Timeline of IBM History

Coach Steve Rocker The Most Successful High School...

Coach Steve Rocker is one of the most successful high school basketball coaches in Kentucky’s history. Coach Rocker was very successful in previous years. Strangely, this year was very different for him. For the first time in his professional life, he is falling short of his expectations, the community expectations, and the team’s expectations. His team lost a lot of games, but most importantly the boys had no motivation or desire to bring the team out of the rut they found themselves. His players have lost their will to win, their love for their teammates, and their passion to play. Coach Rocker’s motivational methods that have always worked before and resulted in success are now failing, and he doesn’t know why. He argues that his players have become selfish and bored with winning because they have been so successful in previous years. â€Å"And there’s no question that my guys have lost their drive to win because they’ve won so mu ch in the past. Now all they want is individual ‘wins’†¦which just doesn’t cut it on a team† (Gongwer, 2010, p. 17). As for Coach Rocker’s personal life, his priorities are a bit skewed as well. His dear friend Grant Steffin and his wife are splitting up. Coach Rocker’s son, Brandon, and Grant’s son are best friends. Grant’s wife and son are moving away. Brandon is scared to death his parents may split up as well. Brandon has over heard the last few arguments his parents had over the time Coach Rocker has been spending in the gym and in

Film Study The Godfather I and II Essay Example For Students

Film Study The Godfather I and II Essay The film Godfather 1 and 2 directed by Francis ford Coppola, some characteristics of his directional style are; cinematography with specific use of close up, cross-cutting, lighting and sound through a variety of different camera angles to enhance the audiences way of thinking and having a clear understanding of the key idea â€Å"Duality of man† of the characters in the film. Francis ford copolla incorporates cinematography within the scenes of the film as it represents different perspectives making the audience discover important aspects of what is happening in the film. In Godfather 1 and 2 Francis Ford Coppola successfully uses cinematography such as the cross-cutting technique to enhance the audiences view of the characters which was in the â€Å"baptism scene† of Godfather 1 that features Michael Corleone in a ceremony of his nephew being baptised and the assassination of the 5 heads of the mafia family. Through this cross-cutting technique the audience can see the calm and innocent face of Michael Corleone as he is inside a cathedral taking the role of being godfather to his nephew. We will write a custom essay on Film Study The Godfather I and II specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now As an audience Coppola is making us empathise with the â€Å"good† side of Michael Corleone making us think that he is an innocent man who has no affiliation with the business of his father by being present in a cathedral. Within the â€Å"good† side of the baptism scene it cross-cuts to the henchmen preparing to eliminate the five heads of the mafia families under the order of Michael Corleone, this shows the power of what Michael can offer showing dominance over the 5 families resulting in ending the mafia war. In the opening scene of Godfather 2, the technique of extreme close up on Michaels face can be depicted as this shot represents the role of Michael being a powerful man, along with the extreme close up follows up with a close up shot o the office chair which also symbolises power and authority. The close up shot of the office chair is powerful as it represents the legacy of Michaels father Vito Corleone, in his footsteps he has the role on carrying on the business of being a mafia leader. The use of cinematography on the character Michael Corleone in the baptism scene of Godfather 1 and the opening scene of Godfather 2 both share the role in understanding of the key idea â€Å"Duality of man† as it displays the power and authority of Michael Corleone. In the film Godfather 2, the role of the main protagonist Michael Corleone plays a significant role in contribution to the audience as we are viewing the power and authority he has to offer through the film. Francis ford Coppola skilfully does this by utilising the chiaroscuro effect to portray it. In the opening scene of Godfather 2 the chiaroscuro effect is successfully carried out by Copolla to expose the dual sides of Michael Corleone where one half of Michaels face is dark and the other is light. This effect influences the audiences understanding of the key idea â€Å"Duality of man† as it is evidently shown on the face of Michael Corleone. The light side signifying the â€Å"public side† where he is seen as an innocent figure while the dark side indicates his â€Å"private life† behind closed doors where â€Å"business† is being planned. The chiaroscuro effect is also used in the baptism scene in Godfather 1 where Michael is in the cathedral in a ceremony of his nephew being baptised, not only that but also the assassination of the five heads of the mafia family. Through this the chiaroscuro effect clearly supports the evidence as we can see the â€Å"good† side of Michael with the cathedral representing it and behind it is the illegal business being prepared by Michaels men. As an audience we are cunningly influenced by the killing but also rejoiced in the assassination of the five heads of the mafia. .uccd65e5cdf743467821ff676697700cb , .uccd65e5cdf743467821ff676697700cb .postImageUrl , .uccd65e5cdf743467821ff676697700cb .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .uccd65e5cdf743467821ff676697700cb , .uccd65e5cdf743467821ff676697700cb:hover , .uccd65e5cdf743467821ff676697700cb:visited , .uccd65e5cdf743467821ff676697700cb:active { border:0!important; } .uccd65e5cdf743467821ff676697700cb .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .uccd65e5cdf743467821ff676697700cb { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .uccd65e5cdf743467821ff676697700cb:active , .uccd65e5cdf743467821ff676697700cb:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .uccd65e5cdf743467821ff676697700cb .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .uccd65e5cdf743467821ff676697700cb .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .uccd65e5cdf743467821ff676697700cb .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .uccd65e5cdf743467821ff676697700cb .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .uccd65e5cdf743467821ff676697700cb:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .uccd65e5cdf743467821ff676697700cb .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .uccd65e5cdf743467821ff676697700cb .uccd65e5cdf743467821ff676697700cb-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .uccd65e5cdf743467821ff676697700cb:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Essay about A Research Study On Quantitative Research EssayThe use of sound plays a significant role in setting the tone of a scene providing us a better understanding of the idea â€Å"Duality of man† in the Godfather 1 and 2. In the Godfather 1 the start of the film is presented by a haunting theme song alongside with the characters Bonasera and Don Corleone. After the theme song it breaks into silence between the conversation of Bonsasera and Vito Corleone. In this conversation Bonsasera is making a request for justice of his daughter because the American legal system failed him. Silence is utilised effectively by Coppola which is evident as he has done it in a private office, the idea for Coppola was to build tension as silence allows for no distraction for the audience who have to emphasis on the power and meaning of the words being said by the two characters. There is also contrast between the silence in the private office and the sound of the wedding music outside, this indicates to the audience the dual sides of a man being good and bad at the same time. The usage of sound which was also used effectively in the baptism scene of Godfather 1, religious music is played on the organ throughout the ceremony of Michael’s nephew being baptised. Michael who must act as a role model for his nephew professes his faith in God and rejecting in Satan however the assassination of the 5 heads of the family takes place the volume of the religious music increases as the cross-cutting comes back and forth of the baptism and the dirty work being done by Michaels men, the volume of the religious music increases greatly reaching its climax of the film. The use of sound helps the audience understand the tension of music and contrast between the life in closed doors and life in public. The film Godfather 1 and 2 the key idea â€Å"Duality of man† can also relate on life experiences. In response to the theme the Godfather 1 and 2 aided the audience in understanding of being a powerful mafia leader where in life we are caught up in situations where we make choices that will either benefit ourselves or it can harm us. Another example is when a person has power it can lead us to penalties where we have too much it gets uncontrollable we tend to ask for more. In conclusion, the Godfather 1 and 2 directed by Francis ford Coppola intelligently uses cinematography such as close up, cross-cutting, lighting and sound through a variety of different camera angles to strongly enhance the audiences’ way of thinking of the key idea â€Å"Duality of man†. Through the use of cinematography the theme is successfully portrayed which gives the audience a better understanding about life experiences.

The Harlem Renaissance And Langston Hughes Essays -

The Harlem Renaissance And Langston Hughes Humanities 1020 November 29, 2000 The Harlem Renaissance and Langston Hughes The Harlem Renaissance was a great and powerful era in black history, ?It was an African American cultural movement of the 1920s and early 1930s that was centered in the Harlem neighborhood of New York City? (?Harlem Renaissance?). Langston Hughes wrote ?Blues and Jazz flourished throughout the streets of New York, and young black artists began to arise [. . .]? (63). An important part of this era had to be the inspirational writings of Langston Hughes. James Mercer Langston Hughes, born in Joplin, Missouri, February 1, 1902, was raised by his grandmother after his parents divorced (Sporre 551). He graduated from high school in Cleveland, Ohio and went off to Mexico to live with his father for fifteen months (Jackson 1). While in Mexico, Hughes lived a very rural life and wrote many of his first poems which, although never published, began to distinguish him as a writer. Hughes attended Columbia University for one year, then returned to home for a short period in 1923 before he joine d the crew of the SS Malone bound for Africa (?A Salute to Hughes?). From there he visited many places including Paris, Venice and Genoa before once again returning to America to live in Harlem, New York, in November 1924 (Andrews 65-69). While working in Washington D.C. as a busboy, Hughes left three of his poems beside the plate of Vachel Lindsey, an American poet, who liked Hughes' poetry and helped him publicize his writings (Jackson 3). Hughes' first book of poetry, The Weary Blues, was published by Alfred A. Knopf in 1926 (?Langston Hughes?). He was a great writer who completed a two volume autobiography, and edited many anthologies and pictorial volumes. Hughes dazzled writing for forty years and never gave up protesting for the rights of African Americans. He gave many motivational speeches across the nation supporting the black movement. Hughes continued his career publishing many books of poetry and prose. Langston Hughes went on to inspire the world through his literature until his death in Harlem on May 22, 1967 (Sporre 551). Living in Harlem, he soon discovered the culture and literary circle of the Harlem Renaissance. As best said in the Norton Anthology of African American Literature, ?Hughes brought the spirit of the African American people to life, using blues and jazz as the basis of his poetic expressions [. . .]? (Andrews 1252). This is evident in some works such as The Negro Speaks of Rivers, and The Weary Blues. Most of his influences came from fellow black writers. Names such as, Dubois, Locke, Jesse Redmonfaset, Jean Toomer, Arna Bontemps, and Carl Van Vechten, inspired Hughes in his form and writing style (Andrews 929-930). His poems often portrayed the trials, tribulations, struggles and thoughts of a young Negro growing up in the twenties through sixties. His main goal was to express concern about the treatment of African Americans in this country, and to pursue civil and social justice. One of his most famous works is his continuing sage of Jesse B. Semple, also known as Simple. Hughes wro te columns about this fictional character, who dealt with very non-fictional problems. Jesse, who was really Hughes' voice, expressed the views and ideas of young black Americans (Andrews 1252-1253). Creating Simple to be smart, strong witted and wise, allowed Hughes to publish and undermine the standard of our pretentious society, while ironically and humorously pointing out the hypocritical nature of American Racism (Andrews 1257-1263). Hughes went on writing four series of writings about Simple. Hughes used a variety of themes in both his poetry and his prose. Nathan Irvin Huggins wrote ?His voice was very moving when he read his poems publicly. His voice was both rich and poetic and gave strong inspiration and love to the black community? (Andrews 1253). One work of his is particularly interesting. It shows the emotion and creativeness of the Harlem Renaissance in a few short lines. Hughes named this poem Cross. My old man's a white old man And my old mother's black. If I ever cursed my old white man I take my curses back. If ever I cursed my black old mother And wished she were

pros and cons of legloizing dr essays

pros and cons of legloizing dr essays The legalizing of drugs have been an issue in the forefront since the 20s and the 30 with the probation of alcohol. Many have argued weather narcotics should be legalized or not. There are arguments supporting each side. People who are in favor of the legalization of drugs claim that drugs would increase our economy, making drugs legal will reduce the great amounts of money spent on law enforcement, and legalization of drugs would benefit the federal budget. Those who don not favor the legalization of narcotics claim; drugs would become cheaper and more accessible, drugs would cause a rapid increase of diseases, and drugs contribute to the crime rate. Legalizing drugs would increase our economy's revenue. The 21st amendment repealed prohibition and alcohol taxes were increased. The same thing should happen with drugs. Marijuana should be taxed heavily to increase our revenue. The same people who make would make drugs would also make pharmaceutics such as aspirin. So the quality would be assured, containing no poisons or adulterants. Making drugs legal will reduce the great amounts of money spent on enforcement every year. Drug dealers and users are one step ahead on the enforcement process. If one drug lord is caught, another one will show up somewhere else. We cannot win. In 1996, 10 billion dollars were spent alone just on enforcing drug laws. Drugs accounted for about 40 percent of all felony indictments in the New York City courts in 1998. This figure is quadruple what it was in 1995. Forty percent of the people in federal prison are drug law violators. One can only imagine what this figure would be like today. Too much money is wasted on a cause that seems to be no end to. In 1997,a Republican county executive of Mercer County N.J. estimated that it would cost him as much as 1.7 billion dollars to build the jail space needed to house all the hard-core drug users in Trenton alone. All...

3 Ways Your Resume Should Differ From Your LinkedIn Resume

3 Ways Your Resume Should Differ From Your LinkedIn Resume It used to be totally standard to make your LinkedIn profile more or less a verbatim copy of your resume. Those days are over, given the incredible amount of recruiting traffic on LinkedIn and how most recruiters are looking at attractive candidates before even requesting resumes. If you want to stand out from the crowd, you’ll have to have some unique content on your LinkedIn profile. Here are three key ways to make your LinkedIn profile pop- and differentiate it from your resume itself.1. Beef Up Your LinkedIn HeadlineRather than making your default headline your current job title, put up something more general that is chock full of the kinds of keywords hiring managers would be most likely to search for. Remember to tailor your resume headline to whichever job you’re applying for (and try not to be too industry specific- you’ll be more immediately appealing to a broader range of recruiters).2.  Change up Your Tone for Each FormatYour resume should  have a fairly formal tone, with clean language and  clear, brief, to-the-point information. Avoid using â€Å"I† when possible. By contrast, your LinkedIn profile should be a bit more conversational- as though you were having a chat with your readers. Try and mimic the way you speak as you write your profile.3.  Pare Down Your Resume SummaryYour resume summary should be as brief as possible- as efficiently worded as a newspaper lead: no more than three or four sentences and packing a sweet punch. Your LinkedIn profile summary, on the other hand, gives you a whopping 2,000 characters to work with. Max that space out to really converse with your reader. You could even consider adding a list of skimmable skills, a few career highlights, or your contact information.Remember, the different and broader space in LinkedIn gives you a great opportunity to help you to stand out- and to help you look like a fuller, better package- even when your resume gets around. Maximize what you are gi ven and beat the competition!

Part I Managing Public Organizations and Employees Article

Part I Managing Public Organizations and Employees - Article Example s terry Green and Eric Thomas are non Indian who are outstanding actors because the land in question is an Indian reserved land and there are persons like Richard Tall grass who is an official in the land. A claim has been brought forth regarding an Eric Thomas dumping toxic waste which was confirmed by relevant personnel that the substance was indeed toxic to the environment. The person the claim has been brought against is non-Indian who owns land in the reservation. Most of the reservation is currently under the ownership of the whites. The claim was brought to the director of the EPD Terry Green who took action to cease the operations by Eric Thomas of dumping the waste material (Elshtain & Cloyd 1995). The primary problem in these establishments is that there is a dumping problem to the residents of the reservation area. Despite this being so, there are also other problems eminent aside from the main one. The secondary issue then is the fact that there is no body that has proper jurisdiction as to the issues arising in the reservation area With these issues having risen in the reservation land, the source of the dumping is people who are non-Indian who can be said to be downgrading the value of the land. There is an act which had been established namely the Allotment act of 1887, this act contains the provisions of the people whom the lands here were issued. There are issues such as the health issue which can be caused from the dumping being done by Eric Thomas which should be put to consideration. The constraints here is that the people involved in the dumping of toxic waste are not co-operative with the authorities The first course of action is enactment of law correlative with the ones that are already active. The law should directly direct the issue of land degrading through dumping and other issues. The second course of action is put bodies who act as intermediaries between the people in the land who are non white and the Indians in the reservation

Methedology in postgraduate education in UL Essay

Methedology in postgraduate education in UL - Essay Example ciples of accounting for postgraduates, human resource management, economics, business risk management and marketing (University of Limerick, Centre for Teaching and Learning, 2014). A student applying for any of these courses undergoes regular application process which involves online registration and submission of required details as prescribed by the university regulatory board. The learning process once admitted into the university comes in two folds. A postgraduate may apply for online learning described as O’Del (Open, Distance and Electronic Learning). In this platform, a student obtains all the course requirements and lectures online but merge at the end of the semester to fulfill the course requirement by taking final exams (Ebel, Mohr & Commission of the European Communities 2009, p. 77). On the other end, one may decide to leverage on the side of full time learning process, attending to lecture physically, submitting assignments one on one and not electronically or online. However, at the end of the learning period, the students merge for a common exams and evaluation based of syllabus coverage. Other than the theories taught in class, postgraduate students will undertake a two weeks training even study trip or business simulation program every semester. This is meant to enhance the student’s knowledge on writing dissertations which will eventually see them graduate from UL. The university operates of full time calendar with short interval holidays between the terms calendars. Each semester runs for a period of three months with one month holiday until the completion of the degree

The Nature of Culture Essay Example for Free

The Nature of Culture Essay The term â€Å"culture† is mentioned almost everywhere—in the television, at school, in politics, and in the media. What is the nature of culture? What is its function in the society? How does culture relate to individuals and how does culture change? The Nature of Culture   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Culture refers to the collectivity of human activities and symbols that are generated to give deeper meaning and significance to these activities. According to Findley and Rothney (2006, p.14), culture may be â€Å"understood as systems of symbols and meanings that even their creators contest, that lack fixed boundaries, that are constantly in flux, and that interact and compete with one another. † The culture of any given society may be seen in the lifestyle of people, the music and literature, as well as the painting, sculpture, film, and in the technology being used by the society. Culture may also be seen in terms of consumption patterns of people. According to anthropologists, however, culture is far broader than consumption because consumption falls into the broader framework that gives meaning to consumption goods being purchased by people. The science, religion, and relationships between and among people and institutions are all part of culture (Findley Rothney, 2006). On the other hand, cultural anthropologists use the term â€Å"culture† to denote the process and the ability of humans to think about, classify, and communicate experiences and other things in symbols. This means that the experiences, goods, services, and commodities that humans get access to are assigned particular meanings and importance. This process becomes even more important in the case of communities where individuals interact with each other and with the institutions and traditions of the community or society (Findley Rothney, 2006). Culture, the Individual, and Culture Change   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   An individual gets the symbols, traditions, and modes of thinking that are prevalent in the society. Given this, an individual’s mode of thinking is shaped by the culture of the society that they are in. Cultural change, no matter how difficult it appears to be, happens all the time. As generations come and go, the modes of behavior, conduct, and arts of a society change because new inventions and factors in the society are introduced. This can be explained by Thomas Kuhn’s theory on paradigm change. When new technologies, ideas, and processes are introduced, the symbols also change and the way that these processes are understood must change as well. Take for example the nature of the rapid technological change in our society. These changes are happening now at a breakneck speed. Instant communications, instant foods, and other instantaneous processes affect arts, music, and more fundamentally, the nature of interactions between and among people. The prevailing culture and traditions, however, will not simply be supplemented by the emerging new culture. Traditions also affect ways of thinking and how these changes shall be viewed in the broader society. With fast technological change, and the rapid obsolescence of gadgets and technology, the mode of thinking in the society is also changing. The elements of tradition and the modes of thinking in the present culture are also necessary for the transition to be effected. As the negotiation between the old culture and the emerging one proceeds, a new culture emerges in the process. Reference Findley, C. V. Rothney, J. A. (2006). Twentieth-century World, 6th edition. New York: Houghton Mifflin Company.

Frontal Lobe Syndrome :: Brain Medical Neurology Essays

Frontal Lobe Syndrome Although volumetrically the frontal lobes are the largest portion of the brain their function remains somewhat elusive (Jacobs, 2005). Even neuropsychologists have a difficult time creating test that accurately test frontal lobe functioning. We do know however, that the frontal lobes are involved in the storage of memories, concentration, abstract thought, judgment, and self control. The frontal lobe lies directly behind our forehead (NINDS, 2005) It contains the primary motor cortex and the prefrontal cortex, which extend from the central sulcus to the anterior of the brain. The posterior part of the frontal lobe is the precentral gyrus which is specialized in the control of fine movements. The very most anterior portion of the frontal lobe is the prefrontal cortex. The neurons in this area have up to sixteen times as many dendritic spines as neurons in the occipital lobe or primary visual cortex. As a result, the prefrontal cortex is able to integrate a great deal of information (Kalat, 2004). For most people the left frontal lobe controls language and the right non-verbal abilities (UNL, 2005).On the left frontal lobe is an area called Broca’s area which allows thoughts to be transformed into words. In addition, there are many connections from the frontal lobe to other parts of the brain that control vision, respiration, blood pressure and gastrointestinal activity (NBTF, 2005). Damage to the frontal lobe results a range of behaviors referred to collectively as ‘frontal lobe syndrome.’ There are numerous ways of damaging the frontal cortex including lesions, tumors, and strokes. Lesions damage the frontal cortex when a blow to the head or a sudden change of motion causes the boney structure underneath the frontal lobes to tear the axons (as is the case with prefrontal lobotomy or leucotomy). A stroke can result in ventral and medial frontal lobe damage. Tumors can damage the frontal lobe by being located on one of the lobes, or by causing pressure on the frontal lobe, as is the case with meningioma, subdural hematoma or similarly meningitis (UNL, 2005). Frontal lobe syndrome results in the impairment of language, motor functions, social behavior, abstract reasoning, and cognition. Furthermore, there is often a change in personality (UNL, 2005). Although language remains fluent and in proper syntax, the overall amount of talking decreases. Patients have difficulty maintaining conversations and some even become mute. Motor functions are often uncoordinated and patients often have difficulty constructing three

Contributions of Ancient Greece and Rome to the Western World Essay

While both Roman and Greek cultures greatly influenced Western Civilization, Greeks contributed more to the western world than the Romans. The Greeks used their own ideas and thought of new ways to add to their culture, while the Romans mostly mixed and matched ideas from other civilizations and cultures to make their own. The Romans took up the inheritance of the Greeks adapted it to their own language and national traditions. (Grant 2)The Greeks introduced many new ideas and traditions, the most important being democracy – Athenian democracy in particular. After the Dark Age, the population in Greece grew so quickly that soon, there were way too many free peasants. These peasants realized that nobody could stop them if they tried to make some changes because there was so many of them, so they insisted on having their voices heard by the government. Their wish was granted, and democracy in its simplest form became known. Now that the peasants had more freedom, some of them started to earn higher wages, and soon were rich enough to purchase hoplite armor. (Hoplites made up the majority of the army and fought on foot.) The peasants were also placing strong demands on the elite class, also known as the oligarchy. The system of citizenship in Greece was established as a result, during the late 7th century BCE (Martin 82), and enabled the peasants to have more influence on their leaders and protection under the law. There were three kinds of citizens the rich, the hoplites, and the poor. Only males were citizens. All citizens could attend open meetings in the Assembly, elect archons (leaders) each year, and were protected under the law. The peace of Greece had been slowly deteriorating, and in 621 BCE, it only got worse. The rich, elite class had been accumulating farmland from the poor farmers, who had to pack up and leave once a rich person took their land. A poor farmer had a hard time gaining wealth because any wealth they did gain would be in the form of surplus grain. Extra grain was not permanent, and could not be converted into money since coins were not invented yet. Then in 621 BCE, Draco was appointed to establish a code of laws to help bring stability by changing the situation. But his laws were so harsh that they only destabilized the people more. Civil war threatened to break out until 594 BCE when the Athenians gave Solon power to revise Dracos  laws and deal with the crisis. His new laws steered a middle course (Martin 84) between the demands of the rich and the demands of the poor. He introduced the right of appeal to the Assembly, forbade the selling of Athenians into slavery, and sorted male cit izens into four classes based on income. Overall, Solon helped to make democracy more peaceful. After a short period of tyranny, the democratic system was reinstalled and new rules were made yet again. Cleisthenes organized villages in Athens into trittyes according to location, and each of the trittyes was divided into phylai, or tribes. He also started to keep track of which males were old enough to vote and join the Assembly, with the voting age at eighteen. The Assembly would choose fifty representatives by lot from each tribe. Each representative would get to serve for one year on a council of five hundred men. Also, ten men were selected by officials with the highest military authority to serve as strategoi, or generals, in the army. (Martin 88)Another reform was made after an earthquake near Sparta in 465 BCE created tension between Sparta and Athens, and a crisis in formal affairs took place. Athens sent military help to Sparta that was rejected in a complicated series of events. As a result, in 461 BCE, Ephialetes convinced the Assembly to limit the influence of Areopagus the highest judicial and legislative council of ancient Athens that met on a hill west of the Acropolis. (Martin 110) A new judicial system was created with juries of males over thirty years old chosen by lot to serve for one year. Ostracism was also established. If the general public submitted over six thousand ballots, the man who had his name on the most ballots was exiled for ten years. In general, democracy rested on the belief that the cumulative political wisdom of the majority of the voters would outweigh the eccentricity and irresponsibility of the few. (Martin 113)In addition to democracy, the Greeks most important contribution to Western civilization, many elements of modern culture are rooted in ancient Greece. Philosophers, especially Plato, Aristotle, and Socrates impacted the way people thought about the world around them. Greek architecture is still commonly used today, as evidenced by our use of pillars and columns. The ancient Greeks also excelled in sculpting. They figured out how to make graceful, emotional, and realistic statues which needed no additional support. Poetry,  theatre, and drama also made up an important part of Greek culture. Some Greeks studied science, math, history, and their studies form the basis of many of todays theories. Science helped others understand a little more of these subjects. In Greece, as in todays world, science was based on observation, not myth, even though myths were considered an important part of life to every Greek. The Greeks are also considered to be the first people who recorded history only after consulting witnesses, forming the base of modern history. One exceptionally significant custom of the Greeks still observed today is the Olympics. These ancient games incorporated a concept of free athletic competition without bloodshed. If the Greeks were engaged in war at the time the Olympics were to take place, they would pause for three days and compete in many different events. At first, there were only a few competitions, but as the Olympics became more popular, additional sports were included. The four main contests of the ancient Olympics were the long jump, the javelin throw, the discus throw, and wrestling. At one time, the Olympics were for male Greek citizens only, but today people of various nationalities, men and women, can take part in this unique Greek custom. The Olympics were also very different from the Roman sport games, such as gladiator fighting or the Roman form of wrestling, where humans and animals were killed. Even though Romans did use many ideas and designs from Greeks and other cultures, they also thought of their own. A considerable contribution of the Romans to the Western World is their system of government a Republic. Republic comes from the word respublica, which means a matter for the people. (Corbishley 15) Officers in the Republic included consuls, praetors, censors, quaestors, adiles, and the senate. Consuls had the same powers as a king, but unlike a king, they were elected each year by the citizens and had to serve in pairs. The praetors were the chief judges, the censors kept track of who could vote, the quaestors looked after the state finances, and the adiles were in charge of public works. The senate was a body made up of ex-officials that formed a parliament to discuss matters and advise the other officials. As in the Athenian democracy, only male citizens could vote, but the people of ancient Rome were glad they had a republic, and they  hated the word rex, or king. The Romans excelled in literature, poetry, law, engineering, state organization, military training and organization, painting, sculpture, and architecture. They also had games in the amphitheater sports like chariot races, gladiator fights, fake battles in ships, and fights with wild animals. The Romans had a complex law system that was the foundation for Italian, German, French, and Spanish law. The Roman techniques of interpreting the law and their legal system of lawyers and judges were also incorporated into many other cultures. There were three kinds of laws. Civil law was for Roman citizens only, and there were laws for those people who were not citizens, but lived in Roman provinces or on the outskirts of Roman towns. The third type of law was natural law, deciding between right and wrong. Civil law and the other laws could be created by the Assembly, praetors, senate, emperors, and jurists. They created many different laws. They made sure there was a variety of laws, to deal with every situation, and these multiple laws helped the kingdom of Rome run smoothly. The Romans were also great engineers. They paved roads wide enough for the whole army, built walls around their cities for protection, and even had apartment buildings. They also had aqueducts, built high above the ground to carry water to the cities. Arches, a very important Roman invention, helped the aqueducts to stand strong without collapsing. Arches were also used in buildings like the Coliseum, the Forum, and basilicas. Many early churches were built using the plans of the Roman basilicas. Other buildings had vast domes. Roman engineers did not want these magnificent domes to collapse, either, so they thought of coffering as a solution. Coffering is also known as placing decorative, sunken panels in a ceiling to make it lighter. Romans added other things to buildings to make them more attractive, like fountains, pillars, and sculptures. The Roman civilization made many of their buildings out of brick and mortar, and even concrete. Engineering is, indeed, the most noticeable Roman influence on Western civilization, seen in many public buildings and even houses. Beyond arches and coffers, Roman people did not focus so much on the structure of their buildings as the facades and interiors. They combined Greek columns with fancy arches to make majestic entrances, and painted splendid pictures on walls of mythical characters and nature scenes. Roman sculptors copied Greek masterpieces, adding to the collection of Greek works in existence. They learned how to sculpt faces more realistically and how to make better portraits, and as a result made some pretty remarkable portrait busts of famous people. In addition, the Romans developed a continuous sculpture relief, something like a comic strip that wound around pillars, the most famous of which is known as Trajans column. Many great rulers governed Rome, including Trajan, and over time helped develop an extremely organized empire. At one time, the Roman administration was split into four levels. Two emperors ruled over four prefectures, who in turn governed three or four vicars each. Each vicar presided over one diocese, and each diocese was split up into many provinces. Early Christians saw how organized this system of government was, that it was one of the reasons Rome was so powerful, and based their own leadership system on this Roman model. The Greeks and the Romans both contributed much to Western Civilization, but the Greeks seem to have contributed more. The Romans took many ideas from the Greeks and even copied sculptures and other artwork for their own houses and public places, so that much of what they had was Greek. Thus, without the Greeks, the Romans would not have been as impressive of a civilization. This quote best describes the influence of the Greeks and Romans on the world today: we ourselves, whether we like it or not, are the heirs of the Greeks and Romans. In a thousand different ways, they are permanently and indestructibly woven into the fabric of our own existences. The Romans intertwined Greek culture with other cultures and added their ideas to make what they called their own culture. They then showed it to the rest of Europe through conquering the people, who adopted it and blended it into their civilizations. These civilizations developed into strong European societies, and eventually the ideas and traditions became known as Western civilization. So, really, it all started with the Greeks. Bibliography Corbishley, Mike. Cultural Atlas for Young People: Ancient Rome. New York: Facts on File, 1989. De Fabianis, Valeria Manferto, ed. Ancient Rome: History of a Civilization that Ruled the World. New York: Stewart, Tabori & Chang, 1996Grant, Michael. The Founders of the Western World: A History of Greece and Rome. New York: Charles Scribners Sons, Maxwell Macmillan Int., 1991Martin, Thomas R. Ancient Greece: From Prehistoric to Hellenistic Times. New Haven, Eng.: Yale University Press, 1996. Pomeroy, Sarah B., Stanley M. Burnstein, Walter Donlan, and Jennifer Tolbert Roberts. Ancient Greece: A Political, Social, and Cultural History. New York: Oxford University Press, 1999. Powell, Anton. Cultural Atlas for Young People: Ancient Greece. New York: Facts on File, 1989.

Character Sketch of Anne Frank Essay

â€Å"In spite of everything, I still believe that people are really good at heart.† These were the last words that Anne Frank wrote in her diary before she was taken away by the Nazis and shipped off to a concentration camp where she would later face her inevitable death. Anne was a person of many personality traits. Anne was hopeful, caring, fun loving, determined, enthusiastic and, a bit annoying. Despite her slight annoyingness, those who knew Anne couldn’t help but to love her. Anne was hopeful because she had many things to hope for. She hoped for the war to end and for her family to be safe. She hoped that her friends would all pull through the war as well. She hoped that Peter would get to like her when she first moved into the annex and she hoped that she and her mother would get along better. Perhaps she was so hopeful because all she could do at that point in her life was to hope. Anne was an extremely caring person. She cared for her family, of course and she cared for the Van Daans while they were in hiding together. She cared for her friends and she even cared for people she didn’t know, if they were in need of help. Anne vas extremely fun loving. She hated being cooped up in the annex. All she wanted to do was be a normal girl again so she could go out and play like everyone else. She saw through all the hardships that were going on in the annex and tried to get everyone to laugh and have a good time instead of being so tense all of the time. She hated the tenseness and was good at cutting through it. She helped everyone really come together at Hanukah time by getting everyone gifts, that they never would’ve expected. She got them all singing the Hanukah song that night, and they all enjoyed it. Anne was indeed a very determined person. Once she had her mind set on something she wanted, she wouldn’t let go. An example of this is her relationship with Peter. When the Franks and the Van Daans first moved into the secret annex together, Anne and Peter did not get along well at all. Anne got it set in her mind that she would improve that particular relationship very early, however, and by the end of their time at the secret annex Peter and Anne were going together. Anne was a very enthusiastic person, even when it seemed as though no one else was. She would always bring happiness into a room with her and always got someone smiling in no time. She didn’t let the negativity of a situation get her down one bit. She would let her enthusiasm guide her everywhere, just as long as she had something to live for. Anne was, undoubtedly, an annoying person. Most of the time not purposely by any means. Sometimes it was her unending enthusiasm and fun lovingness that annoyed people. However, other times it was just because she was an annoying person. She talked a bit too much, and this got on the inhabitants of the annex’s nerves very much so. â€Å"Why aren’t you nice and quiet like your sister Margot? Why do you have to show off all the time? Let me give you a little advice young lady. Men don’t like that kind of thing in a girl. You know that? A man likes a girl who’ll listen to him once in a while†¦a domestic girl, who’ll keep her house shining for her husband†¦who loves to cook and sew and†¦Ã¢â‚¬  This was once said to Anne by an aggravated Mr. Van Daan. His rant was cut short by Anne who rejected his ‘advice’ and said she’d sooner cut her throat. I’m sure there are many other good personality traits that Anne had. I only chose to write about these few, however, because they are the ones that stood out to me. I’m a bit like Anne. I’m caring, determined, fun loving, and I can be pretty annoying. I think the traits that I mentioned were very important to Anne’s personality. If she didn’t have them, she just wouldn’t be Anne Frank.

Significance of neural plasticity on visual perception

Significance of neural plasticity on visual perception Introduction Purpose Neural plasticity as concept describes the process through which the brain adapts itself and rewires to the environment. Such a process is manifested in both the physical and chemical nature.Advertising We will write a custom proposal sample on Significance of neural plasticity on visual perception specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Against traditional psychologists who previously opined that the brain is developed fully in the infancy period, the contemporary psychologists have demonstrated that the brain is an organ that has actively altered the older neurons for new ones with the changing environment for adaptation while learning new information and creating new memories (Simons and Chabris, 1999). The environment in which the brain is related is its nature, and is largely defined by what the brain gets exposed to. Thus, this research proposal attempts to explicitly establish the significance of neural plasticity on visual perception. The independent variable is perception while the dependent variables are neural plasticity and personality. The study will adopt direct participation and secondary approaches. Motivation The level at which the brain gets adaptable to the environment is dependent on the critical periods on which it is susceptible as it develops its basic network. In its neural plasticity, the brain develops ability to adapt to changes in environment as stimulated by nerves which connect it to the external environment to images. As a process, neural plasticity entails three major brain mechanisms; anatomical, metabolic and neuron chemical process. This process is useful in strengthening the existing connections to visual images. It is thus necessary to explore the relationship between neural plasticity and perception of visual images. Previous research In attempting to orientate the arguments in this paper to practicality of neural plasticity, the paper highlights experiments in which neural plasticity has been evidenced. The first of such examples was performed on rats.Advertising Looking for proposal on health medicine? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The experiment demonstrated that postnatal or prenatal stress on specimen produced a range of variations in the levels of neurotransmissions in the brain. Such levels were observed on the catecholamine, serotonin and the opiate. When a similar experiment was performed on pregnant rhesus monkeys, the ones that were pre-exposed stress delivered offspring with permanent neurological changes. Subsequent reports revealed permanence in the control and memory states that appeared impaired. Similarly, same survey conducted with pregnant women, suggested noticeable effects on the circumference of their babies’ heads. Methodology This research will use secondary data since a lot of research has been carried out on the dependent and independent variables. The observers will be requested to randomly pick images from the research materials and offer a brief description in terms of color, texture and size. The participants will be expected to answer the questions in the shortest time possible after observing ten images. The relationship between the dependent and independent variables will demonstrate the process of neural plasticity by aligning the discussion to development of image perception. Besides, the variables will also be tested for their relationship to repetitive occurrences and constant change of images with different themes. The relationship that might exist between the dependent and independent variables is that perception is directly dependent on neural plasticity. Possible Findings The social influence takes course with the rationality to identify and classify visual images. This is dependent on neural plasticity and the personality of a person.Advertising We will write a custom proposal sample on Sign ificance of neural plasticity on visual perception specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Research implications This study is necessary to establish the correlation between the actual images and visual perception in the external environment. The findings of this study will seal the research gap which currently functions only on the influences of the external environment on perception. Psychologists might use the results of this study to learn the neural plasticity and its relationship to visual interpretation of images. Reference Simons, D., Chabris, C. (1999). Gorillas in our midst: sustained in-attentional blindness for dynamic events. Perception Journal, 28(1), 1059-1074

Geography and History of the Island Nation of Samoa

Geography and History of the Island Nation of Samoa Samoa, officially called the Independent State of Samoa, is an island nation located in Oceania. It is about 2,200 miles (3,540 km) south of the United States state of Hawaii and its area consists of two main islands - Upolu and Savai. In 2011, Samoa  moved  the International Date Line because it claimed it has more economic ties with Australia and New Zealand (both of which are on the other side of the dateline) than with the United States. On Dec. 29, 2011, at midnight, the date in Samoa changed from Dec. 29 to Dec. 31. Population:  193,161 (July 2011 estimate)Capital:  ApiaArea:  1,093 square miles (2,831 sq km)Coastline:  250 miles (403 km)Highest Point:  Mount Silisili at 6,092 feet (1,857 m) History of Samoa Archeological evidence shows that Samoa has been inhabited for over 2,000 by migrants from Southeast Asia. Europeans did not arrive in the area until the 1700s and by the 1830s missionaries and traders from England began arriving in large numbers.At the beginning of the 20th century the Samoan islands were politically divided and in 1904 the easternmost islands became the U.S. territory known as American Samoa. At the same time, the western islands became Western Samoa and they were controlled by Germany until 1914 when that control passed to New Zealand. New Zealand then administered Western Samoa until it gained its independence in 1962. According to the U.S. Department of State, it was the first country the region to gain independence.In 1997 Western Samoas name changed to the Independent State of Samoa. Today, however, the nation is known as Samoa throughout most of the world. Government of Samoa Samoa is considered a parliamentary democracy with an executive branch of government made up of a chief of state and a head of government. The country also has a unicameral Legislative Assembly with 47 members who are elected by voters. Samoas judicial branch consists of a Court of Appeal, the Supreme Court, the District Court and the Land and Titles Court. Samoa is divided into 11 different districts for local administration. Economics and Land Use in Samoa Samoa has a relatively small economy that is dependent on foreign aid and its trade relations with foreign nations. According to the CIA World Factbook, agriculture employs two-thirds of the labor force. The main agricultural products of Samoa are coconuts, bananas, taro, yams, coffee, and cocoa. Industries in Samoa include food processing, building materials, and auto parts. Geography and Climate of Samoa Geographically Samoa is a group of islands located in the South Pacific Ocean or Oceania between Hawaii and New Zealand and below the equator in the Southern Hemisphere (CIA World Factbook). Its total land area is 1,093 square miles (2,831 sq km) and it consists of two main islands as well as several small islands and uninhabited islets. The main islands of Samoa are Upolu and Savai and the highest point in the country, Mount Silisili at 6,092 feet (1,857 m), is located on Savai while its capital and largest city, Apia, is located on Upolu. The topography of Samoa consists mainly of coastal plains but the interior of Savai and Upolu have rugged volcanic mountains.The climate of Samoa is tropical and as such it has mild to warm temperatures year round. Samoa also has a rainy season from November to April and a dry season from May to October. Apia has a January average high temperature of 86ËšF (30ËšC) and a July average low temperature of 73.4ËšF (23ËšC).To learn more about Sa moa, visit the Geography and Maps section on Samoa on this website Sources Central Intelligence Agency. (28 April 2011). CIA - The World Factbook - Samoa. Retrieved from: https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ws.htmlInfoplease.com. (n.d.). Samoa: History, Geography, Government, and Culture- Infoplease.com. Retrieved from: infoplease.com/ipa/A0108149.htmlUnited States Department of State. (22 November 2010). Samoa. Retrieved from: state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/1842.htmWikipedia.com. (15 May 2011). Samoa - Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samoa

Business Research Individual Work 1 Week 9 Essay

Business Research Individual Work 1 Week 9 - Essay Example CAT advances the previous technology, enables researcher to accurately report the coder reliability as well as validity, and encourages different new strategies that can be used for data analysis that are much simpler among other things. The data to be coded can be uploaded in CAT in different formats such as zip file, plain text files or even as xml-based files. With this technology, even after uploading the files that need coding, the researcher can trace the coding process and easily monitor its progress (Lu and Shulman, 2008). The other coding technological advance is the Computer Assisted Coding which is most effective on coding and data that is health related. The CAC coding technology is effective because it assists in analyzing gaps in health care, finding out the most appropriate use and costs as well as aid in providing better data results to evidence based medicine. It takes a very short time in analyzing the codes uploaded to the system which is helpful with records, it recalls the data coded within a period of six months hence enabling validation of the records and making it more reliable that traditional coding methods and it is very accurate and precise in its results (Dougherty, Seabold and White, 2013). Lastly is the barcode technology which is one of the most common ways of coding information and it is also easier to retrieve the information coded for analysis later on and discreetly for that matter as well. Information is stored in a series of white and black lines which are codes with numbers which represents specific information about the product after it has been researched. A barcode scanner then reads and translates the bar code into textual information which can then be analyzed or compared to others. This type of coding technology can be used in any setting from healthcare to the food industry to clothes industry among many others. There are

Analysis Of Film Sunrise Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Analysis Of Film Sunrise - Essay Example Summary and Plot analysis of Sunrise (1927)The Man leaves his wife after he hears the woman from the city whistling. His wife is left alone with memories of their once deep love relationship.The man and the woman from the city are in a love affair under the moon. The woman wants the man to sell his farm and follow her back to the society. She also suggests that the man drowns his wife. However, the man violently refuses. However, the woman convinces the man. The unsuspecting wife is taken for a boat ride where she is to be drowned. She later becomes suspicious about the trip while they are in the lake. The man is unable to drown his wife. He goes back to the shore, where the wife flees to the shore. The wife then flees and the man tries to follow her. The wife from the farm then goes to the city where she is overwhelmed with the city life and her husband is close behind her. The man then gives the woman flowers and other gifts and she is then convinced to stop crying. They reconcile and while in the city, they see a bride who gets married in a church. The man asks for forgiveness, after which they go back to the farmhouse. A twist in the plot of the film is when the woman and the man travel back to their home; a storm causes their boat to sink. The man saves the wife but he wakes up convinced that his wife has drowned. He asks the town people to help search for her body They do not succeed and when he gets back to their house, the woman of the city reappears thinking that the plan had succeeded. The man turns violent on the woman from the city. He tries to kill her before he is told that his wife survived. He is happy as he kisses her and lets the woman of the city get out of the town. Depiction of the City Woman as trangressive, problematic and having threatening presences in Sunrise (1927) F. W. Munrau’s depiction of women in the silent film, Sunrise is an approach of representing women in rural and city settings. The city woman is depicted as being pr oblematic, trangressive and even having threatening presences. The film pits the city woman against the rural woman. Victorian melodrama usually depicts the woman as either a vamp or a virgin. Munroe borrows this expression in his silent film, whereby the rural woman is represented as a ‘virgin’; the city woman is the ‘Vamp’. The city woman is problematic in the context of Sunrise (1927). Mary Livingstone plays a demanding woman. She demands that the farm man sells his farm. This is a challenge to the man who depends on the farm as his source of living. He also asks the man to kill his wife so that she can take her place. The man finds it a problem top sell his farm and go to the city. He also finds it hard to drown his wife. However, the power of the city woman is reflected in her seductive prowess. She easily convinces the man to go ahead with the plan. The city woman manages to bring problems to a small rural town. She causes problems amongst the wife an d the man. Their marriage and love was blissful and

Netflix Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Netflix - Case Study Example NetFlix has near zero rental charges for its subscribers and that is what sets it apart from its rival firms. Having satisfied the 3 basic criteria’s for successful business, this paper is aimed at examining what were the possible driving forces that led to such good market standing of the company. Along the same discussion we also point out various strategic and competitive challenges that the firm might face in near future and suggest means to minimize the impacts of those threats. Introduction At the onset, Netflix started off as a DVD rental provider that used internet to take orders. Subscribers made their selection over the portal and mailed in their orders. The DVD’s would then be delivered via mail. The entire system allowed the customer to keep the DVD’s as long as they wished to, without an extra charge. Netflix derived its major revenue from their subscription plans that incorporated costs of streaming, mailing and renting of videos. As we moved to the digital age, internet streaming and online viewing has caught up. NetFlix has welcomed the change and continues as leader by innovation i9n the video rental market. DVD renting, though, has not lost its value just yet (Hillary, Alex, & Ian, 2009). In this paper, we would analyze NetFlix’s market standing, its business model and its business and marketing strategy using various tools like the SWOT analysis and Porter’s five forces to determine the company’s key success factors and staying strength. Moving forwards, the discussion continues to determine the critical areas that might need immediate attention for NetFlix’s sustenance and also suggest some marketing and strategy recommendations that might prove useful in revenue and subscription improvement. Analysis Strategically speaking, video rental industry is more competitive that an oligopoly or a monopoly. This is believed to be in stark contrast with what the general opinion holds. An industry where instant availability drives the market, the paper tries to analyze what forces have led to success of NetFlix and what could be the possible challenges in the given scenario through various tools (Null, 2003). SWOT Strengths NetFlix is a well established brand and known to almost every Household Extensive and Assertive marketing has etched its name in memories of individuals Competitive Pricing has won the loyalty of the masses. Good relation and strong business with suppliers makes NetFlix, a good name among Video providers. NetFlix and a widespread presence which gives it an advantage due to ease of access. NetFlix has a wide array of offerings in videos, in both TV episodes and movies. The company has been constantly upgrading itself to higher technology and better capabilities. Weaknesses Damaged DVD’s demand a high cost of replacement. This might act as discouragement to frequent video buyers. NetFlix takes slightly longer time to procure and deliver videos. Speed in del ivery is the pillar of success in this particular and this drawback could put NetFlix in a fix if it sustains for long. Customers who are not very frequent with movie rentals rarely find something else that might catch their fancy Video streaming fails to include all movies within its program. Opportunities NetFlix could try selecting movies that might have a recurring demand with customers. Such movies could be displayed on their video streaming channels (Lewis, 2001). The company could experiment with creating a collection of movies and TV shows of the subscriber’

The Multifaceted Topic of Free College

The Multifaceted Topic of Free College In a world where blue-collar jobs are considered unappealing by many, an increasing amount of individuals have begun to choose to attend college in the hopes of achieving prestigious positions in the white-collar industry. Unfortunately, however, ones decision to further their education at post-secondary school can have one rather drastic unforeseen consequence: thousands of dollars worth of debt. As a result of this growing epidemic plaguing college students around the nation, rallying cries for free higher education have begun to spring up throughout the country. But, for as many logical, thought-out arguments that exist in support of free college, there are just as many against it. In fact, as highlighted in Dissent Magazines special issue titled Arguments on the Left, in which three different authors share their differing viewpoints regarding free higher education, this debate is anything but simple and is more complex than individuals would both hope and imagine. As a result, on e can only conclude that the idea of free college, while idealistic and tempting, is not completely beneficial nor easily achieved, especially after taking these three articles and their varying arguments into consideration. The first of the three articles, Tressie McMillan Cottoms Why Free College is Necessary, takes a die-hard stance on the supportive side of the free college debate. Believing that higher education should be free regardless of what it can and cannot achieve, Cottom preaches the words and ideas that every college student that has ever faced debt wants to hear. However, while Cottoms argument surely makes sense from the humanitarian side of things, it fails to delve into where the funds are going to come from. Logically speaking, funds from either the state or government that would help students attend college for free would come from the taxpayers own wallets. In a country that is already in a large amount of debt, with public institutions and services often taking the brunt of cutbacks, increasing the amount taxpayers have to contribute in order to provide students with a free college education shouldnt necessarily be a top priority. Additionally, Cottom states, An educational justice policy must include institutions of higher education but cannot only include institutions of higher education (Cottom). Unfortunately, this adds even more burden to an already overwhelming financial undertaking. According to this logic, this notion of free education must expand beyond the boundaries of college and into the realm of trade schools as well, which only increases the cost that cannot easily be paid. Furthermore, Cottom also points out that, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦free college would likely benefit only an outlying group of students who are currently shut out of higher education because of cost (Cottom). While I wholeheartedly believe that everyone who wants to learn should, regardless of their economic standing, looking at the situation from this point of view can cause one to question the validity of the whole endeavor. That is, what way does it make sense to undertake such a huge financial burden if free college wont necessarily benefit everyone? Much like Cottoms argument, Mike Konczals article titled, Generation Debt, also approaches the topic of free higher education from a rather positive stance. Konczal proclaims that education is a right that every human should have access to, and insists that the government be the ones responsible for providing the service. However, instead of insinuating that higher education be provided for free, Konczal points out that part of the root of the problem regarding student debt in particular is the fact that there has been large-scale disinvestment from and privatization of post-secondary education. Arguing that, Higher educationà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦shouldnt be left to a handful of private schools, where administrators pursue their own objectives independent of public need, or to the market, which is only interested in how much it can profit at any given time (Konczal), he exposes the fact that colleges and universities around the nation are run more like businesses than anything else. In doin g this, students are placed at a disadvantage because they are merely pawns, often attending schools that exist not for the betterment of our nations citizens, but to exploit as much money as possible from the unsuspecting and undeserving. Only worsening the situation is the fact that, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦public disinvestment in the states has been paired with generous tax cuts for rich individuals and corporations (Konczal). Combined with the money-making machine that is higher education, the fact that states have chosen to side with the rich and powerful instead of standing with their own constituents only ensures that the rich will get richer and the poor, poorer. Furthermore, as stated by Konczal, National conversations on higher education are often dominated by a few elite schools, so they ignore the promise of mobility offered by the state system (Konczal). As a result of this, community college is often frowned upon and deemed obscure, despite the fact that attending a two year sc hool can save students thousands of dollars. In addition to falling into the trap of capitalist-oriented colleges, many students also choose not to attend community college simply because it is not prestigious, thus further sentencing themselves into debt. The final article, Matt Bruenigs The Case against Free College, takes a rather different approach than the previous two articles when it comes to the free college debate. Overall, Bruenig argues that students already receive various forms of assistance for college in the form of grants, loans, and subsidies, which, in his opinion, is already giving more than what students should expect. In addition to this, Bruenig also articulates that providing even more than what is currently offered, or even making college free, would simply bring more inequality than social justice. Specifically, this is due to the fact that, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦only around 20 percent of children from the poorest 2 percent of families in the country attend college. For the richest 2 percent of families, the same number is around 90 percent (Bruenig). So, providing a free college education to current college students would only continue to put those who are lower in the economic ranks at a disadvantage. Much like how Tressie McMillan Cottom admitted that free college would only benefit those who are currently excluded from higher education due to their economic standing, providing a free college education would only keep more money in the pockets of the rich. As a result, Bruenig states that, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦making college free for everyone would almost certainly mean giving far more money to students from richer families than from poorer ones (Bruenig). Sure, providing free college education would give deprived students an opportunity to continue their education, but would do little in the long run when it comes to trying to reach a more egalitarian society. Once again, what are the benefits of free college education if it has the potential to only worsen the inequalities within American society and benefits only a small percentage of individuals? As a current college student, I could only hope and dream that a plan may arise in the near future that would eliminate or drastically cut college expenses, namely tuition. However, after reviewing the three articles in Dissent Magazines special issue titled Arguments on the Left, it has become clear that free college is not as beneficial or easily obtained as one would hope. While this notion of free college is tempting to say the least, it is certainly not feasible without a redesigned tax system, complete overhaul of higher education institutions and their intentions, and careful consideration regarding just who would be benefitting the most from free higher education. As it currently stands, free college will only benefit a small percentage of individuals, failing to address the capitalist nature of universities nationwide, while also acting as yet another way for the rich to keep hold of their wealth. However, it also must be stated that we must not give up hope and abandon the idea altogether. Although the cons currently outweigh the pros, there will one day be a way to implement a free college education system that benefits everyone without continuing to make the rich richer. As a nation, we must work towards that day together, implementing a foolproof plan to become a more egalitarian society without continuing to put thousands of young individuals into debt with the help of our current college system. Works Cited Bruenig, Matt. The Case against Free College. Dissent Magazine, Fall 2015, dissentmagazine.org/article/matt-bruenig-left-case-against-free-college. Accessed 28 Feb. 2017. Cottom, Tressie McMillan. Why Free College is Necessary. Dissent Magazine, Fall 2015, dissentmagazine.org/article/tressie-mcmillan-cottom-why-free-college-necessary. Accessed 28 Feb. 2017. Konczal, Mike. Generation Debt. Dissent Magazine, Fall 2015, dissentmagazine.org/article/mike-konczal-generation-debt-free-college-argument. Accessed 28 Feb. 2017.

Early American Colonies :: Reasons for Colonization

There were various reasons why the American Colonies were established. The three most important themes of English colonization of America were religion, economics, and government. The most important reasons for colonization were to seek refuge, religious freedom, and economic opportunity. To a lesser degree, the colonists sought to establish a stable and progressive government. Many colonies were founded for religious purposes. While religion was involved with all of the colonies, Massachusetts, New Haven, Maryland, and Pennsylvania were established exclusively for religious purposes. Massachusetts's inhabitants were Puritans who believed in predestination and the ideal that God is perfect. Many Puritans in England were persecuted for their nihilist beliefs in England because they felt that the Church of England, led by the King, did not enforce a literal enough interpretation of the Bible. Persecution punishment included jail and even execution. To seek refuge, they separated to go to Holland because of its proximity, lower cost, and safer passage. However, their lives in Holland were much different than that of England. The Separatists did not rebel against but rather preferred the English culture. They did not want their children to be raised Dutch. Also, they felt that Holland was too liberal. Although they enjoyed the freedom of religion, they decided to leave for America. Pilgrims, or sojourners, left for America on the Mayflower and landed in Cape Cod in 1626. They had missed their destination, Jamestown. Although the climate was extremely rocky, they did not want to move south because of their Puritan beliefs. They thought that everything was predestined, and that they must have landed on this rocky place for a reason. They moved slightly north to Plymouth Rock in order to survive more comfortably. Also because of their Puritan beliefs, they had good relations with the Native Americans. Their pacifist nature led the Indians to help with their crops. In thanks, the Pilgrims celebrated the first thanksgiving in 1621. A second group of Puritans in England, the Massachusetts Bay Company, came to Massachusetts for more economically motivated purposes due to their non-minimalist beliefs. New Haven and Connecticut were two other colonies founded exclusively for Religious purposes. Many of the Separatists in Massachusetts felt that the religion was too liberal inside of the colony. They felt that the beliefs were not being enforced enough and that the people were not living through literal interpretations of the Bible. These Separatists further separated themselves from Massachusetts and formed a new colony, New Haven.

Failures: Failure and Entire Network Shutdown

Companies and businesses communicate with one another internally and with customer externally each day using different methods of technology but at the basis of this is the network, which makes it all possible to interact with one another. Companies and businesses have two types of systems they can set up to carry this out. They can design and set up a centralized system or a distributed system. The important factor no matter what the system is they have to be prepared for failures, which may occur in either system and have procedures in place to identify and isolate these failures to prevent an entire network shutdown and implement a solution for their network.Failures can occur at any level of a network and the network admin must be prepared in the wake of these occurrences. There are varying types of centralized systems that businesses can implement.The types of failures that can occur in centralized systems are; network failures, omission failures and halting failures. These type s of failures occur when a process crashes due to communication link failures that are detected during timeouts or in the process of sending messages.These failures typically only occur in the centralized system if it is connected via a general purpose or multi-user network setup.A distributed system simply is a group of â€Å"dummy† devices or computer that are connected to one network of distributed hardware which allows the devices to talk or communicate to one another and share other network assets and resources.This type of network is susceptible to four types of failures once they are set up. A fail stop occurs with some kind of notification to other components. A network file server telling its clients it is about to go down  is a fail-stop. Halting failures occur when a component just simply stops. The only way to detect this type of failure is by a timeout an example of which is when you computer freezes. The device stops responding to requests.A network failure al so can occur when network links break at some part of the process of traffic flow. Finally mission failures occur when there is a fault in the sending and receiving of messages due to lack of buffering space. This can lead to a device such as a router becoming overloading due to discarding of messages without notification to either the sender/receiver.Once these failures have been detected utilizing network research methods the next step in the process is to repair or fix the occurrence. These fixes can range from quick to time consuming, as each failure requires a different set of troubleshooting techniques. The simplest failure to repair is the network line break. The network admin would need to try and reach another device from the broken PC or device by utilizing the ping command to verify if the request was fulfilled which receiving a successful reply back from the device does. If the device fails to respond the admin would check other steps such as changing the network cable, configuration of the IP address or the network interface card.We typically solve the halting failure daily on our personal computer or our work device when it freezes. We typically use the ESC function or the Task Manager in Windows or the â€Å"kill† function in Linux to end an unresponsive process or we restart the device.Although we can’t always predict when a network failure will occur we can be ready to repair it in a timey manner by having diagnostic steps readily available when a failure is detected to prevent network assets being down for long periods of time.

How working environment can impact on motivation Essay

(A) Describe, with examples, how working environment can impact on motivation and contribute to an effective workplace in travel and tourism, covering:- * Job location In travel and tourism, the holiday atmosphere at resort contributes to a sense of well-being. Customers are happy to be on holiday and it is relatively easy to have a positive attitude to work. Whereas if you were working in a call centre where you are office bound and have to spend most of the talking to customer on the telephone. The organisation has to consider how this poorer environment can be improved so that staff remains motivated. * Working conditions and Hours of work Hours of work vary tremendously throughout the industry- some people are happy to work unsocial hours because it fits in with their lifestyle or they wish to have time off when everyone else is working. However, the overall number of hours per week should not exceed 40. * Health and safety Safety and security factors must be considered in the workplace, and legislation such as the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 must be adhered to. Specific regulations also apply where food is served or where the chemical hazards, for example in a swimming pool. All these requirements are important. For some organisations a lapse in safety procedures can mean the collapse of the business and even a prosecution. Companies that organise activity holidays for children, for example must make health and safety a priority. Health and safety is important for both customers and employees. Employees need to know that they can go about their work in a safe environment and work together to ensure their customers are safe. * Equipment and Resources Sate-of-the-art equipment and a pleasant environment are important to motivate staff. * Social event Most companies have a Christmas party or social outgoing for staff. These are useful events to create camaraderie amongst staff and build teams. * Theories of motivation The motivation and commitment of employees is key to success of a team and therefore to the company. Several theorists have come up with models of motivation. The two of that we will look at are Maslow and Herzberg. 1. Maslow Abraham Maslow was an American who in the 1940’s developed a theory of motivation. The theory is valid still for understanding how people are motivated in the workplace. Employers can use it to provide conditions that fulfil people’s needs at the different levels. Maslow theory is displayed as a pyramid because employees can only move up the levels once the lower levels are fulfilled. So, an employee can’t achieve level 4 at work if they are having problems in their personal life or working with colleagues (level 3). Similarly, if they have just been made homeless (level 1) their concern will be finding shelter not performing at work. 2. Herzberg Herzberg’s theory is also known as the ‘hygiene’ theory. Herzberg identified characteristics which make people satisfied with their jobs and those which make them dissatisfied: ‘satisfiers’ and ‘dissatisfiers’. The satisfiers are factors which give people long-term motivation and enable them to enjoy their work: * The type of work * Promotion prospects * Having responsibilities * Sense of achievement * Personal development * Gaining recognition This dissatisfiers or hygiene factors need to be operating well in an organisation but according to Herzberg do not ultimately motivate people. These are: * Salary * Working conditions * Relationships with others- colleagues and managers * Company policy (B) Describe, with examples, how working relationships can impact on motivation and contribute to an effective workplace in travel and tourism, covering:- * Management style Management is about motivating people to act in certain ways so that the team can achieve its common goal. A good manager must inform, motivate and develop the team. The four types of manager/management I will be talking about are:- 1. An autocratic manager An autocratic manager makes all the decisions and announces them to the team. This person is the boss and so has full control. The main advantage of this kind of leadership is that decisions are made quickly, as no consultation is involved. Its other advantages include:- * Where there is a need for urgent action the autocrat will take control * Some team members gain security from being told what to do. Disadvantages include:- * Team members may become frustrated at their lack of control * There may not be room for the team to express creativity * There may be over-dependence on the leaders Autocratic management belongs in a traditional hierarchical structure. 2. Consultative management With consultative management, the leader still makes the decisions but discusses them with the team. The advantages include:- * The team is informed of what is going on * Open discussion is encouraged * The manager spends time with the team The disadvantages are that the team feel involved but frustrated by having no real power. 3. Democratic management With democratic management, the decision-making is shared among the team. The advantages include:- * Ideas are encouraged from everyone * There is greater involvement and commitment from team members * The team is likely to be supportive of the leader * The team is fully informed The disadvantages include:- * Some team members may not be able to cope with being involved in decision-making * The democratic process can take too long * The leader may not agree with the decisions of the team * Powerful team members may take over 4. Laissez-faire management With laissez-faire management the team is left to sort itself out and get on with its work. The manager does not get involved and therefore is not leading the team. The advantages include:- * Highly motivated and skilled people are able to get on with their tasks * The team is empowered The disadvantages include:- * New team members will be uninformed * The team may be left with little or no direction * Teamwork Teamwork skills are essential in the workplace. You must be able to work with other people in a team even if you don’t happen to like them. A team is a group of people who are working together to achieve common objectives. Even when you are not physically with other members of your team, you can work together by contributing to a sequence of activities with a common aim. If you were working as a resort representative in Spain, you would still be working in a team with colleagues in head office in the UK. 1. Team roles Good teams achieve synergy; that is, together they can achieve more than the members could individually. More ideas, energy and resources are generated as a group because:- * The team solves problems and makes decisions together * The team focuses on the priorities, with everyone working towards the same aim * The team provides a sense of belonging and a sense of status * The team provides a support network Not everyone in a team is the same- each person has their own strengths and weaknesses. If each person had the same weaknesses, the team could not work; there needs to be a balance of skills. A method of recognising individuals’ strengths and weaknesses is needed in order to build an effective team. The management expert R.Meredith Belbin has outlined nine team roles necessary for a successful team. One person can represent more than one role, as most people have strengths in more than one area. Belbin’s roles:- > Chairperson/ co-ordinator = The group leader, likely to be relaxed and extrovert, also likely to be a good communicator. They will build on the strengths of team members and give them encouragement. > Plant = The ideas person in the team, a person who is creative in looking for solution to problems, but not always good at details, and so may make careless mistakes. > Shaper = The task leader, who unites ideas and effort. Needs to be dominated and extrovert in order to make things happen. > Monitor/ evaluator = The team analyst, who is not so good at ideas but pays attention to details, thus keeping the team directed towards its target. > Implementer = The organiser of the team, who is able to make the ideas of the plant and shaper and turn them into manageable and realistic tasks. A practical, stable and disciplined person. > Resources investigator = The person who is outgoing and will explore and report on ideas and developments outside the group; is sociable and enthusiastic and good under pressure. > Team worker = A very people-oriented person, sensitive to others’ needs. The team worker has good communication skills and will be good at motivating other. A natural mediator, who will deal with any conflict within the team, this person is very good to have around in a crisis. > Finisher = A person who sticks to deadlines and likes to get on with things. Will probably be irritated by the more relaxed members of the team. > Specialist = This person is single-minded and a self-starter and provides knowledge and skills in specialist areas each of Belbin’s roles acquires a different level of important according to the objectives of the team and the stage in the team’s life. 2. team development Formal teams are part of the structure of an organisation and are planned in order to meet that organisation’s objectives. The formal team will follow rules and regulations and may meet on a pre-arranged schedule and complete administrative procedures. Examples in travel and tourism includes sales teams and marketing teams Informal teams work within or outside formal teams. They are sometimes based on personal relationships between members rather than on work roles. When you complete group work for assignments, you often choose the colleagues you wish. You choose to work with people you like and ones you know will be as committed as you are to the work. This is an informal team. There are several theories of team structure and development, which will help you to understand the effectiveness of teams. Bruce Tuckman (1965) identified four main stages of team development:- * Forming – at this stage, team members form their first impressions of each other and establish identities. They are sounding each other out and finding out what is expected of them. * Storming- the team members have, by now, become more used to each other. Members are prepared to put forward their ideas forcibly and openly; they are also prepared to disagree and so there may be some conflict and hostility. * Norming – the team now begins to establish co-operation. Conflict is controlled, views are exchanged and new standards introduced. * Performing – the team is now working together; it begins to arrive at solutions and achieve objectives. There can also be a fifth stage, called ‘adjourning’ or ‘mourning’, where the team has disbanded and the members miss being part of the team. * Job roles and lines of responsibility An organisation chart shows the structure of the company and how the work is divided into different areas. It also shows the lines of responsibility between staff, so that it is apparent who is responsible to whom. An employee studying a chart will find the possible promotions routes. The chart may show a hierarchical structure or line relationship. This is a very traditional structure and shows a chain of command with each person responsible to the person above them. It is sometimes referred to as a pyramid structure. Many organisations today would be depicted in a chart with a flatter structure. There are fewer layers of management, and each manager has a broader span of control. Restructuring of organisations often involves getting rid of middle managers, hence the flattened structure. * Channels of communication Open communication must be encouraged and ideas should be freely expressed in the workplace. There should be trust and support between team members. An effective leader can encourage good communication and shape the way the team works. * Verbal Verbal communication is the process of sending and receiving messages with words, including writing and there are different ways a person can do verbal communication 1. Telephone 2. Word of mouth 3. Video conference 4. Face to face 5. Presentation 6. Walkie-talkie 7. Meetings 8. Bluetooth/ headset (mobile phone) 9. Radio 10. Sign language * Written Written communication guarantees that everyone concerned has the same information and it provides a long-lasting record of communication for future such as 1. Books 2. Brochures/ leaflets, newspaper 3. E-mail 4. Text (written + electronic + verbal) 5. Fax (written + electronic) 6. Notice boards 7. Minutes of meetings * Electronic Electronic communication means any method used to convey a message that has been transmitted via electronic means such as e-mail, video conferencing, radio, TV, mobile phone, internet, fax etc. * Equal opportunities Legislation exists to ensure that personal receive equal opportunities and that there is no discrimination. The arts of parliament that you should be aware of are:- * Race relations Act 1976 This act makes discrimination on racial grounds unlawful in employment, training, education and the provision of goods, facilities and services. The two main type of discrimination involved in this Act are:- 1. direct discrimination:- discrimination against colour disability, citizenship 2. indirect discrimination:- discriminating a racial group * Sex discrimination Act 1975 This act makes it unlawful to discriminating against someone on the ground of gender, marital status, Gender reassignment or sexual orientation. The act was updated in 1986 to remove restrictions on women’s hours of work and then it allowed women to take h=jobs with flexible hours. This act not only covers discriminations in the workplace but in job advertisements and interviews. * Disability discrimination act 1995 This act makes discrimination against people with disabilities unlawful in respect of employment, education and access to goods, facilities, services, and premises. Employers are required to make reasonable adjustments to accommodate people with disabilities. Examples include providing specially adapted keyboards for arthritis sufferers, facilitating wheelchair access and relocating people with limited mobility to the ground floor. * Equal pay act 1970 This act was introduced to address the problem of women being paid less than men for the same work. It allows employees to claim equal value in terms of demands made on them, such as effort, skills and decisions made. There is also an EU Directive that state that for the same work or work of equal value, sex discrimination must be eliminated in all aspects of pay. * Other forms of discrimination Discrimination at work is a very serious issue and can result in large amounts of compensation being awarded following successful tribunals, not to set up policies to ensure that the workplace is free from discrimination. Measures to be taken include:- 1. Setting up a comprehensive equal opportunities policy covering all aspects of discrimination 2. Training staff in discrimination legislation and on how to implement the equal opportunities policy 3. Setting up complaints procedures for instances of discrimination * Employment rights act 1996 When someone gets a job they can aspect to receive a contract of employment. This is a legally binding agreement between the employer and the employee. Under the Employment Rights Act, the employer must give the employee a written document including the following information, in writing within 2 months of starting work:- 1. Name of employer and employee 2. Date employment began 3. Rate of pay and interval of pay 4. Hours of work 5. Holiday entitlement and pay 6. Job title and brief description of duties 7. Place of work 8. Notice entitlement and requirements 9. Sick leave entitlement and sick pay 10. Pension and pension scheme 11. Disciplinary procedures and grievance producers 12. Date of end of employment it fixed term 13. Additional details about working aboard if appropriate. * Notice board After one month of continues employment an employee is entitle to one week of notice if the employment ends. After 2 years’ employment they are entitle to 2 weeks’ notice, after 3 years, 3 weeks’ notice and so on. After 12 years the legal maximum 12 weeks’ notice is reached. A employee must also give notice of leaving to an employer. After one month of continuous employment, an employee must give a minimum of one week’s notice. Employees are entitled to normal pay during notice periods as long as they are working or available for work. * Redundancy Redundancy pay is calculated according to the employee’s age, length of service and salary. Employees can claim for unfair dismissal if they suspect: 1. There is no real redundancy 2. They were unfairly selected for redundancy Dismissal is treated as redundancy if the whole business is closing or a particular job disappears or requires fewer employees. An employer may offer alternative employment. If the employee unreasonably refuses it they are not entitled to redundancy pay. * EU Directives on hours and pay The European Working Time Directive was enacted in the UK through the Working Time Regulations 1998. This lays down the following: 1. A maximum 48-hours week, averaged over 17 weeks 2. at least 4 weeks’ paid annual leave 3. a weekly rest period of at least 24 hours in each 7-day period 4. a daily rest period of at least 11 consecutive hours between each working day 5. an in-work rest break of 20 minutes for those working hours or more per day Some sectors are excluded from the regulations; one of theses is transport. * National Minimum Wage Act 1998 This Act provides workers with a minimum hourly rate below which their wages will not fall. Those who work part time benefit most, because they are often badly paid. The Low Pay Commission advises the Secretary of State on the value of the minimum rate. A special lower rate applies to 18-to 21years-olds. * Maternity and paternity leave The Employment Relations Act 1999 provides for basic rights for maternity leave. There are three periods of maternity leave. Ordinary maternity leave is for a period of 18 weeks which coincides with the period for statutory maternity pay. This applies to all employees. Compulsory maternity leave extends to a period of 2 weeks after the birth; the employer must not permit the woman to return to work during this period. Additional maternity leave follows immediately after the original 18-weekperiod and must end within 29 weeks of the birth. Employees with at least one year’s service with an employer are eligible for the additional maternity leave. Under the same Act there are provisions to allow parents 3 months’ leave in order to care for a child. This is intended to be taken before the child is five. It is intended to be available to men and to women, in addition to maternity leave. Paternity leave is available to men to: 1. Have or expect to have responsibility for the child’s upbringing 2. Are the biological father of the child, or the mother’s husband or partner 3. Have worked continuously for their employer for 26 weeks ending with the fifteenth week before the baby is due. Eligible employees can choose take either 1 week or 2 consecutive weeks’ paternity leave (not odd days) * Statutory sickness pay An employer must pay Statutory Sick Pay to employees who become sick and who normally earn at least à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½79 per week. After 28 weeks, Incapacity Benefit or Income Support must be claimed instead. * Grievance and disciplinary procedures These must be included in the employee’s written statement or contract, or at least there must be a reference to where they can be found. Disciplinary producers deal with such maters as warnings to be given before dismissal. Warnings might arise from the following:- 1. Lack of capability or qualifications-although the employer has a responsibility to give training 2. Misconduct-which includes habitual lateness 3. Gross misconduct (for example, assault or theft) leads to instant or summary dismissal. Grievance procedures deal with complaints by employees who are not satisfied with aspects of their employment. Employees must be given the name of a person to whom a complaint can b made and should be informed of right of appeal. * Investors in people Investors in people is a UK quality standard development in 1990. Those companies who gain the award have proved that they invest in the training and development of their staff. This is beneficial to employees and also to customers and suppliers. The standard for Investors in people is based on four key principals: 1. Commitment from the top to develop all employees 2. Regular review of training and development needs 3. Taking relevant action to meet those needs throughout people’s careers 4. Evaluating training and development outcomes for individuals and the organisation in order to continuously improve These principals are subdivided into 24 indicators of effective practise, and the organisation provides evidence for assessment against the indicators. Once the organisation gets the award it is entitled to display the Investors in People logo on company literature. * ‘Buddies’ and mentoring Mentoring schemes are growing in popularity. They offer employees a one-to one relationship with a mentor, someone with greater experience and a willingness to listen and advice. The mentor and the mentee meet regularly and discuss aspects of the mentee’s job, such as career development. The mentor does not act as a line manager or superior and is never judgemental, but acts as a sounding board and is able to offer ideas and a different outlook on work issues. The Hilton hotel chain runs a mentoring scheme for its staff at all levels. Its purpose is to support staff in their career development. Mentors at the Hilton chain are often colleagues of the mentees doing similar jobs, which departs from the traditional model. All of the mentors have had mentoring training. Some companies have similar, but sometimes less formal, schemes where a new member of staff is given a ‘buddy’ as a source of information and help. * Job security Many contracts today are fixed term, especially in areas such as visitor attractions. This means that the period of employment is not indefinite but lasts for a period of months or a year or two. The reason for such contracts is flexibility for employers- they can lose staff on fixed contracts at the end of the period without penalty. However, such contracts are demotivating for staff as they worry about their future income and job prospects. C) Describe with examples, how incentives can impact on motivation and contribute to an effective workplace in travel and tourism including: * Remuneration Remuneration means how much you get paid. You would imagine that this is very important as a motivator. In fact, it is an important factor in attracting people to a company but research shows that it is not the most important incentive. * Performance related pay Bonuses are often based on overall profits and awarded to all employees- usually performance related. * Incentive scheme An example of an incentive scheme could be a competition that staff are invited to enter. The competitions may be based on generating new ideas within the company, or how to boost sales, customer satisfaction or commissions on sales. * Discounts Discounts may be given on holidays or travel for those working in the industry. Many who work in travel and tourism receive cheap travel, perhaps by going on standby if they work for an airline or by going on fact-finding trips to a destination if they work for a travel agent. * Holiday entitlement In the UK employees can expect around 4 weeks’ paid holiday per year. In the public sector more holiday is often given, but this may be balanced against lower pay. * Pension schemes A good pension scheme can act as an incentive for many people who are concerned about security in retirement. * Perks As a perk, employees in the travel and tourism industry are often provided with a uniform. They may get to travel or live aboard and be paid to live there. They may be provided with a company car. * Opportunities for promotion and progression Many employees need a challenge and if they are in the same position, doing a job they find easy, they may become bored and less efficient. Thus, opportunities to move on and face new challenges are an important incentive. Opportunities may arise within an organisation and good people are quickly promoted. You may wish to let it be known that you are interested in progression and ask to be sent on relevant training courses and conferences. D) Described, with examples, how training can impact on motivation and contribute to an effective workplace in travel and tourism including: * Training Those employers who wish o ensure an effective workplace will offer ongoing training and development to staff. There are several benefits to organisations add to their workforces. Training can: * Improve individual performance * Improve team performance * Allow staff to be better informal * Equip staff to deal with change and emergencies * Make for a more flexible workforce * Improve morale * Allow managers more time to manage through delegation of other tasks. * Induction training Employers have to provide instruction and training to ensure health and safety, and this is usually a part of induction training. The induction is the first stage of training and is given to new employees; it is important as new employees need to be made welcome and become effective in their work as quickly as possible. Induction covers: * The nature of the job * Introduction to the workplace and to staff * The lines of responsibility * Facilities such as toilets, lockers, canteen * Health and safety basics * Training opportunities * In-house training Large companies offer their own in-house training and may even write their own materials. These training courses are very beneficial as they are tailor- made to meet the needs of the company. * External courses Thousands of external courses are available. These may be specific to travel and tourism or other professional qualifications in areas such as marketing or human resource management. They may be offered by colleges, by travel associations or by private companies. Companies may allow individuals or groups to attend such courses. Some may be long term, leading to advanced qualifications, so a great deal of commitment is required on behalf of the individual.