Comparing Propaganda Used in Animal Farm Essay

Comparing Propaganda Used in Animal Farm to the Russian Revolution’s Propaganda â€Å"Propaganda is a narrowly selfish attempt to get people to accept ideas and beliefs, always in the interest of a particular person or group and with little or no advantage to the public (â€Å"What is Propaganda†¦ 2). Propaganda is the spreading of ideas, information, or rumor for the purpose of helping or injuring an institution, a cause, or a person. In the Russian Revolution Joseph Stalin used propaganda to his benefit and used it to usurp the people of Russia. Also how Napoleon used propaganda to his benefit and to usurp the animals of Animal Farm. Napoleon got Boxer to follow him and Boxer helped spread the propaganda, but Squealer was the propaganda itself (Orwell, George 56). Much like how, Joseph Stalin got common people to follow him and he got them to spread it. Fear, transfer, and pinpointing the enemy are three propaganda techniques that are shared by the novel Animal Farm a nd the Russian Revolution. The first propaganda technique is fear and it is used to scare the animals of Animal Farm. Napoleon uses fear by holding purges in which he accuses the animals of treason and kills anyone who confesses to working with Snowball. In the same way, Joseph Stalin uses fear by holding executions in which he accuses his enemies for crimes and forces them to admit to false confessions and then executes them (Background information†¦Ã¢â‚¬  4). The executions are called the Great Terror of 1936 to 1939 and millions of people were killed (Joseph Stalin†¦ 1). Another similarity is how the dogs used fear to force the animals to work and in the Russian Revolution, the secret police forced support for Joseph Stalin. The dogs would also intimidate or threaten any animal who stood in Napoleon’s way. The KGB or secret police would use force and would kill anyone for disobedience (Lamont, George J. 1). The second propaganda technique that is used is transfer. In Animal Farm, all of the animals are equal and that is what they call Animalism. Likewise, all people are equal in Communism, which is what was used during the Russian Revolution. In Animalism, the Animals own the farm and in Communism, the government owns everything and the people own the government (Lamont, George J. 1). Another similarity is that the  raven Moses tells the animals of Animal Farm about a place called Sugar Candy Mountain and that is where all animals go when they die (Orwell, George 17). Allegorically, this represents the Russian Orthodox religion during the Russian Revolution. When the pigs let Moses stay when he returns represents how Joseph Stalin used the Russian Orthodox Church as a way to raise funds for the Russian war effort during World War II (â€Å"George Orwell†¦ 1†). The third and final propaganda technique is pinpointing the enemy. In the book Animal Farm, Mr. Jones is cruel towards the animals and in the Russian Revolution; Czar Nicholas II is brutal with his opponents. Mr. Jones also abused and neglected his animals and Czar Nicholas II would let his people starve and was a bad leader (Lamont, George J. 2). During the Battle of the Cowshed, Mr. Jones tries to regain control of Animal Farm and that represents the Russian Civil War in which the Western capitalist governments sent soldiers to try to remove the Bolsheviks from power (George Orwell Links†¦ 1). Another example of pinpointing the enemy is how Napoleon blames Animal Farm’s mishaps on Snowball and told the animals that he was the enemy. In the Russian Revolution, Joseph Stalin feared that the Trotsky supporters would try to assassinate him and he was also afraid of Trotsky gaining power. Napoleon thought of Snowball as a threat and drove him off of the farm and that represents Trotsky being exiled to Mexico (â€Å"Background information†¦ 16†). Then Joseph Stalin shunned Trotsky from the Soviet Union and then eventually had him killed (â€Å"Joseph Stalin†¦ 1†). Fear, transfer, and pinpointing the enemy are the three propaganda techniques that were talked about in this research paper. Fear is used to make a particular action occur or a consequence will result of disobedience. Transfer is used to make an attempt to make the subject view a certain item in the same way as they view another item to link the two subjects in the mind. Pinpointing the enemy is used to resolve a conflict by presenting a person or group as the enemy. Therefore, the propaganda that was used during the Russian Revolution and Animal Farm had greatly impacted the people of Russia and the animals of Animal Farm. Works Cited â€Å"George Orwell-Animal Farm-Interpretation of characters and symbols.† The Complete Newspeak Dictionary. 7 December 2011 . Lamont, George J. â€Å"Animal Farm-Comparison of characters to the Russian Revolution.† Gonzaga Student Web Server. 11 December 2011 http://barney.gonzaga.edu/~sbennet3/mead/lesonplans/animalfarm.htm>. â€Å"Background information for George Orwell’s Animal Farm-George Orwell Links.† Charles’ George Orwell Links-Biographies, Essays, Novels, Reviews, Images. 11December 2011 Orwell, George. Animal Farm: a fairy story. New York, NY: Signet Classic, 1996. Print. â€Å"What is Propaganda?: Defining Propaganda.† American Historical Association. 15 December 2011 . â€Å"Joseph Stalin – Discover the Networks.† Discover the Networks. 15 December 2011 . Borade, Gaynor. â€Å"Stalinism: The use of Propaganda by Joseph Stalin.† Buzzle Web Portal: Intelligent Life on the Web. 15 December 2011 .

Argumentative Essay: Women Are Better Politician Than Men

There is a mindset in the current society that men make better politicians than women. In fact, that statement is not true. Women make good politicians too, some are even better than men in many aspects. Women politicians make better politicians because they compromise better, are more trustworthy and cooperative, plus they are more strong-minded as compared to men. One of the best example is Christine Lagarde the first female Minister of Economic Affairs in a G8 economy which is the governments of eight of the world's largest economies(Christine Lagarde, pars. 3).She is also voted as the world's 9th most powerful woman according to Forbes magazine. Women politicians have a more compromising and friendly nature than men. This ultimately becomes a highly useful political tool for political campaign. They tend to face difficult situations with a calm attitude. For example, Ms. Indra Gandhi, the first female prime minister in India chose a peaceful way to rule her country. When her coun try was at war with Pakistan in 1971, she signed the treaty of friendship and cooperation with Pakistan to avoid financial hardship and instability in her country (Palekar, pars.  2-5).Thus, resulting a stable economy in India. She ruled her country effectively by getting moral support from all the ministers and maintaning good relationship with the other countries which helped in the economic growth of India. This would not have happened without her compromising and friendly nature. Aside from that, female politicians also are more cooperative and trustworthy than men. Research shows, women are more skilled at making people work together.This is because women are better at communicating with each other during work, they implement successful strategies thereby achieving higher results. On the other hand, men tend to excel more at bamboozling and cheating. This is proven by the studies of Rolf Kuemmerli and colleagues by repeating a game called Prisoner's Dilemma. This game involve s two people, they need to cooperate with each other to obtain a win-win situation. Studies shows that men do not cooperate as well as women because women have a better ability to interact and comprehend messages that one is trying to deliver (Highfield, pars.  5-11).In addition, women are found to be more trustworthy than men. This statement is proven by Professor Roger Steare using the â€Å"Moral DNA† test by measuring a person's morality and changes in their value system when they enter the workplace. According to results, women have more moral values , proving that they are more trustworthy (Knight, pars. 3-5). Making them better politicians. Besides that, scientists claimed that male politicians are more decisive than female politicians (Men more decisive, pars. 5-9) .However, that doesn't mean that female politicians are not good at making decisions. In fact, female politician are less decisive but more strong-minded than men as they consider their decision thoroughl y before finalizing. Before making a desicion, they examine the consequences towards an individual, society and the country and seek for a win-win solution. They search for long-term solutions by using retention strategies as a way to improve the results. Thus, they have the capacity to be more balanced in decision-making.Not only that, women are more precautious and they tend to make less mistakes in their work. This is because women always think twice and recheck their work before completing the final touches. This indirectly proves that women are better politicians than men. In my opinion, women politicians make better politicians because they compromise better, are more trustworthy and cooperative, plus they are more strong-minded as compared to men. They have more good aspects when compared to men. Thus, women are better politicians than men.

Ballard Integrated Managed Services Essay

Ballard Integrated Managed Services, Inc. (BIMS) is an organization that provides food service and housekeeping services to corporations and institutions on a contractual basis. Ballard Integrated Managed Services, Inc. (BIMS) has a contract with Douglas Medical Center (DMC). As general manager of the Douglas Medical Center site for Ballard Integrated Managed Services, Inc. (BIMS), Barbara Tucker is responsible for three divisions at this site, each with its own management staff. The food service division, led by Flora Torres, is responsible for providing daily meals for the 5,300 staff members, nurses, and doctors as well as the public in the six cafeterias. In addition, they prepare specialized meals for patient care.The hospitality division, managed by Henry Dumas, is responsible for refreshing each hospital room, including changing the linens on empty beds, replacing towels, and sanitizing bathrooms, which includes maintaining the public areas: hallways, lobbies, and elevators. T he Physical Plant Maintenance division, led by Matt Lee, is responsible for the nonmedical equipment and physical aspects of the medical center (University of Phoenix). Overview The problem is that in recent months, the general manager, Barbara Tucker, noticed a decline in staff morale, a higher turnover rate, an increase in the amount of sick time used, and poor work ethics. Exit interviews did not provide new information on employees’ sudden changes. Even though replacing staff is not difficult to accomplish, it is costly. Barbara agreed to have the human resources manager, Debbie Horner, conduct a survey focusing on what would motivate employees. Debbie asked questions that pertained to work conditions, shift hours, quality of training, and level of compensation, fair treatment, internal company communications, and job security. Demographic questions were also asked so Debbiecould separate responses by division. Debbie hypothesized that the variables would correlate high employee turnover ratio to low employee morale. Data Collected Quantitative has two kinds of variables, reported numerically. Discrete is  one of the variables, which can only assume certain values, containing gaps between the values. Quantitative data collected based on numbers;the information collected can be analyzed using various statistical techniques. The analysis helps the researcher create meaningful patterns and take a deeper look into the data. The most important use of quantitative data is in hypothesis testing and can support researchers in reaching conclusions. The main methods used to collect quantitative information are using questionnaires that require input of the user’s response. Ballard Integrated Managed Services, Inc. (BIMS) placed questionnaires in the payroll checks for two pay periods, and employees were asked to return them to the Human Resources Manager. Types and Methods of Data Collected The type of data collected in the BIMS Employee Survey is quantitative. According to â€Å"Problem Gambling Institute of Ontario† (2013),†Quantitative data is information that is measured and expressed as numbers. Scores on standard tests like the SOGS, scores on scaled questions (e.g., a five-point scale), and records of sessions attended, are examples of quantitative data.† The Ballard Integrated Managed Services, Inc. (BIMS) Employee Survey consisted of 10 questions that required the employees to rate his or her level of job satisfaction on a scale from one to five,one meaning very negative and five meaning very positive. Quantitative methods of collecting data are good because it is relatively easy to collect, score, and analysis data from a large group (Problem Gambling Institute of Ontario, 2013). Level of Measurement It is important to recognize that there is a hierarchy implemented in the level of measurement concept. At each level of the hierarchy, the current level includes all of the attributes of the previous level as well as adding something new(Trochim, 2006).The ordinallevel of measurement used in the Ballard Integrated Managed Services, Inc. (BIMS) Employee Survey classified as discrete. The attributes in the ordinal level can be rank-ordered in this level of measurement, but the distances between the attributes are not the same. Description of Coded Data The surveygiven to employees at Ballard Integrated Managed Services, Inc.  (BIMS) attempted to identify the root cause for the decrease in morale. The survey consisted ofquestions that focused on the relationships between employees, management, and the company. Ballard Integrated Managed Services, Inc.(BIMS) employs more than 400 people at the Douglas Medical Center site, but only 17.3% participated in the survey. The data from the survey coded as follows: Q1.How well do you enjoy working for BIMS? Out of the 78 employees surveyed, 15 answered very negative, 21 answered negative, 15 answered neutral, 13 answered positive, 13 answered very positive, and one didn’t answer. Q2. You enjoy your assigned shift. Out of the 78 employees surveyed, 14 answered very negative, 22 answered negative, 13 answered neutral, 14 answered positive, 12 answered very positive, and three didn’t answer. Q3. Your request for your desired shift was fulfilled. Out of the 78 employees surveyed, 15 answered very negative, 21 answered negative, 15 answered neutral, 13 answered positive, 13 answered very positive, and one didn’t answer. Q4. How many times have you called in sick in the last month? Out of the 78 employees surveyed, 15 answered very negative, 21 answered negative, 12 answered neutral, 12 answered positive, 15 answered very positive, and three didn’t answer. Q5. You are well trained for work. Out of the 78 employees surveyed, 13 answered very negative, 22 answered negative, 14 answered neutral, 14 answered positive, 14 answered very positive, and one didn’t answer. Q6. You are paid fairly for the work you do? Out of the 78 surveyed, 20 answered very negative, 30 answered negative, 19 answered neutral, six answered positive, Zero answered very positive, and three didn’t answer. Q7. Your supervisor treats you fairly. Out of the 78 surveyed, 15 answered very negative, 21 answered negative, 15 answered neutral, 13 answered positive, 14 answered very positive. Q8. Your supervisor’s boss treats your division fairly. Out of the 78 surveyed, 15 answered very negative, 22 answered negative, 12 answered neutral, 13 answered positive, 12 answered very positive, and four didn’t answer. Q9. The company is good at communicating. Out of the 78 surveyed, 17 answered very negative, 32 answered negative, 24 answered neutral, five answered positive, zero answered very positive. Q10. You do not fear that you will lose your job. Out of the 78 surveyed, 17 answered very negative, 22 answered negative, 12 answered neutral, 15 answered positive, 10 answered very positive, and two didn’t answer. Out of the employees who took the survey, 12 were supervisors, 32 worked in the food division, 36worked in the housekeeping division, and nine worked in the maintenance division of the company. According to the survey of 17.3% the average length of employment with Ballard Integrated Managed Services, Inc. (BIMS) is three years and five months. Conclusion The conclusion drawn from the questionnaire is that the majority of participants in the Ballard Integrated Managed Services, Inc.(BIMS) survey are dissatisfied with the company. Out of the 17.3% of employees who participated answered all 10questions one or two being very negative. Dissecting the questionnaire by department showed that only nine out of 78 worked in maintenance. This could indicate satisfaction by maintenance department or that the employees elected not to participate. The other two departments, food and housekeeping participated equally in the survey. Barbara Tucker can use theoutcome of the survey to support her management team motivate their employees. The objective to discuss immediate changes to implement without affecting the budget, such as shift changes, department changes, and opencommunication. Once the employees notice a change in the company, it will boost employee morale resulting in a decrease in turnover (University of Phoenix). References Problem Gambling Institute of Ontario. (2013). Retrieved from http://www.problemgambling.ca/EN/ResourcesForProfessionals/Pages/DataCollecti on.as px Trochim, W. M. K. (2006). Levels of Measurement, Research Methods Knowledge Base, Retrieved May 12, 2008 fromhttp://www.socialresearchmethods.net/kb/measlevl.php University of Phoenix. (). Ballard Integrated Managed Services, Inc., Part I. Retrieved from University of Phoenix, QNT351-Quantitative Analysis for Business website.

Three Ethical Theories Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Three Ethical Theories - Essay Example Much technology thus makes it possible for businesses to track how their employees use the computers, phones and even the copy machines. Utilitarianism approach appreciates the fact the means used in doing something should be justified by the end results. The business owner is thus justified to take any action which may improve the end results, in this situation, an increase in productivity. The company cannot therefore allow a free reign of the employees which allows them to have unrestricted and unmonitored use of the company internet. Free access and use of company services like the internet will end up with a situation in which the employees cease to care about the business they work and lose the aim of increasing productivity and profitability. Utilitarianism ethical perspectives support the actions of the senior management as it will increase productivity in the long run. Deontological This ethical principle focuses more on the rules and responsibilities set forward instead of looking at the final end result. If this approach is used in scenario one, each employee will be provided with rules and regulations that govern internet use while at work. This provides employees with the option of knowing what is expected of them and that every action taken must be supported by a logical reason. Invading the employee privacy to make the employees know that what they are doing is not right cannot be applied with this ethical perspective. Ethical Relativism In ethical relativisms, actions are weighed based on the practises found within a specific setup. There exist no universal way of measuring and evaluating the actions of the senior managers in this scenario to conclude on that it infringes on the privacy of the employees. Suggested approaches Scenario two Different ways people may act (and why): Perspective/ theory that may be applied Possible reactions and explanations to the situation Utilitarian From the overview provided, it is visible that actions made by th e state department officials to inflate the cost of setting the department website created an expensive situation due to the increased costs of operations that were incurred. This action did not produce any good both to the individuals involved and to the state corporation as it increased the cost of operating the website. The end of this action went against the means that was used to acquire it Deontological The methods and steps adopted in doing something are much more important than the final results that we seek to achieve. The staffs who were responsible for the establishment of this site should have weighed their actions and choices, not based on the end results or their individual desires but based on the methods and approach adopted. In a situation where other methods were available to accomplish this task, they should have gone for the cheapest option. Ethical Relativism No standard exist upon which the actions of the employees can be evaluated except the tradition set by t he society. In this society, corrupt deals and lack of integrity is not accepted in whatever means therefore making these actions inacceptable. Scenario two is therefore unacceptable by almost all these ethical theories. Suggested

Architecture and Strategic Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Architecture and Strategic Management - Essay Example (Hale, 2000; P 5) Clustering distribution centers in a single geographic area is among the new trends. There is also a move towards transportation specialization, such as companies that depend on substantial parcel air transport. Labor availability and technology advances are factors driving many companies to consolidate their distribution and structural systems into fewer but larger, regional facilities. However, not all companies are consolidating their distribution centers: in many areas, the consolidation trend itself is producing a new generation of smaller, local distribution centers. Experts say that new logistical handling systems and greater outsourcing-in particular, the increased use of third-party logistics providers-seem to be driving this trend. This trend has had a large bearing on how architects are being perceived. With the advent of management as a wholesome science that has trickled into every industry and profession, architects are now expected to handle the managerial aspects of construction and design. One of the major implications for this is cost control and financial projection, health and safety management as well as development control. When involved in a project, the major fo... When involved in a project, the major focus is on the economics and what can be achieved within a given budget. Passing this down to the architects has various dimensions to it. The creative part can be better coordinated and decided in the initial stages so as to avoid chaos later. The demerit of this is that the focus might shift from the creative to the strategic management options where some architects might be ill equipped to handle such responsibilities. The solution to such a problem is a short course or orientation program in financial and development management when educating or selecting architects. Incident Command System for High Rise Buildings Risk is also a major part of the strategic management and development part of a structure. The above diagram is a depiction of an example of sectorisation for a high rise building. The sectorisation for high rise buildings must consist of the optimum deployment and utilization of resources. Managing a high rise building is a matter of creating sectors so as to give out commands easily and smoothly in case of strategic, tactical and operational importance. The sectors for operation must include: Vulnerability assessment & intrusion detection systems Risk assessment & risk management Backups & business continuity planning Disaster recovery planning Computer incident response teams Digital investigation & incident post-mortem Privacy & anonymity in cyberspace; censorship & content filtering Management responsibilities & liabilities The future of information assurance Professional development The Harrow Court Incident The Harrow Court Incident refers to the tragic chain of events where two firefighters - Firefighter Wornham and Firefighter Miller - lost their lives on the 2nd of February, 2005. The

Negligent training Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Negligent training - Essay Example and drink arrangement and administration; establishing essential building efforts to establish safety; and making moves to maintain a strategic distance from a rehash of past mishaps by your employs through training them. A standout amongst the most well-known types of mischance at cordiality venues is a slip-and-fall mishap. The recurrence is so extraordinary; this expression is currently a typical legitimate term. Basic reasons for these mishaps incorporate covers not appropriately secured to the floor, electrical lines laid crosswise over floors, wet floors created by spilling roofs or janitorial work, protests or fluids on stairs, and hand railings that fizzle. In the event that you have an exchange show or gatherings where exhibitors or speakers use electronic presentation gear, oblige them to utilize your electrical ropes and demand that your staff introduce them to guarantee they are legitimately laid, taped and secured. A protection safeguard lawyer or your protection bearer ought to have the capacity to provide for you a rundown of slip-and-fall insurances your office can take. Proper instructions and training can prevent this otherwise you can’t stop this. (Ashe, S. (n.d.). Types of Negligence in the Hospitality Industry) There are many steps to reduce negligent training like improving management communication as all administrators will continually and reliably show the adequate behavior, as expressed in the approaches, in their own particular conduct and by taking part in consistent, continuous preparing for all representatives to make economical behavioral change that is in arrangement with organization arrangements and techniques. Other step can be creating a healthy environment for employs to learn like administrators must figure out how to manufacture trust and admiration among their representatives so workers trust it is protected to approach administration without alarm of responses and report episodes where representative behavior

Advantages and Disadvantages of Pre-Coding Assignment

Advantages and Disadvantages of Pre-Coding - Assignment Example I cannot oppose the fact highlighted by Rousseau that indeed pre-coding is part and parcel of each research. The point is further made clear that pre-coding is a foundation of early planning and maintaining focus on essential parts of the research. I can add that pre-coding enables elimination of unwanted or unnecessary information that can, in turn, be misleading to the researcher and the readers. On the other hand, Rousseau failed to mention the disadvantages of pre-coding, but I think it is because he noted more of its benefits than the drawbacks it will bring in the topic of discussion. I find Donna’s arguments over the advantages of pre-coding to be very rational. To her, pre-coding is not just an activity, but a skill to be mastered by every researcher if he or she wants to summarize the data and at the same time retain all the vital data. Just like she refers to Patton’s (2002) suggestion on the process of organizing data, so do I strongly support that four steps are a must. Even though she argues that its disadvantage is that it works well only in a large amount of data, this may be a challenge and an opportunity for the researcher to be keener when handling errors.

The Art of Costume Design for TV, Film and Theatre Essay

The Art of Costume Design for TV, Film and Theatre - Essay Example Unlike other fashion and costume designers, in most instances those who work within the media industry are not able to work totally in isolation with their own ideas, they cannot just work within their own imagination. There will also be a requirement for the finished costumes produced to have paid regard to the input from a number of other department and individuals within the particular Film, TV and Theatre project. Film, Television and Theatre production companies and organisations consider costume design to be an integral and important part of the process of production. However, each of these individual media elements will impose a different approach and requirement upon the designer. However, as is the case with an actor's poor performance, costume design and construction that falls short of the standard and quality demanded will also have the affect of devaluing the final production. Evaluate the effects of costume designing to the overall impact of the TV program, theatrical play and/or movie. - this can be done by conducting a series of researches on the point of view of the viewers Unlike other fashion design, costume design in Television, Film and Theatre has a far bigger responsibility in the areas that concern artistry and creativity. Concepts regarding costume design do not only consider what the designer thinks appropriate in the story. Other concerns such as the director's opinions, the playwright, as well as timely significance of the story must be considered in costume design. Costume designers have their individual definitions of the term. These definitions are probably based on their own experiences in the field. According to Deena Appel, Austin Powers' costume designer, there is a distinct difference between fashion design and costume design. However, ones sense of fashion is yet significant in costume design. Without which, the continuity of the costume with its characters and the story may not be given as much justice. "Costume design is very different from fashion design. You learn mostly by doing, in reality. You have to have an inherent sense of fashion, but also of the body, and of storytelling, and so much of what we do is about trying to help tell the story through clothes." (http://www.cnn.com/STYLE/9907/06/appel.transcript/, para 11) Sue Blane, who is yet another

The Wayne Williams Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Wayne Williams - Case Study Example Early fiber evidence collected showed 2 types of fibers present at the crime scene; "a violet-colored acetate fiber and a coarse yellow-green nylon fiber with the type of tri-lobed qualities associated with carpets". The yellow-green carpet fiber that was found on the body of Cater was later compared and analyzed alongside a similar looking yellow-green carpet that was found at the home of Williams. He used the carpet to cover the floor of his home. The carpet, thanks to the cooperation of the manufacturer DuPont, was traced down to the company that manufactured the fiber known as Wellman 181B, a common carpet that was commercially sold by the manufacturer. Due to the high volume of carpet sales, connecting the yellow-green carpet to Williams and the murder became a game of odds. The importance of connecting the fiber to him became even more imperative when the dog that Williams owned showed up on the body of other murder victims as part of trace fibers (Ramsland, K., â€Å"Fibers a nd Probability Theory†). In an effort to create a convincing case, the prosecution decided to include a 2nd victim in the Williams murder trial. That of Jimmy Ray Payne who had trace fibers similar to those found in Williams' car, a single rayon fiber that was consistent with the carpeting in Williams' station wagon. Chevrolet, the car manufacturer informed investigators that there was a; â€Å"1 in 3,828 chance that Payne had acquired the fiber via random contact with a car that had this carpeting installed.†... The importance of connecting the fiber to him became even more imperative when the dog that Williams owned showed up on the body of other murder victims as part of trace fibers (Ramsland, K., â€Å"Fibers and Probability Theory†). In an effort to create a convincing case, the prosecution decided to include a 2nd victim in the Williams murder trial. That of Jimmy Ray Payne who had trace fibers similar to those found in Williams' car, a single rayon fiber that was consistent with the carpeting in Williams' station wagon. Chevrolet, the car manufacturer informed investigators that there was a; â€Å"1 in 3,828 chance that Payne had acquired the fiber via random contact with a car that had this carpeting installed.† (Ramsland, K., â€Å"Fibers and Probability Theory†). By introducing trace fibers from the 10 other murders that held similarities to the fiber collected from the home and car of Williams, the prosecution was effectively allowed to build its case by the G eorgia courts. The investigation of the Williams serial murders came down to a numbers game simply because of the trace evidence found at the scene of the crime for each victim. Every time a comparison was done, there was a similarity either with the car or home carpet fiber of Williams. During that era of early forensic investigation, these similarities were considered damning evidence that in theory, proved who committed the crime. When combined with the fact that the prosecution successfully connected 28 fiber types to Williams, along with testimony from witnesses who swore that they had actually seen him with each of the murder victims, the fact that Williams failed his polygraph test 3 times, and the suspicious injuries that were

The Colour Purple essay Essay Example for Free

The Colour Purple essay Essay 1) What do you learn about Celies attitudes to life in these letters?  2) Write about Walkers method of telling the story in letter 90.  3) Some readers see the ending of the novel as a triumph of the human spirit. Some see it as sickly and sentimental. What do you think about the novels ending?  1) By letters 89 and 90 Celies attitudes to life have changed considerably from the early letters of the novel. Celies attitude is extremely positive and she appears to have triumphed over her oppression, through her human spirit, attitude to life and bonds of sisterhood. This is shown in letter 89 by the way her and Shug respond to each other: She look at me funny for a minute, I look at her. Then us laugh.  This shows her sense of contentment and an almost carefree and happy attitude towards life. Laughter being a symbol of healing and regeneration suggests that despite Celies horrendous past experiences her psyche has been healed and she is content in her life.  In letter 89 Alice Walker portrays Celie with an air of confidence and defiance, Celie is finally prepared to not be passive in her response to discrimination and oppression she is prepared to question authority. Walker shows Celie to be proud of Sofias authority over a white man: she scare that white man. Anybody else colored he try to call em auntie or something. First time he try that with Sofia she ast him which colored man his mama sister marry. There is a lot of symbolism used in letter 89 which imply aspects of Celies attitudes to life. She shows her room to Shug:  Well here it is, I say, standing in the door. Everything in my room purple and red cept the floor,  The colours purple and red symbolise bruises on a beaten womans skin and in painting her room these colours her attitudes towards life are revealed, it suggests that Celie accepts her past life of abuse. However purple also symbolises beauty, royalty, it is a color Celie associates with vivacious women such as Shug and a color she feels was put on earth by God. By surrounding herself with purple it represents Celies new found confident attitude to life and contentment that her future life will be beautiful. Letter 90 shows Celies changed attitudes to spirituality within her life, opening the letter Dear God. Dear stars, dear treesDear everything. Dear God Celies changing outlook upon religion with the rejection of a patriarchal God and new belief that God is within everything, as well as the return of both Shug in letter 89 and Celies family in letter 90 has led to Celies sense of calm and inner peace, which is portrayed within these letters. This is expressed in her final sentences:  But I dont think us feel old at all. And us so happy. Matter of fact, I think this is the youngest us ever felt. These final sentences also depict Celies final self-acceptance and philosophical reflection upon her life. It concludes her journey to freedom from oppression, which the book has charted.  2) Just as Celies attitudes to life have changed, by letter 90 there is a noticeable change in Celies language style, she has a more sophisticated lexis and syntax which contrasts significantly to her early letters to God. Whereas Walkers use of language for Celies character in the early letters expresses her lack of education, Walkers change in Celies language shows Celies life education. It depicts the change from Celie being a naive innocent narrator to a confident woman, educated through life and others such as Nettie. The change in Celies vocabulary and grammatical style suggests she has learnt from Netties carefully composed letters. However, letter 90 also shows how Walker does not abandon Celies mimetic style and her use of the colloquial black American dialect:  This Shug and Albert, I say. Everybody say pleased to Meetcha  Celie continues to include phonetical spellings such as Meetcha and to use the present tense for past events such as I say instead of I said. Both of these are features of the dialect of the Deep South and show that Walker has continued to express aspects of black American cultural identity through Celies language throughout the novel. Often throughout history the voices of this community have not been heard and in her method of telling the story Walker allows them to have a voice through Celies vernacular.

Responsibilities of Human Resource Management in Microsoft Corporation

Responsibilities of Human Resource Management in Microsoft Corporation Microsoft Corporation is a company located in USA that manufactures, develops and supports a wide variety of products and services in the computing sector. The products and services of the company include computer software, consumer electronic, hardware, IT consulting, etc. The company established in 1975 by Bill Gates and Paul Allen, excelled in developing the operating systems for the computers. In 1984 they released the Microsoft windows version jointly with IBM. The company considers Human Resources as its asset and is keen on attracting and retaining talented manpower and managing them efficiently by making informed decisions. The company has around 93,000 employees and they manage the employees strategically. Maintaining a sound performance appraisal system in the company is the most difficult and most important part of Human Resource Management in the company (Coutts and Schneider, 2004). The performance of the employs in the organization is tracked and their work is observed by the supervisors and effective feedback is given at appropriate times. The performance appraisal process in the company is carried out after the superiors and subordinates come together to discuss the goals, objectives, expectations of the company, targets to be achieved, evaluation criteria and methods. The supervisor of the company is responsible towards identifying the skills, competencies and knowledge of the employees and if they are capable enough to carry out their duties and work effectively. The superiors also need to ensure that they properly communicate and give the right idea regarding the performance expectations and the rewards for the performance (Newstrom and Davis, 1993). Some methods that compani es usually follow for the purpose of performance evaluation are 360 degree feedback, critical incidence, rating scales etc. Microsoft is a company that gives importance to its Human resources, thus has developed a web-based tool à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"the performance toolà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ wherein the commitments, goals and employees and bosses are included and their roles defined. The employees in the company can log on using an ID and clearly understand the goals of the superior frame or change oneà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s own goal that way. This tool or model is flexible as the goals can be changed according to their requirement. Performance management system is managed with the help of this model in the company. Microsoft follows certain steps in its performance evaluation process: As a first step the employee and the manager carry out a face to face meeting twice a week. Then a meeting is done half yearly where the employees and the managers discuss and solve various issues concerned with behavior, performance and the expectations. Online tests are carried out to check the skill level of the employees and feedback is given according to the tests. Microsoft also provides an option for the employee to choose their superiors to be their mentors. Performance appraisal structure in Microsoft is unique with 2 reviews being held in a year i.e. career compass held in January and Final performance appraisal held in August. Career Compass is a review held in midyear wherein the employee development considered as an important thing. The mainly includes the development of their competencies, in which case the company involves two kinds of competencies: Microsoft core competencies- involve collaboration and cross border cooperation, innovation, confidence and proper decision making Functional competencies in Microsoft are the interpersonal skills, skills for project management, analytical skills, strategic decision making etc. Final performance appraisal involves the proper reviewing of the total performance management carried out in the company and is used to rate all the performances and commitments. The goals and targets that were set before as a benchmark will be reviewed and revised after the performance evaluation is done. The employee is also encouraged to do the self appraisals so that they themselves can understand the issues and lack of performance and reasons etc. in the final appraisal process the concerned managers of the department where the employee belongs and HR personnel of the company would sit together and discuss the details of the performance evaluation and appraisal process of the employees. They then rate the employees according to their level of performance achieved based on the standard set. The rating system in the company is based upon commitments and the target achieved. The performance rating in the company is form 5 which is for exceptional performance to 1 unsatisfactory performance. The company also follows a contribution ranking against the coworkers depending on the factors like the readiness to work and potential to learn. The performance appraisal and evaluation process in the company is highly essential in highlighting and communicating its goals and objectives to its employees and ensuring that they are properly achieved (Longenecker, 1997). Microsoft has been successful in maintaining the proper level of performance among the employees and achieves organizational goals. The employees in the company are aware of their roles and responsibilities thus working towards achieving the targets by framing their goals in the right direction (Grote, 1996). Microsoft is a company that provides certain important targets for each department by asking them to maintain a standard level performance rating for the employees, where in the standard of performance of the employees does not go below this level. The environmental factors have a key role to play in the methods used by the company with respect to the various HR practices. Thus the performance evaluation process in Microsoft Corporation is formulated taking into consideration the factors of external environmental factors. The various political, economic, social and technological factors play a key role in defining the human resource activities of the company. Political factors: The political environment in a country can be considered as an important factor that will affect the working of the company in a number of ways. One of the important political issues related to companies like Microsoft are the property protection measures and protection for investments. Many political parties helped the company gain tax benefits in a lot of ways. Economic Factors: it is difficult to list out the key economic factors that affect the company, since the Information Technology market is highly dynamic and standardization is not possible (Rubini, 2010). The recent economic downturn has also adversely affected the company like any other as the economy of most of the countries was badly hit and the market had slowed down. Social environmental factors: the social environment of the country in which they operate, act as important aspects in deciding the performance and operations of the company. A company that is socially responsible will be considered well by the customer. The employees will feel proud to work for such companies. Microsoft has been funding many CSR activities, but due to the economic recession the company has cut its budget in that area to invest in some its products. A company that is committed to the society will also possess employees who would work towards such a goal. Technological environment: the technological factors like the technological innovations and creativity has lead to an entirely new and different kind of expansion in the information technology industry. There are many companies operating in the market providing software, IT and hardware services with innovative technology in every service. The growth of technology has been tremendous as a result of which the company has to recruit and acquire more skills and trained employees who have the knowledge of changing technology in this field. In order to increase the operational efficiency the company is expected to increase the performance level of the employees (Kurtz, 2009). Proper performance management system in the company will cater to providing the solution to this issue. Microsoft has developed various methods to perfectly understand the make clear evaluations of the employee performance and train them according to the need of the hour. The study is thus concludes that the company Microsoft is highly specific on establishing a proper performance management system that meets their requirements and maintains their standard at all levels. The Human Resource Management and planning in the company is effective as they have a plan on how to make best use of their human resources asset. The various environmental factors and conditions play a key role deciding various aspects of HR practices in the company. The performance appraisal system is crucial in achieving the goals of the company.

Impacts of Anti-social Working Hours on Nursing Staff

Impacts of Anti-social Working Hours on Nursing Staff Abstract The aim of this research proposal is to outline a research study that is designed to determine the effects, and impacts, of anti-social working hours on nursing staff, with a view to assessing the validity of three main hypotheses: H1: The greater the number of anti-social hours worked, the more serious will be the negative effects on the professional and personal lives of nursing staff; H2: Nursing staff who have high levels of workplace support are less likely to be affected by anti-social working hours; and H3: Nursing staff who receive adequate monetary compensation for the anti-social hours they work are less likely to be adversely affected, in terms of their professional lives, by these anti-social hours. It is proposed that these hypotheses be tested through sampling twenty nursing staff, gathering both qualitative and quantitative data through the use of the Work Ability Index, a questionnaire and a logbook containing various questions the participants will be asked to comple te each working day for one month. Introduction A previous review of the relevant literature showed that there are many facets to the effects of anti-social working hours on nursing staff that are not understood. The critical literature review revealed that there were many and various effects of anti-social hours on the professional lives of nursing staff, including negative effects on performance at work, an increase in the number of mistakes made, a decrease in the patience nursing staff had towards patients, a decrease in the levels of holistic care provided and that anti-social working hours could lead to strains being placed on the relationships nursing staff have with their colleagues, their patients and the families of their patients. In addition, it was shown that anti-social working hours had negative effects on the personal lives of nursing staff, including on their home life, their personal safety and their overall health and stress levels. Research questions and objectives As a result of the findings of this critical literature review, this research proposal suggests a dual quantitative and qualitative approach to assessing the actual effects of anti-social working hours and their impacts on nursing staff, with three main hypotheses to be explored: H1: The greater the number of anti-social hours worked, the more serious will be the negative effects on the professional and personal lives of nursing staff H2: Nursing staff who have high levels of workplace support are less likely to be affected by anti-social working hours H3: Nursing staff who receive adequate monetary compensation for the anti-social hours they work are less likely to be adversely affected, in terms of their professional lives, by these anti-social hours Perspective and methodology The methodology to be utilised is both qualitative and quantitative, incorporating two quantitative methods (the Work Ability Index and a logbook) and a qualitative method (a questionnaire). In order to test the effects of anti-social hours on nursing staff, it will be necessary to sample a number of nursing staff each of whom work different types/number of hours. Twenty nursing staff will be sampled in total, five who work only during the day, five who work only during the night, five who work shifts without committing to night shifts and five who work shifts and who do commit to working night shifts. Sampling such a diverse set of nursing staff, in terms of the number/type of hours worked will allow the effects of anti-social hours on different types of nursing staff to be assessed, It is proposed that the Work Ability Index (Ilmarinen, 2007) be used to assess how anti-social hours are impacting nursing staff, in terms of their ability to do their jobs, and their own health. The Work Ability Index (Ilmarinen, 2007) is basically a series of questions which take in to account the demands of the work, the workers health status and the resources available for work, and is a summary of the responses to seven items, including: 1) Current work ability compared with the lifetime best; 2) Work ability in relation to the demands of the job; 3) Number of current diseases diagnosed by a physician; 4) Estimated work impairment due to these diseases; 5) Sick leave during the past twelve months; 6) Own prognosis of work ability two years from now; and 7) Mental resources. In addition to the Work Ability Index, several supplementary questions will be asked of the sample of nursing staff, in the form of a questionnaire, in order to gauge their attitudes to work and their overall satisfaction with their work and pay, their motivation and their opinions regarding the support that is available in their workplace. In addition to the Work Ability Index, and the supplementary questionnaire, which will be used to assess how the sampled nursing staff are being impacted, in terms of the anti-social hours, the sampled nursing staff will be asked to keep a logbook of their activities over one month of work, in which they will be asked to record: their scheduled working hours; their actual working hours; how many of their overtime hours were paid; the amount of sleep they have; a rating of the quality of this sleep; whether they use any sleep aids, and what these are; a rating of their sleepiness levels; a rating of the fatigue they feel each day; a rating of their stress levels each day; a note of any errors they made whilst at work; a note of the type of error made; a note of any potential errors they would have made had another member of staff not intercepted them; and a note of any errors observed in other colleagues. Methods Sampling The target for this research is nursing staff, in the hospital in which the researcher is employed. Due to time restrictions with the research project, which needs to be completed in two semesters, the number of participants in this study will need to be kept low, so that their responses to the Work Ability Index, the questionnaire and their records in their logbooks will be manageable, in terms of the amount of data that will result. It is therefore suggested that twenty participants are selected for the study, divided in to nursing staff covering a variety of shifts and working hours: five who work full-time, only day shifts; five who work full-time, only night shifts; five who work shifts, with no night shifts, only day shifts; and five who work shifts but who can work night shifts. Sampling the nursing staff in this way will allow an assessment of the effects of the type of extra working hours has on nursing staff, for example whether working anti-social hours at night has a grea ter negative effect on nursing staff than working anti-social (i..e, longer) hours during the day, for example. Data collection As has been discussed, the objectives of this research, and the associated hypotheses, will be tested through a combination of qualitative and quantitative research methods. The Work Ability Index will be utilised in order to gain an overall picture of the effect the work is having on the participants and the views the participants hold regarding their ability to do their jobs, and their own health (Ilmarinen, 2007). The Work Ability Index, as it requires participants to provide a numerical assessment of their responses to the various questions, will provide a quantitative assessment of the participants attitudes towards their work, their ability to do their work and their own health, as a function of the work they are required to do. The questionnaire that will be handed out to the participants aims to provide a snapshot of the participants’ attitudes to work and their overall satisfaction with their work and pay, their motivation and their opinions regarding the support that is available in their workplace. The responses to this questionnaire are intended to be open-ended and, as such, will constitute a qualitative approach to data gathering, with participants being free to respond, at will, to the questions asked. This qualitative approach will allow the participants to outline any concerns they have and to expand upon their feelings with regards to the impact of their working hours on their ability to do their work, on their professional lives, on their personal lives and on their health, amongst other factors. The logbook will, through the various questions it contains, allow both a qualitative and a quantitative approach to data gathering. Some of the questions will ask the participants to rate various things, with the responses being quantitative in nature, such as the quality of their sleep, the number of hours (scheduled and non-scheduled) that they worked, or their stress levels, for example. Other questions will allow for more open-ended responses, qualitative in nature, such as whether they use any sleep aids, and what these are, or whether any errors were made, with the opportunity to describe these errors. Analytical processes As the data that will be collected is both quantitative and qualitative in nature, various analyses will be necessary. For the quantitative data gathered, for example the responses to the Work Ability Index and the quantitative questions in the logbook, the data will be analysed with regards to determining any correlations between the responses, for example, whether longer hours, as recorded in the log book, correlates with lower satisfaction with their work, as recorded by the Work Ability Index. Such correlations can be performed using various statistical tests, via a statistical analysis software package, and will provide firm conclusions as to the relationships between the various variables being measured. The qualitative data that is collected will be voluminous in nature with a great deal of responses to view and analyse (Polit et al., 2007). As Thorne (2000) suggests, the analysis of qualitative data relies on some form of deductive reasoning in order to interpret and structure the meanings that can be derived from the data collected, within the framework of the objectives of the research and the hypotheses that are being tested. It is suggested that the data be analysed using content analysis (Pope et al., 2000; Miles and Huberman, 1984). Content analysis will allow the data to be analysed and to find emergent meanings from this data in order to find inferences from what has been said by the participants and to relate these inferences to the quantitative data that will be collected (Neuendorf, 2002). Analytical induction will be used to test and re-test the intuitive ideas the researcher has regarding the content of the responses, with regard to the objectives of the research and h ypotheses being addressed (Pope et al, 2000; Holloway, 1997). It is expected that the correlations found within the quantitative data will be supported by the qualitative data collected, and that the qualitative data will provide more of an in-depth understanding of the actual effects and impacts of anti-social working hours on nursing staff. This combination of quantitative and qualitative data is therefore expected to be a powerful tool in terms of gaining a full understanding of the impacts of anti-social working hours on nursing staff, in terms of the effects on both their professional and private lives, with regards to fulfilling the objectives of the research and determining the validity of the hypotheses being tested. Strategies to promote methodological rigour There is a risk, in this study, that the nature of the study, and implied pressure from managers and colleagues, may lead to bias in the results gained, in that nursing staff may not feel able to reveal their true feelings about these issues for fear of retribution. In order to minimise the chances of this happening, as has been seen, anonymity will be ensured at all times, minimising the chances of bias entering in to the data and maintaining methodological rigour. Access and Ethical issues In order to recruit twenty nursing staff, and to allow the research to be conducted, the Manager of the nursing staff will contacted and permission will be requested to contact the nursing staff to be able to recruit participants. As this research topic touches on a delicate subject, in that managers might be wary of addressing this subject with their staff, and because making recordings in the logbook will take time out of the working day of the nursing staff, the Manager will need to be approached with care. Appendix 1 provides a copy of the suggested letter, that will be sent to the Manager of the nursing staff, in order to recruit possible subjects for the research. All nursing staff on one floor of the hospital will be sent an introductory letter, given in Appendix 2, which will explain the purpose of the study, outline the aims and objectives of the study and outline what will be expected of participants, and which asks for any interested parties to come forward to volunteer themselves for the study. Participants will be selected on the basis of them being independent (i.e., not known to the researcher or any supervisors of the researcher) and will be contacted, within a few days of volunteering themselves and being selected, in order to sign a Consent Form (given in Appendix 3). Following the signing of the consent form, the study will be explained in more detail to the selected participants, with the letter in Appendix 2 being sent out to selected participants, with the various components, and how they will be presented to the participants, being explained within this letter. Following this, the questionnaire will be given to the participants and they will be asked to fill this in and to return it to the researcher within a week of it being sent to them. The Work Ability Index will also be passed to the participants, at the same time as the questionnaire, and the participants will be asked to complete this, within a week, and return the completed questionnaire with the completed Work Ability Index. At the same time, the logbook will be explained in detail, and passed out to each participant, for them to start recording their responses to the questions within this, every working day for one month. The actual Work Ability Index, questionnaire and logbook that will be sent out to participants are given in Appendix 4, 5 and 6, respectively. It is fundamental, at every stage of this process, that the responses of the participants are kept confidential, with only the researcher knowing which responses come from which person. This will be handled by allocating each participant a number and with the questionnaires, Work Ability Index and logbook being passed out, completed and returned, with only this number, not any names. This will ensure that only the researcher knows which participant provided which responses, ensuring that all responses will remain anonymous. Anonymity is fundamentally important in this study, given its delicate nature, dealing as it is with topics that are inflammatory within the workplace of nursing staff, and which could cause problems between nursing staff and their managers. In addition to the numbering system that will be used to protect the anonymity of participants, no personal data will be collected, other than the responses to the three tools, and the storage of all of the responses collected will be carried out in compliance with relevant data storage regulations, such as the Data Protection Act 1998. The data collected will be collected on the basis of anonymity being maintained, but, due to the nature of the study, in that the results are expected to be disseminated as widely as possible, although anonymity will be maintained, confidentiality of responses cannot be guaranteed, as it is these responses that will form the basis of the results, and conclusions of this research, which will be disseminated. The researcher could be affected by the conducting of this study, because, as has been stated, the research topic touches on sensitive matters that are often the cause of conflict within the workplace between managers and nursing staff. The very fact of conducting this study within the workplace may put the researcher at risk of reprisals of some sort, although it should be noted that the study will be introduced to the Head of Department and to managers as a research study, and that, as such, the researcher should be respected, without facing reprisals, and the research allowed to continue without problems. Timetable It is suggested that the work be conducted over the course of four months, January to April 2009. The nursing staff will be contacted, initially, and once the twenty nursing staff have been selected, the Work Ability Index and the questionnaire will be completed. Following this, the logbook will be handed out and the nursing staff will record their responses to the questions within that each working day for one month. Once the logbooks have been completed, all of the primary data will be collated and analysed, with the expectation that this process will require a further month. Once the results and conclusions have been gathered from the data, two further months will be required to write up this data in the form of the dissertation. The work would be more vigorous if a larger sample of nursing staff could be included, but this is not possible, unfortunately, given the time constraints, Budget and likely funding sources The researcher intends to apply for scholarships in order to cover the costs of the research materials needed, but, as the methodology is utilising reasonably priced materials, if a scholarship is not won, it is expected that the materials could be paid for out of the pocket of the researcher. The expected costs are as follows: Twenty notebooks (for the logbooks): 20 x  £1.50 = 30 Paper/pens/printer ink etc. for the questionnaire/Work Ability Index = 20 x  £1.00 =  £20 Small gift for each participant: 20 x  £2.00 =  £40 Binding of dissertation: 4 x  £10 =  £40 Total cost =  £130 Dissemination of results Given the intense interest in this subject in the nursing literature, it is intended that this study be written up for publication in a peer-reviewed nursing journal. In addition, the results of the study will be presented as nursing seminars and the abstract of the work will be sent out to various conferences, with a view to the work being presented at various nursing conferences. In addition, as with all dissertations completed at academic establishments, a copy of the dissertation will be deposited in the university library, so that the work is available for reference by other interested parties. References Holloway, I. (1997). Basic concepts for qualitative research. Blackwell Science. Ilmarinen, J. (2007). The Work Ability Index. Occupational Medicine 57(2), pp. 160. Miles, M. and Huberman, A. (1984). Qualitative data analysis. Sage. Neuendorf, K.A. (2002). The content analysis guidebook. Available from http://academic.csuohio.edu/kneuendorf/content/ [Accessed 27th November 2008]. Polit, D.F. et al. (2007). Nursing research: generating and assessing evidence for nursing practice. Wolters Kluwer Health. Pope, C. et al. (2000). Qualitative research in health care. BMJ 320, pp. 114-116. Thorne, S. (2000). Data analysis in qualitative research. Evidence-Based Nursing 3, pp. 68-70. Appendix 1: Access letter Address Date Dear XXXXX, Re: Msc dissertation An exploration of the impacts of anti-social working hours on nursing staff I am writing to ask permission for this research to be conducted within your section. As part of this request, I am asking for permission to be granted to make contact with staff under your management, and for these staff to be asked if they will participate in my research project. I hope to be able to select a total of twenty nursing staff to be able to participate in this research project. The research project consists of three separate sections: a survey of the participants using a Work Ability Index, a questionnaire of the participants and a logbook, which the participants will need to complete each working day for one month. I would like the opportunity to present the research project to all of the nursing staff under your management and to select twenty participants from the staff who volunteered their participation. The research project will require the participants to volunteer their own time and any and all research costs will be covered by myself. By the time of the study, the necessary ethical approval for the study will have been given by the relevant committee. I do hope you can consider my request for access to your staff and look forward to hearing from you. Yours sincerely, XXXXXX Appendix 2: Participant information sheet Address Date Dear XXXXX, Re: Msc dissertation An exploration of the impacts of anti-social working hours on nursing staff I am writing to you now to request your participation in a research study I am conducting, looking at the effects and impacts of anti-social working hours on nursing staff. A literature review I previously worked on showed that there are many facets to the effects of anti-social working hours on nursing staff that are not well understood and that, as anti-social working hours have many negative effects on nursing staff, in terms of their professional and personal lives, I am interested in looking in to this issue in further detail. The main aims of the research are to test three hypotheses: H1: The greater the number of anti-social hours worked, the more serious will be the negative effects on the professional and personal lives of nursing staff H2: Nursing staff who have high levels of workplace support are less likely to be affected by anti-social working hours H3: Nursing staff who receive adequate monetary compensation for the anti-social hours they work are less likely to be adversely affected, in terms of their professional lives, by these anti-social hours The research project will consist of three main tools, a Work Ability Index, a questionnaire and a logbook, to be filled in by participants every working day for one month. It is expected that the initial assessment, via the Work Ability Index and the questionnaire, would take around one hour of your time to complete, with the logbook taking around twenty minutes to complete each day. If you have any questions or concerns about your participation, please do not hesitate to contact me and I will address these. If you decide you would like to be part of this research project, I would be grateful if you could sign and return the attached consent form and return it to me in the attached stamped addressed envelope. Yours sincerely, XXXXX Appendix 3: Consent form Research title: An exploration of the impacts of anti-social working hours on nursing staff Name of researcher: XXXXXX Please tick the boxes I can confirm that I have read the participant information sheet and that I understand the aims and objectives of the proposed research _____ I have been given the opportunity to ask questions and to have these questions answered by the researcher ______ I understand that my participation in this research is voluntary and I have fully understood the amount of time my participation in this research will require ____ I understand that I will be able to withdraw from the research at any stage without any retribution  ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­_____ I consent to my responses being used in the dissemination of the results of this research, under the proviso that my responses will remain anonymous at all times _____ I agree to keep the research study confidential in that I should not discuss this with my colleagues or managers ____ I agree to take part in the above study ____ Name of participant: Signature: Date: Name of Researcher: Signature: Date: Appendix 4: Work Ability Index The Work Ability Index (Ilmarinen, 2007) will be used to assess how anti-social hours are impacting nursing staff, in terms of their ability to do their jobs, and their own health. The Work Ability Index for each participant will be calculated as a summary of the responses to seven items, scored over a variety of ranges, giving a total possible maximum score of 49: Current work ability compared with the lifetime best (scored from 0-10) Work ability in relation to the demands of the job (scored from 2-10) Number of current diseases diagnosed by a physician (scored from 1-7) Estimated work impairment due to these diseases (scored from 1-6) Sick leave during the past twelve months (scored from 1-5) Own prognosis of work ability two years from now (scored from 1-7) Mental resources (scored from 1-4) As has been seen, in addition to the Work Ability Index, which will give a possible score out of 49, according to the status of the participants regarding their ability to work, several supplementary questions will be asked of the sample of nursing staff, in the form of a questionnaire, in order to gauge their attitudes to work and their overall satisfaction with their work and pay, their motivation and their opinions regarding the support that is available in their workplace. The actual questionnaire is given below: 1. What are your overall feelings towards your job? 2. What is your attitude towards your work? 3. How do you feel about your pay? 4. Do you work anti-social hours? 5. Are you compensated adequately for these anti-social hours? 6. Do you feel you are forced to work anti-social hours? 7. Do you feel motivated to do your work? 8. If not, please specify the reasons behind you lack of motivation 9. Do you feel you receive enough support in your workplace? 10. If not, what could be done to improve the support available to nursing staff in your workplace? 11. How satisfied are you, overall, with your work? 12. Have you ever considered giving up the nursing profession? 13. If yes, please expand upon your reasons behind this. 14. What do you feel could be done to make your job easier? 15. What do you think managers ought to be doing to minimise the impacts of anti-social hours on you and your colleagues? Appendix 6: Logbook The logbook is intended to be completed every working day for one month, and consists of the following questions, repeated every day: Date: Please note your scheduled working hours for today Please note your actual working hours for today Please note how many of your overtime hours will be paid Please note the amount of sleep you had last night Please provide a rating of the quality of the sleep you had last night (from 1 to 10, with 1 being the poorest quality) Please note whether you used any sleep aids If you used an aid to get to sleep, please note what the nature of this sleep aid Please provide a rating of their sleepiness levels (from 1 to 10 with 1 being very sleepy) Please provide a rating of the fatigue you feel today (from 1 to 10 with 1 being very fatigued) Please provide a rating of your stress levels today (from 1 to 10, with 1 being very stressed) Please make a note of any errors you made whilst at work Please make a note of the type of error made Please make a note of any potential errors you would have made had another member of staff not intercepted this error Please make a note of any errors observed in other colleagues Please make any other comments you would like to record here Appendix 7: Ethics form (NEEDS TO BE INCLUDED)

Proclaim Your Freedom of Speech †Burn a Flag! -- Argumentative Persua

Proclaim Your Freedom of Speech – Burn a Flag!      Ã‚  Ã‚   "This flag, which we honor and under which we serve, is the emblem of our unity, our power, our thought and purpose as a nation. It has no other character than that which we give it from generation to generation. The choices are ours" (quoted in Smith 87). This statement by Woodrow Wilson summarizes the debate over a proposed amendment to outlaw burning of the American flag. Is this symbol of our nation too powerful to be defiled in our collective mind, or is its manifestation of values the reason for us to outlaw its desecration? We see many constitutional and non-constitutional reasons both for and against passing the amendment; an analysis of the Constitution is vital to forming a valid opinion on this issue.    In the past, the Supreme Court has ruled that burning the flag is a form of free speech which may not be limited by the government. One of the earliest decisions on this issue was in Street v. New York (1969). After hearing about the murder of civil rights leader James Meredith, Sidney Street, a decorated veteran of World War II, burned a flag he had been displaying at his home (Cohen 185), telling bystanders that "if they let that happen to Meredith, we don't need an American flag" (Cohen 185). He was arrested, tried before a jury, and convicted under the state's statute prohibiting both the desecration of the flag and publicly speaking contemptuous words about it. Street's attorney appealed to the Supreme Court, which ruled the sentence unconstitutional. The Court's opinion was based mainly upon Mr. Street's words; it stated that his declarations were a form of protest which is protected by the First Amendment and that he did not provoke retaliation fro... ...mocracy. Boston, MA: Allyn and Bacon, 1998.    4. "H.J.RES.5." Online. Thomas . October 29, 2000.    5. "H.J.RES.33." Online. Thomas . October 29, 2000.    6. O'Brien, Tim. "The Great Divide: Flag Burning Decision Split the Court." ABC News OnLine. 1999. October 11, 2000.    7. "S.931." Online. Thomas . October 29, 2000.    8. Smith, Whitney. The Flag Book of the United States. New York: William Morrow and Company, 1970.    9. U.S. Supreme Court. "Street v. New York." 21 April 1969. FindLaw. Online. . October 29, 2000.    10. Webb, Sandi. "A Grand Old Flag? Does the U.S. really need to Prohibit Flag Burning?" Online. September 1995. Libertarian Party News . September 30, 2000.    11. Williams, Armstrong. "The Flag Burning Amendment." New York Amsterdam News: 8.28. October 1999. EbscoHost . October 29, 2000.

Cahills How The Irish Saved Civilization Essay -- essays research pape

Cahill's How the Irish Saved Civilization Thomas Cahill opens his story describing Rome's fall, â€Å"For as the Roman Empire fell, as all through Europe matted, unwashed barbarians descended on the Roman cities, looting artifacts and burning books, the Irish who were just learning to read and write, took up the just labor of copying all of western literature - everything they could get their hands on. These scribes then served as conduits through which Greco-Roman and Judeo-Christian cultures were transmitted to the tribes of Europe, newly settled amid the rubble and ruined vineyards of the civilization they had overwhelmed.† (Cahill, p.3) The theme of this book is that the scribes did something unique, they saved civilization, not the masses of people, but literature, the content of â€Å"classical civilization.† (Cahill, p. 58) One reads of the time from Rome's fall to medieval times learning through the stories of the characters, most notable Augustine and Patrick.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Augustine, his faith based on Roman Chrisitanity, â€Å"looked into his own heart and found the anguish of each individual.† (Cahill, p. 115) Patrick, the slave turned Christian, escapes only to return to convert the Irish. He was the first missionary to the barbarians beyond Greco-Roman law â€Å"who looked into the hearts of others.† (Cahill, p. 115)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Cahill notes Ireland is the only land where Christianity is introduced without violence - there were no murdered Irish...

Money & Corruption Essay

It has been said that money is the root of all evil, but what kind of sin is man willing to commit in exchange for personal gain? The Visit by Friedreck Durenmmat and Mother Courage by Bertlot Brecht are two plays which portray how money and wealth corrupts the human mind and drive peoples to commit hanus crimes. Both stories have similarities and differences of the circumstances in the play but both of them lead to the same outcome. We can see the corruption in both stories present in individuals and in societies. In both plays the corruption is justified by preposterous reasoning presented by the characters. The blunt realization from the character about how they get corrupted is present in both stories, although we can clearly see that the characters aren’t uneasy for what they have become. In Friedreck Durenmmat’s The Visit, lead character Claire Zachanassian plays a filthy rich independent gold digger who demands justice in exchange for one million marks half for the township and the other half for the people. The harsh reality is openly exposed when Madam Claire Zachanassian says that she will only find justice with the execution of a simple townsman which had impregnated her and denied maternity in the past. What had happened to Madam Claire in her past drove her out of Guellen, the town in which the play is set in, and forced her to work in a brothel. She then met a rich man in the brothel and married him and when he died inherited his money, and she has been marrying rich men and divorcing them ever since. After she became rich, she came back to Guellen and ordered Ill’s death, the man who impregnated her. At first when the condition is set all the towns people object violently against her offer and refuse it completely, but this scene is filled dramatical irony as there is a detected scent by the reader of the want for that some of money. There is a sense of foreshadowing at the end of the speech where Claire Zachanasian replies to the townspeople after instantly rebelling against the offer with the two simple words â€Å"I’ll wait†. These two words give us in a way the certainty that he is going to be executed. The corruption of the society of Guellen is clear after the first day of Madam Claire’s proposal. This is evident when all the townspeople begin buying new shoes, wearing clean garments and are buying luxury products all on credit. Before Madam Claire came, the town of Guellen was described as being a very poor area with all of its inhabitants including the mayor living in very simple lifestyles. When the townspeople buy these luxury products we can clearly see that their minds have become corrupted, and that all of them are certain that Ill is going to be executed or murdered. When Ill goes to the mayor and the sheriff for help and demands the arrest of Madame Claire as she has posed a threat on his life, they deny his allegations and reassure that no one wants to execute him. Of course the reader knows that all the townspeople are planning to kill him but they don’t know who will do it and when. At this part of the story the people of Guellen are waiting. When Ill goes to the train station in an attempt to escape from, he finds all the townspeople waiting for him there and they stop him from boarding the train. We can also see the corruption of the higher ranking persons in society, such as the mayor and the church, where they change their decision for the abolishment of the death penalty. The mayor calls a towns meeting for the discussion over the issue of reimplementation of the death penalty. Of course in the end all vote for it except for the church and the schoolmaster which abstain rather than vote against although they are going against their beliefs. In this scene we can see to what extent does corruption extends to where the high ranking officials in the town are corrupted. The mayor which said â€Å"we would rather have poverty than blood on our hands† was actually contemplating executing Ill in exchange for money. The last straw of the corruption in the play is when the schoolmaster goes to Claire Zachanassian in despair and begs her to forget about the execution of Ill. The schoolmaster is a realist and can see through all of the townspeople. He knows that Ill is going to die in the end and can see how the townspeople are becoming corrupted and how they are being seduced by the large sum of money. The schoolmaster pleads to Madam Zachanasian to let her â€Å"feelings for humanity prevail†. Here we can see that the schoolmaster is trying to communicate with the soft side of madam Zachanasian as the power is clearly in her hands and in the money. Here we can conclude that power is in the hands of the wealthy. They can completely corrupt societies and individuals and make them commit horrific sins that no one in their right mind would think about doing. In the play The Visit money corrupted each and every individual in society after they heard that she will be donating one million marks for the township and the individuals. As soon as they hear the deal they start thinking about fulfilling the condition and actually killing Ill. We can see to what extent and how far people are willing to go in exchange for personal gain. In the play all this corruption is justified by justice. Many of the townspeople state that they only want to execute Ill so that justice can be served. This justification of course is false and they are only doing it for the money. In the play Mother Courage and her children the circumstances and the situations are different, but the outcome is similar. The play is set in medieval Europe where there are many wars and conflicts between different countries. In the play, there is evidence of individuals getting corrupted as well as peoples getting corrupted. We first feel a sense of corruption in the second scene when Eilef, the once known brave and courageous man, is recognized for raiding the local peasants and stealing their cattle so that he can feed his hungry men. Here we can see that Eilef is taking the opportunity of the war and his status in the army to go and raid local peasants so that he can steal cattle. In the following scene the Chaplain and the cook appear to be talking about politics and discussing the war. The cook ironically remarks that the king is lucky to justify his war by god, otherwise he would be accused of seeking profits only. Here we can see that see that the people have realized that it is all because of personal gain. In a way, the children of Mother Courage are killed for the motif of money. First Swiss Cheese is executed because he has hid a box which contains a sum of money which the protestants have accumulated from the war. Mother courage then tries then to bribe the soldiers that want to execute him thanking god there is corruption and man is corruptible saying † Thank God they’re corruptible. They’re humans and after money like the rest of us. They’re not wolves. As long as there’s corruption there’s hope. Bribes! They’re a man’s best chance. As long as judges go on taking money, then there’s some chance of justice. † Eilef, after being described as wearing luxurious clothes, is executed for the numerous raids on the local peasants were he stole the belongings of these pitiful peasants and became rich on the expense of their lives. Last but not least Kattrin dies as she is beating the drum warning the peasants that Catholic soldiers are coming to raid their town and steal their belongings. All of Mother Courage’s children had the same tragic fate and all of their deaths are connected to money. In this play, we can see how money can corrupt societies and countries on a large scale. We can see how different people were corrupted in different ways all for the same reason. War changes order into chaos, and man takes the opportunity of chaos so that he can make money on the expense of others, sometimes killing others. The play Mother Courage and her Children vividly describes how peoples and leaders can commit numerous crimes in order to get wealthy and how simple humans can change suddenly into immoral humans after being seduced by wealth. In conclusion, we have an answer to the question at hand. Man is willing to kill, declare war, torture others and steel for the sole purpose of getting money. Man always finds a way to get money on the expense of others without even thinking. Both plays bluntly discussed the issue of corruption, money and how there is no conscience or moral values when it comes to making money, which were major themes in both plays. Last but not least, it is clear to us that man is willing to do anything in exchange for money.

Introduction to Information Security Essay

Security Domains and Strategies Safety of data and information is a real important aspect of a company. Before we can create an outline for general security solutions we must first define what is needed. I recommend that we use a multi-layered security plan. There are a total of seven domains of an IT infrastructure including user domain, workstation domain, LAN domain, LAN-to-WAN domain, WAN domain, remote access domain, and system/application domain. User domain is essentially the people who access the information system. User domains tend to receive risk due to the user’s carelessness due to lack of awareness, not caring for policies, and security violations. These can easily be rectified with training. Conduct security awareness training, display security posters around the office, and send email reminders to keep the policies fresh in the employee’s mind. Another common threat is caused by employee misuse of the system. Employees might insert USB drives, or download photos music and videos. These items might contain virus’s which in turn damages the system. The USB ports should be disabled and content filtering and antivirus scanning should be enabled. Workstation domain is any device that connects to the network. A few threats might be encountered are unauthorized access to the workstation and unauthorized access to applications and data. These issues can be mitigated simply by enabling password protection on workstations and by defining strict access control policies. LAN domains are a collection of computers connected to one another. Threats for LAN domains include unauthorized access to the LAN, and unauthorized access to systems applications and data. The solutions for these threats are similar to that of the workstation domain. Another major threat are confidentiality of data transmissions via WLAN connections is compromised. Implementation of encryption between workstation and WAP is crucial. LAN-to-WAN domain is where the infrastructure links to a wide area network and internet. A few issues include unauthorized network probing and port scanning. To resolve this issue disable ping, probing and port scanning on all exterior IPÂ  devices within the domain. Another major issue is unauthorized access through the LAN-to-WAN domain. Simply applying strict security monitoring controls for intrusion and detection and preventing would solve this problem. WAN domains connect remote locations. For these types of domains it is easy for open, public and accessible to anyone that wants to connect. Create new laws regarding unauthorized access to the systems, malicious attacks on the infrastructures and financial loss due to malicious outages. Another issue is that most internet traffic is sent in clear text. To prevent this prohibit using the internet for private communications without encryption and VPN tunnels. Re mote access domain connects remote users to the infrastructure. Threats for this type of infrastructure are brute force user id and password attacks, multiple logon retries and access control attacks. To stop this from occurring creates user id and password policies requiring periodic changes. Set up automatic blocking for attempted logon retries. System/application domain holds all the critical systems, applications and data. Unauthorized access to data centers, computer rooms and wiring closets is a major issue for this domain. Apply policies, standards and procedures for staff and visitors. The servers must sometimes be shut down to perform maintenance. Create a system that brings together servers, storage and networking. These are a couple things that I have outlined that would make this multi-layered security plan a success. We must know the various threats for each layer and how to resolve each layer. This plan will greatly save the company money as well as lawsuits due to inf ormation leakage.

Effects of Children Essay

Children have a big impact on a relationship and the communication between two parents. Adding children into any relationship takes change and communication on both ends. It can be harder depending on the different relationship situations. Children change not only your personal relationship but also the relationships you have with friends and family. I asked three different parents that I know the same three questions. The questions were: 1. What change was least expected after your baby was born? 2. How did communication with your partner and others change after having a baby? . How did having a child affect your marriage or relationship? Each of the answers I received was similar. All of the parents expressed that their lives and relationships changed a lot after having children. Their relationship with friends and with their partner became a challenge. Two out of the three said they expected the challenges while one said she didn’t expect so many issues to arise with her partner. A big issue that was mentioned by all three was the fact that the time between them and their partner was cut down drastically. That became a relationship breaker for one. She chose her daughters needs over the needs of her relationship. The communication patterns described by the parents did not follow the Guidelines for Effective Communication in Families. They differed because the communication and equity was not followed. One parent chose her time and energy needed to be focused on her child and put her relationship on hold. This in the end broke up her relationship. The other two followed the guidelines to an extent but not completely. Communication is tampered no matter what way you look at it. Men and woman look at parenthood different and that may be the main reason why children have such an effect on relationships. Communication is key in any relationship. There has to be a level of understanding and respect from both ends to balance any kind of friendship or intimate relationship. Children can change a lot of things in our lives. If two people are not on the same page in a relationship or about the choices that have to made with children it can ruin the relationship all together.

Analysis of Newspaper Research Report Essay

There are two main purposes for research. They are to learn and gather information/ evidence. Statistics helps us to understand how to collect, organize, and interpret numbers or other information about a topic (Bennett, Briggs & Triola, 2009). The study that I have chosen is fast food and childhood obesity. This research paper will list and/ or describe the statistical procedures, list the conclusions of the study, describe the processes used to make the determination and provide the level of significance. The percentage of overweight children and adolescents in the United States has nearly tripled since the early 1970’s.† More than one and five children between the ages of 6 and 17 are now considered overweight† (Currie, Pathania, Moretti, Vigna, 2009). Research has shown that people who eat fast food consume more calories than people who do not eat fast food. Those who eat fast food also consume more fat, saturated fat, and sodium (salt), while consuming fewer fruits, vegetables, and milk. Child hood obesity has been linked to diabetes, high blood pressure, depression, anxiety and poor academic performance. â€Å"While there have been many discussions about fast-food’s effects on obesity, this appears to be the first scientific, comprehensive long-term study to show a strong connection between fast-food consumption, obesity, and risk for type 2 diabetes† (University of Minnesota, 2005). This research paper shows the correlation between fast food restaurants and increased childhood obesity. This research paper also shows the correlation among children and the proximity of fast food restaurants near a school. The study reached a very alarming conclusion that involves the children’s health of America. The study came to the conclusion that point to a significant effect of proximity to fast food restaurants on the risk of obesity. The presence of a fast food restaurant within a tent of a mile of a school is associated with at least a 5.2 percent in the obesity rate in that school ( relative to the presence at .25). The effect at .1 mile distance is equivalent to an increase in daily caloric consumption of 30 to 100 calories due to the proximity of fast food (Currie, Pathana, Moretti, Vigna, 2009). One possible explanation is that proximity to fast food reduces the costs of fast food, principally travel costs. A second explanation is that easier access to fast food tempts consumers who have self-control problems. The fact that the effects are larger for teens and fall off more quickly with distance suggests that travel costs are more important for teens. I feel like the conclusions are appropriate. This study had many graphs to show the correlation between childhood obesity and the distances among the schools. This research was very informative. I feel like the findings are statistically significant because living in today’s society, you can see how fast food is linked to childhood obesity. For instance, in today’s society where there are two parent’s working, it is so easy for them to go to McDonald’s or any fast food restaurant. Many parents are busy with trying to juggle the workforce ,family and other extracurricular activities that the family has. I am guilty myself at times of not wanting to cook and just stopping by somewhere to pick something up because it is fast and cheap. I was at a fast food chain the other day and wanted something healthy. I looked on the menu and a salad cost three times more than a value meal. Everyone wants us to eat healthy including our kids but when you look at the prices, you can see how children are obese. I can also say that you have to burn more calories that you take in. This research paper has shown the effects on fast food and obesity. America has to step up and take responsibility for our children’s health. The parent’s has to also step up and take responsibility. Children only mimic what they see their parents do. I think if fast food restaurants lower their prices on the healthy foods maybe the obesity epidemic will slow down instead of increase. This will cause the link between childhood diabetes, high blood pressure, depression and other diseases to decrease. Children also need to pick up their physical activities. With today’s society, the television and video games are babysitters for some parent’s. Even though fast food contributes to obesity in children, there are other factors that come into play. References Bennet, J.O., Briggs, W.L., & Triola, M.F. (2009).Statistical Reasoning for Everyday Life (3rd ed.). Boston. MA: Pearson Education, Inc. Janet Currie, Stefano Della Vigna, Enrico Moretti & Vikram Pathania,( 2010). â€Å"The Effect of Fast Food Restaurants on Obesity and Weight Gain,† American Economic Journal: Economic Policy, American Economic Association, vol. 2(3), pages 32-63, August. University Of Minnesota (2005, January 19). 15-year Study Shows Strong Link between Fast Food, Obesity and Insulin Resistance.

Electronic Commerce and Internet Law in Canada Assignment - 1

Electronic Commerce and Internet Law in Canada - Assignment Example The researcher states that under Canadian law, a copyright owner has the right to choose between actual damages or statutory damages under the Copyright Act. Actual damages will be the amount lost as a result of infringement and statutory damages can expose Jane to liability for $20,000 for each individual program that has been illegally copied. Online contracting in Novia Scotia is regulated by the Electronic Commerce Act, which adopts the Uniform Electronic Commerce Act of Canada (UECA). Additionally, the UECA adopts the United Nations 1996 Model Law on Electronic Commerce and the Novia Scotia’s Electronic Commerce Act (2000) is nearly identical to the UECA model. In the current scenario, the central issue of contention is whether Melvin is bound by the contract. The fundamental issues impacting online contracting are the common law concepts of offer, acceptance, and jurisdiction. Indeed Scassa & Deturbide highlight the central questions in online contracting being as follow s: â€Å"Is an owner of a web site merely soliciting offers, or is an offer being made that is capable of being accepted? When and where is acceptance made? What impact do electronic agents have on the offer and acceptance paradigm?†. Additionally, Section 20(1) of the UECA as embodied in the Electronic Commerce Act (2000) acknowledges that online interactive forms of communication constitute binding contracts. Moreover, online contracts are now completely recognized by Canadian courts in contractual disputes.