Knowledge is becoming more and more important in organizations - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 7 Words: 2135 Downloads: 3 Date added: 2017/06/26 Category Management Essay Type Narrative essay Did you like this example? Motivation of systematic review In todays economy, knowledge is becoming more and more important in organizations and as a key differentiating factor on business. Knowledge Management (KM) is nothing new. The root of KM concept has been found in the management theories of the 1950s particularly in the work of Professor Drucker [Drucker] who believed that the most important asset of any organization is its people. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Knowledge is becoming more and more important in organizations" essay for you Create order He was amongst the first to predict the growing importance of information and knowledge as a valuable asset of organizations. In early landmark of its history, KM was concentrated on theories and frameworks which emphasised the importance of learning processes and knowledge workers [Drucker, Forrester, Sveiby, Matsuda]. By the late 1980s, technology solutions started to discuss in KM due to the growing importance of information and explicit knowledge including the lack of the strategies and methods for managing knowledge [Strassman]. Likewise, the idea of artificial intelligence and expert system had been introduced and developed together with KM systems leading to several new concepts such as knowledge engineering, knowledge representation and knowledge-based systems []. By 1990s, KM was flourishing when a number of academics and consultants had widely discussed it as the new business practice. Several well-known consulting firms among U.S., Europe, and Japan began committing major resources to implement KM practices and technologies in order to develop innovative way to leverage the diffused knowledge in vast organizations [Nonaka, Stewart, Davenport†¦.]. KM has never been stopped developing. Currently, KM is steadily becoming as integral business activity for organizations and then it is a real challenge for managers, leading to a considerable change, and new visions of firms. Many innovative enterprises Competitive advantage Performance optimization Operational effectiveness and efficiency Innovation What are knowledge management? Over several decades, Knowledge Management has increasingly been a topic of interest among professionals in business and academic areas. (Grant, K. And Grant, C.) Theorists and experts have attempted to define the term in various ways, focusing on specific aspects of the topic including collaborative works, information and communication technology, economics, sociology and management, for instance. (Almashari, Venters) However, it could be problematic to have precise, clear definitions of this term. A great number of meanings of knowledge management have been widely debated. They, for example, deal with the difference in terms of information and knowledge in management context. A number of academics and theorists continue to reflect on the subject, information management that has influenced to develop into knowledge management. (Uriarte) In short, it has no particular definitions universally accepted, depending on individual purposes. This systematic review has summarized knowledge management definitions sorted by authors and years together with adding constructive comments for analysis which have been showed in Table 1. Table 1 Definitions of Knowledge Management Authors Definitions Comments Nonaka (1991) KM is the way to transfer individuals personal knowledge into organization knowledge and drive innovation through organizational learning. The author recommends that leveraging implicit knowledge from expertises experience and putting it together into explicit knowledge could play important role for creating new knowledge. Wiig (1993) KM is capable of transforming, organizing, deploying and using knowledge assets effectively to make the firms act as intelligently and realize the best value of its knowledge resources. The definition mainly focuses on the goal of organization to maximize the enterprises knowledge effectively by using the effective knowledge process. Demarest (1997) KM is a set of process and system (technical or human) that help creating value for organizations by shared, distributed and maintained the knowledge. Both information technology and organizational activities are used to manage knowledge asset for performance improveme nt and value creation at various point within the firms. Davenport (1998) KM is an essential part of business activities for specific purposes to improve the performance of organization and also considered as technology for creating competitive advantages. The author considers the business activities including using technique for capturing, storing and disseminating the knowledge assets of organization to get organization performance. KPMG Management Consulting (1998) KM is a systematic and organized attempt to store and apply knowledge in an organization to improve its performance. The definition emphasizes an effective approach of knowledge that can provide knowledge repository and application to achieve business performance. Alavi and Leidner (1999) KM refers to specific methodologies to disseminate both implicit and explicit knowledge of employees to others in order to improve effectiveness and productivity in their firms. Clearly, a series of knowl edge process such as creation, storage, retrieval, transfer, and application are defined to help organization transmit knowledge from one person to others. Rowley (1999) KM relates to organizational activities that help organization create the knowledge repositories, improve the knowledge acquisition, enhance the knowledge environment, and manage the knowledge assets for the purpose of adding value and benefiting all stakeholders. The author promotes an integrated and collaborative approach to manage the organizations knowledge assets in order to recognize the value of knowledge and return benefits to all involved people in organization. Gupta, et al. (2000) KM is a series of process to manage information and expertise within a company to support and improve its business performance. The definition highlights all processes required for KM. In addition, organizations have paid attention to developing of KM that can provide the basis for future sustainability and com petence. Earl (2001) KM is considered to be product and process innovation and achievement to be better decision-making and organizational adaptation and renewal. The author believes that KM has emerged as a potential power for effective decision making where supports the core tasks of business management. Holm (2001) KM can clearly act for firms which provide information that is more consistent, accurate and timely including fast and easier access in ways that will improve the performance and concrete benefits of the companies and its partners. This di ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ering emerging points of view is in ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¡uenced by the right way to incorporate among information, time and people. It aims to improve the organizations processes, perceptions and profits Hameed (2004) KM is the way to manage information for finding, selecting, organizing, disseminating, and applying information in a ways that improve an employees effectiveness in their works. The author promotes the development of processes to manage the organizations know-how. This KM will help employees to improve their performance and make more intelligent decisions in their works. Gartner Group (2005) KM is an integrated method to identifying, developing, managing, maintaining and sharing of all of an organizations information assets including experience individual worker, policies procedures and database documents. KM has involved an integrated and collaborative method in the process of knowledge that resides within organizations and within the minds of knowledge workers. The definitions as mentioned above, they have been a consensus point of view within three different aspects. In the first one, authors illustrate in multi-functions of method, process, system or some kinds of activities including finding, identifying, creating, selecting, organizing, sharing, disseminating, maintaining, or applying to manage knowledge. Further to the second , both tacit and explicit knowledge mentioned in definitions are not limited only individual and group inside organizations but external knowledge such as customers, suppliers and competitors also have cited in their definitions. As regards the last aspect, most of definitions have been attempt to present the goal of organization or business in the way of organizational performance, return of investment, competitive advantage and effectiveness in works. There is no universal definition of knowledge management. It is very important to agree on one definition. In this survey paper, we put very simply, knowledge management is a collection of activities regarding business, cultural and technological approaches, which enable organizations to apply knowledge assets to improve innovation, performance optimization and competitive advantage. This definition is simple and precise. It implies that KM is more than a system or a tool to help organization interact with personal knowledge and corp orate knowledge either inside or outside organizations in order to gain benefits through employees and organizations performance. The role of Knowledge Management in Business Intelligence In this section, we have introduced the benefits of knowledge management in the views of business intelligence. Successful organizations are basically required making better decisions to achieve in competitive advantage and hence business performance. Enterprises have been searching for solutions in a great effort to manage information. In fact, business intelligence (BI) seems as an umbrella term for the applications, infrastructure, platforms, tools and best practices that gather and analyze data to improve decision-making [18]. Likewise, KM uses knowledge to improve decision-making [15]. There have been some relationships between BI and KM. Both of them are considered as important in achieving firms strategic goals and have become a top priority concern among business and organizations in the coming years [11]. Many researchers argue that KM is helping hand of BI and sharing the intelligence among employees about how effectively to perform the variety of functions requires makin g the organization go [8, 12, 15, 16]. Moreover, KM techniques can enhance BI. As organizations continue to develop their enterprise-wide BI strategies, KM should be an integral part of their plans. In this systematic survey, the benefits of KM that has impacted on BI can be categorized into four perspectives including technologies, processes, people/teamwork and organizations/cultures. Those advantages are summarized in Table 2, 3, 4 and 5. Table 2 KM benefits in Technologies Perspective Technologies Perspective Benefits Description References Knowledge discovery technologies Knowledge discovery focuses on a potential process of seeking useful patterns in a large and complex database. Knowledge discovery process can help business intelligence to analyse historical data of business process and improve future decision making. Moreover, business intelligence gains benefits from knowledge discovery technologies which allow the organizations finding new knowledge that is either internal or external to firms. [22], Chung, Cody, Gold, Intelligent text analysis Intelligent text analysis referred to text data mining which is a process of extracting meaningful information from unstructured text such as documents, dialogue, web page and email. Text mining seems to be a powerful tool to expand a valuable component into existing business intelligence system. Herschel, Gao, GuptaV Searchable knowledge The strongest component of any knowledge management system is search and retrieval capabilities. With structured s earches, KM can easily determine related data requirements. As a result, BI application can aid an enterprise to increase its business agility, decrease operating costs, and improve its customer loyalty and acquisition. Herschel, Atre, Effective creating reports and capturing information accuracy The best BI application will be worthless if driven by dirty data and created inaccuracies in reports. By providing KM create reports with clean data, BI will serve the business most effectively. Table 3 KM benefits in Processes Perspective Processes Perspective Benefits Description References New Knowledge Creation Knowledge creation involves the interplay of tacit and explicit knowledge which flows within the firms through individual, group and organization levels. Business intelligence applying knowledge creation method can create better condition for innovative work to the development new products and fast services especially making better decision. Herscher, Bolloju Knowledge Transfer Knowledge transfer seems as the process of moving knowledge from one part to other/all parts of the organizations in order to capture, organize or distribute intellectual capital, finally leading to an easy and rapid process of BI in terms of analysis, reporting and visualization. [2],[4], [14],[16], [23],[24], [29] Knowledge Storage and Retrieval The storage and retrieval of organization knowledge refer to organizational memory such as learning histories, best practices, records of experiences, documented organizational procedures and processes. It is also a poten tial aspect to be used in a modified format within BIs data warehouse. Table 4 KM benefits in People/Teamwork Perspective People/Teamwork Perspective Benefits Description References Cross-organizational collaboration KM support teams which can work across multiple organizations. Moreover, KM provides a collaborative environment for internal and external participants to work together. To succeed at BI, a cross-organizational collaborative culture is an important role. [3],[5],[6], [8],[28] Knowledge sharing Leveraging tacit knowledge and providing knowledge worker Ability of employees to make better decisions To make better decisions on BI projects, it is more likely to have both tacit and explicit knowledge. KM will help people capture and share the knowledge which is not only hidden in peoples brain but also shown in reports or structure data. Teams strengthen relationships and communication Many BI projects were failed because of lack of communication and good relationship between developers and users. KM is able to help teams strength relationship throughout the relationship-building process. Table 5 KM benefits in Organizations/C ultures Perspective Organizations/Cultures Perspective Benefits Description References Improving effectiveness and efficiency of an organization Improving organization agility KM is essential to organizations because it deals directly with the creation and transfer of company information. It provides BI with understanding of business context and evaluation of results to improve the effectiveness and efficiency organization. [3],[21], [23],[25], [31],[32] Promoting organization learning / Knowledge-sharing Culture does play a critical role in organizational activities. KM tends to knowledge sharing and pursues the creation of new knowledge. Putting knowledge sharing and fostering a culture of continuous learning will engage workers relationship to enable successful BI.

Impressionism vs. Cubism Essay - 1002 Words

Impressionism vs. Cubism Art, according to Websters Dictionary, is a human skill of expression of other objects by painting, drawing, and sculpture. People have used art as a form of expression for a long time. From the Mesopotamian era to the Classical Greeks and the present. Art is expressed in many different ways and styles, and is rapidly changing, one style replacing another. Impressionism and Cubism broke away from the traditional style of painting. They were both looking for a new way to express everyday life. Time is an important tool that is used in Cubism as well as Impressionism. This element is expressed in Claude Monets Sunrise and Pablo Picassos Man with a Violin in different ways. Impressionists works†¦show more content†¦It is composed of geometrical shapes, abstraction and time. There are no specific colors or objects used. Cubists were looking for a different way to express human form as well as art in general. They provided what we could almost call a Gods-eye view of reality: every aspect of the whole subject, seen simultaneously in a single dimension. According to Fiero, the Cubist image, conceived as if one were moving around, above, and below the subject and even perceiving it from within, appropriated the fourth dimension-time itself. In a sense, Cubism is four-dimensional: depth, height, breath, and time, but seen all at once. It displays different viewpoints from different aspects. The object is taken and looked at in many perspectives and is represented that way on the canvas. Monets painting Sunrise displays vivid color, which is commonly used among impressionists. The painting is of the sun rising over the lake, over looking the bay and the boats within. Sunrise is a patently a seascape; but the painting says more about how one sees than about what one sees. It transcribes the fleeting effects of light and the changing atmosphere of water and air into a tissue of small dots and streaks of color-the elements of pure perception (Fi ero 114). This painting is typical of its style because it captures light at that moment. The sun is rising and its color is projected to everything in its path. Monet seems to capture thisShow MoreRelatedImpressionism vs Post - impressionism1880 Words   |  8 Pagesï » ¿ Impressionism vs Post Impressionism Modern culture is believed to be the brainchild of two versions of the Protestant worldview: the northern French positivism and irrationalism. If the first is trying to discern the signs of the afterlife in the image of reality (which is actually a reflection of the culture established meanings)Read MoreMovements in Art Report Essay1427 Words   |  6 Pagesattacked the purity of the German people. Hitler understood that art was going to play a large role in building his ideal nation, as culture is a major cornerstone in any lasting society. That being said, modern movements, such as Expressionism, Cubism, Futurism, Constructivism, and Dadaism, made up most of the Degenerate Art exhibit because it was a perceived as a threat to German morality. In addition to artistic movements, iconic figures, such as Christ, are found in Degenerate Art. ResearchRead Moreap euro4567 Words   |  19 Pagessocialist parties and labor unions of their own to help the workers 14. Camille Pissarro should be associated with the founding of Impressionism. his works are visibly portrayed in the work of Claude Monet. 15. Which of the following art movements was NOT prominent in the 3 decades prior to WWI? WERE: naturalism, symbolism, impressionism, post-impressionism, cubism, abstract painting 16. Modernism in music included all of the following elements EXCEPT Did Include: Lyrical melodies found in folk

Julian free essay sample

As I stood awkwardly at the podium, nervously twirling the silver band on my thumb, I could feel the telltale signs of panic: shortness of breath, fluttering of the heart, flushed cheeks. I let out an involuntary gasp for air, and as it hung in the tense silence of the room, two potential avenues of escape crossed my mind: one which would involve jumping out a window, the other a test of my hand at feigning an illness. Realistically, I knew that I had to follow through with the audition, and I had my brother to blame for it. Julian is a fifteen year old, Haight Ashbury, hippie incarnate, unique in everything from his dinner table rants to his neon colored style. Where he is bold and loud, I am shy and reserved. I am not one to seek the limelight and, while I won’t deny my predilection for clothing, I’m not one to make a standout fashion statement, or to argue a point in class, or to sing aloud. We will write a custom essay sample on Julian or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Julian on the other hand will stand up in history to defend the policies of Andrew Jackson. He’ll cite Kerouac and Ginsberg, quote Holden Caulfield, spew out some Nietzschean philosophy from time to time. Externally, it would appear as though Julian and I are oil and water, opposite ends of a spectrum, but internally I have found that we are actually quite similar. Julian embodies many of the values that I identify with: only he is outspoken in pursuing them, while I am more hesitant. For Julian, there are no limits because he chooses not to acknowledge them, and it is his absence of limitations, his bravery, that made me believe I could be courageous as well. Standing there at the podium, it was more likely that I would either break down in tears, hurl, or choke, instead of being able to sing for my acapella tryout. I cursed Julian for talking me into it and imagined myself back at home, sprawled out on the couch watching Seinfeld, with a Cup O noodles in one hand and a blac k coffee in the other. I was singing ‘Santa Baby’ for my audition, a provocative song choice which I was quickly starting to regret. My only consolation came in the form of the very words that had prompted me to tryout: â€Å"Prove to yourself, not others, what you can be.† Over and over again it played in my head, the voice of my brother, calming me, telling me that I had nothing to fear, that nothing could stop me except my own perceptions of myself. Mrs. Carol, the chorus instructor, gave me ‘the nod’, the cue prompting me to sing. I stood there dumbly for a few seconds, looking right back at the amused judges. I had conveniently forgotten the first line. The momentary numbness turned to shock, and Mrs. Carol, correctly interpreting the bug-eyed expression on my face, fed me the words â€Å"Santa baby, slip a sable under the tree,† in a sympathetic ‘sing song’ voice. Despite my shaky start, as I began to sing, I found that no l onger was I feeling timid and fearful, but that being in the limelight, if only for a minute, was actually fun. I felt a measure of pride in myself, not for performing perfectly, but for mustering the courage to perform in the first place. Now in the whole scheme of things, my acapella tryout may not appear to be a huge deal. For me though, it was a step, a small but distinct step, towards having the courage to live my life in the absence of my perceived limits, a step towards becoming that person who dares to take a stand in class, who does wear bright colors, wanting, demanding to be noticed. Julian has shown me that you can never live in fear of judgment, rejection, or failure. So, â€Å"if you care about something, you have to protect it . If you’re lucky enough to find a way of life you love, you have to find the courage to live it,† (A Prayer for Owen Meany). Julian has helped me find my courage. He has made me a better person, and for that my admiration for him is as limitless as he is.

Mothers love free essay sample

No language can express the power and beauty and heroism of a mothers love. Who we are today. and who well be tomorrow will be formed not by ourselves, as we would like to think, but by the people around us, namely our friends and family. Possibly the biggest influence is our mother. As a child, she taught us everything from feeding and clothing our self; Judging situations and reacting; tying our shoes; being polite and being respectful to adults. Without my mother, I know I would be lost. To me, my mother is my security blanket. No matter how bad of a day she had, he will always be there with a shoulder to cry on and a sympathetic ear for me. Even If shes been screamed at all day by my siblings, she will still be eager to hear me squeal over my drama-filled teenage gossip. We will write a custom essay sample on Mothers love or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page My mother could probably run a gossip column in the weekly paper on all the gossip and trivial news she hears from me and my friends, whether it be about me, my friends, or that cute boy in my fourth-period class who smiled at me. My mom is my personal miracle. Whenever something becomes too much for me, she Is there calming me down with Just a hug, or revenung me from hyperventilating by flndlng my snowboard in the open ln the first place I checked twice. She puts up with my mood swings, my constant chatter, and my continuous requests, and still manages to run a household beautifully. And she does this all with a smile†even when no one says thank you. Mothers Day Is not a day where every woman who has given birth should be treated special. It Is a day where every mother figure†nanny, caretaker, nurturer, grandmother, aunt, or even older cousin are recognized for the wonderful job they do in influencing us to ecome who we are today. Mothers teach us how to love, cherish, and respect who we are, and what It takes for us to become the adults we will one day be. My mother is a wonderful influence, and I can truly think of only one fault that she, and every other mother out there has: She loves me too much. She loves me so much that I sometimes resent her for not letting me make my own stupid decisions. Im afraid that one day I will end up screaming at her to leave me alone. I know almost every teenage boy does. And I know almost every teenage boy will feel guilty afterwards, ut not know how to apologize. Well, take this chance to let your mom know that you truly are grateful for her wanting to be in your life, even if you dont always show it. This Mothers Day, do something special for your mom, even If its as small as making her breakfast in bed or cleaning your room without being asked. The gesture will be appreciated, and it will show your mom that no matter how obnoxious you can be, you will always love your Mommy and all she does for you. When you knew how to speak, what was your first word? It Is Mom. We have grown up in the arms of our mothers. e have grown up In the great love of our mothers. No one loves us Ilke our mothers; no one is willing to sacrifice everything for us like our mothers. If someone asks you Who is the best woman in your life? I bet you will say it is your mother. And If someone asks me Ilke that, my answer also Is my mother. With me, my mother Is the best woman in the world. No one can replace her In my heart. I admire my mother, I dont know why she is always busy with daily chores, taking care of my family but she never say she is tired. Every day, she is the first person in my family, I OF3 oes to work, I and my siblings go to school, my mother stays home and does all the daily chores after that she does take care of home business. When my father, I and my siblings come home, there is always a delicious dinner, which is waiting for us. After the dinner, my mom washes the dishes. Sometimes, I ask her to help, but she says: It is fine; you should go upstairs and do your homework. Mom always wake up very early, and Mom is the last person can take a break after a busy day. I realize that without my Mom, my father, I and my siblings cannot have the clean house, the elicious meal and the clothes which always iron straight. Mom gives me and my father all her love. She loves us more than herself. Her love for us is great like the ocean, the universe and nothing can replace it. She is not only my mom; she is also my friends, my big sister, who I can share all my problems and stories in life with. When I am sad, happy or stressful, Mom is always by my side and comforts me. Sometimes, I get angry with my mom because she reminds me too much things, especially they are all things I know. Then, I realize that she Just wants me- her son to e good. Making my mother cry is the worst thing, but I did. Im a boy, and playing games is the most favorite things to do of boys. I played games every day. Anytime, when I had free time, I played games, when I came home from school, I played games. I played until midnight; I played until I was tired and slept on my desk. My mother knew it and she always told me to stop playing and focus on studying. I said yes to make her feel please and then I continued to play. When you play games, you just focus on that, you forget to study, that were what happened to me. My mother idnt know anything until my school had a parents conference. She was shocked when she saw my report. My grade was going down. She asked me why my grade went down, I was quiet and looked at her. It seemed like my mother knew the reason why. She was quiet, stared at me and sigh. Suddenly, I saw tears from her eyes, she cried. She told me many times that I should not play games too much, I needed to focus on studying, but I ignore her advice. When she cried, I felt so sorry and guilty. I wasnt brave enough to look at her. Then I came to her slowly, hugged her and said: l was sorry, mom. I knew that I had made a big mistake. I felt so sorry. Mom, please forgive me. I promised that I wouldnt do this again. I was so sorry. I made you cry. And she hugged me tight, she whispered: How couldnt I forgive you? I was Just a little disappointed, but I knew, you would know how to fix your mistake, I love you. I cried after she said that, Just a bit, but I did cry. Mom, you gave me everything but you never ask me to pay back. You are the best, the greatest woman in this world and in my heart. I love you forever. I am happy when I have you by my side to take care of e, to protect me and to give me your love. I am happy when I am your son. I told my mom that In the future. I would be a successful man in life and I can take care of myself and unlucky people. But in my mothers eyes, I know that I am always her little son as I was. But God took her away from me; I dont know why did God do that way? Perhaps theres someone who will do my moms things for me! , I cant stop my tears rolling down on my face when I am thinking about my mom, where are you now mom? , I know that theres nowhere else except Heaven where my mom will be and be aiting for me coming over!. My promises to my mom are to take care myself, do care and always love my wife to-be (Ms. Hoang Anh) and live with full of responsibilities for my children, taking care of my future children is my moms wish and always live with meaningful life to them . 1 wont be away because Im a son of the greatest mom in the world so I want everybody to know that my moms son will be perfect reflection of my mom. Before you were conceived I wanted you, Before you were born I loved you, Before you were here an hour I would die for you, This is the miracle of Mothers Love.

The Professional Truck Driver Essay Research Paper free essay sample

The Professional Truck Driver Essay, Research Paper The Professional Truck Driver Throughout the old ages, the professional truck driver have been given an undeserved corrupt repute. When a driver of semi is involved in an accident affecting a rider vehicle, people automatically assume that the driver of the truck is at mistake. However, many times this is non needfully the instance. The Department of Transportation investigated 1000 fatal hits affecting a big truck and at least one rider vehicle. Of these hits, merely 24 per centum of the truck drivers were at mistake. The study besides states that most of these clangs are due to the drivers ignorance of the limited capablenesss of these big trucks. All truck drivers on the route today go through a vigorous preparation class before they are of all time allowed to acquire their licence. They have to take pre-employment drug and intoxicant trial and are besides subjected to random proving. We will write a custom essay sample on The Professional Truck Driver Essay Research Paper or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The authorities besides has federal Torahs that control the sum of driving clip that they are allowed during the twenty-four hours and hebdomad. Drive Rs are required to take frequent interruptions and make full out a logbook documenting them. As the married woman of a professional truck driver, I have frequently witnessed the stupidity of other automobilist. Many of them due non have any thought what is really involved in driving a semi. A truck driver does non hold the ability to halt and steer every bit easy as the driver of a four-wheeler. There are besides unsighted musca volitanss that each automobilist must see when meeting a tractor-trailer. The accredited automobilist has merely the regulations of the route to obey. Their penalty for disobeying them is little compared to that of the professional driver. They are issued their licence after they complete a trial and thrust around the block. Are the Torahs to lenient? Do we need to hold a more extended preparation plan for the mean automobilist? If everyone had to stay by the same regulations and ordinances there would be fewer careless automobilists on the route. It is through their sloppiness that the truck driver has acquired this unfair repute. Teamsters are Professional Drivers and should be treated with the regard that they deserve.

The Corporate University Model

The Corporate University Model Training is an inherent factor in any successful organization. Organizations are operating in highly dynamic environment and to remain competitive in the industry, they need to keep with the trend and changes in the market. Training is the process of acquiring new skills and knowledge.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Corporate University Model specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Training increases employees’ productivity and efficiency to carry out their roles and responsibilities in an organization. Organizations are increasingly leaning on training to help them adapt to changes by increasing their employees’ skills and capabilities. This paper provides an in-depth discussion on the corporate university training model by exploring its purpose and structure in relation to the faculty-training model. Contemporarily, many organizations are using the corporate university model for training and development of employees. The model offers continuous learning for employees focusing on eminent issues facing organizations (Allen, 2002, p.198). The corporate university model is a tool used by organizations to meet its goals and objectives by facilitating employee learning and development. The model trains employees in a classroom setup or over the internet. Training is on general courses such as communication, interpersonal skills, and conflict resolution among other courses depending on departmental training needs. The corporate university model aims at facilitating successful change implementation in an organization (Grenzer, 2006, p. 123). In addition, the model ensures that the organization has a learning culture that is pertinent for successful implementation of change. The model ensures that returns on investment in training are attainable by evaluating the anticipated benefits from the training. The corporate university model has helped many organizations to remain competitive in th e industry by ensuring that, emerging market trends are facilitated through training and development of employees. Finally, the corporate university model reduces the organization staffing cost by eliminating employee turnover. The faculty model on training uses experts in the industry to train employees in a particular field. The faculty training models focus on employees in a certain field to offer specialized training. In return, the employees gain knowledge and in-depth insight into the topic of training by interacting with experts through either question and answer sessions or demonstrations.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Additionally, the model offers training to key stakeholders, such as employee’s management and board of directors of the organization. It is responsible for developing organizations’ culture and identity by creating awareness on values goals and objectives behind a given organization (Jarvis, 2000, p.132). The faculty model emphasizes on particular department to offer specialized knowledge on a particular topic. Over two thousand companies in the United States of America are using the corporate university training model. J.P. Morgan and Co. is a prime example that uses the corporate university model with organized curriculum for all its employees. Other companies using the corporate university model include Caterpillar, McDonald, and Toyota. The faculty-training model has been adopted by the military due to complex training needs that require skills of an expert in each department. Military officers require training and they practice extensively to avoid mistakes when dealing with real situations. Such expertise can only come from an expert in the field. The two models of training are applicable in different industries thus are both successful in meeting their training objectives. JP Morgan deals with se rvice to consumers and thus the corporate university model enhances the employee’s efficiency when serving consumers. Military training requires that officers hone their skills in different fields and the faculty model is appropriate for this kind of training. In conclusion, the corporate university model is a tool used by an organization to meet its goals and objectives and thus its usefulness helps to create a learning culture and helps organizations to remain competitive in increasing dynamic market environments. References Allen, M. (2002).The corporate university handbook: designing, managing, and growing a successful program. USA: American Mgmt Assn publishers. Grenzer, J. W. (2006).Developing and implementing a corporate university. USA: HRD publishers.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Corporate University Model specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Jarvis, P. (2001). Universities and corporate universit ies: the higher learning industry in global society. USA: Routledge.

All of Tesco Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

All of Tesco - Case Study Example Of late the retail chain has entered into housing market. Tesco (2007): Tesco Stores has a strong corporate image which helps the organization to have a competitive advantage over the other players in the field. According to latest research, the supermarket chain has investments in many other businesses, such as property management, a cloth branding line which has led to the success of the company. The company is also accredited with the best marketing network that have made the company to do well nationally and international, this is achieved by exporting products to other countries such as Germany and south Korea. The company also boosts of a large branch network has enabled it to capture a large clientele base. In order to sustain such a market the Tesco has clear procurements and inbound logistics that it has put in place which it uses to ensure that its services are well delivered. Tesco (2007): Like any other marketing decision, choosing a channel supplier require a lot of thoughts and vast research in order to determine who can qualify to supply the company's products more effectively and efficiently in a way that it will meet the company's production objectives and overall procurement targets. ... Credit & financial condition Financial stability is very important in ensuring success level of any business organization, companies with financial power have an advantage when it comes to supplying because their have ability to expand their volume in relation to increased demands of the Tesco or they can easily acquire new technology to and value to their products. Tesco looks for a supplier with sound financial and credit management so that he can easily supply products without financial hindrance. Sound credit management will allow a supplier to receive some credit facilities from different financial institutions which is vital in running supplier enterprise. At the same time shareholders and other stakeholders will only have confidence in a supplier with sound financial and credit management. (Louis, et al, 2006) Production Strength Louis et al (2006) states that a supplier will only be effective if he can easily and effectively supply goods or service from to a client consequently, before selecting a supplier, Tesco have to ensure that the supplier member can easily and efficiently supplier the required materials to the company without due delays. The level of supplying and coverage of the supplier is considered to know how effective it is. Product Lines, The type of the product will definitely dictate the kind of supplier to recruit. As pertaining the supplier for Tesco supermarket chain, the supplier will have to be able to supply a large number of various products that the supermarket deals in. at the same time, Tesco chooses a supplier who has all the relevant certifications of the product safety measures which are required by the different concerned bodies to ensure that it gets what is safe. (Ruffian et al, 2000) How the

Relationship between Byzantium and Islam Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Relationship between Byzantium and Islam - Essay Example According to the research findings, administrative and doctrinal differences caused the Eastern and Western churches to divide in 1054, ending a centuries-long partition between Greek and Latin Christendom.   Byzantium attained its political height through Justinian, who re-conquered the old Western empire parts.   Successive attacks from various peoples, including Latin Christians, made Byzantium weak, finally falling to the Ottoman Turks (1454). As the 7th century began, vast territories that extended from Egypt to Syria and across North African territories were under the rule of Byzantine Empire from Constantinople (modern Istanbul), its capital. Critical to the power and wealth of the empire, these southern territories long influenced by the Greco-Roman traditions held Orthodox, Syriac, and Coptic, Christians, Jewish communities, among other many religions. Great pilgrimage centers engrossed the faithful followers from as far away as Scandinavia in the west and Yemen in the e ast. Major trade routes extended down the Red Sea to eastward past Jordan to Indian lands in the south, bringing ivories and silks to the imperial territories. Key cities made wealthy by commerce protracted along inland trade routes Constantinople north and along the coastline of Mediterranean sea. Commerce carried ideas and images freely through the region. In the same 7th century, the newly founded faith of Islam began from Medina and Mecca along the Red Sea trade way and reached westward to the Byzantium Empire’s southern provinces. Religious and political authority was conveyed from the long conventional Christian Byzantine to the newly founded Umayyad and well along Abbasid Muslim dynasties. These new powers capitalized on the advantage of existing region traditions in developing their compelling religious and secular visual identities. This exhibition shadows the Byzantine Empire southern provinces artistic traditions from the 7th century to the 9th, as they were change d from being fundamental to the Byzantine tradition and beliefs to being a critical Islamic world part.

Issues and conclusions from the construction case that also apply to Essay

Issues and conclusions from the construction case that also apply to information technology projects - Essay Example The elements include planning, budgeting, risk management and scheduling of activities. They also include setting of viable objectives, support teams and good communication channels. In projects, proper coordination of activities and setting of effective timelines is key. This is to; ensure adequate identification of the limiting factors that may hinder the realization of excellent re4sults. Information technology projects require a high level of innovation and creativity that is achievable through systematic approaches. IT projects entail execution of delicate activities due to the level of expertise, equipment and resources required to drive their operations. The paper discuses issues from the construction case that also apply to the information technology sector. It also covers the processes that are involved in planning, budgeting and scheduling of activities. Recommendations for accountability maintenance Accountability maintenance is the process of ensuring transparent coordina tion and execution of activities. It involves proper planning, coordination and allocation of resources in affair manner. The process is integral in facilitating effective operation in institutions (Gurmin, 2010). It enables project managers and stakeholders to gain full knowledge on the operating procedures and utilization of resources. As noted, projects that are driven without the integration of accountability maintenance incentives operate in the brinks of collapse. Such projects cannot register exemplary performance due to eminent misappropriations that are instigated with inferior systems (Gurmin, 2010). Indeed, IT project managers should design viable operating guidelines that are ideological, economically viable and socially acceptable. The guidelines should also be specific, attainable and realistic in nature. The recommendations are set to avert unwarranted complications that may compromise accountability in the administration of activities and resources. It is imperative to note that construction and information technology projects are designed to transform stakeholder’s lifestyle. The projects hold immense significance in the current environment and should be executed under stringent measures that facilitate accountability. Drinkwater (2011) provided key elements that IT projects managers should adopt to advance accountability maintenance. The recommended elements include development of proper planning techniques. This is crucial since planning entails allocation of resources, workforce, scheduling of activities and budgeting. The process should be undertaken after effective determination of the goals, assessment of the factors that drive operations and evaluation of the available resources. This is to; facilitate the development of sustainable plans that hold limited complications (Bart, 2011). Consequently, early identification and assessment of risk is critical in minimizing accountability issues. It ensures prior discovery, elimination o f unwarranted activities and unqualified personnel that can pose a severe threat to the projects overall performance. Project managers can also develop strong control measures to curb mismanagement of resources (Drinkwater, 2011). The control measures that are worth adoption include use of password system, authorization process and segregation of duties. That is no fund is to be utilized without authorization and use of password to control access to crucial data. Reasons for the position The position and recommendations a

Impact of Brexit on EU Foreign Policy

Impact of Brexit on EU Foreign Policy The European Union will face a new kind of challenge with the exit of Britain: the departure of one of its largest and most substantial member states. No member states has yet made the decision to exit the European Union, so Brexit is a significant event in the history of Europe. The leaving of a member state from the EU is unprecedented and therefore the political consequences are likely to be considerable and prolonged, not only for Britain but for the European Union as a whole (Hobolt 2016). United Kingdom leaving the European Union would change how EU institutions operate not just during the withdrawal period, but also afterwards. The long-term impacts are still uncertain, the process of Brexit takes many years and the full consequences will not be known for a long time. It is only possible to examine probable scenarios. It would most likely affect the European Union’s global role and the balance of power among member states and therefore the policies that the EU would pur sue. It would also alter the resources upon which the EU could draw (Patel, Reh 2016). In addition to that, Brexit will probably encourage populist, anti-immigration and Eurosceptic forces around Europe and that in turn, in the worst case scenario, could eventually create an unravelling of the European Union. Britain is one country among 28, but it is also 15 per cent of the European economy and an eighth of its population. British governments have also been centrally involved in EU’s foreign and security policy. Therefore, there is a lot at stake and Britain leaving the European Union is not only a turning point for Britain but also for the foreign policy of the EU (Raines 2016). Brexit could also alter the relations between the EU and U.S. since the U.S. considers UK as a ‘bridge’ between themselves and the continental Europe. Brexit certainly has serious impacts on the foreign policy of the EU and could possibly even create a rupture in Europe. On the other ha nd, Brexit could be an opportunity for the European Union to show that they can handle a â€Å"challenge†. It depends how the European Union can handle this situation. In this essay I am going to analyse the plausible and realistic short-term, but mainly long-term impacts of Brexit on European Union foreign policy and global role and shortly go over how it could impact the relations between the European Union and the United States. Brexit will significantly weaken the EUs global role. For many, the EU is known for the symbol it stands for- binding Europeans together to resolve conflicts and differences collectively. Brexit puts that symbol of international cooperation to test (Raines 2016). Diplomacy, soft power and international collaboration are the three key aspects of European Union’s foreign policy and its influential powers. Those aspects would be less powerful on the World stage without UK, since the UK is EU’s one of the most important member states and international ‘star-players’ (Patel, Reh 2016). Britain has been centrally involved in EU’s foreign policy and has pushed forward the enlargement of the union, trade liberalisation and the global fight against climate change. With Brexit, the EU loses a key member state with major strategic, economic and diplomatic abilities. With that the European Union fails to be ‘attractive’ internationally if even its o wn member do not believe in the EU’s ability to promote its model, norms and values any more (Weilandt 2017). The EU’s influence on the global scale is also decreasing with the parting of major military power in the EU. UK and France are currently the only member states within the EU with considerable military power and losing one of them could undermine any future development of serious EU military capabilities (Patel, Reh 2016). The European Union’s legitimacy has already suffered due to its poor handling of the Eurozone sovereign debt crisis and the refugee situation (Weilandt 2017). Immigration and the refugee crisis, alongside with economic issues, were also one of the key arguments for having the UKs referendum to decide whether to stay or leave the European Union and fundamental in explaining why the country ultimately voted for Brexit (Clarke, Goodwin, Whiteley 2017). Now the question is, whether those concerns are exceptional for British people or can t here be expected similar uprisings against the European Union in other member states (Hobolt 2016). Brexit could lead to cycle of disintegration. Some member states that were concerned with their sovereignty already before, with the main concerns rooting from European Union’s poor handling the refugee crisis since 2015, could follow in Britain’s footsteps, for example, Poland and Hungary (Leonard 2016). There have been evidence in studies carried out by MCLaren in 2002 and 2006, along with other studies, that Euroscepticism is closely related to general hostility and resentment to other cultures, such as unfavourable mind-set towards immigrants and minority groups (Hobolt 2016). In addition to diminishing the EU on the world stage, brexit could therefore encourage and strengthen Euroscepticism, anti-immigration and anti-democratic forces in Europe who would seek to rethink their country’s membership with the European Union or at least some rearrangement of their relations and conditions with the EU (Patel, Reh 2016). Although referendums on whether to leave the EU or not, are possible, given the pressure from rising populist parties, it is still not very likely. Most mainstream parties in Western Europe are pro-EU. The Eurosceptic parties would need to form a coalition with the pro-EU parties to gain office and muster a parliamentary majority in order to call a referendum on EU membership. Even the most successful populist parties in Western Europe, such as the Danish People’s Party and the Dutch and Austrian Freedom Parties would find it quite difficult to raise a parliamentary majority to, in turn, call in a vote on the matter of the EU membership. While EU referendums are not very likely in other member states, the rise of populist Eurosceptic parties nevertheless pose a serious challenge to the European Union (Hobolt 2016).There is a growing Euroscepticism in Europe after the Eurozone and migrant crises, nevertheless, opinion polls since 2012 have persistently shown that Britain is rather the exception than the rule when it comes to support for leaving the European Union (Hobolt 2016).Yet, it cannot be said that Brexit vote is uniquely a British phenomenon, it indicates the same conceptions that stimulate increases in support for populist Eurosceptic parties across the Europe in recent years, especially in the outcome of the Eurozone and migrant crises. Concerns about immigration and the diminishing national identity in a globalized world are still growing in Europe, beyond Britain. (Hobolt 2016). Better safe than sorry and European Union would still want to rule out any chance for a Brexit domino effect and therefore will make it difficult for Britain to leave the EU, avoiding the precedent of easy withdrawal, so other member states would not even think about leaving the European Union (Patel, Renwick 2016). Germany and France might even push for more immigrant and integrations in Europe to show â€Å"unity† (Patel, Reh 2016).   The EU tends to use further integration as a solution crises, this has well been demonstrated by the Eurozone crisis and those surrounding the Schengen area (Oliver, Williams 2016). This attempt to push for even more integration in Europe in order to demonstrate unity, could set off a counter reaction from member states that have a Eurosceptic parties and lead to even more Euroscepticism in Europe, based on the studies mentioned before. As has Donald Dusk, President of the European Council said: â€Å"Obsessed with the idea of instant and to tal integration, we failed to notice that ordinary people, the citizens of Europe, do not share our Euro-enthusiasm†(Grant 2016). It should be worrying that many voters across Europe see European Union as part of the problem rather than a solution when it comes to protecting the ordinary citizens from the troubles of an even more globalised and integrated world (Hobolt 2016). Brexit would very likely change the balance of power within the European Union and therefore also the policies that the EU could draw (Patel, Reh 2016). It is argued that Brexit could strengthen the position of Germany, shift alliances and possibly also either strengthen or weaken smaller states. Until this point, Germany has already determined the EU’s response on past issues such as the Eurozone crisis, refugees and the war on in Ukraine (Grant 2016). The departure of the UK could further reassure Germany’s position, since UK has often served as a critical counterweight. This could lead to many smaller member states worrying about German domination (Patel, Reh 2016). Some analysts have noted that without the UK, Germany would be expected to subsidize more to European defence and security also. This would be an undesirable position and responsibility for Germany.   It has also been argued that that with the Europe’s other dominant powers, France, Spain and Ita ly, in either decline or political unrest, Germany needs the UK to help it lead the European Union (Patel, Renwick 2016). Although Germany needs UK to co-lead the European Union and they have been quite keen to keep the UK in the EU, they have also made it clear that this goal is not pursued at all costs- particularly not at a cost that weakens the concept of European integration (Oliver, Williams 2016). Brexit could also change the relations between the European Union and the United States. Many Americans believe that having one of United States’ closest allies in the EU aligns it more closely with U.S. foreign policy aspirations and the U.S. saw the UK as a bridge between themselves and continental Europe (Grant 2016). UK has helped move the European Union toward shared U.S. foreign policy aims before, for example as the Atlantic Council’s Frances Burwell points to the EU setting sanctions on Iran for its nuclear program and on Russia for Moscow’s takeover of Crimea. Although it is argued that Brexit would likely have a little impact on the EU-US relations since U.S. and UK would still be both members of NATO.   While historically Britain has been the leader of the Antlanticism, support for a close relationship between Western Europe and the U.S., in Europe, there is no reason why another big EU member state could not play this part. Indeed, the United States has already started to look to other states, particularly Germany for an ally, and France for military leadership in Europe (Oliver, Williams 2016). The loss of European Union’s key member states with major strategic, economic, diplomatic and military capabilities will be a serious setback to the EU’s position and reputation, alongside with its international influential powers. Brexit is a momentous event in the history of EU, and because this is situation is unprecedented in Europe, the impacts are uncertain. Nevertheless, the consequences will most likely be substantial and prolonged in the EU’s policy and foreign policy. Firstly, Brexit will weaken the global role of the European Union signifantly. EU is no longer sufficiently attractive if even one of its own members do not believe in the norms and values set out by the model of international cooperation that is the European Union. This puts the EU’s symbolic meaning into question- is the EU still a model for the future of international cooperation? From here could the unravelling of the EU begin. Brexit emboldens anti-immigration and Eurosceptic f orces across Europe. The reputation of EU has already decreased after the poor handling of the Eurozone and immigration crises. Immigration issues were the key to the UK’s referendum and has got many other member states concerned as well. There is a rising mistrust in the Union and although referendums on the EU membership in other member states is unlikely, the EU should be concerned with the rising populist and Eurosceptic forces. Even though referendums are not very likely, some member states could at least seek some reconfiguration of the conditions and terms with the European Union. Naturally the EU would want to prevent any Brexit Domino effects and therefore make the conditions of leaving possibly difficult for the UK, not willing to make many concessions. The Brexit negotiations will be long and complex. As a result of Brexit, the EU might want to push for more integration among the member states, to show ‘unity’, led by Germany and France. But this attempt could a counter reaction and lead to even more Eurosceptisim in Europe. Brexit will also change the balance of power between the member states. This could go in many possible directions but it is very plausible that the Brexit will strengthen the position of Germany, or rather- further reassure Germany’s position, Germany has already determined the EU’s response on past issues. Germany’s dominant position could have many smaller states worried, since until now the UK has served as a critical counterweight to Germany. Bibliography Clarke, D. H., Goodwin, M., Whiteley, P. (2017) BREXIT: Why Britain Voted to Leave the European Union. Cambridge: Cambridge University PressDaianu, D. (2016) ‘One crisis after another: How the EU can deal with Brexit’. The European Council on Foreign Relations [online] 7 July.   Available from: [13 November 2017]Grant, C. (2016) ‘The impact of Brexit on the EU’. Centre for European Reform [online] 24 June. Available from: [13 November 2017]Hazell, R., Renwick, A. (2016) ‘Brexit: Its Consequences for Devolution and the Union’. [19 May 2016] UCL Constitution Unit Briefing Paper (online). Available from:    [12 November 2017] Hobolt, B. S. (2016) ‘The Brexit vote: a divided nation, a divided continent’ Journal of European Public Policy [online] 23 (9), 1259-1277. Available from: [10 November 2017]Leonard, M. (2016) ‘Brexit: The foreign policy implications’. The European Council on Foreign Relations [online] 24 June. Available from: [11 November 2017]Oliver, T., Williams, J. M. (2016) ‘Special relationships in flux: Brexit and the future of the US–EU and US–UK relationships’ International Affairs [online] 92 (3), 547-567. Available from: [14 November 2017]Patel, O., Reh, C. (2016) ‘Brexit: The Consequences for the EU’s Political System’. [5 May 2016] UCL Constitution Unit Briefing Paper [online]. Available from: [12 November 2017]Patel, O., Renwick, A. (2016) ‘Brexit: The Consequences for Other EU Member States’. [2 June 2016] UCL Constitution Unit Briefing Paper [online]. Available from: [12 November 2017]Raines, T. (2016) ‘Britain’s Vote Will Test the Limits of the EU experiment’. Chatham House [online] 21 June. Available from: [13 November 2017]Weilandt, R. (2017) ‘Why Brexit’s Impact on EU Foreign Policy Might Remain Limited’. Crossroads Europe [online] 17 August. Available from: [11 No vember 2017]Wright, N., Patel, O. (2016) ‘The Constitutional Consequences of Brexit: Whitehall and Westminster’. [21 April 2016] UCL Constitution Unit Briefing Paper [online]. Available from: [12 November 2017]

How cell phones changed todays society Essay

How cellphones effect people everyday lives today? Cellphones play a bid role in today’s society as many would concur. From when someone wakes up in the morning they instantly checks their profile, messages, or missed calls. Cellphones make it easier to communicate with each other even if there’s a lot of distance between them. They made it to where if someone in Georgia want to talk to someone in New York anytime, then they could without haven to drive or fly to the other destination to. In order to keep the cellphones in business and effective they made different companies, that advertise, sale, keep in order, and produce the product. So to keep the business around each company tries to make the best deals for single and family purposes. They also build more signal towers all around the world to produce more signal than another company, to promise better service. They advertise the company on TV by commercials, on the internet with web site, on the streets with flyer or poster. They also advertise by saying they got the best by comparing there produce or services to others. Other ways like most of today’s phone are high quality with best games, internet, music, and communication. So when someone gets bored the first thing they do is pick up a phone. Most of some people’s day is spent on a cellphone. People now a days are on their phones extremely too much, missing the beauty of life. Not going out doing things hands on, they rather be sucked into cyber life or social media. Researchers found the radiofrequency field generated by your cell phone causes brain tissue to heat up. This proves your brain is absorbing radiation from your cell, study author David Gultekin, Ph.D., a researcher at the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York, tells MensHealth.com. Ten studies connect cell phone radiation  to diminished sperm count and sperm damage. Others raise health concerns such as altered brain metabolism, sleep disturbance and behavioral changes in children. That’s why I did research and found a case that can reduce radiation exposure. One of the greatest disadvantages of the cellular phone is the fact that we do not talk to strangers when traveling anymore. In the past, several people waiting for a bus would engage in a conversation while they were waiting. People who traveled the same routes every day might develop friendships along the way. This situation does not happen anymore. Today when people are waiting for a bus, they just pull out their cell phones and speak with old friends, missing out on the opportunity to make new ones. In large cities, many people do not know their neighbors, even though they may have lived in the same neighborhood for years. As a society, we are beginning to lose the face-to-face contact that was such an important part of our lives in the past. Cell phones are a great asset in aiding in our everyday lives. You should remember, however, to hang up every once in a while and pay attention to the world around you.

Female infanticide Essay

Imagine a world with no women. There are no wives, no sisters, no daughters, and no mothers. Unfortunately, this world is on the brink of becoming a scary reality for Asian countries such as China and India. Due to attempts to control population and the low value associated with females in these societies historically and culturally, both China and India are now facing a serious gender imbalance. Female infanticide and sex-selective abortion are responsible for this gender imbalance. Due to the high occurrence of foeticides, infanticides, including new born neglect and abandonment, he world is currently deprived of over 100 million women. China and India alone are responsible for 80 million missing females. CHINA: In 1978 China introduced the one-child policy. The Chinese population was growing too fast and already was enormous. The government introduced this policy to slow down the growth of the population of China. This encouraged female infanticide even more. Before the introduction of the one-child policy female infanticide already existed. According to a report, an interview with 40 women over age 50, who claimed to have given birth to 183 sons and 175 daughters, of whom 126 sons but only 53 aughters survived to age 10. By their account, the women had destroyed 78 of their daughters. To Chinese families the son is the most important child. They believe that the son can work, carry the family name and look after elderly parents. Only after the desire of having a son or two has been met, do Chinese families prefer having a girl. INDIA: In the global arena, India is indeed fast developing and is gradually becoming a force to reckon with and this makes us extremely proud. However, there are certain home truths we aren’t aware of or chose to turn a deaf ear to. Female infanticide is one of them. India as a country is steeped in patriarchal values and thereby continues to talk about the importance of raising a male child. The idea of the male child enwraps an image of future security, protection, wealth and prosperity. Only can a male child grow up to look after his family. Only can a male child protect his family. Women are simply viewed as commodities and properties belonging to men. Women are perceived to be a burden on the family. From the time she is born, the only way her physical being/existence is given meaning is by virtue of marriage. In the institution of marriage lies the salvation of the woman. In looking after her husband and bearing children lies her attainment of Nirvana. And with marriage comes the social evil of ‘dowry (giving away lump sums of money and gifts during marriage) which continues to haunt families. A large population of India continues to struggle on a daily basis for its survival. In a situation like this, the additional appendage of giving dowry to the groom’s family increases the misery of an already devastated financial situation of the average Indian family. female infanticide.

Manage your boss’s emails and phone calls like a pro

Manage your boss’s emails and phone calls like a pro As an assistant, you will often be asked to manage your boss’s correspondence, including emails. This can often be a tricky task, particularly because its hard to know the correct tone to strike. Should you write in your voice? In his or hers? What if your boss just leaves it up to you?Representing someone else is a huge responsibility, but one you can weather with dignity and poise. Here are a few things to keep in mind to make sure you don’t lose the privilege or fumble the ball.Keep it confidential.It should go without saying that whatever you read in your boss’s email isn’t meant to be repeated- to anyone. Don’t discuss personal items you might come across with anyone, least of all your boss (unless he brings something up). And don’t blab about professional developments within your company to your colleagues either- not even to warn them of impending changes.When in doubt, ask.Don’t just accept the email task as yours, silently and resolutely. Ask questions. What is it she wants you to accomplish? Are you authorized to unsubscribe her from unnecessary mailing lists? Are you monitoring so she doesn’t have to weed through everything, or are you actually in charge of triaging, organizing, and (eep) responding. And, if so, how would she like you to do that- as yourself (Sincerely, Your Name, Personal Assistant to Her Name) or as your boss? The more you know going in and the more you two are on the same page, the fewer misunderstandings will crop up.Read them, and take notes.Even if some of this stuff might be over your head, the more you know, the more you can help. Make sure to read carefully and have a sense at any given time of who’s asking for what and which things need to happen first. Make sure to note impending deadlines, appointments, timely actions, etc., and flag them immediately. Make note of these in your own calendar, as well as in your boss’s. That way you can send reminders.Sta y professional.When discussing the content of these emails with your boss or when responding to them yourself, make sure to act the part. Be every bit as professional and polished as your boss is. Remember, you are acting on his behalf.Come up with a system.If you’re given the leeway, try to come up with a system that will work for both of you. For example, you can file everything non-essential into folders like Junk, Personal, and News. Then everything else is work stuff and you can both focus on that. Come up with a flagging system- using different colors or labels- so you can communicate to each other what needs to be done first. Keep it sensible and simple.Check twice.Make sure to bookend your workday by checking emails first thing and then going through for anything urgent at the end of the day. Making sure you do a thorough check in the morning and the evening means that whatever system you came up with for organizing will keep functioning smoothly, rather than falling apart overnight.Stay cool.Don’t bother your boss with a question every time you aren’t sure what to do with a given email- even at the beginning. Try instead to keep a running list of questions you want to ask and save them for the end of the day. In a few days, you’ll find you have far fewer questions.Don’t forget to do your own work.Don’t let your boss’s emails swallow your whole work day, eclipse your projects, or make you neglect your own inbox. Develop a system that works for you so that you can balance both of your correspondences. This will make the arrangement more stable and sustainable for both of you.

By SP essays

By SP essays Hammurabi, said to be the greatest leader of Ancient Mesopotamia, laid out a set of laws which emphasizes retribution as a form of punishment ("an eye for an eye"). It is my belief that Hammurabi was a just ruler who took into consideration all things that affected his people. The Code of Hammurabi is very similar to our laws and yet it is completely different. Hammurabis set of laws heavily relies on retaliation which has no place in the twenty- first century. But Code number 203, states that "If a free-born man strike the body of another free-born man or equal rank, he shall pay on gold mina," this reminds one of small claims court. But in a case it is different because a modern day society does not poke out the eye of an assailant, (number 196 "If a man put out the eye of another man, his eye shall be put out"). It is my belief that Hammurabi was a just man but I would not choose to live under his code because of its harsh punishments. For instance, using the above example, what would happen if the eye incident was an accident? There are catch-22s and holes in the code even though it is well thought out. In conclusion, Hammurabi, said to be the greatest leader of Ancient Mesopotamia, laid out a set of laws which emphasizes retribution as a form of punishment ("an eye for an eye"). It is my belief that Hammurabi was a just ruler who took into consideration all things that affected his people. ...

Graffiti as a Spatial Practice Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Graffiti as a Spatial Practice - Essay Example This is the type of people who air their views through graffiti and put them up in strategic places in the city. Taking a tour around suburbs this can be confirmed for sure. Besides putting up encouraging words or even passing across messages graffiti can be used to comfort people who tend to know where they come from and who relate to it. Speech does not necessarily mean word of mouth in this case thus can be used manipulatively to achieve the main goal of communication. A symbol is a giant tool when it comes to relaying messages because they can easily be interpreted and require a short time to come up with. In a way, graffiti conveys most sensitive information by putting up symbols and images for the purpose. Names point out without necessarily having meaning they too tend to ring a bell to the readers. Graffiti cannot be related to a given group of people because it’s universally applicable across the globe. Relating graffiti with an interpretation of de Certeau wouldn’t be deemed wrong because all in all graffiti as sure as any other functional tool qualifies to be a spatial practice that needs to be allocated.  

Schizophrenia Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Schizophrenia - Article Example Positive Symptoms include delusions and hallucinations because the patient has lost touch with reality in certain important ways. Delusions cause the patient to believe that people are reading their thoughts or plotting against them, that others are secretly monitoring and threatening them, or that they can control other peoples minds. Hallucinations cause people to hear or see things that are not there. Disorganized Symptoms include confused thinking and speech, and behavior that do not make sense. For instance, people with schizophrenia sometimes have trouble communicating in coherent sentences or carrying on conversations with others; move more slowly, repeat rhythmic gestures or make movements such as walking in circles or pacing; and have difficulty making sense of everyday sights, sounds and feelings. Negative Symptoms include emotional flatness or lack of expression, an inability to start and follow through with activities, speech that is brief and lacks content, and a lack of pleasure or interest in life (NAMI, 2006). The older standard (‘Typical’) anti-psychotic drugs, though effective, are associated with a range of distressing side-effects which can result in constant twitching/fidgeting, writhing and disjointed movements. However, newer (‘Atypical’) anti-psychotic drugs are designed to offer control of symptoms and less of these disabling side-effects. National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), , Schizophrenia (2006) 4 December 2006.

English Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

English - Essay Example Generally, when a writer produces a work, it comes in market in its original form and then it is presented to any other entity with its right and license to translate it to other languages to get it a place on international level. Such translations get feedback comprising of appreciations and loopholes both by the people having command on both original and translated languages which helps later to consider the drawbacks and produce better translations in future (Kovac, M., and Wischenbart, R., 2012). Translation of books into English language was not always appreciated as in Australia many authors did not like the Australian stories translated into English with so many changes in the text and wanted the youth to read original version of the stories (Nick Earls, ABC Premium News, 15 July 2009 i Allington, D., 2012). African writers also prefer to write in their own language and want Africa to be the centre of their literature. By doing this they do not aim to refuse the English stream rather they only wish to see things from African perspective. Ngugi is of the view that the Oral Tradition is important but it cannot replace the Modern African Literature. To remain loyal to the literature is to stick to the history and assimilate and embrace the traditional thoughts and so not losing the roots (Ngugi, 1986, p. 94-5). In the clip we observe South African writers’ reasons behind choosing language as a medium of their writing. Hambidge prefers to write in Afrikaans as it is connected to her identity. Moreover, she can express her thoughts and emotions in her own language in the best possible way. Magona and Ndebele see Afrikaans as the language of oppressed nation. Ndebele opts English for her writings as it is a language of opportunity and fame for its being international language Magona, though, prefers to write in English but she feels that she cannot write like Jane Austen and it involves both conscious and unconscious factors which shape thought language (U214, DVD 3, Clip 20.1, ‘Choosing to write in English’). While translating a language into English, problems may arise at lexical level. There may not be an alternative word available and a set of words express the meanings so it lengthen the sentence. For example in Russian language there is no separate word for ‘cloud’ rather there are words for different kinds of clouds so it makes the translator to interpret the kind of clouds relying on the context and present a different expression from the original sentence. This does not mean that Russian language is richer than English and provide finer details regarding vocabulary. In some other cases, Russian language has no separate word for ‘arm’ or ‘hand’ rather there is a single word ‘ruka’, so every time the translator encounters this word, he faces difficulty in interpreting that whether the writer is talking about ‘arm’ or ‘hand’. These pro blems are solved by using other words such as ‘fist’, ‘palm’ or ‘from shoulder to fist or wrist’ but it results in comparatively longer sentence. So, such lexical gaps between languages make it difficult to create a perfect translation (Cook, G., 2012). Cook observes the difficulties that become a challenge while translating other languages into English. Referring to the translation of the Chinese film ‘

Edward de Vere is the Real Shakespeare Essay Example for Free

Edward de Vere is the Real Shakespeare Essay Edward de Vere was an Earl of Oxford. There is an ongoing debate whether William Shakespeare’s plays were his or these were the creations of Edward de Vere. This debate continues because literary scholars and historians reject this theory but was supported by theater practitioners and researchers. De Vere, also known as Oxford, was called a playwright and poet but his works did not survive. Some of his poetry was anonymously published in â€Å"Arte of English Poesie† in 1589. This was confirmed by the author George Puttenham. Very many noble gentlemen in the Court that have written commendably and suppressed it again, or else suffered it to be published without their own names to it, as it were a discredit for a gentleman, to seem learned, and to show himself amorous of any good art. † (Nelson, 165) Oxford as a dramatist is given proof through the testimony of Francis Meres in â€Å"Palladis Tamia. † He describes his works as â€Å"the best for comedy. † (Whalen, 361). Nonetheless, few of Oxford’s poems and songs are credited to his own name. The dates of these works are uncertain. Most of which are signed â€Å"Earle of Oxenforde† or â€Å"E. O. † When he was alive, Oxford was always in the company of English poets. In 1920, J Thomas Looney presented facts that Oxford was the real author of Shakespeare’s plays. The facts he presented were: a. ) Oxford’s advanced education and first-hand knowledge of an aristocrat’s life b. ) the law c. ) the military c. ) theater background d. ) high praise of Oxford’s works by his peers and e. ) the countless similarities between Oxford’s life and the setting of the plays. Looney’s hypothesis was that Oxford published his works under a pseudonym since it was disgraceful for an aristocrat like him to be writing plays for public theater. (Nelson, 158). This claim was confirmed by Renaissance scholars. Members of the Tudor aristocracy were recognized as reputable poets but none of them published their works. None of Sir Walter Raleigh, Sir Fulke Greville, Sir Edward Dyer and Sir Philip Sidney published their creations despite their recognition in the aristocratic society. (Whalen, 248). Through the ideas presented by Looney, other writers became notable Oxfordians. Sigmund Freud, Mark Twain, columnist Joseph Sobran, biographer and historian David McCullough and actors Orson Welles, Sir Derek Jacobi, Sir John Gielgud and Jeremy Irons all believe that it was Oxford who wrote these plays. (Lindquist, 23) However, there are gaps on Looney’s theory. One is the evidentiary gap such as Oxford’s death in 1604. If he were in fact the real author of Shakespeare’s plays, the he wouldn’t have witnessed the wreck of the Sea Venture in Bermuda and the Gunpowder Plot† which were said to be the allusions to Shakespeare’s dramas â€Å"The Tempest† and â€Å"Macbeth. Then there are writers like Leonard Digges and Ben Jonson who provide concrete evidence that Shakespeare is a reputed poet. (Lindquist, 24) Oxfordians provide proof through the use of modern research that Shakespeare no longer published his plays after 1604. Also, Oxfordian biographers Mark Anderson and William Farina showed research which indicate that the publication of Shakespeare’s plays actually ended in 1604. (Simpson, 34) Aside from Oxford, there are other candidates who are considered to have been the real author of Shakespeare’s plays and sonnets. These are Christopher Marlowe, Francis Bacon and the Earl of Derby. These theories were rejected by academic establishments. Through the ideas and hypothesis of Looney and the Oxfordians, Oxford as the real author of Shakespeare’s works still stands true. (Nelson, 102) A crucial reasoning of why Oxford is the actual author of Shakespeare’s works come in the political topography of â€Å"Hamlet. † (Propson, 13) The Denmark in the play is identical with the biography Oxford has been accustomed in. The play is an imaginative presentation of what Oxford would have done, based on his other works that were published under a pseudonym. Oxfordians continue to present other arguments with such depth and accurate research to back up their hypothesis and their theories. Oxford mastered the understanding and experience that is evident in Shakespeare’s plays. Oxford’s poems also have the same flow as those of Shakespeare’s. He explored and developed the stanzaic and metric forms when writing poetry, just like Shakespeare and his sonnets. (Propson, 15) And just like any aristocrat, he was status-conscious and he needed recognition for his success. He was determined to have his way and would have made it sure to have received credit for his plays or his poetry. So why then would he have allowed this to happen if he actually wrote the plays? Scholars who studied Oxford as a man and the possible Shakespeare describe him as â€Å"a puzzle to his generation. † Oxford was eccentric and creative and he showed varying moods, subtle movements and fierce passions. His words as seen in his poetry are inexplicable and extraordinary. The knowledge and insight of these works cannot be discussed easily, as confirmed by Looney. â€Å"The poetic genius has more or less always been a man apart. † (Whalen, 183) However, those who believe that Shakespeare was the real author of his works scrutinized Oxford’s works as lacking the depth and the conscious knowledge that Shakespeare’s plays and sonnets are known for. (Lindquist, 28). His poetry did not have the level of knowledge or the comprehension of philosophies and advance consciousness of the characters as evident in Shakespeare’s plays. But these facts do not stop Oxfordians from seeing De Vere as the candidate for Shakespeare’s actual authorship. They strongly believe that his capability as a dramatist and poet â€Å"conforms to the mind and capacity and character of Shakespeare. (Simpson, 23) Oxford was generous and often funded patronage to projects that benefited literacy, religion, medicine, philosophy, science and music. Not only was he a poet and playwright, he was also a patron. This proves that Oxford made sure he was recognized. Another question mark is that ten other Shakespearean plays were published after 1604, which was the year Oxford died. (Lindquist) The strongest claim that Oxford is in fact the real Shakespeare is the cumulative parallels of the earl’s life to the works and the specificity of his personal references and concerns as seen in the plays and the poems. Oxford was a pure-bred aristocrat and he has been educated along with other noble families. He had profound literary tastes and through this, has become a lyrical poet. He was a traveler and is quite fashionable. He loved music. This is set alongside the fact that Shakespeare was illiterate. Oxfordians say that Shakespeare would have had a hard time writing his own signature, what more composing plays and sonnets. They also reasoned that in Shakespeare’s will, he never mentioned anything about his plays. The same can be said to Oxford. If he in fact wrote the plays, then why did he not state this in his will? The date and the circumstances of Oxford is the dispute among scholars. The historical records and his way of life are concrete proof that he is aware of the aristocrat’s way of life, compared to Shakespeare, who did not lead a life of luxury. Oxford’s uncle, The Earl of Surrey, originated the sonnet form today which has been used in Shakespeare’s sonnets. (Propson, 46). The question on who wrote this becomes more and more difficult to answer because of this. Oxford received his BA from Cambridge University and his masters from Oxford University. He was also sent to study law at Gray’s Inn. This only comes to show that he is absolutely knowledgeable of the topics that have been discussed in Shakespeare’s 37 plays. Like most of the characters in Shakespeare’s plays, Oxford was not domesticated by marriage. He was famous for getting in trouble which initiated the wrath of his father-in-law. As a young man, Oxford accidentally killed another man. A lot of Shakespeare’s plays show one character killing another. Historical records show that Oxford and his companions traveled on the road from Gravesend to Rochester. This is similar to â€Å"Henry the Fourth, Part One. † For some reason, the account in the play also provides the full detail of the assault that is similar to Oxford and his men. Once Oxfordians dug this information up, they used it as another important bullet point in their hypothesis. Oxford was also notorious for his martial prowess. He excelled in sports. He was also good with words. He knew how to provide a vast content of narrative using vocabulary, metaphor and imagery. This is evident in Shakespeare’s plays. Another factor that adds up to the confirmation of the Oxfordian’s claim is that Oxford conceived theatrical entertainment for the Queen of Whitehall. He was given a lease to the Blackfriars Theater. He was the patron of other writers and he was known by members of various acting companies. He was one of the first recipients of the literary dedications written by writers Edmund Spenser and John Lyly. He was regarded to be one of England’s most excellent writers. To give more proof on the thesis statement of this paper is the fact that Oxford traveled extensively. He visited France and Italy. Sicily provided the backdrop for Shakespeare’s plays set in Italy. Oxford had a home in Venice. His ship was once attacked by pirates during one voyage. Again, this is another scene from one of Shakespeare’s plays – â€Å"Twelfth Night. † Another historical account of Oxford as Shakespeare is when his brother-in-law Peregrin Bertrie reports upon his return that while having a banquet at Elsinore, â€Å"a whole volley of all the great shot of the castle discharged. † This very account is the line of Shakespeare’s Cluadius in â€Å"Hamlet. † (Propson, 42) However, there are still gaps, especially toward the later years of his life. In 1958, there had been anonymous publications and performances of Shakespearean plays like Titus Andronicus, Richard the second and Romeo and Juliet. That time, the first quarto bore the name William Shakespeare as the author. That very year, Francis Meres published his works â€Å"Palladis Tamia† and credits â€Å"Shakespeare. † At the same time, he identifies the playwright Edward de Vere as â€Å"the best for comedy amongst us. † The 1604 problem will always prevent Oxfordian scholars to completely conclude that Oxford is the real Shakespeare but that does not stop them from presenting concrete facts in what they believe in. They reach a point wherein they count the number of plays Shakespeare release in a year. They wondered about the inconsistency. They say that in 1593 to 1603, Shakespeare published two plays in a year. Then he stopped writing in 1604 and started publishing five years later. (Propson, 45) Other Oxfordian claims is the fact that Shakespeare was not mourned for in his death. Upon Mark Twain’s observation, â€Å"When Shakespeare died in Stratford, it was not an event. It made no stir in England than the death of any other forgotten theater-actor would have made. Nobody came down from London; there were no lamenting poems, no eulogies, no national tears – there was merely silence, and nothing more. A striking contrast with what happened when Ben Jonson, and Francis Bacon, and Spencer, and Raleigh and the other literary folk of Shakespeare’s time passed from life! No praiseful voice was lifted for the lost Bard of Avon. † (Simpson, 138) Until now, the Oxfordian theory is popular amongst writers, scholars, researchers and actors. The debate between the Oxfordians and the Stratfordians (those who believe that Shakespeare is the real author of his works) continue.

The Myth of Rape Culture in America Essay -- Rape Culture Essays

â€Å"Rape is as American as apple pie,† says blogger Jessica Valenti. She and other feminists describe our society as a â€Å"rape culture† where violence against women is almost invisible. According to feminists, films, magazines, fashion, books, music, and humor cooperate in conveying the message that women are there to be used, abused and exploited.(Kitchens, 2015) Rape culture, which was coined as a culture during the second wave of feminism during the early 1970’s and was, according to the encyclopedia of rape, â€Å"often used by feminists to describe contemporary American culture as a whole.† Rape culture, by definition though, is â€Å"a culture in which rape and other sexual violence (usually against women and gender diverse peoples ) are common and in which prevalent attitudes, norms, practices, and media condone, normalize, excuse, or encourage sexualized violence† (qtd. in University Of Michigan Women’s Center). At its earliest beginnings, rape culture was an epidemic without a name. However, today, in 21st century America, one must wonder, why is this even still an issue? Furthermore, one must deliberately consider just why rape culture only applies to women as victims of sexual violence instead of people of sexual violence. Men, for example, are not regarded as victims, ever. Apparently, men cannot be sexu ally assaulted. Rape culture allows for â€Å"gender diverse peoples† but they’re certainly not talking about men. Unless of course, those men just happen to dress as women and are raped because they are mistaken for women. But you see, therein another can of worms is opened, because it specifically relates to women and people who look like women. Sounds a bit ridiculous to me. I can’t remember a time when rape was ever a parlor joke in... ...Time.com Web. 23 Nov 2015 http://time.com/30545/its-time-to-end-rape-culture-hysteria/ Morber, Jenny. â€Å"What Science Says About Arousal During Rape.† Popsci.com. Popular Science, n.d. Web. 16 Nov. 2015. http://www.popsci.com/science/article/2013-05/science-arousal-during-rape â€Å"R., K†. â€Å"Prison Rape: A Silent Epidemic.† Torture and abuse 3.3 (2001): 16-18. PSJ. Safety and Justice, 1 Oct. 2001. Web. 21 Nov. 2015. http://www.safetyandjustice.org/node/492 United States of America. U.S. Department of Justice. National Institute of Justice and Centers For Disease Control & Prevention. Who Are the Victims? RAINN. RAINN, n.d. Web. 21 Nov. 2015 http://www.rainn.org/get-information/statistics/sexual-assault-victims/ â€Å"Women’s Center.† Womens Center. The University of Michigan, n.d. Web. 16 Nov. 2015.

A Right Against Torture? Essay

Explain how you would try to justify an absolute right against torture, and how you would try to meet the main objections to such a proposed right. This essay sets out to deal with the very important issues raised by the practice of torture in today’s society. More precisely, the point of this paper is to defend a right against torture, of which all people should benefit, and not just any kind of right, but one of an absolute nature. In order to deal with these issues the essay will firstly justify why and absolute right against torture is mandatory from a philosophical point of view as well as a methodological one. Secondly, this essay aims to present its defences and critiques against the main objections to this proposed absolute right. In achieving both goals the paper will present empirical and normative evidence of why people from all over the world should benefit from this absolute right, and not just in writing, but also in practice. Before venturing forth with the arguments necessary to defend the absolute right against torture I will explain the term of ‘absolute right’ as it is needed so that everyone understands the importance of such a right and even more, so that everyone can acknowledge the gravity of infringing upon such a right. An absolute right is a right that cannot be infringed upon under absolutely any circumstances. The right against torture qualifies as such an absolute right under agreements such as the ECHR (European Convention on Human Rights), the UKHRA (UK Harm Reduction Alliance) and the UDHR (Universal Declaration of Human Rights). There are today 192 signatory states of the UDHR; these states are legally bound to respect all of the articles of this document. The main problem is that even though all of these states have signed the declaration, there have been reports between 1997 and 2001 of torture being practiced in 140 countries. It is therefore sad when we come to the conclusion that even though this right is one from which these people should have been protected from, that has not happened and it has not been enforced, but severely infringed upon in many of the states it should be guaranteed. An absolute right against torture as far as I am concerned should not even be defended in any kind of way, but instead it should be implied, it should be a given and it should not be a topic of conversation in any corner of the world. The reasons why I will always try and be a stalwart defender of such a right are many. The two main arguments I would like to propose in order to defend this right are the fact that torture constitutes an incredibly immoral and degrading practice, and that furthermore, torture practised in today’s society will halt, at least on some level, the capability of human beings to progress. The world has evolved from all points of view, today we live in a world that has significantly improved technologically, a world that has seen major improvements in ways of thinking, a world that is now more human rights based than ever, and yet the same world cannot seem to be able to let go of one of the most backwards practices it has ever invented, torture. The status-quo of today’s world is not violence as it was in the Middle Ages, on the contrary, we live in a world that has more and more tried to enhance its defence of human rights and to reduce the as much as possible the unnecessar y use of force, terror and violence against humanity and not only. Perhaps if we had all lived in the Middle Ages, the practice of torture would not seem as appalling as it does to so many people today. I strongly believe that torture is wrong no matter what approach I take. Torture is immoral and fundamentally wrong and it has both short-term and long-term disastrous consequences on all human beings – not just those people it is used against. Although torture has been declared an illegal it has been used many times. This means it happens in an undisclosed manner, people do not really know when and where it happens most of the times, and if they find out it is because some mistakes have been made. With the technological advancements today it is easier to capture and present to the public such acts of violence than it was before. One of the discourses on torture has been on what kind of approach should be taken. The solutions when dealing with torture are as follows: make torture legal and resort to it when needed; never resort to torture no m atter what the circumstances; declare torture illegal and always declare that torture will not be used but resort to practicing it when needed but only ‘under the radar’. The only reasonable approach as far as I am concerned is to never under any circumstances resort to torture. Using a process of elimination this is still the only reasonable opinion in regards to torture as the other two options are immoral. First of all, making torture legal should again require no arguments as to why this is immoral. The arguments are plenty and yet its defences are few if any, but first let us address the arguments against making torture a legal act in any society. This is a case that need be taken in consideration in democratic states and not autocratic ones since in those cases there is no system of checks and balances in place and the state does not answer to its citizens (who are even viewed and treated as mere subjects in some cases). In a democratic society, making torture legal seems a rather impossible task as far as I am concerned. I do not have an actual statistic regarding people’s views on torture and yet I feel confident enough to say that the majority of people would vote against it. Even if that were not the case, people would still need to know what they are voting for. Let us consider a situation where a country would like to make torture legal. The party that would like to propose such a legalization of torture would present its case and try to hide as many realities concerning torture as possible and instil a sense of constant fear into the people, explaining that many deaths would be avoided if they would be allowed to resort to torture procedures and last but not least explain the ‘ticking bomb scenario’ (to which I will come back later) and try to make it seem like a general rule rather than the exception it really is. The opposition would in this case only need to present torture as the immoral, degrading and humiliating practice it is. The best way for this would be to present acts of torture on television so that all the people that were thinking of voting in favour see what torture really is. I find it hard to believe that after such a spectacle anyone would even consider voting in order to pass the legalization of torture. For the sake of the argument let us however consider that the people, even after watching the gruesome shows of torture would still vote on behalf of making torture legal. In that situation, all we need to do is resort to Alan Dershowitz`s argument and ask ourselves whether we really want to create such a society in which someone has a right to torture. We would need to train people in special torture techniques, have companies produce torture equipment, torture rooms would no longer need to be hidden, maybe even build them in the centre of the city with glass walls so that everyone can witness what is happening in there and so even more instil fear in potential terrorists. Children would no longer say they want to be policemen, firemen, astronauts or race car drivers, but torture experts. Institutionalizing torture would lead to an increasingly violen t society, a society where normality would shift towards violence. Today many people believe and adhere to the idea that violence is not the answer; not only people, but entire societies try and uphold this idea of non-violent responses, yet by legalizing the practice of torture we would help build a society where indeed violence would be the answer. Even if no other matters, laws or practices would suffer changes directly with the exception of torture being legal that can arguably lead to a more violent society by constantly being in the minds of people as a regular occurrence. One of the major problems today that need be addressed when taking into consideration the possibility of people agreeing to make torture legal is the fact that people are most of the times concerned mainly about their own wellbeing and are hypocritical. People often judge facts or disregard certain realities because of a ‘what they don`t know won`t hurt them’ mentality. This is why they must be presented with the real humiliating act of torture; they must witnes s it in order to truly appreciate its immoral and degrading nature so that in the end they may be able to cast a vote that truly reflects their thoughts and feelings regarding this matter. This is one of the reasons why we need to have an absolute right against torture, since without it we would live in a slowly morally degrading society that allows for such horrendous acts to happen, a society that sacrifices its morals to gain what it misleadingly believes to be protection against terrorist threats. The second choice when confronted with torture would be for the government to allow for it to happen ‘under the radar’ while publicly organizing fake propaganda against it for the people. This again is very immoral. In order for a government to allow for torture to happen would mean that it is renouncing its liberal and democratic values since it would be doing something it does not have approval from its citizens to do. Torture is in all aspects immoral and should always be considered to be immoral. Torture is immoral because it dehumanizes everyone involved in it. It dehumanizes and degrades the victim, the same victim who is humiliated and treated in a way not even animals should ever be treated. It is immoral because it is an assault on human dignity. Furthermore, torture does not only dehumanize the victim, but the torturer as well. This entire process, even if done ‘under the radar’ or with public support, degrades the society as a whole with its practices and implications. The major pro torture defences are self-defence and the ‘ticking bomb scenario’. A democratic society cannot allow for torture to happen in any of these scenarios, as appealing as they might seem at a first glance. In order to understand why an outright ban should be imposed against torture and an absolute right against it be adopted we need to take a deeper look at what these scenarios bring to the negotiation table. In the self-defence scenario, where someone knows the whereabouts of a person that will die if not helped soon, some people will say that by torturing the person who is withholding the information might get them the location of the person in need of saving. This is again immoral since we`ve seen the very big problems th at come with institutionalizing torture but let`s think beyond that. Why would it ever be right to torture one person in order to save another? Sure, it is self-defence when someone assaults you and you fight back and eventually end up injuring or killing the person that tried to assault you, and it would qualify as self-defence. It would even qualify as self-defence if someone were to hold your wife at gunpoint and you would eventually manage to save her and again injure or kill the attacker because in that situation laws in most countries extend the self-defence to the person that was the victim in the first place. But there is however a difference between someone holding a gun to your loved one`s head, and that same person withholding knowledge as to where the loved one is being held and they might die if not helped in time. The difference between the above mentioned cases lies with the certainty factor and how direct the two possible crimes are. It`s one thing to have a gun held at someone`s head, where you could maybe even see the attacker pull the trigger, while a person held somewhere deprived of air maybe is not a direct ‘trigger’ being pulled; not to mention the fact that when seeing the attacker holding the gun aimed at someone makes you almost certain of their intention, while one can never be sure that the attacker even has information as to the whereabouts of the victim. Even if torture would not be completely immoral and encumbered with so many ‘plagues’ against society, the uncertainty and the level of direct or indirect connection to the crime should be enough to outright ban torture. The ‘ticking bomb scenario’ is arguably the strongest defence of pro torture theorists. For this reason I will address it now and try to explain why this case should not allow torture to happen under any circumstances and even with this scenario in mind an absolute right against torture is needed. The main argument of this scenario is that indeed a terrorist believed to have information about the location of a time bomb that will go off in a crowded place should be tortured in order to find out where the bomb is. I find this scenario quite poor in its convincing capabilities but that is not the case for many people confronted with the idea so the problem requires addressing. This scenario is ultimately used as a trap for liberals that out of principle refuse torture on any kind of basis, be it the case of legalization or of it happening ‘under the radar’. When confronted with this situation some liberals cannot hold back out of principle and beliefs anymore and indeed give in to a hypothetical situation where the torture of one terrorist would save the lives of thousands or even maybe more. This scenario is so overstretched and made to sound so simplistic that it could no longer be deemed as realistic. Sure, maybe most of the people confronted with this largely unrealistic situation mentioned above would give in; after all, it is a no brainer right? Torture one, save thousands, even more. Things are not like that though and other factors need to be taken into consideration when debating on whether or not torture should be allowed at least in these extreme situations. In this situation the overlooked factors are of decisive importance. Pro torture theorists’ make two very big mistakes (on purpose of course to mislead people); they transform this scenario into a general rule, a regular occurrence with which most of the people will be confronted at some point in their livelihood, instead of the exception it actually is. There has only been one case recorded where the Philippine authorities have tortured a terrorist for sixty-seven days in order to get information ou t of him that may have stopped an attempt to assassinate the pope and crash eleven planes into the Pacific Ocean. The planes had approximately four thousand passengers. The first problem is that this extreme act of terrorism is an exceptional occurrence and by no means a regular one, and leads us to the second huge flaw of this ‘ticking bomb scenario’, the fact that it is riddled with uncertainty. The Philippine authorities have tortured the man for such a long a time that they were themselves amazed that he was still alive when he gave them the information; so they tortured him without even being sure that he knows anything, without being sure that he would survive to give them any information at all and without actually being sure that the information he would maybe provide would indeed prove to be useful. How can it therefore ever be right even in this scenario to torture someone? It is close to impossible to ever be sure that a person actually has any useful information; it is also never a certain thing that even if he provides some information that information is true. No one s hould ever be humiliated and treated in such a way as a tortured person is since nothing can ever be one hundred per cent certain when it comes to torture because a person in the pains of torture would say anything to put an end to the pain. What if the tortured person actually does not know anything about a plot? What then? The torturer will never stop since he has to get the information out therefore he tortures with the certainty that the tortured has the information while he might actually know nothing. Should in this situation the torturer be allowed to torture the wife, children and other relatives in order to get the information out? Where would this entire process stop? After all he might know something; even if after he has been tortured and watched his wife be tortured and killed in front of him he still says no, the torturer is still sure that he is withholding information so he continues with his children. If he still does not say anything the torturer might think that he is a very well trained terrorist and very loyal to his cause, so why stop? The torturer can be just as determined and loyal to his cause in return and continue to torture as many relatives of the victim as he possibly can to get the informat ion out of him. This is a built-in problem of the whole ‘ticking bomb scenario’, a problem because the terrorist might know something that if he might disclose to the torturer, might prove as valuable information. Not only does the ‘ticking bomb scenario’ almost never arise, but even in the extreme eventuality that it does, getting the information, and not just any information but the right one seems as probable as finding a needle in a haystack while being blindfolded and wearing boxing gloves; and yet some people are still not convinced and would, even in these given situations, employ the degrading and inhumane act of torture. If so, why not make even make it a fun thing to try and alleviate the gravity of such a situation and allow people to bet on whether or not the victim will give out the right information and foil the plot; a person would easily be offered really good odds and be able to win fortunes with a mere penny. Furthermore, again in the area of how everything related to torture is uncertain and holds no guarantee we must acknowledge that even if after all those presented above, we succumb to the use of torture, we allow for it to happen, we get the information which eventually proves to be right and stops a bombing, the terrorists could just as well plan another bombing, or maybe even more to revenge their tortured friend? As far as I am concerned under no circumstances should torture ever be used? Not only should it always be illegal but no matter how pro-torture theorists try to sugar coat it, it will always be immoral. It degrades everyone involved in it, as well as the entire society, it makes everyone a part of an inhumane act that can never guarantee anything. It should not happen ‘under the radar’ because it would mean that the elected officials that allow it to take place renounce their democratic beliefs and abandon their morals. It should not happen with the approval of the people because then everyone renounces their democratic ideologies and morals; the entire society would become more violent which is not something to overlook even if it raises by a very small degree; an entire torture related authority and mentality would be born that would only sadden and inherently take its toll on everyone`s daily livelihood. As we have seen there are no possible situations that might warrant a use of torture since in all given scenarios the trade-off in the long run would always prove to be a very bad one. Humanity should never trade its morals, its principles and its liberal and democratic values for the smallest odds of saving one, ten, or one million lives. The best way to express this is by thinking about the situation in which the Prime Minister of Italy, Aldo Moro, was kidnapped and when someone suggested the use of torture to find out where he is being held, General Carlo Alberto Dalla Chiesa replied: â€Å"Italy can survive the loss of Aldo Moro. It would not survive the introduction of torture.† It is not only Italy that could not survive the introduction of torture, but the entire civilized world. For all the arguments employed above against the use of torture in any kind of scenario, even in the strictly utilitarian one where torture should be used as long as the number of people saved is higher than the number of people tortured and killed, we can draw the humane and moral conclusion that torture should always be unlawful and immoral and therefore an absolute right against torture is warranted.