The Problem Of Separation And Dualism - 1399 Words

Non Reductive Physicalism â€Å"‘And that’, he argued, ‘means that somewhere in them is intelligence. It can’t be seated in a brain because dissection shows nothing like a brain –but that doesn’t prove there isn’t something that does a brain’s job† (Wyndham, 1951/2008, p. 47) Suppose it is a nice sunny day, and you decide to linger in the sun; after a few minutes you may feel thirsty and you look for some refreshment. It can be said that this situation triggers two ‘situations’; on the one hand there is a physical process: the body’s reaction to heat, and on the other hand, there is a ‘mental effect’: the experience of heat like being thirsty. The relationship between the two situations has been the source of many debates within†¦show more content†¦My own sympathies, supported by arguments like the completeness of physics (Papineau, 2001) –among others- and empirical research is with the physicalist approach. However, one of the problems with physicalism is its reductivism. For example, there is the claim that consciousness is no more than a brain process (Smart, 1959); however, the problem of these reductive approaches is to find the physical process or the physical laws that can explain the mental in th ose terms. There are strong arguments against such reduction: (Putnam, 1967, Davidson, 1970, Fodor, 1974) with the ideas of multiple realizability, special sciences and anomalous monism are all critical of reductive views, consequently a form of physicalism in non-reductive terms is not just plausible, but a promissory alternative of understanding the mental in physical terms; for instance, Baker (2008) suggests that â€Å"nonreductive materialism holds that the mental is ontologically part of the material world; yet, mental properties are causally efficacious without being reducible to physical properties† (Baker, 2009, p. 109). It is argued in this thesis that physicalist ontology can be secure without the constraints and problems of reductionism, through this non-reductive physicalism (NRP for short). Moreover, if identity theory can be reconciled with a view such as functionalism then non-reductive physicalism can be argue it is a robust

Single Parenting And The Destruction Of Divorce - 1065 Words

â€Å"Till death do us part† is an extremely familiar phrase that is commonly associated with marriage. It is a phrase that comes from the marriage liturgy in the Book of Common Prayer. Despite that many couples agree to remain with their partner until death when they say the words â€Å"I do†, many marriages will end with divorce instead of death. This paper is devoted to the issue of single parenting and the destruction of divorce. It is a study conducted in a different perspective where we see the cognitive and emotional damage it can do to a child and a single parent. The definition of a single parent is one individual with custody over a child and he or she is responsible for all financial, material and emotional needs. The portrait of the†¦show more content†¦This loss of the bond between parent and child is due to the stress and differing emotions that come from a divorce. It does not matter if the divorce was friendly; children are affected by it, no matter what their age or what the situation is (Daatland 2007). Divorce introduces a massive change in the life of a boy or girl no matter what the age. Witnessing loss of love between parents, having parents break their marriage commitment, adjusting to going back and forth between two different households, and the daily absence of one parent while living with the other, all create a challenging new family circumstance in which to live. In the personal history of the boy or girl, a parental divorce is a watershed event. A life that follows is significantly changed from how life was before. Statistical studies indicate that children of divorce are more likely to divorce (Coontz). Children grow up being cautious about trusting others because of dramatic effect divorce caused in their life. Single parenting faces an enormous challenge. Often, a custodial parent must fulfill the roles of a father and mom without the benefit of one or the other. It is difficult to maintain these roles all while working long hours and discipline a child to his or her best behavior Single mothers have the highest rates of poverty across all demographic groups, according to the Help guide website. Many times, children raised in single-parent homes suffer more severe health problems when theShow MoreRelatedPersuasive Speech: Gay Adoption800 Words   |  4 Pages I. As a rapidly changing society, we should no longer cling to the idea of the ‘nuclear family.’ A. Divorce is more of an acceptable practice than it was when the idea of the ‘nuclear family’ was formed. Because of that, so called nuclear families are failing. The U.S. Census reported that in 2010, there were 19 marriages performed per 1000 people. It also reported that there were 10 divorces per 1000 people. Marriage is declining, causing more and more children to live in non-traditional homesRead MoreDivorce Within A Family Institution2205 Words   |  9 Pagesconcept of divorce within a Family Institution. The causes and effects of divorce, how this concept affects the family social institution and how it as well impacts and puts a big toll on society are the main ideas that will be discussed in this paper. It is unfortunate how much the numbers of divorce have increased in a family social institution and how bad in can affect those involved as well as society. Most of the criteria that a family institution consists of that impacts the divorce rates canRead More Can Single-Parent Households Influence Adolescents To Become Abusers?1099 Words   |  5 PagesSingle-parent households can influence adolescents to become abusers of their spouses, children and themselves and are expected to experience domestic violence in their lives. Rather than having the balance of a two-parent home, single-parented adolescents are constantly exposed to stressors and ultimately become abusers themselves. This leads to a vicious and continuous cycle that could lead to the destruction of generations thereafter. The trend of single-parent households are drastically increasingRead MoreThe Effects Of Being Raised By A Single Parent1476 Words   |  6 PagesIntroduction Parenting styles have had many controversial issues over the decades. The way people raised their children back in the 50’s and 60’s are completely different from today society. Back then they believe in the nuclear family, which is a family with a mom, dad, and children. They believe staying together at all cost. If something was breaking or broken you fixed it. At times you wonder if they stayed for love, money, or just for the sake of the children. Now and days it is not the sameRead MoreEssay on We Need Same-sex Marriage Now1352 Words   |  6 Pagesfrom the government. 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Cult activities remain near their highest rate with the well-publicised occurrences of multiple killings, robbery, maiming, raping and destruction of properties in many institutions of higher learning. These reports make one to wonder about the causative factors. A synthesis of theories of family influences indicates that families exert a major influence on children’s personal developmentRead MoreAnalysis Of You And I Are Disappearing By Jusef Komunyakaa1274 Words   |  6 Pagesdrawn from this poem is that both the civilians and the soldiers are victims of war. I will demonstrate the horrific effects of war, the weapon of mass destruction that was used during the Vietnam War, and how it left those who took part in it physically and mentally still burning up to this day. There is really no other way to understand the destruction of napalm unless you have gone through that experience. Kim Phuc, a living symbol of the Vietnam War is a survivor of this massively destructive weaponRead MoreShould Iraq Become a Democracy? a Platonic Perspective Essay1630 Words   |  7 Pagesoligarchy. Now, instead of hoarding their money, the democratic society wants to enjoy it (555 b-557 a). Plato further argues that human cravings do not have a natural limit, people live in excess. Ultimately this is the final step in the destruction of a society. Plato emphasizes that knowledge of natural limits is instilled by parents during childhood, but further practice is needed. He then specifies what natural limits are using an analogy. The analogy is meant to distinguish between

Discuss How Sherriff Presents Human Weakness Free Essays

Discuss how Sherriff presents human weakness and frailty in Journeys End Journeys End was written with the intention of â€Å"letting the war speak†. The lives of the officers on the front line during 1917 are examined. A key theme that is explored throughout the play is the reactions of the mind and body, under the stress of the war. We will write a custom essay sample on Discuss How Sherriff Presents Human Weakness or any similar topic only for you Order Now Each character represents the weakness of the human being in an individual way, but the character on which frailty is mainly focussed is Stanhope. Stanhope is the topic of many conversations within the dugout and the first conversation we see, Stanhope is mentioned. The conversation is between Osborne, the second in command, and the commanding officer of the company being relieved. The commander inquires as to whether Stanhope is â€Å"drinking like a fish†, this indicates towards the audience for the first time, that Stanhope is an alcoholic and is seen to turn to alcohol to cope with the war. Osborne jumps to the defence of Stanhope, explaining that Stanhope is â€Å"the best company commander†. Despite Stanhope’s coping mechanism of alcohol, he still has respect shown to him by his men. This is shown throughout, yet more so in the final moments of the play when the troops are rallied by Stanhope for the raid. Stanhope is shown to reject reminders of life before the war, and if his family waiting for him back home is mentioned it will not be tolerated. He shows that he does not want to be reminded when Raleigh arrives at the dugout and Stanhope becomes agitated. The conversations between the men and Stanhope are riddled with â€Å"silence† and on stage this would show the tension between the characters build up. We see how the war has also made Stanhope paranoid, and Stanhope’s irritation and paranoia become clear when he is insistent on looking through Raleigh’s letters home, to see if he has put anything derogatory about Stanhope. He is afraid that the truth about him being an alcoholic will reach home, and as Sherriff has told us, Stanhope has a fiancee waiting back home, and Stanhope does not want her view of him as this leader of the men to be damaged, especially by Raleigh writing home â€Å"and tell her I reek of whisky all day†. Stanhope’s human qualities are not shown often throughout the play, yet when Sherriff introduces his fiancee who is waiting him back in England; it adds a tender heartedness to the character. Stanhope also seems to distract his self from the war by being obsessed with cleanliness and hygiene. This is also related to the war and shows the characters drive and determination to make it through the war. Stanhope is described in the stage directions as having â€Å"well brushed† hair and is shown to have â€Å"care for† his uniform. Further in the play, the audience witnesses the death of Osborne who is seen as the caring figure within the dugout. After this, Stanhope uses anger along side the alcohol as a coping mechanism. It is shown how Stanhope appears to have lost everything, because of Osborne’s death. He has also lost Hibbert after using his authoritative powers over him and forced him to â€Å"get out† and â€Å"go to bed†. When Raleigh tries to talk to Stanhope about how he copes, Stanhope tells him to â€Å"get out† and so loses him as well. This scene shows the beginning of the downfall of Stanhope and bodes the ending of the play with the death of his soldiers. In the play Stanhope admits to his need for alcohol to cope with the war, stating that if he was not â€Å"doped with whisky† he could â€Å"go mad with fright†. Possibly showing why he showed sympathy towards Hibbert when he was breaking down, and that if Stanhope can survive the war he could possibly change. Overall Stanhope is presented as a man with is weaknesses yet has the courage (although this could be because of the doping effects of alcohol) to push on throughout his stay in the dugout and the war. He is regarded as a hero in the eyes of his men. Sherriff shows us Stanhope as an officer with a great experience of the war, yet this is juxtaposed with the fresh new recruit who is â€Å"straight from school†, Raleigh. The young soldier is idealistic and has arrived at the front lines with little knowledge of the reality of it all, but is in search of the intangibles, honour and glory. Sherriff shows this to the audience by having Raleigh describe the war like a game at school, using words such as â€Å"cricket† and â€Å"rugger†, which show the youth, innocence and naivety of Raleigh. When the reality becomes clear, Raleigh’s attitude towards the war changes dramatically. The death of Raleigh at the end of the play sums up his characteristics in the best possible way, his innocence is shown until his final moments when he compares the wound in his back to be â€Å"just the same† as getting â€Å"kicked† in a game of â€Å"rugger†. His death signifies much more than the passing of one soldier, added with Raleigh passing, the candle flame extinguishing, shows the death of society in 1917 and of innocence, showing how nothing could return to the way it was in the years previous to the war. After the raid which occurs near the end of the play, Raleigh’s view on the war has changed after he witnesses the first deaths of people he knew. He questions as to how Stanhope can stay drinking â€Å"champagne† whilst Osborne’s body is â€Å"lying-out there†. Again this shows the audience just how naive Raleigh is, as he has never experienced the loss of someone close to him and the effect that the war has on people. Despite Raleigh’s innocence and weakness, he is determined to fight until the end, showing that his character (although naive) has strength. In his final scene, Raleigh is told he has â€Å"got a Blighty one†, yet Raleigh believes he â€Å"cant go home† showing how although it is the end, Raleigh has matured and has become a true soldier, willing to stay and fight on even in the face of adversity. Raleigh has finally achieved his goal of obtaining the intangibles, honour and glory, but the question the audience would be asking is, was his death worth gaining these? The relationship that is built up between Raleigh and Stanhope is examined from the beginning of the play, especially from the view of Raleigh worshipping Stanhope as a hero, â€Å"he’d just got his MC and been made a captain. He looked splendid†. Near the end of the play, Stanhope changes his mood from not liking the fact that Raleigh is a member of his company, to a gentler approach, â€Å"he bathes the boys face†. This shows the audience the relationships which were formed by men during the war, even if this specific event does have feminine connotations. These relationships were a necessity to combat human frailty and weakness. Osborne is conferred in two contrasting ways. In his physical appearance he is â€Å"hard as nails† and is seen as second in command of the company, but at the same time Sherriff also presents Osborne as an â€Å"uncle† to the men, due to his nature of being gentle. Stanhope seems to have a large dependency upon Osborne and this is shown when Stanhope calls him â€Å"dear old uncle†, the use of dear here shows how much Stanhope needs him. Osborne is a humble and intelligent man. This is expressed when Osborne quotes a line from Alice in Wonderland (which is the book he is reading) â€Å"how doth the little crocodile†¦with gently smiling jaws†. The audience is given a depth to Osborne’s character, and the â€Å"kid’s book† shows us his form of escapism from the war. The choice of book that is included could be seen as significant, as the characters in Alice in Wonderland are so mad, this could be used to represent the madness of the war and how little sense it made to many people. Osborne, in some ways, has more to deal with than the rest of the officers in the dugout, and thus this shows his strength, as he must cope with the problems of the other officers, as they look up to him as â€Å"uncle†, he is an outlet for the men and allows them to show their weakness. Trotters coping mechanism is similar to that of Stanhope’s, in the way that he results to consuming a substance. It is clear that Trotter copes by eating, as he â€Å"has put on weight during the war†. Trotter also draws â€Å"a hundred and forty-four little circles on a bit o’ paper† which represent the one hundred and forty four hours which the officers must stay posted at the dugout and surrounding trench. Trotter is seen to maintain the company’s morale, as his (attempts to the) use of humour to keep spirits up, â€Å"cheer up skipper†. Trotter is shown to be rather emotionless, yet this view changes later on in the play when Stanhope states that Trotter is â€Å"always the same† his reply is â€Å"little you know† showing that Trotter isn’t coping with the war as well as the other officers thought. Trotter is also used in a way, to highlight the culture of intangibles that had swept the younger generations of this times society, as he is honoured to gain the post of second in command of the company after Osborne’s death, showing how many men joined up to escape from their lives back home and go in search of honour and glory on the battlefield. Hibbert is presented as a man whom the war has had a great psychological effect upon. In his first appearance within the play he complains about his â€Å"neuralgia†. The audience that would be viewing this play in 1928 would most likely show sympathy towards Stanhope, as he had to put up with this type of officer, yet a contemporary audience, with a greater understanding of the psychological effects the war had upon certain people, such as â€Å"shell Shock† or PTS (post traumatic stress disorder) would most likely show sympathy towards Hibbert. Hibbert does not wish to join the other men before the big attack, â€Å"you want me to go up now? † causing him to judge others by his own set standards. Stating that Raleigh is â€Å"too keen† because he was in the trenches with the other soldiers. Hibbert is rude to his commanding officer, Stanhope, as he does not follow his orders, and from a military perspective this would not be tolerated and Hibbert would have been eligible for court martial. Mason, in the play, is the character who is not of officer rank. He is a servant to the officers within the dugout. At the beginning of the war (1914) officers were all form public schools, but as numbers started to diminish by 1917, officers were allowed to be from public or private schools. Masons distractions from the war are rather trivial, such as a tin of â€Å"apricots†. The inclusion of a lower class character shows how the war affected everyone, as class did not change the dangers that the soldiers faced. Out of being a servant little is seen of Mason, showing how although in the worst of circumstances, every day things such as cooking had to carry on. Critical Reviews of Journeys End Many groups could comment upon the play and respond in different ways towards it. A Marxist would state that Sherriff does not achieve his aim, as the play only presents the middle classes who did not have to fight. And thus it does not show the horrific conditions in which many ordinary soldiers had to endure in the trenches. It does not show the fear felt by the men on the front line because the play is set in a (relatively) safe dug out, in which the officers have a servant and in comparison to the ordinary foot soldiers, are well looked after. The military may have taken a dislike to the play, due to its anti war nature and how Sherriff seems to be questioning the authority of high command and why the soldiers follow orders without a second thought. A lack of sympathy would have been shown by the military for the characters who suffered psychological illnesses. Sherriff did not intend the play to be anti war, yet was presented this way by the plays producer, who was known for having an anti war view. Sheriff’s aim was to let the war speak and expose the truths of it. A feminist may say that there are no female characters within the play, and that the only females that are mentioned are objectified and will always be waiting for their husbands when they return from the war. They would say the lack of females could mean that the play could not show the coping strategies of humans, and that it does not fully represent their weaknesses. Sherriff claimed that the play was intended to â€Å"let the war speak†, yet the lack of female characters within the play means that it can not show the effect the war had on women. How to cite Discuss How Sherriff Presents Human Weakness, Essay examples

Misrepresentation of Mental Illnesses Essay Example For Students

Misrepresentation of Mental Illnesses Essay Misrepresentation of Mental Illnesses Essay by Television Media To eliminate the partial representation of mental illnesses, television media needs to focus on all sides of this illness. The media needs to show that attention deficit hyperactive disorder (ADHD) is a legitimate disorder with effective treatments. At least one in four families in the U.S. is affected by mental illnesses. Unfortunately there is no cure for this range of illnesses, which have been around for thousands of years. Of the American adult population, 5.4 percent have a serious mental illness. These health conditions are characterized by alterations in thinking, mood, behavior, or some combination of these. They are also associated with distress and sometimes impaired functioning. In 1990 the total cost of mental health services in the U. According to the current President of Attention Deficit Disorder Association (ADDA), the medication prescribed by a doctor cannot lead to drug abuse and addiction. This statement comes as a result of a CBS 48 Hours television program, that focused on the extreme negative outlook of the treatment of ADHD. The report concluded that the medication was used as a gateway drug. Dr. Peter Jaksa directly stated that he never met anyone, with or without ADHD, who got high from taking ADHD medications as prescribed by their doctor. The medications used to treat ADHD become addictive only if they are abused, and of course there are serious dangers associated with any type of drug abuse. The opposite is true, as many research findings indicate that people treated for ADHD show a lower likelihood of substance abuse when compared to people who have been diagnosed, but not treated.The CBS report did not include this data. The inherent risk of television reporting is that it is focused on finding th e fine line of controversy that creates sensational stories. In comparison, details of everyday, ordinary medical success stories are considered boring. CBS focused on a misleading story without emphasizing an important detail. The doctor they featured as their only expert adviser, sells unproven nutritional supplements as a cure for ADHD, and ignores the effectiveness of Ritalin. The report also included the testimony of one individual who began to abuse cocaine and other medication after he discontinued his treatment for ADHD. The ADDA showed serious concerns after this broadcast show because CBS did not present the whole picture. To focus on the whole picture, the media should show accurate and realistic coverage to avoid spreading myths and fears about ADHF. We need to focus on the truth as stated by Peter Jaksa, Ph.D: ADHD is not a disease or illness, it is not brain damage, and it certainly is not a myth. It is a part of our human genetic legacy, a variation in brain functioni ng which effects millions of people in this country and around the world. More has to be done to clear up the confusion and controversy surrounding ADHD. This can be achieved with more and better efforts to increase public awareness. The final decision should be in the hands of well-trained physicians who know when to prescribe treatment to the persons who have the need and can also recognize the situations where it is unnecessary and refuse drug treatment to prevent over-prescription. Huntington's Disease EssayMental Illness Education Project, Understand Mental Illness. Kessler, R.C., et al. 1998. A Methodology for estimating the 12-Month Prevalence of Serious Mental Illness. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. 1999. Mental Health: A Report of the Surgeon General. Rockville, MD.: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Rice, D.P., and L.S. Miller. 1996 The Economic Burden of Schizophrenia: Conceptual and Methodological Issues, and Cost Estimates. In Handbook of Mental Health Economics and Health Policy: Schizophrenia. Vol. 1. Article released by Medical Research Council, Hyperactive children have different brainsIn article released by the Medical Research Council, Hyperactive children have different brains. Direct statement of Peter Jaksa, Ph.D. President of National Attention Deficit Disorder Association (ADDA)Study done by University of BuffaloStatement of Peter Jaksa, Ph.D., President of National Attention Deficit Disorder Association (ADDA)

Zavier Bacote Essays (657 words) - Helmets, Sports Equipment, Sports

Zavier Bacote ENG 111 Sarah Bruton 16 January 2018 Rhetorical Analysis Draft In the article, Football Helmet IP Goes Head to Head by Kevin Rieffel, He explains the history and technology that goes into preventing concussions and in the future CTE. Football Helmets are a very important piece of equipment and the most expensive piece of equipment that is used to protect football players heads when it comes to impact on the football field. Kevin Rieffel, a chief counsel for Patent Consulting Services with TechPats, in Philadelphia (Rieffel 11), is involved in patents for football helmets and other football equipment. But mainly they work on finding ways to upgrade the football helmet in many ways in technology so finding more ways to prevent concussions and CTE from ever happening to another football player ever again. Rieffel for many years have wrote number of publications and blogs on technology for football equipment and ways that the sport of football could be rid of concussions, and he feels that the technology researchers are working on could really be the help that the sport of football needed to crack down the concussion issue that is a problem for the game of football all over the world. In another article called Tackling Concussions by Kevin Ryan, he talks about the life long effects that can be caused when hit hard enough in the head from critical impact from another football player, and the importance in having updated equipment. A helmet called the Zero1 is one of the safest helmets that could've been created . Made by a company called Riddell, the Zero1 helmet is one of their safest helmets it has passed many safety test with the highest number. A company that provides the NFL with 90% of their helmets one helmet surpasses them all (RYAN). The Zero 1 may not be the most stylish looking helmet in the world but it's guaranteed that it will allow you to have a long and healthy football career. And I can guarantee that many football players will take health of having the best looking helmets. Football players like Richard Sherman, and Alex Smith have already worn the helmet and both have they have never worn a more comfortable a safe helmet they have ever worn. The Zero1 price range is around $1,500 which is fairly good for a helmet that has advance technology and is a 99 percent concussion proof helmet. As a former high school football player the Zero1 is a great helmet to wear if you want to prevent concussions. As a young child playing the sport of football can become very dangerous because of the young kids brains not fully being developed, and if they get a concussion it could lead to more severe problems. That's why the Zero 1 should be the main helmet younger football leagues should wear and every school that provides football for ages 19 and lower. Kevin Rieffel , and Kevin Ryan both researchers and helpers to the cause to preventing concussion in the game of football. An injury that is so common and hard to stop will need many researchers such as the people mentioned to find new ways and new technology so that the youth and the future of the sport can be safe as possible, and however long it takes to find that way to prevent such an injury will be worth it in the near future. WORK CITED RYAN, KEVIN J. "Tackling Concussions." Inc, vol. 39, no. 8, Oct. 2017, pp. 34-35. EBSCOhost, ezproxy.faytechcc.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=truedb=a9hAN=124964182site=eds-live. Rieffel, Kevin. "Football Helmet IP Goes Head to Head." IP Litigator, vol. 22, no. 6, Nov/Dec2016, pp. 11-13. EBSCOhost, ezproxy.faytechcc.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=truedb=a9hAN=119908073site=eds-live.

A Beginners Guide to the Renaissance

A Beginners Guide to the Renaissance The Renaissance was a cultural and scholarly movement which stressed the rediscovery and application of texts and thought from classical antiquity, occurring in Europe c. 1400 – c. 1600. The Renaissance can also refer to the period of European history spanning roughly the same dates. Its increasingly important to stress that the Renaissance had a long history of developments that included the twelfth-century renaissance and more. What Was the Renaissance? There remains debate about what exactly constituted the Renaissance. Essentially, it was a cultural and intellectual movement, intimately tied to society and politics, of the late 14th to early 17th centuries, although it is commonly restricted to just the 15th and 16th centuries. It is considered to have originated in Italy. Traditionally people have claimed it was stimulated, in part, by Petrarch, who had a passion for rediscovering lost manuscripts and a fierce belief in the civilizing power of ancient thought and in part by conditions in Florence. At its core, the Renaissance was a movement dedicated to the rediscovery and use of classical learning, that is to say, knowledge and attitudes from the Ancient Greek and Roman eras. Renaissance literally means ‘rebirth’, and Renaissance thinkers believed the period between themselves and the fall of Rome, which they labeled the Middle Ages, had seen a decline in cultural achievement compared with the earlier eras. Participants intended, through the study of classical texts, textual criticism, and classical techniques, to both reintroduce the heights of those ancient days and improve the situation of their contemporaries. Some of these classical texts survived only amongst Islamic scholars and were brought back to Europe at this time. The Renaissance Period â€Å"Renaissance† can also refer to the period, c. 1400 – c. 1600. â€Å"High Renaissance† generally refers to c. 1480 – c. 1520. The era was dynamic, with European explorers â€Å"finding† new continents, the transformation of trading methods and patterns, the decline of feudalism (in so far as it ever existed), scientific developments such as the Copernican system of the cosmos and the rise of gunpowder. Many of these changes were triggered, in part, by the Renaissance, such as classical mathematics stimulating new financial trading mechanisms, or new techniques from the east boosting ocean navigation. The printing press was also developed, allowing Renaissance texts to be disseminated widely (in actual fact this print was an enabling factor rather than a result). Why Was This Renaissance Different? Classical culture had never totally vanished from Europe, and it experienced sporadic rebirths. There was the Carolingian Renaissance in the eighth to ninth centuries and a major one in the â€Å"Twelfth Century Renaissance†, which saw Greek science and philosophy returned to European consciousness and the development of a new way of thinking which mixed science and logic called Scholasticism. What was different in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries was that this particular rebirth joined together both the elements of scholarly inquiry and cultural endeavor with social and political motivations to create a much broader movement, albeit one with a long history. The Society and Politics Behind the Renaissance Across the fourteenth century, and perhaps before, the old social and political structures of the medieval period broke down, allowing new concepts to rise. A new elite emerged, with new models of thought and ideas to justify themselves; what they found in classical antiquity was something to use both as a prop and a tool for their aggrandizement. Exiting elites matched them to keep pace, as did the Catholic Church. Italy, from which the Renaissance evolved, was a series of city-states, each competing with the others for civic pride, trade, and wealth. They were largely autonomous, with a high proportion of merchants and artisans thanks to the Mediterranean trade routes. At the very top of Italian society, the rulers of the key courts in Italy were all â€Å"new men†, recently confirmed in their positions of power and with newly gained wealth, and they were keen to demonstrate both. There was also wealth and the desire to show it below them. The Black Death had killed millions in Europe and left the survivors with proportionally greater wealth, whether through fewer people inheriting more or simply from the increased wages they could demand. Italian society and the results of the Black Death allowed for much greater social mobility, a constant flow of people keen to demonstrate their wealth. Displaying wealth and using culture to reinforce your social and political was an important aspect of life in that period, and when artistic and scholarly movements turned back to the classical world at the start of the fifteenth century there were plenty of patrons ready to support them in these endeavors to make political points. The importance of piety, as demonstrated through commissioning works of tribute, was also strong, and Christianity proved a heavy influence for thinkers trying to square Christian thought with that of â€Å"pagan† classical writers. The Spread of the Renaissance From its origins in Italy, the Renaissance spread across Europe, the ideas changing and evolving to match local conditions, sometimes linking into existing cultural booms, although still keeping the same core. Trade, marriage, diplomats, scholars, the use of giving artists to forge links, even military invasions, all aided the circulation. Historians now tend to break the Renaissance down into smaller, geographic, groups such as the Italian Renaissance, The English Renaissance, the Northern Renaissance (a composite of several countries) etc. There are also works which talk about the Renaissance as a phenomenon with global reach, influencing – and being influenced by – the east, Americas, and Africa. The End of the Renaissance Some historians argue that the Renaissance ended in the 1520s, some the 1620s. The Renaissance didn’t just stop, but its core ideas gradually converted into other forms, and new paradigms arose, particularly during the scientific revolution of the seventeenth century. It would be hard to argue we are still in the Renaissance (as you can do with the Enlightenment), as culture and learning move in a different direction, but you have to draw the lines from here back to then (and, of course, back to before then). You could argue that new and different types of Renaissance followed (should you want to write an essay). The Interpretation of the Renaissance The term ‘renaissance’ actually dates from the nineteenth century and has been heavily debated ever since, with some historians questioning whether it’s even a useful word anymore. Early historians described a clear intellectual break with the medieval era, but in recent decades scholarship has turned to recognize growing continuity from the centuries before, suggesting that the changes Europe experienced were more an evolution than a revolution. The era was also far from a golden age for everyone; at the start, it was very much a minority movement of humanists, elites, and artists, although it disseminated wider with printing. Women, in particular, saw a marked reduction in their educational opportunities during the Renaissance. Its no longer possible to talk of a sudden, all changing golden age (or no longer possible and be considered accurate), but rather a phase that wasnt entirely a move forward, or that dangerous historical problem, progress. Renaissance Art There were Renaissance movements in architecture, literature, poetry, drama, music, metals, textiles and furniture, but the Renaissance is perhaps best known for its art. Creative endeavor became viewed as a form of knowledge and achievement, not simply a way of decoration. Art was now to be based on observation of the real world, applying mathematics and optics to achieve more advanced effects like perspective. Paintings, sculpture and other art forms flourished as new talents took up the creation of masterpieces, and enjoying art became seen as the mark of a cultured individual. Renaissance Humanism Perhaps the earliest expression of the Renaissance was in humanism, an intellectual approach which developed among those being taught a new form of curriculum: the studia humanitatis, which challenged the previously dominant Scholastic thinking. Humanists were concerned with the features of human nature and attempts by man to master nature rather than develop religious piety. Humanist thinkers implicitly and explicitly challenged the old Christian mindset, allowing and advancing the new intellectual model behind the Renaissance. However, tensions between humanism and the Catholic Church developed over the period, and humanist learning partly caused the Reformation. Humanism was also deeply pragmatic, giving those involved the educational basis for work in the burgeoning European bureaucracies. It is important to note that the term ‘humanist’ was a later label, just like â€Å"renaissance†. Politics and Liberty The Renaissance used to be regarded as pushing forward a new desire for liberty and republicanism - rediscovered in works about the Roman Republic- even though many of the Italian city-states were taken over by individual rulers. This view has come under close scrutiny by historians and partly rejected, but it did cause some Renaissance thinkers to agitate for greater religious and political freedoms over later years. More widely accepted is the return to thinking about the state as a body with needs and requirements, taking politics away from the application of Christian morals and into a more pragmatic, some might say devious, world, as typified by the work of Machiavelli. There was no marvelous purity in Renaissance politics, just the same twisting about as ever. Books and Learning Part of the changes brought by the Renaissance, or perhaps one of the causes, was the change in attitude to pre-Christian books. Petrarch, who had a self-proclaimed â€Å"lust† to seek out forgotten books among the monasteries and libraries of Europe, contributed to a new outlook: one of (secular) passion and hunger for the knowledge. This attitude spread, increasing the search for lost works and increasing the number of volumes in circulation, in turn influencing more people with classical ideas. One other major result was a renewed trade in manuscripts and the foundation of public libraries to better enable widespread study. Print then enabled an explosion in the reading and spread of texts, by producing them faster and more accurately, and led to the literate populations who formed the basis of the modern world.

The Impact of Technology on Organisations Structure and Strategy Essay

The Impact of Technology on Organisations Structure and Strategy - Essay Example Technology had also been referred to as a technique, one used to solve the matter through a combination of different sources to achieve the desired result. To achieve this technique, one must not only know how to push a button to obtain the desired result but to have the technical know-how to accomplish one’s goal. Example of such technology includes medical technology, construction technology and computer technology. Human being relies on technology not only as tools and a means to an end. It forms the very basis of our humanity. Imagine a world with no writing, no music and no spoken word. These three elements are the very backbone of human communication, how we differentiate each other, how we develop culturally and how we can tell just by listening to a person, could tell whether he's French or English. The art of writing is a technology developed to record events, speech to communicate, and music for expression of the soul. With the new age technology, the arrival of video cameras, computers and the rapid development of various computer software produce a leaner organisational structure. Fewer people are needed as more mundane and repetitive works are replaced with technology. Security guards' job is taken over by video cameras, computers keeping the numbers of accountants to the minimum and robotics replacing the slicing, cutting and assembling part of factory jobs en masse. Thus, technology is viewed with suspicion by some, particularly senior labour workers, who are afraid of being made obsolete by science. Despite all the misgivings that existed, technology continues to sweep into the business world, with the most notable of all conquerors being mobile phones. It is almost impossible to imagine a businessman or woman to function without one or two of these handy little gadgets. Information is the key medium of business making process these days.

Adverse Effects of the Arab Spring Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 140

Adverse Effects of the Arab Spring - Essay Example Three years after the Arab Spring, the countries that experienced the revolts are still struggling to become stable and peaceful democracies (RÃ ³zsa 17). The Arab world is now experiencing rebellions that have toppled the new regimes and lacks democratic institutions. Apparently, Islam that is the dominant force in the Middle East cannot embrace democracy that dilutes the democratization hopes of the Arab Spring. After the Arab Spring, the Syrian government is now using crude weapons against the unarmed pro-democracy protestors and militarized non-state actors like Hezbollah are now taking charge in the Syrian conflict that depicts instability in the nation. The uprisings have led to a civil war between Assad loyalist and opposition forces (RÃ ³zsa 1). Moreover, Sunni and Shia Muslim groups have heightened tension in Bahrain while the Assad regime is guilty of crimes against humanity depicting the destabilized social identities and states (Hashemi 1). In Tunisia, the revolts overthrew the Ben Ali regime leading to elections that passed power to Ennahda Islamist party. However, in 2013, protests sparked again allowing independent technocrats to cease power from the Ennahda coalition government leading the passage of a new constitution that spelled new and presidential elections (Schwartz 1). These events manifest the political instability in Tunisia after the Arab Spring. In Egypt, the revolts forced President Hosni Mubarak to resign in 2011, and Muslim Brotherhood and Mohammed Morsi of the Muslim Brotherhood assumed power in 2012 after winning the presidential and parliamentary elections respectively (Schwartz 1). However, this did not guarantee the democratization of Egypt since the Islamist-dominated constituent assembly drafted a constitution in the same year against President Mohammed Morsi, who was equally facing protests.

Political Science Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Political Science - Essay Example 103-105). To reduce extreme poverty and hunger, it was agreed that, the proportion of people living on less than one U.S. dollar a day should be reduced dramatically by half. Also, the proportion of people who suffer from hunger should also be reduced to half by the year 2015 (Richmond, S 2007). This was mainly to be achieved through rural investments and other development channels aimed at the rural areas. People living with less than a dollar per day are the majority in the developing world, thus, they should be thought of in the first place. In achieving the free universal education, it was agreed that, all boys and girls must complete a full course of primary schooling in all the signatory countries and if need be force should be used to make them attend schools (Agnes, V 2005 P. 104). No body should fail to get the free education. In agreement was increased enrollment accompanied by efforts to ensure that all children remain in school to receive a high quality education. All present agreed to this as knowledge is power. To promote gender equality, it was agreed that gender disparity should be reduced in both primary and secondary education probably by half in the year 2005 and the remaining chunk by 2015. This was to be made possible by the emphasis of the second goal; free universal education. Also, the consideration of women to higher positions in work places was to be put into limelight as women can contribute to the wellbeing of a nation as well as promoting the sense of belonging and nationhood. The reduction of child mortality was put into light. It was said that, the mortality rates for children under five should be reduced by two thirds (Oloo 2004). This was to be achieved through the promotion of better health practices during pregnancy and after birth. This menace is more pronounced in African countries due to the poor state of the health facilities as well as negligence and

Inspirational Speech Essay Example for Free

Inspirational Speech Essay Good afternoon everyone. Today I am here with you, giving an inspirational speech to help you overcome life’s challenges and I wish that this speech of mine is worthy of your time. One day, when I was lying on my bed, some questions about life comes to my mind like, â€Å"What is the purpose of life? †, â€Å"Why we are here in this world? †, and ‘’Why do certain things happen? ’’. I had always kept these questions to myself but eventually pushed them away on my mind because I can’t find any answer and it’s just making me in doubt of everything. After thinking of those questions, I reminisce the times of my life that I experience trials and hardships. Those are the times that I almost given up and I feel like that I can’t bear those problems anymore but I said to myself not to surrender because God will not give us burden that we cannot bear. If you have a problem, don’t say, â€Å"God, I have a big problem†, but instead say this out loud whole-heartedly†¦Ã¢â‚¬Å"Hey problem, I have a great god! ’’ and surely it will lessen the heavy feeling in your heart and it will inspire you to fight those problems. The challenges and difficulties that come into our life will makes us closer to God, makes us stronger and a better person that we should be. Most of the time, we only remember God when we have problems and forget him when we are happy and sometimes or maybe often, we blame him and ask, â€Å"Why me, Lord? †, â€Å"Why you are doing this to me? †,†Did I do something wrong? † We always say that but have we ever question him why we are happy and receiving those many blessing. Have you ever asked â€Å"Why you are giving these blessings to me, Lord? Did I do something right? † and said â€Å"thank you lord? ’. Never, right? Think of this my friend and realize that some things will not be as we want it to be. We should also learn from our mistakes and we should our limitations. If we did not learn from those mistakes, then, there’s no sense in making them. Life has its ups and downs, just always remember that everything happens for a reason. After the hardships we’ve been through, blessings and graces wait. God doesn’t tell us how he’s working out his plans, but in his time and his way, he’ll clearly let us know he’s working out his best for us because He loves us so much.

pearl harbor Essay -- essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The attack on Pear Harbor has influenced history in a way that has made America stronger. It helped America unite as a country, allowing them to overcome greater obstacles. One example is the recent tragedy of September 11. I believe that Pearl Harbor helped unite America as a nation so when the bombing on September 11 happened, it helped the U.S. handle this tragedy. In my report, I would like to tell you of the events leading up to the day of the attack on Pearl Harbor and subsequent events.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In 1937, Japan invaded China and began waging a war on them. Since Japan was militaristic, the official head of the Japanese government did not have real power. Instead, the reins of power were held by military officials. Military leaders convinced Japanese people that they were under divine protection and could not be defeated. On September 27, 1940, Japan signed the Tripartite Treaty with Germany and Italy, which joined them to the Axis Powers.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The Japanese invasion of China disturbed America, for the U.S. and China had always been close allies. Many Americans were alarmed by the increasingly hostile nature of Japan’s leaders and by her powerful military thus when Chinese leader asked the U.S. for assistance, President Roosevelt declared a moral embargo. He also started strengthening American defenses in the Pacific. The center of activity was the naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Japan saw the embargo on China as a threat. Japan asked to be left alone, but America refused, insisting that they withdraw from China. Soon the embargo began to hurt Japan’s economy. So they decided to push America out of the Pacific. Japanese military leaders warned that a long war with the U.S. would result in a Japanese defeat. Japan believed that a knockout blow must be dealt to the American’s at the very beginning. They decided to launch a sneak attack on Pearl Harbor knowing that by destroying America’s Pacific fleet, the U.S. would not be able to fight back, and they would have to surrender. In the months before the attack on United States bases in the Pacific, the young Japanese men trained rigorously for service in their country’s air forces. Several factors prevented the American command from ant... ... at all. Soon after the surprise attack, on September 8, President Roosevelt asked Congress for a declaration of war. They agreed with an overwhelming vote for war, and Roosevelt soon addressed America: â€Å"Yesterday, December 7, 1941, a date which will live in infamy, the United States of America was suddenly attacked by naval and air forces of the empire of Japan.† Three days later, Germany and Italy declared war on the U.S., and the U.S. declared war on Italy and Germany. Japan thought that their attack on Pearl Harbor would destroy America, but they soon found that they had failed to anticipate three important things: (1) Most of the U.S. aircraft carriers were at sea during the attack, thus escaping the damage. (2) The attack failed to destroy the repair facilities and fuel reserves at Pearl Harbor naval base. (3) The surprise attack united the American people as nothing has before, and the entire nation banded together to face their fears with one goal—to defeat the Axis Powers. The Japanese had not crushed America at all; instead, they had—in the words of a Japanese admiral—â€Å"awakened a sleeping giant, and filled him with a terrible resolve.†

Understanding the Strategies of Activision Blizzard

Understanding the Strategies of Activision Blizzard, Inc. What is the vision of Activision Blizzard, Inc.? Activision Blizzard, Inc. ’s corporate vision is to be a â€Å"worldwide leader in the development, publishing, and distribution of quality interactive entertainment software, online content and services that deliver a highly satisfying entertainment experience (Activision Blizzard – 2013 SEC Form 10-K/A Amended Annual Report). † Horizontal Integration & Synergy; Activision Blizzard, Inc. ’s approach to success. Activision Blizzard, Inc. s â€Å"a worldwide online, personal computer, console, handheld, and mobile game publisher (Activision Blizzard – 2011 Annual Report). † The company was created via the merger of Activision, Inc. , Sego Merger Corporation, Vivendi S. A. , VGAC LLC, and Vivendi Games, Inc. (Activision Blizzard – 2013 SEC Form 10-K/A Amended Annual Report). Utilizing horizontal integration, the merger integrated â €Å"ownership of production facilities, distribution channels, exhibition outlets and ultimately allowed the formerly separate companies to profit from the others expertise (Turow 175). The new company uses three separate operating segments. Activision Publishing, Inc. , Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. , and Activision Blizzard distribution. Activision Blizzard, Inc. holds â€Å"leading market positions across every major category of the rapidly growing interactive entertainment software industry (Activision Blizzard – 2011 Annual Report),† and is a classic example of synergy, â€Å"a situation where the final product is more valuable than the sum of it individual parts (Turow 175),† at work.What is the competitive environment for Activision Blizzard, Inc.? â€Å"The interactive entertainment industry is intensely competitive with new products and platforms regularly introduced. Competitors vary in size from small companies with limited resources to large corpora tions who may have greater financial, marketing, and product development resources than Activision Blizzard, Inc. (Activision Blizzard – 2013 SEC Form 10-K/A Amended Annual Report). † Whom is Activision competing with in the marketplace? Activision Blizzard, Inc. competes primarily with other publishers of PC, online and video game console interactive entertainment software. Most similar in operating structure is Electronic Arts, which has the largest portfolio of blockbuster games, including many sports titles, and other game franchises with long histories of success. Sony, Nintendo and Microsoft compete directly with them in the development of software titles for their respective platforms.They also compete for the leisure time and discretionary spending of consumers with other interactive entertainment companies, as well as with providers of different forms of entertainment, such as motion pictures, television, social networking, online casual entertainment and music (Activision Blizzard 2013 SEC Form 10-K/A Amended Annual Report). † What does Activision see as their primary competition? Activision Blizzard, Inc. elieves the primary competitive factors in the interactive entertainment industry include: â€Å"product features, game quality, and playability; brand name recognition; compatibility of products with popular platforms; access to distribution channels; online capability and functionality; ease of use; price; marketing support; and quality of customer service. (Activision Blizzard – 2013 SEC Form 10-K/A Amended Annual Report). † What strategies and specific activities is Activision considering to compete with others? Expanded product development – Activision Blizzard, Inc. s â€Å"creating a publishing arm that will bring third-party mobile games to market. Through the program, it will assist independent game makers with funding, development, distribution and promotion of their titles across both iPhone and i OS. The company is collaborating with Flurry to help with this transition (Duryee, Tricia. â€Å"Activision Starting to Take the Plastic Wrap off Its Mobile Strategy. † AllThingsDigital. com, 13 Jun 2012. Web). † Increase online capability & functionality – access new customers & audiences: ‘Skylanders’ Is Officially Activision’s newest $1 Billion Franchise. The ‘Skylanders’ franchise became the first kids’ video game IP to cross the $1 billion mark in just 15 months, and I think we are still just starting to realize its potential,† Activision publishing CEO Eric Hirshberg said in a statement (LeJacq, Yannick . â€Å"Skylanders’ Is Officially Activision’s newest $1 Billion Franchise. † IBTimes. com, 11 Feb 2013. Web. ). † Access new distribution channels – Activision Blizzard, Inc. â€Å"announces in-game live streaming via YouTube for Black Ops II (McGlaun, Shane. â€Å"Activision announces in-game live streaming via YouTube for Black Ops II. SlashGear. com, 8 Nov 2012. Web. ). † What might an Activision customer see in terms of different offerings or approaches because of the strategies the company is undertaking? Increased Content and Online Services. Activision Blizzard, Inc. ’s shift towards digital delivery of content will result in more diverse online product offerings. Expansion of Mobile Products and Services – Activision Blizzard, Inc. will continue to expanding into the mobile arena by supporting legacy franchises as well as creating new brand assets.A Narrowing of the Gap between the real and virtual worlds – Riding an unprecedented wave of success, Activision Blizzard, Inc. will produce additional Skylander style kid’s games. Which one of the six changes in media is Activision’s strategies addressing well? Distribution of products across media boundaries: Activision has been very successful at creating meth ods of distribution that â€Å"allows businesses to make money back on products† (Turow 186). Activision Blizzard, Inc. will absorb the growing demand of digital content distribution without issue.Many of its video games and content expansions are already available for direct download. For example, â€Å"Activision Publishing’s innovative new online service, Call of Duty Elite, which launched with Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 is one of the fastest growing premium online services ever created. As of January 2012, more than seven million gamers had registered for the service, which includes more than 1. 5 million users who purchased premium annual memberships. Additionally, the franchise is estimated to have had over 40 million monthly active users across five Call of Duty titles (Activision Blizzard – 2011 Annual Report). Which of the six changes in media is Activision neglecting to address? Audience Segmentation: Activision Blizzard specializes in developing, publishing and distributing first-person action games, â€Å"which account for approximately 16% of the interactive entertainment industry’s revenue (Krause Fund Research, Web)†. Activision Blizzard’s target audience, â€Å"the people whom their products are directed (Turow 36),† are males 18 – 45 who â€Å"account for over 55% of all gamers and are the back bone of the industry (Krause Fund Research, Web). Activision Blizzard has been wildly successful with their media franchises, â€Å"properties that are highly profitable over time and in many media formats beyond their original appearance (Paul, Nora, slide 10),† but has neglected to address the need for audience segmentation, â€Å"creating products designed to reach different types of people (Turow 160). † Due to this dependence on a specific target audience, failure to achieve anticipated results by one or more products may significantly harm their business.For example, Activ ision Blizzard’s four largest first-person action franchises (Paul, â€Å"Understanding the Strategies of Media Giants† slide 10), accounted for approximately â€Å"83% of net revenues, and a significantly higher percentage of their operating income, for the year (Activision Blizzard – 2013 SEC Form 10-K/A Amended Annual Report). † If consumer demand trends away from first-person action games and Activision Blizzard fails to attract new audiences or add other sources of revenue, their lack of audience segmentation could significantly harm their business. References From news article: McGlaun, Shane. Activision announces in-game live streaming via YouTube for Black Ops II. † SlashGear. com, 8 Nov 2012. Web. From news article: Duryee, Tricia. â€Å"Activision Starting to Take the Plastic Wrap off Its Mobile Strategy. † All Things Digital. com, 13 Jun 2012. Web From news article: LeJacq, Yannick. â€Å"Skylanders’ Is Officially Activisio n’s newest $1 Billion Franchise. † IBTimes. com, 11 Feb 2013. Web. From SEC report: Activision Blizzard, Inc. Form 10-K/A, Amended Annual Report for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2012. Web. From Annual report: Activision Blizzard, Inc. 2011 Annual report for fiscal year ending Dec 31, 2011.Web. From Journal article: Miller, Z. , & Umphress, J. , & Wang, B. (2012). Activision Blizzard, Inc. (NASDAQ: ATVI). Krause Fund Research Fall 2012 Technology, 13 November 2012. Retrieved from The University of Iowa Research and Technology Department. Web. From the text: Turow, Joseph, Media Today: An Introduction to Mass Communication, 4th edition, New York, NY: Routledge, 2011. Chapter 2, â€Å"Making Sense of the Media Business: Identifying an Audience for Mass Media Content,† p. 36. From the text: Turow, Joseph, Media Today: An Introduction to Mass Communication, 4th edition, New York, NY: Routledge, 2011.Chapter 5, â€Å"A World of Blurred Media Boundaries: Horizon tal Integration,† p. 175. From the text: Turow, Joseph, Media Today: An Introduction to Mass Communication, 4th edition, New York, NY: Routledge, 2011. Chapter 5, â€Å"A World of Blurred Media Boundaries: Synergy,† p. 175. From the text: Turow, Joseph, Media Today: An Introduction to Mass Communication, 4th edition, New York, NY: Routledge, 2011. Chapter 5, â€Å"A World of Blurred Media Boundaries: Contrasting Views on the Social Pros and Con of Media Trends, Distribution allows businesses to make money back on products,† p. 86 From the text: Turow, Joseph, Media Today: An Introduction to Mass Communication, 4th edition, New York, NY: Routledge, 2011. Chapter 5, â€Å"A World of Blurred Media Boundaries: Audience Segmentation, â€Å"creating products designed to reach different types of people,† p. 160. From PowerPoint Presentation: Paul, Nora, Jour 1001 – 002, Chapter 6, â€Å"Understanding the Strategies of Media Giants,† PowerPoint pres entation in â€Å"Introduction to Mass Communication,† Slide 10 Media Franchise,† February 10, 2013.

Human Impact on the Natural Environment Case study: The world’s Tropical rainforests

They are found around the equator between the tropic of Cancer and the tropic of Capricorn. They run in a belt from west – east. The landmass of tropical forest is very extensive, it covers 7% of all the worlds land. It is trans continental; it covers 4 continents South America, Africa, Asia and Oceania. The Rainforest Environment: The Amazon rejoins of South America (Amozonia) Population density is number of people by area of land Population density = number of people/ are of land Brazil population = 150500000 Land area = 8361111 km2 population density =18 people per km2 U.K population = 56000000 Land area = 244602 km2 population density = 229 people per km2 Amazonian population = 6000000 Land area = 2000000 population density = 3 people per km2 A Comparative Analysis of population for the 3 areas? Brazil is a much bigger population and a massive amount of land so there are a lot of people living in a large amount of land that is why the population density is so low. The U.K has a large population but a small amount of lad it is very densely populated that is why the population density is so high. Amazonian has a small population and a large amount of land it is very sparsely population that is why the population density is so very low. You can read also Costco Case Study The Tropical Rainforest climate compared to our own (London and England) The range of temperature is the amount of degrees between the lowest temperature and the highest. (1) The annual rainfall for Manus is 1811mm this is about three times as much rain as London receives 600mm London has a very fixed amount of rainfall over the year and Manus has an extremly varied amount of rainfall over the year. (2) Manus has a very high average temperature at about 28oc this is about three times the temperature of londons at 11oc. (3) Manus has a very small range of temperature 2oc this shows no fixed seasons with temperature because there is very little change London's is seven times bigger a 11oc this shows that the temperature is not fixed this is show by the four seasons winter spring autumn and summer, in June, July and August the temperasture is at its highest showing summer. (4) Manus has only 2 distinct seasons the wet and the dry season because the temperature is the same all year round from November to May it rains very hevily about 200 mm from june to april it is relitivly dry about 50mm. (5) The rainfall in Manus is very heavy most of the year except of 3 months it is not fixed; in London the rain is a similar amount all year round. Vegetation and Daily Weather Conditions Read this Ch. 22 Respiratory System In the rain forest the water is evaporated during the day and by 3 o'clock it starts to rain this is covectional rainfall. This make the forest vegitation very dense and not much light reaches the forest floor, becase it is some warm and wet if anything fall to the floor it starts to decompose quickly, There are 4 layers in a rain forest the top layer is the Emergents these are 45 meters high they are close together and stop some light passing through the there is the main canopy at 30 meters this stops more light and then at 25 meters there is the under canopy this stops more light then there are the shrubs at 5 meters this stops more light, so there is not very much light at the floor. The trees in the tropical rainforest are deciduous but the forest remains evergreen. Why? There are constant high temperatures, this means that there are no seasons like winter when the tress lose there leaves, the tress lose their leaves at different times in the year so it looks like the forest is evergreen.

Mobilink Essay Example

Mobilink Essay Example Mobilink Essay Mobilink Essay Chapter 1: INTRODUCTION3 ?INTRODUCTION:3 ?HUMAN RESOURCE DEPARTMENT AT MOBILINK5 ?STRATEGIC HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT AT MOBILINK:6 Chapter 2: HR POLICIES IN GENERAL (MOBILINK):7 ?POLICIES IN GENERAL:7 1. Working hours:7 2. Protection of company assets people policy:8 3. Dress code policy:8 4. Security and safety policy:10 5. Company publications policy:10 6. Attendance policy11 ?PRACTICES AGAINST THE POLICIES IN GENERAL:12 1)Working Hours:12 2)Protection of Company Assets:12 3)Dress Code:12 4)Security Safety Policy:12 5)Company Publications:13 ?CRITICAL REVIEW ON HR POLICIES OF MOBILINK IN GENERAL:13 Chapter 4: RECRUITMENT AND SELECTION PROCESS:14 ?MOBILINK POLICIES FOR RECRUITMENT AND SELECTION:14 Recruitment policy14 Policy guidelines:14 General conditions for recruitment:15 Application:16 Conditions for selection:16 ?PRACTICES AT MOBILINK REGARDING RECRUITMENT AND SELECTION:18 ? CRITICAL REVIEW ON RECRUITMENT AND SELECTION PROCESS:18 Chapter 5: TRAINING19 ?TRAINING NEEDS ASSESSMENT POLICY AT MOBILINK:19 ?FOREIGN TRAINING POLICY:20 Objective:20 Policy Guidelines:20 Conditions for Overseas Training:20 Surety for Mutual Benefit:20 ?TRAINING: PRACTICES AT MOBILINK21 Types of Training in Mobilink:21 Mobilinks Training programmes:22 ?CRITICAL REVIEW ON TRAINING AT MOBILINK:24 Chapter 6: PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL SYSTEM:25 ?POLICIES AT MOBILINK FOR PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL:25 Frequency of the Performance Review:25 Policy guidelines:26 Performance Appraisal Forms:26 ?PRACTICES AT MOBILINK FOR PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL SYSTEM:27 ? CRITICAL REVIEW ON PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL:27 Chapter 7: CAREER PLANNING DEVELOPMENT:28 ?CRITICAL REVIEW:28 Chapter 8: Rewards System:29 ?POLICIES ON REWARD SYSTEM AT MOBILINK:29 Salary29 ?PRACTICES ON REWARD SYSTEMS AT MOBILINK:32 CRITICAL REVIEW:32 Chapter 8: OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY MEASURES:33 HOW WELL THESE POLICIES AND PRACTICES ARE ACHIEVING THE ORGANIZATIONAL GOALS? 33 CONCLUSION: †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 34 RECOMMENDATIONS:34 BIBLIOGRAPHY:35 Chapter 1: INTRODUCTION Introduction: Orascom Telecom Holding S. A. E. (Orascom Telecom) or (OTH) was established in 1998 and has grown to become a major player in the telecommunication market in the world. OTH is considered among the largest and most diversified network operator in the Middle East, Africa and Pakistan. Mobilink GSM (PMCL), a subsidiary of Orascom Telecom, was awarded a license in July, 1992 and started its operations in 1994, and has become the market leader both in terms of growth as well as having the largest customer subscriber base in, Pakistan a base of over 24 million and growing. Mobilink provides the most extensive network coverage footprint across Pakistan through an integrated technology infrastructure in more than 5,000 cities, towns, villages, and countless remote destinations, including International Roaming in 110 countries through 300 partner operators. There are about 5000 employees currently working in Mobilink of which 4500 are working on permanent basis and 500 on temporary basis, with average of more than 800 employees hired every month. Among them approximately 5% are managers and operatives are 40%, rest are either contractual or not directly related to core business. In April 2001, when the OTH (Orascom Telecom Holding) took over management control of the company, the market share was only 40% but as of March, 2006; Mobilink served over 14 million subscribers, representing a market share of approximately 56. % of total mobile subscribers in Pakistan. However, during the past two years the market share of Mobilink has gone down to 41% (As of March, 2007). The head office of Mobilink is located at KULSUM Plaza, blue area, Islamabad. Its branch offices are located in Lahore, Karachi, Faisalabad, Rahim Yar Khan, Sukkur, Peshwar, Quetta, Swat, and Kohat. Moblink has three main contact centers in three regions of Pakistan. As for the customers centers there are about 2000-2500 customers service centers all over Pakistan. Principal area in which Mobilink Telecommunication is working is that it provides its customers, a wide range of postpaid (Indigo) and prepaid (Jazz) solutions. Keeping in the mind their customer convenience they have also bundled mobile handsets, sold either independently or bundled in Set so Go Get Pack. Competition faced by the company is from al the operators in telecom that includes all the face SGM (Global System of mobile) operators, CDMA operators and LDI operators and land line operators. All these telecom companies Human Resource Departments are in constant need of new employees. So there is stiff competition in the telecom market for Mobilink. Comparison with competitors in the market is shown as in the table. Mobilink is using high IT based technology for operations. Mobilink uses Motorola’s infrastructure mostly at radio based stations, but now it has been exceedingly using Alchatel equipment too. Switching equipment is of Siemens and Alchatel, billing system from Telesens KSCL and Ericsson, Intelligent network from Siemens, Microwave equipement DMC. The GSM (Global System of Mobile communication) band that is used by Mobilink is in 900/1800 MHz. The number of subscribes of Mobilink has been fast increasing since year 2000,the number of subscribes of Mobilink has almost doubled in the last one year from 5 million approx to 10 million approx this figure has almost increased by 50 times as it was in year 2000. This in fact is a milestone for Mobilink. Currently the company has a customer base of over 24 million and its growing. HUMAN RESOURCE DEPARTMENT AT MOBILINK There are about 44 HR professionals currently working at Mobilink of which 10 are managers. Mobilink has a very well defined and structured department and its various policies of keeping each employee productive part of the organization are intoned with the corporate worlds requirement. Employees in the company are largely committed to their organization and have shown progress in the company. Employees are satisfied with the HR department of Mobilink GSM Company. There are several functions performed by HR department which are given below: 6 Planning 6 Recruitment 6 Selection Formal Interview Intelligence tests 6 Research and Development Training 6 Compensation 6 Occupational Health and Safety measures 6 Career Planning and Development 6 Performance Appraisal System In order to make its human resource productive and efficient, Mobilink aggressively work in developing its human resource capital through international and local trainings as well as structured employee ‘well-being’ programs, making it one of the most sought after companies to work for in Pakista n. Mobilink conducts several training program in order to improve the competencies and skills of employees. STRATEGIC HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT AT MOBILINK: Humans are the basic tool for having competitive edge in the market for most of the organizations and Mobilink is one of these. Mobilink has one of the best HR systems in Pakistan that gives it an edge over its competitors. HR strategy refers to the specific human resource management course of actions that a company pursues to achieve its objectives. But how these strategies/policies/practices are formulated and implemented at Mobilink. There is a whole process behind this. Like most big organizations, this process is also done in accordance with company’s mission. First, Strategic planners analyze what actually is he prevalent culture of the organization, what are the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats (SWOT analysis) of business and its market, and on the basis of all the above analysis, company’s strategic plan is established. In the end HR strategies are formulated in accordance with this overall business’/companies’ strategic plans. Based on these HR strategies, HR policies and practices are also formed and implemented. Any abrupt change in the market requires the organization to follow this analysis in order to be successful. That why organizations continuously keeps on updating their strategies and policies. Whole system for development of HR strategies/policies/practices is as below: [pic] Chapter 2: HR POLICIES IN GENERAL (MOBILINK): Policies in General: WORKING HOURS: Purpose: Hours of work are scheduled to meet the production and work requirements of the Company, and are in conformance with all applicable local laws and practices. Working Hours: The Company shall determine the hours of work: Office Hours: Monday through Friday (09:00 am. – 6:00 pm. ) 9 am to 8 p. m. (Shops operating on one window operation concept) Saturday: The shops timings will be determined by the Customer Service Management keeping in view the customer needs. Sixty (60) minutes meal breaks each day from Monday through Thursday. Ninety (90) minutes meal / prayer break for Friday. Shift work: Employees working in shifts will follow the shift roasters prepared by the line management. Exceptions: Employees may be requested to work on any of the holidays or regularly scheduled day of rest including Saturday/Sunday, if the Company’s business so requires. Breach: Any employee not abiding by the working hours Policy will initially be counselled by his /her immediate supervisor / office manager. Any repeated act will be reported to the Human Resources in writing who will refer the discipline policy for further proceedings. PROTECTION OF COMPANY ASSETS PEOPLE POLICY: Purpose: Mobilink’s continued success depends on the protection as well as the development of technology. Each employee is responsible for preventing the unauthorized use or disclosure of the Company’s sensitive and proprietary information. By following security policies and procedures, employees will protect themselves as well as the physical, proprietary and intellectual assets of the Company. Procedure: Employees to identify themselves to the security guards by showing Company issued Identity Cards. Employees will sign confidentiality and proprietary agreement at the time of leaving the Company stating that no information will be passed on to any other person / organization. Human Resources is responsible for signing of the agreement by the employee leaving the Company before handing over a full and final settlement cheque to the concerned employee. DRESS CODE POLICY: Purpose: Following are the main purposes for this policy. A)To provide all employees with the reasons for suitable attire, acceptability of appearance and enforcement procedures. B)For the benefit of the employee and all other employees in the working area. The employees clothing, hairstyle and jewelry shall not be of the type, which may interfere with the appropriate performance of his/her duties. C)Employees whose duties involve Customer contact must maintain a suitable appearance, as customers judge the Company not only by the quality of product and services the Company provides, but also by the appearance of the people with whom they deal. D)Employees who deal with the general public must maintain a suitable appearance as their dress and actions reflect upon Company Corporate image. Procedure: All female employees shall observe the following dress code: Shalwar Kameez Sari / Blouse Dress Pants / Blouse or Shirt with Jacket or Waist Coat Skirts / Blouse or Shirt with Jacket or Waist Coat (No minis / long slits) Light makeup Light jewelry No Low Necks All male employees shall follow the following dress code: Dress shirt / pants / Tie with Jacket or Coat or Sweater Dress shoes and socks Well trimmed moustache, hair and beard / â€Å"shaved face† Hair length should not go below the shirt collar Employees who work on Saturdays, where they have customer contact will wear Business casual. Business casual is defined as follows: Dress shirt / pants Dress shirt / pants /coat Dress shirt / pants / sweater Dress shoes and socks No joggers No jeans Dress code for female employees will remain unchanged on Saturdays. All Officers / Department Heads shall be responsible for the implementation of the dress code for their employees. Any employee not abiding by the Dress Code under this Policy will initially be counseled by his /her immediate supervisor / office manager. Any repeated act will be reported to the Human Resources Department in writing. SECURITY AND SAFETY POLICY: Purpose: The safety of employees is everyone’s responsibility. Accidents, precaution and efficient work go hand in hand. All levels of employees have a primary responsibility for the safety and well being of all of us. Therefore, interest in practicing safety prevention must be encouraged by: a) Setting good examples. b) Acting upon safety records. c) Reviewing safety programs. d) Holding personal interviews or group conferences. e) Starting activities that will stimulate and maintain employee’s interests. No phase of operation of administration is of greater importance than accident prevention. It is the policy of the Company to provide and maintain safe and healthy working conditions and to follow operating practices that safeguard all employees and result in safe working conditions and efficient operations. Proper First Aid Kit will be available at all Mobilink Offices including remote locations. COMPANY PUBLICATIONS POLICY: Purpose: To provide a means of communicating Mobilink’s policies, objectives, plans programs and development of all employees. To report on all Mobilink activities. To provide an outlet for employees to express themselves in their literary and artistic talents. Policy Guidelines: The Company publishes booklets, news articles and newsletters for the benefit of the employees. The Company maintains the rights to change, discontinue, reverse or edit the content of any publication issued by the Company. Only brochures, pamphlets, newsletters, handbills or posters approved by the Company may be issued or distributed on Company premises. The President and the VP Human Resources Administration must approve all publications intended for all employees. ATTENDANCE POLICY Purpose: To prevent unauthorized absence of employees, this creates serious problems for normal and efficient operations and could result in disciplinary action including termination. Guidelines: In case of any absence continuing for more than 24 hours must be reported to concerned department, in case of illness, a medical statement concerning the illness must be submitted to Mobilink within 24 hours from the time by which the employee was to be on duty. The Company may request an examination by a doctor designated by the Company. Practices against the Policies in General: Following are the main practices that we observed against the general Policies as mentioned earlier. 1) Working Hours: Mobilink is a big organization with quite a load of work. So, though there are policies regarding working hours, we found most of people working more than the limits defined in the policies. As for example, for most executives office timings are from 9:00 am to 6:00 pm but actually they work till 8:00 in most cases. However, with more burdens there are also more rewards. So, if Mobilink takes much out of its employees then it also compensates them well. 2) Protection of Company Assets: At Mobilink, policies regarding the protection of company secrets, important information, assets etc. are followed strictly. We would like to quote our own experience. When we approached Mobilinkers for Organization’s policies, their first response was we need to ask our HR department and we were not able to have the policies that way. Employees really do care for such policies and are pretty loyal to Organization. 3) Dress Code: Dress code is strictly followed at Mobilink, especially by men. Women also dress well but they do go against some policies which, I think, are unjust according to them. For example use of light make-up, light-jewelry etc. As far as the dressing for meeting is concerned, Mobilinkers are as good as George Colony. ) Security Safety Policy: Security at Moilink is of utmost interest for the management and everyone working at Mobilink. To accomplish the above policy, a Safety Committee is set-up as follows: 1. VP HR/Admin 2. Head of Security 3. Member 4. Member The functions of the Safety Committee are: 1. Development of policy recommendations. 2. Encouraging safety efforts. 3. Proper enforcement of safety needs. 4. Fran k and constructive discussion on safety programs. 5. Cooperation with other Companies. 6. Training regarding safety. ) Company Publications: Employee / Company related information for Newsletter and Notice Board is sent to the Local Human Resources Department. Approval of Information / Articles sent by employees is processed by the Human Resources Department before its publication. The Company reserves the right to publish any articles in the Newsletter or any other publications. Any information regarding Company activities or Customer Related information must be sent to the Marketing Department for approval. Marketing must get approval from the President or his / her nominee to place article in Newspaper or Customers Newsletter. Management has the right to change or withhold any information pertaining to Company or other issues. Critical Review on HR policies of Mobilink in General: Most of the General HR policies are well practices at Mobilink with a few discrepancies. This indicates that the organization does have a strong HR system with an effective HR strategy. We may also see this thing as the predictor of good Telecom level policies in Pakistan. The reason being that the general policies, as mentioned above, are more or less the same for all telecom companies. Most of these policies are formulated by the PTA (Pakistan Telecom Authority). So reviewing the success of these policies at Mobilink shows good strategy formulation by PTA as well as Mobilink. Moreover, these policies are not only practiced and observed in telecom sector only. We see such dress code policy, asset protection policy and like in many other business organization. So these policies have a general tendency of being followed. Employees seem to have a stable type of approach towards these general HR policies. They do not seem to show any disagreements over these policies and are pretty contented with what is imposed in such policies. Chapter 4: RECRUITMENT AND SELECTION PROCESS: Mobilink Policies for Recruitment and Selection: Policies for Recruitment and Selection as experienced at Mobilink are: Recruitment policy Objectives: The policy is meant to ensure an effective and efficient method of recruitment and selection. It is aimed at hiring without any discrimination based on race, colour, sex, nationality, ancestry, religion or disability. Policy guidelines: The recruitment policy must comply with regulations set out by the Government of Pakistan. The Sources of recruitment for different job vacancies in PMCL shall include: Internal Advertisement. Databank. Advertising. Head hunters/executive search organizations. Walk in candidates. Colleges and Universities a) External Recruitment: i. No candidate under the age of eighteen will be considered. ii. To avoid conflict of interest, hiring of close relations (brothers, sisters, spouses, first cousins, brothers/sisters in law) will not be encouraged. However candidates falling in this category who have exceptionally good credentials may be considered. Hiring supervisors will need to explain in their assessment of the candidate their qualities that justify hiring. A final decision will rest with the concerned Divisional Head who will need to ensure that there is no conflict of interest. iii. Human Resources will advise Department Heads on salary ranges to be offered to the applicant keeping internal and external equity in perspective. iv. Minimum qualifications must be a Bachelor degree or equivalent. A-Level or equivalent may be considered for call centre/support staff however will require approval of the VP Human Resources Administration. This criteria does not apply to technicians/riggers and ancillary staff. ) Internal Recruitment i. Internal candidates must be confirmed employees of Mobilink who have completed one year of service. However exceptionally good candidates may be considered. ii. Selected candidates will join the new job/position after getting clearance from existing line manager. iii. Spouse of an existing employee will not work for direct competition and either one will have to resign from service. Prospective candidates who se spouses work for competition will not be considered for hiring. iv. Hiring from vendors, franchises, and clients is not encouraged. Exceptionally where offers are made to employees of these entities their prior consent must be obtained. General conditions for recruitment: All recruitment will be done through the Human Resources Department in consultation with the Officers and Heads of the concerned Department. An applicant’s knowledge, skill and aptitude related to the position shall be judged according to a range of factors including: a) Education (Academic / Professional). b) Experience. c) Profile and Psychometric Tests d) Interviews. e) References. Application: Applicants may apply online by registering with the web based recruitment portal. However, when considered for a specific position, they will be required to fill the standard application form of the Company. All applications will be kept on HR database for a period of 6 months only. Conditions for selection: Departments must submit Hiring Request and / or Transfer Request Form to the HR Department and duly signed. Information regarding qualifications and job description should be forwarded for identification of suitable candidates. Lead-time of at least ten working days should be given for selection of candidates. The Human Resources Department would place internal advertisements and / or shortlist suitable candidates from the databank. If no suitable candidate is found, advertisements will be placed in media. The Human Resources Department shall, upon the department’s request, provide screened CVs. The department will do another sift if necessary and conduct interviews with the immediate Supervisor / Department / Divisional Head or his / her nominee and any job related selection tests. Short Listed Candidates will be invited for a final interview with the HR department. The Human Resources Department may conduct Profile and Psychometric Tests for the selected candidate in order to evaluate the suitability of the candidate. Two Reference checks will be completed for the selected candidate either before hiring or during the probationary period. Appointment will be subject to satisfactory references being received. On Selection the following information will be forwarded to HR to be kept in the Employees Personal File: |Interview Evaluation form | | |Passport size Photos. | |Any other special clause. | | |References. | | |Copy of N. I. C. | | |Copies of degree(s): Bachelors and above only and copies of experience certificates. | |Duly filled application form | | In the Case of Consultants the Company will sign a contract with the Consultant for a duration ranging from 3 months to 1 year. The Human Resources Department shall prepare and deliver the Employment Letter to the Employee and obtain signatures on a copy. These were the practices but what actually are the practices for Recruitment and selection at Mobilink. Let’s explore. Practices at Mobilink regarding Recruitment and Selection: Practices regarding the recruitment and selection are in accordance with the policies formulated by the HR department. According to employees following were the recruitment practices. Two types of Recruitments: Internal and External. Sources of Internal Recruitment |Sources of External Recruitment | |Employee referrals |Job fairs | |Internal advertising |University Hunts | | |Advertising | | |Emplacement Agencies | | |Walk in candidates | All recruitment and selection process is handled by the Human resource department. Applications for jobs are mostly made via internet. Selection criteria are totally based on merit. A series of interviews are conducted followed by a panel interview and a group discussion. Only deserving from a lot of applicants are considered Critical Review on Recruitment and selection process: It goes without saying that reference for job works. So it’s surely a flaw in the recruitment and selection process of Mobilink. We know a number of people who get job in Mobilink on reference basis. However, saying all that, getting a job at Mobilink and retaining that job at Mobilink for a time are two different things. One thing was interesting studying the Mobilink Recruitment and Selection process. Company entertains online applications more than mailed ones. To us, reason is twofold. First, it reduces burden during the recruitment process. Secondly, by using online system, company can keep its image as innovative and latest the eyes of its consumers. Chapter 5: TRAINING Training needs assessment Policy at Mobilink: Objective: Identifying the most appropriate solutions to performance problems Procedures: All Company Heads should differentiate between problems that require training and problems that require coaching or other solutions. Usually, only about 20% of performance problems require â€Å"training† solutions. The other 80% are best dealt with by looking at the quality of supervision or by factors in the work environment (rewarding good performance, punishing poor performance, and removing obstacles to good performance). Developing a Company – Wide Management Training Plan Objective: Select/identify the needs, by management level, for the total Company. The Company wills also Facilitate Employees with Short Management Courses from time to time. Procedures: The HR Department will develop the TNA according to the recommendations made by their Supervisors in the performance appraisal form. The HR Department shall coordinate all the tasks until a total Company-training plan is finalized, then follow-up with Department Heads on its implementation. The plan is the result of focusing on the individual discipline needs into one schedule designed to meet the training needs of the total Company. The trainer should be under the headcount of HR so that adequate training sessions can be planned and conducted nationwide. The training requirements of the employees will be picked from the recommendations made by their supervisors in the appraisal forms. The training requirement could also be forwarded by the supervisor if it is not mentioned in the performance appraisal. Foreign training policy: Objective: The purpose of this policy is to enhance skills and knowledge of Mobilink employees and build their capacities to enable them to perform their jobs more effectively and to develop them for future growth. Policy Guidelines: The Company shall pay all Training Expenses, Round Trip Airfare, living Allowance, and Local Transportation in accordance with Company regulations in this regard. Conditions for Overseas Training: Employees who are nominated for enrolment in an overseas training program should meet the following conditions: Should meet the prerequisites of the intended training. Being knowledgeable of the language in which the training program will be conducted. In case an expatriate / contract employee needs to attend a foreign training, he/ she has to be on a one year and above contract, with a duration of 6 months of service to perform at PMCL – Mobilink from the date of starting the training. If the expatriate / contract employee being sent on the training does not meet the above conditions, a waiver could be made on the recommendation of the concerned Chief/ VP and the approval of the president/ CEO. Surety for Mutual Benefit: To ensure that both, PMCL – Mobilink and the employees mutually benefit from overseas professional training provided to employees. The employees returning from training should continue to be in the employment of the Company for following minimum periods as mentioned in Para (4. 2) depending on the training days. Failing of which employees will be liable to pay the PMCL MOBILINK expenses incurred by the PMCL MOBILINK on their training including travel and accommodation expenses. In the event of an employee wishing to leave the employment of the Company he/she will reimburse the Company the expenses incurred by the PMCL- Mobilink on providing the training. PMCL- Mobilink will make appropriate deductions from the employee final settlement including Provident fund. And remaining amount will be deposited by the employee in the Company account. In case an employee doesn’t pay back the due amount to the company, HR will issue notice to the concerned employee mentioning that he/she has to pay back the amount to the company, otherwise, company reserve the right to take legal action. If the employee is terminated for cause he will be absolved from any deductions/ recovery of Training cost. Employee Surety Period and Cost Number of Days of Overseas Training |Duration of Surety |Cost to be recovered | |Up to 6 Days |6 Months |Full | |Between 7 and 10 Days |1 Year |Full | |Between 11 and 15 Days |1 ? Year |Prorated after One Year | |More than 15 Days |2 Years | Prorated after One Year | Cost of Training will be determined by finance in consultation with Technical for Technical Training and Human Resources. Training: Practices at Mobilink On contacting personnel in the Mobilink office it was found out that Mobilink mostly trains its employees by On Job Training which means that the employees are trained as they perform their jobs and along with their duties. The manager or supervisor guides them how to perform their jobs and guides them to efficiency in the work. Internees are trained in various departments and then mostly hired by Mobilink itself and their training is basically teaching them the ropes and the basics of everything. Types of Training in Mobilink: On a general basis the training done in Mobilink can be divided into two categories: Soft skill training Technical Training Soft Skill Training: Helping your employees develop a stronger base of knowledge on topics that affect their personal lives can make them more productive and less distracted in their jobs. Soft skill development courses in areas like personal finance and childcare can help your team better manage the most i mportant areas in their personal lives. This may include the following things for e. g. Conflict management training People management training Communication skills Anger management Time management training Teamwork training etc Technical Training: This type of training has direct effect on the job of the employee. Specific skills are focused and developed accordingly. The engineering trainings of Mobilink are also included with this along with Customer Services training Sales related training Marketing and technology training etc. All these types of training are done to enhance the employees job skills at the level he is at. Mobilinks Training programmes: Mobilink with its large workforce invests aggressively in developing its human capital through international and local trainings as well as a structured employee ‘well-being’ programs, making it one of the most sought after companies to work for in Pakistan. Graham Burke, the President PMCL Mobilink, said Mobilink will provide proper training programmes to its employees in order to make them more aware of their responsibilities† Mobilink, the Pakistan based subsidiary of the global telecommunication giant, Orascom Group, in a strategic move, has outsourced its leadership training and development of about 100, of its senior and fast track managers and supervisors, to the regions well established consultancy firm, Global Management Consultants, who will be responsible for the design and delivery of over 5 months training initiative. Their training methods maintain interest throughout; put emphasis on the practical aspects; and ensure that delegates understand the knowledge gained so that they can immediately and effectively apply it within their own organizations. All training sessions are delivered in a highly participative style, introducing topics in a challenging and thought-provoking way. Practical examples, exercises and case studies are used to illustrate the topics covered and show delegates how they can relate the techniques introduced during the course to their own work situation. Programmes can be tailored to meet the required goal. The various training programmes of mobilink focus on specific skills for e. g. the annual or monthly reports of performance are evaluated by the manager and the weak areas are considered and the respective training is taken up. Mobilink trains its employees in the following fields’ aswell: 1. Customer service training: The employees are trained in communication skills, negotiating skills in order to serve the customers whether in the call centre or customers services centre. They are taught on how to talk appropriately to the customers, how to recognize their problems, solve their problems and how to deal with them. 2. Supervisors training: Leading a department or an organization is a very difficult job and the person at this level must be properly skilled. The supervisor training programme helps those people who are at this post to develop the right skills required and asked for at this job. 3. Leadership workshop: Becoming a Leader Good leaders are made, not necessarily born. You can become an effective leader by developing yourself through a never-ending process of self-study, education, training experience. To inspire your people to higher levels of teamwork there are certain things you must be, know do. Leadership makes people want to achieve challenging goals objectives. This workshop is for managers who have the desire to ‘make things happen’ have a team who need to be inspired into action! Mobilink offers this workshop for is specific employees. 4. Conflict management training: We are living in times where chaos and conflict are on the rise. Lack of conflict can be as damaging for any organization, as having conflicts that go out of hand. In fact conflict is the very source of creativity, without which innovation is not possible. Usually these conflicts are resolved, but occasionally they grow to hinder ones job performance. This program is designed to increase a supervisors ability to prevent conflicts from reaching a crisis stage and how to resolve it when a necessary conflict occurs. A framework for tackling conflict is also provided that helps managers who find dealing with conflict an unpleasant experience. 5. Development of oratory skills: With fit, healthy and active minds perform faster and more accurately with minimal stress. How people speak indicates their state of mind. Nervousness in making public appearance is often the result of not knowing WHAT to do and HOW to do it! Learn to control your nervousness and feel the confident professional image many seek! This workshop will provide hands-on approach to polish oratory skills, use projected media, and present like a pro. 6. Motivating, Coaching Delegating Any approach to develop management skills must involve a heavy dose of practical application. At the same time, practice without the necessary conceptual knowledge is sterile and ignores the need for flexibility and adaptation to different situations. They will also discover ways to manage performance of individuals and teams in order to achieve departmental/ organizational goals and objectives. All these programmes are aiming at developing specific skills in specific people for specified purposes. 7. It is believed that leadership skills and business goals are achieved through the training and development of the employees. To make it more motivating the participants of the training programme are awarded a course completion certificate at a graduation ceremony which is held after the completion of the training programme. Critical Review on Training at Mobilink: A lot of effort is put by Mobilink in Training its human resource. Organization has clear policies regarding training needs assessment and procedure for each type of training offered. Training is compulsory for some people in the organization; however, it is on offer for everyone working at Mobilink. A person in the finance department is always welcomed by HR department for Customer service training. A number of training methods are practiced at Mobilink like conflict management training, supervisory skills training etc. with the help of best in the business. Saying all that training basically seems to be for the managers and supervisors but not for the lower level employees. There seems to be a need to increase training efforts focused to this group. Chapter 6: PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL SYSTEM: Policies at Mobilink for Performance Appraisal: Objectives: The purpose of this policy is to provide a formal review program to evaluate work performance and to promote communication and discussion of job performance. The intent of these discussions should be to review current job performance and responsibilities, set goals, and discuss future opportunities with reference to past performance at Mobilink. The Objectives of the Performance Review Program are: o To measure work performance o To motivate and assist employees in improving their performance and achieving their personal/professional career goals o To identify employees with high potential for advancement o To provide objective information for making decisions on salary increases, promotions, bonus and transfers. o To identify employees training and development o To provide a solid path for career planning for each individual Frequency of the Performance Review: Informal performance discussions should be conducted frequently as and when the need arises. These discussions will provide the basis for an objective summarization of performance during formal Performance Reviews and allow more time for discussing future plans and organizational as well as personal objectives. The supervisor is encouraged to make notes on pertinent points discussed and to place those notes in the employee’s personnel file. Formal written performance reviews will be conducted with all employees annually. Notification along with Performance Evaluation Forms will be sent from the Human Resources Department in advance with the scheduled performance evaluation date. All employees will be reviewed at least once at confirmation. Therefore, Performance Reviews will be held on an annual basis from the date of hiring or more often if desirable to do so. The supervisor will receive notification of the scheduled review period from the Human Resources Department. Policy guidelines: The performance appraisal is done on an annual / basis (from January 1st to December 31st). Every employee should know what is expected from him / her through direct supervisors. He / She should participate in agree with the goals objectives set by himself / herself in accordance with the Company’s business plans objective goals. Everyone should have the opportunity to perform develop according to the set objectives agreed upon duties. He / she should also expect self-assessment and take actions to develop his / her competency level increase his / her participation in the achievement of the Company’s objectives. To ensure openness, consistency objectivity, the agreed competency framework covering all aspects of the job should be used as the basis for performance planning appraisals. Accordingly, it should be well known clear for both the Employee and the Manager covered. Department Heads Managers involved in performance appraisals should be well trained familiar with the applied performance appraisal system the appraisal interviewing techniques. The performance evaluation program requires that an annual meeting be held with each employee; however, Coaching, Counselling and Guidance must be an on-going process for the desired improvement and development to be achieved. To give a chance to Subordinates to evaluate their seniors a 360 Degree Evaluation will be conducted at the time of the Performance Evaluation. Performance Appraisal Forms: The performance appraisal forms will be filled once in a year to get a clear picture of the employee performance. Practices at Mobilink for Performance Appraisal System: Mobilink conducts performance appraisal in order to evaluate their employee’s current performance or past performance relative to company’s performance standards. Mobilink try to adapt the performance appraisal in which their employees understood what his or her performance standards were and that the supervisor also provides the employee with feed back, development, and incentives required to help the person eliminate performance deficiencies or to continue to perform above par. There are many performance appraisal methods. Mobilink uses the computerized performance appraisal method. In Mobilink the performance appraisal of employees is conducted in December. The Mobilink HR department has developed a performance appraisal sheet and has downloaded it on the intranet of Mobilink so that the supervisor performs the evaluation of the employees. When the supervisor completes the evaluation, he will send the performance appraisal sheet to the employee for the affirmation with the ideas of the supervisor if the employee does not agree with the supervisor he will not sign the PA sheet. When the last date of submission of PA sheet is passed then the HR department asks the supervisor and the employee about the problem and resolves the problem. Critical Review on Performance Appraisal: Online 360 degree approach of performance appraisal is adopted at Mobilink for evaluating employee performance. In the past only 180 Degree approach for performance appraisal was adopted but now 360 Degree is also in action. This is a very supportive strategy by the organization because if an employee is not happy with the evaluation by his supervisor then he has the authority to challenge. There are a number of rewards that are tied to performance appraisals. So, tool applied for performance appraisal justifies itself. Chapter 7: CAREER PLANNING DEVELOPMENT: Mobilink faces much competition in the telecom industry so now they are focusing on career Management of their employees in which they enable the employees to better understand and develop their career skills and interests and to use these skills and interests most effectively both within the company and after they leave the firm. Career planning is the deliberate process through which someone becomes aware of personal skills, interests knowledge, motivation, and other characteristics; acquires information about other opportunities and choices; identifies career related goals and establishes action plans to attain specific goals. Career development is the lifelong series of activities (such as workshops) that contributes to a person career exploration, establishment, and success ad fulfillment. Mobilink gives promotion of their employees on the performance basis. The Mobilink HR department develops the employee’s career development plans in which the HR department predicts the next logical step for their employees within five years. Critical Review: Importance of Career planning in today’s competitive world is as important as any other HR function. Retaining your valuable Human resource today is one of the biggest challenges that organizations are facing. So, HR needs to come up with new strategies. Career planning and development is one of the basic tool and strategy organizations are using for retaining their employees. This function actually makes employees feel that they are important to the organization and Mobilink wants them to be at the top in their careers. However, at Mobilink this function is not fully performed or we should say this function is not performed satisfactorily. There are some policies on these but those are not recognized that well. One point of policy is found along with the compensation other with the recruitment. There should have been separate head for these policies. As far as the practices are concerned, all the employees were reluctant to talk about this during our interview. However, what we analyzed is that career development is practiced but not that openly. Specially, in case if some employee is considering of joining the competitor’s firm. If such is a case then organization has discipline policies for that even. Chapter 8: Rewards System: Policies on Reward system at Mobilink: There is a list of policies regarding the reward system at Mobilink. It offers both kinds of rewards: Intrinsic and Extrinsic. Following are the main reward related policies: SALARY Objectives: The purpose of this policy is to have salaries subject for review in January of each calendar year in the light of merit and inflation. An employee, who is employed on a job with title and specifications, will receive compensation that is relevant to field experience matching with approved salary structure of his / her position. Policy Guidelines: The Company will pay salaries of the employees and all other amounts due to them during office hours and on the job site as follows: All New Employees have to open bank accounts in specified banks prescribed by the Company so that their salary will be credited at the end of each month. Upon termination of service (end of service), the employee will receive his / her salary within 15 working days up to the time of date of his / her last working day. Upon resignation, the employee will be paid his / her dues during a maximum period of 15 working days from the date he / she left the job. Salary Administration Program: Salary Objective: The salary administration program is designed to meet the following objectives: 1. Attract retain the services of competent qualified employees. 2. Provide fair and equitable compensation to each employee and to ensure that the value of each job relative to all other jobs within the Company is established and maintained on a fair and equitable basis. 3. Provide annual performance appraisal for employees to improve their job performance and to encourage them to aspire for promotions to jobs with greater responsibilities i. e. fairly compensate employees based on individual accomplishments and annual performance appraisals. 4. Ensure that salaries are competitive and in line with salary levels that prevail in the industry. 5. Instill employee confidence in the Company’s compensation policies and practices. Salary Outline: The â€Å"Basics† of the salary administration program can be summarized in the following manner; o The VP Human Resources Administration and the concerned Department Head will analyze each job classification. o The HR Department determines an appropriate salary range in relation to similar jobs at other well respected companies (salary survey). o The HR Department will analyze each job and assign a job code, hire rate, minimum, mid and maximum point rate. (Salary Structure) o The HR Department will prepare the salary structure to be reviewed and approved by the Director VP HR. Salary Scale: Each job is assigned a minimum salary, established according to the salary survey results, which specifies the minimum salary that may be paid to incumbents in each job. Minimum through maximum scales is built on a system of mathematical calculations to allow for overlapping between levels as a result of salary, merit or promotional increase. Setting Starting Salaries: Objective: To ensure that each employee is given the starting salary of the title level in which his / her position and experience fall. Also to ensure that consideration is given to past experience and qualifications when setting starting salaries Factors to be put into consideration for setting salaries within the range determined by the departmental Head the HR department The starting salary offered to new candidates by Mobilink will be dependent on two factors: The particular job level for which the job offer is being made. The candidate’s education, experience, qualifications as compared to the minimum qualifications required by the job specification and prevailing industry rates. Salary Administration Procedures: Human Resource Department: Prepare all documentations and their summary affecting salaries, and forward payroll section for processing that includes: o Recruits, transferees o Promotion and increments o Allowances, bonuses and incentives o Discipline o Review the all documents affecting salaries. o Entry of all salaries based on Salary, allowances, deductions and commissions. Besides there are other intrinsic and extrinsic awards that leads towards one objective only and that is: To compensate employee sufficiently so that he may be motivated and constitutes an integral part of Human resource of organization. Other intrinsic and extrinsic rewards include: Medical care Life insurance Vacations Relocation Credit advance policyprovident policy/advance against provident fund and acapping of gratuity EOI Recreation Club Policy Travel Education assistance policy Mobile phone Business mobile phone policy Official Balckberry Poicy Practices on Reward systems at Mobilink: Policies regarding the reward systems are practiced quite strictly at mobilink. Employees are paid when they are supposed to pay. Other rewards are also fast but they are mostly tenure based rather than performance based. In policies it is mentioned that the rewards are totally performance based. However, this policy is not that much followed strictly. Rewards are mostly determined by the organizational membership and seniority rather then by performance. Promotion is given on the basis of performance, as well as tenure. Critical Review: Reward system at Mobilink is quite complicate. The reason for this is that there are many intrinsic and extrinsic, direct and indirect, compensating and non-compensating rewards. There is even a department that looks after the motivational aspect of the employees. How motivation level of employees can be kept to a level so that they can be more productive. PMO (Project management office) introduces many club memberships, game shows, lunch arrangement and many more for employee to be motivated. Similarly, there are special achievement awards at each individual level. Then there are even team awards, department awards and division awards. One thing to mention is criteria for rewards. As mentioned earlier in policies, rewards are performance based. But this is true only in case of achievement awards, group awards etc. If we observe basic pays and increments then those are not performance based. Those are more of tenure based. Mobilink does say that all rewards are performance based. However, it is not the case in practice. Chapter 8: OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY MEASURES: There is no need for such measures at Mobilink as maximum jobs do not expose you to the health hazards and are not such that require safety measures. However, there is a tendency of being safe in every human and that shows when you visit some Mobilink officer to meet someone of a high designation level. You need to fulfill various safety measures. HOW WELL THESE POLICIES AND PRACTICES ARE ACHIEVING THE ORGANIZATIONAL GOALS? Well the answer is simple. Policies are going pretty well. Numerically, I can say more than 90%. How? Well because these are being practices in the same manner as was expected during the policy formulation time. Moreover, see the results. Mobilink is considered to have the best HR in Pakistan and they have retained this edge. So, it’s so obvious that all overall policies are good and they are also being followed exactly the same way as required to achieve organizational goals. CONCLUSION: To conclude Mobilink has a strong HR system. That is the reason we didn’t found much discrepancies in what management says, what policies state and what employees say. 90 % of the times they were same. There are some minor discrepancies but they are adjustable with little effort. RECOMMENDATIONS: Mobilink has a strong HR system. That is the reason we didn’t found much discrepancies in what management says, what policies state and what employees say. 90 % of the times they were same. However, there were some discrepancies that need attention and their adjustment can make this HR system best in Pakistan. Following are some of the recommendations based on those discrepancies: 1. Human resource department is not fully authorized to take all the decisions. Though HR department claims to have the overall management of the company but that actually is not the case. There are many HR decisions that are taken by the other department. So, there should be a clear delegation of authority regarding decision making for HR department. 2. One thing we observed during our project was that employees were not aware of the in depth policies. The main reason that we have understood for this is their lack of knowledge about policies formulation. Employees are not encouraged to give suggestions in policy formulation. So, our suggestion is that employees should be consulted while policy formulation stage. 3. Benefits and rewards are too complicated for anyone to understand. Though there are many of these but most of employees even have not information as to for what benefit they can go for. So, Mobilink should simplify its reward system for its employees to understand well. 4. The decision making is delegated to managers with goals set for each term promotion, hiring and firing is virtually in the immediate boss’s hand. This practice can cause disharmony among employees for power. Team based structure (like the one at PMO) should be preferred in all departments 5. Mobilink pursues Zero-tolerance policy for disciplinary actions. This is good but not in all cases. Mobilink should look towards its discipline polices and try to be a bit more lenient. 6. Mobilink HR lacks in terms of career planning and development. This important function of HR does not have recognition in Policies’ statement. Mobilink should have a look at this. 7. Mobilink uses only policy specified sources for recruitment which are only 5. In this way it can loose some potential applicants that can be asset to organizations, just because they were not well communicated. So, Mobilink should increase its recruitment sources. During an HR specialist interview, we posed the same question and the answer was â€Å"that’s what policy says; on ground level we do use as many sources as possible†. If this is the case then our recommendation is that Mobilink should adjust its policy accordingly. Formulation of HR policies Company’s HR strategies Formulation of HR practices Company’s Strategic Plan Organizational Performance Company’s Internal Strengths and Weaknesses Company’s Strategic Situation Mobilink’s Competitive Environment Economic, Political, Demographic, Competitive and Technological Trends