Identify the regulations and requirements relevant Essay

Learning Outcome 1 – Understand the principles and practices of assessment 1.4 Identify the regulations and requirements relevant to the assessment in own area of practice Our policies for management of assessment evidence eg portfolios, assessment records, observation records, physical evidence, learner and witness statements; management of assessment records, are all in accordance with the Data Protection Act (2003). We use the Act’s mandatory guidelines to help us protect the personal data we hold and/ or process. All work and information is processed fairly and lawfully and obtained and used only for specified and lawful purposes. It is made clear to the students that we only keep adequate, relevant and not excessive information so as to keep accurate information that provides an up to date record that we do not keep for longer than necessary. All assessment information is processed in accordance with the individual’s rights and kept secure with the admin tea m who, all the while, provide learners with the opportunity to request to see the information public authorities hold about them in line with the Freedom of information act (2000) Our storage and retrieval of information is password protected when online/ digital, and under lock and key when physical. The confidentiality of the data is paramount and our use of technology to share information with relevant parties eg learners, other assessors, employer, colleagues, organisation must abide by our protocol before it is considered. The college follows regulations covering sharing of assessment/ personal information following Ofqual’s lead as we protect the interests of learners and promoting ‘public confidence in the national qualifications system’ (Ofqual, 2008, p3) through our thorough and rigorous approach to safeguarding information. By following these procedures the college follows the recognised standards for the Regulatory arrangements for the Qualifications and Credit framework (2008), Health and safety at work (1974), and the Equality Act (2010) to help its own reputation as a good/ outstanding awarding organisation. This in turn helps the organisations vocational links to the SSC sector skills council and its industry standards of data protection while also increasing the skills and productivity of our  respective sectors workforce under safe, professional circumstances. These guidelines provider us with influence as to how we can better development our own qualifications and apprenticeships. Edexcel is our primary awarding organisation so their policies and guidelines are arguably the most regularly used every day.

Satire in Huck Finn

Huckleberry Finn Banned†¦or Not? Picture a river; not just any kind of river, the Mississippi River. Now picture yourself on a raft, but you’re not alone. There’re two other people with you, known as Huckleberry Finn and Jim. Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain is known widely as a satirical novel, but due to the satirical techniques Twain uses all throughout the book has caused it to become controversial on whether it should or should not be banned.Although Twain may appear to be racist in Huckleberry Finn, he actually wrote the book during the Reconstruction Era but based the book during Pre-Civil War to show the â€Å"good ole times† when the white southerners had slaves. Because Twain uses so many satirical techniques to help show readers that slavery is horrible, therefore Adventures of Huckleberry Finn should not be banned. Adventures of Huckleberry Finn was and still is considered a satirical novel because of its use of caricature, broadside, irony, and social satire (maybe even a little of parody).Mark Twain uses satire to prove his point on slavery. And in order to accomplish that, he has to use all sorts of satirical techniques. He uses broadside to show the racism in the south, There isn’t any book out there in the world that is known that Mark Twain doesn’t use satire. In Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Huck tries to decide whether he should â€Å"commit a sin† to steal back a captured slave, and when he sees that he wants to steal Jim back, he tears up the note and says, â€Å"All right, then, I’ll go to h___†. 208). This is satirical because Twain is using irony to show that Huck thinks he is doing something horrible when he is actually doing a good deed. This is an example of a â€Å"good† satirical technique used in the book. However, there are plenty reasons why many schools have banned the book. For example, Twain uses broadside a lot causing libraries and schools to think of it as being racist making them banning the book.

Critical literature review of building successful corporate blogs Essay

There are a limited number of studies investigating the elements that characterize a successful blog. In their study, Cass, Munroe and Turcotte (2005) addressed several issues regarding the creation of successful blogs by conducting an online survey and six case studies. The following are the questions they attempted to answer: â€Å"Why would a company want to start blogging? What makes a blog successful? And how can companies use this type of website to facilitate positive business growth? † (Cass, Munroe, & Turcotte, 2005). Their survey consists of 32 questions addressing the questions previously mentioned. A total of 97 people took the survey, 75 of which are bloggers and 22 are non-bloggers, 77% of which are male and 23% are female. However, they only posted results from respondents who claim that they ran a corporate blog. Backbone Media, Inc. developed the survey page consisting of 32 questions addressing the questions previously mentioned and interviewed 6 coporate corporate blogger. Majority of the bloggers are between the ages 30 and 39. Fifty-two percent of the respondents achieved an undergraduate level and 48% achieved graduate level indicating that most of them are highly educated. â€Å"The positions of the bloggers include president (45%), head of department (33%), and staff (22%). Seventy-three percent of the bloggers come from companies with 1-100 companies while 19% come from companies with over 500 employees. † (Cass, Munroe, & Turcotte, 2005). These percentages of bloggers indicate that small, medium and large companies have been influenced by the blogging innovation. Results of the survey indicated that respondents believe that corporate blogs provide an array of benefits such as â€Å"quick publishing, thought leadership, building community, sales and online public relations. † (Cass, Munroe, & Turcotte, 2005). Results show that bloggers immediately notice that their ideas are published quickly but the biggest benefit for them is thought leadership and sharing of ideas. The interviews and the case studies provided guidelines for other companies in creating a successful corporate blog. According to Cass et. al. , since thought leadership is thought to be the biggest benefit provided by corporate blogs, it is best to discuss thought leadership to build a successful blog community. They also suggest that companies should encourage their bloggers to write more about their products and their services. Also, Cass et. al. (2005) emphasize that â€Å"new ideas should come from both the blogger and from customers†. A more recent study addressing the issue on creating a successful corporate blog is Cass and Carl’s (2006) Blogging Success Study. In their study, they tried to select and define the elements that constitute a successful corporate blog. They interviewed 20 successful corporate bloggers from different size of firms and industries. (Cass & Carl, 2006). They also conducted case studies explaining how these twenty corporate bloggers achieved success. As a solution, these are 5 main factors contribute to a successful corporate blog: â€Å"culture, transparency, time, dialogue, and entertaining writing style and personalization. † (Cass & Carl, 2006). In the case of Sony Playstation blogspot, wherein the blogspot which was not really that good in terms of content, and wherein, there were many bloggers yet there were only a few of them whose writings really matter and much of the content is somewhat personal or is considered as â€Å"noise†. The corporation acted with fluidity and immediately controlled the blogspot, by not accepting topics which the company has already addressed. In an article by Mark White (2007) a blog consultant in corporate blogging, he stresses some of the important points for a corporation to consider in managing good blogspots. He cites listening, clarity and openness, forward thinking, developing, and giving options as some points which a corporation has to live up to in order to have a good corporate blogspot. To maintain manageability of some corporate blogspots, it is important that the corporate executives themselves read what is written on the blogs and innovate and manage the blogs which are presented to them. On a separate topic, White (2007) also discussed the ideal way of managing blogs. White suggests that as a corporate blogger, one must publish on a regular basis, stay on planned topics, always keep readers in mind, make blog titles attractive in all senses, cite references of other cites, make sure that spelling and grammar are well, check back planning documents, reference foundation articles, and encourage follow ups to comments. Building corporate blogs of course takes time and a lot of effort and patience, but as long as corporate executives are managing the blogspace efficiently, and there is control over the content as well as the topics within the blogs, the blogspace would mean a lot for the corporations as benefits would definitely hit the ceiling. Corporate blogs can be helpful in making others see what its culture really by being transparent with their motives behind blogging. It must be open in engaging dialogues with customers. Blogs must also contain personal connection between the writer and the reader. Because of these considerations, setting up corporate blogs requires a lot of time. Thus, companies must be able to identify the person or persons who will be able to devote enough time in setting up blogs that can be trusted not only by customers but by their co-workers as well. These studies help to determine how bloggers perceive the notion of corporate blogging. Moreover, knowing the history of the development of blogging will help in understanding how and why the public accepted blogging as a kind of new and advantageous innovation. However, empirical research has not yet been undertaken regarding this matter. Thus, the present study will give an empirical research on the perception of bloggers on corporate blogging to determine their rate of acceptance on corporate blogging.

Toxic Contributory Factors Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Toxic Contributory Factors - Assignment Example According to the Success Chain (2010), â€Å"at Fannie, CEO Franklin Raines and other executives hid problems in order to get huge pay bonuses. Money was coming in, so no one questioned the faulty lending system. Libertarian activist Fred Smith told CNN that it was a case of â€Å"honorable people acting in ways that don’t appear honorable† — greed being the culprit that twisted their perception of right and wrong. Raines received $20 million in compensation after departing Fannie Mae† (Success Chain, 2010, par. 1). Another toxic organization situation was revealed by Burke & Cooper (n.d.) cited â€Å"Maria Piresferreira was awarded more than Can$500,000 by the courts in response to her complaint of physical and verbal abuse. The manager yelled at her, swore at her, accused her of not doing her job, asked her to get away from him, and pushed her away. Her employer’s human resources department (Bell Mobility) did not support her. The judge ruled tha t companies had to take reasonable action to ensure that employees would not be subjected to physical or verbal abuse or intimidation† (National Post, 2008, FP13 cited by Burke & Cooper, n.d., 21). Impact of Toxic Contributory Factors The discourse presented by Burke & Cooper enumerated financial costs of toxic contributory factors as follows: â€Å"for individuals—increased healthcare costs, job loss, loss of personal reputation, and loss of livelihood; for organizations—loss of reputation, staff turnover, diminished job performance, reduced turnover, and potential legal liabilities; for society—increased healthcare costs, income support for those losing their jobs, rehabilitation costs for those injured at... The assignment "Contributing Factors" addresses the following concerns: what impact did the toxic contributing factors have on the community, city, country, etc.; and what organizational checks and balances were missing. The discourse presented by Burke & Cooper enumerated financial costs of toxic contributory factors as follows: â€Å"for individuals—increased health care costs, job loss, loss of personal reputation, and loss of livelihood; for organizations—loss of reputation, staff turnover, diminished job performance, reduced turnover, and potential legal liabilities; for society—increased health care costs, income support for those losing their jobs, rehabilitation costs for those injured at work, and a lack of trust in institutions†. Further, the pain and the trauma caused by toxic factors inflict psychological harm to individuals. In the case of Frannie Mae, there were clear failure to countercheck the CEO’s activities from internal and external auditing units to immediately discover the alleged cover-up of the dilemma. As indicated by Gordon, â€Å"the regulators alleged an accounting fraud at Washington-based Fannie Mae that included manipulations to reach quarterly earnings targets so that Raines, Howard, Spencer and other company executives could pocket hundreds of millions in bonuses from 1998 to 2004†. In Bell Mobility’s case, there was a lack of performance evaluation and appraisals for managers to reveal the nature of their behavior and performance at work.

The Thrill of the Hunt; The Journey and the Destination Essay

The Thrill of the Hunt; The Journey and the Destination - Essay Example In an era when a person need only drive to the local grocery store, what makes men and women load guns and still head for the woods to track down an animal This ethnography study will try to answer the question, what is the point to hunting in modern Maine Is the real goal a trophy to hang on the wall Hunting is really about control and challenge in a world where basic human survival instincts are channeled into substitute activities like video games, racquet ball and treadmills. The need for men and women, to spend hours tracking a creature in the forest for meat they could easily buy, is not about killing an animal, but about self reliance and ingenuity. Hunting is a tie to the past and tradition. In 1622 the state of Maine was called, the Province of Maine and it was under the jurisdiction of Massachusetts. The name probably echoes the French province of Maine brought by immigrating French settlers. It was not admitted to the Union until 1820 and then was officially the, state of Maine (Maine Down East, 1937 pg 3). Maine has a total area that extends the combination of New Hampshire, Vermont, Rhode Island and Connecticut. The state possesses a variety of terrains from plateaus to mountains to coast line. The highest peak is on Mount Katahdin, Hamilin Peak at 4752 feet. Over 75 percent of the total area in Maine is forestland and water as Maine is filled with lakes and rivers. Game is abundant and v... It was necessary to observe a fox's behavior to trap him as they are creatures of habit and use the same pathways (Maine Down East, 1937 pg 415). Deer can be found close to open pasture, abandoned lumber camps and dirt roads. They favor raspberry bushes, which grow near cleared land. After the first frost deer seek out beech ridges then head for swamps and thickets about noon. The best hunting is right after a light snow when the animals are easily tracked. Those that savor a trophy buck should prepare to climb the high ridges and in dry weather a hunter should find a place to sit and wait as the crunchy twigs and leaves will warn any deer of a human presence. This is the reason for deer stands in trees when no ridges are available. Many hunters turn to moose and black bear because they are more challenging. Bear are very clever and also pose a risk to personal safety. Though bear move slow and have poor eye sight, they can run quickly to chase down their prey. Bear meat is quite a delicacy to many who savor the pork like taste. Rabbits are also hunted in Maine for sport and meat. Unlike varieties in other states Maine rabbits do not make holes in the ground and live on the surface. Dogs are used for rabbits and birds. The black duck and the mallard are the most popular, but there are over a dozen breeds in the northern portion of Maine and along the coast in the Machias region. Woodcock are plentiful in central and western Maine and best hunted after several frosts since unlike other ducks that eat from the marshes, woodcocks prefer blackberry tangles near birch and alder trees. Hunting in Maine can be done in a variety of fashions that include rifle, shotgun, bow, crossbow, handgun and even black powder

Managing Workplace Diversity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Managing Workplace Diversity - Essay Example Also there is apprehension about the fact organisations will be confronting with the problems of utilising the human potential completely from them. This calls for the need for managing the diverse workplace. It is believed that organisations not able to manage diversity are unable to utilise the full potential of their workforce. Moreover this makes their survival difficult and creates an extremely complex business condition under which the company is not able to grow at its full potential (Wentling, n.d.). Numerous researches have been going on around the world to study the trend and status of the diversity initiatives taking place in workplaces. The project presents the major findings from the researches. This includes the various barriers in working within diversity and also includes the reasons for the implementation of the diverse strategies or the effective initiatives. The main purpose of the project is to bring forth the impact of cultural diversity in organisations. In this regard, it presents secondary data on cultural diversity. Cultural diversity may give rise to mis-communications and eventually lower the effectiveness of the groups in the organisation. Examining the selective factors like cultural diversity from among a wide diversity climate is the prime concern of the project. The project presents the trends in such diversities and how the subject has evoked special interest among human resource professionals in organisations. In this regards, the present challenges and benefits that organisations enjoy are presented. Special emphasis has been provided to the management of workplace diversity and the way in which they can be implemented in organisations. Workplace diversity has been especially emphasised with regards to the hospitals in UK. Finally the project ends with the presentation of the recommendations of the management and implementation of a diverse workplace culture. Conceptual Framework of the subject Workplace Diversity Extensive re search has been conducted by experts across the world which has brought out the meaning and definition of diversity. Diversity includes everybody and this is the reason why it must be given value. Different employees bring along with them the differences to the place of work, which includes the group identity differences as well. Organisations have tried using this diversity for accomplishing both individual and organisation goals. However, there are instances where organisations have demonstrated biasness towards particular groups. There have been efforts for removing such biasness (Wentling, n.d.). Diversity in the workplace refers to the various differences arising among people in organisations. Diversity may include race, gender, age, personality, ethnic group, cognitive style, tenure, education, organisational function, background etc. Out of the above aspects of diversity the project aims to emphasise on the cultural and ethnic diversity in organisations. The cultural or ethni c heritage carried by an individual determines the extent to which he or she identifies himself or herself with the group he works with.

One Holy Night by Sandra Cisneros and The Garden Party by Katherine Essay

One Holy Night by Sandra Cisneros and The Garden Party by Katherine Mansfield - Essay Example Although Laura tries to maintain an authoritative attitude over the workmen, the happy and positive disposition of the workmen draws Laura to them. As a result, Laura considered the idea of having the workmen as friends because she realized that their attitudes are more natural than those men she had met in parties. Primarily, Laura’s social status in life, her attitudes, and the attitudes of her parents make her different from other people especially from her mother, Mrs. Sheridan, and her sister, Jose. For instance, Laura’s social status separates her from the rest of the world in the sense that she was not able, or was not allowed, to mingle with the poor people in their neighborhood. With the high standards of her family, Laura was not able take pleasure in enjoying the friendship of simple people. With her situation, Laura feels that she is confined within the gates of her home and the limits of her elite society. Laura’s feeling of isolation also affects he r attitudes toward other people especially the workmen. For instance, although she wants to maintain a demanding tone in making the workmen do their job, the positive attitudes of the workmen make her realize that they are actually nice people to have around. With this idea, it can be said that Laura’s isolation affects her attitudes toward people. ... Sheridan. For instance, when Laura heard the news of the carter’s death, she instantly feels empathy and concern that she proposed to cancel their party. She feels that having a party while one of their neighbors is mourning is not proper. In addition, Laura feels that she and her family need to pay some respect to the mourning family. Laura thinks that by cancelling the party, they would be able to be one with the neighborhood. She thinks that in this way, she can overcome the barriers of social status. Contrastingly, Mrs. Sheridan and Jose think that the idea is foolish because it would mean that the money they spent for the party would be wasted. It would also be a humiliation to the family if they cancel the party because of their neighbor’s death, who is not their relative, in the first place. In addition, Mrs. Sheridan and Jose think that the death of the Carter is not their business, so they have the right to pursue their party without feeling guilty. In Mrs. She ridan’s and Jose’s view, the attitudes of Laura signify childhood innocence and ignorance. With these attitudes, Mrs. Sheridan and Jose think that Laura still needs her family to support her in her decision. In this context, it can be said that Laura is still seen as dependent; therefore, cannot have the freedom of choice. Although Laura is projected as a positive character in the story, her childhood innocence creates the irony in her character. For instance, although she seems very concerned with the Scott family at first, her sympathy faded by the time â€Å"Mrs. Sheridan gives her a beautiful hat.† In the story, the beautiful hat signifies the alluring beauty of the elite life, the life of luxury. Considering this situation, it can

Social Change in Rape and Sexual Assault in Deployed Military Term Paper

Social Change in Rape and Sexual Assault in Deployed Military - Term Paper Example However, beyond the capabilities of remaining strong, women military staff needed to handle the challenges of dealing with the men in the group who intend to assault them. The need to stand strong against this though does not belong to everyone who has been assaulted. There are those who simply choose to stay quiet for the sake of protecting their reputation and find a better way to settle things in their own selves. It could not be denied that there are those women who are already assaulted and yet remains silent due to the fear of going through all the massive dilemmas involved in sending the issues to court and presenting themselves as victims to the public. Why to the public Several military rape and sexual assault cases such as that of the Taihook scandal of 1991 and the Aberdeen scandal of 1996 became particularly controversial that it provided the victims a much more focus than that of the accused ones a higher level of attention in connection to what they have done to their v ictims. It seems as if media has heightened the exposure of the victims rather than that of the stress that they should put on the ones who victimized the women. This is perhaps one of the primary reasons why women who are assaulted take lesser chances in making media teem towards their life stories and rather opt to keep everything to themselves. Knowing this particular issue as a growing threat to the military women who are deployed to other countries, the military academy of the United States has established the Department of Defence on Sexual Assault Response Policy. This is the department that is in charge of handling the major issues in the military academy that involves sexual assault. Through this department, the imposed consideration on the process by which women are protected while they are on another country trying to protect the lives of others who are under turmoil is given a heightened focus simply to be able to find ways to increase the competence of the military group to protect others and protect themselves at the same time. Results and Effects As a result to this particular departmental establishment, the level of development on the process by which women's rights are protected in the field until they come back to the country proposed a rather important benefit to the results of the survey handled during the years 2007 to 2008. Although there were times when there have been reported assaults against women, it was easier to handle to push the women to present themselves and their assaulters to the court since the protection against media scandal has been further heightened into a level that is much considerate with the feelings and the emotions of the women. Conclusions With the imposed specifications on the ways by which the men and women try to live with each other and live by each other during the war years, it could not be denied that clashing of opinions and ideas would occur. Issues would arise and matters of conflict would rather develop. Understandably though, issues such as sexual assault is one among the many situations that military members should be aware of and should be able to contain. These issues and situations does not only put their standing in jeopardy but also gives them a devastating reputation that marks their uniforms of strength and honour. References: Report of DEFENSE TASK FORCE on Sexual Harassment &

CFC's and Ozone depletion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

CFC's and Ozone depletion - Essay Example Therefore, appropriate action especially targeted against CFCs should be taken to reduce or stop the many negative effects of ozone depletion (Callan and Thomas  238; Miller 384). The ozone layer is basically ozone present in the stratosphere which protects the earth from ultraviolet radiation from the sun. In the early 1980s, scientists discovered that the ozone layer seemed to become thinner and thinner, till an â€Å"ozone hole† the size of North America was revealed over Antarctica. The theory largely accepted by scientists for this â€Å"ozone hole† is the presence of CFCs in the atmosphere. CFCs are a family of odorless chemical compounds which are normally used in air conditioning, refrigeration, insulation, packaging, and as aerosol propellants. Chemists found out that CFCs stay behind in the troposphere because they are chemically unreactive and thus not soluble in water. Although they are heavier than air itself, CFCs can levitate into the stratosphere mostl y through convection currents, random drifting, and the violent mixing of air in the troposphere. Once they enter the stratosphere, the CFC molecules separate under the impact of the high-energy ultraviolet radiation, releasing chlorine, fluorine, bromine, and iodine atoms. These atoms are highly reactive, and so hasten the breakdown of the ozone layer in a repeated chain of chemical reactions. ... The thinning of the ozone layer allows more harmful ultraviolet radiation to reach the earth’s surface. Research has proved that exposure of human skin to a certain type of ultraviolet radiation in sunlight is the main cause of basal cell and squamous cell skin cancers. Together, these two forms of cancers make up for ninety five percent of all skin cancers, and are responsible for about 2300 deaths in the United States each year. Moreover, these ultraviolet radiations increase the intensity of sunburns and cause immune system suppression. Besides this, ozone depletion reduces forest productivity for UV-sensitive tree species, decreases the population of certain aquatic species and surface phytoplankton (and as a result disrupts aquatic food webs), increases eye cataracts in particular species, and cuts down the yield of certain types of crops. What is more, the lessening of the ozone affects air pollution by increasing acid deposition and photochemical smog. CFCs, on the othe r hand, act as greenhouse gases and make the earth warmer, thus contributing to global warming (Miller 384, 385). As a result, it is extremely important to keep the level of ozone depletion and the amount of CFCs present in the atmosphere under control. One approach towards the emission of pollutants such as CFCs can be to replace them with other cleaner substances. For example, HFCs and HCFCs can be used in air conditioning equipment and refrigeration instead of CFCs because they have a lower potential of ozone depletion. The pathways by which these substances are emitted can also be altered to prevent them from entering the atmosphere. Old vehicles mostly use CFCs in air conditioning. Therefore, it is necessary to make sure that such vehicles are serviced by qualified technicians in

Animals In Captivity Essay Example for Free

Animals In Captivity Essay In 2008 at the Singapore Zoo, three white Bengal tigers attacked and mauled a zoo cleaner, Nordin bin Mondongto, to death after the man walked through a moat surrounding their enclosure. Researchers asked themselves what would be the cause of these vicious behaviors being reported from many zoos across the globe, the answer being the harsh environment zoo animals are surrounded by. Many people are not aware of the harsh treatment the animals endure. Zoos, circuses, and famous attractions like SeaWorld do not offer the best of circumstances for their animals. These uncomfortable conditions may be the cause of the hundreds of violent behaviors being reported by zoos around the world. Of course, most families enjoy taking a trip to the zoo because they offer a unique experience of encountering exotic animals. However, people need to realize that animals are living creatures that should not be forced into show, or held behind glass walls to be gawked at. The first point that this essay will address is the simple fact that zoo owners have propaganda in mind, and not preservation. â€Å"Zoos help save endangered species, by saving hurt animals and rehabilitating them,† is an excuse many zoo officials use. Zoos claim to want to protect species from extinction, which sounds like a noble goal, but zoo officials usually favor exotic or popular animals, rather than threatened or endangered local wildlife. The Chinese government, for example, â€Å"rents† pandas to zoos worldwide for fees of more than $1 million per year. It is questi onable whether the profits are being directed toward panda-conservation efforts at all. Also, because tigers are the most favorable â€Å"crowd pleasers,† recent studies prove that there are more tigers in captivity than those that exist in the wild. There are thought to be between 5,000 and 10,000 tigers in U.S. cages and 90% of them are in miserable roadside zoos, backyard breeder facilities, circus wagons and pet homes. Before long, the few tigers left in the wild will wither off, and the animals in captivity will not be able to be relocated and thrive in their what-once-was natural environment. Next, the reader should know that the animals that are said to be â€Å"in their natural habitat,† are in confined areas that are less than a tenth of the area they would naturally be in, and are restricted by many factors. Birds’ wings may be clipped so that they cannot fly, aquatic animals often go without adequate water, and many animals who naturally live in large herds or family groups are kept isolated. Animals are closely confined, lack privacy, an d have  little opportunity for mental stimulation or physical exercise. These abnormal conditions often result in abnormal and self-destructive behavior, known as â€Å"zoochosis.† An Oxford University study based on decades of observing animals in captivity and in the wild found that animals such as polar bears, lions, tigers, and cheetahs â€Å"show the most evidence of stress and/or psychological dysfunction in captivity† and concluded that â€Å"the keeping of naturally wide-ranging carnivores should be either fundamentally improved or phased out.† Last but not least, the reader should know that keeping animals in captivity is not the only danger posed at the zoo. Even when the animals are bred in captivity, generations later, exotic animals will retain all of their natural instincts. They cannot be considered â€Å"domesticated† or â€Å"tamed.† Every year, captive, exotic animals are involved in incidents in which humans are injured or even killed. In 2007, Tatiana, a Siberian tiger, escaped her substandard enclosure at the San Francisco Zoo and was shot to death after she killed one person and injured two others. This was not the only fatal incident occurring because of the animals being held in captivity. On February 26, 2010, a 12,000 lb. Orca whale called Tilikum mauled and killed his trainer Dawn Brancheau at SeaWorld during a performance. Also, in Colorado, on April 24, 2009, a volunteer was vigorously mauled by a tiger at â€Å"Big Cats of Serenity Springs.† The list of these aggressive outbreaks goes on and on. Researchers say that the awful conditions animals are unnatural and are the cause of animals expressing abnormal behaviors. Zoos may be fun for the family, but are definitely not fun for the animals. Taking animals out of their natural habitat, forcing them to live miserable lifestyles, and putting humans at risk is not worth a fun family trip to the zoo. Treating living creatures like they have no feelings is never okay and should be considered inhumane. Zoos need to be exposed as the pitiful prisons they are, and actions should be imposed to stop the animal abuse. Works Cited Captive Wildlife Crisis | WildAnimalSanctuary.org : Americas Premier Sanctuary For Large Carnivores. Captive Wildlife Crisis | WildAnimalSanctuary.org : Americas Premier Sanctuary For Large Carnivores. N.p., n.d. Web. 6 Apr. 2014. . Get The Facts:. Ten Fast Facts about Captive Exotic Animals. N.p., n.d. Web. 7 Apr. 2014. . News Facts. The Tiger Next Door. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Apr. 2007. . Zoos: Pitiful Prisons. PETA. N.p., n.d. Web. 6 Apr. 2014. .

Life without computers

Life without computers Nowadays, we cannot imagine our life without computers and the fact is that they have become so important that nothing can replace them. They seem to be everywhere today. Since 1948 when the first real computer has been invented our life has changed so much that we can call it real digital revolution. First computers differed from todays ones. They were so huge that they occupied whole rooms or buildings being relatively slow. They were not faster than modern simple watches or calculators. Nowadays they are also used by scientist and they may also be as huge as the old ones but they are millions times faster. They can perform many complex operations simultaneously and scientist practically cant do without them. Thanks to them people has access to enormous amount of information. Gathering data has never been more simple than now. They are not only used in laboratories but also in factories to control production. Sometimes it is computers who manufacture other computers. But not only in science and industry computers are being used. Thanks to them modern medicine can diagnose diseases faster and more thoroughly. Also in banking system computers have become irreplaceable. They control ATMs, all data is stored on special hard disks and paper isnt used in accountancy any more. Furthermore, architects, designers and engineers cant imagine their work without computers. This machines are really everywhere and we depend on them also in such fields as criminology. They help police to solve crimes and collect evidence. Moreover, computers are wide-spread in education. Except their classic tasks such as administration and accountancy they are used in process of learning. Firstly, they store enormous amount of data which helps students to gain an information. Secondly, thanks to special teaching techniques and programs they improve ours skills of concentration and assimilation of knowledge. They have become so popular that not knowing how to use them means to be illiterate. Of course except this superb features there is also dark side of computer technology because every invention brigs us not only benefits but also threats. HARDWARE Our PC (Personal Computer) is a system, consisting of many components. Some of those components, like Windows and all your other programs, are software. The stuff you can actually see and touch, and would likely break if you threw it out a fifth-story window, is hardware. The system unit is the actual computer; everything else is called a peripheral device. Your computers system unit probably has at least one floppy disk drive, and one CD or DVD drive, into which you can insert floppy disks and CDs. Theres another disk drive, called the hard disk inside the system unit. You cant remove that disk, or even see it. But its there. And everything thats currently in your computer is actually stored on that hard disk. (We know this because there is no place else inside the computer where you can store information). The floppy drive and CD drive are often referred to as drives with removable media or removable drives for short, because you can remove whatever disk is currently in the drive, and replace it with another. Your computers hard disk can store as much information as tens of thousands of floppy disks, so dont worry about running out of space on your hard disk any time soon. As a rule, you want to store everything you create or download on your hard d isk. Use the floppy disks and CDs to send copies of files through the mail, or to make backup copies of important items. RANDOM ACCESS MEMORY (RAM) Theres too much stuff on your computers hard disk to use it all at the same time. During the average session sitting at the computer, youll probably use only a small amount of all thats available. The stuff youre working with at any given moment is stored in random access memory (often abbreviated RAM, and often called simply memory). The advantage using RAM to store whatever youre working on at the moment is that RAM is very fast. Much faster than any disk. For you, fast translates to less time waiting and more time being productive. So if RAM is so fast, why not put everything in it? Why have a hard disk at all? The answer to that lies in the fact that RAM is volatile. As soon as the computer is shut off, whether intentionally or by an accidental power outage, every thing in RAM disappears, just as quickly as a light bulb goes out when the plug is pulled. So you dont want to rely on RAM to hold everything. A disk, on the other hand, holds its information whether the power is on or off. THE HARD DISC All of the information thats in your computer, so to speak, is stored on your computers hard disk. You never see that actual hard disk because its sealed inside a special housing and needs to stay that way. Unlike RAM, which is volatile, the hard disk can hold information forever with or without electricity. Most modern hard disks have tens of billions of bytes of storage space on them. Which, in English, means that you can create, save, and download files for months or years without using up all the storage space it provides. In the unlikely event that you do manage to fill up your hard disk, Windows will start showing a little message on the screen that reads You are running low on disk space well in advance of any problems. In fact, if that message appears, it wont until youre down to about 800 MB of free space. And 800 MB of empty space is equal to about 600 blank floppy disks. Thats still plenty of room. SCSI SCSI is a type of interface used for computer components such as hard drives, optical drives, scanners and tape drives . It is a competing technology to standard IDE (Integrated Drive Electronics). While the less expensive IDE technology is built into motherboards, SCSI is a technology that must be added by purchasing a SCSI controller. The SCSI card fits into an internal PCI slot. SCSI devices are then connected to this card. SCSI devices, particularly hard drives, are designed to be used 24/7 in addressing the needs of the server market. For this reason, SCSI drives are usually made to higher standards and carry longer warranties than IDE drives of comparable capacity. However, the added speed and quality come at a price. SCSI components are significantly more expensive than their IDE cousins. THE MOUSE Obviously you know how to use your mouse, since you must have used it to get here. But lets take a look at the facts and buzzwords anyway. Your mouse probably has at least two buttons on it. The button on the left is called the primary mouse button, the button on the right is called the secondary mouse button or just the right mouse button. Ill just refer to them as the left and right mouse buttons. Many mice have a small wheel between the two mouse buttons. THE KEYBOARD Like the mouse, the keyboard is a means of interacting with your computer. You really only need to use the keyboard when youre typing text. Most of the keys on the keyboard are laid out like the keys on a typewriter. But there are some special keys like Esc (Escape), Ctrl (Control), and Alt (Alternate). There are also some keys across the top of the keyboard labeled F1, F2, F3, and so forth. Those are called the function keys, and the exact role they play depends on which program you happen to be using at the moment. Most keyboards also have a numeric keypad with the keys laid out like the keys on a typical adding machine. If youre accustomed to using an adding machine, you might want to use the numeric keypad, rather than the numbers across the top of the keyboard, to type numbers. It doesnt really matter which keys you use. The numeric keypad is just there as a convenience to people who are accustomed to adding machines. Most keyboards also contain a set of navigation keys. You can use the navigation keys to move around around through text on the screen. The navigation keys wont move the mouse pointer. Only the mouse moves the mouse pointer. On smaller keyboards where space is limited, such as on a notebook computer, the navigation keys and numeric keypad might be one in the same. There will be a Num Lock key on the keypad. When the Num Lock key is on, the numeric keypad keys type numbers. When the Num Lock key is off, the navigation keys come into play. The Num Lock key acts as a toggle. Which is to say, when you tap it, it switches to the opposite state. For example, if Num Lock is on, tapping that key turns it off. If Num Lock is off, tapping that key turns Num Lock on. INTERFACE CONTROLLERS Interface controllers (parallel, serial, USB, Firewire) to connect the computer to external peripheral devices such as printers or scanners. GRAFICS Graphics controller that produces the output for the monitor. The term computer graphics includes almost everything on computers that is not text or sound. Today almost every computer can do some graphics, and people have even come to expect to control their computer through icons and pictures rather than just by typing. Computer graphics as drawing pictures on computers, also called rendering. The pictures can be photographs, drawings, movies or simulations pictures of things which do not yet exist and maybe could never exist. Or they may be pictures from places we cannot see directly, such as medical images from inside your body. SOFTWARE Software is a generic term for organized collections of computer data and instructions, often broken into two major categories: system software that provides the basic non-task-specific functions of the computer and application software which is used by users to accomplish specific tasks. System software is responsible for controlling, integrating and managing the individual hardware components of a computer system so that other software and the users of the system see it as a functional unit without having to be concerned with the low-level details such as transferring data from memory to disk, or rendering text onto a display. Generally, system software consists of an operating system and some fundamental utilities such as disk formatters, file managers, display managers, text editors, user authentication (login) and management tools, and networking and device control software. Application software, on the other hand, is used to accomplish specific tasks other than just running the computer system. Application software may consist of a single program, such as an image viewer; a small collection of programs (often called a software package) that work closely together to accomplish a task, such as a spreadsheet or text processing system; a larger collection (often called a software suite) of related but independent programs and packages that have a common user interface or shared data format, such as Microsoft Office, which consists of closely integrated word processor, spreadsheet, database, etc.; or a software system, such as a database management system, which is a collection of fundamental programs that may provide some service to a variety of other independent applications. Software is created with programming languages and related utilities, which may come in several of the above forms: single programs like script interpreters, packages containing a compiler, linker, and other tools; and large suites (often called Integrated Development Environments) that include editors, debuggers, and other tools for multiple languages.

Development of the German Industrial Relations System

Development of the German Industrial Relations System The management of employees, both individually and collectively, remains a central feature of organizational life (Blyton Turnbull, 2004). This statement, taken from the book The Dynamics of Employee Relations, generally reflects the necessity organizations are facing. Regarding the central role employees are playing in business, the implementation of systems which regulate the working process in order to protect and restrain both employees and employers by installing rules, policies, and guidelines are essential. These systems are called employee relations and are put in place globally. Yet, these systems differ accordingly among different economies according to nation and culture. The subsequent is divided into three major pillars: First, it will provide a description of the core characteristics of the German employment relations system. The second pillar regards the existing systems of collective bargaining and participation and discusses their development since the 1980s. The third and last part gives an outline of the major recent trends and will focus in detail on the most significant recent issue of the German employment relations system. Main Body Core characteristics of the German human resource management/employment system Being one of the most successful economies in Europe (Mà ¼ller-Jentsch, Keller, Jacobi, 1998), the German industrial relation system is regarded to encourage workplace cooperation in high-quality production and the economic prosperity contributes in general to a peaceful and collaborative work-environment. According to Mà ¼ller-Jentsch, the German model of industrial relations is based on five pillars, which will be explained in the following. The most significant pillar is regarded to be the dual structure of interest representation. This implies a separation of workers representation at the workplace-level from the collective bargaining system. Hence structural conflicts between labor and capital are dealt with in two arenas, separated according to interests, actors, and modes of enforcement (Mà ¼ller-Jentsch, Keller, Jacobi, 1998): While collective bargaining deals with issues such as working-hours and wages on a more general level and therefore follows a quantitative approac h, in the workplace these are specialized and more of qualitative nature. Although both parties are legally independent from each other in formal terms, they reveal certain interdependencies in reality. Keller (1998) states that unions and works councils are reliable partners within a network of stable co-operation. It is for example often the case that Unions train members of the works-council and provide them with legal advice, while works councilors are in many cases also trade unionists and participate in policy-making and recruiting members for their Union. The two institutions of trade Unions and Works Councils, as well as collective bargaining, will be described in more detail in the following and at a later stage. As the second pillar, Mà ¼ller-Jentsch (1998) reveals the importance of the law. Existing on a profound legal basis, the dual system of Germanys industrial relations puts emphasis on a detailed regulation of labor conflicts on the one hand and industrial relations at the workplace on the other. For instance, this implies the fact that works councils do not have the right to strike. Penalties for breaches are high, which calls legal exports to action, who therefore gain more and more influence on the workers side. The third pillar mentioned is the degree to which the institutions of collective representation encompass their constituencies. As the unions and works councils are able to make decisions in the name of the whole workforce, they are obliged by law to represent the interests of all employees. Next and fourth important feature is the fact that the named institutions are of intermediate character (Ferner Hyman, 1998). According to its legal constitution, the works council follows explicitly the economic goals of the company. Trade unions have become so called mediators between the interests of labor and capital, and bulwarks of the tradition of social partnership (Mà ¼ller-Jentsch, 1998). The fifth and final major pillar of the Germa n model of industrial relations is the relative centralization of collective bargaining and the according coordinated bargaining policies, which will be explained in greater detail in the second part of this essay. The two parties of the German dual system are, as already described above, the trade unions and the works councils. In Germany, trade unionism goes back to 1945, when the German Trade Union Confederation (Deutscher Gewerkschaftsbund) was put in place, providing a single organizational structure for workers of different status. In 1995, the confederation had a total of 9,354,670 members coming from sectors such as the metal industry, public service, chemicals, construction, banking, rail, police, wood and plastics, media, textiles, food drink and tobacco, or education and science for example. Although German unions are not formally affiliated to any political party, the German trade Union Confederation shows links to the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD). These patt erns of political alignment result from tradition, yet they appear to be weakening more and more over time. In addition, there are two other significant confederations in Germany: the German Salaried Employees Union (DAG) and the German Civil Servants Federation (DBB), which resulted from the Weimar Republic. The trade union density in Germany in 2007 was at 19.9% (OECD.2008). In comparison, the UK shows a density of 28%, whereas the United States reveal 11.6%. The second part of the German dual system are the works councils. In Germany, works councils are mandatory for in all private firms with five or more employees. They possess rights of information, consultation, and co-determination (Mà ¼ller-Jentsch, Keller, Jacobi, 1998). Co-determination implies social matters such as principles of remuneration and payment methods, performance related pay, daily and weekly work schedules, regulation of overtime, holiday arrangements, or the use of technical devices to monitor employees pe rformance. In specific circumstances there is even the right of veto over individual cases of hiring, grading, transfer, and dismissal. Additionally, the employer is obliged to inform the works council about the economic situation and financial affairs. Works councilors are elected for four years and are by law independent from the unions, representing the whole workforce. In general, works councils deal with the following employment relations: technological change, functional and numerical flexibility, as well as influencing the formal company structures. As already pointed out above, technological change implies for example the implementation of new technological instruments or methods to monitor employee performance. Concerning the functional flexibility, an article from the Industrial Relations Journal can be stated: Works councils are constituted on the basis of working together with the respective employer/management in a spirit of mutual trust to reinforce the achievement of functional flexibility (Lumley, 1992). The numerical flexibility roots in a legal event. The Employment Promotion Act was introduced by the German government in 1985. After successful lobbying of employers, legislative changes in employment relations were introduced, facilitating an increase in fixed-term contracts, temporary employees, and part-time workers in a mixed way. This enabled employers to be able to react more promptly to economic crises or peak-times, for example. Especially times of economic pressure generate a demand for more flexibility by organizations in how work is conducted. There is a need for flexible structures and work processes, allowing companies to adjust their labor resources to meet rapidly changing market demands, for instance the current global economic crisis which also strongly hit the German economy. Competitive conditions are leading to a decentralization of the German employment relations system on multiple levels, particularly within enterprises ( Berg, 2008). At the same time, workers desire more flexibility in when, how, and where they work. The increase in female labor, the rise of dual earner couples, and the cost of child rearing have altered the balance between work- and non-work roles and contributed to a variety of flexible work arrangements, especially in Germany (Berg et al. 2004). Another significant aspect of the German employment relations system is how business in the country is organized. There are three basic types of organization which can be distinguished: The chambers of Industry and Commerce, Business Associations, and Employers Associations (Harzing Van Ruysseveldt, 2004). The Chambers of Industry and Commerce are local organizations with a formal legal status, which makes membership necessary for all affected firms. The term affected implies all firms belonging to the respective field of operations of the Chambers. The task carried out by the Chambers are for example licensing and regulating trade pract ices and managing occupational training programs such as apprenticeships. These are a popular instrument for German high-school graduates who are willing to directly enter into working or simply do not have the possibility to go to university. Business Associations are organized by industry, in local associations affiliated to sectoral peak associations (Mà ¼ller-Jentsch, Keller, Jacobi, 1998). They are concerned with such matters as technology, production, marketing, and research. In Contrast, Employers Associations are responsible for negotiating the multi-employer collective agreements, which, according to Mà ¼ller-Jentsch (1998) are covering the vast majority of employees. Finally, the following facts about the German economy and its industrial relations will provide a further insight on how the countrys relations look like. The information is taken from the European Industrial Relations Observatory. The trade union density in Germany, where the number of trade union members is compared relative to the overall number of employees, is at around 22%. The employer organization density is at 63%. Here, the number describes the percentage of employees employed by companies who are members of an employer organization. In 2007, the country employment rate, regarding people from 15-64 years, was at 6.4%, whereas the unemployment rate for the same age-group reached 8.4%. Another significant figure is the number of working days lost through industrial action, per 1,000 employees. Here the average from 2004-2007 was at 5.62 days. The European average was at 37.47 days, which shows that Germany is significantly below the average (EIRO, 2009). Furthermore, the industrial relations in Germany, in cooperation with many other factors of course, result in a stable and advanced economy, which is to be regarded as very advanced and on a high level. Yet, there is still room for improvement left, also in industrial relations. Here, the cooperation of trade unions, works cou ncils, and employers could still be further improved. Existing systems of collective bargaining participation and their development since the 1980s Collective bargaining can be defined as a process of decision-making between parties representing employer and employee interests. Its purpose is the negotiation and application of an agreed set of rules to govern the substantive and procedural terms of the employment relationship (Windmà ¼ller.1987). In detail, the functions of collective bargaining are determining the terms and conditions of employment, as well as the allocation, distribution, and transaction of cost-saving issues. Furthermore, it also aims at countervailing the power of management and conflict-resolution. A significant prerequisite is the mutual recognition of the actors as representatives and the general willingness to bargain. The parties need to be aware of the fact that, within a defined area, future problems and issues are to be resolved jointly. Collective bargaining takes place within the field of the terms and conditions of employment. Specific topics are the price of labor, work rules, individual job rig hts, enforcement procedures, and the issue of management and union rights. (Zagelmeyer, 2010) The relationship between the two parties (employers and employees), can significantly influence the outcome of the bargaining. This accounts on a general as well as on an individual level. The probability to achieve a win-win situation throughout the bargaining process is certainly higher if the overall climate between management and employees in the company is positive and if the individuals get along with each other. It also affects the respective strategies and tactics and determines the general atmosphere of the whole process. Another important aspect is the term of bargaining power. According to Chamberlain and Kuhn (1986), it is defined as the ability to secure anothers agreement on ones own terms. It is the driving force underlying the bargaining relationship. The structure of collective bargaining can be either formal or informal. In a formal structure, the participants are legally bound by the terms of the agreement, whereas an informal bargaining structure is defined as the employers or employees who are affected by the results of a negotiated settlement through either pattern bargaining or other non-binding processes (Zagelmeyer, 2010). The process of collective bargaining can take place on different layers. Starting at a work group, department or company level, the single-employer bargaining functions in a decentralized way. Multi-employer collective bargaining embodies the local single industry, regional economy, or even a national economy, which reveals the highest possible degree of centralization. To draw the line to the German system of collective bargaining, Berg (2004) states the Germany shows a trend towards a further decentralization of collective bargaining, meaning that employment relations issues are increasingly being resolved on a single-employer level. Keller and Jacobi (1998) refer to the German Collective Agreement Act, where the parties t o a collective agreement must be unions on the workers side and single employers and or employers associations on the other. Company collective agreements are mainly to be found in smaller firms and cover a small minority of employees. Yet, the overall collective bargaining coverage in Germany ranked at 61% in 2007 (EIRO, 2009). In comparison to 2004 (68%), this percentage has decreased by 7% and can probably be drawn back to the current trend of decentralization of collective bargaining in Germany, which, on average, does not cover as many of the overall number of employees than the centralized approach including multi-employer collective bargaining. Indust ry wide and sectoral agreements contribute to a high degree of standardization of wages and other working conditions, as does state regulation (Mà ¼ller-Jentsch, Keller, Jacobi, 1998). It is also the case that, although sectoral bargaining is taking place at a regional level, collective bargaining in Germany is centrally direc ted by the national organizations on each of the two sides. Several pilot-agreements, especially from the engineering industry, function as role models for influence all other industries. An example is the so called IG Metall, which therefore enjoys a high degree of awareness in the German economy. According to the pacemaker of IG Metall, there are three different kinds of collective agreements to be distinguished: First, there are wage agreements. These set the level of wages and periodic alterations. Next there are the so called framework agreements, specifying wage-payment systems. Last, there are umbrella-agreements, which regulate all other conditions of employment such as working time, overtime, holidays, and dismissals. Another significant aspect of the German way of bargaining is described by Tallard (1988): The German collective bargaining process follows a certain sequence. A more or less extended period, depending on the industry and complexity of the issue to be discusse d, leads to agreement in the majority of the cases. If negotiations fail, both parties try to resolve the conflict through mediation procedures. These are established by union-employer agreements instead of government interventions. If mediation also fails, the conflict might result in a strike or in a lockout, which are the two last legal weapons of the union side in order to achieve their goals (Keller. 1997). Although there is a trend towards decentralization of collective bargaining, the system still needs mechanisms to adapt general conditions of collective agreements to the circumstances of individual establishment (Berg, 2008). Furthermore, it needs to be pointed out that civil servants are excluded from collective bargaining. The conditions of employment for this group of employees are set by legislation. Still, there is an influence of the relevant unions who function as consultants for the government. Another aspect of German industrial relations is that the scope of indus trial regulations is not closely related to union membership, as it is the case in other countries (Ferner Hyman, 1998). Roughly eighty percent of the employees are covered by collective agreements, which is three times the number of union members. Currently, the majority of collective negotiations is concerned with pay. This has been a development over the past decades and the focus of collective bargaining has changed over time. During the 1970s for instance, non-wage issues have received the most attention. During the late 1970s, for example, there had been a trend in bargaining across industries which considered the protection of employees against rationalization. During the 1980s, working-time arrangements played a dominant role (Ferner Hyman, 1998), where collective bargaining mostly aimed at regulating the working-time of employees as a strategy for job-creation. In the focus of discussion between unions and employers was the claim that the effect of shorter working hours r esults in an increase in employment. Since the early 1990s, especially after the Unification of Eastern and Western Germany, collective bargaining turned to the issue of wages. Since the efforts of the unions have not been very successful (Mà ¼ller-Jentsch, Keller, Jacobi, 1998), strikes emerged over several industries. Mà ¼ller et al. (1998) also make the point that collective bargaining seems to have had only a limited impact on income differentials. It was not a subject of priority to German unions. Yet, through the introduction of common pay scales, the gap between management employees (white-collars) and manual employees seems to be closing. In order to demonstrate the development and the outcome of collective bargaining in Germany, two other aspects need to be taken into consideration. During the 1950s annual holidays in Germany were two weeks, on average. Until the 1990s, this was increased to a total of six weeks, due to constant union-efforts (Ferner Hyman, 1998). The o ther aspect considers the amount of weekly working hours. Again during the 1950s, employees worked on average 48 hours per week. In the 1990s the efforts of the unions resulted in a total of 37.5 hours per week, on average. Taking a closer look on the development of collective bargaining in Germany, the following can be conclusion can be drawn. Due the historically more nationwide structure of bargaining, which had been introduced to a certain extent already in the Weimar Republic, the main process of bargaining happens at a more nation-wide, multi-employer stage. The development since the 1980s has shown that most bargaining-procedures follow the role model of the above described IG Metall and the major issue has become the topic of remuneration. A current example was the ongoing, publically held discussion about minimum-wages in several industries. Yet, there is a certain trend towards the decentralization of bargaining on a single-employer level which will be further discussed in the following. It is also of a high significance that the nationwide role-models are carried out to the single-employer levels, where often adjustments are made and the centralized outcome is often adapted to individual situations of companies. As a last aspect to be discussed referring to collective bargaining is the extent to which political parties in Germany take influence on the bargaining process. The IG Metall for example has an obvious affinity to the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD), whose major target group are people belonging to the general workforce. This can certainly be of advantage for the majority of employees in case that the SPD takes legislative influence in favor of issues the IG Metall is concerned with. Current major trends and the decentralization of the German human resource management relations system The following part of the essay will provide an outline of current trends regarding the human resources management relations system in Germany. The previously described trend of the decentralization of bargaining structures will be regarded in greater detail, since it seems to be a significant development in German employment relations over the past years. One trend, which is not only occurring in Germany but in nearly all major industrial economies of Europe, is described by Streeck and Kluge (1999). In their study, it becomes evident that employers are tending to have a growing interest in a reliable and constructive relationship with trade unions on a company level. They state that the aim is to get along in a more productive manner than as it had always been the case. Being aware of the fact that this saves time and efforts, employers try to act more on a partner-level (Streeck Kluge, 1999). In case of Germany, the employee-side has the opportunity to react on static negotiation s with the employer by introducing strikes and lockouts. Yet, regarding the fact that employers are now obviously showing an increased compliance, at least on a perceived level, unions also tend to adopt a higher potential of compromise and push back a strike as the last opportunity since it harms the company on a general level. Another notable trend over the past years in Germany has been the growth of temporary work. With growth rates that are significantly higher than the rates of standard employment (Mitlacher, 2008), temporary work has attracted both public and academic attention. This trend can obviously be drawn back to times of economic recession and a certain divergence in business fluctuations. Employers, especially small and medium-sized enterprises, are often depending on the ability to react to the current situation. In peak-times they are able to adjust their workforce upwards, whereas in times of crisis they can easily downsize their workforce accordingly. This situat ion surely comprises a negative connotation towards employee rights, yet it is a very useful application for employers although it might be regarded as exploitation of the workforce. To go a bit more into detail, it can be stated that on the one hand, temporary or triangular employment relations offer the possibility to reduce labor, hiring, and training costs. On the other hand it might also be stated that agency jobs are also associated with low wages, minimal benefits, negligible job security, little training, and no job prospects (Mitlacher, 2008). Here it becomes clearly evident that the advantage of triangular work is on the employers side, whereas employees have to get along with it. In general, Jahn (2005), who is quoted by Mitlacher (2008), states that the proportion of young people and foreigners is much higher among temporary agency workers than in the overall economy. Furthermore, 30% of the temporary workers are low-skilled and only a quarter of all temporary workers ar e women (Federal Employment Service, 2005). A further trend which can be regarded in Germany is the issue of privatization. It is an issue since the 1970s when the Social Democratic Party was governing and refused privatization on grounds of political principle (Ferner Hyman, 1998). Due to the issues of the perceived increase in profitability and flexibility coming along with privatization, the trend has developed during the 1980s, when the Christian Democratic Party of Germany came to power and created the legal grounds for privatization. Although all public sector unions and major interest organizations have offered strong and coordinated resistance to privatization and have caused serious social conflicts (Mà ¼ller-Jentsch, Keller, Jacobi, 1998) , the trend kept on developing over time. A famous recent example for privatization is the Deutsche Bahn AG. Apart from the above mentioned current issues, there is another significant trend in Germanys employment relations. According to a study of the Max-Planck-institute, the employment relations in Germany undergo a change which can be allocated to a steady increase in internationalization, which has started to grow considerably during the 1990s. Besides the danger of facility-shifts to financially more feasible countries, employment relations are mainly affected by another aspect. The increasing degree of Americanization brings along a growing shareholder-orientation. Industrial Relations and codetermination are reacting on the competitive environment of international markets by adapting to a decentralization of collective bargaining (Max-Planck-Institut-fà ¼r-Gesellschaftsforschung, 1999). This is development is also supported by the unification of Germany, when two independent economies were merged together. The area wide-wage agreement has been in the centre of Germanys system of collective bargaining. Individual wage agreements have led to more moderate wage developments, whilst collective agreements wit h individual firms, and agreements at the production unit level, have not had this moderating effect. On the other hand, collective bargaining has become more flexible, leading to greater pay differentiation. The further decentralization of collective bargaining, although desirable, has given rise to objections based in constitutional law and to resistance from employees and employers (Ochel, 2005). As already described above, there is a trend from multi-layer collective bargaining to a decentralized structure, with a single-employer structure, taking place from work unit-levels to corporation-levels. As revealed by Mà ¼ller-Jentsch et al. (1998), there is no necessary interconnection between deregulation initiated by the government and flexibility, which is pursued by assertive employers. Yet, both coincide in practice and contribute to the process of decentralization of labor relations. Therefore the actors at the company level gain importance, whereas the actors on a sectoral le vel, unions and employers associations lose some of their former power. Coming along with the above described shift of competence and influence, a new institutionalized balance of power (Ferner Hyman, 1998) has developed. Still, nationwide pacemakers such as the IG Metall are still powerful and maintain a significant influence. Referring to this issue, an example is presented by Ochel (2005) is provided, who bascically refers to so called Wild-Cat Co-Operation. In detail , this means that works councils often agree to overtime working, which enhances the earnings of their constituents while allowing the company to increase production without the long-term commitments involved in taking new workers. This contradicts with the policy to which the unions are strongly committed, to restrict overtime and encourage additional recruitment in order to reduce unemployment. The divergence between interests is the following: Unions, having a nationwide, multi-employer perspective aim reducing the overall unemployment. Works Councils instead aim at achieving the most suitable solution for the individual company, since they have a more decentralized focus and a single-employer point of view. Conclusion To come to a final conclusion it can be stated that the German industrial relations system has undergone a constant development over the last decades. The dual system, embodying unions and works councils, is based on tradition and represents the two parties of collective bargaining. Due to internationalization and other globalizing aspects, a major development in the German system is a shift towards decentralization, laying more decision power on the individual employers perspectives. As pointed out above, this bears opportunities as well as challenges.

The Language Gap Essay -- Language Development, Mastering Language

Mastering language is an important milestone in human development. When language is developed, the world opens up and a person is able to communicate their needs and interact in a meaningful way. Psychologist Lev Vygotsky even believes language is the most important tool we have in learning. Our basic learning skills are taught to us through an "informal education system consisting of parents, other grown-ups, peers and even the media" (Sigelman, C. & Rider, E., 2009, pg. 277). Formal education then takes over, teaching the language skills necessary to read, write and problem solve. Both formal and informal education play a large part in development and when one of these is compromised language development can suffer. Infancy and early childhood are an important time in language development. Infants are unable to say meaningful words in the first 10 to 13 months of their lives, however this does not mean they are doing nothing these months. Infants are using this time to listen to the speech that is going on around them, absorbing these words and sounds for use at a later point in their development. According to research infants are able to distinguish between phonemes, or the building blocks of words. These are sounds like b, p, and t. Infants also display evidence that they understand word segmentation, and understand a sentence is not one long word, but a string of several words put together. They are also sensitive to the intonation of language as well. This is the variations in pitch, speed and loudness used when we talk, so "before they ever speak a word, infants are†¦sensitive to the fact that speech falls between clauses, phrases, and words rather than in the middle of these i mportant language units" (Sigel... ...o find time to interact with their children if they are having to work all day to support their family. A solution to this problem might be to provide financial support to these parents so one of them would be able to work a part-time job. This would give these parents more time to interact with their children, with out devastating their finances. When the children are able to enter pre-school programs then the assistance could end and the parent could return to full time employment. Informal and formal education, are important parts of a child's language development. Often, the children of underprivileged families experience deficiencies in their informal education, putting them behind their privileged peers when they enter kindergarten. This is why support programs and programs to educate underprivileged mothers and their children are so important.

How Changing the Structure of an Organization Can Provide a Satisfying

The people employed within a company hold the key to a more productive and efficient organization. The way in which people are managed and developed at work has major effects upon quality, customer service, organizational flexibility and costs. For any employee to be successful, businesses are starting to recognize the need for employees to be fully engaged within the company and are constantly seeking ways in which they can increase employee engagement and also motivate people to want to come to work rather than have to. Employee development is a process that has been created to help individuals within organizations to acquire and maintain a confidence and commitment that will improve performance and enhance the skills and knowledge base of the individuals and the organization as a whole. Developing people is therefore a critical process because it allows individuals to benefit in terms of personal competence, growth, adaptability and continual employability, thus creating a sens e of job satisfaction. Within this essay we will be looking at key strategies that organizations adopt in order to successfully develop and engage their staff so as to benefit both the individual and the company as a whole. `I was always conscious that I was making people come to work when they did not want to. They would rather be doing other things. So we created the conditions whereby people not only had to come to work in order to earn a living - they also wanted to come to work.' Ricardo Semler (1992) To improve the motivation and performance in the workplace people development should be business led and strategic. Longer term goals and perspectives give coherency and direction to its employees over time. Furthermore, vision is the p... ...iend at work'. If you put all this into place you would cultivate what the Gallup organisation illustrates as `employee engagement'. i.e. an employee who is entirely concerned and passionate about their occupation. The essence of Peter Senge's views are that the majority of people would like to feel as motivated about their work as they do about their lives. Major organisations can adopt clear objectives in an attempt to create a engaged workforce, however through my own research I have discovered that the areas I have touched upon are just tip of the iceberg in terms creating an environment in which people will wake up on a Monday morning with the same feel good factor that is present at the weekend. In an ideal world the preferred type of organisation is one that listens to and reflects upon the heartbeat of the organisation - its employees and what they value.

Essay on Anna Quindlen’s “A Quilt of a Country” Essay

People are such disparate things, they range from black to white to boy and girl, and of all the nations on Earth, I’d have to say that America is the one country that exemplifies that the most. Unlike other normal nations, populated with a certain groups of people who hold certain types of beliefs, America is a nation made up of all the ethnicities of the world, and unlike other normal nations, the inhabitants of America don’t tend to get along very well. Anna Quindlen writes about why America shouldn’t work, yet does, in a short article titled â€Å"A Quilt of a Country.† She uses effective evidence and valid reasoning to support her thesis, and she also divides her article into two separate sections: the first designated to proving why America shouldn’t work, and the second designated to why it does work. These two in conjunction culminate into an effective argument, that proves that America shouldn’t work, and yet miraculously does. In th e first half of the article, she immediately starts by stating a part of her claim, America is a nation of conflicting and interchanging parts, and right afterwords attacks the notion it was founded on by pointing out that most people consider themselves to be better than someone else. This serves to support her claim, that America shouldn’t work, by disproving its very foundations. She then uses a historian’s quote in order to build off of and make her analogy, that America is a quilt. This analogy reinforces her claim by drawing a striking comparison between America and a quilt and helps readers interpret what she’s saying. Afterwords she says that the American consensus to treat everyone equally has failed spectacularly, and proves it by listing numerous examples of social and racial prejudice, such as the lynching of blacks and the discrimination against women. Not only does this butcher America’s foundations(again), it also makes the allusion that America is a very violent place filled with turmoil. Both of these would support the idea that America shouldn’t have worked in the first place, which is her claim. With all those examples of failure and injustice in mind, she asserts that it would be hard to explain to children why America is great, which also supports her claim because it makes another inference that America shouldn’t work. Anna’s third paragraph is dedicated to addressing a counterclaim, that the rise of ethnic-based pride has undermined unity. She argues that America has always been undermined by differences in race, and this new rise of pride has amounted to nothing. Although the counterclaim in this paragraph  doesn’t directly oppose Anna’s claim, perhaps it even supports it, the evidence and reasoning she uses supports the idea that America shouldn’t work. Quindlen’s account of past Philadelphia is a one of distaste and hostility, and her description of other cities that existed around the same time are just as bleak. Like the other pieces of evidence, these two support her claim by giving America the appearance of a country that’s in internal conflict, and shouldn’t work. She finally moves into her last paragraph in the first half, in which she first ponders the existence of this nation, and then depicts it as being filled with conflict. Her sentences in this paragraph follow a similar structure, at least in the beginning, in which she starts out with â€Å"What is the point of a nation in which†¦Ã¢â‚¬ , and proceeds to give a negative example of the denizens of America. This repetition acts t o cement the idea that America is dysfunctional, which is the core of her claim, and after the repetition stops she ends the paragraph with a change of tone, when she says that despite all of this, America still stands. This change of tone signals the transition into the second half, in which she moves on from explaining why America shouldn’t work, to why America does work. Unlike the first half, where Anna Quindlen’s tone implies that America is a collection of warring ethnicities, she changes her diction from doubtful to dumbfounded in order to better suit her goal, proving that America does work. She starts out by claiming that the reason America remains intact is a common enemy. Anna supports her reason by listing some examples of wars where we were united against a single entity, such as the cold and world wars. After that, she points out that during times where we didn’t have a nation to fight against, we were less united and more separate. She also points out that we became reunited as a result of 9/11. This supports her reason because through deductive reasoning, the reader concludes that a common enemy is what binds the people of America. These pieces of evidence suppor t her central thesis because they prove that the existence of an enemy makes us united, which would in turn make us work together and subsequently make America work better, which is her claim. In the next paragraph, however, she starts out by bringing up that most Americans still say that â€Å"The U.S. is a unique country that stands for something special in the world†, even during peace time. This would imply that there’s another reason why America’s still united, and Anna Quindlen  uses this quote to justify her next sentence. Her next sentence which depicts America in a fashion that makes it seem implausible, supports the part of her claim that says America shouldn’t work, and she also says that it somehow does, annoyingly. This aids the second half of her claim, America does work. In the last sentence, she finally states what the other reason for America working is: two strains of behavior. She says that the first strain of behavior is the hardworking psyche of Americans, and the second strain is the pilgrim-like persona of immigrants. Her support for her reason is a quote that the immigrants of a couple decades ago are just like the immigrants of today, who work hard and are subsequently making a living, which would allude to the idea that these personalities persist throughout all of America, regardless of time or space. With that in mind, it s upports her claim because it shows that we all have something in common, and therefore can become unified more easily, which makes America work better. After all of that, she moves onto her very last paragraph; her conclusion. She starts off by pondering what word best describes the people who live in America, from tolerance to pride, and then mirrors her claim by describing America as a ludicrous idea that shouldn’t work, yet does. She then says that the people of America are so varying, you could trace back the heritage to each person who died during 9/11 to every single country in the world; this analogy aids to the allusion that America is a collage of disparate and disjointed parts. Finally, in the very last sentences of the article, she draws a connection to the beginning of the article by reusing the phrases: mongrel nation, and improbable idea, and by mirroring the beginning and last statements of her article, she creates a lasting impact on the reader. Anna Quindlen’s article, â€Å"A Quilt of a Country†, uses a wide range of evidence in order to validate her reasons, from quotes to analogies to explanations, and not only are they effective, they all help support her central thesis, one way or the other. Anna also divided her article into two separate sections, in which she focused on supporting one aspect of her claim in each. This let her orientate and tune her words for a specific purpose, and not flood the reader with conflicting conclusions. In the end, Anna succeeded in proving why America shouldn’t work, yet does, and she succeeded in proving that America is composed of different, even conflicting ethnicities. People truly are such disparate things, as Anna Quindlen would agree, they range from  black to white to boy and girl, and America is the one country that exemplifies that the most. Unlike other nations, America’s truly a wonder when it works.

Insanity Defense Essay

Imagine for a moment, someone has just inexplicably murdered a mother or child. Imagine the rage, tearing you apart, physically making you shake or be ill. At the same time this rage is entangled and somewhat smothered by the crushing grief welling up inside of you. A thought flashes into your head, â€Å"I will kill the person responsible for this!† but our sanity stops that action. A persons insanity allows you to know that to actually carry out a murder is illogical, immoral, and illegal. You know that your actions will land you a spot in hell next to all the other Murders. That thought process is exactly what separates you from a killer. Although with the right lawyer, the person who committed this tragic crime may someday be able to be free. This murderer may be able to push such anguish onto another family because they were let free on grounds of temporary insanity. The insanity defense should be wiped out nationwide unless certain tests of mental insanity are met and a patient has a history of a mental illness. The insanity defense is a criminal defense that is used when the defendant’s case states that the crime occurred because the defendant had a severe mental disease or defect and was unable to apprehend the wrongfulness of his or her acts. When someone claims insanity, they are not held responsible for their criminal actions. There are two pieces of evidence the first being the accused was unable to tell right from wrong and the second that the accused did not intend to act the way he or she did and/or could not control their behavior. The insanity defense should not be a valid excuse to free criminals. Insanity is a legal term, not a psychological one, and experts disagree whether it has valid psychological meaning. Critics of not guilty by reason of insanity have claimed that too many sane defendants use the insanity defense to escape justice; that the state of psychological knowledge encourages expensive â€Å"dueling expert† contests that juries are unlikely to understand; that, in practice, the defense unfairly excludes some defendants. Research on not guilty by reason of insanity fails to support most of these claims but some serious problems may exist with this. The insanity defense goes back to 1843 when a man by the name of Daniel McNaughtan attempted to assassinate Edward Drummond, Secretary to the  British Prime Minister Robert Peel. McNaughtan was under the impression that he was being prosecuted, so he reacted with murder. Daniel McNaughtan killed Robert Peel’s secretary. He was found not guilty by reason of insanity. Following his trial, he spent the next twenty years in a mental asylum until his death. Soon after this case, the English House of Lords set standards for the insanity defense which they called McNaugtan’s Rule: â€Å"Every man is to be presumed to be sane, and†¦that to establish a defense on the ground of insanity, it must be clearly proved that, at the time of the committing of the act, the party accused was laboring under such a defect of reason, from disease of mind, as not to know the nature and quality of the act he was doing; or if he did know it, that he did not know he was doing what was wro ng.† (Encyclopedia Of Everyday Law) Soon after this rule became legal, the United States criminal justice system adopted this precedent. In 1981, after the attempted assassination of Ronald Reagan by John Hinckley, the insanity defense received a lot of harsh publish criticism. John Hickley was found not guilty by reason of insanity. Various people argued that Hinckley was guilty because the premeditation of the crime committed proved him to be sane, therefore the insanity defense should not have proved him not guilty. Hickley was found not guilty by reason of insanity and remains in psyciatic care. This allows the mentally ill defendant to be found liable of his or her crime, but requires them to seek psychiatric treatment or be placed in a mental hospital. When the defendants are well enough, they are moved to a prison to serve their sentences. Because of cases like this, the insanity defense still undergoes a lot of public criticism today. Although, during a more recent trial of Jeffrey Dahmer, who mutilated and consumed his young victims, the defendant tried to use the insanity defense, but the jurors found the criminal both sane and guilty. This case showed that the insanity defense does not work for all criminals and supported the public’s criticism of the insanity defense. In another famous case, the Unabomber case, defendant Kaczynski refused to allow his attorney to present an insanity defense, and instead pled guilty and was sentenced to a life in prison. Had he let his attorney go through with the temporary insanity plea, there is a good chance that Kaczynski would be a free man today and could potentially kill again. The insanity defense does not eliminate the responsibility of a criminal act from the  person committing the crime; instead, it is a defense mechanism for criminals who argue that at the time of the crime the defendant did not have willful intent due to a severe mental defect or disease. As stated before, numerous people are opposed to the insanity defense. They are against the insanity defense because they see it as a means where the defendant can avoid the consequences of his or her action s. People fear violent crimes and will be more apt to prosecute a criminal versus allowing the criminal another chance. The public, as they should be, is shocked when a criminal is successful in pleading insanity, is sent to a mental institution, and then is released once deemed â€Å"cured† by a team of physicians. The public does not see this as punishment, because it is not. A short stint in a mental institution is nothing compared to serving hard time. Some studies suggest that prison time is ineffectual, that may be but isolating violent criminals is a public safety matter. If left to their own devices, there is a very real possibility that they may strike again. The temporary insanity plea is almost always used in cases of extreme mutilation, murder, and other horrific crimes, yet after undergoing a physiological evaluation some of the most vile people earth are allowed to walk free. Incomprehensibly, the very people who most deserve to be locked up for life are the ones who most often get off by claiming temporary insanity. Due to the violent nature of there crimes it is not a stretch to claim that they were insane. The vast majority of violent criminals are repeat offenders, and that affects every taxpayer in the United States, because it costs tens of thousands of dollars just to run a criminal through the justice system, not to mention the cost of providing care for them afterward. Once a person has proven they have the capacity to commit such an offence, they have proven that they are not fit to enjoy the freedoms that we as Americans are entitled. The insanity defense is an excuse for criminals to break the law and have no bearing on p unishments. In most criminal cases the insanity plea is just a defense strategy aimed at delivering guilty defendants from serving time in prison or getting the death penalty. Most defendants that are found guilty by reason of insanity are released from the mental hospital years if not decades earlier than they would have been if they served their regular prison sentence. The insanity defense allows criminals to avoid the punishments they should be receiving for the crime they committed. When  someone is found not guilty by reason of insanity, jurisdictions require that the person spend at least some time in a psychiatric facility; if not automatically, many states require commitment to a psychiatric facility on grounds of mental illness, dangerousness, or both; most states do not have a limit on the amount of time that someone can be institutionalized insane. How long they spend in an institution also varies by state, but on average most stay three and a half years; in New Jersey 35% of the sample were still in institutions 8 years later; in Michigan it was 9 1/2 months; in Illinois it was 17 1/2 months, however, in this sample over 70% had been found incompetent prior to trial and had spent an average of 38.4 months in institutions. (Washington Post)= In the early 1990’s involving eight different states a study was conducted. They found that less than one percent of criminal defendants used the insanity defense. Only a quarter of these resulted in successf ul acquittals. Today a number of states have replaced the option of pleading â€Å"not guilty by reason of insanity† with pleading â€Å"guilty but mentally ill†. Currently, Idaho, Montana, and Utah banned insanity defenses, along with the supreme courts ruling. Along with this, between sixty and seventy percent of cases in which the insanity plea is invoked are for crimes other then murder. In actuality, it is used approximately 0.9% of the time. There are 51 different types of insanity defenses in the United States, one for each set of state laws, and one for federal law when dealing with someone pleading not guilty by reason of insanity. With astronomical operating costs of a psychiatric facility that increase the tax burden on every tax payer in the nation, especially the maximum security facilities that this caliber of criminal is housed at, the temporary insanity precedent set forth over a century ago should be phased out. Unfortunately, murder and violent crime has and will continue to happen as long as there are human beings living in close proximity, it is and ugly and regrettable reality of human society. There is no real solution to this horrible truth, but the closest and most logical option to preventing the deaths of more innocent people is for temporary insanity regulations to become much more strict. This will inevitably save lives, for if just one murderer has a second opportunity to kill another person that is one more person that is needlessly killed because the killer was given a second chance and not put in prison the first time they proved they have the  capacity to take a life. Works Cited â€Å"Insanity Defense†. The Lectric Law Library’s Lexicon. 2 February, 2009. 12 February, 2009.http://www.lectlaw.com/def/d029.html Martin, John P. â€Å"The Insanity Defense: A closer look†Ã¢â‚¬ . Washington Post. 27 February, 1998. WP. 24 February, 2009. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wpsrv/local/longterm/aron/qa227.html â€Å"Other U.S. News: AMA Opposes Insanity Plea.† Facts On File World News Digest 23 Dec. 1983. World News Digest. Facts On File News Services. 23 Feb. 2009. â€Å"Supreme Court: Arizona Insanity Defense Law Upheld.† Facts On File World News Digest 29 June 2006. World News Digest. Facts On File News Services. 23 Feb. 2009.