Media production Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Media production - Assignment Example The texts are mostly in black and various hues of pink, used to emphasize words in titles. As a whole, the written text, being influenced by the background color now becomes part of the visual. The coordination of colors of the titles, the model’s clothes and other objects in the cover page all come together well to produce an impression of high stylization and a connotation of modern fashion (Machin & Thornborrow, 2003) which Cosmopolitan is known for. Using Miley Cyrus, previously known as a wholesome star of a youth-oriented program, Hannah Montana, as the cover girl who has shed such goody-goody image and embraced a sophisticated-woman-persona may have been a move to stir controversy, and so, attract buyers. Miley’s cover reflects Cosmopolitan’s â€Å"fun, fearless female† philosophy (Streitmatter, 2004). No matter what background Miley Cyrus had, once she becomes a Cosmopolitan woman, she is welcomed into the world of strong, sexually seductive and powerful women (Machin & Thornborrow, 2003). The use of pink background may intentionally indicate Miley’s past as a wholesome teenager. The color Pink usually connotes softness and femininity (Machin, 2007) which were words that could have described her as Hannah Montana. However, Miley’s picture becomes ironic to what Pink represents because she can be perceived as a sexually mature woman, knowledgeable about the ways of the world. Her Cosmopolitan image is far from the innocent Hannah Montana that she characterized just a few years before. The visual elements of the cover page collaborated to successfully depict Miley’s transformation a daring, fun and uninhibited sex symbol and no longer an innocent child. In analyzing the cover page in-depth, the image of Miley Cyrus can be considered symbolic of what she was undergoing at the time of the shoot. While she wears white, a color that connotes purity and wholesomeness, she wears

Management Control System Essay Example for Free

Management Control System Essay Detector - measure what actually happening in the process being control. 2. Assessor - what is actually happening by comparing with some standard/expectation. 3. Affector - feedback. 4. Communication Network - transmit information between the three above. Management Control process is the process by which managers at all levels ensure that the people they supervise implement their intended strategies. Management Control process characteristics: 1. The standar is not preset - management decide what organization should do. 2. Management control is not automatic. 3. Management Control requires coordination among individuals 4. The connection from perceiving the need for action to determining the action required to obtain the desired result may not be clear. 5. Much Management Control is self control. System is a prescribed and usually repetitious way of carrying out an activity or a set of activities. Boundaries of Management Control: 1. Budget - conforming to budget is not necessarily good and departure from budget is not necessarily bad. 2. Goal congruence - it means that, insofar as is feasible, the goals of organization’s individual members should be consistent with the goals of the organization itself. 3. Tool for implementing strategy - organizational structure specifies the roles, reporting relationship and division of responsibilities that shape decision making within an organization. Human resource management is the selection, training, evaluation, promotion and termination of employees so as to develop the knowledge and skills required to execute organizational strategy. Culture refers to the set of common beliefs, attitudes, and norms that explicitly or implicitly guide managerial action. 4. MCS encompass both financial and nonfinancial performance measures. 5. Aid in developing new strategies. Strategy formulation is the process of deciding on the goals of the organization an d the strategies for attaining these goals. Management control is the process of implementing those strategies. Task control is the process of ensuring that specified tasks are carried out effectively and efficiently. Task control system is scientific, whereas management control can never be reduced to a science. By definition, management control involves the behavior of managers, and this cannot be expressed by equations. Impact of the internet on management control - difference between internet and phone: 1. Instant access. 2. Multi-targeted communication. 3. Costless communication. 4. Ability to display images. 5. Shifting power and control to individual.

Educational Technology Autobiography Essay -- essays papers

Educational Technology Autobiography My experience with educational technology from K-12 to post-secondary education: The very first form of educational technology that I encountered was the use of the overhead in the first grade. In the third grade I was moved to a gifted and talented Math class; therefore, allowing my fellow classmates and myself access to a computer lab that contained seven apple computers. Every Friday we were allotted fifteen to twenty minutes on these computers to play Number Munchers and Oregon Trail. In fourth and fifth grade I continued with my gifted and talented Math programs, but was also added to gifted and talented Science and English programs. In these programs I again used the computer but this time I used the computer for puzzles (i.e. a picture of a cake on the screen and we had to click on the appropriate prompted proportions, or fractions) in Math, for games such as Word- Munchers and filling out Mad-Libs in English, and to record data in a timesheet format in Science. Furthermore, in my Math and Science classes I was asked to be able to understand how to use a s imple function calculator. In addition, in my English class we often heard literature read aloud through a tape recorder, as well as seeing movies based off of the books we were reading. During my last two years of elementary school, I became familiar with the use of overheads, televisions, calculators, and computers, for educational technological purposes. Each summer, while I was in Elementary School, my mother made me practice typing, where I became very familiar with a (hateful) program called Mavis Beacon. Moreover, during the summer before I entered Middle School I opted to take a Summer Camp on computers, where I learned to ... ...unctuation and grammar, as well as provide them with a thesaurus. Finally, another thing on the computer that the teacher could use to enhance teaching her class, would be the use of Microsoft PowerPoint. Here if an English teacher was trying to teach her students the different types of essays, a slide-show explaining what an Expository Essay is on one slide, as well as a Cause/Effect, Definition, Comparison/Contrast, Argumentative, Literary Analysis, and a Character Analysis Essay are on different slides, would make understanding the differences between the essays much more clear to the students, than for example, verbally explaining the different types of essays. Furthermore, using programs such as Microsoft PowerPoint are attractive to the eye; consequently, the student will pay more attention to what they are learning, and essentially learn at a higher level.

Heart Disease Paper :: Essays Papers

Heart Disease Paper I often have that dream, the one where die. It doesn’t really matter how or when because it’s different every single time. Other people have told me that they’ve had this dream, so I’m not worried that I’ve lost my mind somewhere along the way. My dream is different though. I look to see who’s there. Who walks by and cries and who just walks by. Why does this matter? Why do I care? I didn’t think I did. I recently talked to my dad on instant messenger. It was a slow talk because computers are rather new to him and he has to â€Å"hunt and punch†, as he likes to call it. The reason I mention my father is because I was going to interview him about this paper. You see, heart disease runs in our family and it is presently his turn to be the one who has to watch what he eats. Before him it was my Grandpa Fikes, who unfortunately is no longer with us. I am no different. I have their genes throughout my body and they are slowly taking their effect on my heart and me. The problem is that as a college student I should be in the healthiest and strongest years of my life, but instead I feel like those days are behind me like they were taken away in a gust of wind. I recently stopped at a local Wal-Mart and found one of those machines in the pharmacy department, you know the one that squeezes your arm and tells you not to move because it’s testing, and took the test. I only took it out of pure boredom because my girlfriend was shopping for girl things. When the test was done I took the figures and compared them to the chart on the left. It just so happens that I was borderline in every category. Of course my girlfriend just happened to be passing by and noticed my numbers and let out one of her oh so annoying gasps. She made me take it again. The figures still turned out the same though. This made me somewhat uneasy as I remembered my Grandpa and my Dad. Was I Next? How could I prevent this from happening to me? Why is this happening to me?

According To Criminal Justice Today Essay

â€Å"Modern sentencing practices are influenced by five goals, which weave their way through widely disseminated professional and legal models, continuing public calls for sentencing reform.† The five goals of contemporary sentencing are Retribution, Incapacitation, Deterrence, Rehabilitation and Restoration. We are going to discuss what each goal means for sentencing criminals. Retribution a demand for punishment based on a need for vengeance. This is the earliest known rationale for punishment. Early cultures would punish almost every offender almost immediately and without a hearing. Severe penalties like death and exile where common forms of punishment even for minor offenses in early societies. The term just deserts means the offenders sentencing holds that the offenders deserve the punishment they receive at the hands of the law and the punishment should be appropriate with the type of crime. Incapacitation is the second goal of criminal sentencing and seeks to protect the innocent members of society from offenders who might harm them. Unlike retribution, incapacitation requires only restraint and not punishment like sending the offender to a correctional institution without imprisonment. The third example is deterrence. When you think of deterrence, it uses the example or threat of punishment that will convince people that committing crimes is not worth the penalty. Rehabilitation is the fourth example and brings about fundamental changes in offenders and their overall behavior. The ultimate goal of rehabilitation is to reduce the overall number of criminal offenses. Rehabilitation means to return a person to their previous condition. The final example is restoration. Restoration is a sentencing goal that seeks to address what damage was called by the offender that will make those who suffered whole again. This can range from victim’s assistance and/or supporting the victims with some form of compensations.

Making a case for The BASEL III The WritePass Journal

Making a case for The BASEL III Making a case for The BASEL III In the face of the impending global financial crisis, world leaders at G20 called for reform from legislators across the globe. From the reports assessing the causes of the crisis and proposing regulatory reform, a general consensus has emerged on two elements. First, all systemically important institutions, instruments and markets should be regulated, preferably under the umbrella of a consolidated supervisor in each jurisdiction. Second, reform will be implemented at a national, not at an international level. A new set of banking regulations, published in response to the financial crisis, to ensure banks can cope with a similar meltdown. The BASEL III was published in 2010 in response to financial crisis. BASEL III The aim of BASEL III was to ensure that banks, in future, would be able to withstand the sort of financial meltdown they have just endured. Two points are discussed in the answer and details are as follows: Capital: The new rules state that the minimum amount of capital that a bank must hold in reserve will rise more than threefold from 2% to 7%. Banks have eight years and, in some cases, 13 to comply. New rules aimed at reducing risks associated with counterparty transactions and introducing liquidity stress tests have also been drafted. Supporters insist a good balance has been struck between improving the Basel 2 framework which ignored liquidity and maintaining enough lending capacity to fuel a global economic recovery. This rule did not get tough on banks, in fact , banks like J.P Morgan that were best capitalised gained most and the share price of many banks rose in response. Lending:   Property experts had reckoned the new rules would make it even harder for banks to lend to property companies and investors banks would have less money to lend and their cost of capital would rise. However these rules were not so significant in the sense that most large, internationally active banks already meet the requirements Lloyds boasts a 9% capital ratio and Barclays 13%. However Banks attitude to property lending will be more affected by their terrible experience in the wake of the credit crunch. Stress tests will identify other less obvious connections between counterparties, for example where a bank has made loans to a number of unconnected counterparties who are all affected by the same underlying business risks. Stress tests were mainly carried out in USA. UK Regulations There have been substantial changes in the way the UK financial services industry is regulated, with potentially significant consequences for its consumers. The first change is a change in the Financial Service Authority(FSA)’s philosophy and its approach to supervision. The second, and more significant change, is the new UK coalition government’s plan to put in place a new financial regulation regime, that will see the FSA phased out in 2012, and its functions carried out by the Bank of England and a number of new regulators. Change in FSA’s philosophy and supervision The review of Northern rock shows that the supervision of risk regulations is flawed and   the supervision of risks in financial services remains the key. The ‘Light Touch’ regulations which was considered the key contributor to the financial crisis(Sants, 2010) is being replaced by intensive supervision. FSA is adopting a new approach to create the environment where risks are lessened and at the same time innovation and an increase in competition The idea of treating customers fairly (TCF) remains firmly on the regulator’s agenda for the supervision of firms. The regulator accepts that the TCF initiative has not delivered the outcomes that consumers deserve, largely as a result of its implementation in a non-neutral, reactive manner (Sants, 2009, 2010). It has consulted on ways to improve professionalism within the industry (FSA, 2009) and the way firms handle consumer complaints (FSA, 2010). It has also re-focused the TCF initiative towards making the retail market work better for consumers. The new financial regulatory regime to replace the FSA The new coalition government in the UK has decided to get rid of the FSA and to split its responsibilities between the Bank of England and a new financial services consumer protection agency (currently being referred to as the Consumer Protection and Markets Authority (CPMA)). In this new regime the Bank of England will be responsible for the overall financial stability of the UK financial system, in addition to its already existing responsibility for monetary policy. Europe Regulations The European Commission has been among the most active in proposing reforms after the global financial crisis. The Commissions proposals include new regulatory bodies at the European level, changes to the way financial institutions are regulated in the EU, and changes to the regulation of certain financial products. The Commission and the European Council have called for an enhanced European financial supervisory framework, which will be composed of two new bodies: the European Systemic Risk Council (ESRC) and the European System of Financial Supervisors (ESFS). The ESRC will be responsible for macro-prudential oversight; specifically monitoring and assessing potential threats to financial stability that arise from macro-economic developments and from developments within the financial system as a whole. It will not have any regulatory authority over financial institutions or markets. The ESFS will consist of a network of national financial supervisors working in tandem with three new European supervisory authorities: the European Banking Authority : which monitors banks, the European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority: which look after insurance and pension and the European Securities Authority: which look after market. These three new bodies will replace the existing Committees of Supervisors, known as Level 3 committees that advise the Commission. These proposals are designed to create a framework within which financial risk at the EU level will be supervised, and through which the actions of national supervisors may be coordinated. US Regulations The position in the US is complicated because of the division of responsibilities amongst various agencies. Recent US proposals would coordinate these agencies through the creation of the Financial Services Oversight Council, which would be composed of representatives from multiple agencies and chaired by the US Treasury Department. This body will also have a more formal role in the regulatory process. This approach is broadly similar to the position in the EU, in that a supervisor, comprising representatives from various bodies in the sector, will monitor risk on a macro-basis and act accordingly through those bodies. The interaction between the ESRC: and its US equivalent will be key to the success of both initiatives. How this will occur remains to be seen. Conclusion: BASEL III: Banks will have to hold a greater amount of high quality capital, which should make failure less likely and deposits more secure. Higher quality capital is more expensive, which might increase the interest rates which banks charge their borrowers. The higher quality capital should also make bank bail-outs less likely and therefore protect taxpayer funds. Regulatory capital adequacy only ensures that banks have enough capital to meet their obligations over the entire life of their business. It does not address whether they have enough readily available funds to be able to meet their obligations as they fall due. The liquidity coverage ratio is intended to ensure that the bank can pay its obligations falling due over the next 30 days. Regulations: UK, EU and US are moving on a variety of fronts to improve their financial regulatory systems in response to the financial crisis. The regulatory bodies have been active proposing major reforms and accelerating the implementation of measures that were already under way. There is still considerable uncertainty regarding the final shape of some of these initiatives. Some initiatives seem likely to create tension with member state governments.   On both sides of the Atlantic Ocean, the key challenge will be to ensure that steps towards reform reflect a global consensus reached in the G20 and to ensure that the move to tighten regulation of the financial system does not create unintended barriers for global financial institutions. References Basel 3 quick fix is neither Critics find little assurance that proposed standards will prevent banking failures. By Thomas Watson Financial services and consumer protection after the crisis by Folarin Akinbami Durham University, Durham, UK Daily Mail, 9th March 2011 Perspectives on Basel III. International Financial Law Review, 02626969, Nov2010, Vol. 29, Issue 9

Search Engines Essay Example

Search Engines Essay Example Search Engines Essay Search Engines Essay Beyonce wrote love on top because she wanted to express how Jay Z makes her feel through the years on a daily basis through song. Throughout the years Beyonce has had different songs dedicated to different people but this is a first to the one she loves. Which is good thing because Beyonce and Jay Z are very private when it comes to there relationship. Which I’m going to give you briefing which led up to the song Love On Top. narrative) She had success in the past year of 2011, Beyonce won a Grammy for Love On Top for best dance in a video. Also during the performance at the Video Music Awards, while performing Love On Top she announced to Jay Z and the world she was pregnant (which was so spontaneous). She’s also happy about how there able to keep the tabloids out of there life and they keep things to them selves. Which has been that way since there courtship began in 2002. Beyonce was so head over heels with Jay Z she moved from Houston to NY. example) When Jay Z and Beyonce met it was for a song collaboration for the song 02 Bonnie and Clyde. There where speculations then but it wasn’t confirmed until the song collaboration Crazy In Love came out that they where announced as a official couple. The couple went on to do other collaborations such as That’s how you like It and Upgrade you. The couple came together in song to express there feelings for each other, But love on Top was Beyonce’s dedication solo song to JayZ. They are truly a power house couple. description) By Beyonce announcing the pregnancy of there baby on the Video Music Awards while performing Love On Top to Jay Z was a heartfelt moment. Due to Beyonce miscarrying the couples first child just two years prior. Despite the rumors baby girl Blue Ivey came in this World in January 2012. Jay Z has always made beyonce happy you can tell by how she enhanced his career to ownership for his own record label, basketball team, etc. Beyonce really did an Upgrade on Sean Carter A. K. A. Jay Z. Despite how her father Mathew Knowles felt about Jay Z , Beyonce’s feelings didn’t change towards Jay Z.Jay Z was what Beyonce was looking for, The bad boy business type. The couple had a very intimate and private seven year courtship. That led to a private marriage on April 4, 2008. Throughout the years trials, rumors, and success Beyonce and Jay Z remained together and that is why her love is on top. Love On Top Honey, honey I can see the stars all the way from here, Cant you see the glow on the window pane? I can feel the sun whenever youre near Every time you touch me I just melt awayNow everybody asks me why Im smiling out from ear to ear. They say love hurts)But I know (Its gonna take the real work) Nothings perfect, but its worth it after fighting through my fears, And finally you put me firstBaby its you. , Youre the one I love. Youre the one I need. Youre the only one I see. Come on baby its you. Youre the one that gives your all. Youre the one I can always call. When I need you make everything stop. Finally you put my love on top. Ooo! Come on Baby. You put my love on top, top, top, top, top. You put my love on top. Ooo Ooo! Come on baby.You put my love on top, top, top, top, top. My love on top. My love on top. Come on Baby I can feel the wind whipping past my face. As we dance the night away. Boy your lips taste like a night of champagne. As I kiss you again, and again, and again and again. Now everybody asks me why Im smiling out from ear to ear. (They say love hurts)But I know (Its gonna take the real work) Nothings perfect, but its worth it after fighting through my fears. And finally you put me first. Baby its you. Youre the one I love. Youre the one I need.Youre the only one I see. Come on baby its you. Youre the one that gives your all. Youre the one I can always call. When I need you make everything stop. Finally you put my love on top. Ooo! Baby. You put my love on top, top, top, top, top. You put my love on top. Ooo Ooo! Come on baby. You put my love on top, top, top, top, top. My love on top. Baby its you. Youre the one I love. Youre the one I need. Youre the only thing I see. Come on baby its you. Youre the one that gives your all. Youre the one that always calls.When I need you baby everything stops. Finally you put my love on top. Baby. Youre the one I love. Baby youre all I need. Youre the only one I see. Come on baby its you. Youre the one that gives your all. Youre the one I always call. When I need you everything stops. Finally you put my love on topBaby. Cuz Youre the one that I love. Baby, youre the one that I need. Youre the only thing I see. Baby baby its you. Youre the one that gives your all. Youre the one that always calls. When I need you everything stops. Finally you put my love on top ?

Weird Naked Mole Rat Facts (Heterocephalus glaber)

Weird Naked Mole Rat Facts (Heterocephalus glaber) Every species of animal has its unique traits. However, some of the characteristics of the naked mole rat (Heterocephalus glaber) are quirky bordering on downright weird. Some people think the rats unique physiology could be studied to unlock immortality or find a way to prevent cancer. Whether or not this is true remains to be seen, but one thing is certain. The mole rat is an unusual creature. Fast Facts: Naked Mole Rat Scientific Name: Heterocephalus glaberCommon Names: Naked mole rat, sand puppy, desert mole ratBasic Animal Group: MammalSize: 3-4 inchesWeight: 1.1-1.2 ouncesLifespan: 32 yearsDiet: HerbivoreHabitat: East Africa grasslandsPopulation: StableConservation Status: Least Concern Description The naked mole rat queen is larger than the other rats within a colony. Geoff Brightling / Getty Images Its easy to recognize the naked mole rat by its buck-teeth and wrinkled skin. The rats body is adapted for life underground. Its protruding teeth are used for digging and its lips seal behind its teeth, to prevent the animal from eating dirt while burrowing. While the rat isnt blind, its eyes are small, with poor visual acuity. The naked mole rats legs are short and thin, but the rat can move forward and backward with equal ease. The rats arent completely bald, but they have little hair and lack an insulating fat layer beneath the skin. The average rat is 8 to 10 cm (3 to 4 in) in length and weighs 30 to 35 g (1.1 to 1.2 oz). Females are larger and heavier than males. Diet The rodents are herbivores, feeding primarily on large tubers. One large tuber can sustain a colony for months or years. The rats eat the interior of the tuber, but leave enough for the plant to regenerate. Naked mole rats sometimes eat their own feces, although this may be a social behavior rather than  a source of nutrition. Naked mole rats are preyed upon by snakes and raptors. The Only Cold-Blooded Mammal A naked mole rat would feel cool to the touch. Karen Tweedy-Holmes / Getty Images Human, cats, dogs, and even egg-laying platypuses are warm-blooded. As a rule, mammals are thermoregulators, able to maintain body temperature despite external conditions. The naked mole rat is the one exception to the rule. Naked mole rats are cold-blooded or thermoconformers. When a naked mole rat is too hot, it moves to a deeper, cooler part of its burrow. When its too cold, the rat either moves to a sun-warmed location or huddles with its pals. Adaptation to Oxygen Deprivation Humans cant live very long without air. Dimitri Otis / Getty Images Human brain cells start to die within 60 seconds without oxygen. Permanent brain damage typically sets in after three minutes. In contrast, naked mole rats can survive 18 minutes in an oxygen-free environment without suffering any harm. When deprived of oxygen, the rats metabolism slows and it uses anaerobic glycolysis of fructose to make lactic acid to supply its cells with energy. Naked mole rats can live in an atmosphere of 80 percent carbon dioxide and 20 percent oxygen. Humans would die from carbon dioxide poisoning under these conditions. Habitat and Distribution The rats are native to the dry grasslands of East Africa, where they live in colonies of 20 to 300 individuals. Reproduction and Social Behavior Naked mole rats and other mole rats form colonies, much like bees and ants. Kerstin Klaassen / Getty Images What do bees, ants, and mole rats have in common? All are eusocial animals. This means they live in colonies that have overlapping generations, division of labor, and cooperative brood care. As in insect colonies, naked mole rats have a caste system. A colony has one female (queen) and one to three males, while the rest of the rats are sterile workers. The queen and males begin breeding at one year of age. The hormones and ovaries of worker females are suppressed, so if the queen dies, one of them can take over for her. The queen and the males maintain a relationship for several years. Naked mole rat gestation is 70 days, producing a litter ranging from 3 to 29 pups. In the wild, naked mole rats breed once a year, providing the litter survives. In captivity, the rats produce a litter every 80 days. The queen nurses the pups for a month. After this, smaller workers feed the pups fecal pap until they are able to eat solid food. Larger workers help to maintain the nest, but also protect the colony from attacks. Unusual Aging Process Biologically, an old naked mole rat and a young one are virtually indistinguishable. R. Andrew Odum / Getty Images While mice may live up to 3 years, naked mole rats can live up to 32 years. The queen doesnt experience menopause, but remains fertile throughout her lifespan. While naked mole rat longevity is exceptional for a rodent, its unlikely the species holds the Fountain of Youth in its genetic code. Both naked mole rats and humans have DNA repair pathways not present in mice. Another reason mole rats may outlive mice is because of their lower metabolic rate. Naked mole rats are not immortal. They die from predation and illness. However, mole rat aging does not adhere to the Gompertz law describing aging  in mammals. Research into naked mole rat longevity may help scientists unravel the mystery of the aging process. Cancer and Pain Resistance Unlike the naked mole rat, naked mice and other rodents are susceptible to tumors. littlepeggy / Getty Images While naked mole rats can catch diseases and die, they are highly resistant (not entirely immune) to tumors. Scientists have proposed multiple mechanisms for the rats remarkable cancer resistance. The naked mole rat expresses the p16 gene that prevents cells from dividing once they come in contact with other cells, the rats contain extremely high-molecular-mass hyaluronan (HMW-HA) which may protect them, and their cells have ribosomes capable of making nearly error-free proteins. The only malignancies discovered in naked mole rats were in captive-born individuals, which lived in a much more oxygenated environment than rats in the wild. Naked mole rats neither itch nor feel pain. Their skin lacks a neurotransmitter called substance P that is needed to send pain signals to the brain. Scientists believe this might be an adaptation to living in poorly ventilated species, where high levels of carbon dioxide cause acid to build up in tissues. Further, the rats dont feel temperature-related discomfort. The lack of sensitivity may be in response to the naked mole rats extreme habitat. Conservation Status The IUCN classifies the naked mole rat conservation status as least concern. Naked mole  rats are numerous within their range and are not considered to be endangered. Sources Daly, T. Joseph M.; Williams, Laura A.; Buffenstein, Rochelle. Catecholaminergic innervation of interscapular brown adipose tissue in the naked mole-rat (Heterocephalus glaber). Journal of Anatomy. 190 (3): 321–326, April 1997.Maree, S. and C. Faulkes. . IUCN Red List of Threatened SpeciesHeterocephalus glaber. Version 2008. International Union for Conservation of Nature, 2008.ORiain, M. Justin; Faulkes, Chris G. African mole rats: eusociality, relatedness and ecological constraints. In Korb, Judith; Heinze, Jà ¶rgen. Ecology of Social Evolution. Springer. pp. 207–223, 2008.Park, Thomas J.; Lu, Ying; Jà ¼ttner, Renà ©; St. J. Smith, Ewan; Hu, Jing; Brand, Antje; Wetzel, Christiane; Milenkovic, Nevena; Erdmann, Bettina; Heppenstall, Paul A.; Laurito, Charles E.; Wilson, Steven P.; Lewin, Gary R. Selective Inflammatory Pain Insensitivity in the African Naked Mole-Rat (. PLoS Biology. 6 (1): e13, 2008.Heterocephalus glaber)Thomas J. Park; et al. Fructose-driven glycolys is supports anoxia resistance in the naked mole-rat. Science. 356 (6335): 307–311. April 21, 2017.

Apocalypse Now, by Francis Ford Coppola (War in Vietnam) Movie Review

Apocalypse Now, by Francis Ford Coppola (War in Vietnam) - Movie Review Example ion concerning the realities, which the members of the American armed forces had to undergo during the Vietnam War and the actions which they took to ensure that they survived it and returned home. Throughout the film, one will find that all of the actors have become absorbed into their roles and because of this absorption; they are able to depict the events of the war in a manner which is as close to reality as possible. There are instances in the film when the scenes become extremely emotional, as some of the characters have to deal with diverse issues that affect their lives during the war. It is during these moments that the audience gets a picture of how the soldiers who were involved directly in Vietnam were forced to undergo psychological torment over the various actions which they had to carry out, however futile, in order to ensure that the war was won. One of the themes that one finds in the film is that of depression and war weariness and some of the characters in various scenes depict this during the course of the film. In the film, the American soldiers are depicted as having to live lives in a manner which is not relaxed and that they have to constantly be on the look out to ensure that they do not fall victim to enemy attacks. For the most part, the film shows these individuals as having to live their lives on edge, not knowing whether they will be attacked in the next minute or not and having to either fight off or run away from the constant dangers that they encounter in the jungles of Vietnam. The result of living such lives is that it begins to take a toll on the way that they associate with each other and how they perceive the world around them. The result is that some of the characters, such as Chef and Lance undergo such mental strain that they are more often than not shown being under the influence of drugs. A scene i s depicted where due to Chef’s craving for mangoes; he and Willard go to the jungle where they encounter a tiger that

Leadership Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 19

Leadership - Essay Example It is quite apparent that a great percentage of people do not comprehend the distinction between leadership and management and therefore use the two terms interchangeably. However, the two terms are different since leadership involves motivating and inspiring while management involves administration and control (Northouse 13). Apparently, Leadership is more desirable than management for various reasons. Research has shown that organisations are better off having a few effective leaders and many brilliant managers than the other way around. Many scholars argue that the world needs more leaders than managers. Leadership is more of a trait than an acquired ability. Management can be taught; that is, anybody can be a manager but not everybody can qualify to be a leader. While a manager focuses on attaining results through the application of managerial skills, a leader focuses on improving the quality of performance rather than results. Leadership and management are, however, similar in the sense that they share complimentary attributes. For instance, a good leader should possess good managerial skills and vice-versa. My biggest strength is the ability to think critically and creatively. Critical and creative thinking forms the basis for effective leadership. The ability to analyse situations and develop effective solutions to common problems develops good leadership skills (Hurley and Brown 2). The objective of applying critical and creative thinking is to approach challenges with an open, holistic perspective. For example, if one is performing poorly financially, he /she should trace the root cause of the problem in order to provide a rational solution, free from any biases. Using inductive and deductive reasoning, which are essential to critical thinking, it is possible to create a systematic approach to the problem. The basic

Marketing strategy as a concept Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Marketing strategy as a concept - Essay Example The paper tells that marketing strategy defines the plan of the organization with reference to attracting new customers, expanding the existing market, or taking market lead. It is a comprehensive and succinct plan by the business that entails key details necessary to market the business. Formulating a marketing plan would realize the goal of creating a strong and desirable product reputation in the market. A marketing strategy provides a detailed description of the business in terms of its services or products in the market. A comprehensive marketing strategy that would ensure the targeted market consists of customers who have the highest demand for it. That helps the business to make a great investment in the market. It explains the market position of the business’ products or services and planned strategies for improvement. It outlines the customer profile and details in regards to factors that may affect the demand and services of the business. It outlines the viable tacti cs that the business may use to gain market dominance and customer rating. Among the details that may be applicable to a business is the strategy that the business plans to apply in reaching a new or currently dormant customer segment in the market. It outlines the approaches that the business intends to use in creating awareness of the products and services in the targeted or existing market. Strategic planning may be viewed in terms of strategy as design or plan in which the organization deliberate positioning through a process that involves analysis, rational structuring and attaining a directive.

History philosophy of dance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

History philosophy of dance - Essay Example They shared talents of these two dancers (and their respective dances) cannot and should not be understood to denote that they are somehow one and the same. It is the hope of this author the following analysis will be useful in helping to delineate the key differentials that existed between these two men as well as pointing to the similarities that bound them and helps individuals even to this day to define the era of jazz dance and musical incorporation into the Hollywood film of the 1940s and 1950s. For purposes of comparison, Bob Foss’ â€Å"All that Jazz† and Gene Kelley’s â€Å"1969 Dance Medley† will be considered and compared. At first glance, it may appear as if the dances of Gene Kelly and Robert Foss are somehow one and the same. Gene Kelly, born in 1912, reached the height of his popularity in the 1940s and 50s. Comparatively, born in 1927, a full 15 years later, Foss also began to reach the height of his popularity in the late 1940s and early 1950s. Comparatively, both of these men represented jazz dancers that were, at their time, indicative of the very best that Hollywood had to offer. Both Gene Kelly and Robert Foss were not only dancers but also singers. However, even though the aforementioned similarities lady enough to convince a rather uninformed individual that these two dancers/stars were one in the same, the fact of the matter is that as their careers progress and a further indication of their contribution to their individual dancing style is evidenced, key differentials with regards to the way in which these dancers/singers/choreographers can be understood and appreciated comes to be seen. Interestingly, even though dissimilarities between the styles exist, a level of heavy experimentation is evidenced in both of these respective dances; indicative of the 1960’s and 70’s – a period in time in which the

Marketing - Microsoft Case Study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Marketing - Microsoft Case Study - Essay Example The strongest companies with truly innovative concepts survived and into the 21st century. The turn of the century continued to be trigger by the internet and higher broadband speeds created the birth of what economist called the convergence age. The convergence era is defined by the collapse of previously distinct media distribution channels – broadcast, cable, radio, print, online – into one single media delivery chain that supports a range of interactive modes between users and content (Pricewatercoopers, 2006). Microsoft is the biggest software manufacturer in the world. The company has a rich 32 old history in which they have help revolutionize the IT industry. The company has changed a lot in last five years and has implemented new business strategies which diversified its portfolio of product offerings. The company revenues in 2006 were $44,282 million, which represents a 56.11% revenue increase in comparison with 2002 (Annual Report Microsoft, 2006). There have been a lot of changes in the IT industry. A lot of them have to do with world’s entrance into the convergence age. The company is adapting to the trend and is focusing on launching products based on the market tendencies. There are a lot of exciting developments occurring in the IT industry. In 2006 the IT market generated $3.1 trillion in revenues (Info Tech Industry Overview, 2007). The industry is expanding and new products, concepts and ideas are revolutionizing the industry. A lot of the hottest trends in this industry are aligned with the start of the convergence age. Security is a big issue as more and more users entered the internet and are utilizing it for work related tasks and for their ecommerce needs. The latest tallies of the size of the online population revealed that as of late November 2006 there were 1.76 billion online users globally

History philosophy of dance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

History philosophy of dance - Essay Example They shared talents of these two dancers (and their respective dances) cannot and should not be understood to denote that they are somehow one and the same. It is the hope of this author the following analysis will be useful in helping to delineate the key differentials that existed between these two men as well as pointing to the similarities that bound them and helps individuals even to this day to define the era of jazz dance and musical incorporation into the Hollywood film of the 1940s and 1950s. For purposes of comparison, Bob Foss’ â€Å"All that Jazz† and Gene Kelley’s â€Å"1969 Dance Medley† will be considered and compared. At first glance, it may appear as if the dances of Gene Kelly and Robert Foss are somehow one and the same. Gene Kelly, born in 1912, reached the height of his popularity in the 1940s and 50s. Comparatively, born in 1927, a full 15 years later, Foss also began to reach the height of his popularity in the late 1940s and early 1950s. Comparatively, both of these men represented jazz dancers that were, at their time, indicative of the very best that Hollywood had to offer. Both Gene Kelly and Robert Foss were not only dancers but also singers. However, even though the aforementioned similarities lady enough to convince a rather uninformed individual that these two dancers/stars were one in the same, the fact of the matter is that as their careers progress and a further indication of their contribution to their individual dancing style is evidenced, key differentials with regards to the way in which these dancers/singers/choreographers can be understood and appreciated comes to be seen. Interestingly, even though dissimilarities between the styles exist, a level of heavy experimentation is evidenced in both of these respective dances; indicative of the 1960’s and 70’s – a period in time in which the

Feminism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Feminism - Essay Example It deals with the acceptance that woman is the opposite of man and is treated unfairly in this binary relationship. The modernist sought to help women get fair treatment and stand up against their opposites - the men. The third wave of feminism, which is also referred to as the post-modern perspective, according to Wikipedia, began in the 1990s. The third wave of feminism "unlike second-wave feminism, which largely focused on the inclusion of women in traditionally male-dominated areas," it says, "seeks to challenge and expand common definitions of gender and sexuality." Jane Flax in her book 'Post-modernism and Gender Relations in Feminist Theory' states that post-modern feminism seeks to "understand and (re) constitute the self, gender, knowledge, social relations, and culture without resorting to linear, teleological, hierarchical, holistic, or binary ways of thinking and being". (Flax, 2000, p.39). This paper aims to understand the fundamental differences between the perceptions of modernist and post modernist feminism. With references from the works of theorists like Judith Butler and Jane Flax, this paper will argue whether the post modernist perspective, which raises fundamental questions over traditional classification of biological sex into 'men' and 'women', challenges the very nature of modernist feminism and its significance. The arguments presented here will be illustrated using articles like Lisa Soccio's essay titled, "From Girl to Woman to Grrrl:(Sub)Cultural Intervention and Political Activism in the Time of Post-Feminism", published in the Invisible Culture Electronic Journal for visual studies and Stephen Matchhett's, "Just Like Men, actually. The former deals with the culture of all-women rock-bands, and the latter about how films and television project women in politics. This paper will comprise of four main parts, each presenting one fundamental difference between the modernist and post modernist feminist perspectives. The first section will deal with the question of "Who is a woman ". This will look at the differences between the modernists and postmodernists in their perception and definition of the term 'woman'. The focus will then shift to 'sexed bodies'. This section will examine if 'biological sex' is merely a physical fact or is it the basis for gender. The third part of this paper will focus on 'gender performativity'. Is gender merely a socio-cultural phenomenon that we imbibe and live with, as the modernists believe or is it a role that we play, which is the postmodernist perspective. Finally, the paper will raise the significant question of 'what is feminism'. With the aim of trying to understand both the modernist and postmodernist definition of feminism, this last section will highlight the positives and negatives of both these perspect ives and also their relevance. The definition of Woman One of the most progressive nations in the world, the United States of America has never had a woman as its head of state. On the other hand conservative developing nations in Asia like Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka have had powerful women leading them. So does this imply that the feminist movement has succeeded in breaking gender-related barriers in these nations The answer to this question is simple. These women leaders are the exception and not the rule. Most of these societies continue to be male

Song of an Innocent Bystander Essay Example for Free

Song of an Innocent Bystander Essay I am a bad person is Fredas view of herself justified? From the mouths of babes comes the truth. From the time these words are spoken Freda is OGradys favourite hostage, and through this she sees a chance to secure her own safety by staying on his good side. When the siege is over however Freda finds herself represented as a bad person by what Theo wrote on some napkins. Without anyone to tell her shes not bad, she is dominated by Theos view of her as recorded on the napkins. The napkins, which implicate Freda in Theos death, create problems for Freda because, by keeping them secret she is made to feel she has something to hide. It is as a result of these factors that in Fredas view she is a bad person. The bad man. is how Freda refers to John OGrady. Though in implicating OGrady as a bad man Freda is also revealing her view of herself as a bad person. From the very beginning of the siege OGrady took a liking to Freda, calling her honey, an obvious sign of affection. Seeking safety Freda found that by befriending OGrady she could at least have some control of her fate. As she grew older Freda began to feel that being able to connect with OGrady must have meant that she too was as bad as everyone said OGrady was. OGrady was the only person Freda could connect with and the only person who showed any sign of friendliness to her during the siege. At the very beginning of the siege OGrady asks the other hostages to take care of Freda. They all refuse to do so and she is placed in Theos care on OGradys orders. Freda, having witnessed this would have felt unwanted which would make her more vulnerable to OGradys overtures of friendship and her feelings of having been an accomplice in his badness There is something potent about written words. They can be held, scrutinized, each reading taking them further into the soul of the reader, planting them deeper. Fredas mum, in an effort to protect Freda from being slaughtered by the media hid the napkins that Theo had written on and, in effect changed the impact the siege itself for Freda. To a nine-year-olds mind, the only reason to hide such information was because it was either bad  or implicated someone as bad. The napkins became a testimony to Fredas badness. Freda had no counseling after the siege and her mother was busy with lawsuits, seeking compensation for the impact of the siege on the basis of Freda being a victim. Freda let her imagination and her mind seize upon the apparent attack on her innocence that is portrayed in the napkins and fearing being persecuted by the media. She soon found her life dominated by them, to her everyone must be able to see she was bad, everyone must have noticed. In Fredas mind the napkins had been exaggerated to such an extent she could not find any good in herself and was constantly reminded by their presence that, in Theos opinion, she was a crazy little bitch, freakish and, sick in the head. With words like this running through her head it is no surprise that throughout her teens Freda thought herself a bad person. The napkins became a guilty secret and Theos views of Freda were unchallenged by Freda or anyone else, because of this Freda took Theos word for fact and believed that the napkins revealed her true character. That crazy little bitch is telling him to shoot. The napkins implicate Freda in Theos death and OGradys suicide was directly linked to Theos death. Freda, as the sole survivor of the three feels responsible. This leads to guilt and her belief she must be a bad person. During the siege Freda had known the gun was not loaded, OGrady had told her it wasnt. When Freda said Do it (shoot Theo) she wished to scare Theo while OGrady was threatening him. Freda was angry and wanted to punish Theo because Theo was trying to separate her from her way out, which was, she believed, with OGrady. As the siege draws on Freda learns that OGrady has been lying to her and so when he tells her he has loaded the gun Freda doesnt believe him. She doesnt intervene to stop him carrying out his threat to shoot Theo through the door. She probably feels guilty because had she believed him she might have been able to use some of her influence over OGrady to protect Theo. It is this guilt which Freda feels supports her belief that she is a bad person. Freda feels she is bad because of the way she is portrayed throughout Theos napkins. Theos accusatory words and negative perceptions of Freda survive  as testimony after the siege. If Freda had had counseling or been able to give her account of what happened in the siege it would have been unlikely that Theos view of her could have been so powerful in shaping her view of herself. Freda is not a bad person but she has been made to feel like one.

Moral Sentimentalism Against The Ethical Rationalism Philosophy Essay

Moral Sentimentalism Against The Ethical Rationalism Philosophy Essay Moral rationalism, also known as the moral sense theory is the opinion in meta-ethics which suggest that morality is in one way based on moral sentiments or moral emotions. Some sociologists take it to be basically an observation concerning the nature of moral facts or moral beliefs (metaphysical view). This view is accompanied by the name sentimentalism. Others view it to be basically about the approach of justifying moral beliefs (epistemological view). This is the view that goes by the name moral sense theory. In the history of philosophy, the strongest supporter of moral sense theory is David Hume (1711-1776). On the other hand is moral rationalism, also known as ethical rationalism. This is the meta-ethics view that moral truths are known by reason. Historically, ethical rationalism was defended by philosophers such as Plato, and Immanuel Kant. However, recently it has also been defended by modern philosophers such as Richard Hare and Michael Smith among others. Ethical rational ism is almost similar to ethical intuitionist but there is a difference in their view. Ethical rationalism is impartial on whether the basic moral beliefs are determined by inference or not. Moral Sentimentalism versus Ethical rationalism A good deal of interest on moral sentimentalism has developed recently with most of the interests on questions about the meaning of moral terms, and in normative concerns, about benevolence and caring, and compassion, and their place in morality. One of the most important conflicts among the modern early philosophers was between supporters of moral sentimentalism and those of ethical rationalism. The rationalist believed that morality was founded on reason alone while the sentimentalists such as David Hume believed that morality originated partly in sentiment. In addition to this, both the rationalists and the sentiments developed rich correlations. Rationalists developed a significant correlation between morality and mathematics while the significant correlation developed by the sentimentalists was between morality and beauty. The two correlations indicate the main opinions, the underlying approaches, and the claims of moral phenomenology that is offered by the two positions. The wh ole idea of the differences between moral sentimentalism and ethical rationalism is therefore based on the analysis of the two correlations. Ethical rationalism Rationalists believe that reason is the main source and test of knowledge. They hold that reality itself has an intrinsically logical framework, they assert that a status of truth exist that can be grasped directly by the intellects. According to rationalists, there are particular logical principles in logic and mathematics whose denial means falling into contradiction. Rationality holds that reason is the power that can grant truths that are above the reach of sense and perception in both certain and general situations. Concerning knowledge, rationalists argue that a least part of a mans knowledge is gained through priori, or logical insight that are different from sense experience and also offer a confused and simply tentative approach. However, like other sociologists in support of moral sentimentalism, I tend to differ with the rationalists idea that morality is based on reason. In support of Moral Sentimentalism I tend to disagree with the idea of rationalists that is based on reason and argue that morality is contained in our human nature. This is because our moral values are determined by our emotions, which include the feelings of passion and affection, which may direct us into acting in a certain manner. These can also be referred to as our first order sentiments since they have come from deep within us. It is our actions that will therefore reflect the sentiments in us. Secondly, we have the second order sentiments that add value to our motives. These are the sentiments that we have for other people. The initial motive to act towards ourselves or other people is therefore driven by both the first order and the second order sentiments, and not reason as it is claimed by rationalists. Both Michael Slote and David Hume supported the idea of moral sentimentalism. The only difference in their arguments was that as Michael Slote tried to deal with the issues of morality, he used the term empathy. Hume had also tried to do a similar analysis but he instead used the word sympathy. Slote is trying to defend moral sentimentalism against ethical rationalism by using his account of empathy in accounting for normative morality and explaining the role of empathy in morality. This support is in response to the dominance of rationalism in the scene of ethics. He defends sentimentalism by showing how it can make consistent and instinctive sense in matters that are preferred by the rationalist such as justice, respect, and autonomy. Slote also shows that sentimentalism that is founded on empathy can ethically handle some important aspects of moral life that gets ignored by rationalism. Moral sense is usually described as offering information in a manner that is similar to other sensory modalities that include sight in perceiving colors. This differs with the process of acquiring priori, and non-experimental knowledge such as in mathematics as described in the ethical rationalism. To properly understand moral sentimentalism, one may portray analogy between it and other forms of senses. Concerning beauty, sentimentalists believes that it is something that people can see in the faces of other people, in artworks and in the landscape. Beauty can also be heard for example in a piece of music. One does not require independent artistic sense ability to be able to se beauty in the world. Peoples common five sense are enough to observe beauty although this is different from just observing something beautiful. Michael Slote also defended the idea of moral sentimentalism under the concept of sentimental ethics of care. He argues that the solution to offering this united and systematic moral sentimentalism explanation depends on the concept of empathy. According to Slote, apart from providing the basics for the right action, empathy plays a significant role in putting in place the actual reference of our moral terms. He emphasizes the importance of empathy is showing providing care. In response to the ideas of psychologist Martin Hoffman about the development of empathy in the young children, Slote states that the differences in the extent of normally or fully formed empathy matches appropriately with differences in instinctive moral evaluation. In his later works, Slote faces a criticism on his idea of moral obligation or that right actions follow our sentiments in general and in particular our empathy. He responds to this criticism there is no evidence that the racial biasness that is in f ounded in our sentiments is natural. Instead, it might be under the influence of family, social or cultural factors. Therefore, the bias that may be found in children might disappear with time as they increase in their cognitive maturity. Later in his book, moral sentimentalism, Slote gives a detailed account of his notion of empathy by drawing upon the sentimentalism ideas of Hutcheson and Hume and other recent psychological literature eon empathy. He has defined empathy at different points in the book; first as a phenomenon of having feelings towards another person, that arouses itself in us. Secondly, as a discrete feeling that is involuntarily aroused in us in response to some particular situations or experiences that we simply hear of, remember or read about, and thirdly, an act of viewing issues from other peoples point of view in order to see and feel things from their perspective. In a manner evocative to the Humes approach to exposition, a stimulating moral sentimentalism can use the idea of empathy to base both its normative explanation of moral obligation and its meta-ethical description of moral language. A morally upright person is empathically caring about other people and portrays the feeling of empathy in all his or her actions. However, the judgment on the righteousness or wrongness of something is dependent on an individuals empathy. Humes Moral sentimentalism Humes argument in support for moral sentimentalism starts with the ordinary loves and hatred that are vicious and differ from one person to another. He explains the process by which people change the feelings of love and hatred into a form of calm, regular moral love and hatred. On his idea of sympathy, he says that we tend to sympathize more with people who are similar or who are within our reach. Even though the ability to develop these feelings varies, Hume states that our moral approvals for these feelings do not vary. The moral approval arises from sympathy but only when we reach to a common point of view. In development of this sympathy, the first things is that we assess the character of that person form his own perspective and that of his close people and then we sympathize with the person and his associates based on whether their character traits are good or bad. Secondly, we control our sympathy based on the rules that judge the character traits of those people. Sympathy is therefore based not only on the character of that person, but his actions that are common for his close friends. Hume further basis his support for moral sentimentalism on sympathy and argues that unlike ethical rationalism, people cannot not make moral judgments based on reason alone. Reason plays the role of dealing with facts and making a conclusion out of those facts. Reason alone cannot guide people in making one choice among various options. This can only be enabled by sentiments. Hume states that morality is determined by sentiments. It is these sentiments that define virtue as a mental action that gives the viewers an appealing sentiment of approval, and the vice does the opposite of this. Hume proposes sentimentalism to be the ground for ethics basically as a meta-ethical theory about the epistemology of morality. Hume also sides with the ant-realist arguments of morality suggested by John Mackie who also argues that it is a queer fact there can be moral facts co0ncerning the world that can be recognized by reason and inherently motivating. In support of his sympathy idea, Hume argues that sentiments based on sympathy can motivate people towards achieving non-selfish goals such as service to other people. According to Hume and other theorists in support for sympathy idea, the term sympathy encompasses more that just concern for the problems of other people. To Hume, sympathy is the standard for communication and sharing of both positive and negative sentiments. His idea is very close to that of other psychologists who use the term empathy in place of sympathy, such as Slote. After making various considerations on the aspect of sympathy, he draws the conclusion that most of the behaviors that people choose are for the sake of increased public utility. He therefore differs with the opinion that people make decisions based on their self- interests alone. Conclusion The two ideas of rationalists and sentimentalists have a common foundation in Thomas Hobbes moral theory. The rationalists differed with the claims of Hobbes that there is no right or wrong in nature, this is determined by independent will and that for morality to motivate people, there must be suctions. This sprought up to an argument by the mid 19th century where rationalists started to argue that morality is based on reason and that our choice on the right or wrong actions is motivated by our rational awareness. On the other hand, the sentimentalists objected this and argued that reason has nothing to do with our morality. What it does is only to help in making a priority over various options. I tend to agree with the sentimentalists in the believe that our moral actions are motivated by the sentiments aroused in us by a particular situation.

Luis Valdezs Los Vendidos Essay example -- History Historical Los Ven

Luis Valdez's Los Vendidos "Los Vendidos," which translates from the literal Spanish to "The Sold Ones" or a more appropriate translation of the title is "The Sell Outs." This is a satiric play written by Luis Valdez and performed by "El Teatro Campesino," which translates into "The Farmworkers’ Theater." El Teatro Campesino, founded by Luis Valdez in 1965, was a group of California farmworkers who put together "Actos," or "Skits." These "Actos" were made mainly to entertain "striking farmworkers, support them in their marches, and attract public attention to their strikes and organization" (http://www.pbs.org/chicano/bios/lvaldez.html). Though there is much comedy in the play, it brings about many important social issues that faced Mexicans and Mexican-Americans in the U.S. during the 1960’s. Even after almost three decades, these social issues are still apparent in Mexican-American society and others as well. While I was aware of such movements, such as the Black Panthers’ moveme nt observed in African-American history, I was never aware of the hardships facing Latin@s, such as Chicanos, in the U.S. By analyzing "Los Vendidos" through class readings, class notes, notes from a speaker, and Internet resources, I can easily further my understanding of a society that was in need of equality. In the first part of the video, our "Latin@s in the U.S.A." class was shown part of Chicano! The part of the video documentary that our class saw showed us a brief summary of what life was like for Mexicans in the 1960’s. The way Mexicans were treated by the U.S. government wasn’t fair. For instance this is seen, in Chicano!, when "journalist Ruben Salazar, who is the news director of KMEX and a columnist for the L.A. Times,... ...em did not want to go. After watching "Los Vendidos," and after laughing a little or a lot, all the underlying messages, or most of them, are jumping straight out of the film. The more the film is watched, the more the underlying messages you’ll find dwelling in this bed of knowledge and hidden beneath the sheets of comedy and sarcasm. At the end, we find out that Honest Sancho was the real robot and that all the people he was trying to sell were just acting. Each member in the lot feels for Eric, whose real name is Kiki, because he really did not want to leave with the secretary, Miss Jimenez. Though it seemed throughout the play that Chicanos did not know what to do, the last segment of the play clarifies all. By taking out a map, the Chicanos continue to work systematically figuring out how to disperse as many Chicanos to as many communities as possible.

Reflective Paper

Reflective Paper – Effective Human Resources Management Theresa Tapley BUS 303 Dr. Kevin Righter March 13, 2010 Reflective Paper – Effective Human Resources Management Effective Human Resources Management (HRM) plays a major role in ensuring that an organization will survive and prosper. The HRM facilitates the most effective use of people or employees to achieve organizational and individual goals. The HRM consists of numerous activities which include, equal employment opportunity (EEO) compliance, job analysis, human resource planning, the recruitment, selection, motivation, and orientation of employees, performance evaluation and compensation, the training and development of employees, labor relations, and the safety, health, and wellness of the workforce. Effective human resources management plays a vital role in the success of an organization and is an active participant in charting the strategic course of competitiveness, productiveness, and efficiency. An effective HRM focuses on action rather than on record-keeping, written procedure, or rules. Although the use of rules, records, and policies are incorporated, â€Å"action† is the focus. The HRM emphasizes the solution of employment problems to help achieve organizational objectives and facilitate employees’ development and satisfaction. An effective HRM is, also, people-oriented. Whenever possible, the HRM treats each employee as an individual and offers services and program to meet the individual’s needs. An effective HRM program is concerned with helping an organization achieve its objectives in the future by providing for competent, well-motivated employees. Human resources are incorporated into an organization’s long-term strategic plans to assist with ensuring that future growth needs will be adequately staffed with qualified, trained employees (Ivancewich, 2010, pg 5). EEO and Affirmative Action One external factor that has a powerful influence on my company's HRM unction is the equal employment opportunity and human rights legislation, which has a profound effect on our policies and procedures concerning recruiting, selection, evaluation, and promotion. The U. S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) is an independent federal agency that enforces laws against workplace discrimination. The EEOC investigates discrimination complaints based on an individual’s race, color, national origin, religion, sex, age, disability and retaliation for reporting and/or opp osing a discriminatory practice. This commission is empowered to file discrimination suits against employers on behalf of alleged victims and to adjudicate claims of discrimination brought against federal agencies. No other regulatory area has as thoroughly affected HRM as the EEO programs have. It has implications for almost every activity in HRM and sets standards for hiring, recruiting, training, terminating, compensating, evaluating, planning, disciplining, and collective bargaining. Employers, to prevent employment discrimination in the workplace or to take remedial action to offset employment discrimination implement EEO programs, (Ivancevich, 2010, pg 65). According to the U. S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) website, the EEOC is responsible for enforcing federal laws that make it illegal to discriminate against a job applicant or an employee because of the person's race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy), national origin, age (40 or older), disability or genetic information. The laws also apply to all type of work situations, including hiring, firing, promotions, demotions, harassment, training, wages, and benefits. During the employment selection process, each candidate should be evaluated on their qualification of the job requirements, based on their experience, education, and skill set. Many corporations use testing as an important tool. Rae T. Vann, general counsel of the Equal Employment Advisory Council, a national association of large federal contractors, observed, â€Å"When done properly, testing can be a very important tool in the employment selection process, and we commend the Commission on its efforts to improve the quality and fairness of tests and other job screening methods† (Title VII: Affirmative Action, 2006). I encourage my Clinical Managers to become familiar with the provisions of the EEO standards and guidelines. It is essential that they make every effort to seek counsel from our HR dept when initiating the interview and hiring process, dealing with poor performance, disabilities, demotions, appearance of harassment, and training and re-training. Throughout my five years of administrative management, I have unfortunately had to learn HRM and EEOC laws the hard way, through trial and error. With each mistake that I have made, such as not consulting the HR department before decreasing a dual role employee’s hours so that she could focus on one role due to extremely poor performance, I have learned the proper steps to come to the same conclusion. The decrease in hours caused her to lose her benefits and subsequently she filed an EEOC claim of discrimination and retaliation. Fortunately, due to proper documentation of the corrective actions, developmental action plan and the documented counseling, our HRM has adequate information to refute the claim. Now, I consult my HRM representative with any concerns, questions, or updates related to employee situations. Planning, Recruitment, and Selection Human resources planning are the processes by which management ensures that it has the right personnel, who are capable of completing those tasks that help the organization, reach its objectives. It involves forecasting of human resources needs and the projected matching of individuals with expected vacancies (International Labour Organization, 2010). An effective HR plan, also, provides mechanisms to eliminate any gaps that may exist between supply and demand. HR planning determines the numbers and types of employees to be recruited into the organization or phased out of it (Ivancevich, 2010). The Human Resource Planning Process incorporates strategic planning which will have a direct effect on the organization's profitability. The strategic plan must adapt to environmental circumstances. It must forecast how many and what employees are required for the organizations staffing requirements. Next, it must determine how many and what kind of employees are currently employed with the skills and training necessary for the future needs. Finally, after the HR system has analyzed the supply of and the demand or future workers, these two forecasts are compared to determine what action should be taken. Effective workforce planning is a critical element of effective strategic and operational planning. Workforce planning provides managers with a strategic basis for making human resource decisions. It allows managers to anticipate change ather than being surprised by events, as well as providing strategic methods for addressing present and anticipated workforce issues. The US Department of Health and Human Services states, â€Å"Organizational success depends on having the right employees with the right competencies at the right time. Workforce planning provides managers the means of identifying the competencies needed in the workforce not only in the present but in the future and then selecting and developing that workforce† (US Dept. Health and Human Services, 2010). The HR department for my company has implemented a staffing model tool that projects future, potential, or expected growth versus the actual census, the current staffing and skill set of that staff, and calculates the hiring needs of specific positions within the direct and indirect patient care. Once the future needs are determined, then the hiring process begins. Human Resources Development Training and development are processes that attempt to provide an employee with information, skills, and an understanding of the organization and its goals. Training and development are designed to help a person continue to make positive contributions in the form of good performance and advancement within the organization. A solid orientation program is the first step in developing an employee. It reduces anxiety and fears, reduces start-up costs of a new employee, reduces turnover, saves time for supervisors and co-workers, and develops realistic expectations, positive attitudes toward the employer and job satisfaction. Once will established in a specific position, then the manager and employee must set goals for development and advancement. Management and professional development is designed to reduce obsolescence and to increase employees’ satisfaction and productivity. An important part of development is the evaluation process. Performance management is the process by which executives, managers, and supervisors work to align employee performance with the firm’s goals. An effective performance management process determines and evaluates performance, provides feedback to the employees about their performance, and measures and monitors skill-set (Ivancevich, 2010, pg 251). The company that I work for has an excellent formal performance evaluation process that is very effective in the development the employee and the motivation to succeed. Appraising and managing performance at my workplace starts form the day of hire. Each newly hired direct or indirect patient care must attend a through and intensive training program. After 90 days, from date of hire, the new staff member is evaluated for suitability for the position. The manager will present a written 90-day evaluation to the staff member. This evaluation will result in a successful completion of the introductory period, determine a need for an extension of 30 days to improve and meet expectations, or termination due to being unsuitable for the position (this usually occurs when the staff member continually fails to follow policies and procedures and/or causing patient endangerment). Every manager must complete an annual evaluation for staff members under their direct supervision. The score on the evaluation determine the merit increase and caps set forth by the company. When a staff member is failing to follow policy and procedure, putting patient’s safety in jeopardy, tardiness or excessive absenteeism, insubordination, breaking confidentiality and HIPPA regulations, and etc. the manager will conduct corrective action in the form of documented counseling, written corrective action, final corrective action, 3 day suspension, and/or termination. To make this process more effective and ensure compliance with EEOC and federal and state regulations, both next level supervisor and the HR dept representative must approve all final corrective actions, 3-day suspensions, and terminations. Compensation and Benefits There are several reasons that an employer or corporation will offer benefits and services to their employees. One reason is to keep the organization competitive in recruit and retaining employees. Another reason is to keep a union out or because the union has won this during negotiations. Finally, is the fact that providing benefits and service contributed to increased employee performance and job satisfaction (Ivancevich, 2010, pg358). Federal and state governments mandate three benefits programs offered by private and not-for-profit employers. The three mandated programs are unemployment insurance, social security, and workers’ compensation. In addition to the benefits required by law, many employers provide other kinds of benefits voluntarily, such as, compensation for time not worked, insurance protection, retirement plans, FMLA or medical FMLA, life insurance, short and long-term disability, and various retirement programs and stock ownership plans. Some organizations offer tuition reimbursement and flexible benefits plans. Whenever I am interviewing a candidate for a position, I always spend a portion of the interview discussing and explaining our benefit package. Sometimes our hourly rate is not quite as high as our competitor, but our benefits and employee services usually out ways the difference in compensation. Safety and Health The Human Resource Management team of the dialysis company of which I am employed, works very closely with the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) to ensure that the most acceptable and innovative concepts in employee safety and health are used. The NIOSH is the primary federal agency that conducts research on the safety and health of the workplace. The Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSH Act) of 1970, to provide research, information, education, and training in the field of occupational safety and health established it in 1971 (Bradley, 2002). The NIOSH develops and promotes the use of national and state-based surveillance systems to identify, quantify, and track injuries and illnesses. Epidemiological analysis of these databases helps identify unsafe and unhealthy workplace conditions. NIOSH also supports laboratory and field research to further identify, assess, and control occupational hazards and exposures and the diseases and injuries they cause. In addition to identifying risks, the NIOSH develops and evaluates prevention measures such as control technology, personal protective equipment, and work practices. Through research internally within our company and the NIOSH, many improvements and standards have been put into place for water treatment safety and personal protective equipment. We have strong policies and procedures that protect both the employee and the patient from exposure to health or safety hazards. There are several reasons for establishing good occupational safety and health standards. First, on a moral note, an employee should not have to risk injury or death at work, nor should others associated with the work environment. The second is economical in nature. Many governments realize that poor occupational safety and health performance results in cost to the State, through social security payments to the incapacitated, costs for medical treatment, and the loss of the employability of the worker. The employing organizations also sustain costs in the event of an incident at work, such as legal fees, fines, compensatory damages, investigation time, and lost production, lost goodwill from the workforce, customers, and community. Lastly, from a legal standpoint, the occupational safety and health requirements may be reinforced in civil law and/or criminal law. It is a known fact, that without the extra â€Å"encouragement† of potential regulatory action or litigation, many organizations would not act upon their implied moral obligations. During a Frontline interview with assistant secretary of labor for occupational health and safety, John Henshaw, the question was asked, â€Å"How successful do you think OSHA has been at protecting workers in the United States? † Mr. Henshaw replied, â€Å"In the last 30 years, OSHA has made some tremendous strides in reducing injuries, illnesses, and fatalities. In the last six to eight years, injuries have gone steadily down and fatalities have gone down to the point where they are the lowest ever (Frontline, 2002). The dialysis industry is carefully scrutinized to uphold acceptable OSHA safety and health standards. We, also, have internal auditors that simulate inspections to ensure compliance and safe practices. Employee and Labor Relations Labor relations can refer broadly to any dealings between management and workers about employment conditions. Most commonly, however, labor relations refer to dealings between management and a workforce that is already unionized, or has the potential to become unionized. Labor relations are thus crucial to industries like autos and airlines with heavily unionized workforces. In the United States, labor relations were profoundly affected by the National Labor Relations Act passed during the 1930’s, which gave workers the right to form unions and bargain collectively. Labor relations have been drastically affected by the passage of the Taft-Hartley Act, which prohibited the â€Å"closed shop†, as well as, the introduction of right-to-work laws in more than 20 states (Ivancevich, 2010, pgs 477). By the early 21st century, labor relations were less affected by labor unions, to which only 8 percent of private sector workers belonged in 2004, about half of the rate in 1983. The decline reflects the increase in labor relations consultants, who have helped managements avoid unionization (Anonymous, 2010). The presence of a union directly affects most aspects of Human Resources Management, including recruiting, selection, performance evaluation, promotion, compensation, and benefits, among others (Ivancevich, 2010, pg. 34). Unions were once thought of a being for blue-collar factory workers, but now even engineers, nurses, teachers, secretaries, salespersons, college professors, professional football players and even physicians belong to unions. Within my workplace, we have an ongoing informational and educational campaign against the unethical practices of recruitment and enticement for our employees. We offer seminars and counseling in regards to the unionization tactics. While facing declining membership, union officials have turned to highly questionable practice of organizing new members through a process called â€Å"card check†. With card checks, paid union organizers try to persuade workers to sign cards saying that they favor union representation. This persuasion comes in the form of deception, coercion, and harassing visits to worker’s homes. John Ivancevich describes this practice as the â€Å"authorization card† (Ivancevich, 2010, pg. 480). Under current laws, as soon as more than 50 percent of the workers sign a union authorization card, all employees within that organization will be required to participate in the union and pay union dues, even though not a single employee has actually been able to cast a personal, private vote. Often times, individual will sign the cards under intentional or unintentional misunderstandings or to get the organizer to stop harassing them, even though the employee may have no desire to join a union (Anonymous, 2010). Conclusion Human Resources Management is the heart of every organization. It serves as an advocate for each employee, while also protecting the organization from legal repercussions. Whether it is ensuring equal employment opportunity (EEO) compliance, providing job analysis, planning for the future staffing needs and subsequent recruitment and selection of qualified candidates, each of these areas are vital to a well-organized corporation. The HRM is paramount in the motivation, training, and development of employees. Ensuring a positive orientation experience, and concise performance evaluation and compensation will aid in retention and job satisfaction. Finally, the HRM has an extremely important role in labor relations and ensuring the safety, health, and wellness of the workforce. References Anonymous. (2010). When voting isn’t Private. Retrieved on February 26, 2010 from website: http://www. unionfacts. com/articles/cardCheck. cfm Bradley, J. (2002). National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. Retrieved on 3/1/2010 from website: http://www. cdc. gov/niosh EEOC Office of Legal Counsel staff members (2006). Title VII: Affirmative Action. Retrieved on February 12, 2010 from website: http://www. eeoc. gov/eeoc/foia/letters/2006/vii_affimative_action. html Frontline. (2002). A Dangerous Business. Frontline Interview with John Henshaw. September 30, 2002. Retrieved on 3/2/2010 from website: http://osha. gov International Labour Organization. Retrieved on February 11, 2010 from website: http://wwwilo. org Ivancevich. J. (2010). Human resource management (11th ed. ). Boston: McGraw-Hill. ISBN: 9780073381466. US Department of Health and Human Services. Retrieved on February 10, 2010 from website: http://www. hhs. gov/ohr/workforce/wfpguide. html Reflective Paper Reflective Paper – Effective Human Resources Management Theresa Tapley BUS 303 Dr. Kevin Righter March 13, 2010 Reflective Paper – Effective Human Resources Management Effective Human Resources Management (HRM) plays a major role in ensuring that an organization will survive and prosper. The HRM facilitates the most effective use of people or employees to achieve organizational and individual goals. The HRM consists of numerous activities which include, equal employment opportunity (EEO) compliance, job analysis, human resource planning, the recruitment, selection, motivation, and orientation of employees, performance evaluation and compensation, the training and development of employees, labor relations, and the safety, health, and wellness of the workforce. Effective human resources management plays a vital role in the success of an organization and is an active participant in charting the strategic course of competitiveness, productiveness, and efficiency. An effective HRM focuses on action rather than on record-keeping, written procedure, or rules. Although the use of rules, records, and policies are incorporated, â€Å"action† is the focus. The HRM emphasizes the solution of employment problems to help achieve organizational objectives and facilitate employees’ development and satisfaction. An effective HRM is, also, people-oriented. Whenever possible, the HRM treats each employee as an individual and offers services and program to meet the individual’s needs. An effective HRM program is concerned with helping an organization achieve its objectives in the future by providing for competent, well-motivated employees. Human resources are incorporated into an organization’s long-term strategic plans to assist with ensuring that future growth needs will be adequately staffed with qualified, trained employees (Ivancewich, 2010, pg 5). EEO and Affirmative Action One external factor that has a powerful influence on my company's HRM unction is the equal employment opportunity and human rights legislation, which has a profound effect on our policies and procedures concerning recruiting, selection, evaluation, and promotion. The U. S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) is an independent federal agency that enforces laws against workplace discrimination. The EEOC investigates discrimination complaints based on an individual’s race, color, national origin, religion, sex, age, disability and retaliation for reporting and/or opp osing a discriminatory practice. This commission is empowered to file discrimination suits against employers on behalf of alleged victims and to adjudicate claims of discrimination brought against federal agencies. No other regulatory area has as thoroughly affected HRM as the EEO programs have. It has implications for almost every activity in HRM and sets standards for hiring, recruiting, training, terminating, compensating, evaluating, planning, disciplining, and collective bargaining. Employers, to prevent employment discrimination in the workplace or to take remedial action to offset employment discrimination implement EEO programs, (Ivancevich, 2010, pg 65). According to the U. S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) website, the EEOC is responsible for enforcing federal laws that make it illegal to discriminate against a job applicant or an employee because of the person's race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy), national origin, age (40 or older), disability or genetic information. The laws also apply to all type of work situations, including hiring, firing, promotions, demotions, harassment, training, wages, and benefits. During the employment selection process, each candidate should be evaluated on their qualification of the job requirements, based on their experience, education, and skill set. Many corporations use testing as an important tool. Rae T. Vann, general counsel of the Equal Employment Advisory Council, a national association of large federal contractors, observed, â€Å"When done properly, testing can be a very important tool in the employment selection process, and we commend the Commission on its efforts to improve the quality and fairness of tests and other job screening methods† (Title VII: Affirmative Action, 2006). I encourage my Clinical Managers to become familiar with the provisions of the EEO standards and guidelines. It is essential that they make every effort to seek counsel from our HR dept when initiating the interview and hiring process, dealing with poor performance, disabilities, demotions, appearance of harassment, and training and re-training. Throughout my five years of administrative management, I have unfortunately had to learn HRM and EEOC laws the hard way, through trial and error. With each mistake that I have made, such as not consulting the HR department before decreasing a dual role employee’s hours so that she could focus on one role due to extremely poor performance, I have learned the proper steps to come to the same conclusion. The decrease in hours caused her to lose her benefits and subsequently she filed an EEOC claim of discrimination and retaliation. Fortunately, due to proper documentation of the corrective actions, developmental action plan and the documented counseling, our HRM has adequate information to refute the claim. Now, I consult my HRM representative with any concerns, questions, or updates related to employee situations. Planning, Recruitment, and Selection Human resources planning are the processes by which management ensures that it has the right personnel, who are capable of completing those tasks that help the organization, reach its objectives. It involves forecasting of human resources needs and the projected matching of individuals with expected vacancies (International Labour Organization, 2010). An effective HR plan, also, provides mechanisms to eliminate any gaps that may exist between supply and demand. HR planning determines the numbers and types of employees to be recruited into the organization or phased out of it (Ivancevich, 2010). The Human Resource Planning Process incorporates strategic planning which will have a direct effect on the organization's profitability. The strategic plan must adapt to environmental circumstances. It must forecast how many and what employees are required for the organizations staffing requirements. Next, it must determine how many and what kind of employees are currently employed with the skills and training necessary for the future needs. Finally, after the HR system has analyzed the supply of and the demand or future workers, these two forecasts are compared to determine what action should be taken. Effective workforce planning is a critical element of effective strategic and operational planning. Workforce planning provides managers with a strategic basis for making human resource decisions. It allows managers to anticipate change ather than being surprised by events, as well as providing strategic methods for addressing present and anticipated workforce issues. The US Department of Health and Human Services states, â€Å"Organizational success depends on having the right employees with the right competencies at the right time. Workforce planning provides managers the means of identifying the competencies needed in the workforce not only in the present but in the future and then selecting and developing that workforce† (US Dept. Health and Human Services, 2010). The HR department for my company has implemented a staffing model tool that projects future, potential, or expected growth versus the actual census, the current staffing and skill set of that staff, and calculates the hiring needs of specific positions within the direct and indirect patient care. Once the future needs are determined, then the hiring process begins. Human Resources Development Training and development are processes that attempt to provide an employee with information, skills, and an understanding of the organization and its goals. Training and development are designed to help a person continue to make positive contributions in the form of good performance and advancement within the organization. A solid orientation program is the first step in developing an employee. It reduces anxiety and fears, reduces start-up costs of a new employee, reduces turnover, saves time for supervisors and co-workers, and develops realistic expectations, positive attitudes toward the employer and job satisfaction. Once will established in a specific position, then the manager and employee must set goals for development and advancement. Management and professional development is designed to reduce obsolescence and to increase employees’ satisfaction and productivity. An important part of development is the evaluation process. Performance management is the process by which executives, managers, and supervisors work to align employee performance with the firm’s goals. An effective performance management process determines and evaluates performance, provides feedback to the employees about their performance, and measures and monitors skill-set (Ivancevich, 2010, pg 251). The company that I work for has an excellent formal performance evaluation process that is very effective in the development the employee and the motivation to succeed. Appraising and managing performance at my workplace starts form the day of hire. Each newly hired direct or indirect patient care must attend a through and intensive training program. After 90 days, from date of hire, the new staff member is evaluated for suitability for the position. The manager will present a written 90-day evaluation to the staff member. This evaluation will result in a successful completion of the introductory period, determine a need for an extension of 30 days to improve and meet expectations, or termination due to being unsuitable for the position (this usually occurs when the staff member continually fails to follow policies and procedures and/or causing patient endangerment). Every manager must complete an annual evaluation for staff members under their direct supervision. The score on the evaluation determine the merit increase and caps set forth by the company. When a staff member is failing to follow policy and procedure, putting patient’s safety in jeopardy, tardiness or excessive absenteeism, insubordination, breaking confidentiality and HIPPA regulations, and etc. the manager will conduct corrective action in the form of documented counseling, written corrective action, final corrective action, 3 day suspension, and/or termination. To make this process more effective and ensure compliance with EEOC and federal and state regulations, both next level supervisor and the HR dept representative must approve all final corrective actions, 3-day suspensions, and terminations. Compensation and Benefits There are several reasons that an employer or corporation will offer benefits and services to their employees. One reason is to keep the organization competitive in recruit and retaining employees. Another reason is to keep a union out or because the union has won this during negotiations. Finally, is the fact that providing benefits and service contributed to increased employee performance and job satisfaction (Ivancevich, 2010, pg358). Federal and state governments mandate three benefits programs offered by private and not-for-profit employers. The three mandated programs are unemployment insurance, social security, and workers’ compensation. In addition to the benefits required by law, many employers provide other kinds of benefits voluntarily, such as, compensation for time not worked, insurance protection, retirement plans, FMLA or medical FMLA, life insurance, short and long-term disability, and various retirement programs and stock ownership plans. Some organizations offer tuition reimbursement and flexible benefits plans. Whenever I am interviewing a candidate for a position, I always spend a portion of the interview discussing and explaining our benefit package. Sometimes our hourly rate is not quite as high as our competitor, but our benefits and employee services usually out ways the difference in compensation. Safety and Health The Human Resource Management team of the dialysis company of which I am employed, works very closely with the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) to ensure that the most acceptable and innovative concepts in employee safety and health are used. The NIOSH is the primary federal agency that conducts research on the safety and health of the workplace. The Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSH Act) of 1970, to provide research, information, education, and training in the field of occupational safety and health established it in 1971 (Bradley, 2002). The NIOSH develops and promotes the use of national and state-based surveillance systems to identify, quantify, and track injuries and illnesses. Epidemiological analysis of these databases helps identify unsafe and unhealthy workplace conditions. NIOSH also supports laboratory and field research to further identify, assess, and control occupational hazards and exposures and the diseases and injuries they cause. In addition to identifying risks, the NIOSH develops and evaluates prevention measures such as control technology, personal protective equipment, and work practices. Through research internally within our company and the NIOSH, many improvements and standards have been put into place for water treatment safety and personal protective equipment. We have strong policies and procedures that protect both the employee and the patient from exposure to health or safety hazards. There are several reasons for establishing good occupational safety and health standards. First, on a moral note, an employee should not have to risk injury or death at work, nor should others associated with the work environment. The second is economical in nature. Many governments realize that poor occupational safety and health performance results in cost to the State, through social security payments to the incapacitated, costs for medical treatment, and the loss of the employability of the worker. The employing organizations also sustain costs in the event of an incident at work, such as legal fees, fines, compensatory damages, investigation time, and lost production, lost goodwill from the workforce, customers, and community. Lastly, from a legal standpoint, the occupational safety and health requirements may be reinforced in civil law and/or criminal law. It is a known fact, that without the extra â€Å"encouragement† of potential regulatory action or litigation, many organizations would not act upon their implied moral obligations. During a Frontline interview with assistant secretary of labor for occupational health and safety, John Henshaw, the question was asked, â€Å"How successful do you think OSHA has been at protecting workers in the United States? † Mr. Henshaw replied, â€Å"In the last 30 years, OSHA has made some tremendous strides in reducing injuries, illnesses, and fatalities. In the last six to eight years, injuries have gone steadily down and fatalities have gone down to the point where they are the lowest ever (Frontline, 2002). The dialysis industry is carefully scrutinized to uphold acceptable OSHA safety and health standards. We, also, have internal auditors that simulate inspections to ensure compliance and safe practices. Employee and Labor Relations Labor relations can refer broadly to any dealings between management and workers about employment conditions. Most commonly, however, labor relations refer to dealings between management and a workforce that is already unionized, or has the potential to become unionized. Labor relations are thus crucial to industries like autos and airlines with heavily unionized workforces. In the United States, labor relations were profoundly affected by the National Labor Relations Act passed during the 1930’s, which gave workers the right to form unions and bargain collectively. Labor relations have been drastically affected by the passage of the Taft-Hartley Act, which prohibited the â€Å"closed shop†, as well as, the introduction of right-to-work laws in more than 20 states (Ivancevich, 2010, pgs 477). By the early 21st century, labor relations were less affected by labor unions, to which only 8 percent of private sector workers belonged in 2004, about half of the rate in 1983. The decline reflects the increase in labor relations consultants, who have helped managements avoid unionization (Anonymous, 2010). The presence of a union directly affects most aspects of Human Resources Management, including recruiting, selection, performance evaluation, promotion, compensation, and benefits, among others (Ivancevich, 2010, pg. 34). Unions were once thought of a being for blue-collar factory workers, but now even engineers, nurses, teachers, secretaries, salespersons, college professors, professional football players and even physicians belong to unions. Within my workplace, we have an ongoing informational and educational campaign against the unethical practices of recruitment and enticement for our employees. We offer seminars and counseling in regards to the unionization tactics. While facing declining membership, union officials have turned to highly questionable practice of organizing new members through a process called â€Å"card check†. With card checks, paid union organizers try to persuade workers to sign cards saying that they favor union representation. This persuasion comes in the form of deception, coercion, and harassing visits to worker’s homes. John Ivancevich describes this practice as the â€Å"authorization card† (Ivancevich, 2010, pg. 480). Under current laws, as soon as more than 50 percent of the workers sign a union authorization card, all employees within that organization will be required to participate in the union and pay union dues, even though not a single employee has actually been able to cast a personal, private vote. Often times, individual will sign the cards under intentional or unintentional misunderstandings or to get the organizer to stop harassing them, even though the employee may have no desire to join a union (Anonymous, 2010). Conclusion Human Resources Management is the heart of every organization. It serves as an advocate for each employee, while also protecting the organization from legal repercussions. Whether it is ensuring equal employment opportunity (EEO) compliance, providing job analysis, planning for the future staffing needs and subsequent recruitment and selection of qualified candidates, each of these areas are vital to a well-organized corporation. The HRM is paramount in the motivation, training, and development of employees. Ensuring a positive orientation experience, and concise performance evaluation and compensation will aid in retention and job satisfaction. Finally, the HRM has an extremely important role in labor relations and ensuring the safety, health, and wellness of the workforce. References Anonymous. (2010). When voting isn’t Private. Retrieved on February 26, 2010 from website: http://www. unionfacts. com/articles/cardCheck. cfm Bradley, J. (2002). National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. Retrieved on 3/1/2010 from website: http://www. cdc. gov/niosh EEOC Office of Legal Counsel staff members (2006). Title VII: Affirmative Action. Retrieved on February 12, 2010 from website: http://www. eeoc. gov/eeoc/foia/letters/2006/vii_affimative_action. html Frontline. (2002). A Dangerous Business. Frontline Interview with John Henshaw. September 30, 2002. Retrieved on 3/2/2010 from website: http://osha. gov International Labour Organization. Retrieved on February 11, 2010 from website: http://wwwilo. org Ivancevich. J. (2010). Human resource management (11th ed. ). Boston: McGraw-Hill. ISBN: 9780073381466. US Department of Health and Human Services. Retrieved on February 10, 2010 from website: http://www. hhs. gov/ohr/workforce/wfpguide. html