“Hope” Is the Thing with Feathers: Emily Dickinson

Hannah Hulvey English II Balint 22 April, 2013 â€Å"Hope† is the thing with feathers: Emily Dickinson In this poem, Emily is saying how nature is divided or basically, she employs images from nature for contrasting purposes. In this poem nature is both beneficent and destructive. The division is made between the image of the bird and the images of threatening storms and hostile environments. This split corresponds to a separation between inside and outside, between interior and exterior spaces.The major theme of this poem is that Dickinson is comparing the hope in the soul with a bird. The bird never stops singing. So should we keep singing our songs, our poems, our prose. Even the roughest storms can't keep the bird from its singing. Nor should we let our own storms, our personal disappointments like deaths of family and friends, stop us. The poem uses a bird as a symbol to define the feeling that hope can give an individual. In the first stanza, Dickinson tell the reader th at â€Å"Hope is the thing with feathers .That perches in the soul. and sings the tune-without the words. And never stops at all. † In other words, hope is part of a spirit that lives in all of us. The uplifting feel of hope comes naturally and stays with us. A series of words in the second and third stanzas â€Å"sore,† â€Å"storm,† â€Å"chillest,† â€Å"Extremity† combine to evince a different side of nature, as dangerous and threatening. Here the sense is of an exterior space, wild and unprotected.Dickinson tells us, the tune the bird sings is â€Å"sweetest,† suggesting both that it is the most comforting thing heard amid the noise of the storm, and that, while the tune is sweet when it is heard while one is safe, it is sweetest when one is in danger. If we look at â€Å"‘Hope’ Is the Thing with Feathers† in terms of Dickinson’s life, we can perhaps read a commentary on her withdrawal from the world. Dickinso n turned inward into herself and shut out the world, and she suggests that inside it is peaceful and secure, while outside it is hostile and dangerous. And how does this describe my life?

Organisational Behaviour

CONTENT Introduction†¦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‚¬ ¦1 Trends affecting the workplace †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦2 The changing workforce†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 2 Workplace value and ethics †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 4 Interview outcome †¦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‚¬ ¦. 5 Research outcome†¦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‚¬ ¦.. 6 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‚¬ ¦.. 8 Reference list†¦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‚¬ ¦.. 9 Appendix A†¦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‚¬ ¦ 10 Appendix B†¦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‚¬ ¦ 11 Introduction Organizational behaviour knowledge is very important for everyone. It not only benefits a person as an individual, but also influences organization events. There are five organizational behaviour trends in the workplace: globalization, the changing workforce, evolving employment relationships, virtual work, and workplace values and ethics. In this essay, we will talk about two of them which are the changing workforce and workplace values and ethics. For the changing workforce, as Mcshane and Travaglione (2007) said there are primary and secondary dimensions of workforce diversity. And those diversities can present both opportunities and challenges in organization. Workplace values and ethics is a significant part of organizational behaviour trends. It can dictate people’s priorities, preferences and desires’ (Mcshane & Travaglione 2007, p 13). In order to understand these two trends better, I interviewed a manager who has six years work experience in Seven-Eleven store. During this face-to face interview, some relevant questions were asked. And the research result is quite helpful. Trends affecting the workplace 1. The cha nging workforce With the development of globalisation, workforce diversity has become one of the most important trends that affect the workforce. People who work in the same workplace may have different religion, education and work experience. And those diversities can bring opportunities and challenges to an organization. Racial diversity Ethnic and racial diversity in the workplace is a core value in organization. For example, Canada is a diverse country with a number of ethnic groups. Visible minorities account for 10 per cent of the Canadian population in 1995 and this figure is expected to double by 2015 (Demers, cite in Seymen 2006). Furthermore, Atiyyah (cited in Seymen 2006)in his work, concentrates on workforce diversity which is composed of Americans, Europeans, mainly Asian countries such as India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Iran and Persian Gulf countries. Today,with globalisation increasingly happening , majority of organisation have seen multicultural background employees as a important part of success in this highly diversified society. The advantage of having a multi cultural group of employees in an organization is it broadens an organization’s view as they exchange ideas and opinions, working towards making a better and more effective business decision. However a diversified organization also has its disadvantage. One of the problems to overcome is cross-cultural communication. For members of different culture, they interpret certain words, actions or signals differently. As Karoc-kakabadse and kouzmin (2001) highlights that different cultures have different understanding regarding the interaction process and the different style of dialogues. Some misunderstanding could occur due to different interpretation and cause workplace disagreements Therefore in a diversified environment, it is important to practice cultural awareness as to avoid misinterpretation which could lead to unproductive working attitudes within an organization. Women in workforce Compare to the many years ago, woman in the workforce have increased intensively. Women have proven to be better at managing staff in an organization as they are more people-orientated. As Mcshane and Travaglione (2007) suggest that compared to male managers, woman managers are more relationship orientated and adopt a stronger emphasis on teams and employee involvement. However in many occasion, woman have stronger family commitment compared to men. Therefore higher percentages of main position in organization are mostly men. On the other hand, woman have been increasingly joining the workforce as many organization have better working conditions offered to woman such as longer maternity leave and in some organizations, childcare services are introduced to help woman return to the workforce after childbirth. Generational diversity Generational diversity could present opportunities as well as challenges in an organization(Mcshane & Travaglione 2007). Basically, generation X and generation Y has different work values as generation X go for job security while generation Y goes more for job satisfaction, status and social involvement(Cinnamo & Gardner 2008). By understanding generational diversity, it could help to identify employees’ needs, in turn managers or employers could come up with organization policies that matches those needs which could result in better job satisfaction and also low employee turnover. Employee turnover disadvantages an organisation as recruitment cost time, effort and money. And retaining employees with experiences, and training employees giving them more skills could in turn help the organization reach greater heights. Advantages of generational diversity could be improved decision making and team performance on complex tasks. In a diverse society, a diverse workforce would provide a better customer service too. This is one of the reasons why some organizations choose employees of diversified backgrounds and generations. 2Workplace value and ethics Importance of values in workplace McDonald and Zepp (2007) define values as the embodiment of what an organization stands for, and should be the basis for the behaviour of its members. Value and ethics guide employees’ actions, behaviours and making decisions. The influence of family, religion , community will determine individual values, Within an organization, when employees have clash of values , It becomes very difficult for them to work together , therefore having a set of organization work policy is very important , it defines the appropriate ethics and values that employees should have. With increasing cultural diversity these days, it is very important to find shared values that majority in an organization believe in, to promote harmony and also increase efficiency as they work together. However due to society diversity, ethical conflict could occur. As Wartick and Wood (1998) defines ethical conflicts as dissonances among principles of right among principles of wrong. At a workplace, it is common to come across ethical conflict whereby both parties reckon they are right in their own way, making decision to the benefit of the organisation. In this situation, conflict resolution comes in, where they should together and put their differences aside, and come up with an ideal solution. Corporate social responsibility Corporate social responsible is the organization’s moral obligation towards all of its stakeholders. Otherwise as Kotler and Lee (2005) define corporate responsible is a commitment to improve community well-being through discretionary business practices and contributions of corporate resources. This refers to a voluntary commitment a business is making in choosing an implementing these practices rather than mandated by law or by other ethical issues. Big organizations like Westpac and McDonalds practice corporate social responsible. First and foremost, due to their finance ability, and also to its massive marketing campaigns which due to influences the public. According to Macdonald CSR report 2007, over the years, they have been involved in caring for the environment, contribution to the Australian economy, practicing food safety and responsible marketing, and also giving scholarship and grants to children. In recent years, organizations are no longer after just profit-making, corporate social responsible is getting more and more businesses attention. Interview outcome In order to under to understand these two trends better, a manager of Severn-Eleven who has six year experience has been interviewed. During the face-to-face interview, ten relevant questions were asked. Here is the interview outcome. The changing workforce a) What do you think is changing workforce? I think changing workforce is the replacement of skilled labour, and training employees when the situation is required. b) Do you think the changing workforce is important in the workplace? Yes. I think it is important in a workplace. c) Why do you think it is/or is not? With demands around us constantly changing, it is important for us to prepare ourselves with skills, knowledge that is needed to cope with these changes. If not it will be difficult for our business to compete in this harsh and competitive environment. d) What factors do you think can affect the changing workforce? Technology advance could affect the changing workforce. e) Is there cultural diversity within your employees? Why yes/no? Yes, I employ a mixture of races of employees within my organsation, and they get along pretty well. I chose employees from different background mainly because of the multi-cultural environment we have in Victoria, and also the ideas they be able to exchange as they work together. Workplace values and ethics a) What do you think are ethical values? Ethical values are what one think is right or wrong and it guides one’s actions. For example, here in 7-Eleven ethical principles are those tell the truth, take complaints seriously, treat customers and employees fairly and so on. b) Do you think ethical values are important in the workplace? Yes, it is important. ) Why do you think they are/or are not? They provide behaviour rules that can control one’s thoughts and actions. They can affect one’s decision making and organization’s operation. d) What factors do you think have affected the way we think about ethical behaviour at work? It may be past work experience, cultural practices and family influences. e) Do you think people’s ethical behaviour at wo rk is affected by what their colleagues or superiors are doing? Yes, as the working environment of a person could directly affect a person’s decision and actions. Research outcome According to this interview, it is evident that employers find the need for employees continue acquiring skills to keep up with the changing workforce. As technology advances, it increases challenges in the workplace. For example machines and computers replacing human labour. Uren (2009) stated during recession, women, by contrast, have done better in the services sector of the economy, which is not as severely affected by recessions as manufacturing. As intangible service can only be provide by human labour. When equipped with skills, it is not difficult to cope with the changing workforce. Generally there is agreement about the trends compared to the interview results as the employer interviewed emphasized about inquiring new skills, and also supports cultural diversity within her chosen employees. Upon entering an organisation, ethics and value do affect an employee’s attitude and judgment, however his or her values could be shaped by religion, family upbringing, past experiences, therefore it is something hard to change. Corporate social responsibility educates and affects not only the organisation’s external environment; it affects the internal environment as well. Employees could learn proper way ethics on the way, as the organisation carry out campaigns, and it could guide the employees, giving them the ability and knowledge to help the public and needy and cutting down on environmental harm. Upon reflecting, the results we have got from the interview were useful and also highlight the importance of the changing workforce and ethics and values in organsations. We would have a better idea of what to expect when u enter the workforce. My new knowledge would influence me to develop cultural awareness in this multi-cultural environment, and also to keep up with changes, by learning new skills on the way. Conclusion From the above literature review, we could conclude that generational and cultural diversity may not be a bad thing, it broadens employees’ views and prospects, allows them to exchange ideas and interact , bringing out better opportunities in the global market. However, there are its short-comings, like ethics and value conflict and also cross-cultural communication problems. These could lead to major issue like misinterpretation of information and employee conflicts, which could affect employee’s performance and productivity. In recent years, there are increasing women joining the workforce, furthermore, occupying main position in organisation. In some situations, women have proved to be better managers than men, as they use a more interactive style of management, and more sensitive to employee’s needs. When employees’ needs are fulfill, they are more likely to feel job satisfaction. Corporation social responsible are getting more organization attention and participation as it provides marketing purpose, and also educating the public with minimizing environmental harm and helping the needy. Compared to the past, organisations are not just for making profit, but also responsible to the public. Reference list Cennamo, L and Gardner, D 2008, ‘Generational differences in work values, outcomes and person-organization values fit’, Journal of Managerial Psychology, vol 23, no. 8, pp 891-906. Karoc-Kakabadse, N. and Kouzmin, A. (2001), ‘Low- and high-context communication patterns: towards mapping cross-cultural encounters’, Cross Cultural Management, vol. 8, no. 2, pp. 3-24. Kotler, P and Lee, N, 2005, Corporate social responsibility: doing the most good for your company and your cause, John Wiley and Sons, AUS Mcdonalds, G and Zepp, R 1989, ‘Business ethics: practical proposal’, Journal of Management Development, vol 8, no 1, pp 55-66. McDonald’s 2007, McDonald’s Australia Corporate Social Responsibility Report, McDonald’s, Australia, viewed on 31 Mar 2009. Mcshane, S and Travaglione T, 2007, Organisational Behaviour on the Pacific Rim, 2ed, McGraw-Hill, AUS Seymen, O 2006, ‘The cultural diversity phenomenon in organisations and different approaches for effective cultural diversity management: a literary review’, Cross Culture Management, vol 13, no 4, pp 296-315. Uren, D 2009, ‘One in four workers to go on welfare’, The Australia, 31 Mar, pp, 6. Wartick, S and Wood D, 1998, International business and society, Wiley-Blackwell, US Appendix A Interview Questions The changing workforce a) What do you think is changing workforce? b) Do you think the changing workforce is important in the workplace? c) Why do you think it is/or is not? d) What factors do you think can affect the changing workforce? e) Is there cultural diversity within your employees? Why yes/no? Workplace values and ethics a) What do you think are ethical values? b) Do you think ethical values are important in the workplace? ) Why do you think they are/or are not? d) What factors do you think have affected the way we think about ethical behaviour at work? e) Do you think people’s ethical behaviour at work is affected by what their colleagues or superiors are doing? Appendix B Summary Globalisation has brought challenges and opportunities to the workplace. In th e multi-cultural working environment, there are opportunities to learn more from people from diversified backgrounds, which encourages creativity and exchange of ideas. Challenges could be conflicts due to misinterpretation of message, and also cultural differences. An offensive action or word may not mean to be offensive to another person. Misinterpretation could lead to conflict within the organisation, and unrest in a workplace. Therefore active listening and cultural awareness should be practice in a workplace. Misinterpretation could also lead to inefficiency at work. Changing workforce could be due to technology advance whereby employees should continuously learning skills to cope with the changes. With inappropriate skills, it could lead to inefficient completion of task, and also affects organisation’s productivity. Workplace value and ethics could be a challenge as well, as everyone is different. Different individuals have different values and ethic affecting their decisions and action. Value and ethics of an individual are shaped from past experiences, family upbringing, schooling and religion. Therefore it is something very hard to change. But in a workplace, it is inevitable to work with individuals of different ethics and values. And in serious cases, there could be ethic and value conflicts which could slow down teamwork’s progress. Therefore it is important to always communication and listen to sort the best way out when a problem occur. Corporate social responsibility is getting the attention of many organsations now. Compared to many years ago, organisation now is not just about making profit. They are more concern about environmental harms, people who need help and also responsible marketing and advertising. For example McDonalds which does community work, do clean ups for the environment, discourage wastage, and helping the needy. Most importantly, they engaged in responsible marketing, where they care the food they produce to sell, the health issues and also obesity issues linked to their products. Organisational Behaviour CONTENT Introduction†¦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‚¬ ¦1 Trends affecting the workplace †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦2 The changing workforce†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 2 Workplace value and ethics †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 4 Interview outcome †¦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‚¬ ¦. 5 Research outcome†¦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‚¬ ¦.. 6 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‚¬ ¦.. 8 Reference list†¦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‚¬ ¦.. 9 Appendix A†¦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‚¬ ¦ 10 Appendix B†¦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‚¬ ¦ 11 Introduction Organizational behaviour knowledge is very important for everyone. It not only benefits a person as an individual, but also influences organization events. There are five organizational behaviour trends in the workplace: globalization, the changing workforce, evolving employment relationships, virtual work, and workplace values and ethics. In this essay, we will talk about two of them which are the changing workforce and workplace values and ethics. For the changing workforce, as Mcshane and Travaglione (2007) said there are primary and secondary dimensions of workforce diversity. And those diversities can present both opportunities and challenges in organization. Workplace values and ethics is a significant part of organizational behaviour trends. It can dictate people’s priorities, preferences and desires’ (Mcshane & Travaglione 2007, p 13). In order to understand these two trends better, I interviewed a manager who has six years work experience in Seven-Eleven store. During this face-to face interview, some relevant questions were asked. And the research result is quite helpful. Trends affecting the workplace 1. The cha nging workforce With the development of globalisation, workforce diversity has become one of the most important trends that affect the workforce. People who work in the same workplace may have different religion, education and work experience. And those diversities can bring opportunities and challenges to an organization. Racial diversity Ethnic and racial diversity in the workplace is a core value in organization. For example, Canada is a diverse country with a number of ethnic groups. Visible minorities account for 10 per cent of the Canadian population in 1995 and this figure is expected to double by 2015 (Demers, cite in Seymen 2006). Furthermore, Atiyyah (cited in Seymen 2006)in his work, concentrates on workforce diversity which is composed of Americans, Europeans, mainly Asian countries such as India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Iran and Persian Gulf countries. Today,with globalisation increasingly happening , majority of organisation have seen multicultural background employees as a important part of success in this highly diversified society. The advantage of having a multi cultural group of employees in an organization is it broadens an organization’s view as they exchange ideas and opinions, working towards making a better and more effective business decision. However a diversified organization also has its disadvantage. One of the problems to overcome is cross-cultural communication. For members of different culture, they interpret certain words, actions or signals differently. As Karoc-kakabadse and kouzmin (2001) highlights that different cultures have different understanding regarding the interaction process and the different style of dialogues. Some misunderstanding could occur due to different interpretation and cause workplace disagreements Therefore in a diversified environment, it is important to practice cultural awareness as to avoid misinterpretation which could lead to unproductive working attitudes within an organization. Women in workforce Compare to the many years ago, woman in the workforce have increased intensively. Women have proven to be better at managing staff in an organization as they are more people-orientated. As Mcshane and Travaglione (2007) suggest that compared to male managers, woman managers are more relationship orientated and adopt a stronger emphasis on teams and employee involvement. However in many occasion, woman have stronger family commitment compared to men. Therefore higher percentages of main position in organization are mostly men. On the other hand, woman have been increasingly joining the workforce as many organization have better working conditions offered to woman such as longer maternity leave and in some organizations, childcare services are introduced to help woman return to the workforce after childbirth. Generational diversity Generational diversity could present opportunities as well as challenges in an organization(Mcshane & Travaglione 2007). Basically, generation X and generation Y has different work values as generation X go for job security while generation Y goes more for job satisfaction, status and social involvement(Cinnamo & Gardner 2008). By understanding generational diversity, it could help to identify employees’ needs, in turn managers or employers could come up with organization policies that matches those needs which could result in better job satisfaction and also low employee turnover. Employee turnover disadvantages an organisation as recruitment cost time, effort and money. And retaining employees with experiences, and training employees giving them more skills could in turn help the organization reach greater heights. Advantages of generational diversity could be improved decision making and team performance on complex tasks. In a diverse society, a diverse workforce would provide a better customer service too. This is one of the reasons why some organizations choose employees of diversified backgrounds and generations. 2Workplace value and ethics Importance of values in workplace McDonald and Zepp (2007) define values as the embodiment of what an organization stands for, and should be the basis for the behaviour of its members. Value and ethics guide employees’ actions, behaviours and making decisions. The influence of family, religion , community will determine individual values, Within an organization, when employees have clash of values , It becomes very difficult for them to work together , therefore having a set of organization work policy is very important , it defines the appropriate ethics and values that employees should have. With increasing cultural diversity these days, it is very important to find shared values that majority in an organization believe in, to promote harmony and also increase efficiency as they work together. However due to society diversity, ethical conflict could occur. As Wartick and Wood (1998) defines ethical conflicts as dissonances among principles of right among principles of wrong. At a workplace, it is common to come across ethical conflict whereby both parties reckon they are right in their own way, making decision to the benefit of the organisation. In this situation, conflict resolution comes in, where they should together and put their differences aside, and come up with an ideal solution. Corporate social responsibility Corporate social responsible is the organization’s moral obligation towards all of its stakeholders. Otherwise as Kotler and Lee (2005) define corporate responsible is a commitment to improve community well-being through discretionary business practices and contributions of corporate resources. This refers to a voluntary commitment a business is making in choosing an implementing these practices rather than mandated by law or by other ethical issues. Big organizations like Westpac and McDonalds practice corporate social responsible. First and foremost, due to their finance ability, and also to its massive marketing campaigns which due to influences the public. According to Macdonald CSR report 2007, over the years, they have been involved in caring for the environment, contribution to the Australian economy, practicing food safety and responsible marketing, and also giving scholarship and grants to children. In recent years, organizations are no longer after just profit-making, corporate social responsible is getting more and more businesses attention. Interview outcome In order to under to understand these two trends better, a manager of Severn-Eleven who has six year experience has been interviewed. During the face-to-face interview, ten relevant questions were asked. Here is the interview outcome. The changing workforce a) What do you think is changing workforce? I think changing workforce is the replacement of skilled labour, and training employees when the situation is required. b) Do you think the changing workforce is important in the workplace? Yes. I think it is important in a workplace. c) Why do you think it is/or is not? With demands around us constantly changing, it is important for us to prepare ourselves with skills, knowledge that is needed to cope with these changes. If not it will be difficult for our business to compete in this harsh and competitive environment. d) What factors do you think can affect the changing workforce? Technology advance could affect the changing workforce. e) Is there cultural diversity within your employees? Why yes/no? Yes, I employ a mixture of races of employees within my organsation, and they get along pretty well. I chose employees from different background mainly because of the multi-cultural environment we have in Victoria, and also the ideas they be able to exchange as they work together. Workplace values and ethics a) What do you think are ethical values? Ethical values are what one think is right or wrong and it guides one’s actions. For example, here in 7-Eleven ethical principles are those tell the truth, take complaints seriously, treat customers and employees fairly and so on. b) Do you think ethical values are important in the workplace? Yes, it is important. ) Why do you think they are/or are not? They provide behaviour rules that can control one’s thoughts and actions. They can affect one’s decision making and organization’s operation. d) What factors do you think have affected the way we think about ethical behaviour at work? It may be past work experience, cultural practices and family influences. e) Do you think people’s ethical behaviour at wo rk is affected by what their colleagues or superiors are doing? Yes, as the working environment of a person could directly affect a person’s decision and actions. Research outcome According to this interview, it is evident that employers find the need for employees continue acquiring skills to keep up with the changing workforce. As technology advances, it increases challenges in the workplace. For example machines and computers replacing human labour. Uren (2009) stated during recession, women, by contrast, have done better in the services sector of the economy, which is not as severely affected by recessions as manufacturing. As intangible service can only be provide by human labour. When equipped with skills, it is not difficult to cope with the changing workforce. Generally there is agreement about the trends compared to the interview results as the employer interviewed emphasized about inquiring new skills, and also supports cultural diversity within her chosen employees. Upon entering an organisation, ethics and value do affect an employee’s attitude and judgment, however his or her values could be shaped by religion, family upbringing, past experiences, therefore it is something hard to change. Corporate social responsibility educates and affects not only the organisation’s external environment; it affects the internal environment as well. Employees could learn proper way ethics on the way, as the organisation carry out campaigns, and it could guide the employees, giving them the ability and knowledge to help the public and needy and cutting down on environmental harm. Upon reflecting, the results we have got from the interview were useful and also highlight the importance of the changing workforce and ethics and values in organsations. We would have a better idea of what to expect when u enter the workforce. My new knowledge would influence me to develop cultural awareness in this multi-cultural environment, and also to keep up with changes, by learning new skills on the way. Conclusion From the above literature review, we could conclude that generational and cultural diversity may not be a bad thing, it broadens employees’ views and prospects, allows them to exchange ideas and interact , bringing out better opportunities in the global market. However, there are its short-comings, like ethics and value conflict and also cross-cultural communication problems. These could lead to major issue like misinterpretation of information and employee conflicts, which could affect employee’s performance and productivity. In recent years, there are increasing women joining the workforce, furthermore, occupying main position in organisation. In some situations, women have proved to be better managers than men, as they use a more interactive style of management, and more sensitive to employee’s needs. When employees’ needs are fulfill, they are more likely to feel job satisfaction. Corporation social responsible are getting more organization attention and participation as it provides marketing purpose, and also educating the public with minimizing environmental harm and helping the needy. Compared to the past, organisations are not just for making profit, but also responsible to the public. Reference list Cennamo, L and Gardner, D 2008, ‘Generational differences in work values, outcomes and person-organization values fit’, Journal of Managerial Psychology, vol 23, no. 8, pp 891-906. Karoc-Kakabadse, N. and Kouzmin, A. (2001), ‘Low- and high-context communication patterns: towards mapping cross-cultural encounters’, Cross Cultural Management, vol. 8, no. 2, pp. 3-24. Kotler, P and Lee, N, 2005, Corporate social responsibility: doing the most good for your company and your cause, John Wiley and Sons, AUS Mcdonalds, G and Zepp, R 1989, ‘Business ethics: practical proposal’, Journal of Management Development, vol 8, no 1, pp 55-66. McDonald’s 2007, McDonald’s Australia Corporate Social Responsibility Report, McDonald’s, Australia, viewed on 31 Mar 2009. Mcshane, S and Travaglione T, 2007, Organisational Behaviour on the Pacific Rim, 2ed, McGraw-Hill, AUS Seymen, O 2006, ‘The cultural diversity phenomenon in organisations and different approaches for effective cultural diversity management: a literary review’, Cross Culture Management, vol 13, no 4, pp 296-315. Uren, D 2009, ‘One in four workers to go on welfare’, The Australia, 31 Mar, pp, 6. Wartick, S and Wood D, 1998, International business and society, Wiley-Blackwell, US Appendix A Interview Questions The changing workforce a) What do you think is changing workforce? b) Do you think the changing workforce is important in the workplace? c) Why do you think it is/or is not? d) What factors do you think can affect the changing workforce? e) Is there cultural diversity within your employees? Why yes/no? Workplace values and ethics a) What do you think are ethical values? b) Do you think ethical values are important in the workplace? ) Why do you think they are/or are not? d) What factors do you think have affected the way we think about ethical behaviour at work? e) Do you think people’s ethical behaviour at work is affected by what their colleagues or superiors are doing? Appendix B Summary Globalisation has brought challenges and opportunities to the workplace. In th e multi-cultural working environment, there are opportunities to learn more from people from diversified backgrounds, which encourages creativity and exchange of ideas. Challenges could be conflicts due to misinterpretation of message, and also cultural differences. An offensive action or word may not mean to be offensive to another person. Misinterpretation could lead to conflict within the organisation, and unrest in a workplace. Therefore active listening and cultural awareness should be practice in a workplace. Misinterpretation could also lead to inefficiency at work. Changing workforce could be due to technology advance whereby employees should continuously learning skills to cope with the changes. With inappropriate skills, it could lead to inefficient completion of task, and also affects organisation’s productivity. Workplace value and ethics could be a challenge as well, as everyone is different. Different individuals have different values and ethic affecting their decisions and action. Value and ethics of an individual are shaped from past experiences, family upbringing, schooling and religion. Therefore it is something very hard to change. But in a workplace, it is inevitable to work with individuals of different ethics and values. And in serious cases, there could be ethic and value conflicts which could slow down teamwork’s progress. Therefore it is important to always communication and listen to sort the best way out when a problem occur. Corporate social responsibility is getting the attention of many organsations now. Compared to many years ago, organisation now is not just about making profit. They are more concern about environmental harms, people who need help and also responsible marketing and advertising. For example McDonalds which does community work, do clean ups for the environment, discourage wastage, and helping the needy. Most importantly, they engaged in responsible marketing, where they care the food they produce to sell, the health issues and also obesity issues linked to their products. Organisational Behaviour CONTENT Introduction†¦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‚¬ ¦1 Trends affecting the workplace †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦2 The changing workforce†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 2 Workplace value and ethics †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 4 Interview outcome †¦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‚¬ ¦. 5 Research outcome†¦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‚¬ ¦.. 6 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‚¬ ¦.. 8 Reference list†¦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‚¬ ¦.. 9 Appendix A†¦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‚¬ ¦ 10 Appendix B†¦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‚¬ ¦ 11 Introduction Organizational behaviour knowledge is very important for everyone. It not only benefits a person as an individual, but also influences organization events. There are five organizational behaviour trends in the workplace: globalization, the changing workforce, evolving employment relationships, virtual work, and workplace values and ethics. In this essay, we will talk about two of them which are the changing workforce and workplace values and ethics. For the changing workforce, as Mcshane and Travaglione (2007) said there are primary and secondary dimensions of workforce diversity. And those diversities can present both opportunities and challenges in organization. Workplace values and ethics is a significant part of organizational behaviour trends. It can dictate people’s priorities, preferences and desires’ (Mcshane & Travaglione 2007, p 13). In order to understand these two trends better, I interviewed a manager who has six years work experience in Seven-Eleven store. During this face-to face interview, some relevant questions were asked. And the research result is quite helpful. Trends affecting the workplace 1. The cha nging workforce With the development of globalisation, workforce diversity has become one of the most important trends that affect the workforce. People who work in the same workplace may have different religion, education and work experience. And those diversities can bring opportunities and challenges to an organization. Racial diversity Ethnic and racial diversity in the workplace is a core value in organization. For example, Canada is a diverse country with a number of ethnic groups. Visible minorities account for 10 per cent of the Canadian population in 1995 and this figure is expected to double by 2015 (Demers, cite in Seymen 2006). Furthermore, Atiyyah (cited in Seymen 2006)in his work, concentrates on workforce diversity which is composed of Americans, Europeans, mainly Asian countries such as India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Iran and Persian Gulf countries. Today,with globalisation increasingly happening , majority of organisation have seen multicultural background employees as a important part of success in this highly diversified society. The advantage of having a multi cultural group of employees in an organization is it broadens an organization’s view as they exchange ideas and opinions, working towards making a better and more effective business decision. However a diversified organization also has its disadvantage. One of the problems to overcome is cross-cultural communication. For members of different culture, they interpret certain words, actions or signals differently. As Karoc-kakabadse and kouzmin (2001) highlights that different cultures have different understanding regarding the interaction process and the different style of dialogues. Some misunderstanding could occur due to different interpretation and cause workplace disagreements Therefore in a diversified environment, it is important to practice cultural awareness as to avoid misinterpretation which could lead to unproductive working attitudes within an organization. Women in workforce Compare to the many years ago, woman in the workforce have increased intensively. Women have proven to be better at managing staff in an organization as they are more people-orientated. As Mcshane and Travaglione (2007) suggest that compared to male managers, woman managers are more relationship orientated and adopt a stronger emphasis on teams and employee involvement. However in many occasion, woman have stronger family commitment compared to men. Therefore higher percentages of main position in organization are mostly men. On the other hand, woman have been increasingly joining the workforce as many organization have better working conditions offered to woman such as longer maternity leave and in some organizations, childcare services are introduced to help woman return to the workforce after childbirth. Generational diversity Generational diversity could present opportunities as well as challenges in an organization(Mcshane & Travaglione 2007). Basically, generation X and generation Y has different work values as generation X go for job security while generation Y goes more for job satisfaction, status and social involvement(Cinnamo & Gardner 2008). By understanding generational diversity, it could help to identify employees’ needs, in turn managers or employers could come up with organization policies that matches those needs which could result in better job satisfaction and also low employee turnover. Employee turnover disadvantages an organisation as recruitment cost time, effort and money. And retaining employees with experiences, and training employees giving them more skills could in turn help the organization reach greater heights. Advantages of generational diversity could be improved decision making and team performance on complex tasks. In a diverse society, a diverse workforce would provide a better customer service too. This is one of the reasons why some organizations choose employees of diversified backgrounds and generations. 2Workplace value and ethics Importance of values in workplace McDonald and Zepp (2007) define values as the embodiment of what an organization stands for, and should be the basis for the behaviour of its members. Value and ethics guide employees’ actions, behaviours and making decisions. The influence of family, religion , community will determine individual values, Within an organization, when employees have clash of values , It becomes very difficult for them to work together , therefore having a set of organization work policy is very important , it defines the appropriate ethics and values that employees should have. With increasing cultural diversity these days, it is very important to find shared values that majority in an organization believe in, to promote harmony and also increase efficiency as they work together. However due to society diversity, ethical conflict could occur. As Wartick and Wood (1998) defines ethical conflicts as dissonances among principles of right among principles of wrong. At a workplace, it is common to come across ethical conflict whereby both parties reckon they are right in their own way, making decision to the benefit of the organisation. In this situation, conflict resolution comes in, where they should together and put their differences aside, and come up with an ideal solution. Corporate social responsibility Corporate social responsible is the organization’s moral obligation towards all of its stakeholders. Otherwise as Kotler and Lee (2005) define corporate responsible is a commitment to improve community well-being through discretionary business practices and contributions of corporate resources. This refers to a voluntary commitment a business is making in choosing an implementing these practices rather than mandated by law or by other ethical issues. Big organizations like Westpac and McDonalds practice corporate social responsible. First and foremost, due to their finance ability, and also to its massive marketing campaigns which due to influences the public. According to Macdonald CSR report 2007, over the years, they have been involved in caring for the environment, contribution to the Australian economy, practicing food safety and responsible marketing, and also giving scholarship and grants to children. In recent years, organizations are no longer after just profit-making, corporate social responsible is getting more and more businesses attention. Interview outcome In order to under to understand these two trends better, a manager of Severn-Eleven who has six year experience has been interviewed. During the face-to-face interview, ten relevant questions were asked. Here is the interview outcome. The changing workforce a) What do you think is changing workforce? I think changing workforce is the replacement of skilled labour, and training employees when the situation is required. b) Do you think the changing workforce is important in the workplace? Yes. I think it is important in a workplace. c) Why do you think it is/or is not? With demands around us constantly changing, it is important for us to prepare ourselves with skills, knowledge that is needed to cope with these changes. If not it will be difficult for our business to compete in this harsh and competitive environment. d) What factors do you think can affect the changing workforce? Technology advance could affect the changing workforce. e) Is there cultural diversity within your employees? Why yes/no? Yes, I employ a mixture of races of employees within my organsation, and they get along pretty well. I chose employees from different background mainly because of the multi-cultural environment we have in Victoria, and also the ideas they be able to exchange as they work together. Workplace values and ethics a) What do you think are ethical values? Ethical values are what one think is right or wrong and it guides one’s actions. For example, here in 7-Eleven ethical principles are those tell the truth, take complaints seriously, treat customers and employees fairly and so on. b) Do you think ethical values are important in the workplace? Yes, it is important. ) Why do you think they are/or are not? They provide behaviour rules that can control one’s thoughts and actions. They can affect one’s decision making and organization’s operation. d) What factors do you think have affected the way we think about ethical behaviour at work? It may be past work experience, cultural practices and family influences. e) Do you think people’s ethical behaviour at wo rk is affected by what their colleagues or superiors are doing? Yes, as the working environment of a person could directly affect a person’s decision and actions. Research outcome According to this interview, it is evident that employers find the need for employees continue acquiring skills to keep up with the changing workforce. As technology advances, it increases challenges in the workplace. For example machines and computers replacing human labour. Uren (2009) stated during recession, women, by contrast, have done better in the services sector of the economy, which is not as severely affected by recessions as manufacturing. As intangible service can only be provide by human labour. When equipped with skills, it is not difficult to cope with the changing workforce. Generally there is agreement about the trends compared to the interview results as the employer interviewed emphasized about inquiring new skills, and also supports cultural diversity within her chosen employees. Upon entering an organisation, ethics and value do affect an employee’s attitude and judgment, however his or her values could be shaped by religion, family upbringing, past experiences, therefore it is something hard to change. Corporate social responsibility educates and affects not only the organisation’s external environment; it affects the internal environment as well. Employees could learn proper way ethics on the way, as the organisation carry out campaigns, and it could guide the employees, giving them the ability and knowledge to help the public and needy and cutting down on environmental harm. Upon reflecting, the results we have got from the interview were useful and also highlight the importance of the changing workforce and ethics and values in organsations. We would have a better idea of what to expect when u enter the workforce. My new knowledge would influence me to develop cultural awareness in this multi-cultural environment, and also to keep up with changes, by learning new skills on the way. Conclusion From the above literature review, we could conclude that generational and cultural diversity may not be a bad thing, it broadens employees’ views and prospects, allows them to exchange ideas and interact , bringing out better opportunities in the global market. However, there are its short-comings, like ethics and value conflict and also cross-cultural communication problems. These could lead to major issue like misinterpretation of information and employee conflicts, which could affect employee’s performance and productivity. In recent years, there are increasing women joining the workforce, furthermore, occupying main position in organisation. In some situations, women have proved to be better managers than men, as they use a more interactive style of management, and more sensitive to employee’s needs. When employees’ needs are fulfill, they are more likely to feel job satisfaction. Corporation social responsible are getting more organization attention and participation as it provides marketing purpose, and also educating the public with minimizing environmental harm and helping the needy. Compared to the past, organisations are not just for making profit, but also responsible to the public. Reference list Cennamo, L and Gardner, D 2008, ‘Generational differences in work values, outcomes and person-organization values fit’, Journal of Managerial Psychology, vol 23, no. 8, pp 891-906. Karoc-Kakabadse, N. and Kouzmin, A. (2001), ‘Low- and high-context communication patterns: towards mapping cross-cultural encounters’, Cross Cultural Management, vol. 8, no. 2, pp. 3-24. Kotler, P and Lee, N, 2005, Corporate social responsibility: doing the most good for your company and your cause, John Wiley and Sons, AUS Mcdonalds, G and Zepp, R 1989, ‘Business ethics: practical proposal’, Journal of Management Development, vol 8, no 1, pp 55-66. McDonald’s 2007, McDonald’s Australia Corporate Social Responsibility Report, McDonald’s, Australia, viewed on 31 Mar 2009. Mcshane, S and Travaglione T, 2007, Organisational Behaviour on the Pacific Rim, 2ed, McGraw-Hill, AUS Seymen, O 2006, ‘The cultural diversity phenomenon in organisations and different approaches for effective cultural diversity management: a literary review’, Cross Culture Management, vol 13, no 4, pp 296-315. Uren, D 2009, ‘One in four workers to go on welfare’, The Australia, 31 Mar, pp, 6. Wartick, S and Wood D, 1998, International business and society, Wiley-Blackwell, US Appendix A Interview Questions The changing workforce a) What do you think is changing workforce? b) Do you think the changing workforce is important in the workplace? c) Why do you think it is/or is not? d) What factors do you think can affect the changing workforce? e) Is there cultural diversity within your employees? Why yes/no? Workplace values and ethics a) What do you think are ethical values? b) Do you think ethical values are important in the workplace? ) Why do you think they are/or are not? d) What factors do you think have affected the way we think about ethical behaviour at work? e) Do you think people’s ethical behaviour at work is affected by what their colleagues or superiors are doing? Appendix B Summary Globalisation has brought challenges and opportunities to the workplace. In th e multi-cultural working environment, there are opportunities to learn more from people from diversified backgrounds, which encourages creativity and exchange of ideas. Challenges could be conflicts due to misinterpretation of message, and also cultural differences. An offensive action or word may not mean to be offensive to another person. Misinterpretation could lead to conflict within the organisation, and unrest in a workplace. Therefore active listening and cultural awareness should be practice in a workplace. Misinterpretation could also lead to inefficiency at work. Changing workforce could be due to technology advance whereby employees should continuously learning skills to cope with the changes. With inappropriate skills, it could lead to inefficient completion of task, and also affects organisation’s productivity. Workplace value and ethics could be a challenge as well, as everyone is different. Different individuals have different values and ethic affecting their decisions and action. Value and ethics of an individual are shaped from past experiences, family upbringing, schooling and religion. Therefore it is something very hard to change. But in a workplace, it is inevitable to work with individuals of different ethics and values. And in serious cases, there could be ethic and value conflicts which could slow down teamwork’s progress. Therefore it is important to always communication and listen to sort the best way out when a problem occur. Corporate social responsibility is getting the attention of many organsations now. Compared to many years ago, organisation now is not just about making profit. They are more concern about environmental harms, people who need help and also responsible marketing and advertising. For example McDonalds which does community work, do clean ups for the environment, discourage wastage, and helping the needy. Most importantly, they engaged in responsible marketing, where they care the food they produce to sell, the health issues and also obesity issues linked to their products.

Healthy Living

Ms. Black Anat-6 21 March 15, 2013 Healthy Living Many factors affect your health. Some you cannot control, such as your genetic makeup or your age, but you can make changes to your lifestyle. This book includes a population health approach and focuses on the various environments and settings which influence healthy living, such as nutrition, personal care and hygiene, physical fitness home environments.Both physical activity and healthy eating are essential to good health throughout life, to increase resiliency and to protect against disease and disability. They are needed to lower the risk of chronic diseases and promote optimal health. In children, sufficient levels of physical activity and healthy eating are essential for healthy growth and development. Firstly, by choosing healthy eating habit, people will gain many rewards. To have good nutrition, people should reduce the amount of fat and in particular, the amount of saturated fat.People should increase the intake of fibre-ric h, starchy foods, such as bread, potatoes, pasta and rice by half as much again, reduce the average salt intake by around one-third, and increase the amount of fish eaten to at least two portions each week, one of which should be an oily fish. Besides that, practicing good personal hygiene is smart for two reasons. First, it helps to prevent people from catching and spreading illness and disease. Second, it helps people feel good about themselves and their body.Then, being physically fitness not only helps people live healthy in lives, it also helps people live longer. The best way to keep physical activity and exercise a permanent part of one’s life is to make it fun and enjoyable. Finally, all of the issues that evolve out of the interaction between people and the environment fall under the umbrella of environment health. This book discusses the many different risks that threaten the environment as well as ways to protect the environment and those who live in it.

Earth and space sciences topic Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 2

Earth and space sciences topic - Essay Example Social media sites also were buzzing with news of the earthquake. Another reason people in central Chile were so upset is the fact that this same area suffered a massive 8.8 earthquake that killed hundreds of people and created a tsunami. Over 200,000 homes were destroyed in the quake two years ago. Many of the survivors blame the government for the high death toll because a faulty tsunami warning system led people to believe that the tsunami would not be destructive. The opposite turned out to be true. Over 30 billion dollars in damage resulted from the combined destructive forces of the earthquake and tsunami. Government officials assured people once again that there would not be a destructive tsunami after this earthquake, but many individuals did not trust the warning system. They evacuated coastal areas anyway. In the end, seismologists were correct in their prediction that this earthquake would not create a tsunami. They could tell that the movement of the plates was not the right king of movement necessary for a tsunami to form. In this case, there was no sudden uplift of the ocean floor, which is a necessary element in the creation of a tsunami. "Quake Just Offshore Chile Disaster Area Causes Panic, but Government Says No Tsunami." Washington Post. Washington Post, Inc., 23 Jan. 2012. Web. 23 Jan. 2012.

Wal-Mart to open new Super center in Tarpon Springs, Florida Essay

Wal-Mart to open new Super center in Tarpon Springs, Florida - Essay Example Wal-Mart has been one of the most profitable companies in the world, yet a growing movement among local citizens and leaders could cost the company valuable time, extensive legal fees, and a potential boycott among the locals in this traditional small city. Despite working with local and state officials in acquiring the proper zoning and building permits, Wal-Mart has faced an unexpected obstacle. Known as the U.S. base for the Greek-Orthodox religion, and a quaint area known for its exquisite sponges, traditional sponge-divers, and small Greek shops and restaurant, Tarpon Springs has amassed a unique culture. So, when Wal-Mart announced in 2004, that it was opening a Super center, opponents lined up to try to stop it. Armed with a piece of restrictive growth legislation titled "Statute 163," the non-profit citizens' group, Concerned Citizens, has raised tens of thousands of dollars to block the expansion. By February 1, 2006 this group has spent over $100,000 in legal expensesiii. Headed by the umbrellas organization, Friends of the Anclote River, and founders, Helen and William Gladwin, citizens' groups continue to fight and have placed the Tarpon Springs City Council in an uncomfortable positioniv.

Cultural Diversity and a Crucial Aspect of the Contemporary World Research Paper

Cultural Diversity and a Crucial Aspect of the Contemporary World - Research Paper Example History has taken diverse and dynamic turns over time, leading to the realization of civilized states. After slavery times and embracement of human rights and freedoms, little is openly known about societies that have kept their customs and traditions. The living traditions in the 21st Century became the aiding factors in making my decision. While my decision appears abstract to friends and family, cultural diversity remains to be a rich source of cultural information. Even in the United States, Native Americans still hold to their historical customs and traditions, yet only a few Americans can tell who exactly is a Native American. On the same note, Chinese, Italians, Mexicans among other communities live in the United States and continue to observe their homeland cultures. Moreover, immigration has led to massive movement and interaction of international communities across local, regional and international borders. While has become a persistent practice, little is accounted for the underlying diversity. In this regard, deciding to embrace cultural diversity, and further dedicate my time and personality to learning more about other cultures and communities was an important decision in my life. This decision has basically taken an interest that most people do not, placing me at a better position to understand cultural differentials and the underlying diversity. My decision to embrace cultural diversity in terms of culture, race and ethnicity has further aided my understanding of cultural behaviours exhibited across borders. Customs, traditions and beliefs vary, and so are the views, opinions and reactions of people in these different cultures.

An analytical understanding of the operational situation of Tesco Coursework

An analytical understanding of the operational situation of Tesco - Coursework Example Center of discussion in this paper is Tesco in United Kingdom that has transformed its business operation in order to gain hold of a larger market share in the retail market of the region. Furthermore the company with the help of its organisational structure and scientific way of operations has earned the potential in gaining a strong foothold in United Kingdom. The following paper conducts a thorough analysis of the above parameters and presents the situational advantages of Tesco amidst its various competitors operating in the United Kingdom market. The process of business transformation in the supermarket giant, Tesco operating in United Kingdom gains momentum through a clear cut planning activity aimed at providing value addition to the existing set of supply chain activities. Effective planning helped in rendering dynamism to the existing supply chain network of the concern and thereby also helped the company to operate across international borders. Moreover the business process of the company operating in the home market also went a huge transformation through the introduction of loyalty schemes and also through operating via the online sphere. Both these activities helped in the enhancement of brand awareness of the company in the regional markets and also in augmenting the brand equity for the concern. Tesco operating via the online sphere gained hold of a larger market share and through the loyalty card schemes gained a niche group of loyal consumers in every region. Business transformation in Tesco was not only brought about by bringing effective modifications in the supply chain mechanism but also through the modification brought about in the existing formats. Further the company also revised its business and distribution process through the opening up of several local stores in the different regions they focused to conduct business upon. Working on another set of business strategy in reducing the price of products sold while operating through a numb er of business outlets, Tesco aimed at gaining a larger pie of the consumer markets both in the home country and in the international zones. In the supply chain activities the company management worked in bring about close monitoring activities through introduction of periodical audits. Further the supplier groups were also called by the company management to be rendered training on issues like enhancement and sustenance of product quality

Crisis Management Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Crisis Management - Research Paper Example This report will present a brief overview of crisis associated with the companies that is, organizational crisis will be the main area of study. In addition, this report will also present insights of the modern crisis management techniques adopted by organizations around the world. Furthermore, the report will also throw light on the cases where companies have faced crisis situation and how they dealt and overcame that situation. In this context the company which has been chosen to depict the importance of crisis management and also to reveal how the company surmounted the situation is Nokia. After that, depending upon the findings of the literature study a conclusion will be drawn. Finally some recommendations will be also provided by which will assist companies to address different forms of crisis. Defining Crisis Eminent scholars have stressed on the fact that crisis is a threat to organizations, an unexpected element and short periods of risk (Akers, 2007, p.11). It can affect ev ery segments of the social order that include educational institutions, non profits, churches, business, families, government etc. This study will however focus on the issue in the context of an organization. For an organization crisis can be illustrated as an anomalous and uncharacteristic situation or perception, which is beyond the control of an organization and also threatens to impact their operation. Several cases have also pointed out that if a possible crisis is identified at the initial stage, it will have least impact or the impact can be minimized to a large extent. On the other hand if a company fails to determine the possible crisis at the initial stage, it can adversely affect the operation of an organization. Even in some cases, a crisis can also threaten the survival of a business. Hence for them to survive and operate effectively in the market place, superior crisis management techniques and tools should be in place (Fearn-Banks, 2010, p.2). Defining Crisis Manageme nt Crisis management is simply defined as a systematic effort to circumvent or manage the crisis that an organization may face during its lifetime. The concept of crisis management was initiated during the 1980s, when large number of environmental and industrial disasters took place (Barton, 2007, p.5). In order to manage a crisis effectively an organization should consider a systematic approach towards the improvement process as it is indispensable to safeguard the reputation of company along with its brands. Therefore companies should enlighten their customers about the happening and to some extent is necessary for survival (Khodarahmi, 2009, p.524). Additionally, eminent scholars such as Appelbaum, Keller, Alvarez & Bedard (2012) added that relatively modern concepts such as strategic planning can also be effective in managing organizational crisis to a satisfactory level. The authors also put emphasis on the fact that a number of US corporations are employing this concept to for ecast and deal with the issues, threats or problems that are beyond the operating control of the firms. Discussion Eminent scholars such as Dinant and Miller have identified seminal researchers in the same field of study. They categorized the study into two major groups namely macro and micro sizes. The primary intention of their study was to offer insights regarding the most committed

ERP Story-Part A Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

ERP Story-Part A - Case Study Example The business should consider the cost of implementing the new software installation and profitability of the undertaking. Merging the business has risks accompanied to it. Therefore, proper evaluation of returns and efficient running of activities is so important. The research found out that the problem associated with such step is the increase in the size of the organization, which means difficulty in tracking records and meeting operational costs. Business organizations vary in the operations they engage in order to satisfy human wants. The two main categories are service based, or commodity possessing and production. The finished product or service in these activities provides a platform for either satisfaction or dissatisfaction from customers. If customers are not happy, the organization engages in an evaluation process to determine where the problem sprouts from. This can be through assessing current equipment in production or performance evaluation as a whole. The corrective measure is then undertaken to retain the loyal customers. If the customers are satisfied, the management initiates ways to maintain the standards. As such, this paper will discuss ABC Company and how it seeks to obtain a market placement through merging of activities and improving technology. The size of a growing business organization instigates the type of technological equipment an organization should adapt in order to increase efficiency. Complex company structures will need large data storage facilities to enable the business store properly its information. In the case study, the current technological position of ABC cannot ensure good flow of information and communication. The new idea of creating merged type of business can be a solution to problems. Problems such as funds required for the project can be managed through pooling of resources from these different entities.

Business Strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words - 7

Business Strategy - Essay Example It is mastery of the business environment and working on internal weaknesses and strengths that has ensured Disney’s competitive superiority in film, animation and merchandise sectors in the entertainment industry. This paper will look into this company and consider its history, business environment and the sustainable strategies that it has implemented over the years. Walt Disney Company has a long history spanning from 1923 when it was established by two brothers; Walter and Roy. It has come from humble beginnings back then to be the giant company it is today in the entertainment industry. By 1926 the company had produced 2 movies and had earned the owners enough revenue to buy a studio in California (Gabler 2007). It is shortly after this that the company experienced huge crisis in respect to distribution rights whereby Mickey Mouse creation came to save the desperate situation. It is in 1932 that the company won an Academy Award for Silly Symphony. In 1934 Disney produced its first full length film which became one of the greatest films at the time. The movie was Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs which Disney released in 1937. During the 1st World War Disney was not able to produce as much due to the company’s involvement in providing skills required in the war. This war proved detrimental as Disney found it hard to embark on animation fi lms production. Treasure Island film which was an action film was produced in 1950 and it brought back the production glory once held by Disney (Walt Disney Company 2010). The management also found it prudent to diversify their operations to include television programs. It is after this that in 1955 it produced the Mickey Mouse Club. It is in the same year that Disneyland was opened and from this time onwards nothing has stopped on its way. Of importance to note is that the company still moved ahead to succeed even after the founder died in 1966 while Roy took over the leadership.

Themes of Incredibly Close and Extremely Loud Essay Example for Free

Themes of Incredibly Close and Extremely Loud Essay There are many different themes in this novel but they all seem tie into one major theme which is loss and closure. The little themes would be family/friends, grief/mourning. Loss and closure is definitely the main theme in this book. Almost every character has lost something in some sort of way. For example Oskar has lost his father, Thomas has lost his first love Anna along with his unborn child which also lead to is capable of speech and the grandmother has lost her husband, parents, sister and her son. Not all of the characters in this book end up receiving closure but they all attempt to in different ways. They all spend their lives trying to find out why these things have happened which in return would help lead to closure. All the character deal with their loses differently. We see how different people react and how they mourn in different ways. Oskar deals with his grief by reliving a game he used to play with his father. Oskar mourns this way believing it will help him to stop missing his dad. Thomas mourns in a way that helps him connect to his first love Anna. *** he does this by marrying the grandmother and living with her. This helps him remember her and is his way of mourning. The grandmother finds her closure through Oskar. She loves him unconditionally with helps her deal with the grief of all the loves ones she has lost. Family is a theme that connects to all of this because we see how family can be a huge factor of dealing with losses. In the book family is seen in many different ways to help deal with this. Oskar helped to bring closure to his grandmother with all of he loses of loves ones. Oskar’s mother also helped Oskar on his journey to find closure with his father, without Oskar’s mother he would not have been able to do all that he need to deal with the grief of losing his father.

Policy issues affecting the police Essay Example for Free

Policy issues affecting the police Essay Just like any other department in the government, the police force is largely influenced by the policy issues that the government adopts. Be it new laws or strategies, they have to adjust their operations so as to fit what the policies dictate. The duty of the police is to maintain law and order and in doing this they have to incorporate policies set by the government. As it will be shown in this paper, these policy issues may affect the activities of the police force such that they may have to completely change their modes of operations to fit the governments requirements. Many policies concerning police conduct, human rights and police duties are have been put forward in many forums and conferences addressing national security. Analysis Unlike in the past where the police had an absolute power, a police officer nowadays may find himself or herself being sued for violation of human rights such as police manhandling or assault (Freund, 2006; Meadows, 2000). There are several policies that have been put forward following revision of several laws which affect the police directly. Policy issues on human rights requiring specific procedures of arrest and handling of suspects have been made. The fourth amendment has limited police power especially with the private law that protects citizens from unwarranted searches and seizures. This means that before a police officer can search or seize private property, there must be a warrant which is given when the need to search premises is of great importance to protect security. Individual liberty and human rights protects citizens from false detention. The fourth amendment comes as a civil liability to the police officers which limits their activities since they have to pay attention to avoid breaking the law (Freund, 2006). This has affected the police in that it has limited their ability to obtain as much information as possible concerning a crime. Some officers have also found themselves in court over what can be referred to as assault during arrest. Perhaps one of the most current policy issues that has affected the police is the governments anti-terrorism policy. A strong policy especially after the 9-11 attacks on the U. S brought out the importance of the need to heighten security to prevent such attacks from happening in future. The government aims at keeping the possibility of any terrorist attack which must involve the police (Pleck, 2004). The involvement of the police force in the war against terrorism has led to the need for more training on the police officers on incident management and terrorism intelligence. As the government noted, the police force was not well equipped to handle such severe incidents hence the need for training on incident management. Again, there the need to develop intelligence skills to counter any form of threats calls for proper training of the police. In order to ensure that the needs of this policy are met, the government has introduced special training schedules for the police which they have to attend to keep updating them on better skills and intelligence on avoiding terrorism attacks as well as how on how to deal with terrorism incidents if by any chance they occur (Pleck, 2004). Community policing is a policy issue that has come up as a result of the need for the community to take part in their own security through reporting any suspicious act to the police. This is because the community is at the best position to identify those that live among them (Palmiotto, 2000). The government requires that the police officers work hand in hand with the community so as to curb crime activities in the society. The effect of this on the police is that there has been need for training to help them be able to deal with the community and aid in identifying between potential danger and normal happenings (Palmiotto, 2000). The police have also been given the extra duty of training and educating members of the public on how to identify potential threats within the community and how they can deal with them in conjunction with the police. The community policing mostly focuses on vulnerable groups such as children and women who are likely to be victims of violence. Policy issues concerning rape have been put forward which has necessitated for trained specialists to handle rape calls as well as interaction between the police and medical practitioners to help in solving such cases (Palmiotto, 2000). The government advocates for advancement in technology for sustainable developments. As a matter of national security, there has been the rising need for the police to upgrade their technology so as to meet the ever increasing crime rates. Technology has been used by criminals to steal from numerous citizens and this has raised an issue of concern. Cyber crimes, phishing and identity theft have been on the rise. The problem with these kinds of crimes is that catching the perpetrators can be quite hard due to the advancement in technology that is used to conduct the crimes. Keeping up with these developments poses a challenge to the police who have to come up with more advanced methods to locate cyber thieves, hackers and identity thieves. More often than not, the police are subject to the laws of prosecution and provision for justice. Policies on the procedures of prosecution highly affect the police. For example, the police are bound by law to only file a prosecution when there is substantial evidence for the occurrence of the crime. Different policies exist for different kind of prosecutions. The juvenile justice for example has undergone many changes and new policies have come up following proceedings from various cases. Juveniles have a wide range of rights and detention of a juvenile can only be under serious suspicions of delinquency. Proof that is beyond reasonable doubt must also be established to ensure that the juvenile offender poses a threat to the community (Rick, 2003). Policies on juveniles also require that they be put under preventive detention according to the standards set by the law (Rick, 2003). This differentiates juvenile offenders from adult ones. The police therefore should pay attention to such details so as to be on the safe side of the law. It is also part of their duties to act according to the laws. Conclusion It is evident that the polices activities are highly influenced by policy issues. The government which also determines the rules of a country constantly comes up with policies for national development. These policies may alter a departments activities or increase its responsibilities depending on how the policy issue is to be tackled. It must also be noted that apart from government policies, each police department has its own policies which guide the officers (Miller, 1997). These include the code of ethics that must be followed by the respective officers. Rules on duties rosters, dress code and punishment for police misconduct within the department are strictly followed. Breaking of these laws may result in serious circumstances and hence the police officers must follow them to the letter. Word Count: 1179 References Freund, E. (2006). The Police Power, Public Policy and Constitutional Rights. New York: Callaghan Company. Meadows, R. J. (2000). A Study of Police Misconduct and Litigation: Findings and Implications. Journal of Contemporary Criminal Justice. 41(2), 77-92. Miller, S. et al. (1997). Police ethics. London: Allen Unwin, 1997. Palmiotto, M. (2000). Community policing: a policing strategy for the 21st century. New York: Jones Bartlett Publishers. Pleck, E. (2004). Police in the fight against terrorism. American Journal of Police, 25(1), 38- 45. Rick, A. (2003). Juvenile Justice. New York: Odhams Press.

The Birthplace Of The Industrial Revolution History Essay

The Birthplace Of The Industrial Revolution History Essay The Industrial Revolution started during the late 18th and early 19th centuries in Great Britain. It then spread to the rest of Europe, North America and finally to the whole of the world. As luck would have it, of the western Civilized nations, Great Britain was already a world power (thanks to the English Navy) but the reason is that its an island nation. As an island nation, and no recent invasions upon their soil, there was nothing to disrupt progress. The U.S. was still learning and growing, having not yet discovered fully its own borders and interior, was behind (but closely so) Great Britain. There were so many theories on how the Industrial Revolution started in Britain. Yet there were a lot of main contributes to it. Growth of population and inventions was a main effect because it brought in more people and ideas. Others were good natural resources and agriculture and help of the overseas trade. Population, of course, had a big impact on the Industrial Revolution because as more people come into the Britain area, theyre more than likely going to need a job. The rising population, especially in the cities, did two things to further the Industrial Revolution. The first was that it created a better and growing group of labor. More people were ready and able to fill up the increasing job market. The following most important thing is that a growing population caused a greater insist for products that were being formed. Many famers found it hard to live due to the fact of new machines coming about, so they moved to the cities to find work. The enclosure movement required small farmers to either take up tenant or move to cities and become part of the urban labor force. (Martin, 230) Job openings and more chances helped increase the economy of the Industrial Revolution. More people meant more money, food, and a simpler lifestyle. More scientists that did well in studies encouraged m ore people to get into the science industry that will later lead to the Industrial Revolution. The growing population during the Industrial Revolution as well helped business to produce more good and products for customers. Population growth tended to lower the relative price of manufactured goods and real wages, thus not likely to have stimulated a search for labor-saving innovations. (Mokyr, 24) The British brought in more slaves to work on their land. The slaves grew products that were in turn sold on to Britain. The rapid development of English industry has been attributed to the exploration of colonial people and the profit wrung from the slave trade. (Ashton, 123-126) The capture of overseas markets, one after another, until England became the workshop of the world. Britain had a lot of supplies of their own. But the ones they didnt have, the borrowed from their many other colonies; which were loyal customers too. Their vast empire allowed them to import raw materials from the colonies to factories at home, and export the finished products back to the colonies. This spurred industrialization in the British Isles. now an entirely new spirit, that of the New World, was to sweep eastward overseas and along with the new forces generated from active and regular contact with orient, transform, and revivify Europe. (Gillespie, 27) The Americas helped big time to contribute to the Industrial Revolution in Britain. foreign trade, especially trade with the Americas was the very center of the English development process. (Ashton, 13-14) Progress in transportation is a reason of the Industrial Revolution because without better transport relations, Britain wou ld not have been able to trade with the other colonies. The improvement of oceangoing transport was very significant because trade was becoming a very commercial source of profits for England. Also, people were becoming wealthier; therefore they could come up with the money to buy new inventions. Wealthy people put in money into new ideas so they would make a benefit if it were successful. This is a main reason of the Industrial revolution since without it; Britain would not have had as much money to use on things such as transport and inventions. The trade triangle was skillful because the ships never sailed empty and people made lots of money. The owners of these ships made lots of profits due to the low labor cost. The trade triangle formed a market for the factory owners in Britain, selling their products overseas. New well-developed inventions can always open a door to success. Business people invested in the manufacture of new inventions. New inventions and machinery also made work faster than before. These new inventions included: banking systems, flying shuttles, spinning jenny, water frames, and cotton mills. Their development of the banking systems also contributed to the Industrial Revolution. Cash and freedom, England was the first country to have its own independent bank (the bank of England) it also was the only nation with the means to raise more cash and investments from across the country and the rest of Europe (The London stock exchange) People did not want to physically do their work themselves for the rest of their lives. During the Industrial Revolution, Europe shifted from an economy based on agriculture and handicrafts to an economy based on manufacturing by machines and automated factories. (Duiker, 405) Britain had loads of coal to use for their excellent ideas because they would use wood to heat their homes. The British soon had ideas about change for themselves. Their government also favored the change. Roads, ports and bridges played an important role in developing an industrialized nation. The products made by these factories were passed to other markets around the world by roads and rivers. Canals soon became the next most important thing to the cities. When George Stephenson made steam engine that could carry on rails which is later called railroads. After that they linked cities all over the world. The sustained growth agriculture productivity during this period led to the fall in prices of agricultural products. Britain was the birthplace of the Industrial Revolution because of its power and resources. The small island country had extensive natural resources. These natural resources included: water power and coal to fuel the new machines, iron ore to construct machines, tools, and buildings, rivers for inland transportation, and harbors from which merchant ships set sail. Agriculture in Britain at the time was a main factor of the Industrial Revolution. Among all of the changes occurring at the time, agriculture and farming families changed as well. Cotton was an important item at the time. John Kays flying shuttle made clothes twice as much than usual. This was known as the textile industry. Iron wares and later of cotton played vital part in the building of those industries to the point where technical change transform their momentum of growth. (Davis, 393) Agriculture relea sed labor to industry during this period. The success of England was fundamentally based on the transformation of the agriculture and on major increase in agricultural activities. (Smit, 61-63) Economic growth continued to spread during the 19th century, and still spreading today. The Industrial Revolution reached other parts of Europe and the United States in the 1800s. In the 1900s, it reached Asia. Eventually, the causes of the British Industrial Revolution can be put down to a number of factors; Extending from new technologies, environmental, resources and economic reasons.Overall, with such factors it cannot be considered a surprise that Britain embraced industry. For location, resources, and transport networks all favored Britain and their empire; resulting in a large share of manufacturing output for Britain by the mid 19th century.

Britney Spears - A Woman I Admire Essay -- essays research papers

There are many women that have an impact on my life; however, the question is how many of them do I look up to? Of course the most obvious person is my very own mother, but that made me think who else deserves to join this circle of reverence. Some names entered my mind, but do I really admire them? It is clear that women that enter my daily life like Oprah Winfrey have an impression on me, but impact and admiration do not always go hand in hand. Then I realized who I really admire: Britney Spears. The teen pop idol singer Britney Spears is a woman that I look up to for many reasons. She has tantalized the entire world's youth with her incredible voice. By doing so, she serves as a role model for many of the young people growing up in today's society. Although Britney is only 19, she al...

Why Can’t We Be More Like Canada? :: Essays Papers

Why Can’t We Be More Like Canada? The National Rifle Association has gone too far in defending the right to bear arms because the safety of schools is in jeopardy. The tragic events that occurred at Columbine High School in early 1999 with the killing of 13, including 12 students and one teacher while wounding many more, put much greater focus and awareness on violence in schools. The upward trend of violence in schools beginning in the early 1990’s got national attention because of the shootings that took place just outside of Denver. The tragedy at Columbine seemed to be the last straw for anti-gun activists, politicians, the media, and parents of children in schools to take action to protect America’s young from death in a place where kids are supposed to be safe. The NRA is not stepping back from their fight to protect the second amendment, but changes need to be made to protect kids growing up in society today. School violence, especially school shootings, has kept pace in recent years since the Columbine shootings. According to the National School Safety and Security Services there have been 116 total deaths in the past 5 years that occurred in schools. Of the 116, 45 have been caused by shootings. Just within the past three months of this new school year, there have been 13 school shooting deaths (fig. 1 and 2). That is an average of nine deaths caused by guns per year for the last five years since Columbine startled society to this devastating problem. The obstacle is in front of all of American to have the incidents of shooting deaths in schools decrease to where they are non-existent. In the state of Colorado, where the world’s media attention was drawn due to Columbine and still is, they have some of the loosest guns laws in the nation. A fact sheet was released by the Violence Policy Center on the same day as the shooting at Columbine High School for some related background information. The press release shows that citizens of Colorado do not have licensing or registration requirements with firearm purchase or possession. There is no waiting period for the purchase of handguns, shotguns, or rifles. There are no age restrictions with the possession of rifles or shotguns, but no person under the age of 18 can have a handgun.

Painting a Portrait of Death Essay -- essays research papers fc

â€Å"Painting a Portrait of Death† Death is inevitable to all forms of life. In giving birth to a typical family, Flannery O’Connor immediately sets the tone for their deaths, in the story, A Good Man is Hard To Find. O'Connor’s play on words, symbolism and foreshadowing slowly paves the way for the family’s death.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  O'Connor begins to paint the image of death with her presentation of the grandmother. As the family prepares for their adventure the grandmother carefully selects her attire. â€Å"A navy blue straw sailor hat with a bunch of white violets on the brim and a navy blue dress with a small white dot in the print. Her collars and cuffs were white organdy trimmed with lace and at her neckline she had pinned a purple spray of cloth violets containing a sachet† (O'Connor 267). The imagery of the grandmother’s impeccable attire foreshadows her position at the end of the story. When a person dies it is common that they are adorn in their best outfit. The grandmother has symbolically prepared herself for her eternal rest in a coffin as she is dressed in her Sunday best. O'Connor continues to incorporate the theme of death into the story, as she provides the readers with the reason for the grandmother’s ensemble, â€Å"in cares of an accident, anyone see ing her dead on the highway would know at once she was a lady† (O'Connor 267). Symbolically the grandmother is walking down the path of death.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   As the family travels closer to...

Succubus Revealed Chapter 18

The blackness began to lighten into swirls of color, colors that eventually resolved into lines and shapes around me. I gazed around as the world formed and soon felt solidity beneath my feet. My own body was taking on substance again, the light and hollow sensation disappearing. Feeling and movement returned to me, and for half a second, I thought I had imagined everything that happened in the parking lot. Then I was struck by a sudden and overwhelming sense of wrongness. First off, as I blinked the world into focus, it became obvious that I was no longer at the bowling alley. I was inside a room with vaulted ceilings and no windows. It appeared to be a courtroom, complete with a jury box and judge's stand. All the decor was black: red-veined black marble on the walls and floor, black wood trim, black leather chairs. Everything was very sleek and modern, clean and sterile. The next thing I noticed was that I wasn't in the body I'd just been in. My perspective on the world was from a greater height. The weight of my limbs and muscles felt different too, and I wore a simple linen dress instead of my Unholy Rollers shirt. Although I couldn't see myself straight-on, I had a good idea which body I was wearing: the first one. My mortal one. The one I'd been born to. Yet it was neither the body nor unfamiliar room that felt so wrong. They were surprises, yes, but nothing I couldn't adapt to. The wrongness came from nothing tangible. It was more a feeling in the air, a sensation that permeated my every pore. Even with the vaulted ceilings, the room felt stuffy and tight, like there was no air circulation whatsoever. And even though there wasn't any actual odor, I just kept imagining stagnation and decay. My skin crawled. I felt smothered by hot, humid air – yet was also chilled to the bone. I was in Hell. I had never been there, but you didn't really need to have been to know it. I was sitting at a table on the left side of the room, facing the judge's bench. Behind me, separated by a railing, was the audience seating. I squirmed around to peer at it. Right before my eyes, people began to materialize in the seats. They were wildly different in appearance: male and female, all races, various states of dress. Some were as prim and neat as the courtroom around us. Some looked like it had been quite an ordeal for them to get out of bed. There was no uniformity to their appearances. There weren't even immortal auras to tip me off, but I was willing to wager anything that they were all demons. A murmur of conversation began to fill the room as the demons spoke to each other, a droning almost more frightening than the silence that had originally met me. No one talked to me, though plenty of sets of eyes studied me disapprovingly. I didn't recognize anyone here yet and felt vulnerable and afraid. There was an empty seat next to me, and I wondered if someone would be joining me. Was I entitled to a lawyer for this . . . whatever it was? It had all the trappings of a regular courtroom, but I could hardly expect Hell to be reasonable or predictable. I honestly had no clue what was about to happen. I knew it had to be about my contract, but Hugh hadn't gone into a lot of specifics when he'd said that my case would eventually â€Å"be reviewed.† There was a table on the right side of the courtroom, one that mirrored mine in size and placement. A man with irongray hair and a handlebar mustache sat down at it, placing a briefcase on the table's surface. He wore an all-black suit – including the shirt – and looked more like a funeral director than a prosecutor, which is what I assumed he was. As though sensing my scrutiny, he glanced over at me with eyes so dark, I couldn't tell where pupil ended and iris began. They sent a new chill through me, and I changed my assessment of him. Funeral director? More like an executioner. Once the gallery was nearly full of spectators, a side door near the front opened. Twelve people filed out toward the jurors' box, and I caught my breath. I still couldn't sense any immortal auras in this room. Maybe it wasn't necessary in Hell or maybe there were just too many immortals in here for it to be comfortable. Regardless, just as I'd been certain all the spectators were demons, I could tell that half of the jurors were angels. It was in their eyes and their disposition. There was a way they carried themselves that differed from everyone else, even though the angels were dressed no differently. Also, the angels seemed to be conscious of the wrongness I'd felt in here. They kept glancing around, small looks of disgust on their faces. At first, it seemed kind of crazy that angels would be in Hell, but then I realized that, unlike Heaven, there were no gates or barriers to keep anyone out. And unlike mortals, angels had the ability to leave here when they chose. I suppose it m ade it easy to do business visits like this. Still, I found myself heartened by the sight of the angels. If they were going to be involved in deciding my case, then surely they would be sympathetic. â€Å"Don't count on any help from them.† It was the prosecuting demon with the dark eyes, leaning across his table and addressing me in a low voice. â€Å"I beg your pardon?† I asked. He inclined his head toward the jurors. â€Å"The angels. They've got a nagging sense of justice, but they also don't have a lot of sympathy to those who sold their souls. They figure you made your bed, you have to sleep in it. Pretentious bastards, the lot of them.† I turned back toward the jury and felt a sinking in my stomach. Some of the angels were watching me, and although there wasn't open disdain on their faces, like the demons, I could still see condescension and scorn here and there. I saw no sympathy anywhere. With so much chatter in the now-crowded room, it was hard to imagine being able to single out any one voice – but I did. Maybe it was because it was one I'd grown so familiar with in the last ten years, one that I had fallen into the habit of jumping to whenever it spoke. Tearing my gaze from the jury, I peered around until I found the voice's owner. Sure enough. Jerome had just entered the courtroom. Even in Hell, he still wore the John Cusack guise. Mei was with him, and it was the sound of their conversation that had caught my attention. They made their way to some seats near the front, on the opposite side of the room from me, that I presumed had been left open for them. A pang of relief shot through my chest. Finally, familiar faces. I opened my mouth to speak, to call out to Jerome . . . just as his eyes fell on me. He paused in his walk, fixing me with a look that pierced straight to my heart. Then, without any other sort of acknowledgment, he looked away and continued his conversation with Mei as they went to their seats. The words died on my lips. The coldness in his gaze left no question that all the laid-back ease at the bowling alley had been a scam. Jerome was not on my side. And, if my empty table was any indication, no one was on my side. A guy in a much more cheerful suit than the prosecutor walked to the front of the room and called the court to order. He announced the entrance of Judge Hannibal, which would have been a hilarious and absurd name in other circumstances. Everyone stood, and I followed suit. The show of respect kind of surprised me. The adherence to procedure did not. Judge Hannibal entered through a door opposite the jury's. For a moment, I simply thought, He's so young. Then, I remembered I was thinking like a human. No one in this room – except me – wore their actual form. All of them were beings of incalculable age, and the twenty-something, blond surfer appearance of Judge Hannibal was just window dressing. He flashed everyone a big grin, perfect white teeth standing out against his tanned skin. He riffled through some papers in front of him. â€Å"All right,† he said. â€Å"So, what . . . we have a contract dispute with a succubus? Letha?† He glanced around, like there was some big mystery about who I was. His gaze landed on me, and he nodded to himself. â€Å"Who's prosecuting? You? Marcel?† â€Å"Yes, your honor,† said the dark-suited demon. Judge Hannibal chuckled. â€Å"This is even less fair than it already was.† He glanced back at me. â€Å"You got a lawyer, honey?† I swallowed. â€Å"Er, no. I don't think so. Should I? Do . . . do I get assigned one?† He shrugged. â€Å"We could dredge some imp up if you don't want to defend yourself. Or we can summon someone, if you've got anyone in mind.† At the mention of an imp, Hugh's name immediately popped up in my head. I wouldn't have even cared about the defense aspect. I just wanted to see a friendly face here. Was it that easy? I could just ask, and they'd bring Hugh here . . . to Hell? As soon as I had the thought, I dismissed it. Hugh had already risked so much for me. How could I ask him to stand against our superiors, to defend me against all those cold, glaring eyes? And what good could come of it? He'd probably get in more trouble if I actually won – which didn't seem likely, judging from Hannibal's earlier comments. I was on the verge of telling them I'd just defend myself when there was an explosion of light in the aisle beside me. I leaped to my feet in fear and wasn't alone in doing so. A cyclone of silver and white light slowly coalesced into a familiar and very welcome form: Carter. Like everyone else, a day in court appeared to make no difference for how he dressed – save that he was wearing the cashmere hat I'd gotten him last Christmas. Glancing up at the judge, Carter took off the hat and held it before him in an attempt at respect. I wanted to throw myself sobbing into his arms. â€Å"What is this?† demanded Judge Hannibal. Those who had been startled slinked back to their seats. â€Å"Sorry,† said Carter amiably. â€Å"I would've come in the normal way but didn't know how else to get her lawyer in.† Was Carter going to be my lawyer? Hope sprang anew within me until another burst of light erupted beside him . . . and Roman appeared. Chaos of a different sort broke out, and suddenly, I was a sideshow. Outrage shone on angel and demon faces alike. Half the room was on its feet. I hadn't been able to sense any immortal auras, but I could feel the swell of power bursting from nearly every individual as they advanced on Roman. â€Å"Nephilim!† â€Å"Destroy him!† We were on the verge of a full-fledged mob attack when Hannibal banged his gavel on the desk. It made a sound like thunder, hitting hard. A palpable wave of power radiated out from him, nearly knocking a few people off their feet. The growing magic in the room dissipated. â€Å"Sit down,† he snapped. â€Å"This is hardly the time or place for everyone to start playing hero.† â€Å"There's a nephilim in the room!† protested someone in the back. â€Å"Yes, yes. Thank you, Captain Obvious,† said Judge Hannibal. â€Å"And I daresay the hundred or so of us can take him if he gets out of line. That's not in question. What is, however, is why he's here and shouldn't be immediately smote.† That was directed to Carter. â€Å"He's her lawyer,† said Carter. Hannibal's eyebrows rose in true surprise, with no sign of his earlier smugness. â€Å"A nephilim?† â€Å"There are no rules against it,† said Carter mildly. â€Å"Any immortal can serve, right?† Hannibal glanced uneasily at a woman seated at a corner desk who had been typing away steadily on a laptop. I'd taken her for the court reporter, but she was apparently some sort of consultant too. She made a face. â€Å"Technically, he can serve,† she said. â€Å"Our laws don't specify.† â€Å"But they do specify that anyone the defendant chooses is exempt from punishment,† said Carter, as cagey as any lawyer. A cruel smile played at her lips. â€Å"Whoever is summoned to serve as lawyer is exempt from punishment during court and afterward when they return to their normal jobs. I'm guessing this . . . creature is not in our personnel files.† With Hell, the devil really was in the details. Hugh had always warned me to be careful with even the smallest wordings because Hell would use them to its advantage. It took me a moment to fully get why she was so pleased. Any immortal could serve as a lawyer in a case like this, it seemed. And, going on the first part of what she'd said, no one could do anything to Roman while he was my lawyer, despite the normal immortal reaction to promptly destroy all nephilim. There would be no mass smiting in the courtroom. It was the second part of her words that was tricky. Those drafted as lawyers allegedly couldn't be punished for their legal performances when they returned to their regular duties, which would've been good to know when I was considering summoning Hugh (though I knew there were a million subtle ways a disgruntled demon could still get back at someone on the sly). But Roman didn't have any regular duties for Hell, aside from an unofficial deal with Jerome that I had no doubt my archdemon would disavow all knowledge of. Roman couldn't be protected when he â€Å"went back to work† because he didn't work for Hell. The instant this trial ended and he was out of the role of lawyer, he was subject to the whims of Hell. â€Å"Well,† said Hannibal. He looked down at me. â€Å"At least it'll make this case more interesting. Sure, whatever. You want the nephilim as your lawyer?† I wanted to say no. Some part of me half hoped that if I refused and Roman never became my lawyer, he would be free of the retribution that awaited him afterward, that he could simply escape now. Except, as I glanced between him and Carter, a terrible certainty settled over me. It didn't matter if Roman became my lawyer or not. He wasn't getting out of here. It was reflected in Roman's eyes as they met mine. When Carter had brought him here, it was a one-way trip. If I didn't accept him as my lawyer, I was simply speeding Roman to his death. I nodded and felt my heart lurch as I sealed his fate. â€Å"Er, yes. Yes, your honor. I'd like him as my lawyer.† There was a murmur of disapproval throughout the courtroom. Carter slapped Roman encouragingly on the back and then went to find a seat in the gallery. Roman took the empty chair beside me. He was a sharp contrast to Marcel. Roman had no briefcase, not even a single piece of paper, and was still wearing the clothes he'd had on earlier: jeans and a sweater. â€Å"What are you doing?† I hissed to him, grateful for the cover of the other voices. â€Å"This is suicide!† â€Å"You didn't really think I'd abandon you to them, did you?† he asked. â€Å"And who knows your case better than me?† â€Å"They'll kill you when it's over, whether I win or lose.† Roman gave me a lopsided smile. † ‘It is a far, far better thing that I do – ‘ â€Å" â€Å"Oh, shut the fuck up,† I said, afraid I was going to start crying. â€Å"You're an idiot. You shouldn't have come here.† â€Å"You remember our talk about purpose and meaning?† he asked me, the smile disappearing. â€Å"Well, I think this might be mine. I think this is what I was meant to do, Georgina.† â€Å"Roman – â€Å" But there was no time for any more conversation. Judge Hannibal was banging the gavel – this time, sans thunder – trying to calm everyone down. They were still worked up about the idea of a nephilim walking freely in their midst. â€Å"Enough, enough,† Hannibal said. â€Å"I know we're all shocked and awed, but get over it. We'll deal with him later. If there's no more drama in store, do you mind if we get started?† He glanced between the lawyers. â€Å"I'm ready when you are, your honor,† said Marcel. Roman nodded. â€Å"Let's do this.†