Of Mice and Men †What happens after the close of the novel? Essay

The late summer sky was lit with the shimmering tones of the burnt amber sun, enclosed in a vivid colour palette of sunset. The colours blended and twisted to form a ceiling to the wide open canyon where George and Slim sat surrounded by crimson and brown vegetation. The empty silence was broken by the slight sound of a gentle wind echoing through the canyon along with the scuttling of a bottle green lizard exploring the small sandy dunes. The air was a muggy damp air that was more like steam or fog. As George looked over the vast dunes, he could see the cloudy distance through the fog and couldn’t help but feel pessimistic about the future which lie ahead of him. Slim on the other hand was ready to go and trying to get George on his feet, George felt a sharp pull on his arm and stumbled to his feet. As they walked their feet disturbed small clusters of sand which consequently left a light trail behind them. Since the last rest they had been moving for about seven hours, they had seen the just awoken sun rise up out of morning clouds. They advanced through the desert scene and then they noticed. † George †¦ How full is you water canister? â€Å" † ’bout a half, what about your’s† † I got none left George.† † Here, have some of mine† George passed his water canister to Slim. Slim reached out to take it. Sloosh! Slims palm was hot and stiff and he had not taken a proper grip on the canister. It fell to the ground its content cascading out onto the sandy floor. The dry ground sucked up the moisture. George and Slim scrambled to the floor, wracked at the sand in a hope to find some water but it was all gone. † I.. I’m sorry George I .. I just didn’t grip it tight enough.† † s’ok Slim, I wasn’t your fault.† So the two thirsty, dehydrated men set off searching for a source of water. The sun was getting hotter and hotter, and Slim and George were getting weaker and weaker. Suddenly George felt a burst, he had seen something in the distance. † SLIM SLIM!† â€Å"What, What is it George?† â€Å"Over there in the distance, can you see it. It’s a pool.† â€Å"I see it, I see it. We’re saved.† Slim and George scrambled across the sand like small excited kittens. George hurriedly got there first and jumped in. He landed flat on the same ground he had seen for the past seventeen days. There was no pool. No water. It was all a figment of the imagination. Slim, confused, walked over to George’s side. â€Å"Are you alright George?†¦ What happened?† â€Å"I dunno, one second there was a pool, then I was on the sand.† â€Å"But I could see it, so where’d it go?† † It wasn’t real. The heat is playing with our minds.† â€Å"We Haven’t eaten in days.† † I know. We need to find some water.† † Wait George. What’s that up ahead?† â€Å"It’s nothing’ . Remember we’re seeing things that aren’t actually there. It’s all in our minds.† Further along the road was an inn. But George and Slim thinking it wasn’t real continued there journey in the other direction. After a while the food supply was also coming to an end. George and Slim were eating more and more every day in a hope that they would have enough energy to reach a ranch or an inn. They sat down in a silence, Neither having enough energy to speak. Eventually they fell asleep on the warm blanket-like floor of the desert. The sand was soft and comforted them as they slept. It was not until the heat became unbearable the next day they awoke. † Slim†¦ Slim. Come on it’s time to go. We have to find water†¦ Slim?† † I can’t George. I†¦ I’ve got no fight left in me.† † Sure you do. Were bound to find somewhere today.† † You go George.† † I’m not going alone Slim. Not after what happened with Lennie. I’ll go and get help.† George got to his feet and started a paced walk. Hat he hadn’t realised was that he was walking the way they had already come the day before. Three hours later George had made little progress. He had not found anywhere that could help or anyone who could assist them. Slowly he squinted into the distance. What is that he thought. It was the inn he had imagined the day before. It’s not real he said to himself in a firm way as to not get his own hopes high. He walked on toward it none the less. As he got closer he could smell soup and ale. He approached the building and reached out to touch it. He could feel the rough grain of the wood beneath his hand. His dry sin touching the inn. He ran inside. † Please, my friend is further out, we ran out of food and water. Can you help him?† â€Å"Sure, I have a sand cart do remember which direction you came?† â€Å"I think so.† â€Å"Alright let’s go.† George instructed the innkeeper to where Slim was laying half-covered by sand. His body was tired and weak. George got Slim onto the spare seat and the innkeeper took them back to the inn and accommodated them with rooms, and told them when Slim was rested there were a few jobs that needed doing around the inn. George ad Slim set about doing them as soon as they could. Instead of being paid in money they were paid in supply’s such a food, water and transportation. Slim and George left the inn after three weeks and went on there way. The innkeeper told them he would always welcome them if they were ever passing. George said † I don’t think we’ll be passing here for a while.† † Well ok, but remember if your ever around.† † Thanks. For all of your help.† George and Slim were on their journey once more. They hoped to find some work on a ranch about eighty miles away the innkeeper told them about. As they were walking Slim said † Thanks George.† † For what?† † Helping’ me† † That’s what travelling partners do. We look out for each other.† † Well, Thanks again.†

The Addie Model – Instructional Design and Example Lesson Plan

The ADDIE model is a generic process that is usually used by instructional designers and training developers. It offers instructional designers with a definite structure that ensures efficient instructional products.   ADDIE stands for its five phases: Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation, and Evaluation.These five phases are representations of a flexible and dynamic guideline for establishing effective training and support tools for performance. Each phase is represented by as a project output and a set of activities.   More so, each phase ends in a review, which forms a go or a no-go point to determine whether to proceed to the next phase or not.During the Analysis phase, the instructional problem is defined and the instructional goals are established.   More so, this is the phase where the learner’s present skills and knowledge and the learning environment is identified.   Some of the outputs and activities to be considered in the Analysis phase are as foll ows: §Ã‚   Clarify instructional problem and instructional objectives §Ã‚   Determine the audience and their characteristics §Ã‚   Identify the existing types of learning constraints §Ã‚   Identify the new behavioral outcome §Ã‚   Determine the delivery options §Ã‚   Determine the timeline to complete the projectIn the Design phase, the complete design of the learning solution is determined. This phase addresses the training methods (administered online or detailed storyboards with training program and course content illustrations).The Design phase considers the assessment tools, lesson planning, learning objectives, content, subject matter, media selection, and exercises.   Therefore, this phase entails a systematic and specific approach.   The following procedures are utilized in the Design phase: §Ã‚   Documentation of a project’s instructional, technical, and visual design strategy §Ã‚   Application of instructional strategies based on the intended beh avioral outcomes by domain (affective, cognitive, and psychomotor) §Ã‚   Designing the use interface and experience §Ã‚   Prototyping the creation §Ã‚   Application of visual or graphic designThe Development Phase of the ADDIE model involves the creation and assembly of the content assets, which were blueprinted in the Design phase.   Instructional designers and developers create storyboards, write the contents, and design the graphics in this phase.   The following activities are conducted during the Development phase: §Ã‚   Acquisition and/or creation of required media §Ã‚   Determining apt interactions through creativity, innovation, and exploration §Ã‚   Planning of activities that allows the construction of a supportive social environmentThe Implementation Phase involves the development of a training procedure for both learners and facilitators.   The training of facilitators should encompass the course content, learning outcomes, delivery methodologies, and p rocedures for testing.   On the other hand, learners should be trained on using new tools, which will be used in the learning process.   The Implementation phase usually involves only two activities: execute and maintain the learning solution.The last phase in the ADDIE model, which is the Evaluation phase, consists of two parts, the Formative and Summative evaluation.   The Formative evaluation is present throughout the entire ADDIE process while the Summative evaluation involves tests that are designed for criterion-related referenced items.   The Summative evaluation provides opportunities for feedback from learners.The ADDIE Model is a repetitive instructional design process in which the outcomes of the formative evaluation of each phase may prompt an instructional designer to go back to any previous phase.   The outcome of one phase determines the starting product of the next phase.ADDIE Model and Instructional PlanningInstructional Planning asserts that instruction s hould be data driven.   It is assumes that both learners and teachers should gain access to the expected results of a course.   The purpose of Instructional Planning is to acknowledge quality and aid in the enhancement and improvement of a course.Since an instructional plan presents individual instruction from teaching to learning, this is where the ADDIE model comes in; the ADDIE model provides a definite structure of the instructional plan.As the instructional plan serves as a communication tool between learners and teachers, the ADDIE model provides a step by step process of the instructional plan.   Each step in the instructional plan consists of outcomes from the ADDIE model that feed the next step in a specific sequence.   

WeekOneTeamWorkEditTwo

If your sample textbook does not contain NY of the graphs listed below, please indicate that as you complete the table. Grade Book Name Picture Graph (How and when introduced) Bar Graph Line Graph Circle Graph Other Kindergarten Sahara, J. , & Clement, D. H. (2006). Mathematics in kindergarten. (5 De. , Volvo. 61, p. 38). Pro Quest Central. Data analysis is part of kindergarten and includes graphing. Children in kindergarten use different kinds of photographs to represent the answer to a question. Picture Graphs are also used to represent the answers to questions.There Were no bars graphs introduced in this excerpt from the book. Although through further research learned that bar graphs are introduced in second grade. There were also no line graphs used in this book excerpt. In further research I found that line plots were beginning to be taught in the second grade. There was no mention of circle graphs in this excerpt. In doing further research though found that circle graphs are be ginning to be introduced in the fifth grade. Geometric shapes are learned. What is a circle?Where do we see circles in everyday life? Putting shapes together to make other shapes. Transformations, symmetry, measurements, and patterns are also introduced in kindergarten. 4 Hake, Stephen & Saxon, John. (2004) Saxon Math 5/4 Student Edition The picture graph is the first one to be introduced in this book although it is being reviewed because it was introduced in a previous grade. This particular book collected data from the students about which type of food they liked most and used pictures of the food to represent that number.The bar graph was introduced after the picture graph. The information used in the picture graph was transferred to a bar graph to show the students the same information in a different format. The line graph was introduced at the end of third grade, but not in much detail. In this edition, the line graph is used to display a person's height from birth to ID years of age. The circle graph, also known as a pie chart or graph, was introduced after the line graph. The example in the book was someone keeping track and showing how they spend their day.

The Advantages and Disadvantages of Improving the Digital Divide Essay

The Advantages and Disadvantages of Improving the Digital Divide - Essay Example This paper will begin with the statement that today Information Technology is a vital component in the daily lives of a majority of Americans. Statistics show that the fraction of the population that has internet access stands at more than half, while those that own computers stands at two thirds. The computers are used both within households and at places of work. As a result, computers greatly influence their jobs, their leisure time activities, communication patterns and their access and distribution of information. The growth and diffusion of Information Technology use across the globe have resulted in it becoming a key element in governance, financial activities and social aspects of people’s lives. It is extensively used by individuals, firms, and governments for virtually all kind of transactions. This is mostly the case in the developed world. Computers and mobile phones have become imperative to nearly all aspects of life, including daily activities such as working, f orming relationships, communicating and spending leisure time. The development of Information Technology and its spread across the globe has however not happened in uniformity. As a result, some sections of the global population remain lagging behind others, in terms of the use and access to Information Technology. The difference between the two sections can be loosely referred to as the digital divide. The gap between individuals, households, businesses and geographic areas at different socio-economic levels, with regard both to their opportunities to access information and communication technologies (ICTs), and to their use of the internet for a wide variety of activities. The digital divide reflects various differences within countries. In an article ran in the Sydney Morning Herald, O’Leary intimates that a study by the Australian Bureau of Statistics revealed that at least 21 percent of Australians did not have access to the internet within their homes. Additionally, som e groups within society had less access to the internet compared to others. This included the people living with disabilities whose access rate stood at only 62 percent, for the indigenous Australians, they were reported to be only 24 percent more likely the internet as the non-indigenous Australians to have easy access to the internet. This reveals a huge gap in the access levels that traverses beyond just geographical location. Further, the Organization for Economic Co-operation provides the results of a study that seeks to identify any such disparities in access to Information Technology within the American society. The result is a glaring confirmation that indeed some sections of the society are less likely to have access to Information Technology either by their race, or geographical location among other factors. Advantages of Bridging the Digital Divide American poet Robin Morgan deems that â€Å"information is power†. This underscores the significance of access to info rmation in the contemporary world.

Making A Successful And Thus A Good Team Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Making A Successful And Thus A Good Team - Essay Example Mainly organizations understand that being principled is high-quality business performance and pays in the protracted run. To be moral needs taking care of others, which includes, consumers and staff, appropriately and moderately. An organization that is involved in expansion and profits must create dealings with customers and employees supported on faith. Development of the employer-employee affiliation is significant to both parties for quite a few motives (McShane & Glinow, 2004, Pp 415-417). Are you confronting your first team-building session Do you doubt what you will do How to start According to Biech (2001, Pg 72-73) Team building is an organization development involvement that provides teams an opportunity to silence in their daily work to examine what's working and what could be improved. The consultant's role in team building is one of process guide, not content expert. This article provides insight into that role. It helps the consultant understand the goals of team building and how it differs from team training. The activities and norms developed in team-building sessions are different but complementary to that characteristic of management-training and skill-building sessions. Concepts such as leadership styles, decision-making, communication patterns, motivation, competition, and morale are all relevant to the process of team development. Improved Communication The basis for almost any problem in any organization is usually communication. Good teamwork can widen the circle of communication. Teamwork goes a step beyond, however, and helps people understand each other's jobs and roles in the organization. This leads to an appreciation for colleagues and a desire to help make their jobs easier. Personal Satisfaction Team members generally report a sense of personal satisfaction. A team may provide a sense of security that allows individuals to take risks and make decisions that they would not make if they were working alone. This generally leads to growth for the organization as well as the individual. Because most of us spend about 25 percent of our lives at work, it should be a pleasant experience. Teamwork can lead the way to making work pleasurable by helping to develop personal relationships. In fact, you should not feel as if you are getting up to go to work, but instead that you are getting up to go to play each day! Clear Goals Clearly defined goals are essential so that everyone understands the purpose and vision of the team. You might be surprised at how many people do not know the reason they are doing the tasks that make up their jobs, much less what their team is doing. Everyone must be pulling in the same direction and be aware of the end goals. Clear goals help team members understand where the team is going. Clear goals help a team know when it has been successful by defining exactly what the team is doing and what it wants to

Producing the financial statements Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Producing the financial statements - Coursework Example Producing the financial statements Building an engine factory needs substantial cash outlay in terms of capital. Capital items don’t go to the income statement unless in terms of financial cost like interest so the statement may be un affected but the financial position will be affected as money moves from the bank/cash for construction and to be eventually capitalized. Loans are relatively easy to acquire if there is collateral available but is a rather expensive mode of financing due to the ever increasing interest rates. Using retained earnings to finance is cheap and efficient but the disadvantage is that it will starve the company of liquidity needed to finance daily operations. If VW ceased operations in China, this will result in a 31 percent fall in sales which was attributed to the Chinese market in the last financial results. There will be a further loss of 9.6 bn Euros that is attributed to joint ventures. G.M’s net income of 595 million dollars that is derived from the Chinese market will also be lost. The recall caused a charge of 3.1 billion dollars on the income of G.M. The production expenses would certainly go down and hence increased productivity. The market being exited will experience direct and indirect job losses while the opposite will be the case for the market being entered. Shareholders are always concerned with the return on their investment and if this action results in a gain on their share value, the shareholders will be more than glad but if the share value does not appreciate then they will not be amused.

Inexorable Fate of Catherine Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Inexorable Fate of Catherine - Essay Example The actions and attitude of Catherine towards life and death, religion and ateism reflected that a person with a wide range of feelings had a fuller life than a person with a more restricted rang. When I read this chapter, it makes me think that we are alive when we are feeling freshly, or profoundly, or delicately; and that lack of all feeling is death and unconsciousness. But certain distinctions we can make within the scope of these propositions are by no means widely recognized; for instance, that fresh, strong feeling in Catherine is a different thing from the mass strong feeling she had faced with during the wartime. The life experience of Catherine depicted that some types and manifestations of human feeling were gross self-indulgence and were not at all the thing they appeared to be, in other words "this was what people got for loving each other" (Hemingway, 329). I disagreed with indifference and protests of Catherine against a priest. In my opinion, Catherine should change her mind and asked God to help her, but she refused. Henry asked Catherine: "Do you want me to get a priest or any one to come and see you", but she answered "Just you" (Hemingway, 330). On the other hand, this remark shows great love between Catherine and Henry, their mutual trust and support. Reading this chapter, I came to conclusion that in childhood, people believe subconsciously in superficial power of some thing beyond our understanding, in adolescence period, we deny everything being unable to join scientific knowledge about the world and unscientific knowledge on which religion is based. At the end of the chapter I understood that love to Henry was the only true faith for Catherine. I was amazed by courage and personal strength of Catherine in this chapter. Her courage and bravery proved the idea that only in difficult situations people show their real nature and courage: "When the pains were bad she called them good ones" (Hemingway, 326). Toughness stems were not from insensitivity but from a strict personal code which functions as the character's sole defense against the overwhelming chaos of death. Catherine was a real hero trying to support and encourage Henry. She told that she was "'not going to die" (Hemingway 326). The following passage was the most impressive part of the chapter, because as a reader I could do nothing to change the course of events but remain a passive viewer of human sufferings. "It seems she had one hemorrhage after another. They couldn't stop it. I went into the room and stayed with Catherine until she died. She was unconscious all the time, and it did not take her very long to die" (Hemingway 331). It was really difficult for me to read the rest of the chapter realizing that Catherine "would die" (Hemingway 327). The great irony of Catherine's death was that she had helped people all her life saving dozens of soldiers, but was faced with ultimately death of her own. The crying injustice was that she gave birth to a child who was stillborn. Her downfall was a result of a fatal flaw of events, a trait which she could not help as it was a fate which caused the tragedy and death. Catherine suffered beyond what could be expected, and paid beyond measure for whatever love and happiness she had. A new life always symbolizes great expectations and hopes which can change the life of a person or a family for the good, but for Catherine it resulted in death. Catherine tells Henry: "I'm not brave any more, darling, I'm

Weight lost Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Weight lost - Essay Example Several factors in the human body affect the rate of shading off the excess calories, which lead to the desired loss of weight metabolic rate being one of the factors (Chatterjee 2007). The amount of energy that a human body consumes through the running of several organs varies from one person to the other. Consumption of this energy highly depends on the muscle tissue and those who consume high energy during rest are likely to burn more calories than those who use little energy. Body response to calorie reduction is the other factor. This varies from one person to the other as the body may decide to shut down automatically to preserve more calories. Other factors include the level of stress, genetic composition, amount of sleep and the type and amount of bacteria found in the gut. Exercise is one of the elements practised by many to enhance weight loss. Just like an automotive, a human body needs a supply of energy during activity to the muscles to help carry on (Chatterjee 2007). When the exercise is continuously carried out, it depletes the blood sugar, which in turn sends signals to the specific glands that release hormones that enhance the removal of more fats stored to provide the needed energy. Dieting is another important factor that a person who intends to lose weight should keep in mind. Since the stored excess fat brings excess weight, an individual should ensure that the diet is less in sugar and starch (Shartava, 2011). Overcoming the huger feeling and taking bites is always a big challenge but if one can be able to avoid this then, it can be of great help. Burning off more calories than a person is consuming helps in the situation. Weight loss has a significant effect in the daily activities of an individual. First is the ability to perform more activities without exhaustion as compared to an individual who has more weight (Saylor, 2006). This is associated with the ability to move easily and perform tasks with ease. The other thing is

Water Contamination Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Water Contamination - Assignment Example Farms do two things to chicken manure: dump it in any available water resource or use it on the fields. Pohlmann decided to 14.1 tons of land-applied manure to one acre. This was done despite the recommendation limiting manure to six tons per acre (Rish). According to the Natural Resources Defense Council, Ohio has no Clean Water Act permits that specify control over livestock operations like Buckeye’s chicken farm. Also, Ohio’s Trade Secrecy act permits factories like the Buckeye farm to dump their manure in an off-site location without revealing the area. However, it is not the manure spill alone that affects the poison content of the water. The intensive confinement of thousands of chickens can result in manure that is far beyond the soil’s absorption rate. The runoff that results from this heavy manure can cause not only water pollution but also affect the land. In the water, it causes eutrophication which makes the soil so rich in organic and mineral content that the amount of oxygen in the water is depleted (HSUS 2005). The difference is that while the plants in the water thrive, the animal life in the water body suffers. This contamination is not a problem for the land and animals alone. The polluted water that drains into the rivers is a percentage of the drinking water for the humans in that area. Grant claims that 60% of the water dumped into these rivers is used as drinking water by the locals of Ohio (1998). Thus, Buckeye farm profited from a number of loopholes in Ohio’s state program. The farm was not forced to reveal the places it dumped the manure preventing the citizens from knowing if the manure is not being properly disposed of in streams or wells. Ohio’s environmental body also has the permission to ask for the management of livestock manure if any farm has more than 1000 livestock units: like the Buckeye Farm.

Discuss Critically the Implications of Whistleblowing for Essay

Discuss Critically the Implications of Whistleblowing for Accountability, and Raising and Escalating Concerns - Essay Example 110). The secret filming agency also revealed that disabled patients were exposed to a lot of mental and physical torture. This is attributed to the fact that they are in most cases ignored or mistreated when they attend healthcare centers (Jeffrey, 2009, p. 24). Whistle blowing is not easy task as many would think because it puts ones career and reputation on the line. Whistle blowers who advocate for better medical care for patients who have demanding needs are in most cases scared of the attitudes their colleagues. In most cases, their colleagues are not in support of their actions (Killion & Dempski, 2006, p. 122). Alerting the society about the needs of patients is crucial and very important. However, this has to be done with extreme care so as to avoid raising false alarms. There should be careful analysis of situations in order to get comprehensive information about the situation. This helps in making sure that the raised concerns are adequately and appropriately addressed. He alth care workers and practitioners are not regulated by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) (Lewis, 2001, p. 299). The organization however does its best to ensure that it passes the right information relating to how patients can be handled in a careful and respectful manner. Nurses are well trained on matters relating to duty and are encouraged to put first the interests and concerns of patients. They are also supposed to ensure that patients are adequately protected from all manner of risks (Lippincott & Wilkins, 2002, p. 110). The Nursing and Midwifery Council has produced various publications that offer guidance to health practitioners regarding their roles and duties. For instance, in their publication, ‘Raising and escalating concerns’ they gave a number of tips on how healthcare practitioners can improve their service delivery. They noted that healthcare practitioners have the duty of acting responsibly should they feel that a colleague may be putting a pati ent's life at risk in the course of delivering medication (Vandekerckhove, 2006, p. 255). Practitioners have also been empowered to seek assistance from respective authorities should there be a problem that could hinder effective service delivery. The hospitals environments are supposed to avail maximum comfort to the sick ill and also be able to assure them of an improvement in their health (White, 2005, p. 100). Governments in developed countries have laws that protect whistle blowers. A perfect example is the enactment of the interest disclosure act of nineteen ninety-eight (Lewis, 2001, p. 300). The law was put in place to protect workers from victimization once they air out issues concerning professional malpractices. The act covers workers who expose genuine concerns regarding their employers or colleagues (Vandekerckhove, 2006, p. 221). Appropriate procedures must be observed when raising concerns about specific issues. Firstly, the issues being raised should be valid and law ful. They should be raised for public interest rather than personal interests (Lippincott & Wilkins, 2002, p. 129). Once issues are raised, relevant authorities make a follow up to ensure that there is fairness and transparency in addressing the raised concerns (Boatright, 2009, p. 99). Service delivery in a public institution should always reflect

Kant's Grounding for the Metaphysics of Morals Essay

Kant's Grounding for the Metaphysics of Morals - Essay Example The moral worth is determined by the principle acted upon. Therefore, as a Kantian, taking coffee from the automated machine to meet the addiction is morally worth since the airline pilot is on duty and he or she works for the airline. Taking coffee from an automated machine that belongs to the airline for his good and of the passages is morally good. In addition to that, Kant argues that â€Å"true inclination of purpose must be to yield a will that is upright† (Kant and Allen, 31), in other words, Kant that the actions done by a man should serve another purpose that is good. The primary intention of the airliner is to be sober while piloting the plane. His intentions and motives are clear. He does not want to consume the coffee to satisfy his natural pleasure. Therefore, according to Kant, the action of him taking coffee without paying is morally accepted. Finally as a Kantian, it is good to seek assistance and permission from any attendant who is around. By doing so it one creates a channel of order or law in which other people would follow if cornered by such a situation. Kant observes that â€Å"I should never act apart from in a way that my maxim had better become a law that is universally accepted†, (Kant and Allen, 74) Kant is arguing one should do something with the understanding that whatever they are doing can become a law through which other people will be allowed to do the same thing. As a Kantian it is therefore good to use the right channels in obtaining the coffee. The airline pilot can look for an attendant to the automated machine and present his request. In doing so, he creates a law in which other people in a situation like his will follow to be helped. As to conclusion, a person has the free will to do anything one wants, however according to Kant in â€Å"Ground Work for the Metaphysics of Moral†; the will of a person is bound by moral law if that will is free. This is to say that a Kantian should do

The Accuracy Of Sensory Information Essay Example for Free

The Accuracy Of Sensory Information Essay There are many reasons to believe the accuracy of sensory information. Here are three feel, see and smell. Feeling sends a message to your brain letting you know what something is. Just say you have been blind folded and an object (cake) has been placed in front of you. In feeling the object you would be able to tell the texture and what the object is. See provides you with accurate information about your surroundings. For instance, if you see individuals playing chess it is certain that they are actually playing. Another good example would be children playing kick ball, what you see is what it is. Smelling means that there could be danger but not in all cases. When there is a desirable smell that could sense that something is cooking or a fragrance. Now there is the type of smell that senses danger. For instance, the smell of smoke means something is on fire. Now I would describe the inaccuracy of sensory information. In the past we all have jumped to conclusions at some point and time. Just say there is a case where you walk in a room and everyone starts to look at you. There’s no doubt that they are looking at you but you sense that they may be talking about you. Now this could mean that you are just insecure and feel that everyone is against you. Your surroundings can determine the action of your sensual organs. Like going down a street and you notice that your car is the only one on the street. The first thing pops into mind is maybe this street is closed or everyone is in a building. If the street was closed it looks like there should be some type of signage. Regardless of the sensual organ we are using it’s not always accurate. This is why we shouldn’t be dependent on them. Nature and nurture is a very debatable topic. Research is still being conducted about the debate on nature and nurture. Nature is said to refer to the qualities of an individual. It has been proven that nature not nurture was responsible for intelligence. On the other hand the genes are nature as well which the physical and personality state is. The physical state consist of weight, eye and hair color. Personality state would be how the person is defined to self and others. On a more personal experience that is considered to be nurture. The way that you were raised or the relation to your childhood plays its role. One’s personal traits are predetermined by their genes. Now overall it’s due to life experiences that define that individual. In my view of nature and nurture I see it as not being stable. There is no doubt that both nature and nurture plays a part in whom we are. When it comes to nurture or otherwise known as environment, it has a higher impact on which we are as individuals. We as humans have brains that all receive a different message. The amount of education a person receives doesn’t tell exactly their level of intelligence. Now it does have some effects on beliefs, behavior and intelligence. Not the person as a whole does it has an effect on. It’s only human that we learn from each other. Being influenced or develop ways of thinking and acting coincides.

Thomsons Argument Of The Trolley Problem Philosophy Essay

Thomsons Argument Of The Trolley Problem Philosophy Essay A utilitarian is concerned with providing the greatest happiness for the greatest amount of people, so in this first case a utilitarian would agree with Thomson and would say that it is mandatory to pull the lever and save the greater number of people. An opposing view would say that pulling the lever constitutes as a moral wrong, and would make the bystander partially responsible for the death. One has a moral obligation to get involved in these cases just by being present in the scenario and being able to change the outcome. Deciding to do nothing would be considered an immoral act if one values five lives more than one. In the first case, the bystander does not intend to harm anyone; the harm will be done regardless of which way the trolley goes. In the second case, pushing and harming the large man is the only way to save the five people on the trolley. in contrast, Thomson argues that a key distinction between the first trolley problem and the second case is that in the first case, you simply redirect the harm, but in the second case, you actually have to do something to the large man to save the five workers. Thomson states that in the first case, no worker has more of a right than the other not to be killed, but in the second case, the large man does have a right not to be pushed over the bridge, violating his right to life. To put the first trolley case in a different perspective I will present a similar case. Something has gone terribly wrong on an airplane and is inevitably about to crash and is heading straight to a heavily populated area. The airplane pilot knows that regardless innocent people will die so he turns the plane towards a less populated area, killing less innocent people. Was the pilots action to steer the plane in a different direction morally permissible? Thomson would say that the pilots actions were correct, because the greater populated are has the same right to live as the less populated area, and you are merely deflecting the harm to kill less people which is morally permissible because no rights have been violated. Thomson presents an alternative case to the second trolley problem to better illustrate her argument. In this case, a surgeon has 5 patients that are all in need of organ transplants, and they will die without the organ, but since they all have a rare blood type there are no organs available. A traveler comes into the office for a check up, and the doctor discovers that this traveler has the necessary organs that could save these five dying patients. The doctor asks the traveler if he would donate and but he sincerely declines. Would it be morally permissible for the doctor to kill the bystander and operate anyway? Thomson would argue that it is not permissible to operate on the traveler, because the doctor would be violating his right to life. This differs from the first trolley case because in the first case you are simply deflecting the harm as opposed to the second trolley case, and the transplant case, you have to act and do something to an innocent person in order to save the f ive people. In the first case none of the workers have more of a right than the other not to be killed, but in the second case the large man has a right not to be killed. In the transplant case, a utilitarian is concerned with the greatest happiness for the greatest number of people, so just like in the first case where a utilitarian would say to pull the lever to kill one and save five, he would do the same in the transplant case to kill one and save five. Thomson disagrees and states that in the first case killing one is a side effect of killing five, in the transplant case you are violating a persons right where the act could have been avoided to begin with. Thomson states that killing is worse a death caused by letting someone die. In the first trolley case it would seem rational to agree that the person is morally obligated to pull the lever and save the five people. In the second case, the person should not be forced to push the large man onto the track because in this case he is killing the man to save the others where as in the first case it is inevitably one or the other. It would also seem rational that the doctor should not kill the man for the transplant because it is similar to the second case. Although in every case you are sacrificing one to save five, there are situations where it is not morally permissible to kill the one person, such as the second case and the transplant case. In these case the persons right to life is violated, and therefore would make it morally permissible to kill them. In order for Thomson to justify her opinions she needs to identify the differences in both cases that is strong enough to make a valid argument. In short, Thomson identifies that in both cases there is an innocent bystander who is not responsible in any of the events, but has the opportunity to get involved in order to save five people instead of the one. She assumes that there is no relationship or tension at all between the bystander and the workers so he has a clear mind on what his decision should be. Thomson states that we need to focus on the rights of the people as a means to an end relationship between the bystander and the workers. She argues that in both cases the bystander does wrong to the person whose life he chooses to sacrifice, but in the second case where the bystander pushes the large man, there is a direct violation of his rights. By performing the act of pushing, the bystander is directly violating on the large mans right not to be killed. This differs from the fi rst case where the bystander pulls a lever to kill one and save five, because it does not violate the single workers rights; diverting a train does not violate anyones rights, but pushing an innocent man does. Thomson feels that this explains why the bystander is allowed to intervene by pulling the lever because the bystander can maximize the utility without violating anyones rights, whereas in the second case, in order to maximize utility the bystander would have to violate someones rights. The problem arises that in the first case, although the bystander is not directly violating the single workers right, he is indirectly violating his right not to be killed. Thomson replies to this concern by saying that although this is true but it being direct or indirect is not relevant when a persons right not to be killed is concerned.

A Research Brief And Research Proposal Marketing Essay

A Research Brief And Research Proposal Marketing Essay The Long Mynd Tea Company TLMTC is a leading player in the specialty and green tea market in United Kingdom. UK, with a market share of 63%, is the largest tea consuming market in Western Europe (Tropical Commodity Coalition). Tea consumption in UK was pegged at 31,000 tonnes in the year 2008. Our internal Long Mynd Business Intelligence Unit LMBIU has indicated that global supply deficits in 2010 mostly attributed to severe droughts in Kenya and India in 2009 resulted in global tea prices hitting a historical high in 2009. This resulted in Unilevers PG Tips being priced 28% higher than a year ago, while Tetley was pegged at 7% more expensive (Euromonitor). Business Issues The demand for tea in UK has been healthy but rising prices in the market can lead to fall in demand especially for specialty tea which is priced slightly higher than regular tea. TLMTC recognizes the issue and to counter and differentiate its offering we plan to introduce a unique range of product, herbal and fruit tea-bags under the brand name Revive. Revive offers a unique feature to consumers in the new range of teabags which is the shape of the bags. The company is planning to use an innovative manufacturing process to craft the tea-bags in irregular shapes which involves only minimum wastage. The new bag is designed in a unique flower shape. The product will be distributed through the existing delivery channels of hypermarkets and supermarkets. We will also tie-up with large cafà © chains to distribute the product. We plan to promote the launch by an aggressive campaign involving magazine and posters in the Autumn of 2011. The key message in the ads will be around the unique shape and attempt to tie it to herbal and health connotations. The ads will also carry the message of good taste of the tea. Research Objectives TLMTC wants to know whether the unique shape of the tea-bag and the taste of the tea are appealing to consumers. We want to test the hypothesis that the consumers perceive the package as a differentiating factor. We are also interested in validating the hypothesis that the taste of the new product will be accepted by consumers. The exploration of these aspects will help us make any possible changes to the product and communication. We also assume that consumers will associate the floral shape to herbs and healthiness. The study should provide us with a clear understanding of how the consumers perceive the packaging as a differentiator. It should also give us clear guidelines on what are the positive and negative perceptions about the new pack. We expect to get recommendations in form of a programme of research to guide us through the launch of Revive. Deliverables We expect to receive a complete report of the research in 4 hard copies and an electronic version of the report to be submitted at the LMBIU office at our corporate headquarters. We also require the research agency to submit a PowerPoint presentation and present it to the marketing team at our offices 1 week after the final report is submitted. Limitations Timing: TLMTC wants to have the final report ready by no later than 3rd week of July 2011. The marketing team would first review and approve the report. Thereafter, the agency would need to present the key research findings to the marketing team latest by the last week of July2011. Budget: The budget that we are willing to allocate to the project is no more than  £60,000. This includes any sum spent on travel and other activities to finish the project. Location: Revive will be launched nationally in UK and hence we want the research to be carried throughout the country in all major cities. Proposal Submission Information TLMTC expects a research proposal from the research agency in 2 weeks from the date of receiving research brief. The proposal should be submitted electronically to us, in attention to our marketing manager. Research Proposal for Revive By Insights Consulting Limited Background Long Mynd Tea Company TLMTC, a leading specialty tea company in United Kingdom, is looking to innovate and introduce a unique range of herbal and fruit tea bags under the brand name Revive. To help them with the exercise, TLMTC has approached the Insights Consulting team to submit a Research Proposal for the study. We understand that you want to primarily assess consumer perception of the flower shaped tea bags, which is essentially the prime differentiating factor of the new range, as well as evaluate whether the taste of the new range appeal to consumers. Tea is a very versatile and competitive category in United Kingdom and hence a deep understanding of the category in general and consumer attitude towards the product in particular needs to be presented in the study (Wilson, 2008). The following outlines our approach to the study in terms of research objectives, scope of the analysis, timelines and budget for the same. Objectives To understand the consumer preference and attitude towards the new brand of tea-bags being launched by TLMTC on two parameters namely; consumer appeal for the innovative shape of bags and taste of the product. By means of the study we will provide you with a complete programme of research (data acquisition and analytics) to guide them through the launch of the product. The report will also provide guidelines on any changes that we deem necessary to make the product more appealing to the target consumer group. The report will also provide leads on consumer perception that will help your marketing team to develop the correct strategy/message to be communicated to consumers though advertisement campaigns. Methodology Research Design Insights Consulting proposes to conduct the study to gauge the appeal for the taste and packaging among the target consumers. As the product is meant for the health conscious group, research would be carried out among those aged between 18-55 years representing Young adults (18-29 years), Older adults (30-40 years) and Middle-aged (41-55 years) consumers. We understand from secondary sources that for the TLMTCs product segment, which is herbal teas, to become main segment there is a need for continued innovation around flavour in order to improve the taste of the product. As of now, regular tea is consumed by around 22 million of the UK population and more than half (56%) have experimented with herbal tea but its taste did not appeal to them (Mintel, 2011). To have a better understanding of the complex consumer preferences, we suggest an optimum combination of both qualitative and quantitative tests to meet the objectives of the study. Following are the recommended methods: Focus Group Discussions We propose to conduct in total 9 Focus group discussions in the 3 major cities of United Kingdom which will provide us with a good representation of the target market London, Manchester and Glasgow, 3 in each city such that it covers all age bands. The Focus group discussion would be led by a moderator while a panel of experts would be present to measure the emotional/ subconscious reactions of the participants. The participants would be first shown the new tea bags and the moderator would direct questions around the first reaction of the participants, would they like to buy and use it, do they perceive the product to be healthy to understand if the health platform will work for the product, would they be ready to pay a premium for the unique offering, would they include the offering in their daily diet, what would be the likelihood of repeat purchase and most important of all; their suggestions on the product and its unique packaging. Tea is seen as a healthy drink with high antioxidant content which claims to have slimming effects (University of Maryland, 2010). We understand from other studies that women prefer herbal tea as compared to their male counterparts (DailyMail, 2011). The FGDs will try to understand this angle as well and try to find if there is a special need of this consumer segment which can be addressed by the product in its current form or with any variants. Taste Test The participants would then be requested to taste the product and the next round of discussions would be directed to that aspect. It would again assess the first reaction, how they would like to consume it, would they be ready to pay a premium for this experience, etc. It is also very important to assess that the health connotation does not intervene with the taste experience of consumers. The taste test will also provide us insights into how different consumers perceive Revive as compared to the other brands available in the market. The moderator can also test the possibility of certain flavours and variety (Hot/ Iced) which the participants might seek. Projective Techniques We also propose to use Projective Techniques in the focus groups. We will introduce photos and use techniques such as word association and third person technique. Participants will be asked to look at photos and associate different types of people with the new concept/packaging and taste. This technique would be especially useful since it is a premium product and hence would help in measuring whether it succeeds in appealing to the higher sensibilities of the consumers. This will help us understand the motivations of consumers in consuming the category. It may also help in forming a platform for promotion message building directed at the target market. We appreciate the general feeling that Projective techniques in themselves may not provide any robust insights and are not considered as method of choice to study consumer motivation, nor do these techniques provide all the tools for such studies. Though they do help a researcher uncover feelings, beliefs, attitudes and motivation which many consumers find difficult to articulate and explain (Donoghue, 2000). In an experience based category like herbal tea, these techniques will be worthwhile to use. Questionnaire Based Survey Administered surveys are important to cover a larger sample base and also gain information on aspects which cannot be covered through qualitative measures. It would aim at profiling tea drinkers and non drinkers demographically (Revive being a health based premium offering income, age and gender profiling gains major importance), assess their eating habits (and mainly tea drinking habits in case of tea drinkers and probability of drinking tea in case of non drinkers) and shopping habits, price they would be willing to pay for the product and the optimum pack size for first trials (which would help you in the launch promotions). It would be also important to analyze whether consumers shift from other beverages to herbal tea given its benefits and increasing health consciousness (The Observer). The survey questionnaire would be designed based on the above aspects and the inputs we receive in the FGDs. It would include a screener to ensure data collection from a representative sample. Alternate Techniques An alternative to Focus Group discussions is Online Focus Group discussion. We can also replace the normal taste test with blind taste test. We can also take help of depth interviews to get in-depth understanding of consumers on a one-to-one basis. Online focus Group discussions are hard to monitor and they are quite impersonal to gauge customer reaction, which in a way hinders the qualitative assessment associated with focus group discussions. They are also not a good way to reach non-computer literate consumer base and need additional infrastructure (Wright, 2005). We will also miss out on experiential elements which are essential to a product category like tea. Blind taste tests can be a good medium but here we want to establish the taste perceptions of just our brand and get qualitative feedback on taste comparison. Blind taste test also requires additional product samples to be used which will have additional time and cost implications. Hence we recommend doing normal taste test. Depth interviews are a good option but are costly and time consuming exercise. Given the budget constraint and quick turnaround time of the project we recommend conducting focus group discussion which will allow us to combine the discussion with taste test and use our projective techniques as well. Internet and in-venue surveys would help in accumulating additional information through a larger sample thus optimizing results and providing an all round analysis. This combination will provide us with a robust solution on the research front and also help us overcome the various limitations like time and budget restrictions. Sampling: Focus Group Discussions Target population: Health conscious people (18-55 years) and tea drinkers Sampling frame: Our database for each city Sampling method: The sampling would be a combination of Stratified sampling: since the respondents of Focus Group have to meet the criteria of being tea drinkers Quota sampling: to cover the entire target age group and both the genders Sample size: 90 Quotas: Since females are the primary shoppers in UK (Lake) as well as prominent consumers of herbal tea, their quota is kept higher than males. The quotas would be as follows: Gender Age Group Quota Female Young Adults, 12-29 years 24% Older Adults, 30- 40 years 20% Middle Aged, 41- 55 years 23% Male Young Adults, 12-29 years 10% Older Adults, 30- 40 years 13% Middle Aged, 41- 55 years 10% The sample will be sourced equally from North, South and Midlands (33% each) to ensure uniformity and non-biased result due to skewed sample. The group discussions will be carried out in the following scheme- Group 1: South young adults 18 29, (3 males, 7 females) Group 2: South older adults 30 40, (4 males, 6 females) Group 3: South middle aged 41 55, (3 males, 7 females) Group 4: North young adults 18 29, (3 males, 7 females) Group 5: North older adults 30 40, (4 males, 6 females) Group 6: North middle-aged 41 55, (3 males, 7 females) Group 7: Midlands young adults 18 29, (3 males, 7 females) Group 8: Midlands older adults 30 40, (4 males, 6 females) Group 9: Midlands middle aged 41 55, (3 males, 7 females) Survey Target population: Health conscious people (18-55 years) Sampling frame: Our database for each city (for in-venue surveys) and Internet Panel for Online surveys. Sampling method: Quota sampling, to cover the entire target age group and both the genders Sample size: A sample of 1200 would be distributed equally between In-venue Surveys (600) and Online surveys (600) Quotas: The survey questionnaire would be administered among both tea drinkers (75%) and non drinkers (25%). It would span 1200 respondents (400 from each city 100 males, 300 females). This will ensure a proper coverage of the target consumer groups and thus provide us with robust results. Data Collection and Analysis: Our team will record, transcribe and analyze each of the group discussions and use their results for the final recommendations. The results will be categorized and presented to reflect the views of each demographic group separately and on a combined level to give a holistic view of consumer perception and preference. The taste tests and projective techniques will also be analyzed and combined with the results of the overall FGDs to come up with a complete solution as required by you. Imbibing the learning from the opinions and ideas that come out in the study, the final report will be a complete guide that will help TLMTC launch Revive successfully in the market. It will provide adequate consumer insights and marketing cues to help your team in strategizing a successful launch. The questionnaires would be administered both in person and through internet (50% 50%).Personal interviews would be conducted at strategic venues; essentially data would be collected from outside retail outlets (hypermarkets/ supermarkets distributions channels for Revive) and cafà ©s as they would help in reaching out to our main target market, i.e. shoppers and tea/brewed beverage consumers respectively. Internet interviews would save time and cost, at the same time in-venue surveys would optimize sample representation. Deliverables: We will submit 4 (four) hard copies and an electronic copy of the report as requested by TLMTC at end of the study. The report will provide in-depth analysis and report the facts and insights that we gather from the exercise. It will also discuss the recommendations we will make and explain the rationale of the same. We will also clearly spell out the limitations (if any) of the study. As requested we will also do a PowerPoint presentation of the key results at your head offices one week after the final report is approved. We understand that the audience at the presentation will be members from the marketing team who would be more interested in the key takeaways and action points. As such, we will only present the top-line findings and recommendations at the presentation. Timing: We assume that the proposal will be accepted by second week of May 2011 and we will be able to start work from third week of May around 16 May, 2011. The project will take approximately 8 weeks to finish after the proposal is accepted. We plan to finish-off the final presentation by 11 July, 2011 so that your marketing team gets ample time to execute the recommendations for an Autumn launch. Tasks Start date Duration (in number of working days) End date Set up focus groups 16.05.2011 5 20.05.2011 Focus Group Discussions 23.05.2011 5 27.06.2011 FGD Data Analysis 30.05.2011 7 07.06.2011 Compiling Report 08.06.2011 5 14.06.2011 Set up Questionnaire 15.06.2011 3 17.06.2011 Field work 20.06.2011 5 24.06.2011 Survey data Analysis and Report 27.06.2011 7 05.07.2011 Submission of Final Report 06.07.2011 1 06.07.2011 Review of the report and feedback 07.07.2011 2 08.07.2011 PowerPoint Presentation 11.07.2011 1 11.07.2011 Budget The total cost of the project is estimated at  £58,500 as follows: Task Cost/unit No.s Total Cost Focus Group Discussions ( 2 hours each)  £3,000 9  £27,000 In-venue Interviews  £24 600  £14,400 Internet Interviews  £13.5 600  £8,100 Project management/ Data processing  £9,000 Total  £58,500 We have tried to adjust the cost of the project under the budget limit indicated by TLMTC in the research brief.

Paper :: essays papers

Paper The value of music education in society has been a significant subject since the time of Plato. Plato wrote about music education in his famous work the Republic: †¦Education in music is most sovereign, because more than anything else rhythm and harmony find their way to the inmost soul and take strongest hold upon it, bringing with them and imparting grace, if one is rightly trained, and otherwise the contrary. And further, because omissions and the failure of beauty in things badly made or grown would be most quickly perceived by one who was properly educated in music, and so, feeling distaste rightly, he would praise beautiful things and take delight in them and receive them into his soul to foster its growth and become himself beautiful and good. (Mark, 2002, p.6) Music education is in danger of being lost to the new generations attending school. It is too important to be cast aside, and technology can be used to aid in the fight to save music education. Importance of Education The importance of music education can be seen by examining numerous scholarly articles. The National Association for Music Education (MENC) believes that music education will help children to grow and perform well in society, school, life, and increasing their intellect (MENC, 2002). According to the American Arts Alliance Fact Sheet from October of 1996, music helps in society because it will â€Å"create jobs, increase the local tax base, boost tourism, spur growth in related businesses and improve the overall quality of life for our cities and towns† (MENC, 2002). Music education helps improve test scores in school; the College-Bound Seniors National Report stated that students who took classes in performing music scored 57 points more on the verbal section of the SATs and 41 points more on the math. Music education increases the intellect of students. Instruction in music is better than instruction in computer literacy because it increases the ability for children to learn reasoning skills (MENC, 2002). Another article called â€Å"Music Makes You Smarter† discusses â€Å"an important link between musical training and other cognitive abilities, particularly spatial abilities – the abstract reasoning that is used for understanding relationships between objects such as, for example, when calculating a proportion or playing chess† (Rausher, 1997). Music education is very important because it challenges students to think ahead such as when reading lines of music before playing them (Rausher, 1997).

True Heroes of Literature: Atticus Finch, Macduff, and the Speaker in

Heroes are typically identified as firemen or police officers -- those who outwardly display courage and strength. While strength and courage are admirable, and even heroic traits, the distinguishing quality of a genuine hero is his/her selflessness. A hero is a person who does the right thing when no one is looking. In literature, there are the heros that are identified for obvious reasons and those that are overlooked because they do not fit a specific criteria. All good literature features a â€Å"backstage† hero, whose actions are not meant to reap personal gain. Possessing moral courage, a true hero does the right thing in the face of adversity. Through altruistic deeds, Atticus Finch, Macduff, and the speaker in â€Å"Porphyria’s Lover† all embody the true definition of a hero. Told through the perspective of his children, To Kill a Mockingbird, showcases Atticus Finch, a lawyer, who is a well respected, moral and righteous man living in a small town in the deep South in the 1930’s. Tom Robinson, a black man, is accused of rape. Because of the nature of the crime and the prejudice in ...

Assault and Battery

Introduction In the context of criminal law, â€Å"assault and battery† are typically components of a single offense. In tort law, â€Å"assault† and â€Å"battery† are separate, with an assault being an act which creates fear of an imminent battery, and the battery being an unlawful touching. Assault and battery are intentional torts, meaning that the defendant actually intends to put the plaintiff in fear of being battered, or intends to wrongfully touch the plaintiff.The wrongful touching need not inflict physical injury, and may be indirect (such as contact through a thrown stone, or spitting). This article describes the law of assault and battery as it is commonly applied, although the law may vary in any specific jurisdiction. Assault An assault involves: 1. An intentional, unlawful threat or â€Å"offer† to cause bodily injury to another by force; 2. Under circumstances which create in the other person a well-founded fear of imminent peril; 3. Where there exists the apparent present ability to carry out the act if not prevented.Note that an assault can be completed even if there is no actual contact with the plaintiff, and even if the defendant had no actual ability to carry out the apparent threat. For example, a defendant who points a realistic toy gun at the plaintiff may be liable for assault, even though the defendant was fifty feet away from the plaintiff and had no actual ability to inflict harm from that distance. Battery A battery is the willful or intentional touching of a person against that person’s will by another person, or by an object or substance put in motion by that other person.Please note that an offensive touching can constitute a battery even if it does not cause injury, and could not reasonably be expected to cause injury. A defendant who emphatically pokes the plaintiff in the chest with his index finger to emphasize a point may be culpable for battery (although the damages award that results ma y well be nominal). A defendant who spits on a plaintiff, even though there is little chance that the spitting will cause any injury other than to the plaintiff's dignity, has committed a battery.

In the Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway Essay

In the Sun Also Rises, by Ernest Hemingway, alcoholism is an important theme in the novel. Alcoholism is a large part of Ernest Hemingway’s novel â€Å"The Sun Also Rises†. Drinking is the greatest escape that the characters use and the author employs it very often in the novel. All throughout the novel, the characters are drinking excessively. They use drinking to also help prove themselves. Because of Jake’s war wound made him physically unable, he feels that he must prove himself to people so he uses drinking to prove himself. Jake also uses wine to forget the things that he doesn’t like about his friends such as the fight between Mick and Cohn, when Mike was mad that Cohn is always looking at Brett and holding in to her everywhere she goes. â€Å"There was much wine and ignored tension, and a feeling of things coming that you could not prevent happening. Under the wine I lost the disgusted feeling and was happy. It seemed that they were all such nice people† (Hemingway 150). In reality, all that drinking does is to give them something in common so that they can relate to one another in some parts of their lives. They are always drinking together and talking about their life difficulties. Often, drinking provides a way of escaping reality and allows them to avoid their problems by avoid thinking about them. In conclusion, in Hemingway’s the Sun Also Rises, it is clear that alcohol dependency is a main theme.

Soldier X Summary

Summary: Soldier X Erik Brandt is a 16 year old half Russian half German boy. He is in a program called Jungend which is also known as Hitler's Children Army. It is like Boy Scouts for German Kids. They boys in the Jungend are also enlisted soldiers who have to fight when it is needed. One day Erik is sent to fight in the war. He is shipped to the eastern front where the Germans have to fight Russia on Russian soil. Erik is uncomfortable because he is half Russian and German.He was aware of the things Germans were doing to Jews but he was convinced it was right and that Jews were preventing Germany's world domination. While traveling to Russia he becomes acquainted with some other boys in his platoon named Oskar, Jakob, and Fassnacht. They get attacks by aircraft and very few of the Germans die but the boys are pretty scared. When they reach their destination they go into the trenches and prepare to fight.Their commander explains the plan and teaches them how to use certain equipment like mines and grenades. When the first waves of Russians attack it is mainly infantry foot soldiers. The Germans win and Erik thinks it’s over and he is exhausted and tired. Then their commander says that was the easy one and tells them to prepare for tanks to start progressing. In the second wave the Germans start to drop and German hope looks lost. Erik is hit by a grenade and he is hurt. He is lying in pain in the bottom of a trench.With many dead bodies around him, he sees that playing dead won’t help because the Russians are stabbing every body they find with a bayonet. He knew he was running out of time. To his luck a tank broke down over him. He now has to think fast. He sees a dead Russian boy and puts on him uniform to disguise himself. He leaves the trench disguised as a Russian. As he is going he get shot by a surviving German in the side. He passes out and wakes up in hospital. When the soldiers he meets asks his name he says he has amnesia.He meets a you ng nurse in the hospital named Tamara. They talk a lot and get to know each other very well. They eventually fall in love. The hospital is bombed one day and they must escape. They make a plan to go all the way to the United States. They are able to escape Russia and make it to America. While sneaking through Germany Erik loses his left arm when he gets shot. The American soldiers take care of him. He gets to America with Tamara and they start a family and live their lives there where Erik becomes a history teacher.

Gender Stereotypes Essay

Gender stereotypes are type of generalized or oversimplified perceptions, impressions, images, or opinions about men and women (Santrock, 2007, p. 177) It is also the presumption that a certain behavior or trait belongs to certain gender and cannot be applied to the other. In short, gender stereotyping can also involve assigning a certain label to a particular gender. One of the most common gender stereotypes are the ones associated with feminine and masculine behaviors. For example, it is common for most people to perceive that males should always be aggressive and tough. In addition, generally, in emotional situations, men are expected to hold their own and not breakdown or cry. It is also a general perception that young males should always strive to be athletic and active in sports and play toys such as guns, cars, and weapons. On the other hand, there are also several female stereotypes. For example, females are generally perceived to be emotional and are the first ones affected during a dramatic situation. In other words, females are expected to be more sensitive than males. Moreover, females are also generally perceived to be always demure and reserved. Furthermore, sexism is the attitude or idea that one gender is less valuable or weaker than the other or that one gender is better and superior than the other (Santrock, 2007, p. 178). It generally has two forms: old-fashioned and modern sexism. Old fashioned sexism is the belief that there should be differential treatment between women and men because women are significantly inferior to men while modern sexism is the rejection of the belief that there is still antagonism and discrimination towards women and their rights (Santrock, 2007, p. 178). One example of old fashioned sexism is when a male employee has a problem of having a female supervisor or boss. On the other hand, an example of modern sexism is when a male lawyer denies that there is discrimination against women even after his law firm rejected a potential lawyer partner simply because she is a woman. References Santrock, J. W. (2007). Adolescence 12th edition. McGr

Current Cultural Trends And Their Impact On Organizational Communications Essay

Communication in organizations depends on the type of organization and the setting of the workplace. The question is which management style should be used although it is safe to say that the best style of management is participatory. Current cultural trends have come into the picture and effectiveness is seen as the result when these trends are considered important in an organization. This is so because ensures that the output generated by the work of an employee is of high quality. When these cultural trends are noted well, employees are given tasks and the manager makes sure that the employees understand their duties and responsibilities. The employees are also given the chance to make their own decisions and impart their ideas and opinions in the process (All Business, Undated). Cultural trends affects management since it is the circle in which the management goes around. It is critical as the type of management, especially in a teamwork setting, would largely depend on the existing social culture between the employees. The manager will have a hard time adjusting if the social culture among his employees is not good, meaning the relationships are damaged or broken (Veser, 2004). Being efficient in the light of these cultural factors means producing outputs with little wasted effort because the communication is free-flowing. It is important, therefore, that employees are given good communication venues in order to come up with quality on the output they produce. Sometimes, an employee may be efficient but not effective. In being effective, one should could focus and concentrate on the particular work they have to do and dispose the clutter. It is better to be effective and produce good results than be efficient with poor outputs (Lifetools, Undated). Yes, quantitative techniques can be used to motivate employees in such a way that these tools will help them imagine or picture in their minds what the goal or strategy is all about. An organization is highly affected by cultural trends. It is particularly significant when there is an attempt to propose a change in the whole organizational system. Culture directly affects innovation and development in an organization. Culture serves as the foundation where the organization is laid upon, it is a conglomerate of ideas and beliefs of employees which nurtures the existence of the organization (Forte, 1998). Stakeholders can both help or pull down an organization. It could do either way, enhance the company or organization’s reputation or damage it. It should be ensured that there is a good existing relationship between the stakeholders or shareholders, otherwise the company will be in trouble. The advantage of managing this kind of relationships is that there will be various ideas when it comes to setting the direction of the company. A multi-stakeholder organization has a democratic and participatory environment. The setback is when these shareholders do not agree with each other and may result to split up. A borderless organization widens the scope of the management system, therefore there is the possibility that the management might be spread too thin in the organization. It will be harder to direct and lead a group that has wider, or worse no defined boundaries. It is necessary that management can focus and not flow to too many directions. It will be hard to gather the members as the organization grows, along with the different viewpoints and opinions (Jarillo, 1995). Going global has both positive and negative effects in an organization. It will be an advantage since the organization or company will be known in a wider arena and could even establish a network of stakeholders. Kentucky Fried Chicken, the fast food that sells chicken and is known all over the world, is a classic example of a success story of going global. But this may not always be the case as going global has its setbacks and weaknesses. For one, there is the possibility that the organization or business may not be accepted in another place other than its place of origin. Another would be that if the new branch or franchise does not perform well, it would carry the original name of the organization and would destroy the reputation of the original organization as well (Starks 2001). When members of a dominant culture become suspicious of subcultures and seek to isolate or assimilate them, it is often because the members of the dominant culture are making value judgments about the beliefs and practices of the subordinate groups. For instance, most Anglo-Americans see the extensive family obligations of Hispanics as a burdensome arrangement that inhibits the individual freedom. Hispanics, in contrast, view the isolated nuclear family of Anglo-Americans as a lonely institution that cuts people off from the love and assistance of their kin. This tendency to view one’s own cultural patterns as good and right and those of others as strange or even immoral is ethnocentrism. An individual becomes aware of his worldview as an individual comes as one applies his values in different situations. An example to illustrate this is when we see that most Americans today accept and approve racial equality in the workplace. Yet relatively few extend the value of racial equality to their family lives. They would not approve of a member of their own family marrying a person of another race or adopting a child of another race. Authors Sue & Sue (2002) have unique answers to communications across different cultures. Its focus on counseling racial populations as well as other diverse organizations makes us understand norms and cultures and its interrelationships. Their views have made clinicians take a second look at individual roles in understanding varied populations. People become aware of their worldview as an individual when they examine their values in relation to their environment. Values provide the framework within which people in a society develop norms of behavior. A norm is a specific guideline for action; it is a rule that says how people should behave in particular situations. Like values, norms can vary greatly from society to society. Polite and appropriate behavior in one society may be disgraceful in another. Norms also vary from group to group within a single society. From a societal perspective, choices and actions of an individual in U. S. society are highly influenced by norms. According to Turner and Killian’s emergent-norm theory, people develop new social norms as they interact in situations that lack firm guidelines for coping. These norms then exert a powerful influence on their behavior. The new norms evolve through a gradual practice of social exploration and testing. The crowd begins to define the situation, develop a justification for acts that would in other circumstances seem questionable. In this way, new norms may emerge that condone violence and destruction, but still impose some limits on crowd behavior (Turner and Killian, 1972, p. 21). Norms and values are resources for communication. They help us evaluate our past, interpret the present, and plan for the future. Can you think of two examples each of evaluating the past, interpreting the worth of the present, or planning for the future that do not involve implicit values and norms you use in everyday life? How so and why to each? New norms evolve through a gradual process of social exploration and testing. One or more people may suggest a course of action (shooting obscenities or hurling bottles, for example). Other suggestions follow. The crowd begins to define the situation, to develop a justification for acts that would in other circumstances seem questionable. In this way, new norms may emerge that condone violence and destruction, but still impose some limits on crowd behavior. The emergence of new norms, Turner and Killian argue does not mean that members of a crowd come to think and feel as one. Although it may appear to outsiders that a crowd is a unanimous whole, some participants may just be going along to avoid disapproval and ridicule. All these kinds of crowd action depended not just on the other people around but on the patterns of social organization by which people were both motivated to join the crowd and organized within it. One of the common sources of loss of motivation in the workplace is the presence of difficult employees (Darby 15). Employees are usually very sensitive with poor performers that are not given attention or sanctioned in the workplace (Blades, 1967). The presence of poor performers and the presence of problem employees usually affect the working environment and thus bosses should be able to improve the situation of the work environment in order to make working a positive experience for all. At the core, one of the important steps that should be employed is the ability of the manager or leader to identify the problem immediately. One of the key methods of problem identification is constant communication with the subordinates. It is very important to recognize that the differences in personalities in the workplace are really a major cause of conflict (Stanley 6). This means that the manager should always assume that there is always a tendency for conflict to arise. Even employees themselves are aware that conflicts are already occurring. In this particular scenario, the structure is that each technical team that handles technical support concerns of customers is headed by a team leader or manager. The role of the manager is to handle escalated concerns and the performance of the agents or staff. There is a problem of communication between the agents and the supervisor. The supervisor is having some problems with the performance of the agent and he handled this through massive sanctions against absenteeism and heavy corrective actions against minor offenses. The manager used a rather punitive system of motivating the employees, which the employees disliked because this adds to the already stressful job of handling technical problems of customers. The agents are also not very open to the manager regarding their problems because of his tyrannical method of leadership. The agents also viewed their manager as lacking technical skills and therefore do not really understand their line of work and the stress that is attached to it. Thirdly, there is an internal conflict between employees because they believed that some non-performers appeared to be more favored by the manager. The employees accomplishments are not recognized while their little mistakes are always emphasized. The manager should inculcate the recognition of higher level of needs of the employees. Glen (41) believes that motivating employees is really a difficult task because people have different sources of motivation. It is however very important for managers to never behave in a ‘demotivating’ way. According to Glen (41), the manager may not be able to motivate their people always, but the manager will always have a way of killing the source of motivation. To illustrate his point, he pointed out that in a technical company, it is very important that managers always consult their team. In computer companies, managers are always viewed to be less knowledgeable regarding technical areas. Inability to incorporate ideas from the team would generally make them feel that their talents are neglected. The technical expertise of the team should always be consulted because of the need to recognize their technical talents. The manager therefore should be responsive to the specific needs of the technical staff and understand the difficulties of their job and open the communication lines for solution. It is essential that in technical teams, where basis of membership is through technical skills, that the talents be recognized. The employees’ ability to make full use of their talents and skills would help them to maintain high level of performance. In this case, it is a recognition that motivation, does not merely come from rewards, but may also come from higher level of needs such as the need to have capabilities recognized and be utilized towards their full potential. On the issue of conflict, tt the core, one of the important steps that should be employed is the ability of the manager or leader to identify the problem immediately. One of the key methods of problem identification is constant communication with the subordinates. It is very important to recognize that the differences in personalities in the workplace are really a major cause of conflict (Stanley 6). This means that the manager should always assume that there is always a tendency for conflict to arise. Even employees themselves are aware that conflicts are already occurring. Secondly, there is a need for the manager to have an effective conflict resolution method. In most cases, it would be important that the manager provides individual conflict resolution (Stanley 6). This mean providing employees themselves is given the opportunity to resolve their own issues in order to empower them. The ability to resolve issues and conflicts help the employees in improving their level of confidence. Ability to resolve problems through their initiatives is one point of motivation for employees in the workplace. One way of illustrating an effective consolidation of cultural trends is illustrating the IBM example. IBM Institute for Business Value asserts that increased competition, changing workforce demographics and a shift toward knowledge-based work are requiring companies to place an increasingly higher priority on improving workforce productivity (Lesser and De Marco, Abstract). Companies rely on their Human Resources (HR) function to go beyond the delivery of cost-effective administrative services. They require the HR to provide expertise on â€Å"how to leverage human capital to create true marketplace differentiation. † Facing these challenges, many HR organizations have been actively revamping to more effectively deliver the strategic insights their businesses require. IBM’s study entitled â€Å"A New Approach, A New Capability: The Strategic Side of Human Resources† shows that competing in today’s environment requires companies to focus on building a more responsive, flexible and resilient workforce (p. 2). To do so, organizations must do a more effective job of sourcing talent, allocating resources across competing initiatives, measuring performance and building key capabilities and skills. HR organizations that provide strategic guidance on these issues can become proactive drivers of organizational effectiveness, rather than simply a supporter of these efforts. The HR organizations’ attempt to resolve the growing needs of quality recruitment by a new process of human resource hiring. This process is described as â€Å"positive discrimination in order to select the best† (Beardwell, 84). Others call it â€Å"affirmative action. † This refers to the concrete steps that are taken not only to eliminate employment discrimination but also to attempt to redress the effects of past discrimination (87). The underlying motive for affirmative action is the principle of equal opportunity, which holds that all persons with equal abilities should have equal opportunities. Those who obtain employment can be sure that the company values them. Unfortunately, this also means rejecting people who smoke, are clinically obese, have high debts, participate in high-risk sports, and the like. In addition, the company also seeks permission from employee to access various databases, which include: criminal records; credit bankruptcy and mortgage defaults; vehicle license checks; educational records; curriculum vitae and applications search. The company believes this is a modern, sophisticated human resource approach because it is able to compare employee’s profiles against the national average for physiological, psychological, social and demographic factors. Affirmative action affects small businesses in two main ways. First, it prevents businesses with 15 or more employees from discriminating on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, national origin, and physical capability in practices relating to hiring, compensating, promoting, training, and firing employees. Second, it allows the state and federal governments to favor women-owned and minority-owned businesses when awarding contracts, and to reject bids from businesses that do not make good faith efforts to include minority-owned businesses among their subcontractors (Encyclopedia para 2). The interpretation and implementation of affirmative action has been contested since its origins in the 1960s. A central issue of contention was the definition of discriminatory employment practices. The discriminatory employment practices as listed by the Department of Administration and Equal Opportunity (p. 1) include: gender identity, sexual orientation, race discrimination, sex discrimination, sexual harassment, religious discrimination, national origin discrimination, disability discrimination, and retaliation. Contrary, the prevailing employment practices include three things. First is the counseling and litigation with respect to employment discrimination (race/sex/disability/sexual harassment), wrongful termination, wage and hour issues, trade secrets/unfair competition, privacy in the workplace, workplace violence, executive contracts, affirmative action, use of independent contractors, OSHA, union organizing and other issues pertaining to hiring, promotion, compensation and discipline (Fenwick and West LLP, p. 1). Second is the representation of large and small employers in class actions and individual cases in state and federal courts and in arbitrations and mediations throughout the country. Last is the regularly advise employers concerning personnel systems, policies and practices that includes, among others: handbooks, policy manuals and drug testing programs, employment and independent contractor agreements, terminations, severance plans and releases, management training (sex harassment avoidance, EEO, rightful discipline: managing for high performance), protecting trade secrets and confidential business information, wage/hour and leave of absence compliance, disciplinary investigations, legal compliance audits, and whistleblower and retaliation claims (para 2 and 3). As the interpretation of positive discrimination evolved, employment practices that were not intentionally discriminatory but that nevertheless had a â€Å"disparate impact† on affected groups were considered a violation of affirmative action regulations (Encyclopedia of Small Business, section 2). Another central issue was whether members of affected groups could receive preferential treatment and, if so, the means by which they could be preferred. This issue is sometimes referred to as the debate over quotas. In the next level of new HR approaches is the care it provides for the employees’ well being. Companies are now committed to the health and wellness of its employees and this extends to the employees’ families. Companies do recognize that all employees from time to time have personal problems. If unresolved, these issues may affect emotional and physical health which ultimately could affect job performance. It is now within the HR’s goal to provide a confidential resource to all employees and their families to help address these issues before they interfere with well being. According to a review of the Gallup Studies by Harter, Schmidt, and Keyes (2002, p. 4), the well-being of the employees is to the best interest of the communities and organizations. They believe that the workplace is the significant part of an individual’s life that affects his/her life and that of the community. The average adult spends much of his/her life working. He/she spends much of his waking hours in work or about one third. Thus, the well-being of the employees is the best interest of the employers who spend substantial resources hiring employees and trying to generate products, profits and maintain loyal customers. Studies show that happy and productive employees clearly link emotional well-being with work performance (p. 2). In sum, work is a pervasive and influential part of the individual and the community’s well-being. It affects the quality of the individual’s life and his/her mental health and thereby can affect the productivity of the entire community. The ability to promote well-being rather than endanger strains and mental illness is of considerable benefit not only to the employees in the community but also to the employers’ bottom line. This aspect should be greatly taken care of by the companies’ HR organizations (Cornelius, p. 142). Concern for the well-being of employees extends to the environment. The company provides background music to help eliminate stress, it plays messages to staff throughout the day for the same reason: to relax people. Messages such as â€Å"stay calm†, â€Å"help colleagues†, â€Å"remember, the company is our community† are all designed for positive reasons. Employees also receive electronic messages by email. The company argues that this â€Å"thoughtfulness† ensures high morale. Video and audio surveillance ensures that staff feels secure. Other companies believe that the physical environment is also important to wellness and productivity. Fragrant aromas such as evergreen may reduce stress; the smell of lemon and jasmine can have a rejuvenating effect. These scents are introduced to all work spaces through the air- conditioning and heating systems. Scents are changed seasonally (Marx, Section 6). Some companies also believe that music is not only enjoyable to listen to but can also affect productivity. Thus, some companies continually experiment with the impact of different styles of music on an office’s or plant’s aggregate output. Personal computers deliver visual subliminals such as â€Å"my world is calm† or â€Å"we’re all on the same team. † Other companies have dietitians who guide the companies’ cafeteria and dining room. They make sure that the companies serve only fresh, wholesome food prepared without salt, sugar, or cholesterol-producing substances. Sugar- and caffeine-based, high-energy snacks and beverages are available during breaks, at no cost to employees. In a practical example of work productivity and employee performance, let us cite Dominion-Swann’s new workplace. Dominion-Swann (DS) is a technology-based company that respects its employees and whose knowledge is the core of its technological enterprise. It cares about its work community and value honesty informed consent, and unfettered scientific inquiry. Its employees understand company strategy. They are free to suggest ways to improve the company’s performance. It also offers handsome rewards for high productivity and vigorous participation in the life of its company. Committed to science, this company believes in careful experimentation and in learning from experience. Since 1990, DS has instituted changes in our work environment because it faced an uncertain future. Our productivity and quality were not keeping pace with overseas competition. Employee turnover was up, especially in the most critical part of our business- automotive chips, switches, and modules. Health costs and work accidents were on the rise. Its employees were demoralized. There were unprecedented numbers of thefts from plants and offices and leaks to competitors about current research. There was also a sharp rise in drug use. Security personnel reported unseemly behavior by company employees not only in our parking lots and athletic fields but also in restaurants and bars near our major plants. In the fall of 1990, it turned to SciexPlan Inc. , a specialist in employee-relations management in worldwide companies, to help develop a program for the radical restructuring of the work environment. There was instability while the program was being developed and implemented. Some valued employees quit and others took early retirement. But widespread publicity about the company’s efforts drew to the program people who sincerely sought a well-ordered, positive environment. DS now boasts a clerical, professional, and factory staff which understands how the interests of a successful company correspond with the interests of individual employees. To paraphrase psychologist William lames, â€Å"When the community dies, the individual withers. † Such sentiments, we believe, are as embedded in Western traditions as in Eastern; they are the foundation of world community. They are also a fact of the new global marketplace. DS’ four principles that underlie work-support restructuring are worth studying for every HR organizations who want to implement structural changes and get valued results. It consists of the following: 1. Make the company a home to employees. Break down artificial and alienating barriers between work and home. Dissolve, through company initiative, feelings of isolation. Great companies are made by great people; all employee behavior and self-development counts. 2. Hire people who will make a continuing contribution. Bring in people who are likely to stay healthy and successful, people who will be on the job without frequent absences. Candor about prospective employees’ pasts may be the key to the company’s future. 3. Technical, hardware-based solutions are preferable to supervision and persuasion. Machines are cheaper, more reliable, and fairer than managers. Employees want to do the right thing; the company wants nothing but this and will give employees all the needed technical assistance. Employees accept performance evaluation from an impartial system more readily than from a superior and appreciate technical solutions that channel behavior in a constructive direction. 4. Create accountability through visibility. Loyal employees enjoy the loyalty of others. They welcome audits, reasonable monitoring, and documentary proof of their activities, whether of location, business conversations, or weekly output. Once identified, good behavior can be rewarded, inappropriate behavior can be improved. These principles have yielded an evolving program that continues to benefit from the participation and suggestions of the company’s employees. This is a good support system to the promotion of the employees’ well-being. Providing support for employees with caring responsibilities in the workplace makes good business sense. Creating a positive work atmosphere that encourages employees to speak out is also another important factor. Benefits can be gained for both the employer and their employees. Companies nowadays attract qualified employees by providing a progressive and motivating work atmosphere. This is because such environment is an excellent opportunity for employees to grow professionally in a professional yet fun and casual environment. According to Susan Heathfield, HR Consultant, about 16 percent of the people responding in a recent Human Resources Forum poll have no performance appraisal system at all (p. 1). Supervisory opinions, provided once a year, are the only appraisal process for 56 percent of respondents. Another 16 percent described their appraisals as based solely on supervisor opinions, but administered more than once a year. The main reason is that performance appraisal is universally disliked and avoided. She concludes that, after all, how many people in an organization want to hear that they were less than perfect last year? How many managers want to face the arguments and diminished morale that can result from the performance appraisal process? This might be certainly true. Performance Management, however is geared towards employee development and organizational improvement (para 3). HR organizations should really implement the most effective and succinct measure of employee performance. Performance management begins when a job is defined. Performance management ends when an employee leaves the company. Between these points, the following must occur for a working performance management system. Heathfield suggests the following Performance Management and Development as the best initiatives to have a systematic appraisal in the general work system. It includes defining the purpose of the job, job duties, and responsibilities; defining performance goals with measurable outcomes; defining the priority of each job responsibility and goal; defining performance standards for key components of the job; holding interim discussions and provide feedback about employee performance, preferably daily, summarized and discussed, at least, quarterly; maintaining a record of performance through critical incident reports; providing the opportunity for broader feedback; using a 360 degree performance feedback system that incorporates feedback from the employee’s peers, customers, and people who may report to him; developing and administering a coaching and improvement plan if the employee is not meeting expectations (para 5). Based on the new tasks of the HR organizations as the company’s business partner, there are five key capabilities that are needed to make a strategic contribution to the organization (Lesser and De Macro, p. 6 ). These include: analytical skills; business acumen; consulting skills; change leadership skills; and the ability to share knowledge across the HR organization. HR organizations need analytical skills to develop evidence-based recommendations and effective business cases. They must understand how data flows through various HR and financial systems, and how to obtain and analyze human capital data that supports their recommendations. HR organizations also need to be proficient in developing models and scenarios that determine the cost and impact of changes in HR policies and procedures. Participants in our study found that they were unlikely to have sufficient depth in these ills within their own HR organizations and considered them among the most difficult to develop. HR organizations also need business acumen in the form of understanding their business unit’s strategies and operations. To serve as true advisors to the business, they must understand the dynamics of their industry, as well as the day-to-day activities performed by different functional units and how individuals within the units are evaluated. They also have to understand the needs of customers and partners to better see how their human capital decisions impact stakeholders beyond the organizational boundaries. Many organizations reported that this in-depth knowledge of the business was often in short supply within their HR groups. HR organizations will have to serve as lead advisors to their business units on human capital issues. To do so, a number of consulting skills are essential, including the abilities to build trusting relationships with senior executives, diagnose organizational problems and determine root causes, develop recommendations and business cases, and create action plans. Further, they must have the strength and conviction to deliver difficult messages to senior leaders, even if those messages may prove to be unpopular. HR organizations also need to be effective at driving change through the organization. This includes soliciting and initiating participation from individuals within the business unit to support change efforts, aligning recognition and performance measurement systems to support desired activities, and effectively communicating with multiple stakeholders. HR organization not only needs to provide expertise to the business units they support, they also should share knowledge across the HR organization (Mello, p. 138).