Master and Commander Essay

â€Å"Master and Commander† is the best movie to further my understanding of organizational behavior. In short, â€Å"Master and Commander† is a story about how to use leadership, motivation, power and politics, decision making and creativity to beat the French competitor that seems bigger, faster or stronger than his ship. In the first part of the paper, I would elaborate the point of leadership in this movie. In terms of this, the captain has the power to influence the seamen. As the British crew pursued its opponent, the captain and his team were searching for a calculated strategy that would allow them to defeat the French captain and take the ship as a prize. As it turns out, their strategy was its greatest strength. By applying their knowledge about warfare they were constantly learning about the changing environment, such as the new technology used by the French ship. The British naval officers were able to create an emergent strategy. The captain used the Fiedler leadership model, which matches the leadership style of interacting with the seaman and the degree to which the situation controls and influences the leader. For example, when the captain orders the seamen to fight again the battle, he gives orders to those who are responsible for doing the work. All seamen coordinate together with the captain and follow all the orders of the captain. One proactive aspect of the story was the ability of the captain to embrace knowledge from other disciplines and accordingly act on it. The captain’s friend, who was a doctor, was an accomplished naturalist. And his ideology was that insects disguise themselves well according to the situation around them. Naturally, the captain uses this knowledge to fool the French ship by using potential alternative. Master and Commander are sure to provide lessons in leadership and the captain’s character demonstrated many attributes of quality business leadership. For example, when the seamen place their trust on the captain, they are willing to be vulnerable to his action. In addition with the leadership concept, they learnt how to follow the captain’s instructions, knowing when to engage in the battle, inspiration to pursue achievable stretch goals, the delicate balancing of compassion and leadership of others in the ship, and proper leadership development, mentorship and succession planning. The captain did not follow the rules of leader participation model as he was the sole person  in the decision making process. For example, when he decides to fight against the French ship, his other co-members who had high authority did not agree but he still decided to fight the war. In organizational behavior terms, leadership plays a central part in understanding group behavior. In this movie, the captain shows accurate capability of improving the seamen’s performances. Other concepts used in the movie would be initiating structure, where the captain attempts to organize the battle strategy in order to fight against the French ship and attain their goals. Moreover in the movie some of them did not agree to fight the French ship because it was more sophisticated in terms of technology, but they trusted the captain’s decision. The seamen practice leader member relation concept, where they trust and respect their captain. As mention above, the captain portrays good leadership skills in his approach to manage the ship. Therefore, this would contribute directly in gaining competitive advantage. The seamen would perform better to win the battle and attain the goal of the captain. In terms of organizational behavior, the company would be more productive and the employees would feel satisfied and contented to work under the organization because of the leadership style portrayed by the top management. The other concept observed in the movie is motivation. The captain’s higher authority informed him that his mission should be to destroy the French ship, which till date has not been executed. The captain notices that this will not be an easy task as their ship was damaged from earlier warships. From this point on he becomes obsessed with completing the mission. His main motivation was to stop the ship at any cost and to execute this he drags the crew of ship to attain the obsession. This became his main goal in life. His sole aim now was to stop this ship. Even though he knew that the French ship was larger than his ship, he was still motivated to continue the battle. Apart from that, the captain also portrays management by objective concept in this movie, where he has a specific goal to attain. For example, everyone’s goal in the ship was to fight the French ship and win the battle. Moreover, the captain provides motivation for the seaman in the ship. When one of his lieutenants was looking through the telescope, he noticed two ships approaching but when the captain went to confirm it, he did not see them. The lieutenant would have got discouraged if he had revealed the truth  but he went ahead and complimented him for doing a good job. In the other part of the movie, two of his seaman presents to him the model of the French ship which gives him an idea why the French ship is superior to them. For the job done, he treats the seamen with wine. This is an ideal way of motivating the seaman to perform better in future. Before the war the captain encourages his seaman with his inspirational quote â€Å"discipline will count as much as courage† and â€Å"this ship is our home, this is England†. This inspires and motivates the seaman to combat the French ship. This provides a competitive advantage over and above the other tasks. The captains approach results in complete satisfaction and contentment, which enables the seamen to perform better in the war. Moreover, he motivates the seaman during practice for war and he constantly motivates the seaman throughout the movie. In organizational behavior terms, this increases the productivity of the company and enhances employee performance. The movie shows the effects of power. The captain has legitimate power because he has the formal authority to control, to order and to use resources available on the ship. For example, when the captain orders his seamen, all of them agree and act accordingly to his command. The captain has charismatic power which is really an extension of referent power steaming from his individual personality and interpersonal style. For example, the doctor said that he completely trust’s the captain for his capabilities. Moreover, the entire seaman respects him for his decision and as a charismatic person. The captain once mentioned to his lieutenant that he should not make friends with the seaman but should gain respect from them as he is at an authorative level. This would also make things easier for the captain in command to gain a competitive advantage over the others. Since the captain is the most powerful person on the ship, all seamen would have to follow his command and act according to his needs. In term of organizational behavior, if you want a thing to be done in an organization, power does have an upper hand. Using power in an organization may upset some employees, but this is the one of the ways to attain respect and to give order to the employee. Conflict can be considered as a part of the movie. The first conflict arises  when the captain plans to fight the French ship. During the meeting, the other high authority person in the ship goes against his idea because they feel it is impossible to win against the French ship as it was better equipped than their ship. Conflict arises at this point of time but the captain remains with his plan to fight the French ship. Another conflict in this movie is when the doctor on board asks him to stop at an island because he wanted to see the natural beauty of nature as promised by the captain but he does not agree. The reason being he wanted to continue his journey and stop the French ship. But ultimately both of them land up arguing about the topic. This can be related as task conflict because their goals did not match. In organizational behavior, conflict should be managed in order to gain competitive advantage. Apart from that, managing conflict in work environment is essential. When an employee is satisfied and the work environment is conducive, it would increase the company’s productivity and he or she will have better relationship with other employees in the organization. In this movie the captain used centralized decision making. The term centralization refers to the degree to which decision making is concentrated at a single point in the organization. For instance, the captain had a formal authority and rights in making decisions. He does not consult anyone before making his decision to fight the French ship. From the ethical point of view in decision making, the captain uses utilitarianism where his decision to fight the French ship would benefit him and achieve his goals. Even though some of his fellow people do not agree with him in the earlier part of the movie to fight but later they all supported him and worked together to reach the common goal. In term of organizational behavior, decision making process can be considered as the most important concept. This is because without a proper decision a company will not attain competitive advantage and this will not benefit the company in any ways which will hamper their productivity. â€Å"†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦any organization has to have a sense of where it is going, along with someone to help get it there. Like a ship at sea, all the technology in the world is useless without a firm hand on the tiller and a captain who has a  good sense of direction† (Balancing on a Wire, 1998, p.39). This statement means that the captain should have foresight to manage and control activities towards achieving their goal. In conclusion the captain was in a win-win situation. His primary goal was to defeat his opponents and gain complete control and power over them.

Kay Boyle’s Astronomer’s Wife

Astronomer’s Wife Plot Summary Kay Boyle’s â€Å"The Astronomer’s Wife† is a brief story about a women’s dissatisfaction with her husband and her life. It Begins with Mrs. Katherine Ames waking up in her villa. She called for her maidservant to bring her some coffee as she begun to think about her husband, the astronomer. The maidservant then interrupted her thinking by telling her that the plumber had arrived. Mrs. Ames repeated herself, â€Å"I am Mrs. Ames†¦ I am Mrs. Ames† to call for the plumber. She showed the plumber to a room that has flooded.The plumber examines the flooded room and remarked that it was the â€Å"soil line† was responsible for the plugged drain. While the plumber headed outside to look at the pipes, the astronomer yelled at his wife that â€Å"There’s a problem worthy of your mettle! † as he is still on his bed. Mrs. Ames proceeded outside to the plumber and where he noted that the drains ar e â€Å"big enough for a man to stand upright in them†. Though, Mrs. Ames wasn’t paying any attention because she was still thinking about her husband’s thoughts and the things that he did to make her sad.Meanwhile, Mrs. Ames then looked at the plumber and noticed that he is looking â€Å"up in her face†. She noticed several physical characteristics about the plumber, â€Å"hair as light as gold, lean cheeks, rugged bones, firm and clean flesh. † She began to think about the differences between the plumber and the astronomer, a men who descend and men who go up. Suddenly, everything about the plumber became appealing to her, and she continued to think about the dissatisfaction of her husband. At the end of the story, Mrs. Ames followed the plumber into the drainpipes. CharactersMrs. Ames is the main character of the story. She is married to an astronomer who is a distant and overly interested in abstract things that had caused her to feel dissatisf action of him. She is the astronomer’s only link in the story, but she means a little to him. So such a long time she hadn’t entirely immersed in life from her husband, she then was appealed by the plumber, who is the contrast of the astronomer. The astronomer is married to Mrs. Ames. In the story, the narrator mentioned about the astronomer that â€Å"he was a man of other things, a dreamer. He spent most of his time examining the heavens and attempting to remain as high above the earth as possible. Even Mrs. Ames stated that he likes being on the roof or mountains for many times. However he never physically appeared in the story and only heard from him once when he yelled to Mrs. Ames. His behavior had made Mrs. Ames to think about him most of the time and dissatisfied of him. Meanwhile, the plumber is the astronomer’s opposite. While the astronomer preferred to be high up, the plumber descended down into pipes below the ground.In the story, he had been descr ibe physically and also been suggested as â€Å"brutal. † Mrs. Ames was attracted to his physicality as the plumber is the one who paid attention to her, looked her in her eye when he spoke, and treated her politely. At the end of the story, the plumber told Mrs. Ames an experience which in a sense that the plumber wanted to give her back and important element of her life that she had lost. Reader – Response Criticism Based on my own interpretation, the story shows that when a person, Mrs.Ames, feels the loss of love in a relationship and becomes unhappy, the person will look for the affection elsewhere. Then another character, the plumber, shows up and gives the spouse what she has been missing who is able to give her what has not had. This marriage has turned Mrs. Ames to a robot-like, routinely and every day is the same. This relationship would mostly result in unhappiness and unhealthy. It is because Mr. Ames find more interest in his profession than he does in his wife, clearly is the cause of his wife’s dissatisfaction.Every scene in the story is well described in words. All the details and descriptions help enrich the story. The major characters involved are Mrs. Ames and the plumber. The husband is mostly described by the wife, but he is only the minor character as he is not physically involved in the story. Meanwhile, the maidservant girl is another character which only involved in few scenes throughout the story. The story didn’t describe that Mr. and Mrs. Ames are in a relationship trouble, but the expressions, actions, and thoughts described is a clear indication of a marriage conflict.Even neither the plumber nor Mrs. Ames mention anything about them being interested in each other, but mostly described by the narrating that it is more than just a plumbing problem. Mrs. Ames describe her relationship with Mr. Ames is by talking about him. Although Mrs. Ames didn’t show directly of how she feel about her husband in the story, but is the way she speaks of him in front of the plumber. The couples are actually quite young, but the way they are described makes them look like they are in there fifties, where they seem like too old for any changes in their life.Conclusion The literature contains a lot more than we could expect. The story is actually quite simple, yet there is so much detail within it. Though the theme of a relationship gone bad is so common, but each sentence in the story tell us more to say inside than what is on top. The character’s dialogue is always either focuses on what the character is saying, or focuses on what is meant by what the character is saying. It shows that there is an opposition in each of the character’s words. Thus, it enriches the story into an exciting and provoking story to read.

My Favorite Actor Tom Hanks

My Favorite Actor I never thought about that actor I liked but after analyzing it I think the actor that I like and that caught my attention since I was young is Tom Hanks because he was a collogue student that seemed to have no future in acting and he was not very good on his classes in theater, I leaned that he was born in Concord California his childhood was like a normal kid with, divorced parents his father was descendant of British and his mom Portuguese descent.Hanks was a very shy boy, so the theater classes in high school were as a refuge since he was not popular in school. Interestingly later he continued in theater while studying in California Chabot College. He had no acting experience in college and, in fact, credits the fact that he couldn't get cast in a college play with actually starting his career. He went downtown, auditioned for a community theater play, was invited by the director of that play to go to Cleveland, and there his acting career started.His first TV s how â€Å"Bosom Buddies† (1980) where he meet his second wife the actrees Rita Wilson. I still remember when I went to the cinema to see this film â€Å"Splash† seemed formidable. I still remember the beautiful mermaid, in those years I found it in credible. I also want to mention that seemed to me something like that with the hit movie â€Å"Big,† â€Å"Joe Versus the Volcano† or â€Å"Bachelor Party† (these last two do not remember very well but they were commented in the 80's)Tom Hanks was typecast in the roll of movies comic actor or light and family, no one thought that was going to perform as well in a role as â€Å"Philladelphia† in the role of a gay man dying of AIDS is very well played, was really very believable the character that Tom Hanks in this role that I play in Philladelphia, again showed his acting discipline to lose weight for characterization, to show a man really damaged by this terrible disease.Another famous movie .. w here he showed his great talent as an actor was â€Å"Forrest Gump† Fascinate how developing the role of a man with some level of mental retardation, the posture, the faces, the accent. Simply stunning. I also learned that after filming â€Å"The Green Mille† filmed the first part of the movie â€Å"Cast Away† then began a strict diet after which lost more than 30 pounds of weight, grew a beard and began a process of tanning to continue filming.This information seemed important to emphasize that not only is the dress up for memorizing dialogues and act but also how hard it to be the be on diets either to lower or raise a character to represent adequately. Certainly caught my attention in this movie than most of it we see only one man talking to a volley ball (Wilson is unforgettable) Almost the entire sequence of the island, no background music you hear only the sound of the sea. The island is totally inhospitable boring and lonely.Hanks is capable of a performa nce in which not need anything more than himself hallucinating talking to Wilson. To maintain the film in a high level. of a meticulous man . The viewer really believe when he is afraid and the things he does with his character of a meticulous man, when he goes crazy for the toothache, when sick of being alone, when he has the look of a hermit and hardened man, when mourning the loss a human symbol†¦ In my view his work was very well done. My Favorite Actor Tom Hanks My Favorite Actor I never thought about that actor I liked but after analyzing it I think the actor that I like and that caught my attention since I was young is Tom Hanks because he was a collogue student that seemed to have no future in acting and he was not very good on his classes in theater, I leaned that he was born in Concord California his childhood was like a normal kid with, divorced parents his father was descendant of British and his mom Portuguese descent.Hanks was a very shy boy, so the theater classes in high school were as a refuge since he was not popular in school. Interestingly later he continued in theater while studying in California Chabot College. He had no acting experience in college and, in fact, credits the fact that he couldn't get cast in a college play with actually starting his career. He went downtown, auditioned for a community theater play, was invited by the director of that play to go to Cleveland, and there his acting career started.His first TV s how â€Å"Bosom Buddies† (1980) where he meet his second wife the actrees Rita Wilson. I still remember when I went to the cinema to see this film â€Å"Splash† seemed formidable. I still remember the beautiful mermaid, in those years I found it in credible. I also want to mention that seemed to me something like that with the hit movie â€Å"Big,† â€Å"Joe Versus the Volcano† or â€Å"Bachelor Party† (these last two do not remember very well but they were commented in the 80's)Tom Hanks was typecast in the roll of movies comic actor or light and family, no one thought that was going to perform as well in a role as â€Å"Philladelphia† in the role of a gay man dying of AIDS is very well played, was really very believable the character that Tom Hanks in this role that I play in Philladelphia, again showed his acting discipline to lose weight for characterization, to show a man really damaged by this terrible disease.Another famous movie .. w here he showed his great talent as an actor was â€Å"Forrest Gump† Fascinate how developing the role of a man with some level of mental retardation, the posture, the faces, the accent. Simply stunning. I also learned that after filming â€Å"The Green Mille† filmed the first part of the movie â€Å"Cast Away† then began a strict diet after which lost more than 30 pounds of weight, grew a beard and began a process of tanning to continue filming.This information seemed important to emphasize that not only is the dress up for memorizing dialogues and act but also how hard it to be the be on diets either to lower or raise a character to represent adequately. Certainly caught my attention in this movie than most of it we see only one man talking to a volley ball (Wilson is unforgettable) Almost the entire sequence of the island, no background music you hear only the sound of the sea. The island is totally inhospitable boring and lonely.Hanks is capable of a performa nce in which not need anything more than himself hallucinating talking to Wilson. To maintain the film in a high level. of a meticulous man . The viewer really believe when he is afraid and the things he does with his character of a meticulous man, when he goes crazy for the toothache, when sick of being alone, when he has the look of a hermit and hardened man, when mourning the loss a human symbol†¦ In my view his work was very well done.

Global warming Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 1

Global warming - Research Paper Example By definition, global warming refers to the average increase in air temperature of the globes surface and ocean. This increase has been estimated to have started in 1950. A term used as a synonym for global warming is climate change. According to facts it is a clear and unmistakable fact that the earths temperature is rising. Global warming is not just about two different summer seasons, but it involves changes occurring on the environment, weather and atmosphere. It is thought interms of decades and not seasons. The term global warming can be misleading as it can be wrongly thought to mean that thing are going to be hotter, yet in some cases situations are stormier, drier, or colder. Due to the fact that all things are linked such as temperature, wind and rain, global warming affects the earth in regards to both biology and hydrology. Each year in the past 37 year has experienced warmth that is higher than that of the 20th century on average. The earth has experienced the 12 warmest years ever in history with 2012 being the hottest year ever recorded in the United States. The average surface temperature increase has been over one degree Fahrenheit from 1800s with the last three decades being the worst (Union of Concerned Scientists, 2014). As observed by scientists, the earth’s history on variability is vast with instances such as the cold temperatures compared to ice age, to being as hot as easy bake oven. As projected by scientists, temperatures are expected to increase by an average of 2-11.5 degrees Fahrenheit’s by the end o f 21st century (Trimarchi 2014). As stated by Environmental protection Agency, the earth’s temperature is a balance between the suns heat that leaves and the amountstays on the planet. The earth becomes warm when it absorbs heat from the sun and it is made cooler when the suns heat is reflected back. A lot of factors are responsible for earth’s energy balance, some of which include variation in the green house

Media Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 2

Media - Essay Example In most cases these new forms of media especially the internet makes communication to grow denser, more involving, more complicated, and networked to access the information or facts, more chances to involve public speech and to boast a mutual action by the protestors. It must be noted that technology does not lead into political revolution; but what it does; it offers new potentials and impel new limitations on the actors of politics. It is hard to determine the precise contribution of each kind of the new form of media to every revolution. Notably, there are some forms of media such as the social media which have common in triggering various forms of political revolution like the ones experienced in Egypt and Tunisia. Even as some of the famous political figures make efforts to control the manner in which these forms of media are used, the protestors normally find ways to communicate with the main aim of achieving their objectives that is political revolution. Question Two: Reasons why fewer Hollywood films target mature women compared to other quadrant Hollywood films has for a long time had the tendency to dislike older women in the movie productions. There are some selected reasons why this is the case. Hollywood films are mostly interested in the age of the actors which shows the willingness to sustain or enjoy most of its spectacles. Some of the demography reveals that teenagers and adults have plenty of disposable income while mature adults such as mature women are more cautious in the manner in which they spend their money which is more discerning in their interests. Disposable income might be a big aspect for the Hollywood films or it might not be. Majority of the financially endowed adult women are more willing and able to spend most of their money on all kinds of things which varies from fashion designs and other modern items. Young adult women are more willing to spend quite a large satellite bills given the fact they are in their explorative stage, with little responsibilities to meet which gives them more energy to commit their time toward their careers. Most young women are able to spend most of their time concentrating on their looks and on ways of making their physical looks better. This is contrary to the older women who feel most part of their time must be spent with their families as opposed to extensive travelling and exploration. Hollywood therefore draws their concentration towards the younger women in perfecting their films and boosting their image with beauty and looks. Question Three: Ways in which internet upsets the political economy of communication There are various ways in which the use of internet might upset or disrupt the political economy of communication. One of the common attributes of the internet for political figures might be its apparent uncontrollable feature. The use of internet has been known to render inappropriate the controls and laws of the countries or states and the fundamental quality whe re they can be truthfully be rendered as rights or freedom to expression. The internet is a common platform in attracting the people who have been for a long time considered as voiceless in the past. The various groups on the internet differ from environmentalists and feminists to liberation struggles or right wing

Project Planning Documentation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Project Planning Documentation - Essay Example In this scenario, this report outlines some of the major objectives of implementation of ERP technology. Introduction According to Al-Mashari (2003) the Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems can be viewed as one of the most modern and effective developments since 1990s. Additionally, with the growing attention of a number of businesses towards moving from a traditional functional approach to IT and business IS based corporate working environment, ERP systems have turned out to be one of today’s most popular business information system solutions. In addition, the well-known qualities of ERP business solutions motivated businesses to put into practice ERP systems. In this scenario, some of the well-known qualities of ERP systems include standardization and integration capabilities; besides, this is flexible in the both server and client architecture and their capability to take effectual organizational reengineering and management of foundational and support processes (Al-M ashari, 2002; Turban, Leidner, McLean, & Wetherbe, 2005). Seeing the importance of an ERP system for a business, ABC Corporation has decided to implement a corporate-wide Enterprise Resource Planning package which will form (define) the core technology, database, and development environment to be utilized by the organization. This report will present recommendations for the acquisition and implementation of a corporate-wide business information system RFP from ABC Corporation in Toledo, Ohio. In addition, this report will offer a detailed analysis of the major problems and objectives of ERP technology in the context of ABC Corporation. Problem Situation ABC Corporation is currently running and managing its business tasks using the distributed financial management system in conjunction with various disparate platforms. However, with the rapid growth of ABC Corporation is the past few years, the business has experienced expansion in its business circle and data. In this scenario, the old and other business management systems are not capable of offering any reasonable support for the business management. Due to a large number of business management systems the firm is not able to deliver effective performance and a centralized business platform. The business of ABC Corporation is facing a number of IT related problems, some are outlined below: Vulnerability to arrange errors because of slow processing in the course of customer service. Lack of correct performance information Lack of incorporating financial support Dirty data Less supportive for corporate decision support More load on central corporate management staff No central data repository Different formats of data No standard format of data Less support for efficient extraction of information Manual calculations and compilations Long waiting for time for management reports More data duplication Lower quality data Objectives This section outlines the objectives of ABC Corporation which they want to achieve t hrough the implementation of an ERP system. In this scenario, some of the major objectives of this ERP technology based system at ABC Corporation are outlined belo

Strategy of international Business Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4500 words

Strategy of international Business - Assignment Example The demand drivers for ABC could be the expansion in technology, country’s economic growth and the rising levels of disposable income. An environmental analysis of the company has been carried out as it will help in emphasizing the opportunities as well as recognizing the threats from which the company can get harm. International cultural diversity at ABC is explained. It focuses on the fact that the company welcomes ideas and opinion of their employees to ensure that they represent the international marketplace. They believe that having a diverse staff is crucial to their business. The control process and communication system of the company is also taken into consideration. Among the standardization and adaption approach, standardization approach has been suggested for the company because the standardization method influences the economies of scale which facilitates in lowering the cost. ABC, through their shows satisfies the various needs of audience, which is one of the cha racteristics of standardization approach. One of the main reasons for the adoption of standardization approach is that ABC does not need to differentiate its service or products from its peers as the company is already offering high rated shows on its channel. The marketing mix of the company is also taken into consideration. A market development strategy is suggested for ABC because all shows are already famous and loved by the existing customers and it can expand its business by tapping the new customers. The company could adopt several promotion strategies to make new customers aware of their shows. It has been also recommended that ABC should adopt licensing entry strategy because it will result in the augmentation of their revenue. International business includes entire commercial transactions such as governmental and private sales, transportations, logistics and investments that happen between different nations, countries and regions

Marketing Plan Final evaluation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Marketing Plan Final evaluation - Essay Example Joseph High School2, Toronto). Carnival is defined as the period of merrymaking and feasting celebrated just before Lent3. It is also referred to a traveling amusement show usually including rides, games, and sideshows. In simple words it is nothing but a festival of games and entertainment events in any place of common activity. It is also defined as the festival marked by merrymaking and processions and organized series of Different carnival games like Water Shooters, Fishing game, wack a Mole, Basketball, Potato sack, legged race, egg toss, drunken sailor, dress up races, obstacle course, Ball/ ring Toss and dunk tank are regularly conducted as part of wet stock. In addition, Trivial pursuit, American idol, dance events, and video games like wrestling, madden However relay races were not liked by considerable sample (60). Once the relay race is conducted the preference is mainly given to obstacle course (29), potato sack (21), 3 legged race (13) and drunken sailor (11) (Graph 2). Similarly the higher number of candidates (109) who participated in this survey opined that they would appreciate the communication of video games. The maximum choice was given to guitar hero (13), DRR (12), madden NFL (8), and WII (8) (Graph 3). Video games like MANU, sports, car racing, pacman, NBA, wrestling, diddy kong, rugby, baseball, tetris, NHL, GTA and hockey are also preferred but in lesser number. Majority of the candidates liked the dunk tank (152) and interestingly they have given choice for teachers compared to that of students. Some students have given consent (44) for raffles and majority of the participants are ready to 2-3 $. Majority students (122) preferred out side catering. The preferred items for lunch are pizza (68), hamburgers (57), hot dogs (51), and deli (10) (Graph 4). Similarly the reasonably good number of children showed liking for ice cream (69), cotton candy (55),

Trifles by Susan Glaspell Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Trifles by Susan Glaspell - Essay Example Oh dear, I almost forgot I was in the middle of baking bread, I hope Mrs. Hale will get rid of it. After all this time the dough would to tough to use. How could I sleep through somebody strangling John in our own bed Well, I guess it's like I told Mr. Hale "I sleep sound". There's no other answer for it. Unless I actually tell them the truth. That I don't sleep in the same room with John, haven't in years. But that would be unbearable. Just think of what the other folks around here would think of me for telling that. They'd either think it was a lie to protect myself or that I was one bad wife. Either way that coming out at this time would not look good. Plus it's not like I have any way to back it up. John is dead now and he was the only other one who knew about it. This place could use a good cleaning up. No wonder people are always glad to get out of here, whether they are going to another jail or home, it's got to be better than this place. I wonder how long they will keep me in here. I hope not too long. I really need to get home and clean up my house. And now it will be even worse with all those men tracking in and out, not caring about how dirty they get the place. What do they care they don't have to clean it. I bet they'd be a lot more careful if they did. Then they'd understand how hard it is to keep a dusty farmhouse clean.

Communication Shc Essay Example for Free

Communication Shc Essay Parents and other adults who come into the school are more likely to give beneficial support if communication is strong and effective – this, in turn, benefit pupils. Communication takes many different forms, from talking to letters and memos; for a child care workers is very important to develop good communication skills so they can communicate effectively. WHY PEOPLE COMMUNICATE? There are many reasons why people communicate such as: * To give and receive information * To give and receive instructions Discuss a situation * Make a point or outline a concern * Express a need * Negotiate * Develop learning 1. 2 EXPLAIN HOW EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION AFFECTS ALL ASPECTS OF YOUR WORK Effective communication is the key area for developing relationships with others and also covers many different forms of communication. It is a two-way process. The person communicating has to send the right message, but also needs to make sure that it is being correctly received and understood by the other person or people. Communication involves talking or verbal communication, and non-talking or non-verbal communication. To communicate effectively you will need to: * Be very clear about what you are trying to say * Ensure that the person you are talking to understands what you are saying to them * Showing respect and considering the other child’s or adult’s point of view * Have a rapport with the child or adult you are communicating with * Taking time to listen to others * Being clear on key points Maintaining a sense of humour (laughter can be a good icebreaker and is also a great way of relaxing and relieving stress) * Find opportunities to speak (some children lack confidence and need to be given a chance to warm-up first so that they feel able to do so) * Give eye contact and actively listen (if you look away or are busy doing something else, this gives the recipient the message that you are not really interested in what they are saying) * Use body language and facial expressions, an d be approachable(for example, with very young children, get down to their level) * React and comment on what they are saying (you may need to repeat back to pupils to check on your understanding * Be interested, responding and questioning to maintain conversation so that they can build up an understanding about how it works * The age of the child or young person ( children of different ages will require varying levels of attention) The benefits of good communication are: * Your relationship with the children * Your relationship with colleagues * Your relationship with parents 1. 3 EXPLAIN WHY IT IS IMPORTANT TO OBSERVE AN INDIVIDUAL REACTIONS WHEN YOU ARE COMMUNICATING WITH THEM? When communicating with children or adults it is important to take account individuals feelings and what they want to say. You can do this by carefully observing a variety of reactions such as: * Facial expressions and eye contact * Body language: posture and actions or gestures which help to convey meaning * Tone of voice: this can alter the meaning of what has been said * Pauses * Turn taking * Take account of culture and context, such as where English is an additional language * Build a rapport by showing understanding, respect and honesty It is thought that more than 70% of messages are conveyed through non-verbal ways. NON-VERBAL REACTIONS Facial expressions They can be a way to find out how someone feels. Some facial expressions have the same meaning all over the world, but some cultures inhibit the expression of certain emotions, such as anger or disgust. EYE CONTACT People’s eyes can express a wide range of emotions. People may have intense eye contact because they are trying to understand you. However, some cultures or people may avoid eye contact when they do not understand or agree with you, want to avoid showing their feelings or fear negative feedback. Eye contact has five important functions in communications: 1. It regulates the flow of conversation 2. It controls intimacy in a relationship 3. It gives feedback 4. It express emotion 5. It informs both speaker and listener BODY LANGUAGE Your body language can often indicate your attitudes and emotions. If the person you are communicating with has arms crossed over their chest, this may indicate anger or tension (closed position = communication barrier) * If they lean forward with separated arms and legs, this communicat es warmth and friendliness (open communication) * Indifference to your communication may be expressed through shoulders shugs, raised arms, and outstretched hands * Clenched fists and hunching may convey anger * Slouched shoulders may convey a lack of confidence * A posture with the shoulders back in a relaxed position makes it more likely that others will view you as self-confident GESTURES It is important to learn to observe and understand as much as you can about gestures of the adults and children you are communicating with. * People often use gestures such as head and hand movements to reveal or conceal feelings. They can use them to add emphasis, to illustrate points, and to manage turn-taking * A nod may encourage others to continue talking. Some of these gestures may be used as part of a signed language – such as Makaton – or as an aid to verbal communication in a noisy environment, such a the floor of a busy factory. TOUCH It is one of our most basic forms of communication and it is associated with comfort. It is also a non-verbal communication. The amount of everyday touch which we will allow people to have with us is also culturally determined. VOICE TONE Paralanguage is the way in which language is spoken. By altering our tone of voice or changing its pitch, we can convey different emotions. An example of paralanguage is whispered speech. Paralanguage features include the tone of voice (such as flat or bright), the tempo (fast or slow), and the way in which we emphasise certain words. 2. 2 DEMONSTRATE COMMUNICATION METHODS Effective communication happens when the right method is used to send a message so it can be received and understood. Early years practitioners need to know about a range of communication methods. They should also be skilled at identifying the communication and language needs, wishes and preferences of children and adults in the setting. Children and young people’s care settings are used by people from a diverse range of backgrounds who will want to communicate in different ways. Finding out about each individual’s language needs, wishes and preferences is an important part of your role. You can do this by: * asking parents whether their children have particular language or communication needs * reading reports and notes that provide information on a child’s * speech and language development, learning difficulties, disabilities (such as hearing or visual impairment) or physical conditions that affect communication abilities (for example, cleft palate) * being aware that an adult or child’s culture, ethnicity and nationality may affect their language preferences and needs * observing the children and adults who use your setting to see how they use their communication and language skills * asking your supervisor or mentor, senior staff and specialist professionals (such as speech and language therapists and SENCOs) for information, advice and support when communicating with children or adults who have special communication needs. You may need to communicate with adults (parents, work colleagues, visitors or other professionals) who have special communication needs as a result of a hearing or visual impairment, or because English is not their first language. Meeting an individual’s needs, wishes and preferences Talking is not the only way of communication with adults and children in a setting. There are different ways of communication that may be used during the day, such as: * telephone * email * video conferencing * letters * memos * sing language * interpreting 2. 3 HOW AND WHEN TO SEEK ADVICE ABOUT COMMUNICATION There may be situations in which you feel unsure about how you should communicate with a child or adult. Perhaps you will be aware that you are struggling to communicate effectively with somebody. In situations like these, you should seek advice and obtain support. You can do this by: * talking to your supervisor, mentor or line manager about the difficulty – ask for their advice about how to deal withthe problem * talking to communication or language support specialists (teachers, psychologists or speech and language therapists) who work at or spend time in your work setting. When to look for support * When you are anxious about approaching an individual * When you are not sure how to deal with a situation * When child uses another language * When you want to improve your relationship with an individual * When communication is not effective * When you feel communication is not effective If you want to learn how to communicate in a way such as signing or an individual’s home language * If you find out an adult or child has communication needs Where to look for support * Always talk first to the line manager, who may be able to advise you or work with you to seek support * Then she/he will advise you where to find support, and will probably be the person to find appropriate support if it is external * If you work in a children’s centre you are likely to have support services to help both children and adults develop their communication skills BE ABLE TO REDUCE BARRIERS TO COMMUNICATION Knowing about different barriers to effective communication will enable you to avoid potential difficulties and adapt your communication approach when this is necessary. Barriers to communicate are things that interfere with a person’s ability to send, receive or understand a message. These may be physical, organisational, personal, to do with language and culture or to do with the presentation of information. Attitudinal example Language and culture WAYS TO REDUCE BARRIERS TO EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION Barriers to communication can often be overcome, or at least reduced by making changes to the environment, adapting your approach or by using support services such as SENCO (Special Educational Needs Coordinator). Adapting the environment Environmental changes might include: * replacing poor lighting with brighter lighting * reducing background noise or creating some quiet areas putting up multilingual posters and displaying signs clearly * fitting electronic devices such as induction loop systems for hearing-impaired people. Adapting your approach to communication In order to improve communication, early years practitioners can adapt their approa ch by: * making sure they can be seen clearly, facing both the light and the person they are talking to * making sure their mouth is visible when speaking * minimising background noise * using eyes, facial expressions and gestures to communicate as necessary and appropriate. Timing Speaking clearly and slowly, and repeating or rephrasing what you say can make communication more effective for some children and adults. The speed or pace of communication may need to be slower if a person has a hearing or visual impairment, a learning disability or is anxious and confused. It is also important to allow time for the person to digest your communication and to respond. This can mean making silences comfortable while the person works out how to reply. Using support services and specialist devices Early years practitioners should understand the language needs and communication preferences of the children and adults with whom they work. If a child or adult has difficulty communicating in English or has sensory impairments or disabilities that affect their communication skills, specialist communication support may be needed. Learning a few words of another person’s language or developing some basic sign language skills can really help an early years practitioner to establish a positive, supportive relationship with a child and their parents. HOW TO ENSURE THAT COMMUNICATION HAS BEEN UNDERSTOOD There are various ways that you can find out if your communication has been successful. If you can do this, it can help to solve any issues that arise and stop barriers from developing. Active listening Active listening involves paying close attention to what the other person is saying, while also noticing their non-verbal communication. People who are good at active listening also tend to be skilled at using minimal prompts. These are things like nods of the head, ‘Mm’ sounds and encouraging words like ‘Yes, I see’ or ‘Go on’. Skilful use of minimal prompts encourages the person you are communicating with to keep speaking or to say a little more. Clarifying or repeating You can ensure that your communication has been understood by clarifying (repeating back, summarising or rephrasing) aspects of what the person has said during the conversation. You could say something like, ‘Can I just check that you meant †¦? ’ or, ‘Do you mean †¦? ’ You should try not to clarify too often in a conversation as this will interrupt the speaker’s flow; it might also make them think you are ‘parroting’, which may appear insincere. 3. 4 SOURCES OF INFORMATION AND SUPPORT OR SERVICES FOR MORE EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION Royal National Institute for the Deaf (RNID): They give support to people with hearing and sight loss with agencies in different areas. Association of Sign Language Interpreters Qualified in sign language professionals help people who are hard of hearing to communicate. Royal National Institute for the Blind Agencies in different areas give visually impaired people support in communicating. Teaching Development Agency Have courses to support teaching assistants working with children in schools. Common Assessment Framework (CAF) Give practitioners a right to seek support in communicating with parents and children who have specific needs. Department of education The government website or your local authority website gives information about local agencies that will help to communicate with families from a variety of cultures and religions. BIBLIOGRAPHY Children amp; Young People’s workforce by Heinemann Pages 2-20 www. collinseducation. com/resources/hsclevel2chapter1. pdf Pages 1-15 PRESENTED BY MONICA BELALCAZAR INTRODUCTION TO COMMUNICATION UNIT SHC 1. 2 CYPW L2 KNOWLEDGE TASK PART TWO 4. 1 WHAT IS CONFIDENTIALITY Confidentiality is not about keeping secrets; it is about protecting an individual’s right to privacy. You may obtain private, personal information from children or parents as part of your work role. As an early years practitioner you have a duty to: * keep personal information about children and families private * only share information about children and families with those who have a right to know or when a parent has given permission. Your workplace will have a confidentiality policy that sets out the rules and procedures on sharing confidential information. You should read this and make sure that you follow it in your practice. You may be asked to sign a confidentiality agreement as part of your employment contract. Again, you should have a clear understanding of what this means in practice. Cross reference with TDA 2. 2 assessment criteria 3. 5 4. 3 SITUATIONS WHERE CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION MIGHT NEED TO BE PASSED ON There may be times when you have to reveal what you have been told, or have seen, to a more senior person at work or to an external organisation. A parent, child or colleague’s request that you maintain confidentiality can be overridden if: * what they say suggests that a child may be at risk of harm * they reveal information that can be used to protect another person from harm * a court or a statutory organisation, such as OFSTED, asks for specific information about a child. * If a child needs additional support from other professionals * If a child is suspected to be in a situation that risks their safety * If an adult has disclosed information that may raise concerns over their ability to carry out daily duties in your setting * If an outside body such as Ofsted requests to see an adult’s or child’s records When should you seek advice about confidentiality It is best to treat everything you learn about children and their families in your workplace as confidential information; it is advisable to check with your supervisor before you pass on confidential information. Similarly, it is always best to tell your supervisor if you receive any information that concerns you. If someone wants to tell you something ‘in confidence’, you should say that you may not be able to keep the information to yourself because part of your job involves safeguarding children’s welfare. It is then up to the person to decide whether to tell you or not. Always do this in an area where nobody else can overhear what you are saying. It is better to seek advice verbally rather than using communication such as email, which other adults could access. BIBLIOGRAPHY Children amp; Young People’s workforce by Heinemann Pages 2-20 www. collinseducation. com/resources/hsclevel2chapter1. pdf Pages 28-29

Personnel Management and HRM

Personnel Management and HRM Personnel management is a type of Human Resource Management. This area of management is concerned about workers and staff of the organization. They are responsible for recruiting and staffing of employees in an organization. Its features include: Organizational management Personnel administration Manpower management Industrial management The term personnel Management and Human Resource management can be called as the same process having two names. In todays world Personnel management is known as human resource management which came into effect during the 1970s and got the acceptance in 1989.Both terms however, referred to the same thing; the personnel manager who work for a company represent that companys human resources. Although Human Resource Management department did not exist in the 1940s, but many Human Resource practices and programs that we see today emerged in the earlier times. Human Resource Management (HRM) previously known as personal management, deals with formal system for the management of the employees within the organization. HR mangers have many things to do and think regarding their workers. These concerns include how to manage layoffs, address reduced employee loyalty, and create a well trained highly motivated work force through training, capable of higher productivity with high quality. Manage and increase diverse workforce and contain health care cost. In 1970s, the job of the HR manger was to keep their companies out of court because at that time the government set many regulations regarding the work. In the 1980s HR mangers had to address staffing costs related to mergers and acquisitions and downsizing. The economic issues related to an increasingly global and competitive workplace characterize the 1990s Shifting from Personnel Management to HRM: The most important role of HRM can be from the transformation of the personnel management function from concentrating on employee welfare to managing workforce in a way, that meet organizational and individual goals and providing employees with internal and external rewards. Therefore, today Human Resource Management (HRM), previously had known as personal management, deals with formal system for the management of the people within the organization. Many well-known companies report that they are trying to transform their workforce into a source of competitive advantage. Stages of shifting of Personnel Management to HRM: Firstly, Effective HRM focus on linking HRM problems to the overall strategy of the organization, the most effective HRM will design policies and practices for such corporate policies and strategies which can change an organizations culture Secondly, building strong cultures is a way of promoting particular organizational goals, strong culture is aimed at uniting employees through a shared set of managerially set of values (quality, service, innovation etc.) Thirdly, the attitude that people are a variable cost is ineffective HRM, replaced by the view that people are resource and that as social capital can be developed and can contribute to competitive advantage. It is accepted that competitive advantage is gained through well-educated and trained, motivated and committed employees. Fourthly, the view that the interests of employees and management or shareholders are divergent which was substantially true in the past is giving way to the view that this need not necessarily be so. Shift of personnel management to HRM took place in three stages: 1. Records and Administration 2. Accountability Regulations 3. Competitive Advantage 1. Records and Administration: In first stage the primary activities, which were carried out by personnel department, were, Planning Company picnics Scheduling vacations, Enrolling workers for health-care coverage, planning retirement parties, increase diverse workforce and contain health care cost. 2. Accountability Regulations: During this stage primary framework of rules and regulations started emerging in the organization. In 1970s, the job of the HR manger was to keep their companies out of court. In the 1980s HR mangers had to address staffing costs related to mergers and acquisitions and downsizing. 3. Competitive Advantage: The aim of this shift stage is from merely securing compliance to the more ambitious one of winning commitment. The employee resource, therefore, becomes worth investing in, and training and development thus assume a higher profile. P 2: -Assess the role, tasks and activities of the human resource practitioner HRM plays a very important role in the success of every organization especially big organization where it is difficult to manage all the activities. HRM is also developing and maintaining a quality of work life thats make employment in the organization desirable. It provides well trained and multi-skill employees. One of the most important functions of HRM is that it brings strategic integration. To integrate all the functions from top management to lower management. Integrate them at one specific point that all functions are interrelated. The policies of HRM are structured in such away which allows maximum flexibility and because of flexibility it can bring innovation because innovation is also very important for the success of an organization like that of specialized cycle. There motto is innovation or die. HRM also force on better quality because of the best quality it can survive in the market. Because with the industrial revolution there when new competitors enter in to the market the old competitors stress on quality in order to show that they have a competitive edge. The HR Manager has an important role in developing and reviewing policies, practices and later referring them to senior management for decision making. The HR Manager generally educates staff through applied theories and retraining them with skillful training for line managers. The HR Manager provides support and guidance to those employees which are involved in unwelcome actions. HR Manager is responsible to find such people whose abilities are competent with the nature of business in which the organization is involve. HR Manager conducts job analysis, recruitment and selecting processes effectively and efficiently which helps an organization to hire capable people. HR Manager is responsible to increase the skill and knowledge level of the employees in order to improve their performance level. It is not obvious that one strategy regarding improving performance level which works for one organization will also work for others HR Manager has a key role in appraising an employee. Through appraising the HR department can judge employees performance. A performance appraisal compares every employees real performance with the benchmarks of standards i.e. appraising employees help the companies in evaluating its employees. HR Manager is responsible to make sure that its policies are competent with the government rules and regulation so that the government shouldnt take the company to court. Secondly it is the ethical responsibility of the organization that it should work under the premises of government laws. The HR Manager builds a competitive edge because conceptually HRM is a strategy of using human resource. Now a day if a company wants to build a competitive edge over its competitors so it has to be very good in managing its human resource because it is the human who use all other sources of production. HR Manager is responsible to make such an environment to make employees effective and efficient to adapt the changing of technologies to perform the operations. Now a days planning is needed for all the functions and actions of the organizations. Building strategies is one of the core purposes of planning. As human assets are considered the keys to business success so while planning and building strategies it is very important to integrate the strategies regarding human resource with over all corporate strategic planning so that the success can be achieved. An Ideal HR Manager Generally HR Manager should perform such activities like planning, directing, and coordinating human resource management actions of an organization to develop the strategic usage of human resources and to continue functions such as recruitment, employees training, planning, employee compensation, and employees performance appraisal. HR should be a Profit Centre which refers to a part of a corporation that directly adds to its profit. Organizations may be organized in terms of profit centers where the profit centers revenues and expenses are held separate from the main companys in order to determine their profitability. We can justify this that recruitments, staff settlement, training and other things that they do should be profitable for an organization. They need to reduce administration cost through proper planning for example providing transport facilities, coffee, tea, lunch expenses, other bonuses lead to higher administrative cost. It will help them to avoid wastage of resources. They need to conduct Performance Appraisal properly which refers to as a method by which the job performance of an employee is evaluated (generally in terms of quality, quantity, cost, and time) typically by the corresponding manager. They should provide their employees compensation which refers to as a systematic approach to providing monetary value to employees in exchange for work performed. Compensation may achieve several purposes assisting in recruitment, job performance, and job satisfaction. They need have good relationship with different departments and try to keep themselves up to date from their activities and performances in order to prevent miscommunication and other disputes. P3: Evaluate the role and responsibilities of line managers in human resource practices? Line manager is person who deals with the workforce directly. Line manager plays important role in the success of HR manager. Line managers play vital role in terms of implementing HR policies and practices such as, disciplinary handling, absence management, Training and appraising employees. Line managers now have a greater involvement in the recruitment and selection process from the outset.ÂÂ   Alongside the HR manager, line managers are now typically involved in briefing the recruitment agency, writing the advertisement, short listing and interviewing they then make sure that recruitment is right. HR manager gets staff information from the line manager, for example if the employees are not working properly or they dont come regularly, these line managers inform the HR manager to take proper actions. If some workers are not performing well then HR manager consults line manager for providing them training in order to develop the skills and techniques of their employees and th en appraising those employees who are working well in order provide them with equal growth opportunities. Some researches have found that where employees feels positive about their relationship with their line managers they are more likely to have higher levels of job satisfaction, commitment and loyalty which are associated with higher levels of performance, for example taking care of employees health and hygiene factors will address employees absenteeisms and hence increase their motivation. As well as line manager helps HR manager in providing employees other fringe benefits such as free medical, transport and free education for employees children and treating every in the same way will increase their loyalty towards their organization and hence, it will address the discipline problems. Therefore, the involvements of line manager in HR practices improve their activities further. M1: Discuss how the concepts of PM and HRM are practiced in an organization? We have selected UFONE as an organization. As we all know that Pakistan Telecommunication Corporation Limited (PTCL) that started its operations in January 2001 under the brand name UFONE. As a result of PTCLs privatization, UFONE became a part of the Emirates Telecommunication Corporation Group (Etisalat) in 2006. (Referenced from: http://ufone.com/about.aspx ) They have got large human resources in their Peshawar branch office. They have a human resource department in Islamabad to guide their employees and provide those facilities and comfort. In this company there are several departments such as sales department, customer care department, finance department, marketing department, corporate department etc. In UFONE Human Resource Department has individual relationship with each department. In UFONE the roles and responsibilities of Human Resource Management Department which was previously known as Personal management in recruitment process is given below: Before hiring new employees the HR department ensures that whether there is a need to hire a new employee for the particular job. The recruitment in UFONE is of both internal and external nature. Internal Recruitment In this case the employees already in the organization are encouraged to fill the vacant position. The HR department and other senior department choose the best fit from the employees within the UFONE. After the promotion employees are sent for further training. Internal recruitment motivates the employees to perform well and produce good results. It also creates a healthy competition within the staff of UFONE. External Recruitment If the HR department of UFONE feels that there is no one in the company who can fill the vacancy then they recruit from external sources. First they select some supervisors with whom the new people will work in order to form a panel of people who will interview applicants. UFONE has a data base system i.e. HRMS (Human Resource Management System) for its current applicants as well for the future employees. People just drop their CVs there and in case some vacancy occurs HR department call them for an interview. UFONE also advertise internally for recruitment purpose, because their current employees pass this information to their friends and families. UFONEs HR management has the service of internal flow, web designer, and Eveready media in order to post their advertisement. They also have eCVs format in which people put their CVs without moving and this system forward them to the HRM department. Recruitment procedure in UFONE For collecting application everything is computerized and it is very easy for them to reply too many applicants. They handle first those people who do not fit in their job and deal them carefully because they consider them their future applicants. Then they take on-line evaluation test (basically for testing personality and skills) and candidates that pass this test are called for an interview and the day for the interview is already set. Then the results are screened by an expert penal in order to reduce the chances of errors in selecting the candidates. After selecting the candidates then they are referred to accounts department for settling the pay and they give the new employees an orientation of what is his/her duties and responsibilities in UFONE. Then after some time they provide them training for enhancing their skill of communication with their client. The basic purpose behind all these recruitment steps is to hire a skillful workforce in UFONE who work toward department and the organizations goals and objectives and to get competitive advantage. M2: Make an effective judgment about PM and line manager responsibilities in studied organization. The line manager has key role in UFONE. They are responsible for dealing workforce directly and they are there to help the HRM department and others as well. The way line manager works with HR manager in selection processes, disciplinary handling, absence management, and training and appraising in UFONE which has been mentioned in P3. According to the Judgment given to us by the HR manager of UFONE, they are achieving their goals on time. He said our HRM department has good relationship with every department of UFONE such as marketing, corporate, finance, sales, customers care departments etc. The HR department plan rules and regulation and the way they want their employees to work then our line managers pass those information to the lower staff so that they perform accordingly within time in order to get organizational goals. Some time they work more than their required duty timing from 9am to 5pm and till 8pm so that they get their targets. But what we judged after studying UFONE i s even though they provide their employees all the monetary and non-monetary benefits a lot of employees from both managerial and non-managerial levels left UFONE just after few months of their joining. The major reason behind this is that sometime in order to achieve their targets in the season many people keep working more then their required duty timing of 9am to 5pm and continue till 8pm and employees find themselves without their social life. Another problem that we noticed was that there was lack of communication between sales departments and the marketing department. D1: Evaluate the roles and responsibilities of HR manager and line manager in the organization as compared to their ideal role. Here we would like to specify the problems or the area in which HR manager is lacking after studying UFONE. In this company communication between different departments is very bad for example an year ago their marketing department made an offer in their advertisement that customers can get UFONE Sims for free without informing their Sales department, that advertisement attracted the attention of every one, then every one rushed to get Sims for free, while they didnt had enough Sims to supply as consequences their image was badly effected and their Customer Care Department received thousands of complaints. We have held HR department for the problem of miscommunication between different departments because HR focuses on openness in communication between senior management and employees in different departments, results in improving employee engagement and their productivity this shows their focus is not to provide open communication. Another problem that UFONEs HR Manager is facing is t hat even though they provide their employees all the monetary and non-monetary benefits a lot of employees from both managerial and non-managerial levels left UFONE just after few months of their joining. The major reason behind this is that sometimes in order to achieve their targets in the season many people keep working more then their required duty timing of 9am to 5pm and continue till 8pm and employees find themselves without their social life. This problem shows that HR manager is not performing well because its not only money that is important to their employees they needed also to take care of employees by allowing them to go at 5pm so that they can spend time with their families. The ideal roles of their HR manager in UFONE should be the following: HR manager should build such communication system in which each department can communicate with each other so that marketing department increase demands of their customer by consulting the sales departments in order to make an effective advertisement for their product in this way each department will perform better. HR manager needs to have back up staff in season time where targets are high and with allotted time employees had to work over time for getting their targets. And provide them emergency leaves if the employees have emergency in their homes by doing this HR can stop their employees from leaving. They need to reduce administration cost through proper planning for example providing transport facilities, coffee, tea, lunch expenses, other bonuses lead to higher administrative cost. It will help them to avoid wastage of resources. They need to conduct Performance Appraisal properly which refers to as a method by which the job performance of an employee is evaluated (generally in terms of quality, quantity, cost, and time) typically by the corresponding manager. They should provide their employees compensation which refers to as a systematic approach to providing monetary value to employees in exchange for work performed. Compensation may achieve several purposes assisting in recruitment, job performance, and job satisfaction. They need have good relationship with different departments and try to keep themselves up to date from their activities and performances in order to prevent miscommunication and other disputes. D2: Suggest recommendations for realistic improvement against the defined Following are the recommendations for UFONE to carry out their human resource planning in a better way: The prediction of requirement and availability of the work force is considered an essential step in carrying out human resource planning for any organization. UFONE should do the forecasting keeping in mind the rapid changes in demands which has been taking place and should spend their time in finding best employees from service sector, which could be a source of competitive advantage for the organization. They should always look for hiring the quality workforce and this can be done effectively by keeping contacts with universities because fresh candidates no matters they are not experienced but they show enthusiasm and commitment in their early jobs to built a platform for their career. So they can hire the fresh candidates and should train them to assist the HR professionals. Moreover the initial step should be the establishment of the HR departments on regional levels because without proper HR professionals, qualitative human resource planning is not possible; this is discussed in detail in the upcoming topics. Recruitment and selection process has a pivotal role in making successful HRM policies. In case of UFONE before advertising any vacancy they should do proper job analysis which will lead to the development of an effective job description and job specification and will result in attracting potential talented candidates for the job. They should practice performance management policies, different incentives scheme should be introduced e.g. if a department within the office shows outstanding performance in generating more revenue then the rest of the areas or has performed well in reducing the complaints in that area then should be given some special incentives and should be provided companys certificate for good performance because a companys certificate means a lot to any employee. They should give all of them some role in decision making and should give them chance to achieve their full potential. Moreover job security should be given top priority because if the employee feels being in an uncertain environment and does not feel being a part of that company so he/she can never perform well, so in order to make them contribute effectively and to fulfill their responsibilities UFONE needs to work on job security. In addition, the employees should be promoted and given more benefits and greater responsibility based on their efficiency and experience. All this which will help them in keeping their employees loyal and committed and as a result employee turnover will be low. Proper training and development keeps an organization ready to face untoward situations and helps them in gaining competitive edge over its competitors. UFONE should review the performance of employees after every quarter for this purpose they should make the separate profile of each employee and their performance should be evaluated against the standard performance required for the success of the organization, this will help UFONE in finding out key areas for development for that particular employee and accordingly they can assess what his/her training needs are. Moreover in response to the case discussed above, they should invite all the employees for the training programs instead of inviting a couple of employees from every department because all of them deserve to improve and work on their skills and to get better training. Organization environment and structure is considered as the most critical factor for the success of the organization in case of UFONE the employees suggestions should be given due consideration while making the strategy this will make employee feel as a part of the organization and besides that flexible working hours and family friendly policies should also be introduced because they dont need only money in fact, they should take care of their personal needs as well. As earlier we have discussed that sometimes employee works till 8pm so this is against their own needs, they should set a proper schedule for taking out the work from employees.

The Holiday of Ramadan :: Ramazan Islam Religion

Ramazan is fast approaching, evoking excitement and anticipation in people of all ages. The very thought of it conjures up images of a splendid month of fasting and the general spirit of well-wishing and generosity. No mention of Ramazan would be complete without referring to the special food and drink prepared during this month. Samosas, special sweets and drinks all lighten up the dinner table as families sit down together for Iftaar. But the change in eating, sleeping and working habits during the month affect our health more adversely than otherwise. Excessive sleeping and eating, obesity, heartburn, constipation, lethargy and disturbed routines are problems that have mushroomed in recent years due to our own mishandling of this auspicious month. However, to ensure a fruitful and fulfilling Ramazan this year, we need to keep some important things in mind. As the month approaches, prepare yourself both mentally and physically. Make an effort to unburden yourself at work by getting more done in the preceding month. It is important to try and reorganise your routine ahead of Ramazan, to ease the transition and to shift the workload appropriately when the need arises. As Ramazan draws nearer, it is very important to make a sincere effort to switch to healthier eating habits, no matter how impossible it may seem when you actually get there. Starting the practise early can help. During the time leading up to Ramazan, adopt simple and healthier eating habits, like eating only when hungry and leaving a portion of the stomach empty. This will make your body more active, light and full of energy by stimulating the utilisation of internal energy reserves. Many children also enjoy going to Tarawih with elders, even though it means returning home late and tired. There is a sense of novelty with the totally different schedule and activities that Ramazan is made up of, and the enjoyment that children derive from it is something that only they can understand. As they grow older, you can see their enthusiasm wearing off.

Ambiguity in Hawthornes Young Goodman Brown Essay -- Young Goodman Br

Ambiguity in â€Å"Young Goodman Brown†Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚        Ã‚  Ã‚   Peter Conn in â€Å"Finding a Voice in an New Nation† makes a statement regarding Hawthorne’s ambiguity:   â€Å"Almost all of Hawthorne’s finest stories are remote in time or place. The glare of contemporary reality immobillized his imagination. He required shadows and half-light, and he sought a nervous equilibrium in ambiguity† (82). There is considerable ambiguity in Nathaniel Hawthorne’s â€Å"Young Goodman Brown,† and this essay will examine this and its causes.    R. W. B. Lewis in â€Å"The Return into Rime: Hawthorne† mentions the ambiguity associated with the key imagery in â€Å"Young Goodman Brown†:   â€Å"For Hawthorne, the forest was neither the proper home of the admirable Adam, as with Cooper; nor was it the hideout of the malevolent adversary. . . . It was the ambiguous setting of moral choice. . . .† (74-75). Henry James in Hawthorne, when discussing â€Å"Young Goodman Brown† mentions how allegorical Hawthorne is, and how it is not clearly expressed with this author:    The only cases in which it is endurable is when it is extremely spontaneous, when the analogy presents itself with eager promptitude. When it shows signs of having been groped and fumbled for, the needful illusion is of course absent, and the failure complete. Then the machinery alone is visible and the end to which it operates becomes a matter of indifference (50).    When one has to grope for, and fumble for, the meaning of a tale, then there is â€Å"failure† in the work, as Henry James says. This unfortunately is the case of â€Å"Young Goodman Brown.† It is so ambiguous in so many occasions in the tale that a blur rather than a distinct image forms in the mind of the reader.    The Norton Anthology: Amer... ...    Lang, H.J.. â€Å"How Ambiguous Is Hawthorne.† In Hawthorne – A Collection of Critical Essays, edited by A.N. Kaul. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1966.    Lewis, R. W. B. â€Å"The Return into Time: Hawthorne.† In Hawthorne – A Collection of Critical Essays, edited by A.N. Kaul. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1966.    Martin, Terence. Nathaniel Hawthorne. New York: Twayne Publishers Inc., 1965.    Melville, Hermann. â€Å"Hawthorne and His Mosses.† In The Norton Anthology: American Literature, edited by Baym et al.   New York: W.W. Norton and Co., 1995.      Ã¢â‚¬Å"Nathaniel Hawthorne.† The Norton Anthology: American Literature, edited by Baym et al.   New York: W.W. Norton and Co., 1995.    Wagenknecht, Edward. Nathaniel Hawthorne – The Man, His Tales and Romances. New York: Continuum Publishing Co., 1989.         

Gays in 9-11 Essay -- Gay Rights Argumentative Persuasive Essays

Gays in 9-11 The events of September 11, 2001 have left many people all over the world speechless to say the least. What happened that day at New York City’s World Trade Centers and Washington D.C.’s Pentagon have left many people without their loved ones, their jobs, or any sense of reason. Husbands lost wives, wives lost husbands, children lost parents, parents lost children, and partners lost their other halves. Friendships and families were destroyed. It is at our time of weakness that we are able to be our strongest. For it is at that time when there is nothing else to do, and no where else to go; when you’ve hit rock bottom there is no where to go but up. No one asked questions, people just did whatever they could to help. America’s public safety organizations didn’t hesitate for a second; they risked their own lives to help save the lives of others, people they didn’t even know. The only thing that our public safety teams knew was that all the innocent people that were attacked were fellow Americans. Perhaps that was all the information they needed, but day after day teams were back at Ground Zero and the Pentagon relentlessly looking for survivors and doing whatever they could to quickly get our lives back on track and gain some sort of closure. However, now it is time to start asking the questions no one ever wants to. â€Å"United we stand.† Direct from the media on a one way path into your homes these words and other such phrases have been tossed around and thrown in your face. Stop, and think. What is the real meaning of these inspirational and nationalistic phrases? Inspirational and nationalistic for whom? United is an adjective that means â€Å"combined into a single entity; concerned with, produced... ...size their differences or similarity from the heterosexual norm? If lesbians and gay men are increasingly integrated into society as full citizens, what will happen to other more marginalized groups, such as poor women on welfare? Does equality for some necessarily lead to equality for all† (Stein 225)? Arlene Stein is trying to articulate similar questions to those posed in the previous paragraph. What will happen to the immigrants who have been oppressed in the past, will they fall through the cracks while gays and lesbians gain acceptance? Or will they too be accepted? I assure you, the questions don’t stop here. My paper raises the question of acceptance, but is that all we really want? Do we just want acceptance across the board, or will all of us, gay and non gay, participate in the queerer project of inventing more just worlds and communities?

Letter to Joyce’s Eveline’s Father

25 November 1844 Dublin Dear Father, I have always attended your every need, and I was there whenever you needed me. I worked hard. I worked hard at home, I worked hard at the store and I’ve come to realize; I am not in the bit happy. I am not happy about working this much and I am not happy about what I get for it. Everything is changing, everybody’s going somewhere and I am stuck and my life isn’t going anywhere. I remember how my mother used to be. She used to work hard, very hard.She sacrificed herself for us father, and I am not her and I can’t be like her here. I will always be her daughter here, not a woman. Daughter of a ghost! I am leaving father, although with sorrow in my heart, I am leaving. I am running away with Frank. I will be safe, Frank will take care of me. I will be far, very far away. I will have a house and a husband. People will respect me. I will have a life, a life of my own. I’ve made so many sacrifices father: To you, to c hildren, to the store; but I never got anything in exchange.After all that time a gentleman who appreciates me comes along and you father forbade me to see him. I can’t die in this house father, this house already has a ghost. I made a promise to mother before she was gone. I promised her I’d try to keep the home together as long as I can. It hurts me not keeping my promise but father do understand me, you have never been easy on me. I am not here to replace mother, it’s not my fault she’s gone, father. Although you weren’t easy on me, it is not your fault that I am leaving father. It is nobody’s fault.If I stay nobody can change my life, how can one? You are still my father and I still respect and love you. I wish you well father. Farewell. Love, Eveline 25 November 1844 Dublin Dear Harry, With great sorrow in my heart, I bid you and the children farewell. I am going off to South America and I won’t be able to see you again. I will b e safe, I am accompanied by frank and a house that I will be the lady of is waiting for me. I know we weren’t great siblings, but we are siblings. I will miss you Harry, and I will miss the children.I am leaving to choose a life Harry, to have a life of my own, to be able to live, to be able to be not only a daughter but a wife, but a mother; a respected woman. I cannot live with two tragedies in this house. Ernest, and of course mother†¦ Their memories still haunt me, I still hear my mom screaming â€Å"Deveraun Seraun! † right before†¦ Please don’t think I betrayed my family, because if I don’t go I will betray myself. Don’t I have the right to be happy? Don’t I deserve to be happy? I advise you to get a maid for the house. Youngest daughter of Devines, Maria is a nice girl and she wouldn’t ask for too much money.Tell father to be nice to her though, and you will have to check on him more often than you do. He’s get ting old Harry, it’s hard for him. Tell children I love them and I will write to them. Maybe who knows, one day they come to visit me when they are older. Tell them Aunt Eveline had to leave and it is not in the bit their fault. Make sure they eat enough and go to bed on time. The little one’s grades aren’t very good but be kind to him. He just needs more help. My best wishes to you and the children Harry. Farewell. Love Eveline

C1: white an introduction which explains why it is important to plan to meet the care and learning needs of all children Essay

In this research task I will be explaining the importance of meeting the care and learning needs of all children and referring to various legislation and a theoretical perspective which supports this research and legislation Planning to meet the care and learning needs of all children is crucial to their wellbeing, growth and development. Early years practitioners must always follow and understand the standard care needs of children which are set out by the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS). These guidelines help support and allow practitioners to know how to meet and plan for children’s learning and care needs to give them the best possible start in life. Care needs have been researched by theorists like John Bowlby and Maslow; they have both shown that to achieve and develop in life it is important to have confidence and positive self-esteem. See more: how to write an introduction paragraph Maslow’s hierarchy of needs explains human behaviour and shows the important in terms of basic requirements. Other theorists like Brunner, Piaget and Vygotsky look at the way children learn. Appropriate provision is important for children as this covers all aspects from stage of development, age and special learning needs that might be in the setting. Ensuring that practitioners take into account any learning needs is very important. Practitioners provision will be allowing for any children with additional needs e.g. hearing impairment, physical needs, eye problems, speech impairment are given the required help and support which will suit that child’s individual needs to help them learn and develop. If a child wasn’t given support when needed they can become very behind and won’t be able to learn the way they have the right to learn. Children can become very reclusive and lack confidence if they are singled out or excluded, so giving them the right support they need will benefit them and help them progress. In practice there was a girl who couldn’t walk unaided, she had a walker for mobility. The girl hasn’t as yet been diagnosed with anything but every in the nursery were accepting and supportive. If she need to sit down we would help her, if she wanted to go outside we would make sure she was able to do it herself. When we had a standing activity we made sure there was a chair close in case she needed to sit down, we had tables that were longer so she could stand up if she wanted to and have her walker behind her for support. We never excluded her from an activity and we changed activity plans to suit her needs. View as multi-pages

Seeing the World Through a Broken Heart

The world is a pit of suffering and pain yet we see it not. All across the world, people are suffering from injustice, oppression, and from other afflictions caused by our very own brothers yet we feel not these things, least of all, know of them.A worse thing we have done is make ourselves be the very cause of their pain as if our indifference is not enough a mockery. We do not know their plight, we cannot see their sufferings, we cannot feel their pain all because our hearts remain unbroken.We think the world is confined to the corners in which we move. We have learned to deafen our ears and harden our hearts to the grave injustice and oppression that our brothers across the continents go through everyday. We have downplayed their sufferings with cliches and punchlines we learned from self-help books and by doing so, our hearts do not turn to see their reality.And then, a single movie, carrying a powerful message, turns our worlds upside down. It breaks our hearts to millions of pi eces and opens the eyes of our hearts. We witness the realities of this world and we get shaken. We start to stir up inside.We begin to ponder intently and thoughtfully about what the world goes through, we start to philosophize and discuss within ourselves who we are and what man is and what does man do. We start to wander through life's realities and we always ask why. Our hearts have been broken and now see things in their most naked honest state, and so, it refuses to rest.What is a broken heart?A broken heart simply is an honest heart. It is a heart which is not blinded with fantasies but clearly sees reality as it is. It is a heart that looks at people through a clear glass and not through a rose-tinted window. It is a heart which does not deceive itself with promptings taught by the learned but contents itself only with what it has witnessed.Hotel RwandaHotel Rwanda pounded on my chest like a jackhammer with a deadline. It crushed my heart down to its basic components and for ced me to adopt a whole new perspective about things. I never knew that a world such as that I have seen in the movie existed. I thought people from Africa suffered only from hunger.I never knew of a racial prejudice of that magnitude. I thought only Saddam Hussein was guilty of racial cleansing. How could have I been so base so as to be ignorant of what our brothers go through? I have never seen man so vicious. I have never seen man treat their brothers as â€Å"cockroaches† all because they are of a different race.My heart was shaken and the scenes remain vivid in my mind long after I have seen the movie. Often, in solitude, I contemplate on the movie and I ponder on why man such as the Hutus will do such a thing as they have done. Their skin color was the same.The only reason for the discrimination which I could gather from the movie is that the Tutsis were taller and had the more handsome features. And I ask: what is that?! Perhaps, it is envy.As I continue to ponder, I h ave come to believe that envy really is one viable reason for racial discrimination. The Great Holocaust, which executed hundreds of thousands of Jews, was inspired by envy. Aryanism is built upon envy over the chosen people of God.So perhaps too, the thing that happened in Hotel Rwanda was inspired by envy. The Hutus were envious of the Tutsis because the latter had better physical features. It is a shallow reason but it is enough to cause man to want to eliminate an entire tribe of people.Envy is the second of the seven deadly sins. And rightly so. The movie has proven how deadly it is. What does envy do to man? Among lovers it has caused a lot of broken relationships, unstable marriages, and even manslaughter.Stories of lovers shooting each other because of jealousy have passed by our ears millions of times. Among families, it has caused dissension.Families get broken up because of envy. Envy has caused brothers to hate their own brothers. It is noteworthy that the first murder c ommitted was inspired by envy. The Bible account of Cain and Abel contains the story of the first murder where Cain killed his own brother, Abel, because of envy. Among friends, envy has caused contempt. Among classes and races of people, it has caused discrimination.

Aerobic Exercises act as Brain Boosters

Many newspapers, magazines and online articles have in the past reported research findings done by other people. For those people who may not be critiques, the information found from these media avenues may be complete sources of information, but for those that are interested in verifying any given information, then studying the original research will be very vital. This is because the research reports in media may not provide finer details of methodology or other cautionary statements that have been made by the researchers.This term paper makes a critical analysis of Peter Jaret’s article on the CNN’s website entitled â€Å"Brain boosters: Exercising your mind as you age. † Research: Aerobic Fitness Reduces Brain Tissue Loss in Aging Humans The research entitled â€Å"Aerobic Fitness Reduces Brain Tissue Loss in Aging Humans† was conducted to examine the relationship between aerobic fitness and brain tissues in an old adult population (Colcombe ET al, 200 3). The research was important in that the brain starts losing tissues as one gets older which in turn makes the cognitive performance to decline.This can enable measures that can reduce costs related to geriatric care put in place. This may be done by coming up with mechanisms that can be used to reverse or reduce this brain deterioration. The research was also done to either confirm or refute the previous researches that suggested that aerobic fitness training does improve the cognitive function of old people and that it can improve the brain health of aging animals tested in the laboratory (Colcombe ET al, 2003).The targeted population was made up of older adults in the community who were over fifty five years, were right handed, high functioning, and had been recruited for public fliers, campus wide e-mailings and newspaper advertisements (Colcombe ET al, 2003). Those who were excluded were those that were below the stated age, got less than twenty in Mini-Mental State Examinati on and had a history of organic brain dysfunction and stroke. Also the participants were excluded if the reported claustrophobia or had pacemakers or metallic implants, this was done for safety reasons pertaining to magnetic resonance imaging setting.The respondents were also to get written approval letters from their doctors so that they can undergo the cardiovascular stress test. The research was approved by the University of Illinois’ Institutional Review Board in addition to the researchers meeting ethical standards that were relevant (Colcombe ET al, 2003). The first part of the research methodology was to measure the gray and white matters of the brain from the Magnetic Resolution (high density) images and then the estimates of the maximal oxygen uptake (V O2max).The brain images were taken using three dimensional spoiled gradient sequences on a General Electric scanner. The Rockport 1-mile walk protocol was used to assess the participant’s cardiovascular fitness . The impact of cardiovascular fitness on brain tissue differences in density that are age related was accessed using a voxel-based morphometric technique. The technique is useful in that it provides a means of estimating tissue atrophy in the entire brain with spatial resolution that is high which then allows conclusions of the variables on brain matter change (Colcombe ET al, 2003).Before analysis was done the images were taken through different preprocessing stages. First the tissues that are non brain were removed from the image of the head of the participants. The other three images were divided into three maps to represent the density of the white matter, the grey matter and the cerebrospinal fluid. All the images were then examined by experts who did not have prior information of the participants’ fitness so that they could be objective in their calibration (Colcombe ET al, 2003).Though sixty individuals had expressed their interest to participate in the study, fifty f ive were eligible to complete both faces due to the fact that three were younger; one person had an implanted pacemaker, eight had claustrophobia and one scored less MMSE score. The participants were aged between fifty five and seventy nine years meaning that the age mean score was 66. 5 years. Generally the sample was 44. 4 percent men; many being well educated (average 16. 1 years in education). The results showed that the white matters of the brains were being lost as one continued aging.Also, those regions that are mostly affected by aging are the ones that showed the greatest advantages of aerobic fitness. Fitness according to the results plays the role of moderating decline in tissue density that is related to age. The results showed that tissue densities in the parietal, frontal and temporal cortices of the brain reduce as the aging process progresses. Also it was found that the losses were reduced by the cardiovascular fitness function even when other variables were controll ed (Colcombe ET al, 2003).The research was very important as it was a confirmation that there is a relationship between cardiovascular fitness and the degeneration the fact that had previously been hypothesized. There was also the confirmation that cardiovascular fitness protection and enhancement of the cognitive function in the older adults has a biological basis. This is a justification of the other studies that had shown that taking antioxidant supplements could reverse aging in older brains; cognitive training could assist in the preservation of brain function.The research report also suggest that there are aerobic exercises’ benefits that go beyond health markers (cardiovascular) which can even affect the brain (Colcombe ET al, 2003). Synopsis of the article In the CNN’s article online that is entitled â€Å"Brain boosters: Exercising your mind as you age,† there are some research issues that the author, Peter Jaret has handled. He states that the research ers have established that physical and mental activities protect one’s memory and helping him or her stay alert (Jaret, 1999).He also refers to the previous researches stating that the speed of brain processing does slow down as one continues to advance in years and also that between the age of twenty five and fifty five people can loose about twenty five percent of their synapses (connections which relay messages between neurons). Also that the older people experience problems in coming up with either numbers or names; this being because memory takes more time in retrieving the data.He also mentions Robert Dustman’s article in 1990 that states that those people who are aerobically fit are better in staying alert and pay attention or even in remembrance of information. He quotes the director of Gerontology at the University of Texas who states that two physical factors are the ones that predicts the performance (on tests of information processing) of a person. The auth or gives the reason why aerobic fitness affects the brain precisely because exercises allow blood vessels to remain open and the heart to remain strong, thus allowing the brain to function properly since the nutrients can reach the brain cells.He states that neurons that make two percent of the total body weight use about one quarter of the oxygen and glucose intake by the body. Exercises also allow parts of the balance and movement that keep the connections of the neurons strong (Jaret, 1999). Jaret (1999) also mentions the researches that found out that mental gymnastics are useful in the preservation of brain power. He cites the research by Meyer who recorded his research findings in the Journal of the American Geriatric Society in 1990 stating that blood flow for those who have allowed their minds to be inactive declines.The author mentions the 1998 issue of Neuroscience where the researchers found that brain cells can reproduce; the study that was done using rats. He also menti ons Robert Goldman’s suggestions on the ways one can develop brain connections that are underused. First, one can play games that require thinking, memorize poetry and verses, reading articles and books that are challenging and finally engage in practices that are regarded as complex or difficult (Jaret, 1999).Critique of the Article Studying the article, it is clear that the author had done enough research before he decided to submit it for publishing. This is because many of the research findings that he mentions are either preceded or followed by their authors or the sources from where the information had been gotten. Information about the speed of brain’s processing slowing with the advancement of age had already been proved in the researches by Colcombe ET al.Other claims that the author has made and that are verified by the findings of this research include the percentage of the synapses that are lost as age progresses, between the age of twenty five and fifty fi ve and that exercises keeps the blood flowing to the brain cells facts that are also mentioned in the British Journal of Sports Medicine. When he states that mental gymnastics can preserve brain power he aggress with the research done by Marks Et al (2007) entitled â€Å"Role of aerobic fitness and aging on cerebral white matter integrate. †Despite the researched facts that the writer of the article has given, there are details that he has not given the readers perhaps because of the space limit allowed in the media publications. The methodology used by the researchers has not been indicated and other important details such as research designs, data collection methods, and the variables. This makes the readers unable to get the final details of the researches. This however does not at any form mislead the reader as the author was careful to cite the sources of the information that he has written.Conclusion In conclusion, it is clear that Peter Jaret article was well written, citing the sources from where the information has been retrieved. However, the article could have been made more informative by giving finer details of the original researches that were conducted. REFERENCES Colcombe, J. et al (2003). Aerobic fitness reduces brain tissue loss in aging humans. The Journal of Gerontology Series: Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences, 58:M176- M-180. — (2003). Aerobic exercise training increases brain volume in aging humans. The Journalof Gerontology Series A: Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences, 61:1166-1170. Erickson, K. , Kramer, A. (2008). Aerobic exercise effects on cognitive and neural plasticity in older Adults. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 43:22-24. doi:10. 1136/bjsm. 2008. 052498 Jaret, P. (1999). Brain boosters: Exercising your mind as you age. Retrieved March 12, 2009, from http://archives. cnn. com/1999/HEALTH/aging/12/15/brain. boosters. two. wmd/index. html Marks, B. Et al. (2007). Role of aerobic fitness and aging o n cerebral white Matter Integrity. New York: New York Academy of Scienc