Viruses Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Viruses - Research Paper Example There are millions of types of viruses present in the world. A few thousands have been explained and studied in detail. Viruses can survive in severe and extreme conditions of temperature, pressure and atmosphere and hence cannot be easily destroyed or eliminated from the environment. Viruses can be found in almost all environments on earth. Isolated viruses are not living organisms because they cannot reproduce, grow or multiply unless they are present in a human or animal cell. The virus attacks the human, animal or plant cell, takes over the controlling and mechanism of the cell and starts producing products that are harmful for the body. The infected cell will now produce harmful products instead of its usual products (Mandal 41-76). Viruses are of various shapes but the basic structure of a virus always is composed of three parts. The nucleic acid is the main part of a virus and it is either a DNA or RNA. It is responsible for giving a virus its unique characteristics and helps to reproduce. The nucleic acid is protected by covering made from protein which is called the capsid; its purpose is to protect the nucleic acid from any sort of harm. The lipid membrane is a layer which is present over the capsid and is meant for protection. However this layer is not necessarily present in all viruses. Viruses can be transferred from organism to organism in different ways. Either the various can enter the body through direct contact with the organism contaminated with the virus. Some flying insects can carry the virus and transfer that virus to other organisms. Insect bites can also lead to a transfer of virus from one body to another. Contaminated food and water can also lead to the transfer of viruses. Viruses are responsible for a number of diseases like flu, cough, fever, measles, polio, hepatitis, yellow fever, small pox, Human immunodeficiency virus, rabies, influenza, diarrhea, etc. Among these diseases some are easily curable through regular medications and precautions but some of them are extremely difficult to take care of; the treatment is usually very expensive and besides the cost it is usually not sure that the medications will prove beneficial or not. Some of the diseases caused by viruses even do not have a cure and they ultimately lead to the death of the suffering person. Viruses can also cause certain types of cancer. For some of the diseases caused by viruses of which a proper cure is not present, the people are advised to take particular vaccines in order to keep themselves protected from the viral attack. By the use of vaccines the human body builds up the immune system to fight against any such viral attack and in this way the virus fails to attack the human cell and thus the human remains protected from those diseases which have no proper cure and are considered as life threatening diseases. The vaccines help develop antibodies in the human so that whenever such viruses are encountered by the human cells they can devel op antibodies to fight away the virus. In the earlier times when there were no vaccines many people used to die because of these incurable diseases but with the development of vaccines death rates have considerably reduced due to these diseases. The humans during the starting years of their lives are made to take vaccines against a number of viral diseases that are practically incurable in order to protect

European History-The Later middle Ages Essay Example for Free

European History-The Later middle Ages Essay Black Death was a plague that swept across Europe in the 14th century resulting in an irrevocable change to Europe’s religious structure which was highly dominated by the Roman Catholic Church. Besides, Black Death resulted in harassment of minority groups such as Jews on not only grounds of religious detestation but also a way of attacking the church or the kings who were perceived to protect them. This was heightened by feelings that the church as an institution had failed to provide social guidance equally among all people. The Pope condemned the killings and tried to stop it but to no avail resulting in renewed religious fanaticism and fervor amid Black Plague. This resulted is weakening of the old connection between the society and the religion (Tuchman 20-50). The fact that the clergy were not able to banish or cure the disease and explain its causes resulted in cynicism toward church. At the time of Black Death the Pope was based in France and was seen to have abandoned church leadership for French monarchy hence leaving its people at the time of need. This compounded disillusionment among people towards the church and embraced other religious outfits such as Order of Flagellants. Subsequently, as the disease caused death in monasteries, few years later there was a shortage of clergy. New clergy members replaced those who had died but did not have life-long convictions hence resulting in more abuses and weakening of church position in the society (Tuchman 50). 2. The Hundred Years’ War occurred in the years between 1336 and 1453 and it was mostly between France and England. England traded with Flanders in exchange of its fleece for wine in the Southern France. This was a triangular-like trade in which English traded with France indirectly through Flanders. However, the king of France was persistently struggling to regain control over the wealth in Flanders as a result the English could not let it go as it could have meant their only source of foreign exchange is gone. In these misunderstandings, a civil war broke out whereby the English supported the manufacturing companies whereas the French supported land-owning nobility. Besides, the English had a control over duchy of Guienne in France. In this regard, King Edward III became disappointed with King Phillip IV’s broken promise to restore a part of the Guienne to the English. Additionally, King Phillip went against English wish and supported Scotland which angered England. This war became more complex as the right over the territorial control –dynast conflict- was coupled with conflict over succession of throne. For instance, King Edward III who had risen to the throne in 1327 could have claimed to succeed Charles IV of France after he died in 1328 without any heir. Some years later, King Edward declared himself the King of France to provoke France so that he can attract resistance from them (Allmand 20-50). The war resulted in paradigm shift in terms of tactics, weapons, and technology employed in military war. For instance, the use of cavalry which by then was powerful machinery was abandoned for longbow. Other weapons introduced during the war include gunpowder and cannons. The war revealed the extent to which royal authority in England could be questioned especially in the succession lapse when King Edward III died. The Peasant’s revolt in 1381 witnessed an uprising against the throne by peasants leading to the King (Richard III) giving in to their demands. The war rekindled patriotism and nationalism among the French nationals. The country transformed from being a feudal monarchy to being a centralized state. Besides, the growth of French as a royal and commerce language disappeared during the war (Anne 5-20). 3. It is in the fourteenth century that majority of European countries experienced some of the worst natural disasters and social upheavals. The first disaster is the Little Ice Age, a climatic disaster. During this period, epidemics, famine and heavy rains became evident resulting in weakened agricultural productivity. The second natural disaster during the fourteenth century was The Black Death, a plague that nearly brought life to a standstill in Europe. Social upheavals include the hundred years’ war (1337-1450), internal church wrangles in the Catholic Church, and rise up of Islam militants. As a result of The Little Ice Age, France experienced heavy rains around 1315 that culminated into famine in the later years. All these disasters had a large impact on drastically reducing the overall population of Europe as many individuals died. It is also important to note that a lot of minorities for instance Jew were killed or extradited for Europe especially during Black Death. It is also during this time that the highly dominant Catholic Church received much criticism from the society. Additionally, the Church differed with the monarchy when taxes were imposed on its officials resulting into ‘Babylonian Exile’. In 1377 amid the crisis, Pope Gregory XI relocated to Rome for Avignon, France (Tuchman 25-70). 4. In the 14th century, Italy like many other European countries experienced a lot of hardships economically, socially, politically, and in religion. Besides, in the mid 14century, Italy undergone rebirth what is popularly referred to as ‘renaissance’. In the cities where the feudal system was not strong for instance in the northern frontier –Venice, Florence, and Milan- a strong economical and political atmosphere became dominant and their political structure ruled surrounding regions impacting significant influence over them. In the same period, south of Italy became highly dominated by Papal administration especially in Rome. The papal administration exerted a lot of rivalry to the Northern cities as well as influencing to a large extent the Italian politics and lifestyles. During the 14th century, the political elite advocated for the principle of humanism by arguing that a person can achieve considerably while in this world in terms of politics and life among others. Therefore, the medieval perceptions that people had changed drastically as they geared towards showcasing their talents (Jackson 310-320). 5. In the fourteenth century, the Roman Catholic had strong influence on the political and social life in most parts of Italy whereas Germany was under monarch rule. For instance, Germany was ruled mostly by the Habsburgs with power centering around three houses of dynasty: Habsburg, Wittelsbach, and Luxemburg. Therefore most parts of Germany were controlled by the emperor. It is also during the fourteenth century that Germany flourished although it was hit by the Black Plague. In Italy the papal administration and secular leadership was not totally in agreement in terms of managing economic resources and to develop central governments. Subsequently, around the year 1300, the well established Holy Roman Empire failed to maintain its centralized form of governance across Europe resulting into war between different states such as the barbaric German tribes that invaded Italy. This culminated into having a power vacuum until in 17th century. In Italy for instance, the independence of some of its states in the North coupled with wrangles between the in the Papacy prevented realization of a strong centralized governance (Tuchman 50). 6. It is in the 14th century that the Church experienced faced difficult times and gradually lost its prestige and power in the society. The Church failed to provide moral and spiritual guidance to the people and it can be explained in three distinct stages. First is the Avignon Papacy of 1305 to 1378. During the time pope was located in Avignon, France and officials were seen to monarch’s puppet. They were corrupt, disregarded social morals, were left out in condemning the hundred years’ war, and failed in their responsibility during the Black Plague. A lot of groups also criticized the Church for owning wealth and property as this was against God’s teaching because Jesus owned nothing. Some people also claimed that Church should consist of members only and not be led by a single individual. At this time papacy defended its righteousness persistently as well as attacking its critics but it is evident that papacy lost its moral authority and credibility to the people (Jackson 322). The second event that degraded credibility of papacy was the great schism of between 1378 and 1415. After Gregory XI died, the College of Cardinals in Rome was forced by an angry Roman mob to choose a pope of Italian origin. Urban VI was chosen and immediately after, French cardinals protested by fleeing Rome into Avignon where they chose another French pope as they claimed the election was not free and fair. This culminated into having two papal administrations at Rome and at Avignon hence resulting in financial crisis. Besides, the notion that Church was autonomous from state and secular sanctions failed to be realized. Wrangles existed between the two centers of power leading to excommunication claims by either of the side for receiving sacraments. Third is the Council of Pisa that met in 1408 and resolved to elect a new pope thereby dismissing the two rival popes. They based this on the principle of conciliarism. However, this was not adhered to by the two rival popes and resulted in having three popes. This complicated the matters more in regard to who had supreme power to elect pope leading to the Holy Roman Emperor backing the Conciliarists in holding another council to resolve the issue in 1415 (Jackson 323). . 7. The religious rift which occurred in the Church around 11th century A. D. is what widely referred to as the Great Schism. The Roman Catholic Church and the Geek Catholic also known Greek Orthodox Church separated during the p[period which lasted between 1378 and 1415. The acrimony between the West patriarchate in Rome and East patriarchates in Jerusalem, Antioch, Byzantium, and Alexandria was on of the cause. This was heightened more by language differences because the West spoke Latin whereas East spoke Greek. Besides, the rift grew more when Emperor Constantine considered transferring the capital from Rome to Byzantium. Additionally, during the same time German tribes invaded Europe leading to political instability (Jackson 323). This political turmoil coupled with geographical distances and economic hardship lead to ultimate separation of West from the East. As a result it is only a few theologians from West who could speak the predominant Greek language in the East. Communication broke lose among the west and east clergy. There was decreased literacy in the West as compared to highly educated East populace. Thus the church had significant influence among the East populace. The clergy in the East was capable of translating the Bible into local languages and with time it became mature enough to establish self governance. The occurrence of the Great Schism was also a sign of failure in leadership among the church officials in the 14th century (Jackson 324). Works Cited Allmand, C. T. The hundred year’s war: England and France at war, c. 1300-c. 1450. United Kingdom: Cambridge University Press, 1988. Anne Curry. The Hundred Years War. 2nd ed. UK: Palgrave Macmillan, 2003. Tuchman, Barbara W. A Distant Mirror. New York: Knopf, 1978. Jackson, Spielvogel J. Western Civilization. 7th ed. Cengage Learn

Hamlet Rosencrantz and Guildenstern :: Shakespeare Hamlet

Hamlet Rosencrantz and Guildenstern This procrastination cannot be due to an instinctive and fastidious repugnance to killing, for Hamlet kills Polonius, and Laertes, and in the end the King himself; and he dispatches Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to their doom with true alacrity. Whence then does it come? The answer will be found by examining all these cases. And before them all, let us look at those two lines in 1.4. unhand me gentlemen, By heaven I'll make a ghost of him that lets me! It is one of the key points in the drawing of his character. When it comes to doing what he is determined to do, he will not hesitate to kill even his closest friend, for Horatio is one of the gentlemen whom he threatens sword in hand. Hamlet's spontaneous tendencies are therefore essentially individualistic; and, the point must be emphasized, not even death of others, if need be, will stand in his way. This the Hamlet whose behavior towards Rosencrantz and Guildenstern we are now to study. They were his friends, and we know from his mother that he had much talked of them and that two men there are not living To whom he more adheres. The two young men receive from the King a commission which, whatever the King's secret intentions may be, is honorable. Hamlet, the King in fact tells them, is not what he was. The cause of the change "I cannot dream of." Therefore, I beg you so by your companies To draw him on to pleasures, and to gather So much as from occasion you may glean Whether aught to us unknown afflicts him thus That opened lies within our remedy. Guildenstern's words show that the two young men understand their work in an irreproachable way: Heaven make our presence and our practices Pleasant and helpful to him. They enter upon their new duties at a later stage in the same scene. Cordial and lighthearted, the meeting of the three young men leads to some fencing of wits on ambition; for Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, who know nothing about King Hamlet's murder, naturally assume that the trouble with Hamlet is frustrated ambition (and so in part it is): Hamlet, of course, parries, and as he tries to move off, his two companions, in strict obedience to their master, the King, say: "We'll wait upon you.

Applying Theories and Principles for Planning Essay

The Theories of Learning according to Reece Walker (2007) that states The five main areas are Behaviourism, Neo-behaviourism, Gestalt (Insight), Cognitive Development, and Humanists, as well as more recently theorised areas of lifelong learning, but Geoff Petty (2009) explains that Theories of Learning can be separated into three main schools of thought 1) The behaviourist school. 2) The cognitivist school. 3) The humanist school. Behaviourist school of thought is concerned completely with learned behaviour, and is interested in looking at behavior and observable changes, the learners react more to teaching rather than being actively involved in the process. Cognitivist is interested in looking at the thought processes behind the behavior, for example encoding information into short term and long term memory. Therefore cognitivist is the theory that humans generate knowledge and meaning through a sequence of development, such as the mental processes of recognition, recollection, anal ysis, reflection, application, creation, understanding, and evaluation. Humanist learner is able to adapt prior knowledge to new experience. The teachers role in humanistic learning is to encourage and enable the learner, by providing access to appropriate resources without obtrusive interference. The learning goal is high order learning of procedural knowledge, strategy, reasoning, abstract analysis, and development of expertise. All three learning theories have some common ground with each other. They all agree that learners respond better with positive reinforcement and praise should be given when the learners have completed their task and achieved. They also consider that new learning must be built on existing learning. But Cognitivist and Humanist theory have the most common ground. In my teaching practice I have applied theories and principles of learning in the following four areas lesson planning, lesson structure, meeting learners needs and assessing learning. I always write constructive session plans to serve it as a guide for anyone to use it. I have applied teaching strategies that suit different group profile. I used  learning theory cognitivist as a teacher being a facilitator and imparting the knowledge in a way it can be retained by the learners and applied. Based on implementing a democratic teaching style when the learning becomes a learner centered practice as they discover things themselv es in group learning to increase knowledge, by memorising information acquiring facts, skills, and methods making sense or abstracting meaning interpreting and understanding things in a different way. I also applied organisational policies and procedures in demonstrating the use of appropriate resources, strengths and limitations of specific resources, representation of cultural differences. To avoid stereotyping, and adapt resources to accommodate specific learning difficulties and disabilities, safety, learners wellbeing, self esteem, as Reece Walker (2007) referred to (Maslows hierarchy of needs). Principles of Learning to me are my beliefs about something. It is my feelings on a given subject. Geoff Petty (2004) states that, every teacher and every learner has a theory about learning. There are many different theories and principles which have been developed to help us understand how effective learning, communication and underpin and enable teachers to develop high quality inclusive practice, Reece Walker (2007) states that Theorists tend to separate learning into three groups or domains. These are the psychomotor, cognitive and affective domains. They are called Blooms Taxono my. Geoff Petty (2009) States that We need to learn all Blooms bits. Blooms Taxonomy is a classification of learning objectives that provides a framework for discussing cognitive, affective, and psycho-motor learning. In improving my own practice I have applied theories and principles of inclusive learning to ensure that I differentiate learning methods to address different ability levels, and in my sessions plans I used the Blooms taxonomy to state the different outcomes. Communication to me as a teacher it means sharing information through listening, interacting, responding, talking, writing and understanding. It also has to be relevant and respectful to the group of learners. Some theories of communication included According to Shannon and Weaver 1949 model of communication (Online Link) that is based on a process in which a message begins at an information source/ speaker/ information (encoder), transmits a message through a channel to a destination, where the message arrives via a signal towards the receiver (decoder). But before it reaches the receiver, the  message must go through noise (sources of interference). Finally, the receiver must convey the message to its destination. I used this model in delivering teaching to convey information with no interaction or a way of measuring understanding in the learner, which is significant to higher education teaching. And Harold Lasswells Lasswells Formula in 1976 (Online Link as above) is also a tran smission model, but it introduces the concept of the effect on the receiver or learner. In modern day teaching, communication is shifting further away from a teacher dictated methods of delivering education, to methods to ensure the learner is placed at the heart of teaching, and every individual within the classroom is considered and catered for. Furthermore, I used the advanced technology communication methods to contribute and to broaden my teaching styles, but I used this through the need to differentiate teaching more effectively and to break down the barriers that exist between teacher and learner. Engaging every learner is a difficult task and learners may differ in terms of age, gender, ability level, communication skills, confidence, learning styles and many other factors. But my job as a teacher is to ensure these factors do not hinder individual learning and that success and achievement within the group is widespread and at a high level. Unit 405 Part B Taking a lesson plan you have written, comment on how I have used the barriers to equality approach stated by Reece Walker (2007). Those barriers could arise from family issues, bullying or abuse (emotionally, mentally or physically) that could occur at home or at work place, specific learning difficulties, e.g. Dyslexia, disability, social, emotional or behavioural needs, bereavement, etc. I have I usually put a plan in place at the beginning of learners course to identify and diagnose their barriers on a one to one basis. By carrying out an individual learning plan (ILP), and initial assessment to know their literacy numeracy levels, prior learning skills, and then focused on what they can or cannot do (Problematic). I also used the inclusive learning approach stated by Gravells Simpson (2010), I have promoted ensured the inclusion in preparing my lesson plan, by adhering implementing the equality diversity Laws Legislations. That is based on acknowledging and respecting learners differences regardless of learners ethnic background, race, age, gender, sexuality, religion, disability, marital status or belief. I have eliminated discrimination and ensured that  learners needs were met by making reasonable adjustments and created a positive environment. That is based on adapting no culture blame, and acknowledge learners strength, skills knowledge and background (Synthesis). I have used a fresh approach suggested by Peter Scales (2008) states Embedded teaching and learning combines the development of t he literacy language (ESOL), and numeracy with vocational and other skills. in embedding minimum core of Functional Skills including Literacy, Numeracy ICT. By incorporating the practical skills of the topics assessments with Functional Skills delivered in the sessions. For example in embedding literacy I applied communications skills using a range of TV programmes, media reports and Internet texts such as Webpages. For embedding Numeracy, I used application numbers, calculations. For embedding ICT, I used communication skills using computers to ensure that learners are aware of current and emerging technology and their impact on themselves and others, for example, incorporating navigation of the websites of several of national newspapers. They have downloaded articles on the same subject but from different newspaper. Then they have applied information, compared, analysed and evaluated to find out if the issues were logical or biased (Cognitive theories). Evaluating my lesson plan and the sessions delivered an area for improvement in my own application of theories and principles for planning and enabling of inclusive learning and teaching is using differentiation learning methods to address different ability levels in my sessions (Blooms taxonomy) t o state the different outcomes. For example I have applied the teaching strategies that suits my group profile, based on knowing how learners learning style, in order to get the best outcome of the sessions delivered. That is by implementing appropriate theories and principles of learning such as communications, cognitive, inclusive learning. The learners understood the subject content taught thoroughly, and they have enjoyed the benefits of multi resources, and methods to suit learners learning style individually. Bibliography Ian Reece, Stephen Walker, Teaching, Training Learning. Business Education Publisher Ltd, 6th Edition (2009). Geoff Petty, Teaching Today, 2nd Edition. Nelson Thornes Ltd (1998). Geoff Petty, Teaching Today, 3rd Edition. Nelson Thornes Ltd (2004). Geoff Petty, Teaching Today, 4th Edition. Nelson Thornes Ltd (2009). Peter Scales, Teaching in the Lifelong Learning Sector, Open  University Press (2008). Ann Gravells Susan Simpson, Planning and Enabling Learning in the Lifelong Learning Sector, Learning Matters Ltd, 2nd Edition (2010). Below is the Link HYPERLINK http//www.businessballs.com/transact.htm http//www.businessballs.com/transact.htm Below is the Link regarding Shannon and Weaver 1949 Communication model HYPERLINK http//scholar.googleusercontent.com/scholarqcacheKAvTeu1SGmgJscholar.google.com/shannonandweaver1949bookhlenas_sdt0,5as_vis1 http//scholar.googleusercontent.com/scholarqcacheKAvTeu1SGmgJscholar.google.com/shannonandweaver1949bookhlenas_sdt0,5as_vis1 Below is the Lin k for the H.D.Lasswell/ Communication model HYPERLINK http//communicationtheory.org/lasswells-model/ http//communicationtheory.org/lasswells-model/ Y, dXiJ(x(I_TS1EZBmU/xYy5g/GMGeD3Vqq8K)fw9 xrxwrTZaGy8IjbRcXI u3KGnD1NIBs RuKV.ELM2fiVvlu8zH (W uV4(Tn 7_m-UBww_8(/0hFL)7iAs),Qg20ppf DU4p MDBJlC5 2FhsFYn3E6945Z5k8Fmw-dznZxJZp/P,)KQk5qpN8KGbe Sd17paSR 6Q

Alexander Chabanyuk

Any form of exchanging information between people or groups of people is referred to as communication. For any cooperate to achieve effective organizational change, internal communication is very important. Research indicates that employees in lower levels are usually ignored while making organization’s decisions. It was also found out that the employees become alienated especially when the decision is aimed at initiating a change in the organization. As a way of fostering employee productivity, effective internal communication is therefore very important.This does not downplay the vital role of external communication in an organization but both must be balanced. The up and down or horizontal internal communication- as in the case of Vodafone- helps the employees in understanding what they are expected of them and taking the necessary steps in ensuring their work is completed on time. (http://www. thetimes100. co. uk/downloads/vodafone/vodafone_12_full. pdf ) Internal communic ation can also be verbal or written. The vital role of internal communication involves explaining organization’s values, culture as well as visions to employees for them to make informed decisions.It will also strengthen employee relationship and enhance their sense of belonging. For example; ‘eVelopers internal communication system was developed and implemented to ensure that all employees are informed about all corporate policies, strategies, decisions, updates, news, changes, etc. and properly apply them, increasing the efficacy of company performance. ’ http://www. evelopers. com/qm5 This paper examines cooperate meetings as one of the internal communication processes in an organization. Participant selectionCooperate meetings have proofed to be very successful especially where the organization succeeds to invite the right participants. This can be done by conducting extensive consultations with the employees from different departments in an organization. Thi s will however depend on the reason as to why the meeting should be held. After making a decision about whom to invite, it is very important for them to be briefed on the purpose of the meeting. They should also be informed on where, when, the expected participants and where to make further enquiries if they needed to do so.It was found out that the conditions or the environment surrounding the meeting’s venue highly determines whether the meeting will be a success or not. The venue should be comfortable enough to win the concentration of the participants. When setting the date and time care should be taken to ensure that every participant is comfortable. Religious, gender and cultural diversity among the employees should be considered, failure to which the participants may pay little or no attention to the proceedings of the meeting.True representation of the organization in the meeting should be demonstrated by including employees or their representatives from all departmen ts. (http://www. managementhelp. org/misc/mtgmgmnt. htm ; Quirke B, 2000, pp. 25-61) Agenda development The meetings agenda should be made known to all expected participants. Research indicates that no effective meetings agenda can be developed without adequate consultations among all the concerned parties. The key participants should help in identifying feasible outcomes and what ought to be done to ensure the identified target outcomes are reached.It is very important for every meeting to have an overall outcome. For instance, increasing sales, improving quality of products or service, conflict resolution, management and transformation, and introducing change among others. The agenda should clearly indicate how the participants should be kept busy especially those who arrive earlier than stated. It is very important to ensure that all topics are listed together with their respective action or expected output. Opening meetings Punctuality is always very important in any meeting.Mee tings should therefore start on the scheduled time. Acknowledging the presence of participants who dedicate their time to attend the meeting encourages them and enhances the sense of meaning in whatever goes on in the meeting. It is also very important to review the meeting’s agenda in order to consider any possibility of making any amendments. Meeting participation and evaluation Every one should be given an opportunity to participate actively. This can be done through use of questions, opinions, votes, demonstrations and individual presentations.Discursions should revolve around the agenda items. The meetings should be made as lively as possible to help the participants to open up and give their views without fear or favor. The appropriate momentum should be maintained. Participants should be asked to evaluate the progress of the meeting from time to time in order to ensure the correct pace is maintained. An effective meeting must be successfully concluded. Participant conf identiality must be guaranteed. Soon after conclusion, the overall evaluation must be done.This will help in setting a date for another meeting if need be and decide on its agendas. Proceedings of the meetings should be recorded and every participant should get a copy at the end of the meeting. Further development Even though cooperate meetings have been held by many organizations over the past, there is still need to improve them in order to reap their full benefits. It is very unfortunate that the physically challenged have been neglected during cooperates meetings.The deaf and the dump should not be ignored. Sign language should be introduced in order to enable such people with special needs to follow what the other participants are doing. Departmental meetings should be held before the actual meetings in order to bring the employees from a particular department together. This will save time and ensure that a true reflection of the status of the organization is portrayed. Meeting s involving many participants should be held in a room with adequate facilities but not in the open air.Some organizations address their employees in open-air meetings and their intention is not met due to disruptions from external factors. Audiovisual gadgets should be introduced to enable people to participate even from their offices. This will ensure that incase some senior officers are not able to attend -simply because they are out for other cooperate duties –they can participate in the meeting and provide appropriate responses when asked to. Since meetings are expensive, such a decision will reduce the number of meetings held especially when an urgent problem solution is required.This can be made possible by the use intranet. (Klein A, 2004, pp. 59) Depending on the purpose of the meeting, thorough consultations should be carried out from every department to ensure all underlying issues are tabled before the meeting. It is also good to invite at least one representative from those departments that are thought to be less concerned because an issue affecting a particular department affects the organization at large and needs cooperation in seeking for a long-lasting solution.It is expected that, in the future, cooperate meetings may take another dimensions and be transformed into be Parliamentary Procedures, which will involve the use of parliamentary laws. (http://www. jimslaughter. com/corporate. htm ) These parliamentary laws can be defined as; â€Å"the best method yet devised to enable assemblies of any size, with due regard for every member’s opinion, to arrive at the general will on the maximum number of questions of varying complexity in a minimum amount of time and under all kinds of internal climate ranging from total harmony to hardened or impassioned division of opinion.† http://www. jimslaughter. com/corporate. htm Conclusion Internal communication must however include all the other forms of internal communication processe s in order to ensure smooth running of the organization. These processes may be used interchangeably in order to ensure that information reaches the intended person at the correct time to enable proper action to be taken. References Slaughter, J. (1998). Better, More Legal Corporate Meetings. [Retrieved] 24th July, 2008, [From] http://www. jimslaughter. com/corporate. htm McNamara, C.(1997). Basic Guide to Conducting Effective Meetings. [Retrieved] 23rd July, 2008, [From] http://www. managementhelp. org/misc/mtgmgmnt. htm Communications. [Retrieved] 23rd July, 2008, [From] http://www. thetimes100. co. uk/downloads/vodafone/vodafone_12_full. pdf Evelopers, Quality manual: Internal Communication. [Retrieved] 24th July, 2008, [From] http://www. evelopers. com/qm5 Klein A, 2004, Adoption von electronic meeting systems, DUV Accessed from Amazon. com Quirke B, 2000, Making the connections, Gower Publishing, Ltd

Narrative of Lord of the Flies essays

Narrative of Lord of the Flies essays It all began when we crashed on the island. The Island was spectacular, a paradise, our paradise. There was about 15 of us, almost all were complete strangers. I sat there, blowing the conch, the beautiful, powerful conch, as the boys on the island came to the platform. Then we saw a darkness coming towards us; that's when it all began. The experiences i had on this island, this paradise, changed me forever. To begin, most of us did not know each other, yet quickly made bonds with each other, such as Piggy and I. All of us decided we needed a leader and the choice was either Jack or I. I was chosen, that is when Jack began to hate me. At first, everything went well, we had many meetings, which the boys loved, and we made rules. Some of the boys had certain roles or jobs, such as Jack and his choir being the hunters, and Sam and Eric watching over the fire. Everyone agreed that we should have rules and jobs, but no one wanted to follow these rules of do their jobs. "We've got to have rules and obey them. After all, were not savages..."(Golding 38) Jack said. After a conversation with Jack about the boys not working and the hunters not killing any pigs, the tension between us was felt at al times. Not long after crashing on the island, the boys began to resort to violence. Jack and his choir began to love hunting, just for the feeling of power after they've killed. Jack began to bring more boys hunting with him, which caused the boys to stop following rules and stop doing their jobs. The boys came up with a chant for celebrations after killing pigs. "Kill the pig. Cut her throat. Spill her blood"(Golding 63). Everyone participated in the celebrations and chants, including me. Sometimes, though, some boys got carried away. During the chants, one boy would act like a pig and all the other boys would be hunters. In the where some boys got carried away, the boy acting like the pig would get hurt. Thi...

Kemble Knight Essays - Sarah Kemble Knight, Knight, Kemble Family

Kemble Knight Essays - Sarah Kemble Knight, Knight, Kemble Family Kemble Knight Sarah Kemble Knight. Journal. Group A: Our group found passages to support the idea that Knight was courageous. On the first day of their journey they encountered a thick swamp On the second day they crossed a river which greatly terrified knight. She goes on to say I now ralyed all the courage I was mistress of ... (now would seem like a good time for a woman from the city to call it quits!) On day three Knight can not cross the river because the water is too high at present so she stays at a little cottage. Knight says, this little Hutt was one of the wretchedest I ever saw a habitation for human creatures. Also on day three Knight says an Indian-like Animal come to the door. If knight is concerned about her safety she doesn't write about it. On December 21 they encounter a great storm of wind and snow. Winter probably wasn't a good time to take a road trip! Group B: By taking her journey, Sarah Kemble Knight proved her self-reliance and independence. Here are a few dates and instances that really stood out in our minds. Oct. 2nd- Knight bribes John to leave with her. Oct. 3rd- She begins to conquer her fear of drowning by crossing the water in a canoe. Oct. 4th- Knight survived the cruel treatment by Mr. Devills and his daughters. Dec. 21st- Knight makes it through illness without much distress. March 3rd- Knight shows her inner strength in that she could be away from her child for so long.

Facts About Shakespeare - A Shakespeare Crib Sheet

Facts About Shakespeare - A Shakespeare Crib Sheet Facts about Shakespeare can sometimes be hard to find! To help you sort the fact from the speculation, we’ve put together a Shakespeare â€Å"crib sheet† †¦ a single reference page packed with facts – and only facts – about Shakespeare. The links are there to help you delve deeper into the subject. Key Facts About Shakespeare William Shakespeare was born on 23rd April, 1564He died on 23rd April 1616The dates above are approximate because there is no record of neither his birth nor death. We only have records of his baptism and burial.If we accept the dates, Shakespeare was born and died on the same day – in fact Shakespeare’s death occurred on his 52nd birthday! Facts About Shakespeare’s Life Shakespeare was born and raised in Stratford-upon-Avon, but later moved to London for workShakespeare had three children with his wife, Anne HathawayWhen he left for London, Shakespeare left his family behind in Stratford. He did, however, retire back to Stratford at the end of his careerThere is evidence that Shakespeare was a â€Å"secret† CatholicBy the end of his life, Shakespeare was a wealthy gentleman and had a coat of arms. His final residence was New Place, the largest house in Stratford-upon-AvonShakespeare was buried inside Holy Trinity Church in StratfordShakespeare’s grave has a curse engraved upon itShakespeare’s birthday is celebrated worldwide every year. The main festival is in Stratford-upon-Avon on Saint George’s Day Facts About Shakespeare’s Time Shakespeare was not a â€Å"one-off genius†, as many people would have you believe. Rather he was a product of his timeShakespeare grew up during the renaissanceQueen Elizabeth I ruled for much of Shakespeare’s life and she would sometimes come and watch his plays Facts About Shakespeare’s Plays Shakespeare wrote 38 playsShakespeare’s plays are split into three genres: tragedy, comedy and historyHamlet is often regarded as the Bard’s best playRomeo and Juliet is often regarded as the Bard’s most famous playShakespeare may have co-authored many of his plays Facts About Shakespeare’s Sonnets Shakespeare wrote 157 sonnetsThe sonnets are split into sections. The first follows the Fair Youth and the second follows the so-called Dark LadyIt likely that the sonnets were never intended for publicationSonnet 18 is often regarded as Shakespeare’s most famous sonnetShakespeare’s sonnets are written in a strict poetic meter called Iambic Pentameter and have 14 lines each. Facts About Shakespeare’s Theatre The theatre experience in Shakespeare’s time was very different to today – crowds would eat and talk through the production and plays would be performed in the open airThe Globe Theatre was made from the materials of a stolen theatre that Shakespeare’s theatre company dismantled at midnight and floated across the Thames RiverShakespeare described the Globe Theatre as the â€Å"Wooden O† because of its shapeThe original Globe Theatre was demolished to make way for tenements in 1644 when it fell out of useThe building that currently stands in London is a replica built from traditional materials and techniques. It is not on the original site, but very close to it!Today, the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) is the World’s leading producer of Shakespeare and is headquartered in the Bard’s hometown of Stratford-upon-Avon

Role of Nutrition Information is Influencing Consumer Choice Essay

Role of Nutrition Information is Influencing Consumer Choice - Essay Example ind out the level of awareness on the importance of labels on food products, and identify the factors that customers consider before purchasing a food product based on its label (Verduin, Agarwal and Waltman, 2005). Aim and Objectives The aim of the project is to understand the relationship of buying habits for food products as influenced by product labels. The objectives of the study include: To examine the behaviour of customers as they make purchases at a local supermarket To establish the level of customer awareness on the various requirements for food labelling To identify the relevant words that customers look for in labels when making choices on food products To determine the most significant details on food products to customers To identify if customers consider the health benefits of a food product or absence of health hazard before making a purchase To review literature on the effects of labels on customer choices when shopping for food products To discuss the reasons for t he choices that customers make after reading the labels on food products Literature Review Verduin, Agarwal and Waltman (2005: 2597) state that the consumer is the central player in the decisions that could help the nation reverse the obesity situation, and should be informed on the importance of keeping watch on the contents of foodstuffs that one consumes. In addition, the writers emphasise on the need for the food industry to be truthful in providing information to consumers, and adherence to other guidelines provided for ethical advertising. In addition, they assert that manufacturers should work in cooperation with the government (2610) and research institutions (2612); the government gives recommendations and enforces standards, while the research institutions ensure that the use of... This report stresses that this study is likely to encounter several limitations that may reduce its efficiency, and it has some shortcomings that may have a negative effect on the usability of the results for generalisation. First, the data collection approaches are expensive in terms of time and money, both of which may not be enough since the researcher may have other commitments. Second, the management of retail stores may not cooperate with the researcher, while customers may perceive the study as a waste of time or an infringement into their private lives. Third, the study makes many assumptions that may reduce the confidence level of the results; however, this can be countered by the use of secondary sources that allow the researcher to make exclusions and differentiations. One of the main assumptions is that a customer’s choice is informed by the contents of the label, and other factors, including price have little or no role to play. Finally, there is one ethical conce rn that the researcher has to deal with; observing customers and recording data without their knowledge may amount to doing research with people as subjects without their informed consent. Therefore, the researcher has to consult the ethics department of the institution before doing the study to clarify the matter. This essay makes a conclusion that the proposal is part of the process of preparing for a study, and every aspect of study must be cleared up to save on costs, identify potential obstacles and other unforeseen aspects of the study. The proposal must have the aims and objectives, and methodologies that will be used to answer the research question.

To what extent might Globalization be seen as disadvantageous to the Essay

To what extent might Globalization be seen as disadvantageous to the world in which we live - Essay Example There are several severe disadvantages as well and they include: The first disadvantage that talks about flow of manpower from developing countries to the developed countries is a phenomenon that many developed countries have witnessed. Countries like US, UK, France, Germany, and other developed countries have witnessed a flurry of demands of visas from people from developing countries who want to immigrate to them for better opportunities and lifestyle. Now, this puts pressure on the employment levels and many people might lose their jobs. This specifically applies to the economic situation prevailing now as the unemployment is ruling through the roof and is in vicinity of 10 percent in the US. Another problem is that of the drop in wages and salaries that people in developed countries might have to witness as a consequence of cheap labor entering into their countries. Another big disadvantage of Globalization is the something that the world is witnessing these days. This will be best explained in one of the points to follow. There is a sharp drop in growth of countries with a drop in growth of the Unites States. Also, the countries are facing a sharp liquidity crisis because of the subprime crisis of the US.The subprime crisis started with the subprime lenders lending at higher rates than usual to the borrowers with bad economic history and lesser ability to pay back. The subprime lending functions on the principle of no collateral and higher interests. There debt instruments are then traded and are passed on to other banks or institutions which are ready to take them for the higher interest they get out of them. Effects of the crisis on the US and World Economies and Recent Shutdowns Due to the passing on of the debt instruments some prominent hedge funds have failed to declare their current asset values. The problem has led to a total crunch of liquidity in the US. The markets witnessed BNP Paribas announce that it had frozen 3 of its hedge funds due to evaporation of liquidity, totaling around 1.6 billion pounds. The reason was that, it was not possible for the bank to value units of the funds due to the affect of the US subprime market on them. The funds contained the bundles of subprime loans, the demand for which have fallen drastically over the last few months. Banks around Europe feared a total liquidity crunch as they feared that they might run out of cash to sustain day to day lending. ECB went to the extent of injecting 155 billion pounds to ease the system of. Investors around the world started backing off

How people with such different background can make friends with each Essay - 1

How people with such different background can make friends with each other - Essay Example Understandably, when one visits a new place, they are more likely to make a direct connection with those they share culture or background with since many friendships sprout on common grounds. Take my case for instance; when I first arrived in America, I was nervous and apprehensive about just about everything. I kept constantly reminding myself that I was a foreigner, and somehow this must have influenced my perception of how my fellow students, especially the Americans, saw me. As a result, it was easier to make friends with Chinese people – either the Chinese Americans or the Chinese people living in America. This was because around them, I did not feel very self-conscious, and I blended in much more easily; however, as I came to learn that with the benefit of research and personal experiences it can also be easy to make friends and interact with people from different cultures. Such interactions can be very rewarding and enlightening since one can learn a lot about different cultures; besides, with all our differences, every human being can find some similarly between themselves and anybody else as long as each of them shows interest in knowing the other. Interacting with new people in a new country by itself is a common experience; this is because each of you is in one way new to your present environment. After I moved into my house, I rarely spent much of my free time there, and every other weekend or when I had free time, I would go out visiting my Chinese friends or their families. In fact, in my first few days, I hardly spoke more than a few words to any of my flat mates, who were not Chinese, and there were a precious few of these. In a way, in my mind, I was still in China since I was actively avoiding any non-Chinese culture in what my American friend Chris later told me was a search for stability. However, one Sunday afternoon I was in my room browsing, and my computer crashed; I wondered what the

Globalization and human resource management practice 03191 Essay

Globalization and human resource management practice 03191 - Essay Example The increasing relevance of globalisation is influenced by numerous factors including talent shortage in developed countries, low cost labour accessibility and technological development. The aim of the study is to draw attention to the key issues relating to the global management of people, significance of human resources management in international organizations, globalisation leading to convergence in human resource management practice and the human resource impact relating to various changes (Paik, Chow and Vance, 2011). The objective is to conduct an in-depth study on globalisation and its impact on human resource management and then derive a conclusion to the study. In the developing countries, globalization has a giant impact on the human resource management (Rowley and Benson, 2002). It has led to unionisation and homogenization of the strategies of an organization. It led to the convergence in the structures and processes of an organization as well as in the consumer’s choice. In the increasing stage of globalization, the organizations felt the need to change and the new trends came into existence in the management of the human resources. Globalisation resulted in changing the organizational structure improving competence but the negative result is that the staff numbers had to be reduced (Edwards and Kuruvilla, 2005). The employees have been minimised in various sectors such as telecommunications so that the organizations can gain a competitive advantage. The human resource planning strategy is focussed on having limited workforce in the core areas which enabled the organization run profitably. The organizations outsourced for the no ncore jobs which led to increase in independent contractors in the service industry. Globalisation hence can be said to have an extraordinary impact on the developing countries

Assignment 4 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Assignment 4 - Essay Example So pick a card, any card. Wouldnt you think that your odds of finding a number starting with 1 would be the same as finding a number starting with 9? Or 3? Or 7? (See Figure 1) After all, you gathered as many different numbers from as many different locations as possible, so they should all be evenly distributed, right? Wrong!!! Here comes Benfords Law, bitch! Benfords law says that the odds of obtaining 1 as the first digit of a number are much higher than obtaining any other digit. (See Figure 2) And nobody can really explain why! Creeeepy. But the coolest thing is that the broader the sampling of numbers, the more accurately they conform to Benfords law. For example, if you only examined the numbers in a New York City phone book, it wouldnt fit with Benfords law because your data would favor 2s and 7s (because of the popular area codes 212 and 718). But mix a phone books numbers with an almanacs numbers with an encyclopedias numbers and without a doubt youll start seeing a "Benfordian" distribution. Didnt I tell you this shitd freak you out? But the most important part of Benfords law (and partially why its so fascinating) is that it only works with numbers observed and gathered from the real world. So if you were to randomly generate a list of numbers with a computer, or by simply making them up, their first digits would most likely be evenly distributed from 1-9 and NOT in accordance with Benfords law. (See Figure 1 again). For this reason, Benfords law is used by the IRS to spot defrauders who make up phony numbers, because if the numbers dont follow Benfords law, they werent from real transactions. Fascinated by all this, I decided to test it for myself. Rather than spend years gathering numbers from all over the world, I decided to turn to Google - arguably the broadest source of data in existence. Seeing how many results Google finds for a number is a surefire way to judge how many times

Observational Report Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Observational Report - Case Study Example The question of whether or not students assessed as requiring special education need to be transferred out of the general education classroom is the focal point of this observational report. For determination of whether or not students identified as requiring special education need to be transferred out of the general education classroom setting into a special education one, I observed special education students in both settings. The period of observation lasted two classroom sessions for each of the general and special education classrooms. In the general education, fifth grade classroom there were four special education students in a class of 23 students. In the special education classroom, there were 12 students, supposedly 7th grade level but functioning at 6th grade level. The students, as in all sixteen special education pupils observed, came from different racial backgrounds. The English Language Learners (ELL), numbering seven, were Asian, Hispanic and Arabic. The disabled students, in direct comparison, tended to be Caucasian, as was the majority of the school student body. Testing the hypothesis that special needs students can functi... Throughout each of the classes I observed, one math and the other social science, the teacher regularly paused to make sure that the four mentioned students were able to follow the lesson and the ensuing discussions. While nit making it obvious, she often repeated herself for greater clarity for the benefit of these four students, especially the language learners. The general classroom environment was quite disciplined and calm. Needless to say, and as Carter and Hughes (2006) point out, the nature of the classroom environment directly impinges upon the capacities of EII and disabled students to absorb and assimilate information. The classroom environment observed facilitated assimilation of information because it was both calm and disciplined. While the classroom environment was close to optimal, the special needs students were isolated within it. They did not participate in classroom discussions and hardly spoke a word throughout the two class sessions observed. Indeed, in a very real way, they did not appear to be part of the class. This observation immediately recalls Carter and Hughes' (2006) admonition that if disabled and other special needs students were to remain in a general education classroom, they should be included in it. They should not be singled out for special attention, as would attract the class' interest towards them and should not be made to sit together and separate from the rest of the class. Indeed, they should be integrated in the class and with other students (Carter and Hughes, 2006). Personal observations established the validity of this advice since, the students observed did seem separate from the remainder and did not interact

Assignment 4 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Assignment 4 - Essay Example So pick a card, any card. Wouldnt you think that your odds of finding a number starting with 1 would be the same as finding a number starting with 9? Or 3? Or 7? (See Figure 1) After all, you gathered as many different numbers from as many different locations as possible, so they should all be evenly distributed, right? Wrong!!! Here comes Benfords Law, bitch! Benfords law says that the odds of obtaining 1 as the first digit of a number are much higher than obtaining any other digit. (See Figure 2) And nobody can really explain why! Creeeepy. But the coolest thing is that the broader the sampling of numbers, the more accurately they conform to Benfords law. For example, if you only examined the numbers in a New York City phone book, it wouldnt fit with Benfords law because your data would favor 2s and 7s (because of the popular area codes 212 and 718). But mix a phone books numbers with an almanacs numbers with an encyclopedias numbers and without a doubt youll start seeing a "Benfordian" distribution. Didnt I tell you this shitd freak you out? But the most important part of Benfords law (and partially why its so fascinating) is that it only works with numbers observed and gathered from the real world. So if you were to randomly generate a list of numbers with a computer, or by simply making them up, their first digits would most likely be evenly distributed from 1-9 and NOT in accordance with Benfords law. (See Figure 1 again). For this reason, Benfords law is used by the IRS to spot defrauders who make up phony numbers, because if the numbers dont follow Benfords law, they werent from real transactions. Fascinated by all this, I decided to test it for myself. Rather than spend years gathering numbers from all over the world, I decided to turn to Google - arguably the broadest source of data in existence. Seeing how many results Google finds for a number is a surefire way to judge how many times

Merger, Acquisition, and International Strategies Essay - 11

Merger, Acquisition, and International Strategies - Essay Example This paper seeks to discuss the merger, acquisition as well as international strategies of Starbucks and the strategies that Love & Tea Company adopts. Starbucks Corporation is an American based company whose headquarters are located in Seattle, Washington. The company was founded in 1971 as Seattle coffee bean roaster. Being the largest coffeehouse in the world, Starbucks has 12,973 stores in US and approximately 11,000 others in Japan, China, Canada and United Kingdom. Having been founded by Jerry Baldwin, Zev Siegl and Gordon Bowker, Starbucks produces quality brands that make it to effectively face off its competitors in the international market. Some of the major products that Starbucks produces include SweetN Low, Splenda, Trenta, and tea among others. With approximately 160,000 employees, Starbucks has been able to offer effective services in all its subsidiaries which include Ethos water, Torrefazione, La Boulange, Evolution Fresh, Tazo, and Hear Music among others. Apart from extensive advertising strategies that the company has adopted through the internet and in US, Starbucks competitive position has also been achieved d ue to the various mergers and acquisitions that it has adopted in US as well as in foreign markets. One of the major companies that Starbucks has acquired is Teavana Holdings Incorporation. Having being acquired in 2012, Teavana is one of the newest companies to be acquired by Starbucks. Teavana, which was established in 1997, embarked on production of wide range of tea products that included Yixing Clay teapots, China teapots, andTetsubin teapots among others. Teavana mission is to become the most noted and respected brand in the tea industry by ensuring that the culture of tea is effectively expanded in the world. By being acquired for approximately $620 million, Teavana has strong value for its customers and through the new tea enthusiasts; it will positively impact of the Starbucks tea brand.

Cycle of Abusive Families Essay Example for Free

Cycle of Abusive Families Essay The story of A Thousand Acres written by Jane Smiley is not at all unfamiliar to some American families. While the story tells about the male character representing a negative typical figure of abuse and the female character as the victim of violence and lack of compassion may be fictional in nature, this kind of story also happens in real life (Smiley 12). Love, security, and safety are words commonly used to describe a home. Some people say that home is where the heart is. From the daily grind of life, people seek refuge in the confines of the place they call their own. However, not all homes echo peace and harmony among family members. Not every home becomes a safe place to return to. Not all homes are filled with laughter. Not all homes make one proud. As a child, I get used to playing alone. Within the four corners of my dark bedroom, I have learned to find ways of how to make myself happy as I tried hard to get numb from feeling the bruises on my body and even just for a while forget about terror I get from seeing blood drop out of my skin. Mom said that Dad loves me that is why when he learned that I was not performing academically well in school, he has to hit me to remind me that I had not been a good boy. I believe her. I blame myself for not being able to completely understand my lessons because I cannot concentrate on reviewing while I hear Dad cursing mom in between beatings while mom screams her heart out from the pains she endure. If Dad has to lock me up inside my room, I cannot blame him because it was my fault. If he had to switch the lights off while I have to read my books, I cannot blame him because it was my fault. If he will not allow Mom to bring some food inside my room because I had just been punished for my poor grades, I cannot blame him because it was my fault. Dad punishes me because I deserve it. He does all these things because he loves me. I came to believe that fathers normally act this way because Dad once said that my grandfather does the same things with him when he was my age. Perhaps, children have to go all through this to feel the love their fathers have for them. But I was wrong. Dad has no right to hurt me or Mom. He is a father and a husband, not the enemy. Love is not supposed to be expressed by inflicting harm on the other. Love is not supposed to leave wounds that even time cannot afford to mend. I never had a happy childhood. Now that I am a grown up, I must admit that I am still struggling with the pains that my father has caused me. I know that it takes time. I am also aware, that while I try to leave all the hurtful memories behind, some of the bitterness in my heart will be here to stay. My father has been long gone. He died of colon cancer. Since his demise, Mom and I tried our best to put ourselves and our lives back to pieces. It was utterly hard, but our love for each other helped each of us to live life anew. Neighbors, relatives, and friend also extended their help to us. Coping up entails a long process to recovery. Nonetheless, it was all worth it. Life has not been easy as I used to be hunted by my past. However, my experience has allowed me to extend help to those who find themselves on the same path I used to cross. I devote my time in learning more about domestic violence. In this way, I can cause a change to other people’s lives in my own little way. From my own personal experience, I learned so many things I could not have otherwise known. My life may not be enviable at all but I am so proud to have surfaced from it nonetheless. The things I learned from my own life story are the very same things I want to leave behind when I am gone. I learned that I am entitled to live in a place where I can be safe. I have the right to stay inside a home free from violence of any kind. I am free to commit mistakes. No one has the right to tell me that I am useless. I am supposed to live my life according to my rules following my own decisions. I deserve respect for my intelligence. I am entitled to chase my own dreams. I am supposed to attend to my personal needs as a person. It is unfair for me to remain in a relationship where my personal welfare is in no way considered. It is important for me to discuss my concerns particularly with people whose behavior impairs wellbeing. I am entitled to decide things on my own. While I have the right to express my opinion, I also have the right to withhold them if ever I decide to do so. Fulfilling the needs of people who has inflicted pain on me is not in any way my obligation. Violence in the family is not something new. Perhaps, since time immemorial, family violence has already existed. However, it was only during the modern times, that societies started to acknowledge its existence and regarded it as a social problem. The World Health Organization regarded violence in the family as a global health concern in the year 2002 (Barnett, Perrin, and Perrin 2). It is easy to think of the family as being relatively immune from violence, a place of safe harbor, a place of sustenance and care. The idea that a parent or a spouse would intentionally and knowingly inflict injury on a loved one is counterintuitive. A parent is supposed to protect and care for a child. Spouses are supposed to love and cherish each other. We know, however, that often the family is a source of maltreatment and violence. We read about maltreatment within families in the newspapers, and we see news stories about it on television. Many of us know people who have been abused by family members or we ourselves have been abused, or we have witnessed abuse between our parents. We know family violence exists. Identifying the commonality of violence in the family is a difficult task. Calculating family violence is naturally problematic, primarily since there is a little conformity among those who collect data as to precisely what makes up domestic violence. Regardless of definitional consensus, the fact remains that most domestic violence takes places inside the confines of a home. It is usually concealed, overlooked, or ignored. The U. S. Department of Health and Human Services as well as the Federal Bureau of Investigation finds it hard to accurately identify the statistics of family violence because not all cases are reported for reasons beyond their control (Barnett, Perrin, and Perrin 3). When researchers attempt to deal with the issue of frequency of domestic violence utilizing self-report surveys, the data they collect proves to be unavoidably insufficient. Some victims may find it hard to remember childhood maltreatments and those who are currently suffering from domestic violence may not regard, may choose not to regard, or may be unable to report the abuses they endure at home. In this light, statistics of domestic violence must be treated with caution. Identifying precisely and accurately how much violence exists in the American society seem almost impossible. Violence in the family may appear to be unpredictable, merely a sudden occurrence associated to the moment as well as to the circumstances under which the people concerned find themselves into. As a matter of fact, violence traces a distinctive pattern regardless of the time when it took place or who is involved. The cycle of violence recurs every time the level of the abuser’s violence rises. At each stage in the cycle, the abuser takes full control of his or her actions and tries to manipulate and further isolate the victim. To be able to effectively address the concerns of the abused, it is vital to have a good understand the cycle of violence as well as of how the mind of the abuser works. In this way, the abused recognizes that he or she is not the one at fault. The cycle of violence begins with the set up. It is followed by the act of abuse itself. Afterwards, the abuser suffers from feelings of â€Å"guilt† and revenge. It is then followed by rationalization. The abuser then shifts to a charming behavior. Thereafter, the abuser contemplates on how to carry out the next act of violence on his or her victim. The act of violence can be manifested in various forms. The abuser behaves violently in the intention to show his or her victim who is in control. When the assault has been done, the abuser feels guilty not for his or her actions but for fear of facing the consequences of what he or she has done. This is where the abuser begins to rationalize his or her actions. The abuser does so in order to shift the blame on others. When the abuser starts to complete another plot of abuse, he or she creates a situation wherein justification can be made as to why the assault happened in the first place. Violence in the American society is not at all new. Wars, riots, gangland slayings, political assassinations, or rape cases are different types of violence familiar to Americans. However, surprisingly, the American home is perhaps as or more violent as compared to ay singular American institution. They run the greatest risk of murder, physical injury, or assault inside the confines of their own homes inflicted by their own family members. Across the country this is borne out by official crime statistics. Stories of ill-treated children and maltreated wives are rampant enough to be labeled as â€Å"child abuse† and â€Å"wife abuse. † Approximately millions women and children ill-treated and abused by family members each year are only the tip of the iceberg identified as â€Å"violence between family members† (Straus, Gelles, and Steinmetz 4). Brothers and sisters beat, stab, and shoot each other. There are husbands who are struck and beaten by their wives, and even grandparents are battered by their own children. Violence in one generation affects and encourages violence in another generation. In many families, perhaps a majority of violent families, violence is not even considered taboo or wrong. Rather, it is an accepted and integral part of the way the family functions. Wife abuse and child abuse have captured public attention because of the terms themselves and because they involve terribly violent acts with damaging consequences for the victim. However, â€Å"abuse† is only one extreme end of the continuum of violence in the family, which, for many reasons, never is publicly identified as â€Å"abuse. † Our aim was to study a variety of forms of violence, including some which many people do not consider violent, such as spanking a child. These are some of the frequently asked and most important questions, which unfortunately, we still cannot answer with any certainty. There is no real way of knowing whether families have become more violent in the last decade of the last century. One could use official police, hospital, and social agency statistics to assess changes in the extent of child abuse and wife abuse, but for several reasons these statistics are not suitable for estimating actual levels of violence in the family. First, official statistics compile only the cases of family violence that come to public attention. These are probably only a fraction of the total cases of family violence. Second, official statistics are compiled by organizations and individuals who work in those organizations. These individuals and the units they work in are often influenced by publicity campaigns, public pressure, political pressure, and changes in state and federal law. It was not until 1968 that all fifty states had laws mandating reports of child abuse (Straus, Gelles, and Steinmetz 4). Thus, official statistics compiled by the states before 1968 reflect differences in official legal attitudes toward child abuse and not the true level of abuse in each of the states (Straus, Gelles, and Steinmetz 4). Even today, official statistics vary because each state and each compiler of the statistics in state and local agencies draw on different definitions of child neglect and child abuse. In terms of spouse abuse on the other hand, spouse abuse, few if any agencies have ever bothered to compile statistics on how many wives or husbands batter one another. Although we cannot say definitely whether violence in the American family is on the increase, historical facts argue that family violence certainly is not new and that, probably, we are more violent and perhaps a little less violent toward our own families than were our ancestors. Abused women are found in all socioeconomic levels, all educational, and all racial groups (Finkelhor 29). The abused woman has a martyr-like behavior. She is often a long sufferer and overloaded with the demands of others. The abused woman finds it difficult to nurture herself and she feels unappreciated. The abused woman is often employed but is not allowed control of any finances (Finkelhor 29). She does not know how to deal with stress. She can have anxiety attacks. Usually, this type of woman will feel tired and overworked. She does not provide enough space in her life for breaks. Poor management of time and resources are quite apparent. It is hard for the abused to make life changes. Problem solving is very stressful. The abused accepts responsibility for the batterer’s behavior. The battered woman is isolated and loses contact with her family or friends. She often feels embarrassed about her situation. This type of woman is further isolated because her partner does not want her to give time to friends, neighbors, relatives, or outside activities. He wants all the attention himself. The abused suffers from guilt. He or she may feel that he or she deserves to be beaten for failing to live up to the expectations of the abuser. An abused woman is a traditionalist about her role in the home. She strongly believes in family unity and has traditional expectations of her husband or as the provider. This type of woman wants to keep the image of a socially or religiously acceptable marriage. The abused has a low self-esteem and does not feel that he or she has much value. The abused is extremely critical of his or herself and usually of others. He or she does not have a high level of self-preservation. The abused accepts violence in the hope that someday the abused violence the abuser will eventually change. The abused believes that he or she caused the anger and violence. The abused woman usually loves her husband and wants to trust his promises that he will reform, although it rarely happens. The abused could have been emotionally neglected as a child. He or she could have been physically and/or sexually abused as a child or saw violence in his or her family. He or she could have been abused by a sibling, parent, or a relative. It is difficult for the abused to verbalize her needs and desires to others. He or she has poor communication skills and has difficulty in being able to express his or her anger. The abused woman has poor communication skills and has difficulty in being able to express her anger. Since the abused woman is unassertive, she can be quite manipulative. She is skilled in the art of complaining. However, her complaints are usually not listened to or resolved by her partner. The abused is usually in denial. He or she will not admit to his or herself that he or she has been physically, emotionally, or sexually abused. The abused may think of each incident as an accident. He or she often gives excuses for the abuser’s violence. The abused usually rationalizes the incident. The abused woman is usually taught from her childhood to defer power to a male. Much of the time she feels helpless and will look for someone to help her put her life together. She does not want to take responsibility for making decisions and would rather have someone else make them. Many abused women feel comfortable in taking a complaint position (Finkelhor 29). She has been brought up to believe that women are weak, inferior, and should submit to men in return for financial support. The abused is often depressed. He or she can try to make his or herself less depressed by overdoing things. The abused my turn out to be alcoholic, may overeat, may over exhaust his or herself from work, to name a few. He or she may even contemplate on suicide to end his or her difficult life. Although parents’ use of violence on children certainly is not new, the addition of the term child abuse to our vocabulary has come about only recently. Child abuse typically refers to acts committed by parents on their children that other members of the society view as inappropriate and harmful. Thus, child abuse depends on historically and culturally relative judgments for its meaning. All families have tensions, and all families sometimes resolve these tensions in inappropriate ways. Even the best parents and the most loving couples sometimes lose their tempers, say intentionally hurting things to one another, raise their voices when arguing, and even lash out at loved ones physically. Many structural factors make families particularly prone to violence. One of these is the amount of time family members spend together, which increases the opportunity for violence. Another factor is that family interactions are often emotional, and so especially volatile. In addition, power differential often exists among family members. Children are subordinate to parents, elderly parents are subordinate to their adult children, and wives may be subordinate to husbands. The result is that the powerless sometimes become targets of aggression. Further complicating matter is the fact that children, and to some degree, women as well cannot fight back. Nor can they always choose with whom they will or will not interact. Whereas many interpersonal conflicts can be resolve simply through the dissolution of relationships, family relationships are protected by law and are not so easily severed. Wives can easily feel trapped by the cultural, legal, and economic constraints of marriage. Children are dependent on their parents. Even when child maltreatment comes to the attention of authorities, states are reluctant to break up families and parents are often given every opportunity to change. Everyone involved with spousal abuse seems to have feelings of guilt and frustration that manifest themselves as denial or in a pessimistic outlook. Either they cannot do anything about it so they might as well ignore it, or they cannot do anything about it by they will pretend they can until someone comes up with a better idea. It appears they are embarrassed by their failure or their perception of failure and so use defense mechanisms to protect themselves from it. Perhaps, this explains the general reluctance to talk about the problem at all, to anyone. Some believe that family members can be expected to lose control from time to time, that parents and spouses sometimes need to â€Å"blow off steam. † They may rationalize that a man who hits his wife is not really violent – he just had a bad day at work and lost his temper. Or they many rationalize that a woman is generally a good mother, but her kids were really acting up and she only hit them because she lost control temporarily. Some people believe that such actions are inevitable – even natural – and are hardly worthy of serious societal reaction. The ludicrous nature of the â€Å"it just happens† justification becomes clear, however, when one recognizes that stranger violence is not so easily dismissed. When one stranger assaults another, we do not allow the assailant to dismiss his actions as a momentary loss of control, a need to blow off steam, or a reaction to a bad day at work. Nor do we allow the assailant to blame the victim. We are appropriately intolerant of stranger violence. Violence within the family increasingly is identified as profound societal problems that can exert a multitude of short and long term effects on young people and can take a variety of forms including abuse perpetrated by parents or siblings. Victims of violence are survivors, and they find various ways to help themselves endure the violence until they are able to leave the relationship. The coping strategies they work out enable them to put their feelings on hold so they can deal with the day-to-day challenges of a violent and dangerous life. The most common coping strategy abused people do is denial. Denial enables them to live with what is happening and to avoid feelings of terror and humiliation. Denial can be counterproductive, as they may cause the victim to deny the seriousness of the problem. Anger enables the victim to take strong action in an emergency. Nightmares provide a way to experience strong feelings of fear, anger, panic, and shame the abused may not be able to share with anyone else or even allow him or herself to feel. The emotional impact on children who witness domestic violence done to other people can be significant, particularly when their parents or recognized authority are the ones involved. Moreover, the emotional impact on children is also great when the violence takes places inside the home where children are supposed to be kept away from harm. When children find themselves in a hopeless situation, they can also be harmed regardless of whether or not they are the ones directly abused in the situation (Helfer, Kempe, and Krugman 3). Many times, the effects of domestic violence are intensified when the children think they can no longer expect support coming from their parents or caregivers. They likewise struggle with feelings of fault and guilt. It is crucial to acknowledge that the impact on the child bearing witness to domestic violence can be controlled by a several factors, such as support from concerned adults as well as effective treatment to address their problems. In the vast majority of families, women are the primary caretakers of children. Therefore, the battering of mothers affects children in myriad of ways. Children who witness violence against their mothers are at considerable risk physically, psychologically, and emotionally. These children face two fold threats. One of which is the threat of physical abuse. The other is the threat of bearing witness to a traumatic incident happening inside their home. Children living inside a violent home are also at risk of being harmed. They may be traumatized witnessing their mother being attacked while both of them are left without aid. Consequently, these children may lay the blame on themselves for not being able to do something about the problem. Furthermore, these children may be abused or neglected themselves. Women who have been battered repeatedly are sometimes unable to respond psychologically to their children. They may display the following behaviors: unresponsiveness to the child’s emotional needs, passive rejection of the child, detachment or lack of involvement with the child, interaction with the child only when necessary, no display of pleasure when interacting with the child, lack of positive response to the child’s attempts to elicit interaction, poor ability to comfort the child at times of distress, no sharing in the positive experience of the child, withdrawn affect, no display of emotion, or depression, and an inability to derive pleasure or satisfaction from a relationship with the child (Wilson 32). Children living inside violent homes may be indirectly harmed themselves. These children may be struck by thrown objects or weapons. Babies may suffer injuries in the event that the mother is holding the baby at a time the assault takes place. In other cases, children may receive injuries while they try to protect their mother from harm. Many fathers unintentionally inflict harm on their children while throwing objects while assaulting their wives. The care, affection, and love they deserve are not given to children living inside violent homes. The trust of an abused child towards a violent parent is impaired in the process. Moreover, violence toward a child by a parent often serves to disrupt the development of child-parent attachment. The aggressive family tends to live in an environment that fails to provide the children with appropriate opportunities for or models of socialization or bonding. It is not surprising that children who are victims of family violence often have impaired social relations. Children have been subjected to differing types of maltreatment throughout history, and these atrocities are well documented (Utech 37). For centuries, society has condoned infanticide, physical abuse, sexual abuse, and the exploitation of children’s labor. The prevalence of child maltreatment has endured throughout time and has cultivated tenacious legacies that have shaped societal response to child abuse. Those legacies include the tenet that children are the property of their parents – and expandable as well. These traditions contributed to the slow societal response n defining and responding to child abuse. In addition, society has suffered from a denial of the problem’s existence and prevalence. Child abuse is a complex, disturbing concern that, even though prevalent in underprivileged families, crosses all sectors of society (Helfer, Kempe, and Krugman 3). The human as well as fiscal costs of abuse in America are huge. It is highly possible that billions of dollars are used in social service and treatment costs and lost in reduced productivity for a generation of abused children. The human costs on the other hand fill a long list of psychological disorders. The emotional damage due to maltreatment may last a lifetime. Works Cited Barnett, Ola W. , Cindy Lou Miller-Perrin, and Robin D. Perrin. Family Violence Across the Lifespan: An Introduction. Thousand Oaks, California: SAGE, 2005. Finkelhor, David. The Dark Side of Families: Current Family Violence Research. Thousand Oaks, California: SAGE, 1983. Helfer, Mary Edna, Ruth S. Kempe, and Richard D. Krugman. The Battered Child. Chicago: University of Chicago Press,1999. Smiley, Jane. A Thousand Acres. London: HarperPerennial, 2008. Straus, Murray Arnold, Richard J. Gelles, and Suzanne K. Steinmetz. Behind Closed Doors: Violence in the American Family. Piscataway, New Jersey: Transaction Publishers, 2006. Utech, Myron. Violence, Abuse and Neglect. Lanham, Maryland: Rowman Altamira, 1993. Wilson, K. J. When Violence Begins at Home: A Comprehensive Guide to Understanding and Ending Domestic Abuse. Alameda, California: Hunter

The Organizational Theories of Max Weber

The Organizational Theories of Max Weber Bureaucracy is a distinct concept within organizational settings since it exemplifies a working organizational design as per the ideologies of Max Weber. The principles of bureaucracy derive their basis from the organizational practices and theory. It is thus noted that Weber deduced that bureaucratic organizations conformed to streamlined organizational practices and constructs that improved productivity and efficiency. Diverse factors contributed to efficiency and productivity thus a rational career structure that typifies relations among positions. It is equally noted that such positions are arranged in reference to hierarchy thus according rights, responsibilities to the position within the hierarchy. It is noted that Weber stressed that current bureaucracies need to be managed in accordance to the stipulated rules, procedures and policies that can be learnt. Furthermore, a need arises to record events and transactions so that corrective measures can be initiated. In as much as t he current understanding of bureaucracy differs from Webers ideologies, it is crucial to exemplify its ideal characteristics, the roles of power and authority, the models weaknesses and potency. Bureaucracy as per the ideologies of Weber is characterized by specification of jobs consequently illuminating scope of authority, rights and responsibilities. It is crucial to understand the concept of job specification within the constraints of organizational theory since it highlights the strategies required to satisfactorily complete a task. Arguments by technocrats posit that specification of jobs accords a worker the right to engage in practices within the organization thus attaining stipulated objectives. It is also argued that Weber shunned the operational and tactical levels of an organization consequently focusing on the managerial levels thus limiting specialization (Du Gay, 2000). Authority is a distinct concept that exemplifies bureaucracy, it is thus crucial to deduce this concept by analysis of theoretical constructs and literature. First, authority is widely deduced as the legitimate use of power within the constraints of an organization. Such an organization needs to be defined by rules that enhance appropriate relations. Secondly, authority is derived from a position within an organization and not a person. Assumptions made indicate that for a person to reach a position of authority he or she must be subjected to scrutiny. This is with reference to seniority and skills; furthermore, this process should be conducted in a legitimate and organizational based manner. This will consolidate the position consequently making it simple to exercise authority. Another assumption pertaining to authority is that an individual may lose his or her authority, upon deviation from the norms established within an organization (Clegg, Kornberger Pitsis, 2008). This is part of the discipline process and adherence to the stipulated policies, laws and regulations. As illustrated in popular literature, power and authority assumes a personal dimension. This contradicts Webers ideologies on bureaucracy (Daft, 2007). Organizations are consequently urged to strive to enhance legitimate authority controlled by respect for personnel rights and responsibilities. Centralization is a key bureaucratic concept that needs to be explored by drawing reference to the organizational theory. This highlights the organizational level constructs which are cogent and indispensable for a functional bureaucracy. In order to explore this concept further, it is crucial to hypothesize the degree of specialization since it emphasizes distinct roles played by organizational members; thus, centralization refers to the extent to which such roles are correlated. This is by relations that draw their functionality from a familiar central position or set of positions with the ability to issue commands. Organizational theory and literature affirm that the degrees of centralization in organizations are different. This means that some organizations are more centralized thus they have a single center of command through which all decisions pass. This characterizes a typical bureaucracy thus indicating that possible deviations from this concept lack the spirit and letter of Webers ideologies. A key concept pertaining to centralization indicates that growth in bureaucracy is commensurate to increase in the level of centralization. However, when the level of centralization in an organization is high then the ability to communicate among the members is significantly diminished. This is because other aspects of the bureaucratic organizational design such as formalization and specialization are increasingly manifested (Clegg, Kornberger Pitsis, 2008). Additional key arguments pertaining to centralization indicate that large organizations with departments responsible for definite processes are habitually accorded the opportunity to make their own decisions. This means that when organizations become increasingly large, they decentralize in order to enhance competence and productivity. The classical theory provides insight thus comprehending the concept of centralization through reconciliation of the contrary requisites of centralization and decentralization to attain flexibility in the functioning of different constituents of an organization. Several theories and practices as pertains to public administration equally illuminate the concept of centralization. First, it is a move based on increased administrative competency consequently empowering leaders to engage in elaborate decision-making exercises. Secondly, centralization in the public sector is based on the need to provide uniform services to the people. This becomes simpler when the power to make decisions is with a well-defined position (Denhardt, 2007). Rules within the bureaucratic model constitute the formalization process. These are exemplified by processes or procedures that exemplify the goals and objectives of an organization. These rules are derived from written manuals, policy documents or job descriptions that indicate the rights, as well as the duties of personnel. The classical theory indicates that organizations that are more developed rely, on formal structures such as policies and rules, to achieve discipline and concerted efforts. This is because decision making authorities are unlikely to maintain discipline and control through observing the actions of employees. Furthermore, such actions will only result to conflicts and diminished levels of understanding. It is worth mentioning that Webers ideologies on rules are best exemplified when they are formally coded. The rules that specify tasks need to be distinct and specific; furthermore, they need to be achieved by formal categories of personnel who are qualified and c omprehend the nature of the tasks. Hierarchy is an important constituent of bureaucracy since it supports other organizational attributes such as specialization and centralization. Weber highlights a key constituent of hierarchy, which entails span of control and reporting process. This means that there should be a clear illustration of which leader or manager reports to whom. This enhances unity of command or direction consequently exemplifying the principles of management as fronted by Fayol (Daft, 2007). At this point, it is interesting to note that the characteristics of an ideal bureaucracy are related to the aspects fronted by Fayol with regards to the principles of management. In the event that spans of control are diminished thus the employees reporting to a supervisor are few then the hierarchy assumes a tall stature; furthermore, the vice versa is equally true. A key definitive principle of hierarchy indicates that it is an aspect of complex systems, which are likely to evolve rapidly when stable intermediar y forms are exemplified (Morgan, 1995). Diverse positions within a hierarchy require different qualifications; thus, the need to adopt a clear career structure. This means that personnel can only be promoted on the basis of seniority or distinguished performance within the organization. This will enhance the level of respect for the hierarchy within the organization. It is not forgotten that positions in a hierarchy are paid differently since they carry out different functions and roles. Supervision of personnel is a key concept in bureaucracy since it enhances growth of organizations. The process ensures that personnel act in accordance with the knowledge descriptions that exemplify their roles. Supervision as per the administrative theory fronted by Fayol enhances adherence to rules and technical specifications. It is crucial to highlight that supervision draws recognition for the hierarchy within an organization together with the sources of power. Grey and Willmott indicate that organizational supervision is the key to governance within an institution (Grey and Willmott, 2005). In order to accord the supervision process increased influence, it is crucial to train employees on requirements so that the supervision process does not seem like a learning process. Supervision and training reduces the problems that are associated with specialization within an organization thus the need to ensure they are included in organizational processes (Clegg, Kornberger Pitsis, 2008). Power and authority play distinct roles within an organization as exemplified by the bureaucracy model. It is notable that the cornerstone of any organization that enables it achieves its goals and objectives are the people. This means that power and authority focus on enhancing relations among people. This concept is further exemplified by the argument, which states that loyalty in an organization is directed towards a position and not personalities. This culminates in the impersonality of relations thus focusing on objectives and roles. An additional argument indicates that exercising power and authority in reference to Webers principles means that rules, directives, and discretion are applied uniformly (Daft, 2007). This is concerning definite situations in organizational settings. In the end, this positively influences organizational practices thus facilitating growth. Secondly, power and authority is instrumental in enhancing communication within an organization (Daft, 2007). This is concerning communication theories within organizations, which highlights that top leaders usually surround themselves with loyal executives. This is to stay in touch with events taking place within organizations. It is further acknowledged that authority makes it simple to issue directives to this effect. Furthermore, authority and power makes it simple to build alliances since it enhances unity in direction. Consider the following hypothesis; a management team that supports a leaders decisions and policies contribute to the alliance building within an organization. This ideology works in a reverse direction since lower-level managers can exercise greater authority. This enhances building alliances especially when they relate positively with their superiors. Empowerment is a theory explored within the organizational setting that differs significantly from Webers ideologies; however, technocrats argue that it exemplifies bureaucracy in light of the changing organizational environment. It entails pushing power and authority down the organization to enable the lower-level managers to achieve their target. This eventually contributes to the attainment of organizational goals and objectives (Daft, 2007). Power and authority in this scenario aids in the sharing of responsibilities and delegation of roles. In order to attain significant empowerment levels in an organization, it is crucial that, employees receive information concerning the performance of an organization. Secondly, employees need to draw sufficient power to make decisions (Daft, 2007). Thirdly, employees need to have abilities and skills to make use of the power accorded to them. Resource dependence as a theory exemplified during the 1970s exemplifies the role of power and authority in an organization (Clegg, Kornberger Pitsis, 2008). It states that these aspects define the organizational structure by highlighting organizational considerations. This theory departs from the traditional explanations that expound the formal structure. It is noted that this status is achieved when power and authority are utilized to maintain organizational autonomy. This eventually makes an organization stand out, upon comparison to other entities in the society. Power and authority necessitates a shift from productivity and efficiency as the sole determinants of the success of an organization. It exemplifies the fact that efficiency can only be attained when relevant entities exercise power so as to achieve control and command. It is thus reinstated that power and authority exemplifies an organizations structure making it distinct. This makes it stand out in the market, a facto r that contributes to success and proper positioning. It has been fronted within organizational settings that Fayols theory with regard to management functions can only be attained when power and authority are exercised with reference to bureaucracy. It is necessary to mention the management functions which include planning and control; furthermore, organizing and leading are equally crucial. These functions can only be attained when a leader, executive or related personnel within an organization can exercise authority consequently wielding substantive power. The strengths of organizations that are aligned to bureaucracy are best illustrated by the specialization of tasks. Literature indicates that this enables employees to gather skills on a particular activity within an organization consequently doing it well, upon comparison to job rotation which culminates in diminished specialization levels. It is thus noted that this model augments the efficiency with which tasks are handled in an organization. It is necessary to illustrate the Japanese theory of management, which advocates for job rotation and its effects on an organization (Grey and Willmott, 2005). This can be summarized as lack of specialization such that tasks are accomplished by persons who lack refined knowledge. It is further noted that Webers ideologies on specialization can be equated to Fayols administrative theory. The second strength of bureaucracy is exemplified by the principle of a well-defined career structure. This means that promotion to a senior level or position within a hierarchy is attained on the basis of seniority or attaining the relevant qualifications. It is affirmed that this accords legitimacy to the authority and power wielded by positions within an organization (Grey and Willmott, 2005). Thirdly, bureaucracy allows for the incorporation rules and procedures that guide the actions of employees within an organization. These rules equally stipulate the rights of such employees. This ultimately reduces the need for supervision by observing employees and deducing changes in their performance and attitude. Literature analyzed from organizations such as the UPS, in US indicates that formalization thus initiation of rules and procedures positively influences other processes (Daft, 2007). These processes include specialization and standardization; furthermore, discipline in an organi zation is wholly dependent on the ability to focus on formalization. Finally, bureaucracy propagates hierarchy consequently contributing to respect and adherence to the concepts of scalar chain as exemplified by Fayol. However, Weber failed to forecast a circumstance when a junior person within the hierarchy may need to contact a higher authority, upon notification of his or her immediate boss. This means that scalar chain as exemplified by Weber draws its foundation from hierarchy (Castells, 1996). The benefits of the hierarchy are illustrated exercising power and authority. The weaknesses associated with the bureaucratic model are numerous; however, the most significant entails focusing on the rational and instrumental aspects of human beings. It thus forgets that emotions and societal aspects also affect an organization. This model fails to address moral personality as a determinant of the success of an organization. It is worth mentioning that such a weakness is addressed later in history by Elton Mayo, as exemplified by the human relations theory. This deduces that an organization needs to exist as a technical, social, and economic entity consequently addressing the needs that come with such a position. Secondly, bureaucracy poses a challenge when it comes to the ethical comportment of an organization (Du Gay, 2000). Weber illustrates that this model is a manifestation of ethics since personal capacities are exemplified. However, counter arguments indicate that focusing on leaders and managers consequently forgetting the tactical level amounts to unethical practice. Thirdly, bureaucracy is associated with difficulty in making decisions and executing strategies. This is in light of competitive pressure from an organizations external environment and quality management. Furthermore, increase in the knowledge based roles indicates that decisions need to be made swiftly. This calls for decentralization with the aim of empowering teams and groups so that they can engage in decision-making processes. Consider the following argument that exemplifies the concept mentioned above. Swift decision-making, managing eminence at the point of production and provision of services at the location of customers means that decisions must be made at the lower-levels of an organization (Clegg, Kornberger Pitsis, 2008). These ideologies depart from the principles highlighted by Weber thus highlighting a weakness. Lastly, bureaucracy is cumbersome when poorly executed. Consider General Motors bureaucracy, which is faulted for its inefficiency and diminished productivity. The regional managers indicate that it is impossible to run their branches when directives come from headquarters. These managers have to wait for a long time to receive authorization thus influencing the process (Daft, 2007). Weber visualized an efficient organization that is capable of meeting its objectives through adhering to the concepts of bureaucracy. In conclusion, Webers ideologies focused on a structure of authority that enhances order within an organization. He thus indicates that the model values accountability, precision, reliability and productivity. However, bureaucracy is currently mistaken for officialdom and circumstances associated with red tape. It is noted that organizations currently employing bureaucratic strategies are embroiled in organizational inefficiencies. This is partly attributed to the fusion of this model with unrelated practices. The success of this model is dependent on the effectiveness with which power and authority are exercised in diverse organizational circumstances.