African American Writers Essays - Reconstruction Era,

African American Writers The African- American Community has been blessed with a multitude of scholars. Two of those scholars include Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. Du bois. Both of these men, had a vision for African- Americans. They wanted to see the advancement of their race of people. These great leaders just had different viewpoints as to how this should be accomplished. Mr. Washington's viewpoints are based on his own personal experience and understanding of politics. Mr. Du bois' viewpoints came from his knowledge of the importance of education and its ability to break down barriers of color. Washington and Du bois wanted to see the advancement of the African-American people. The question was "How could they advance?" There is a twelve-year age difference amongst the two gentlemen. I could see the difference that a decade could make in the mindsets of the two gentlemen. Washington is the elder of the two. He was apart of the slavery system not merely a product of it. He was a slave who was freed. A man without neither a history, nor a surname to call his own. Du bois was born into a system of freedom. He never experienced having a master or the lack of freedom to move about as he pleased. He came into the world and saw problems. He didn't see the long path that had been traveled to get them to the point that they were at currently. Therefore these men saw different ways of accomplishing their goals as a race. In Booker T. Washington's autobiography Up From Slavery , he shares with the reader an abundance of information as to how he became the man he was. He was born on a plantation in Franklin County, Virginia. At the earliest moments of his life, he was a laborer, cleaning the yards, carrying water, and taking corn to the mills. Booker T. Washington talks about the burden of freedom. He talks about the attitudes of the slaves towards their masters after emancipation. When the slaves learned they were free there was a feeling of excitement, followed by one of the reality that they were now responsible for providing for their families, shelter, food, clothing and a better way of life. He talks about the connection and bond that they continued to share, as the slaves began to prosper and the master and his family began to suffer. Washington remembers his new life in West Virginia. The part where is education was put on the back burner as a result of a need of income to support his family. But he also remembers his will and determination to gain an education at any cost. This resulted in him going to school at night and traveling several miles in order to gain a proper education. Washington eventually gained an education at Hampton University, and went on to teach. He was also head of Tuskegee University. Mr. Washington's life experience's taught him that everything has a time and a place. He painted a picture of a boy in a filthy room with torn and ragged clothes, reading a French book. He believed that man must have skills and should be able to provide for himself and his family. He was speaking of economic freedom. He was speaking of working with white people, to try to make a better place for both races. In many ways, I think he felt it was more important to have food on your table rather than books in your hands. Mr. Washington knew that in order for African-Americans to prosper, whites would have to be involved. In order for a man to get up off the ground he must first convince the man holding him down to take his foot off his throat. Mr. W.E.B. Du bois was indeed a scholar and revolutionary. He was born in Great Barrington, Massachusetts. He was a graduate of Fisk University and the first Black to receive a doctoral degree from Harvard University. Du Bois's research into the historical and sociological conditions of black Americans made him the most influential black intellectual of his time. His book The Souls of Black Folk written in 1903 is a powerful collection of essays, in which Du Bois describes the efforts of African- Americans to reconcile their African heritage with their pride in being U.S. citizens. In this book he also contended that Washington's push for African-Americans to relinquish political strength and the quest for civil rights temporarily for the building of wealth was wrong. Du bois believed that "he

Would You Rather, an Icebreaker Game for Adults

Would You Rather, an Icebreaker Game for Adults This party game is perfect for use in the classroom, at a seminar or workshop, or any gathering of adults. Its easy and lots of fun. Would you rather be bald or completely hairy? Give your students impossible questions to answer and help them ease into learning together. Why Use Ice Breaker Games? Icebreakers are important tools for teachers of adults.  If youre teaching adults, you know they learn differently than children. They come to the classroom with a lot of life experience, some more than others, of course, and some of them bring wisdom, too, depending on their age. When you begin a new class or start a new lesson, an icebreaker game can help your adult students feel more comfortable participating by getting them to laugh, helping them to meet fellow students, and relaxing everyone. Have fun. People engage in learning more quickly when the experience is fun. Starting a session or a lesson plan with an icebreaker can help your adult students focus on whatever you have gathered to learn. Instructions The game takes 30-60 minutes, depending on the size of the group. Break large groups into smaller groups by counting off if you have less time for this exercise. Give the participants a minute to think of a Would You Rathe question. Give some examples. There are published Would You Rather books and game cards available for sale if you have the budget to purchase them, but once you get going, you can easily make questions up yourself. If your group does not seem creative at all, you can always print handouts with question ideas and let your students choose from the list. Introduce yourself and ask the first person your question. Example: My name is Deb, and I want to know if you would rather speak to a large group or hold a snake. After the person answers, he or she should give their name and ask the next person their question. And so on. Save time for laughter and explanations if appropriate! Depending on the purpose of your class or meeting, ask participants to come up with a meaningful or thought-provoking question. If you use this game as an energizer, encourage people to just be silly. Debriefing Is Not Necessary No debriefing is necessary unless you’ve asked the group to come up with questions related to your topic. If so, some of the choices probably inspired some remarkable responses. Choose a few to discuss further or to use as a lead-in to your first lecture or activity. This icebreaker game makes a good warm-up exercise for adult education lesson plans. Would You Rather Ideas If you need some questions to get the game rolling, start with these and see if they inspire others: Would you rather play Monopoly or chess?Would you rather have super hearing or x-ray vision?Would you rather be good at drawing or singing?Would you rather be a cat or a fish?Would you rather be Catwoman or Wonder Woman?Would you rather babysit a couples child or their dog?Would you rather go one year without TV or without reading books?Would you rather attend a big party or have an intimate dinner with a few friends?Would you rather lose your hearing or lose your sight?Would you rather be able to breathe underwater or fly?

Discuss the ethical issues surrounding Tesco's relationships with its Essay

Discuss the ethical issues surrounding Tesco's relationships with its suppliers - Essay Example For the business to progress by maintaining high ethical values, the organisation shares its values with the suppliers. The sharing of same values helps in building a strong relation and standard with the suppliers, which in turn assists in increasing the efficiency of the company and maximise profit. The company focuses on ethical trading training and ethical policy for its suppliers. This course facilitates in evaluating the standard of Tesco, raise awareness on ethics and build confidence in the suppliers to follow the ethics (Tesco, 2012; Tesco PLC, n.d.). The study deals with evaluating the ethical issues surrounding Tesco’s relationships with its suppliers. The issues of the suppliers are evaluated based on the differences in keeping with the values of Tesco. Prevailing Relationship of Tesco with Its Suppliers Tesco maintains a strong and mutual relation with its suppliers by replicating a specified code of conduct which focuses on fair trading. The quality control check is done by the company before adopting the suppliers as a member of the organisation. Tesco expects their suppliers to be dynamic and provide fair dealing to ensure quality. The success of Tesco depends on its suppliers who strive to maintain ethical norms in supplying quality products to its customers. Tesco promises the customers to provide foods from the suppliers who are certified and maintain animal welfare. The core value of Tesco which is followed by every supplier is â€Å"no-one tries harder for customers’ and ‘treat people how we like to be treated† (Tesco PLC, 2008). Moreover, Tesco works with suppliers who are dedicated to the ETI Base Code and refer to the specified values. The ethical training code followed by Tesco states that employment should be chosen freely. The authority to collective bargaining must be valued. The working condition provided must be safe and no discrimination would be followed by the company in its supply chain. The supplier must be provided with regular orders and the product supplied must be of high quality. Also, no harsh behaviour would be conducted with the suppliers and all the ethical norms would be followed to ensure safety. There are certain guidelines which are to be adhered to by the Tesco’s stakeholders to maintain reputation. The code of business and principles to be adhered by the stakeholders include compliance with the law, honesty and integrity as well as to maintain compliance with the accounting procedures to avoid conflict of interest. Tesco believes all their employees and suppliers to work for their interest (Tesco, 2004). The commitment of the suppliers towards the company ensures a better standard for Tesco. Tesco has a knowledge hub which is the largest collaboration of the supply chain. It has nearly 700 suppliers as the members of the knowledge hub to ensure ethics and knowledge sharing. The commitment of Tesco is to develop deeper sustainable relationship with the supp liers. Tesco enriches the feedback of the suppliers to understand their viewpoint, and hence ascertains high standard of products with innovation. Moreover, to maintain a good healthy relationship with the supplier, Tesco supports them in overcoming the social complex issues. This ascertains a strong ethical bond in the supply chain

Activities Personal Statement Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Activities - Personal Statement Example The lessons a person learns when he or she plays as an athlete can help him or her succeed in the corporate world. A valuable experience that I had outside of classroom was an internship at HSBC. During this internship I had to meet a lot of great people that inspired me to graduate soon and have a full time job. I learned the importance of communication and of being a team player. Another activity in which I have been involved in the past and of which I am very proud is community service. I have donated hundreds of hours to local food shelters and volunteering work coordinated through a church. Working in a shelter for the homeless was a life changing experience for me because it has taught me how we can make a difference in the lives of people who are in need. Community service is a very satisfying activity because other people reap the rewards of your efforts. Volunteering can help build a strong and united

Alexander the Great from Macedonia Essay Example for Free

Alexander the Great from Macedonia Essay The cuisine of th Middle East has the same similarities as that of the Greeks for many reasons. According to history, Alexander the Great from Macedonia which is also known as Greece of todays world came to the Middle East in the 300 BC. This brought about many Greco influences into the lives of the Middle East people. Moreover, during the Roman Empire, the Greeks brought sweets and fruits to th region. As a matter of fact, there has been a continued trade of spices between the two regions that it has become a the spice center of the world. At the same time, the religion of the Middle east has a dominant role to play in their food traditions. Christianity in particular came from the Greek tradition. In Israel, the cuisine is considered to be international because of the diverse immigrants in the country. These immigrants range from countries like Greece to Turkey to Spain and to North Africa which influenced the way Israelites cook and prepare their food. At the same time, the North African cuisine such as that of Libya, Algeria, Morocco, and Tunisia share similarities with most the Arabic tradition because of the Islamic conquest that happened in the 7th century. Most of their cuisines are influenced by the Arabs and the aboriginal peoples of the the region which are called Berbers. In addition, Egypt has large influence geographically. It is situated in North Africa which carries with it an Arabic tradition and culture. North Africa has always been considered Middle Eastern and Mediterranean in nature because of its geographical location. 4. Four of the most famous food in West Africa are Yassa, Sauce Canny, Diebou Dien, and Yam. The Yassa is made out of chicken or lamb with a citrus or a lime in it as a flavoring. It could also be made with fish or vegetables. The saucy Canny is made out of onions, garlics, and shallots which is mainly used as an accompaniment to may of West Africas dishes. The Deibou Dien is composed of fresh and dried fish with onions and tomatoes. It also has as many vegetables as possible such as an eggplant, a manioc, turnips, white radish, cabbage, and carrots. In East Africa, the common foods are Niker Kebboh and Alecha. Niter Kebboh is made up of butter with spices like ginger, garlic, and cinnamon. Alecha on one hand is a stew made of chicken or beef or other kinds of meat. It is accompanied with bread. It is usually dipped into the spicy dishes and once its already soaked up the it is lifted into the mouth. 5.

Case Report On British Airways Ba Management Essay

Case Report On British Airways Ba Management Essay The fast changing technological advancement and unpredictable economic situation are forcing businesses to respond quickly to adapt to change. Failure to manage change will cause organisation lose its competitiveness and disappear from the market. In order to meet the challenge, British Airways has to review their development approaches, especially those related to the organisational behaviour, structure, culture and other human resource issues. The organisations vision of being worlds global premium airline can only be sustained and supported through continual review and improvements in the aspects mentioned. It is important to note that the change in the organisation is very much related to the role of managers in developing strategy. Though there is a pressing need for the organisation to undergo change, peoples need should not be sacrificed. This report aids the improvement process in British Airways by providing discussion on the key frameworks in the HRM issues and recommendati ons for future. 2.0 Introduction This is a report for the management of British Airways Plc which present, analyze and evaluate the change management issues in the organisation. Factors such as organisational structure, behaviour, culture and technology, political and social aspects as well as economic strengths and weaknesses are made throughout the whole report. It is hoped that this report would provide an insight to the human resource activities for future improvement. 3.0 Organisations Strategic Plan 3.1 Organisations Background British Airways Plc (BA) has a long history beginning from the launching of words first schedule air service by its forerunner company, Aircraft Transport Travel Limited (AT T) on 1919. In 1924, Britains four airlines merged to form Imperial Airways Limited. Later in the 1930s, some smaller UK air transport companies started their operations and merged to form the original privately-owned British Airways Limited. Following a government review in 1939, these two companies were then nationalized and formed the British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC). BOAC, together with a new airline, British European Airways (BEA) were the main British operators in the industry in the 1950s. However, these two separate airlines eventually merged to form British Airways in 1974. With the execution of Civil Aviation Act 1980, the government sold its shares in British Airways and Lord King was appointed as the chairman. Many changes were carried out since then to bring British Airways to its presen t status as one of the worlds leading global premium airline (British Airways 2010). The company is principally base in London, with hubs at Heathrow, Gatwick and London city airports. Its core activities are to carry out the operation of international and domestic scheduled air passengers and cargo services. In 2009/10, the company carried nearly 32 million passengers and 760,000 tonnes of cargo to different destinations. Together with its partners, BA flies to over 300 destinations throughout the world. It also has a strong fleet operation with 238 aircrafts in service at the end of March 2010 (British Airways 2010). 3.2 Organisations Vision and Mission The companys long term vision to be the worlds leading Global Premium Airline is constantly leading the company moving towards higher achievements in the future. BA has plotted different mission statements in pursuing toward this vision. These mission statements are: Be the airline of choice for long haul premium customers Deliver an outstanding service for customers at every point of touch Build presence in key global cities Build on leading position in London Meet customers needs and improve margins through new revenue streams (British Airways 2010) 3.3 Industry Overview The aviation industry has a big global economic impact. Few key facts provide the evidence of the worldwide influence of this industry. According to Capoccitti, Khare and Mildenberger (2010: 67), more than 2.2 billion vacation and business passengers flew on the worlds airlines. Over one-third of the values of worlds manufactured exports were carried through air freight. 32 million jobs opportunities were created for people in different countries. Moreover, the aviation industry contributes nearly 8% to world gross domestic product. In general, airline industry can be divided into four categories: International companies with annual revenue of $1 billion or more National companies with annual revenue between $100 million and $ 1 billion Regional companies with short-haul flights and less than $100 million revenue Cargo companies that generally transport goods only (Investopedia 2010) Though the degree varies with the category that an airline belongs to, air companies need to cope with various complicated issues. Some of the major issues include airport capacity, route design, technology, costs to buy or lease the aircrafts, weather, fuel price, and employees (Investopedia 2010). Despite these challenges, competition remains lofty as more and more airliners enter into the market by offering cheaper prices to customers. 3.4 SWOT Analysis Figure British Airways SWOT Analysis (Euromonitor International 2011) The figure above shows the current SWOT analysis of British Airways. Further explanations are made as follow. STRENGTHS Strong Fleet Operations British Airways has a strong fleet with more than 200 aircrafts. The fleet includes Boeing 737, Boeing 747- 777, Airbus A319 and Airbus 320. Recently, the company had also ordered additional 23 new Boeing 787 to replace the current Boeing 767. These new aircrafts will join in the long haul fleet from year 2012. With such a strong fleet, the airline covers all the continents around the world (Euromonitor International 2011). Online Services British Airways also seizes the opportunity of the widespread of internet to boost its business performance. With the implementation of online services, passengers obtain the convenience to book flights, hire cars, book hotels and access travel information in a quick and safe way. This has not only greatly reduced the companys operating costs, but also help it to attract more customers (Euromonitor International 2011). WEAKNESSES Labor Dispute The dispute over pay and condition of its cabin crew has caused an industrial action to take place in 20-22 March and 27-30 March 2010 (Euromonitor International 2011). The strikes held by Unite, which represents about 25,000 workers at British Airways, had incurred more than  £150 million loss to the company in year 2010. Poor Brand Image Apart from the above incident, the chaos that happened during the opening of Heathrow Terminal 5 airport also diminished the companys brand image. Cancellations, delays of flights and lost of baggages had led to huge disappointment on many loyal customers. This weaken the companys competitive advantage and loss many businesses to its rival. Poor Performance in All Geographic Regions Due to global financial crisis and high fuel prices, British Airways has a poor performance in all its geographic regions. The business revenues in its largest geographic market had decreased 12.9% in March 2010. The sales in its second largest market, America had also shown a decline of 4%. It is concerned that the continuity of such performance would lead to business collapse in no time (Euromonitor International 2011). THREATS Disrupt Operation With the unstable restructuring and changes policies, British Airways faces strong opposition from its workforce. The extension of labour dispute into future will continue to disrupt the companys normal operation. Huge amount of time and money will have to be spent on devising contingency plans to resolve the issues. Increased Competition Poor management strategies in handling labour dispute and the opening of Terminal 5 makes the company vulnerable to its rivals. Better offers made by competitors such as Virgins, Ryan Air and Easyjet will cause British Airways losses its premium passengers. Bankruptcy Poor performance in all geographic regions increases the risk of bankruptcy in BA. OPPORTUNITIES Reward Packages/Employee Relations Opportunities to offer better reward packages and to improve employee relations can be identified in the case of British Airways labour dispute. The restructuring and changes process will get into a better shape if two ways communication is to be built up. Monitor Operational Performance British Airways is currently monitoring its customer views on the Think Customer Survey (British Airways 2010). This offer great opportunity for the organisation to improve its business performance as it can find solution to improve its departure punctuality, which is one of the main concerns of the passengers. Merger Agreement with Iberia The entering into a merger agreement with Spanish airway Iberia offers opportunity for BA to step into Latin America market. This merger will also save the airline  £350 million a year (BBC 2010). 4.0 HRM Issues 4.1 Leadership and Management The terms leadership and management have been used interchangeably by many people. In fact, these two terms denotes two different meanings. From a general point of view, leadership can be defined as a relationship through which one person influences the behaviour or actions of other people. Management, on the other hand, is usually defines as getting things done through other people in order to achieve stated organisational objectives (Mullins 2010: 373). A major study of the nature of leadership has been developed by a political scientist, James MacGregor Burns in 1978. Burns states that organisation states can be categorized into two convergent (stable condition) and divergent (dynamic condition). He contends that the best approach for the convergent state is the transactional management style. The managers will aim at completing tasks, achieving companys goal, and striving for the companys performance through gradual changes (Burnes 2009: 498). On the other hand, transformational leaders are most appropriate in the divergent state. They will introduce radical change and use the influence of their personality to gain the trust and commitment of their followers (Burnes 2009: 499). The figure below shows Burns theory on leadership. Figure Burns Contextual Approach to Leadership (Burnes 2009: 499) Along with Burns theory, the diagram below also shows the distinctive activities between managers and leaders (Burnes 2009: 492). In fact, in real life situation, leaders need to possess both transactional and transformational characteristics, depending on the circumstances. Figure Distinct Activities between Managers and Leaders (Burnes 2009: 492) In relation to the theories above, BAs present Chief Executive Officer, Willie Walsh is considered to be a manager rather than a leader. This can be seen from the way he transformed his former company Aer Lingus, a nearly bankrupt airline into one of the most profitable one in Europe by cutting one-third of its workforce using the power of his position (The Independent Business 2011). This action had caused him to win an uncomplimentary nickname Slasher Walsh, thus revealing his sturdy personality trait. Partly because of this, he was attracted into the board of BA (The Wall Street Journal 2011). However, as the company is in a dynamic state, the transactional characteristic that Willie Walsh possessed is seemed to be unsuitable. In the dispute with the Unite Union, Willie Walsh is entirely focused on the present organisations need reduce costs but ignored the need to create a culture of shared value in the long run. His managerial approach will only enable him to carry out his du ty and fail to gain followers. The management should realize that the pressing need of British Airways is to have leader who is capable to win trust and support from its members in order to implement change. 4.2 Organisational Structure In order to ensure the organisation meets its goals and objectives, organisation usually has a formal structure to divide the work and responsibilities. This formal structure is presented in the organisation chart. Different roles and relationships are incorporated in this process to direct, control and carry out the tasks and activities (Armstrong 2009: 365). People in these groups are usually bound by certain formal rules, relationship and norms of behaviour. Formal work group can be differentiated by basis of membership, tasks to be performed, nature of technology or positions within the organisations and etc. (Mullins 2010: 311). Though the formal groups are planned and created by management, informal structure will also arise during the day-to-day interactions of the staffs. Unlike the formal structure which is based on a defined role, the informal groups are based more on friendships. The goal is to satisfy psychological and social needs rather than achieving the tasks (Mullins 2010:312). Both formal and informal groups are crucial as the formation can contribute to the enhancement of work performance. The higher the group cohesiveness, the more likely they can progress in the stages of group development and form teams. However, tasks at team level require higher level of coordination, control and trust. From the organisational chart in Figure 4 below, it can be seen that the division of work in the organisation is based on individuals different tasks and functions, such as sales and marketing, engineering, investments and etc. This institution is important as members tend to follow the established values and norms of behaviours. However, as group size increase, it will increase the difficulty for managers to handle. In general, group cohesiveness is hard to achieve when a group exceeds 10-12 members. Absenteeism, conflict over incentive payment and differences in opinions are some of the normal phenomena that can be seen in a group. Therefore, groups should be divided into sub-groups when the numbers go beyond 12 (Mullins 2010: 315). Managers should also be sensitive on the balance of work performance and social interactions in the informal groups. Sometimes, groups may be inclined toward social processes and spend too much time talking rather than working (Mullins 2010:314). Managers therefore need to be capable to observe and create a better climate in the groups. Figure British Airways Organisational Structure (The Official Board 2010) 4.3 Organisational Culture Organisational culture plays an important role to bring in change in organisation. According to Armstrong (2009:384), organisational culture is the unspoken ways that shape the ways in which people in organisations behave and things get done. Drennan (1992) also defines culture as typical of the organisation, the habits, the prevailing attitudes, and the grown-up pattern of accepted and expected behaviour (Brown 1998: 8). One of the factors that formed the organisational culture is the influence of visionary leaders. British Airways had undergone many waves of culture change since late 70s. Under the leadership of Collin Marshall, the companys chief executive during 1983, the company was transformed from a disastrous loss-making company into a profit-making world class organisation. He introduced Putting People First program and had successfully overturned the atmosphere in the organisation. He challenged the hierarchical and militaristic culture that existed at that time by asking the staffs not to wear uniform to work. He also constantly motivated the staffs to have positive attitudes in themselves, set personal goals and dealing with stress. Members of the organisation are very much encouraged by the families atmosphere promoted during that period (Irena and Adrian 2002). British Airways experienced few more restructuring processes in the hands of different leaders following Collin Marshall. It is believed the organisation is also undergoing a major culture change under the current leadership of Willie Walsh. The organisational culture is changed from people-oriented to power-oriented under the management of Willie Walsh. Members in the organisation became more competitive and responsive to personality as the values and beliefs are changed. Although it cannot be concluded by saying one culture is better than the other, the culture that Willie Walsh introduced into the organisation seems to be inappropriate and hinder its performance (Armstrong 2009: 398). 4.4 Resourcing and Legal Issues Another crucial aspect to achieve the goals of the organisation is people resourcing. Organisations need to make sure they can obtain and retain the right people that can fit into their organisational and perform in a productive way. Therefore, strategies such as human resource planning, recruitment and selection, selection interviewing, selection tests, introduction to the organization and release from the organization are genuinely required to build up the strength of human aspect in the organisation (Armstrong 2001). In devising its strategy on human resource planning, British Airways has to be to be able to forecast future people needs (demand forecasting), forecast future availability of people (supply forecasting) and make plans to match supply to demand (Armstrong 2001). These require the human resource department of British Airways to have thorough understanding of both the internal and external environments of the organisation. Examples of the internal environments include sales forecast and introduction of new technology whereby instances of external environment are such like labour market condition and labour turnover (Wilson 2011). Many organisations tend to promote people from within the organisation when there are vacancies in the upper level. This resourcing policy is known as qualification driven. British Airways is not an exception to this. British Airways advertises internal vacancies to its employees and provide cross training when necessary (British Airways 2011). With the implementation of restructuring programme named Compete 2012, British Airways also encourages its people to move between functions to develop their talents and skills. This once again confirms its usual practice of promoting people internally (British Airways 2010). Despite its focus on internal promotion, British Airways does not neglect the importance of injecting talents and fresh ideas into the vein of the organisation. Its external recruitment is carried out firstly through its recruitment website, which also forms the initial selection process. Applicants are then asked to attend the assessment day. They will then be accessed through different methods such as group exercises, interviews, psychometric tests, presentations, fact-finding exercise or role play (British Airways 2011). As a global organisation, BA is renowned in its workforce diversity. This requires the organisation to comply with different laws and legislations such as Sex Discrimination Act 1975, Race Relations Act 1976 and Data Protection Act (British Airways 2011). In spite of the diversified culture image that it has built up over the years, flaws can still be seen in the way British Airways manage its people. The company was sued for indirect sex discrimination by one of its female pilot in year 2005. Jessica Starmer, BAs female pilot requested to work 50% part time to take care of her newborn baby. However, the organisation can only offered her 75% work, which was unacceptable to Starmer and will cause her to give up her favourite job. It can be seen from this case that British Airways was not ready to accommodate working mothers and possibly exclude females from its pilot. Starmer eventually won this discrimination case and British Airways had to reconsider its way of managing work life ba lance for both men and women (BBC 2005). Employees well being should constantly be examined and improved in the organisation. 4.5 Skills, Training and Development Learning, training and development processes are ways to ensure individuals and organisations can enhance their performance and meet organisations objectives. One crucial framework of understanding how people learn is the work of Kolb. Kolb suggests learning as recurring process with four stages as shown in the diagram below. Figure Kolbs Learning Style (Clark 2008) The four stages (concrete experience, reflective observation, abstract conceptualisation and active experimentation) was then categorised by Honey and Mumford as activists, reflectors, theorists and pragmatists. It is contended that activists prefer to learn by actively participate in activities, reflectors learn through observation and reflections, theorists learn best through linking their experiences with concepts and theories, and pragmatists have a preference in transferring new information to real-life situations (Pilbeam and Corbridge 2010: 357). Understanding how people learn through different HRM frameworks are crucial for British Airways to design the learning for its employees. By examining the training and learning design of British Airways, it is quite satisfactory that British Airways has provide ample training resources such as learning centres, library facilities, reference materials, audiotapes and video based learning (Job Vacancies Advice n.d.). British Airways also develops different training schemes such as Behaviour for Success, Leadership Matters and A Leader Development Portfolio (British Airways 2010). Graduate opportunities and training schemes are also provided to the students and graduates through series of interviews and selections (British Airways 2010). These shows that the organisation is concern about different learning styles of individuals and have provided different designs to match their learning needs. However, In relation to the chaotic opening of Heathrows Terminal 5, British Airways employees claimed that their failure was due to inadequate training days and the lack of essential support (BBC 2008). This incident should provide a little window for the management to realise that there is still a lack the way British Airways evaluate its employees learning activity and process. Furthermore, in dealing with the recent strike issue, British Airways is planning on training its ground staffs who have no flying experience to become cabin crews in 21 days (The Guardian 2010). This is inevitably worrying as these employees might not have appropriate knowledge, skills, and attitude to fill in the positions in such a short period. This hasty decision will only pull the company away from identifying and analysing the learning needs of its employees (Pilbeam and Corbridge 2010: 352). 4.6 Appraisal Performance appraisal is a key attribute in driving an organisation towards competitive advantage. Though it may not be unwelcomed by the participants, it nevertheless provides crucial data for efficient decision-making, identifies training needs, and set levels of reward (Gold and Bratton 2003: 250). An effective appraisal system will also help the organisations to assess their staff against companies objectives, provide opportunities for the organisation to give good feedback to employees and motivate them (Business Link 2011). Appraisal can be carried out in different forms such as top-down schemes, self-appraisal, peer appraisal, upward appraisal and multi-rater appraisal or 360-degree feedback (Pilbeam and Corbridge 2010: 323). The employees progress is monitored both informally and formally in British Airways. Informally, the staffs will have to discuss with their manager about their performance and formally, they will need to go through an annual performance review (British Airways 2011). This top-down appraisal system is designed to encourage continuous improvement in employees performance and behaviour. However, it is questionable whether the appraisal is effective. Due to the linkage of appraisal with pay in British Airways, employees might be reluctant to openly discuss their problems at work with their line managers. Issues such as preferential treatment and lack of partiality may also invalidate the effort taken. Though immediate manager are inevitably in the best position to appraise employee performance, consideration should be given to evaluate performance through peer appraisal or multi-rater appraisal (Pilbeam and Corbridge 2010: 323). 4.7 Coaching and Mentoring According to Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIDP) (2010), coaching is a process to develop an individuals skills and knowledge in order to improve their work performance. Though it may involve the employees private life, the target is on achieving specific skills and goals. Mentoring, which is a method to transfer the knowledge, skills and experience in the challenging workplace, is often used interchangeably with coaching. Comparing to coaching, which is conducted in a shorter period, mentoring tends to describe a long term relationship where a more experienced staff supports the progression of his inexperienced colleague. In fact, coaching and mentoring is very much linked with overall learning and development strategies. According to the 2010 Learning and development survey conducted by CIDP (2010), more than half of the participants felt that coaching is the most effective way of learning and development. British Airways has always been a great success in coaching and mentoring its employees. As mentioned earlier, British Airways embed different training resources and programs to support and sustain the development of its people. Qualified pilots who apply to the Direct Entry Pilot Scheme offered by the organisation will need to attend training courses before they are allowed to join the fleets. They will be put under the supervision of experienced training team until the completion of Line Check (British Airways 2011). This efficient coaching and mentoring thus lead the pilots into the right behaviour and work effectively. 4.8 Performance and Motivation People need to be motivated to work. In order to improve the performance, it is important for managers to motivate and encourage their staffs. Throughout the years, various schools of thoughts on motivation have been established. Some of the well known theories are McGreggors theory X and theory Y, Adams equity theory, Maslows hierarchy of needs and Herzbergs two factor theory (Wilson 2011). This section will focus only the first two theories McGreggors theory X and theory Y and Adams equity theory. A notable study conducted from 1945-1965 revealed that what employees desire the most from a job is security, following by advancement, type of work and company. This is against the common belief that money is the primary motivating factor. However, this should not send the signal to the company to reward employee inadequately (Accel-Team 2010). However, in the recent dispute with its cabin crew, it became obvious that British Airways Chief Executive, Mr. Willie Walsh is incompetent to address this idea. In this dispute concerning the cabins pay condition, Willie Walsh proves that his managerial style falls under McGreggors theory X. Unlike theory Y which encourages participative communication, Willie Walsh cultivates a downward direction communication flow from manager to subordinates (Barnett 2011). This can be seen by his act in snatching the offer of Unite union off the negotiation table in March 2010 without saying a further word (The Guardian 2010). His autocratic managerial style causes British Airways suffers heavy resistance from its employees and eventually leads to the decrease in employees morale. On the other hand, equity theory of motivation reveals the assumptions that individuals hold about what is value and worthwhile (Wilson 2011). This theory holds that a persons sense of fairness is resulting from comparison between his input-to-output ratios to the others see Figure 6 below (Business Balls 2010). According to a former British Airways crew member, the company has not treated its members with a fair view. The organisation compares its cabin crews salaries with low cost carriers such as Virgins and Easyjet. This is viewed as unreasonable since British Airways had been branded as a global premium airline. It is also found out that the organisations proposal for new fleet salaries of  £11,000 basic plus  £2.40 an hour is much lower comparing to other premium airlines such as Singapore and Emirates. Comparing to Singapore Airline (which pay not only  £20,792 to its crew, but also gives them the benefits of one months salary annual supplement plus health and pension p ackages) British Airways offer is apparently diminishing the effort of its members (The Guardian 2010). Equity theory should reminds British Airways management that its people must be managed and treated accordingly as they would compare the way they are treated with their surrounding environment (Business Balls 2010). Figure Adams Equity Theory (Business Balls 2010) 5.0 Future Directions 5.1 Change Management Plan With the fast changing global business environment, organisations have to be capable to respond quickly enough by implementing change. The chance of whether an organisation can survive is very much depending on how effective it deals with the changes such as new government policies, economic fluctuation, new competitors and etc. Changes are initiated by leaders who are clear with the organisations vision and put that vision into reality through medium term mission and deployment plan (Wilson 2010). Kotter and Schlessinger (1979) set out six approaches to manage resistance of change. These include the following: Education and communication inform people about the change effort beforehand Participation and involvement involve people in the change effort Facilitation and support provide coaching and mentoring to deal with adjustment problems Negotiation and agreement deal with resistance by offering incentives Manipulation and co-option give a leader a symbolic role in decision making without really involved in the change effort Explicit and implicit coercion force employees into accepting change by making clear that resistance can lead to losing jobs, transferring or not promoting (Value Based Management 2011) There is no one approach which out-ruled the other approaches. The suitability of the change approach is based upon the situation that an organisation is facing. Therefore, leaders have to exercise their wisdom and discernment when choosing the approach to deal with resistance. Willie Walshs tactic of using explicit and implicit coercion to manage change apparently is destructive to the organisation as it had pushed the resistance even further. As the cabin crews and the Unite union are in the position of power, it is more likely that negotiation and agreement should be applied. 5.2 Organisational Development Organisational development is defined as a process that applies behavioural science knowledge and practices to help organisations achieve g

Statement of Purpose for Mba

School of Environment and Natural Resources SENR BiWeek August 6, 2012 A NOTE FROM DAVID~ AN UPDATE STAFF APPRECIATION PUBLICATIONS EVENTS DIVYA GUPTA SHARES HER FIELDWORK IN INDIA ~ I returned from India this summer after spending six months collecting data for my dissertation. My dissertation is on the role of local institutions in natural resource management. For data collection I was working in the central Himalayan region where I visited several villages to interview people about forest management activities that are conducted and coordinated by the local institution in the region.This local institution is called Van Panchayat (Forest Committee), it is a traditional institution that dates back to 1931. Since it was formed before independence (India got its independence in August 1947), it is significant in terms of rights of locals’ to natural resources. I collaborated with an NGO working in the region that helped me with navigating remote villages and also with arranging accommodations in the villages. Going from one village to another was a challenge as there was lack of proper road network so driving was near to impossible, but thankfully there were paths/trails that very intricately connected all the villages.Those trails were very beautiful, they cut through dense tropical forests and since I would walk on those trails on early mornings and evenings, it also gave me a chance to spot some beautiful birds on my way. I walked 7-10 miles/day on an average to get to my destination, which was hard in the beginning, but with time my body adapted. Also, the walking helped with keeping the body warm during cold winters. Unlike the west, the east experienced one of the coldest winters last year.The houses on the hills in India don’t have central heating systems, they barely receive a continuous 24 hour supply of electricity and water, so people burn wood to keep their houses warm and drink lots of ginger tea to keep their bodies warm. To understan d the dependence of people on the forests, I did a lot of homestays – staying with local families was one of my most enriching experiences, it gave me a chance to see firsthand how closely these people’s lives were associated with forests. Also it was amazing to see how self-dependent those people were.They almost grew all their food, from grains to cereals to fruit and vegetables and even spices. Without any outside help, family members would work together to manage their fields – it was quite incredible! I became very attached to all the families I lived with, they took very good care of me and always made sure that I was comfortable. While conducting field work in India, I received funding from the Environment Change Institute (University of Oxford) to participate at a conference in London.This was a unique opportunity for me to share ideas about my research, talk about its progress, and at the same time get valuable feedback from experienced people working i n the same area. Being my first time in the UK, this was a great chance for me to also explore parts of England and Scotland too! Continued on page 2 SENR BiWeek — 2 On behalf of Ron Hendrick, I am excited to share information about a new service for a broad range of people who are professionally engaged in managing, protecting, and using our environment and natural resources, including students.The SENR will launch the Environmental Professionals Network (EPN) August 7th with two main components: multi-disciplinary interaction and networking through a community-oriented website at epn. osu. edu, and a monthly 2nd Tuesdays Breakfast Club on campus featuring great speakers on timely topics and offering additional networking opportunities. The EPN will strengthen SENR's support of people and organizations engaged in environmental management across Ohio and beyond. We recognize that even though society is information rich, quickly accessing information useful for your own needs can be quite challenging.This is often true in environmental management where so many social, economic, and technical factors crossing so many disciplines may be critical to solving a problem or creating an opportunity. The online querying capability of the EPN will facilitate quick access to information and knowledge from network colleagues who share a commitment to excellence in environmental management. It will also help work be more efficient and effective. The EPN online is free and participants can set their own level of involvement.Our speaker at the first 2nd Tuesdays Breakfast Club will be Larry Schweiger, President and CEO of the 4 million-member National Wildlife Federation, which is actively engaged in many critical environmental issues. I hope that you and others will want to be part of initiating the EPN at this exciting event Tuesday, September 11th, at the Nationwide and Ohio Farm Bureau 4-H Center – OSU’s first LEED-certified building. Go to epn. osu. edu for information/registration. Please contact me with questions or for a copy of our brochure at 614. 47. 1908 or hanselmann. [email  protected] edu. I would also appreciate you sharing information about EPN with your many colleagues. We need to cast a broad net and be inclusive. So please spread the word and forward our information; contact me for e-materials. Also, I would be happy to come out to your events to briefly share information about EPN and participation. Contact me anytime. I hope to see you for breakfast Tuesday, September 11th. Be there, and be part of starting something new, different, and important. O H – I O!A Note from David Hanselmann ~ Divya cont. Before I started my field work, I was apprehensive about going to a strange place and being able to work successfully. But I was pleasantly surprised by the kind of encouraging response I got from people. I feel thankful to have had the opportunity to live and work in India amidst the beautiful Himalayas an d it’s people – it was the most rewarding and inspiring experience. A great trip overall! Divya Gupta is a PhD candidate in the Environment and Natural Resource graduate program.Her advisor is Tom Koontz. OSU Wellness Celery — more than a crunch! Once thought of as a nutritional zero, celery is actually a great source of potassium, a nutrient that helps reduce blood pressure and regulate the balance of fluids and minerals in the body. If you thought bananas were tops for potassium, here’s a stalking surprise — four medium celery stalks deliver about the same amount of potassium as a medium banana. For a quick snack, dip celery in hummus or peanut butter for some added protein. SENR BiWeek — 3The New Undergraduate Major in Sustainability at Ohio State An Update from the Conference Chair There are 1500 to 1600 delegates from 75 countries expected to come to Columbus for EcoSummit 2012 on September 30 – October 5 to hear 10 plenary prese ntations from the world’s premier ecologists and environmental scientists and practitioners, and 600 invited presentations from around the world in 65 symposia and to participate in 21 forums and workshops on practical issues related to improving our environment.In addition, there will be another 850 general sessions and poster presentations during EcoSummit 2012. There are 6 pre-conference field trips based in Atlanta, New York, Washington DC, Miami, Chicago, and Columbus that will educate an estimated 100 international delegates about some to the large ecosystem restorations in the USA. Most delegates will take part in one of the 33 all-day mid-conference field trips that radiate throughout Ohio. This conference will focus on prescriptions for solving the world’s environmental problems far more than on descriptions.Symposia and lectures will involve ecological engineering, ecological restoration, green infrastructure, the prosperous way down, adapting to climate chan ge, earth stewardship, ecohydrology, eco-informatics, ecological modeling, sustainable agriculture, protecting biodiversity, carbon sequestration, human ecology, and enhancing ecosystem services. The plenary speakers, Pulitzer Prize winners E. O. Wilson and Jared Diamond, will give a memorial to the work of the recently deceased Nobel Prize winner Elinor Ostrom, and a summary of the global contributions of H. T. Odum in ecological economics, engineering, and modeling, and energy futures.There will also be a 50th anniversary event of Rachel Carson’s landmark book Silent Spring at this first conference to link the Ecological Society of America (ESA), The International Association for Ecology (INTECOL) and the Society for Ecological Restoration International (SER). Individuals can still register to attend at http://www. ecosummit2012. org/index. htm. Students who have a passion for sustainability can put their passion into practice by enrolling in Ohio State’s new major c alled Environment, Economy, Development and Sustainability (EEDS) (http://eeds. osu. edu/).The EEDS major is a multi-disciplinary degree program in sustainability that provides students in-depth training in the economic, business and social aspects of sustainability. This cutting-edge major provides the core knowledge and skills students need to pursue a career in sustainability in the private, public or non-profit sector. Sustainability is a rapidly growing field and knowledge of sustainability is becoming an important competency in many types of jobs. The academic rigor of this major, coupled with opportunities for hands-on learning, will give students an important advantage when it comes time to launching their careers.Students can enroll now for Fall 2012! Learn more about this pioneering major and how to enroll, sign-up for our newsletter, like us on facebook, and start following us on twitter and pinterest by visiting http://eeds. osu. edu/. Alumni Award Selection Rattan Lal w ill be honored with the OSU Alumni Association's Professional Achievement Award at a ceremony on Sept. 14th. He received his PhD in Agronomy in 1968. SENR BiWeek — 4 Staff Appreciation The 2012 Staff Appreciation Week will be held August 13-17, 2012. Activities on the Columbus campus include the Rally for Wellness, Tuesday (8/14) from 9:00 a. m. to 1:00 p. . in the RPAC. Your Plan for Health and OSU Health Plan, the Department of Recreational Sports, and USAC sponsor this event. Nearly 100 healthand wellness-related exhibitors and professionals offer biometric screenings, chair massages, osteoporosis and skin cancer screenings, and samples of delicious, healthy food. Attending the health fair earns points toward the university's YP4H Faculty and Staff Incentive Program, so be sure to attend! The Staff Arts ; Crafts Exhibit will begin Thursday (8/16) with a reception 11:30 a. m. to 1:00 p. m. at Bricker 2nd Floor area. This exhibit will be on display into October.On Friday (8/ 17) a USAC Pep Rally at the Ohio Union will be held 12:00 to 1:30 p. m. Planned by USAC's Outreach and Engagement Subcommittee and staffed by USAC members, the pep rally features Ohio State cheerleaders, members of The Ohio State University Marching Band, Brutus Buckeye, and special guests to kick off the football season. The CFAES SAC will hold the Columbus Staff Appreciation Day on Tuesday (8/14) from 11:00 a. m. to 1:00 p. m. on the Kottman Hall lawn & gazebo area. There will be free lunch, ice cream, games and door prizes. RSVP at http://go. osu. edu/K6p. Wooster Fun Fest is Aug. 7th, 11:30-3:00, where staff will enjoy free food, games, and cheer on your tug-of-war team! The OARDC and ATI Staff Council sponsor this event. The CFAES SAC is currently accepting nominations for their 2012 Staff Recognition: Above and Beyond Awards and the Shirley Brooks-Jones Award. The Shirley Brooks-Jones Award recognizes staff excellence, the Key Values Award recognizes staff with less than 3 yea rs of experience. The Innovation Award goes to staff who initiate new improvements to the workplace, and the Special Recognition goes to a staff member who offered special assistance.Nomination forms are available online at the Staff Advisory Council website. Laura E. (Bast) Lindsey graduated with Honors in 2009 with BS and MS degrees from SENR, with a research focus in soil fertility. She has now joined the faculty in the HCS where she will serve as the Extension Specialist in Soybean and Small Grains for OSU Extension in collaboration with OARDC. Her focus will be to develop extension outreach education and research on soybean and wheat production within sustainable cropping systems. Laura is originally from Plymouth, OH.She obtained the PhD degree in Crop and Soil Science from Michigan State University in May 2012, where she conducted research in weed science and soil fertility. She has received several fellowships and grants, including the 2011 Outstanding Graduate Student Award in recognition of exceptional accomplishment, research, and service from the North Central Extension-Industry Soil Fertility Conference in Des Moines, IA. She is author of several peer-reviewed journal articles, numerous abstracts and proceedings articles, extension newsletter articles, and extension bulletins. If you would like to reconnect with Laura her email is lindsey. [email  protected] edu. Alum Returns One Last Thing —> Don’t wait! Take your PHA Today! Enrolled in an Ohio State medical plan? Complete the YP4H Personal Health Assessment (PHA) and Biometric Health Screening by Sept. 30th to receive the full 2013 PHA Medical Plan Premium Credit of $360. SENR BiWeek — 5 PUBLICATIONS Bhatti, Tariq M. , Jerry M. Bigham, Antti Vuorinen and Olli H. Tuovinen. 2012. Chemical and bacterial leaching of metals from black schist sulfide minerals in shake flasks. International Journal of Mineral Processing 110:25-29. Chaudhary, D. R. , J. Saxena, N. Lorenz and R. P. Dick. 2012.Distribution of recently fixed photosynthate in a switchgrass plant-soil system. Plant Soil and Environment 58(6):249255. Drobyshev, Igor, P. Charles Goebel, Yves Bergeron and R. Gregory Corace, III. 2012. Detecting changes in climate forcing on the fire regime of a North American mixedpine forest: A case study of Seney National Wildlife Refuge, Upper Michigan. Dendrochronologia 30(2SI):137-145. Goebel, P. C. , K. S. Pregitzer and B. J. Palik. 2012. Influence of flooding and landform properties on riparian plant communities in an old-growth northern hardwood watershed. Wetlands 32:679-691.Goebel, P. C. , B. J. Pailk and K. S. Pregitzer. 2012. Structure and composition of riparian forests in an old-growth northern hardwood-hemlock watershed. Forest Ecology and Management 280:52-61. Gorney, Rebecca M. , Marsha G. Williams, Dawn R. Ferris and Lance R. Williams. 2012. The influence of channelization on fish communities in an agricultural coldwater stream system. American Midland Naturalist 168(1):132-143. Graser, William H. , III, Stanley D. Gehrt, Laura L. Hungerford and Chris Anchor. 2012. Variation in demographic patterns and population structure of raccoons across an urban landscape.Journal of Wildlife Management 76(5):976-987. Kautza, Adam and Mazeika P. Sullivan. 2012. Relative effects of local- and landscapescale environmental factors on stream fish assemblages: evidence from Idaho and Ohio, USA. Fundamental and Applied Limnology 180(3):259-270. Lane, Matthew, Nicola Lorenz, Jyotisna Saxena, Cliff Ramsier and Richard P. Dick. 2012. Microbial activity, community structure and potassium dynamics in rhizosphere soil of soybean plants treated with glyphosate. Pedobiologia 55(3):153-159. McConnell, T. E. 2012. The economic impact of Ohio’s wood furniture industry.Proceedings of the Forest Products Society 66th International Convention, Washington, DC. 7 p. Publications cont. McConnell, T. E. 2012. Forest products: Building economic growth i n Ohio. Procedings of the Forest Products Society 66th International Convention, Washington, DC. 6 p. McConnell, T. E. and D. K. Apsley. 2012. Jackson County’s forest economy. The Ohio State University Extension Fact Sheet F-76-12. McConnell, T. E. and G. W. Graham. 2012. Holmes County’s forest economy. The Ohio State University Extension Fact Sheet F-75-12. Sloan, John J. , Peter A. Y. Ampim, Nicholas T.Basta and Roger Scott. 2012. Addressing the need for soil blends and amendments for the highly modified urban landscape. Soil Science Society of America Journal 76(4)):1133-1141. Sullivan, S. Mazeika P. and Kerri T. Vierling. 2012. Exploring the influences of multiscale environmental factors on the American dipper Cinclus mexicanus. Ecography 35(7):624-626. PRESENTATIONS Charles Goebel presented ‘Complexity, resiliency, and restoration – Lessons from the forests of eastern North America' as an invited presentation to the School of Natural Resources, Trinit y College in Dublin, Ireland (July 16, 2012).Eric McConnell presented ‘The economic impact of Ohio’s wood furniture industry' and ‘Forest products: Building economic growth in Ohio' at the Forest Products Society 66th International Convention in Washington, DC (June 3-5, 2012). SENR BiWeek — 6 EVENTS Monday, August 6, 2012 CMASC Seminar @ 1:00 p. m. @ 460 Kottman Hall Speakers: Drs. Cerri and Maia, CMASC Visiting Scholars Title: Carbon Budget by Land Use Change and Biofuel Production in Brazil 2012 Teaching Orientation @ Ohio State Monday, August 13, 2012 CMASC Seminar @ 1:00 p. m. 460 Kottman Hall Speaker: Atanu Mukherjee, CMASC Postdoctoral Researcher Title: Impacts of Various Amendments in Soil Quality Friday, August 17, 2012 SENR Faculty Retreat @ 8:30 a. m. – 4:30 p. m. @ Alum Creek State Park Guest: Kaz Obrietan, Marketing Specialist This annual event has been designed specifically for new Ohio State GTAs, to reduce anxieties, provide some tech niques and strategies for effective teaching, and suggest resources for further assistance. The orientation is sponsored by the University Center for the Advancement of Teaching (UCAT).Tuesday, Aug. 14, 2012 1:00–2:00 p. m. , Hitchcock Hall Introduction to Teaching and Learning: Overview 2:20–5:00 p. m. , Central Classroom Building Introduction to Teaching and Learning: Part I Wednesday, Aug. 15, 2012 9:00 a. m. –12:30 p. m. , Central Classroom Building Introduction to Teaching and Learning: Part II Teaching as a Grader Teaching in the Clinical Setting Lunch – On Your Own, 12:30–2:00 p. m. 2:00–3:30 p. m. , Hitchcock Hall University Policies and Procedures Every Teacher Should Know 3:30–5:00 p. m. Physics Research Building Teaching Resource Fair Thursday, August 16, 2012 9:00–10:15 a. m. and 10:30–11:45 a. m. (morning sessions) 1:00–2:15 p. m. and 2:30–3:45 p. m. (afternoon sessions) Central Classroom Build ing (Unless otherwise noted) College Teaching Topics For more information visit the UCAT website. A New Website is Coming to SENR A team from SENR met on July 24th with a team from CommTech to officially kickoff a new SENR website. A college-wide project championed by Linda Martin, all academic units will have their web presence fall under a new CFAES umbrella site.Agricultural Communication, Education, and Leadership, along with Plant Pathology, have launched their new websites. A new CFAES Academic Programs website is scheduled to launch in August. The SENR website is scheduled to launch in January 2013. Kaz Obrietan of Kaz & Co. will also be contributing to the School's online presence. This SENR BiWeek contains highlights from the School along with announcements of upcoming seminars, programs and events. If you have items to be included in future mailings please forward your information to Pat Patterson.

Itchy and Scratchy cartoon Essay

The purpose of this study is to discuss the extent to which The Simpsons is representative of American family and social values. I will discuss how each member of the Simpsons family behaves, as well as highlighting what may be socially expected of them. Secondly, I will examine how the Simpsons family interacts with the surrounding community, concentrating particularly on the images that they portray. In order to do this, I will examine the regular codes and conventions of the series to show how the characters work together in the whole scheme of things Introduction Set in the north-western Illinois town of Springfield, The Simpsons is an animated sit-com about the day-to-day tribulations of a disfunctional lower-middle-class family. The main family itself consists of the father, Homer, his wife Marge, son Bart, and daughters Lisa and Maggie. Other family members include Homer’s father, Abraham Simpson, as well as Marge’s sisters, Patty and Selma. Occasionally, Marge’s mother, Mrs Bouvier, makes an appearance, and on one occasion, Homer discovered that he had an adopted older brother, Nigel. Since its official launch in 1989, The Simpsons has become one of the world’s most popular animated series, and has been enjoyed the world over by children and adult’s alike. Originally, the show occupied a space on the Tracey Ullman Show between 1987 and 1989, and was then called The Bart Simpson Show. Its immense popularity proved so great that Twentieth Century Fox decided it would be worthwhile to launch The Simpsons as a show in itself. In this format, the first episode was broadcast in 1989, and in this season there were thirteen episodes. In fact, the show was so immediately popular that a huge wave of cross-media production and merchandising took place, and this culminated in the release of a single, â€Å"Do The Bartman†, in early 1991. Other examples include toys, comics, and computer games But what is it about The Simpsons that continues to make it so popular? Is it Homer? Is it Bart? Or is it just the culmination of the shows different elements? These are some of the ideas I hope to cover in the course of this study. To this day, The Simpsons is still largely rated as the greatest of all the animated sit-coms. Since its release there has been a whole trail of subsequent cartoon impersonations, such as King of the Hill, South Park, Daria, and Beavis and Butthead. Unlike most cartoons, the comedy in The Simpsons is not based solely on situational comedy and site gags. The characters themselves make the comedy, with their personalities, their uniqueness, and their own personal points of view. Having such strong characters means that the writing can practically do itself, and that is one reason that The Simpsons has been able to endure for so many years. Innovative comedy, including the lack of a laugh track, makes The Simpsons one of the funniest shows on television. As well as this, a continual supply of hilariously stupid jokes also helps to keep the comedy running smoothly. For example, when Bart asked why he thought he was receiving money for nothing, Grandpa Simpson replied, â€Å"I just figured the democrats were back in office†. Also, when the zoo director is asked if he’s going to save Ned Flanders from baboons, he replies, â€Å"Ooh, I’d like to, but if they don’t kill the intruder, it’s really bad for their society. † These are just a few examples of Simpsons humour. Simpson family analysis Homer From the shows beginnings, Homer has been portrayed as a well-intentioned, yet moronic person. Homer’s virtually disabling stupidity is what makes him so funny. His job in the powerstation often provides much of the humour, as do his experiences at home and in Moe’s bar. In one episode, when Homer takes on a student from Albania as part of Bart’s foreign exchange programme, he takes him on a tour of the powerstation, unsuspicious of why a 10-year-old would show interest in such a tour. Later we find out through F. B. I. agents that the boy was actually a communist spy and Homer had unwittingly given him detailed plans of the station’s nuclear reactor as well as several sticks of plutonium. In another episode, Homer and Bart adopt a new son and brother respectively. In a subsequent fight scene with Bart’s new brother, Homer was punched in the face, and he fell and bent his back over a fire hydrant. To this he said, â€Å"This is even more painful then it looks†. Another facet of Homer’s persona is his love of food and beer. At work, Homer consumes unending amounts of donuts, whilst at home his passion is pork, whether it be pork-rinds, pork-steaks or pork-chops. Homer also has a famous passion for ‘Duff’ beer, which at one point became so extreme that Marge challenged him to give up alcohol for a month. And he did. In another episode, Homer sneaked out of work half-an-hour early just so he could take a tour around the ‘Duff’ factory. Here he managed to consume one casket each of several varieties of beer, just to find out the difference in taste. Thus, his stupidity, combined with an amazing luck, forms the basis for one of the funniest characters on television. Homer will manage to find the only way to completely ruin a situation and then, through sheer luck, he will find the only way to repair it. Indeed, he always manages to â€Å"pull a Homer. † Marge Marge is portrayed as the most straight-minded, straight-thinking member of the family. Past episodes, namely the one where Marge and Homer tell the children how they met, portray Marge as an intellectual, linguistically gifted student with great career prospects. At least that was the case until she met Homer. However, it cannot be said that Marge has not used her linguistic skills to her advantage. In one episode, â€Å"Marge vs. the Monorail†, Marge single-handedly battles to stop the building of an unsafe, fraudulent rail line around Springfield. In the end she wins the battle, and the citizens of Springfield are grateful to her for saving their lives. In another episode, she becomes board with her housewife role and she decides to open up a business, choosing a pretzel franchise to make her fortune. As well as this, Marge is the pillar that keeps the Simpson family standing. She is always the one who maintains the sanity and keeps the family going. She is the only voice of reason in the household, as evidenced when she goes away and the household nearly collapses. No sooner had she left for her healthfarm weekend then the family began telephoning her to ask her all manners of questions, such as Bart’s question, ‘where do you keep my socks’? Her answer, ‘In the sock draw’. Another example can be seen in her crusade to ban the violent Itchy and Scratchy cartoon. This came about after she witnessed Maggie trying to stab Homer with a knife after she saw the same thing on TV. She continued her crusade, despite the fact that she knew Bart and Lisa were getting bullied at school, and eventually she won. Marge provides the reference on which the rest of the family is based, so the audience can see just how bizarre everyone else is when in immediate juxtaposition with Marge. It would be strange to imagine what the show would be like if this were not the way of things, as much humour is born out of the family’s dependence on her.

7 Ways To Show The Hiring Manager That You Really Want The Job

7 Ways To Show The Hiring Manager That You Really Want The Job You really really want this job. And you want to make sure the hiring manager knows it. Trouble is, you also don’t want to come off as totally desperate. As much as you want to give them the really hard sell and show off your exuberant enthusiasm for the position, it’s best to hold back and try these tricks instead. 1. Send a note.A handwritten thank you note after the interview will go a long way. And it’s much more elegant than gushing or yammering on about just how much you love the company and really really want this job. Bonus points if you’ve already sent a quick follow-up email and can mention different things in the handwritten note.2. Go the extra mile.If a job description says that certain application materials are optional, and you have the capacity to provide them, do. You’ll easily set yourself apart from the majority of applicants who won’t have time or energy to go above and beyond for this particular job. And you’ll hav e that many more chances to prove you are a perfect fit for the position.3. Be clear.If you’re lucky enough to have the opportunity, i.e. you’re asked point-blank about the seriousness of your intentions, then do make it absolutely clear how serious you are about wanting this gig. Refrain from gushing, but make it firmly clear you are in this.4. Take home some swag.This is a potentially risky move, but if you see some brand stickers or pens or other such swag on your way out, and you feel comfortable doing so, you could remark on how stylish or well-done the item is and say, â€Å"If you have any to spare, I’d love to take one of these with me.† As long as you can pull this off without looking creepy, it’s sometimes a great move to show you’re really serious about a company.5. Do your homework.Perhaps the best thing you can bring with you into an interview for a gig you’re really gung-ho to get is preparation. Don’t waste time pining and hoping that you get hired. Spend all of that nervous energy doing really solid research into the company, the industry, and the job itself. Doing your homework will help you shine in the interview.6. Ask questions.Your interviewer will ask you if you have any questions. And you’d best be prepared to have some. Make sure they’re intelligent and incisive. Tailor them to the company and the position. Use the research you’ve done to make sure you have this step of the interview covered. And practice asking before you go in.7. Come up with a final pitch.Think up (and practice practice practice) a final elevator pitch that you can use to close the interview. Some combination of â€Å"thank you† and a way to reaffirm your keen interest in the position. Make it surgical and elegant and follow it up with good body language and a firm handshake (and of course, the thank you note), and you’ll do great.Who knows? If you manage to nail all of this, y ou might just make them more interested in you!

The Chinese Culture essays

The Chinese Culture essays China, also known as the Peoples Republic of China (Zhong hua Ren Min Gong He Guo), is the worlds largest country by population. China contains more than 1/5 of the worlds population. China has 1.3 billion people with a landmass only about the same size as the United States. Now one of the worlds stronger countries, the Chinese culture has steadily grown while adapting to mankinds new cultural developments. Chinas current rate of development is a Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth rate of 8% and an industrial growth rate of 12.6%. The Chinese government anticipates an increased growth rate over the next four years because of its selection by the Olympic Committee to host the 2008 Summer Olympics. Chinese characteristics are similar to other eastern Asians. Usually born with black hair, Chinese hair color will rarely vary by more than lightening to a dark brown. Their skin is light brown; however, other people often consider the skin color as yellow. The average height of a Chinese is relatively short compared to the average Caucasian. Hairstyles can vary, and like many developed countries, people change and cut their hair according to what looks good. Often in the 1990's, students who attended local schools chose to cut their hair into a buzz cut, short spiky hair. Jewelry is also very common. Chinese people wear jewelry on their ears and necklaces according to preference. Chinese often wear jewelry as a sign of wealth; however, many people living in China do not make enough money to buy jewelry. Traditional clothing is one of the main aspects of the Chinese culture. The most famous traditional fashion in China, the cheongsam, which also means, long dress has been adopted by foreigners. Chinese prefer to call their long dress a qipao. The qipao has a high neck, closed collar, and buttons on the right side. The qipao is famous because it is simple, charming, and neat. Chinese ...

Business Ethics Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Business Ethics - Research Paper Example An exemplification of this structure exists with respect to the way in which joint oversight is shared between teams and continual peer review is practiced. Essentially, David Pinder established this organizational structure as a means of ensuring that a certain individual or group of individuals did not have total and complete oversight with respect to the way in which projects were accomplished and work was performed (XIAOJUN 383). By diversifying the overall level of the review and overview process, he was able to effectively ensure that a further level of ethical standard was implemented within the firm and individuals were held accountable for all decisions that were made. Additionally, even though this structure is of course evident, other business leaders would have been satisfied with the ethical norms and standards that have thus far been put forward. However, in David’s case, he was specifically interested in promoting an even further level of ethics by ensuring that he maintained an open door policy that would allow stakeholders to discuss pertinent issues with him at any time; should they feel they are relevant to the continued success of the firm or their continued happiness as an employee. In terms of the actual steps that David Pinder has taken in order to ensure that an ethical culture is established, it should be understood by the reader that the immediate establishment of vision and philosophy, as well as ground rules and expectations for how employees understood their roles and responsibilities with the central element of establishing the steps that ensured this ethical culture. Essentially, the priorities that were established prior to any work being performed were concentric upon respect, dignity, happiness, and engagement (Li et al. 830). As can be noted, none of these are concentric on profit. The establishment of vision and

Children's Development, Health and Well-being Essay

Children's Development, Health and Well-being - Essay Example This paper will now discuss the different ways by which children develop in their early years and primary settings, with specific focus on their health and wellbeing. First, a discussion on the developmental needs and conditions of children in their primary school years would be presented, followed by a discussion on the theories and key educational initiatives and how these impact on children’s development. Legislation pertinent to the topic will then be discussed, including the key elements which impact on children’s development, health and well-being. Legislation relevant to schools and children will also be made part of this discussion as a means of understanding the connections between policy and classroom practice. Body During the primary years, learners are highly energetic and highly engaged in physical activity. They are also entering a period of experimentation with various possible identities (Fabian and Dunlop, 2002). They explore themselves and their relati onship and similarities to their peers, including the differences between the male and female gender. They are also able to participate enthusiastically in various activities, as well as to expand their mental development in ways which may be considered reflective (Fabian and Dunlop, 2002). These learners have needs which relate to the application of complicated, dynamic, interactive and cyclical activities. The learning process for these children would have to call for them to elaborate, reformulate, and reflect upon their knowledge and values (Fabian and Dunlop, 2002). In other words, they have to be supported on how their develop responsibility for their learning. The years following conception until birth to the first eight years of the child’s life are crucial to their complete and healthy mental, emotional, and physical growth (Robinson, 2007). Their brain’s rapid development often starts as early as the prenatal stage and continues until after the child’s birth. The cell formation of the child is often already complete before their birth with a newborn infant having about 100 billion brain cells (Robinson, 2007). Their brain maturation as well as the development of their neural pathways is however continued after birth until their early childhood. In effect, early childhood is a time where the environment also has a crucial role to play in determining the eventual direction of the child’s development. The environment impacts on the number of brain cells and connections made, but also how these connections would be wired (Waller, 2009). The goal of removing excess neurons and synapses from the immature brain is a process which goes on until the child’s adolescence, but is especially dramatic during the child’s early years (Waller, 2009). This process is also guided to a significant extent by how the child is experiencing the outside world. According to different studies, if the brain does not gain enough stimulat ion during this critical period, it would be very difficult for the brain to later rewire itself at a later time (MacIntyre, 2007). Poor nutrition before birth and in the first years of the child’s life can also seriously impact on brain development and cause neurological and behavioural issues including learning disabilities and mental retardation (MacIntyre, 2007).