling with financial troubles are unlikely to be able to meet the costs required of them without more help from the government. The most important step that needs to be taken in order to help children with disabilities in America is the development of a system that holds states and school districts accountable for providing these students with the education they deserve. Too often, students are being pushed aside when they deserve benefits because the schools do not have the resources to help them. Parents are often left to fight for their children’s rights, and are then labeled as â€Å"problem parents† and are viewed as a burden to the school system (Koch). Lilliam Rangel-Diaz says, The one constant factor throughout two and a half decades is that federal [enforcement] efforts over several administrations have been inconsistent and lacking any real teeth. There have been no consequences for states that have disregarded the law and devastating consequences for the students with disabilities and their families who have been denied the protections of the law. (qtd. in Koch) In order to solve this problem, consequences need to be established. States that are adequately helping their students should be able to pass on ideas and concepts that have influenced their student’s success, and implement new regulations that would improve the current programs. States that cannot support their students’ needs should receive funding in order to do so, because providing schools with the resources they don’t have is the only way to ensure the needs of the students will be met. However, if after a few years of receiving this funding there is no marked improvement in a  particular school district’s program, then other surrounding schools that have managed to run a successful program should take over. This may be an unorthodox system, but with the needs of the students in mind, it is a solution that makes sense. It would ensure that money is not being put to waste, give districts incentive to make improvements in their own systems, and guarantee that people who are capable and experienced are in charge of the education of our students. There are certainly situations in which integration is not actually the best option for students with disabilities. Some students have such severe limitations that they would not benefit from placement into general education classrooms, and they would be nearly impossible for teachers to work with without neglecting the rest of the class. This includes children who cannot comprehend or reproduce language, or whose mental development will never reach the adolescent stage. The education that these children receive is based more on living skills, for example, anything from shoe-tying and bed-making, to preparing food and interacting socially, depending upon the severity of their case. There are even cases in which students can learn math, reading, and writing skills. These students would be better off in a special education classroom or school, with a teacher trained specifically to handle their needs. However, this cannot be used as an excuse to keep capable children from getting the education that they deserve. Students with special needs benefit in many areas when they are integrated into special education classrooms. They develop stronger social skills, become better prepared for their future, and are challenged with a more difficult curriculum. When they are denied the opportunity to face these challenges and meet higher expectations, it is detrimental to them now and in the future. It is also a disadvantage for society, because without the proper education, it is harder for them to later become functioning members of society. With more funding, a wider range of teacher education, and a stricter enforcement of special education regulations, we can ensure that the needs of all of our students are adequately met. Works Cited Associated Press. â€Å"Public Schools Bearing the Brunt of Special Education Costs. † ThOnline. Telegraph Herald, 19 Aug 2012. Web. 1 February 2013. DuBois, Elizabeth. Personal interview. 27 January 2013. Gable, Robert A. ; Tonelson, et al. â€Å"Importance, Usage, and Preparedness to Implement Evidence-based Practices for students with Emotional Disabilities: A Comparison of Knowledge and Skills of Special Education and General Education Teachers. † Education Treatment of Children 35. 4 (2012): pg. 499-519. West Virginia University Press. Web. 20 December 2012. Koch, Kathy. â€Å"Do Students With Disabilities Get the Help They Need? † CQ Researcher 10. 39 (2013): 905-928. CQ Researcher Online. Web. 11 January 2013. NCLD Editorial Team. â€Å"What is an IEP? † National Center for Learning Disabilities. The National Center for Learning Disabilities, 2013. Web. 1 February 2013. Verdonik, Julie. Personal interview. 10 January 2013. â€Å"What is a 504 plan? † NCLD. National Center for Learning Disabilities, 2013. Web. 1 February 2013.

Consequences Of Cell Phone Use While Driving English Language Essay

Consequences Of Cell Phone Use While Driving English Language Essay Cell phone use while driving should be illegal everywhere because 1) it causes major distraction, 2) it can cause harm to the driver and others near the driver, and 3) it shows negative influence on young people. In more ways than one, using a cell phone while driving has been proven to be a dangerous thing for people to do. The cases of fatal automobile accidents, related to cell phone use while driving, have risen dramatically over the past few years. The majority of these accidents are younger people, usually 25 years of age and younger. A new study confirms that the reaction time of cell phone users slows dramatically, increasing the risk of accidents and tying up traffic in general, and when young adults use cell phones while driving, theyre as bad as sleepy septuagenarians (Britt). David Strayer, a psychology professor at the University of Utah says if you put a 20-year-old behind the wheel with a cell phone, their reaction times are the same as a 70-year-old driver who is not using a cell phone. Its like instantly aging a large number of drivers (Britt). The use of a cell phone while driving causes more negative incidents than positive incidents. It causes road rage from other drivers, traffic jams, minor accidents and even fatal accidents: According to the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society, the journals publisher, cell phone distraction causes 2,600 deaths and 330,000 injuries in the United States every year. . . . Drivers talking on cell phones were 18 percent slower to react to brake lights, the new study found. In a minor bright note, they also kept a 12 percent greater following distance. But they also took 17 percent longer to regain the speed they lost when they braked. That frustrates everyone. . . . Once drivers on cell phones hit the brakes, it takes them longer to get back into the normal flow of traffic. The net result is they are impeding the overall flow of traffic. (Britt) Now, after looking into more research, it seems that cell phone use while driving is more dangerous than most people make it out to be; teenagers seem to be the worst at this. The cell phone has many applications on them now days and some are more distracting than others. For example, a young girl is driving down the road at 55 miles per hour and her cell phone rings. She reaches across the car to grab it, takes a quick look at the screen to see who it is, looks back up and sees she is about to rear end another vehicle. Even though her reaction time is slowed from normal, she slams the breaks on just in time to avoid a major collision. Only minor damage is done to both vehicles and luckily no one is hurt. This young girl only took a quick look off the road, but still put herself and others in danger. Now, another young girl is driving down a road, in a school zone, doing only 15 miles per hour and her cell phone goes off as well, only hers is a text message from her boyfriend. She lo oks down at the screen, eyes off the road, same as girl number one, only her eyes are off the road for a longer period of time. She takes time to read the text, only to briefly look at the road, and looks back at the screen to send a text message back. With one hand on the wheel, one hand on the cell phone, texting, and her eyes on the cell phone, she hits a young child and her mother walking across the street. This accident just so happens to be a fatal one. Next, let us talk about hands free cell phones. People may and probably will argue these are not dangerous or distracting at all, but in fact, they are just as distracting. Whether a person is texting or just talking, their concentration is broken. People think that if they are just talking and listening, with eyes still on the road, not taking them off, that they are just as alert as a driver not talking on a cell phone. According to Strayer and his colleagues, those people are wrong. This is what Strayer and his colleagues found: In 2001, they found that even hands-free cell phone use distracted drivers. In 2003, they revealed a reason: Drivers look but do not see, because they are distracted by the conversation. The scientists also found previously that chatty motorists are less adept than drunken drivers with blood alcohol levels exceeding 0.08. (Britt) A man named Arthur Kramer, who led an Illinois study, stated these words: With younger adults, everything got worse, . . . . Both young adults and older adults tended to show deficits in performance. They made more errors in detecting important changes and they took longer to react to the changes' (Britt). It was documented by Robert Roy Britt, the publisher of this article, that the impaired reactions involved seconds, not just fractions of a second, so stopping distances increased by car-lengths. A study, done by Strayer, showed the following results: The latest study used high-tech simulators. It included people aged 18 to 25 and another group aged 65 to 74. Elderly drivers were slower to react when talking on the phone, too. The simulations uncovered a twofold increase in the number of rear-end collisions by drivers using cell phones. Older drivers seem to be more cautious overall, however. Older drivers were slightly less likely to get into accidents than younger drivers, Strayer said. They tend to have a greater following distance. Their reactions are impaired, but they are driving so cautiously they were less likely to smash into somebody. But in real life, he added, older drivers are significantly more likely to be rear-ended because of their slow speed. (Britt) Not only is it a problem with the younger people using cell phones while driving, but older people as well. Even though, the older people had better reaction time, it is still dangerous, regardless. No matter how cautious a person is, a distraction is a distraction. It takes away from the important things that need to be focused on and still poses threats and dangers to all those involved. Okay, let us focus on texting while driving. As said before, texting while driving takes a lot more concentration than just simply talking. Not only does it take a persons mental concentration away, but physical concentration as well, also known as the eye site. It takes more time to text someone than it does to simply answer a call. People are killed in fatal accidents due to the use of cell phones while driving and the rise in numbers is just ridiculous. In Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, a young girls mother was killed, while driving, but she was not the person using the cell phone, the other driver was. A story, done on this accident, by Doug Warner from News 9, seems to have touched some peoples hearts: Jennifer Smiths mother was killed at a northwest Oklahoma City intersection less than a year ago. You never know how irreplaceable your mother is and how much of you your mother is. The day your mother passes away, youll never be the same, Smith said. Linda Doyle would have turned 62 this past Sunday. But on September 3, 2008, she was hit and killed on Northwest Expressway by a driver who was distracted by his cell phone. Every day I want to yell at people and tell them to put the phone down, Smith said. Now Lindas smiling face is on billboards across the country including one along Interstate 40 near downtown, which towers above drivers who continue to risk Death by Cell Phone. Awareness is always the best approach up front to see if you can get people to change habits, but some youre not going to get to, said David Koeneke with the National Safety Council. Koeneke said the billboards arent the perfect solution but are certainly a step in educating the public to the dangers of mixing cell phones and driving. Smith, who often returns to her native Oklahoma City, hopes to help warn Oklahoma drivers and make a difference in the state by sharing the facts, like how texting and driving is considered worse than drunk driving. I dont want to be on the road with 100 million drunk drivers, Smith said. Kansas, Louisiana, Nebraska, Colorado, New Mexico and Texas have all passed some level of cell phone restrictions. Missouri and Oklahoma have not. Smith said she isnt sure what Oklahoma is waiting on. In Oklahoma, I know all the bills have been thrown out or squashed, and Im just hoping when they see the neighboring states are doing this, that theyll jump on board, Smith said. It seems like you have to hear the horror stories before changes will be made, Im afraid. Horror stories like Linda Doyles death by a cell phone. My mother is gone and Im only 35, Smith said. Chris Hill, who caused the crash, never served a day in jail, but he said he now lives with a heavy burden for the rest of his life. Right then, I was screaming, witnesses coming up holding me up because I couldnt handle it. I knew what had happened. I knew right then I had killed her, Hill said. After reading a story like this, one would think it would convince more people to take more caution with using cell phones while driving. Sadly, it does not really do anything. People will show sympathy and say things referring to how awful it is that something like that happened, but just as soon as it is all said and done, the majority of them are already back on the road . . . using their cell phones while they are driving. In addition to the previous statements, what other things are said about cell phone use while driving. For instance, the cell phone use, or as some call it, multi-tasking, has been referred to as aggressive driving. Dr. Leon James says this about it: There is a tendency to think that multi-tasking while driving is the cause of driver inattention or distraction. This belief leads to demands for new laws that restrict or ban the use of in-car communication devices such as phones and computers. But the correct argument is that multi-tasking can lead to driver distraction when drivers havent properly trained themselves to use the new car gadgets. This is true for older devices like the familiar radio and CD as well as the new, like GPS, phones, and e-mail. So its true that multi-tasking becomes the occasion for drivers to make more mistakes, when they fail to train themselves properly. This increased training is a joint responsibility of the individual driver and the government. Multi-tasking behind the wheel is a matter of degree and all drivers are responsible for determining when they need additional self-training activities. When drivers overstep this line, they become socially and legally responsible. Drivers who allow themselves to be distracted by their multi-tasking activities are increasing the risk factor for themselves and imposing that dangerous limit on otherspassengers, other drivers, pedestrians. This increased risk to which others are subjected is thus similar to other driver behavior that are considered aggressive and illegal: going through red lights, failing to yield, exceeding safe speed limits, reckless weaving, drinking and driving, driving sleepy or drowsy, road rage, etc. Even though Dr. Leon James believes this: But the correct argument is that multi-tasking can lead to driver distraction when drivers havent properly trained themselves to use the new car gadgets, the so-called multi-tasking should still become illegal. No matter how well-trained a person thinks they are at multi-tasking while driving, their concentration is still broken and taken away from the road. As soon as a person takes their eyes off the road to answer a call or respond to a text, they are automatically putting their lives and everyone elses lives around them, in danger. How many people are going to have to be seriously injured or even killed before people start to realize how dangerous cell phone use while driving actually is? People run red lights, break speed limits and go all over the road when intoxicated. The same things happen when people use cell phones behind the wheel, so what exactly is the difference? The majority of automobile accidents, mainly during the daytime, are caused by the distraction of the cell phone. Jennifer Claerr published an article in May of 2007 about the dangers and effects of cell phone use behind the wheel. Jennifer found this: A recent study has shown that while dialing was found to be the most common cause of crashes (one has to take his eyes off the road to dial) the simple act of talking on a cell phone, even on a headset, was a proven distraction and caused accidents. Cell phone users are four times more likely than non-cell phone users to be involved in an accident. In these studies, the conversation itself was as distracting as dialing or calling up messages. People who talk on a cell phone while driving develop an extremely narrow focus, and become unaware of many of the things happening around them on the road. (Claerr) After taking a look at just this excerpt, it should make people think. There have been many people that have been either cut off, been hit, or have been close to being hit by a driver using a cell phone. Claerr expresses another opinion of her own that most people should most definitely agree with: A lot of advocates of cell phone use while driving cite that some studies have shown the total number of accidents and fatalities from cell phone use is small. However, they miss the point. Cell phone use while driving is a totally unnecessary activity, and if even only one fatality is caused by it, the practice is unacceptable. As a result of people using cell phones while driving, kids, parents, and people of all ages are being hurt and even killed. How do people expect to drive safely when their attention is focused on other things besides the road and other drivers around them? As a result, many people are hurt badly and even killed, on a daily basis because of the distractions caused by cell phones use while driving. How many fatalities are going to happen before people realize how dangerous their habits can be? How many children are going to have to lose their parents, or for that matter, how many parents are going to have to lose their children before this danger can be stopped? No one will ever know the answer. All that can be done, as of now, is to try the best ways that can be done.

Explain what happens in Act 3 from Danforth’s point of view- and show :: English Literature

Explain what happens in Act 3 from Danforth’s point of view- and show how Arthur Miller makes it clear to the audience that Danforth is not only misguided but deliberately ignores any evidence that casts doubt on the stories of Abigail Williams GCSE English Literature 20th Century Drama Coursework, â€Å"The Crucible† by Arthur Miller Essay Question: Explain what happens in Act 3 from Danforth’s point of view- and show how Arthur Miller makes it clear to the audience that Danforth is not only misguided but deliberately ignores any evidence that casts doubt on the stories of Abigail Williams and the other girls. Danforth, as â€Å"the Deputy Governor of the Province† of Massachusetts is an extremely powerful and influential man, a representative of the King of England. He represents the combined authority of church and state in this theocratic society of the day. We do not meet Danforth until the start of Act 3, although Arthur Miller mentions him briefly at the beginning of Act 2 not by name but by his office. Danforth is not one of the main characters in the play but he is certainly the most controversial. Arthur Miller makes us aware of how this man is a paradox, but I shall return to this shortly. In the first two Acts of this play, set in Salem 1692, Arthur Miller introduces us to the main characters and the events that lead to this witch- hunt. He describes the people of Salem as a â€Å"sect of fanatics whose creed forbade anything resembling a theatre or vain enjoyment† and a â€Å"holiday from work meant that they must concentrate even more upon prayer.† Their outlook and self enforced discipline did help them to survive a life, which I can only imagine as very harsh, as some of the first settlers in America. These people lived by very strict rules and regulations, and were not allowed to express their feelings physically or verbally. The events that lead to the witch- hunt were, in my view, the bubble bursting- such repression found an outlet! Arthur Miller states â€Å"the witch- hunt was not mere repression† but a â€Å"long overdue opportunity for everyone to express publicly his guilt and sins under the accusations against victims. It suddenly became possible to speak of matters which were forbidden in an ordinary way.† Also â€Å"hatred of neighbours would now be openly expressed, and vengeance taken.† â€Å"Old scores would be settled,† and all this under the umbrella of morality and self righteousness. Before the start of the play Reverend Parris has caught a group of girls, led by his niece Abigail Williams, dancing in the woods- a

Karl Marx’s Views on Family Ethics Essay -- Karl Marx Communist Manife

Karl Marx’s Views on Family Ethics Karl Marx and Frederick Engels Karl Marx devoted much of his time to the study of morality, better known as ethics. Karl Marx was a firm believer in Communism and he authored the Communist Manifesto, along with Frederick Engels. Family ethics is an issue dealt with by Karl Marx in his teachings and writings. According to Marx and his co-author, Engels, morality is the slave of interest. Moral codes and ethics are believed to be dependent on the person and relative to the social setting.[1] Ethics are discussed on a philosophical level and also in everyday controversial topic discussions or debates. Marx was a huge supporter of freedom and believed that freedom was a result of the Communist party and its beliefs. Karl Marx had little faith in the future of Capitalism and the system of Monarchy, and he believed that once these two ideas of politics were eliminated, Communism would move in and replace the wrong thoughts instilled with Capitalism and Monarchy, and provide the world with sense and reason. Stating his feelings clearly in the Communist Manifesto, Karl Marx noted that the selling point in the economy should be the people themselves, not the working labor, money, or rent from the property.[2] To supplement these theories, Marx proposes an end to the problem of men and their activities, which is to direct men’s attention on the economy so that there could be prevailing freedom. There are some discrepancies in Marx’s theories, like the question of what else has an impact on freedom. There are other issues, but the issue remains that peo ple are unaware if freedom ethics applies to all people and how it affects the modern society. ... ...roposal for the world and Communism was too far-fetched and would not work. Every time there has been a push towards Communism, it has always failed. There have been several unsuccessful attempts, all ending in a problematic dictatorship. While he did realize freedom was a major issue, he lacked in knowledge that family life was also significant. Notes [1] Kamenka, Eugene. Marxism and Ethics. New York: W.D. Hudson, 1969 - Pg. 4. [2] Kamenka, Eugene. Pg. 13. [3] Heyer, Paul. Nature, Human Nature, and Society. Greenwood Press, 1982 – Pg.126. [4] Heyer, Paul. Pg. 125. [5] Heyer, Paul. Pg. 127 [6] Kamenka, Eugene. Pg. 26. [7] Kamenka, Eugene. Pg. 49. [8] Kamenka, Eugene. Pg. 51. [9] Koren, Henry. Marx and the Authentic Man. Pittsburgh, PA, 1967 – Pg. 33. [10] Koren, Henry. Pg. 67. [11] Koren, Henry. Pg. 68.

Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass Essay -- Narrative Life Fr

Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass Complete Title: An Exploration of the Relationship between Southern Christianity and Slaveholding as seen in the â€Å"Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave Written by Himself†    Dr. Pautreaux’s comments: What makes this paper memorable is the fact that this student is also a minister. Both his command of the language and his insight as a minister gave this paper a unique view of the narrative.    We can so easily deceive ourselves into believing that what is accepted by the general population as normal behavior is also justifiably correct. Rarely do we, as a society, question our customs as long as this behavior yields such commodities as convenience, profit or social benefit. If contested, our acts become well justified and defended. All components of our lifestyle are purposefully bent to fit around popular beliefs and anything, up to and including the Holy Bible, can be distorted to advance our position. A current example of this is today's Muslim terrorists who are using teachings in their Koran to justify their position saying that the Koran dictates that they must fight a holy war, killing as many Christians and Jews as possible, even going so far as to sacrifice their own lives in the process. This sort of religious distortion, used to justify man's self-serving will, is what writer and former slave, Frederick Douglass exposes in his story of his life which he wr ote in 1845. In his story, Douglass gives us a wealth of obvious incongruities of people professing Christianity while practicing slavery: "The man who robbed me of my earnings at the end of each week meets me as a class-leader on Sunday morning, to show me the way of ... ...lt of the Christian religion itself, perhaps the present religious conflict could be resolved. We, too, have the obligation to remember that the strain of Islam that has come to fore in these days of terrorist attacks, is but an extremist fanatical derivation or a religion that also has a pure and good basis. We should all make sure that religion is not a "mere covering for the most horrid crimes--a justifying of the most appalling barbarity...in which the darkest, foulest, grossest, and most infernal deeds...find the strongest protection" (1059) as it was in the days of slavery in the southern U. S. and in the life of Frederick Douglass. Work Cited    Douglass, Frederick. '"Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave." The Harper Single Volume American Literature. Ed. Donald McQuade, et.al. 3rd edition. New York: Longman, 1999. 1020-1081. Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass Essay -- Narrative Life Fr Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass Complete Title: An Exploration of the Relationship between Southern Christianity and Slaveholding as seen in the â€Å"Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave Written by Himself†    Dr. Pautreaux’s comments: What makes this paper memorable is the fact that this student is also a minister. Both his command of the language and his insight as a minister gave this paper a unique view of the narrative.    We can so easily deceive ourselves into believing that what is accepted by the general population as normal behavior is also justifiably correct. Rarely do we, as a society, question our customs as long as this behavior yields such commodities as convenience, profit or social benefit. If contested, our acts become well justified and defended. All components of our lifestyle are purposefully bent to fit around popular beliefs and anything, up to and including the Holy Bible, can be distorted to advance our position. A current example of this is today's Muslim terrorists who are using teachings in their Koran to justify their position saying that the Koran dictates that they must fight a holy war, killing as many Christians and Jews as possible, even going so far as to sacrifice their own lives in the process. This sort of religious distortion, used to justify man's self-serving will, is what writer and former slave, Frederick Douglass exposes in his story of his life which he wr ote in 1845. In his story, Douglass gives us a wealth of obvious incongruities of people professing Christianity while practicing slavery: "The man who robbed me of my earnings at the end of each week meets me as a class-leader on Sunday morning, to show me the way of ... ...lt of the Christian religion itself, perhaps the present religious conflict could be resolved. We, too, have the obligation to remember that the strain of Islam that has come to fore in these days of terrorist attacks, is but an extremist fanatical derivation or a religion that also has a pure and good basis. We should all make sure that religion is not a "mere covering for the most horrid crimes--a justifying of the most appalling barbarity...in which the darkest, foulest, grossest, and most infernal deeds...find the strongest protection" (1059) as it was in the days of slavery in the southern U. S. and in the life of Frederick Douglass. Work Cited    Douglass, Frederick. '"Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave." The Harper Single Volume American Literature. Ed. Donald McQuade, et.al. 3rd edition. New York: Longman, 1999. 1020-1081.