Lord of the Flies Essay

Statement Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, the prosecution will prove beyond the shadow of a doubt that the defendant, Jack Merridew, is guilty of two counts of murder. We will show that Mr. Merridew was fully responsible for the deaths of Simon and Piggy when the boys were stranded on an island without adult supervision. We will show that Jack quickly became a sadistic savage who believed that the rules and laws of civilization did not apply to him. He constantly fought against and disobeyed Ralph who was the democratically elected leader of the boys. He valued killing above all other activities and constantly tried to convince the other boys to follow him and not listen to Ralph. Although the circumstances surrounding Simon’s death were accidental, the prosecution will show that Jack’s behavior caused the boys to act as killers. Jack ruled his boys through fear and he made them follow him because they believed that he could protect them. We will show that Jack knew that the beast was not real but he pretended it was so that all the boys would continue to be afraid. One of Jack’s strategies to make the boys feel braver was that he created the death chant, â€Å"kill the beast, cut his throat, spill his blood. † Also Jack created the dance where a boy pretended to be a pig while all the other boys stood around him and pretended to spear him to death. It was in the middle of this crazed dance that Simon stumbled out from the jungle and all the boys fell upon him and killed him. The prosecution will also present evidence that shows that Jack was responsible for Piggy’s death. Shortly after the boys crashed, Jack broke Piggy’s glasses making Piggy even more helpless than he already was. Then Jack raided Ralph’s camp and stole Piggy’s glasses. This final act was a death sentence for Piggy because without his specs he could not see the rock tumbling down the mountain towards him that killed him. The prosecution will also show that from the very beginning Jack’s hatred of Piggy influenced all the boys. Jack hated Piggy because Piggy was fat and physically weak. Jack believed in the law of the jungle, which states that only the strong survive. Jack makes up the chant â€Å"kill the pig† and this chant always causes the boys to be frenzied, crazed, unthinking savages. â€Å"Kill the pig† could be seen as being close to â€Å"kill the piggy† so it’s not a surprise when Piggy is finally killed. Piggy wants Ralph to remain the leader because he knows that he is protected and won’t be hurt by Jack as long as Ralph is the leader. When Piggy is killed, Ralph is no longer the leader and after Piggy dies Jack screams â€Å"that’s what you’ll get† and he throws his spear at Ralph. Questions for Witnesses Ralph 1. When Jack threw his spear at you and then hunted you, did you think that he was going to kill you? 2. Were you afraid of Jack? 3. Was Jack a bully? Sam and Eric 1. Did Jack’s boys ever hurt you? 2. Were you afraid of Jack? 3. When Jack kidnapped you and tied you up did you want to be part of his tribe? Piggy’s Auntie 1. How well could Piggy see without his glasses? 2. If Piggy had been wearing his specs could he have seen the rock coming towards him and gotten out of the way? 3. Since Jack stole his glasses do you believe that Jack is responsible for Piggy’s death? Naval Officer 1. When you arrived on the beach what was Ralph doing? 2. How did all the boys look? 3. Do you think that they were playing a game or was the hunt real? Roger 1. What do you admire about Jack? 2. When you pushed the rock down the mountain and killed Piggy how did you feel? 3. When you were torturing Wilfred and Sam and Eric did you believe that this was wrong? Jack’s Parents 1. Did Jack ever get in trouble at school for being a bully? 2. When Jack played with other boys what kinds of games did he like to play? 3. Did Jack ever steal anything? Percival 1. Were you afraid of Jack? 2. Why did you choose to join Jack’s tribe? 3. Do you think that Ralph or Jack was the better leader? Maurice 1. Why did you choose to go with Jack to steal Piggy’s glasses? 2. Why didn’t you just ask Piggy if you could borrow his glasses? How did you feel when you knocked over the littluns’ sandcastles? Robert 1. When you pretended to be the pig, were you hurt? 2. Were you afraid during this activity? 3. Were you afraid of Jack? Closing Statement Ladies and Gentlemen of the jury, we believe that the constitution has proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that the defendant, Jack Merridew, is a sadistic bully without conscience or regard for the laws and appropriate behavior that are part of civilized society. Jack chose to be a savage criminal on this island. He disobeyed Ralph’s rules that provided structure and order. Ralph was the elected leader and Jack intentionally broke away from this group and formed his own tribe of savage hunters. He ruled this group through fear and physical violence. The boys of Jack’s tribe paid no attention to morals or good behavior. They simply did what they wanted to do and never stopped to say to themselves, â€Å"Is this a good way to behave? † or â€Å"is this right? † From the beginning Jack was a boy who was obsessed with hunting and killing pigs. Then he became a complete savage and the sport of hunting pigs became boring. He needed more excitement so he invented the sport of hunting and killing human beings. You the jury have the responsibility to render a verdict of guilty for two counts of murder. Jack is responsible for the deaths of Simon and Piggy. It is true that he did not push the rock down the mountain that killed Piggy. But he was responsible for creating a tribe of boys who no longer had good moral behavior and who didn’t value human life. It is true that Jack alone that Jack did not kill Simon. But he was responsible for creating the frenzied crazed behavior through his chant and dance that led to Simon’s death. Jack is guilty of murder. The prosecution rests.

Music, Race, and Nation

Peter Wade’s Music, Race, and Nation is a book that takes a long look at something that the author clearly has a passion for. Not only does Wade have a clear and honest passion for the cultures of South America, but it is clear through his writing that Wade has spent plenty of time researching the things that he writes about. In the book, Wade’s primary goal is to shed a fun and interesting light on the cultural dances which are such a part of the culture in places like Colombia. After reading the work, it would seem foolish for anyone to argue that Wade did not achieve his stated objectives, as he clearly hits the mark with both his message and the overall presentation of that message to the reader. The basic themes presented in this book are a bit heavier than one might expect when they pick it up, but after reading, one can clearly understand why they were included. In Colombia, the music is a huge part of the cultural fabric there. In a nation that has long been dominated by white people and their overbearing culture, a mostly African dance takes hold and becomes a staple of the country. In order to truly understand the social dynamic that exists in Colombia, one has to understand the interesting dynamic presented with the relationship between the music and the people who enjoy it. Wade seems to understand the importance of this theme and because of his understanding; he does everything within his power to impart that knowledge to those who read the book. The presentation of this theme is somewhat different when compared to other works, but in the context of his objectives, the presentation certainly works. Before Wade gets started with the deeper and more complicated themes in his book, he makes sure that the reader has a strong grasp on the history of the subject at hand. Because the majority of people reading his book do not have a firm understanding of the basic pretenses on which it was written, Wade had to give those readers a crash course, or else they would be lost. In this regard, he succeeds beautifully. The organizational tactics used in this work give the reader a chance, while other books with similar themes might preclude those people who do not already have a basic understanding of Colombian culture. From that history, Wade does not just jump to his next theme. As any good author would, he builds upon the history that he has established in order to show how the music and dancing is interwoven into the country’s history. This is a very interesting way to present a thesis to readers and in this case, it is an effective means to the stated end. In this work, Peter Wade sticks to the point and never deviates from that. This is a fine line to walk when it comes to presenting a book with some history involved. Authors want to include enough information so that their readers can understand, but they do not want to include so much information that the readers feel like they are taking another history class. Wade walks this fine line and never falls over into the dreaded scholastic feel with this work. He gives the reader exactly what he or she needs and he does not do it with much fluff. The styling of the writing is simplistic enough to stay on point, yet it flows with enough grace to be easily readable. In short, Wade hit a home run with his diction and style. His writing is almost like the dance that it is describing. When one considers this book’s overall contribution to the topic that it addresses, it is easy to see why the book has been so successful. Though a few books have been written about South American music and South American culture, few have done it with this much passion. When the author cares about the subject matter contained in the book, that comes out through the writing. After flipping only a few pages, readers can tell that they are reading a work by an author that has a deep, profound understanding of Colombian culture. In addition, this book speaks to the importance of the Colombian music in the development of the culture of that country. This is an important theme that absolutely must be captured if individuals want to fully grasp the culture of Colombia. In regards to impact, it sheds a positive light on something that people did not know very much about. It brings to the forefront a brand of music that helped create a nation and helped create a culture that is often misunderstood. The work is a good one for a number of reasons. No book can be considered perfect, but this one is perfect in that it achieves its set objectives. When writers like Wade pour their heart and soul into the research of a subject, the resulting work bares that out. Music, Race, and Nation is one of those works. Â  

Compare and Contrast Between Comedy and Tragedy

tragedy is defined as beginning with a problem that affects everyone, i. e. the whole town or all the characters involved, the tragic hero must solve this problem and this results in his banishment or death [run-on sentence]. A comedy is defined as also beginning with a problem, but one of less significant importance. The characters try to solve the problem and the story ends with all the characters uniting in either a marriage of a party.Although these two genres are seen as being complete opposites of each other, through further analysis one can gather that though they are different certain similarities can also be seen. One aspect of these genres that can be compared and contrasted is the narrative or plot. A comparison can be analyzed in that both begin with a problem. In Oedipus Rex, the play begins with a plague devastating the city of Thebes. In A Midsummer Night's Dream there is also a plague that is upon the land. However, a difference between these two beginnings is that in Oedipus Rex the citizen are effecte†¦ .. middle of paper †¦ †¦ morous manner that can help them see that their problems may not be as serious as they thought. While the audience sees the subjects dealt with in different ways both comedy and tragedy help them to gauge their own problems in comparison. While comedy and tragedy are usually viewed as two entirely different subjects, there are some similarities between the two. They both begin with serious problems but the true difference is in the way those problems are handled and the consequences that the characters suffer from those problems.

Wall Street Journal Executive Summary Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 2

Wall Street Journal Executive Summary - Essay Example The European Central bank decided to charge the commercial banks to avail money on deposits. To extenuate unnecessarily huge amounts of capital into the nation, the Central Bank of Denmark violently decided to print kroner. Countries that were in landmark of collapse, such as Spain, are able to recover their hope by selling treasury bills that are short-term. These treasury bills offer back to investors in the country less principals than they began with. A number of European countries, within and out of the Eurozone, sold away civil liabilities with maturities of not more than five years at a negative yield. This held investors responsible for the payment of privileges in holding it. If only they would sell the bonds at even higher prices, they would enjoy profits. Switzerland was not left behind either, as it sold out an aggregate of bonds maturing in 2025 and 2049. Ten years down the line, the yield was at a negative level as compared to the most modern similar bond around two months ago. Prices of Swiss bonds which were maturing up to eleven years in the days to come have moved up in the secondary market, in such a way that their yields have drafted into the negatives. Switzerland later got disturbed about the results that would follow the purchase of large amounts of euros to maintain the suppression of franc and so it chipped its upper limit on the franc and reduced the deposit rates by 0.75%. The foreign market therefore, was subjected to agitation. The fact that it took money to add cash as deposit renders the modest in negativity yield of the current ten year bond as appealing. An identical situation happens to be experienced in the Eurozone, as the Europe Central Bank has adjusted its deposit rates and reduced them by 0.2% then belligerently purchased bonds. This happened in January. Investors were scared away by the fact that deflation would possibly occur in the nation. They were also discouraged by the way

Abortion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 6

Abortion - Essay Example However, the opponents assert that life begins at conception and must be protected by law. They argue that abortion inflicts pain and suffering of the unborn as such it is wrong to allow abortion while couples who cannot biologically conceive wait to adopt (Naden 33). The divergent views have created a society with mixed perception on the issue which has in turn created more confusion. Abortion needs serious evaluation to be able to reach a conclusive agreement. Despite the pro-abortion activism, it must be addressed by considering the pro-life argument and develop a conclusive approach. Abortion rights as stipulated in the law are complex and needs elaboration and arguments in order to develop the clarity. Abortion issues create serious challenges in the society when addressing the issues of sanctity of life. The protection of the rights of the unborn and the right of a mother poses a serious challenge for the legal fraternity especially when abortion is concerned. There is some agreeable situation where abortion is considered, but in some instances it is a matter of

Australian national identity in the 21st century Essay

Australian national identity in the 21st century - Essay Example The best possible means would have been to segregate individuals under certain units like family and city and denote them by these identifying marks. (Sherman, 114) Similarly, Australia has been under the theoretical protective umbrella of the Queen of England till now. But the national identity is hugely manifested in every walk of life. It can well be stated that the issue of diversity in Australia is highly accepted and celebrated in the modern era. The evidence is clear and assertive. This is because there are a number of creed, race, language and color operating at the same time in the same fields all at a single time and space. This would not have been possible if the government was not in a true democratic mode and this true nature of democracy yields opportunity for all and as a result we can find the huge amount of diversity within the nation and this could well be stated as the most significant aspect of national identity of 21st century Australia. From the point of view of bilingual individuals it could also be ascertained that they have complete access to their native language. For example it can be stated that that the Asian and East European influx in the southern regions of the Australia are comfortable speaking their mother tongue and practice the same at their business. It is true that there are some sections who believe that there should be only English at least in the parameters of business but that intension is yet to be fulfilled. As a result it can be easily stated that bilingual individuals have no problem with their mother tongue and they are comfortable with it. (Lamb, 188) This specific intent of openness and freedom is the driving force that has turned into becoming so successful in uniting Australia and the credibility or the acceptance of all sections of the population has become the primary nature of the country. This success is highly celebrated and it can well be stated that the unification of diversity is the key ingredient of 21 century Australia. However, it can be stated that there are certain arguments related to Melting Pot vs. Salad Bowl phenomena in Australia. In melting pot all the elements are poured into a cauldron and a homogeneous stew is prepared where the individual identity of elements seizes to exist. However, in a salad bowl it is found that though all the ingredients are placed in the bowl each of the element tends to sustain its basic properties. In this respect we can state that Australia is more of a salad bowl than a melting pot because members of several communities with a number of creed, race, language and color operate together with their individual identity intact. However there are sections who believe that there should only be a single Australian culture and each individual must indulge in it and this culture is supposed to be mostly English flavored. (Kar, 227) As a president or a Congressional leader the policies that need to be initiated in order to limit the intolerance and racism in the Australia

TV show The First 48 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

TV show The First 48 - Essay Example This paper aims at gathering statistics of the number of homicides cases in New York City, United States. The First 48 Hours is an American documentary television series on A&E. This series has been filmed in various parts of the United States, and it offers an insight into the real –life of homicide investigators. The series often track the investigations to the end, and it focuses on the first forty-eight hours hence the title. In each of the episodes, there is one or more homicide in the diverse cities, which shows how investigators use witness evidence, forensic evidence, and other investigation skills to get the suspect. Most cases are solved in 48 hrs while others take the time to get solved. The First 48 was selected as the best distinguished documentary by the International Documentary Association but later lost to American Experience. In season 6, The First 48 was the highest rated factual Justice series on the television, and it gained important applause along with criticism. The purpose of this television show is to air the number of crimes that are happening in the Ne w York City. Statics shows that the First 48 Hours is one the most watched documentary with approximately 30 percent of the total television viewers. People are interested in this show to know the homicide is happening in the city and know the suspects. Nielsen Ratings are used to determine the size and composition of the audience watching a particular television show in United States. A Nielsen rating has become the primary source of measuring the audience watching a television show (Turnbull, 2005). The size of the audience who watch the series The First 48 Hours has been determined through Nielsen ratings. Nielsen ratings are gathered using two ways: Viewer diaries, where a target audience self-records the viewing habits. By aiming at different demographics, the collected statistical models provide a representation of the audience of the television

Marriage between relatives in the Arab countries Essay

Marriage between relatives in the Arab countries - Essay Example That is followed by the trends in marriage to identify any other factors influencing the consanguinity in the Arab culture. After developing a deep understanding of the Arab culture and trends, the practice of consanguinity is discussed itself. This is followed by the causes of consanguineous marriages in the Arab world. Different factors contribute to the practice of consanguinity such as culture, family, location, etc., are then discussed in the light of previous studies. The misconceptions about the practice are also taken into consideration. The consequences of consanguineous marriage are then discussed with the help of empirical evidence on the topic. The reproductive and genetic disadvantages of consanguineous marriages are discussed in particular. The paper ends with a conclusion on the subject matter. The Arab world basically consists of 23 countries stretching from Morocco to the Persian Gulf, also including the Northern Africa. The term ‘Arab’ is used to refer to people whose first language is Arabic or to people who belong to this culture. The Arab world is vast and occupies all the parts of the Arabic Gulf, Mesopotamia, Middle East, and North Africa, while it also includes some parts of the East and West Africa (Tadmouri, 2010). The total population of the Arab world is more than 315 million (Tadmouri, 2010). The Arab world is relatively diverse as it does not only refer to a single race. The Arab world includes people belonging to different race and culture as some Arabs may have coloured eyes and light skin while others may be dark or somewhere in the middle. Hence Arabs cannot be defined by the colour of their skin, nor do they all belong to a single religion. Though the Arab world is dominated by Muslims, millions of Christian and thousands of Jews are also a part of the Arab world and culture (ADC, 2010). Being an Arab is

Reconstructing Keynesian Argument Research Paper

Reconstructing Keynesian Argument - Research Paper Example Keynes deviates from what the Classical economists majorly focus upon, for the reason that he had been surrounded by Classical and Neo-Classical thinkers throughout his life, yet his ideas have a strong reliance to the Classical Thought and form an inspiration from this school of economic thought (Tarshis). Keynes strongly believes that the Classical Economic Theory focused on a specific, exceptional, rather than a general condition of economic theory, namely the strong emphasis on prices and wages as a determinant of the overall employment level of a country. He demonstrated this with respect to the Great Depression and concluded that the Classical focus was too narrow to apply in general. The Classical economists formulated the concepts which made us believe that we can drive the economy according to set preferences and likes, but in reality, it is difficult to so influentially affect the various economic forces which alter the real conditions. Hence, according to Keynes, the Classical Economic Theory is not sufficient to explain the general economic conditions. This gave rise to The General Theory of Employment, Interest, and Money, which focuses on general activity, unlike the Classical case. Building upon the concepts of employment, interest, and money, Keynes was not just an economist who provided core theoretical concepts, rather he believed in the formulation of sound economic policy through the application of those concepts (Johnson). Keynes’ theory, therefore, was not just focused on one particular direction of economic activity, but actually covered everything from the basics (prices, supply, demand, wages, employment, saving, investment, capital etc.) to actually applying those concepts practically, as economic policies.

Comparison-contrast essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Comparison-contrast - Essay Example In his article, Staffo presents an insightful discussion about interscholastic athletics. Although he acknowledges that interscholastic athletics is a good initiative that can positively contribute to the life of students, he says that it has not been used to instill educational values in learners as it ought to be. According to his research, the goals f scholastic athletics are no longer important to the school administration, teachers and students. Today, scholastic athletics has become a tool for propagating violence, unhealthy competition and encouragement of the domination of teachers over the student body. Similar sentiments are echoed by Pietrofesa and Rosen who traces the development of violence and criminal activities in athletics amongst the professional athletes, high school and college students. The other similarity in the articles is that they both give recommendations on how violence and other criminal activities in athletics can be resolved. To Staffo, the best thing to do is to stop perceiving scholastic athletics as a tool for competition. Being that students are encouraged to participate in athletics so as to defeat their opponent makes them grow up as bad citizens who can do anything at whatever cost to out do their opponents. Besides, both the scholars argue that it is upon the physical educators and coaches to ensure that they provide the necessary counseling skills on their athletes. Better still, team managers should offer periodical lectures on athletes so as to teach them on the benefits of refraining from violence and any other form of violence that can derail them from continuing with their athletics activities. However, despite these similarities, the articles have lots of differences. First, while Interscholastic Sports Msdirected? Misguided? Misnomer? is mainly concerned about high school athletics, Strategies for reducing criminal violence among

Battleship Potemkin Essay Example for Free

Battleship Potemkin Essay Montage is more than simply a technique. Montage compels you like a book because of what is left to the imagination. Giannetti’s book defines montage as â€Å"Transitional sequence of rapidly edited images, used to suggest the lapse of time or the passing of events.† The entire Battleship Potemkin movie gave the impression of a montage. I would not have been able to pay attention throughout the entire movie if it didn’t move so quickly. I must admit that Eisensteins â€Å"Battleship Potemkin† film is technically brilliant. Eisensteins film; â€Å"Battleship Potemkin† is one of the fundamental landmarks of cinema. The movie is about the crew of a battleship being mistreated. One of the opening scenes illustrates a soldier being hit while sleeping. Then for breakfast soldier are served meat crawling with maggots. When soldiers complain the chief officer inspects the meat and makes it seem as if nothing is wrong with it. When soldiers refuse to eat it officers throw a tarpaulin over the rebellious solders and order them to be shot by the guards amidst their own crew. The crew imploded, the news of the death by its crewmember spread causing chaos. The content of the famous massacre on the Odessa Steps grabbed my attention. The film was once banned in many nations, including its native Soviet Union; governments believed it could provoke audiences to rebel. According to today’s standards the Odessa Steps scene is graphic. Seeing children injured, shot and trampled made me cringe. When the woman stood in front of the soldiers with her bloody son pleading for the soldiers to stop, they shot her without remorse. The repeated close up on the carriage at the top of the steps caused anxiety simply because of the way it was edited. The constant cuts back and forth between the gunfire and the carriage had the viewer thinking are they going to shot the carriage like they did the mother standing in front of it, or is the carriage going to go tumbling down the stair forcing the baby to fly out? â€Å"Battleship Potemkin† is a political drama with the absence of personal drama. No single character is personalized which causes characters to represent or symbolize something greater, group of people with guns vs. a dismal group of unarmed folks. The juxtaposition had the greatest impact. Cutting between the anonymous uniformed gunman and the innocent victims that audiences could easily connect with.

Psychology and Teaching Assistant Essay Example for Free

Psychology and Teaching Assistant Essay 1.1 Describe the duties and responsibilities of own work role. The teaching assistant role includes working under the guidance of the teacher, supporting teaching and learning in the school nursery through group activities. I am able to devise learning activity plans also and also spontaneous learning activities which occur through play and other immediate learning activities. The learning assistant role also includes administration, wall displays, food preparation, leading activities with smaller and larger groups, and also individual work. Listening and talking with the children and offering support in social and emotional development as well as curriculum activity development. It is necessary to promote positive behaviours and deal with any negative behaviour in a professional manner. It is also necessary to promote equal opportunities, diversity and inclusion. It is necessary to build professional relationships with the children and also with other work colleagues. Assessment on a formative or summative basis is also part of the role. The teaching assistant role also includes effective safeguarding, and health and safety of the children and also the learning environment all contributes to a happy place, that is a safe and healthy place to learn within. 1.2 Explain expectations about own work role as expressed in relevant standards. There is a list of standards for school support staff depending on the role. The National Occupational Standards for Teaching Assistants offers guidance of competent performance. Some schools ask teaching assistants to complete the National Association of Professional Teaching Assistants. There are also local and national guidelines for codes of practice. 2.1 Explain the importance of reflective practice in continuously improving the quality of service provided. Reflective practice is actually reflective learning and then putting this learning into future practice. It is essential to reflect over activities and other things that have happened and work out if they worked out well, or did not work out well. Why? And what can be improved. It is a continual thinking process to strive for improvements. It is important to self-assess and assess situations by reflecting on them and then putting ideas/plans forward to progress from that event. It is good to  be able to discuss thoughts and ideas with colleagues to then identify areas of strengths and those that need further development. Reflective practice includes reflecting on own role when supporting children learning. It also includes managing children’s behaviour and planning and assessing and also feedback. Reflective practice also includes working with colleagues and other adults and professional development. 2.3 Describe how own values, belief systems and experiences may affect working practice. If the teaching assistant is a religious person, then there may be personal conflict with been expected to take part or support learners in other religions activities. If the teaching assistant has no religion, then it is likely to be easi er to support learning activities and personally be rather passive about the belief part of the religion, and just concentrate on the knowledge part of the religion. Own beliefs, and values and experiences shape the way a person is and so facing and taking part in activities about other beliefs, values and experiences can enhance learning and understanding depending on how flexible in thought and attitude the individual actually is. A person who is less flexible in thought and attitude may find that the taking part in activities of other beliefs, values and experiences can be a very challenging experience. 3.1 Evaluate own knowledge, performance and understanding against relevant standards. It is essential to reflect on learning activities that you have taken part in with the children and then compare with the national occupation of standards to see if you meet what is required. By working through and addressing areas of performance a person can begin to improve their practice. There are 69 units of the National Occupational Standards. These describe the skills and knowledge that teaching assistants need to do their job effectively. Teaching assistants and other support staff roles do not need to cover all 69, they just need to cover the ones which relate to their work environment. (see table attached regarding the relevant standards and my evaluation of own performance and understanding) 3.2 Explain how you would demonstrate use of feedback to evaluate own performance and inform development. Consider the feedback fully and then reflect on own performance to see if you can accommodate the feedback to make effective improvements to own performance to then be able to put this into further practice. Constructive feedback is best to work from and can aid professional development as well as additional training  opportunities. The assessment forms from tutor observed sessions in the workplace can highlight strengths and also areas that need some improvement. 4.1 Identify sources of support for planning and reviewing own development. Sources of support can come from other work colleagues, teaching assistants and teaching staff and also tutors if on further college courses. The planning and reviewing cycle is not unlike that of the planning and assessment cycle which a teaching assistant is part of in the working environment. There are also online materials and also books which can be used to aid learning in order to develop planning and reviewing abilities. The school system for employees would be to use formal and informal support and appraisal meetings with senior management. College staff for those on college courses can also be part of this support system. Inset/training days for staff are a way of gaining support for planning as information is pooled and new ideas and methods are put into operation. Da ta may be logged in a milestones format for reflection and further development. 4.2 Explain how you would demonstrate how to work with others to review and prioritise own learning needs, professional interests and development opportunities. The school appraisal system for employees is a way of assisting staff to consider their own professional performance on a frequent basis. This process needs to be a positive and non-threatening one to be at its most effective. A line manager may do this process for a general teaching assistant, whereas the schools SENCO is likely to do this for a teaching assistant with one to one supportive roles for a child or children with SEN. 4.3 Explain how you would demonstrate how to work with others to agree own personal development plan. A personal development plan is a plan to improve professional practice. The appraisal system and other formal and also informal feedback on a person’s professional development all contribute along with own reflective assessments of actual working experience. There will be opportunity for training in the working environment and also external training events which can be added into the personal development plan. The initial in employment training is the induction course for teaching assistants and also opportunities for other training to take place. These will cover areas such as behaviour management, SEN, and also supporting numeracy and literacy, and learning intervention schemes such as extra literacy and extra numeracy support training to be able to implement  these programmes effectively with children who need extra support. 5.1 Evaluate how learning activities have affected practice. Practice has been affected by learning activities with extended experience. Using the learning from these experiences it has helped to shape and develop abilities and new experiences have provided opportunity to try out and reflect upon. Observing and working with other colleagues have affected practice in offering ideas previously not thought of, to use and develop into own professional practice. All learning activities have provided opportunity for reflection and then personal development with copying and continuing good practice throughout. Just as the children learn from direct experience and from each other and build/scaffold on these experiences, teaching assistants also follow the same process. 5.2 Explain how reflective practice has led to improved ways of working. Reflective practice is the key to effective learning. Reflective learning is a powerful tool and can be gained from self-reflection and including feedback from others to reflect upon. It is personal assessment and this can be used to find out what went well and what needs working on. Work colleagues and training can also aid learning as we learn from each other. Observation of other more experienced staff such as other teaching assistants and the teachers can offer food for thought, and then the person can try out these newly observed methods observed to improve ways of working with learners across the school years. Reflection on good practice has led to personal development in this role by developing new ideas based on the good practice already experienced. 5.3 Show how to record progress in relation to personal development (see enclosed CV) It is a good idea to have an achievements file where all the qualifications and other awards and certificates are all placed into the file, in groups and date order. A detailed CV can also include the most essential qualifications as well as other personal information and employment and voluntary experienced logged in chronological order. I update my CV frequently and also adapt it per type of job role that I am applying for and update my achievements file and keep in in good order.

How Horror Movies Have Changed Film Studies Essay

How Horror Movies Have Changed Film Studies Essay Horror as a whole has been around for many years. Writers have unfolded tales of fear and fright in novels. Directors bring terror to life on the big screen. People have enjoyed being scared time and time again. But why do they like this? How has Horror become such a successful genre? Chilling stories were the humble beginnings of horror. In ancient times, the Greeks shared tales of hideous beasts with three heads, or powerful monsters that could turn a person to stone with a mere glance. Egyptian hieroglyphics told of a great beyond in which evil spirits, demons, and otherworldly beings dwelled. The Chinese worshiped and venerated their ghostly ancestors who would haunt them if they did otherwise. Every civilization had their share of myth and mystery, real or not. Horror novels originally come from a traditional Gothic writing style. The first mention of horror in literature comes from Horace Walpoles book The Castle of Otranto in 1764. Inspired by writers such as Ann Radcliffe and Matthew Gregory Lewis, Mary Shelley wrote the first rendition of Frankenstein in 1818. The nineteenth century in particular exploded with horrific literature writers, including Bram Stoker with the famous daunting tale of Dracula. Other well-known authors were Edgar Allen Poe, Wilkie Collins, and H. G. Wells. The first horror movies appeared on-screen in the 1920s. Credited as the first movie ever made, The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari was silent, dark and surreal, the specialty of the Grand Guignol Theater Company. The first monster movie, The Golem was released in 1920, which set the stage for the first vampire to appear on-screen in 1922. Though Nosferatu was the unauthorized German reproduction of Bram Stokers novel Dracula, it was nonetheless successful for the first film featuring these inhuman bloodsuckers. During the Depression of the thirties, people wanted something to keep them occupied and entertained. More people flocked to theaters and cinemas than ever before; 65% of the U.S. population saw films each week. Another reason for horrors sudden popularity was the invention of talkies, or movies with audio. Audiences now had soundtracks to keep them at the edge of their seats. Superb actors left guidelines for horror films for years to come. The thirties were one of the most successful eras in horror movie history. ((Karina Wilson, 2011)) The thirties were also explosions of the classic Universal monster movies. The franchise began with Dracula in 1931; although true to the original novel, the actor starring as Dracula never wore fangs! The same year, the original Frankenstein premiered. The next to appear was The Mummy in 1932. Finally in 1935 Werewolf of London came to the big screen; the actor, Henry Hull, also made alterations to his costume, using less fur and make-up that would otherwise cover his face entirely. The saga of these characters would continue until 1948, with Abbot and Costello Meet Frankenstein, which was the last nail in the coffin for the golden days of Universal monsters. ((Monsters in the Movies, 2011, pg. 1, 26, 27, 53, 54, 126)) In the forties, American citizens wanted anything to get their mind off of war. They wanted good, quality movies which the Horror genre was all too happy to make. Lon Chaney Jr. was now the man in the yak hair suit starring as his most famous role the Wolf Man. All of Americas fan favorites grouped together in numerous movies, such as House of Dracula and the many Abbot and Costello Humor Horrors. After the craze died down, zombies, gigantic apes and ghosts took their place. ((Karina Wilson, 2011)) Atomic mutations were the craze of the fifties. Radiation exposure, mutations and gigantic beasts could be seen in just about every movie created during this time. Titles such as Godzilla, Them, The Incredible Shrinking Man, and Attack of the Crab Monsters appeared in every drive-in and were huge hits. ((Monsters in the Movies, 2011, pg. 202-207)) Then came what is now called the worst film ever made. Plan 9 from Outer Space was a horrid mash-up of mutants, zombie slaves, and alien vampire overlords. Though this did not mar the fifties in horror history, it is still a prime example of how not to make a movie. ((Karina Wilson, 2011)) In 1959 Jack the Ripper began an era for serial killers and slasher horror. The most well-known horror film director Alfred Hitchcock makes a name for himself with his film Psycho during this time. Hundreds of directors have attempted to copy this brilliantly terrifying film, but none can match it. Also made by Hitchcock in 1963 was The Birds. During the same year, the first splatter film Blood Feast was released. This was the first of many to have seemingly endless gore for no apparent reason. All of these films have one thing in common: They were created on low budgets. This was common in most sixties films, but nearly all of them were huge hits. ((Monsters in the Movies, 2011, pg. 290, 293)) ((Karina Wilson, 2011)) Seventies horror had audiences with nightmares for weeks. From Piranha to The Legacy, there was almost no humor in these movies. The Exorcist in 1973 set a gold standard in Horror and was voted the scariest movie of all time in October of 1999. People are said to have passed out in audiences watching this film. Not only were there possessed demonic children, but cannibals as well. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre made in 1974 barely showed the audience any gore, but mixed with a chilling soundtrack and terrifying characters, the viewers imagination filled in the gaps. Psycho-killers were re-defined entirely because of the seventies. The eighties were as terrifying as the decade before, with chainsaws, cannibals, and even more deranged predators prowling the night. The horror franchise skyrocketed with Friday the 13th, having eleven sequels to this brutal splatter film. A Nightmare on Elm Street wasnt much better, as audiences feigned sleep entirely because Freddy might get them. However, as proven by popularity, people couldnt get enough of horror. ((Monsters in the Movies, 2011, pg. 226)) The beginning of the nineties was when horror directors truly saw how de-sensitized the common person was. Those horror films of the past merely made them laugh. They needed something new, something that hit closer to home. The serial killer is a big part of nineties horror, such as in Se7en and Silence of the Lambs. Also coming into play were space monsters, aliens bent on destroying or taking over and then destroying all mankind. Unlike the fifties, these aliens looked real, had real motives, and were genuinely scary. ((Monsters in the Movies, 2011, pg. 258, 259)) ((Karina Wilson, 2011)) In 2000, the sequel to Final Destination was produced, marking the beginning of a chain of movies that hit the modern American harder than Saw ever did. These were events although typically never to happen on a normal day that could in fact happen at any given time. ((www.horrorfilmhistory.com/index.php?pageID=2000s )) Nowhere seemed like a safe place anymore, especially when viruses and zombie apocalypses were taken into account; 28 Days Later is a prime example of this. An on-going series that also goes along with this idea is The Walking Dead, first aired in 2010. ((Monsters in the Movies, 2011, pg. 227, 307)) Old horror films were scary in their time because the general public had never been exposed to movies that targeted fear before. They are not as impacting to us today because they were made to frighten audiences in that time period, who were not as de-sensitized as the modern human being. What a person was afraid of in the 1920s is certainly not the same as what we fear. ((Richard Sine, WebMD)) Newer horror movies are made for those who enjoy being scared. If a person intends to see the newest slasher film at a theater, theyve obviously been exposed to those elements before. Directors of these films assume that their audiences like the thrill of being terrified. A killing spree in a movie might seem harsh, but you may get little to no response from a seasoned audience. ((Richard Sine, WebMD)) Over the years the definition of horror may have been altered and re-defined, but as always the general public is satisfied. As long as there is fear, there is a director willing to put that fear into the next box office hit. Horror films have been cherished for years, and will continue on for decades to come. Who knows what the newest advertisement or feature presentation will bring? à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã†â€™ à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã†â€™

Essay --

The Manhattan Project was one of the first outlets America used to show the era of scientific triumph. The directors of this project, J. Robert Oppenheimer, Albert Einstein, Leo Szilard and General Groves played a big contribution in the outcome of World War II. I have researched the argument of(that) the Manhattan Project being(was) vital for the legitimate ending to World War II. While other(s) some(take out some amd put could) say(that) they could have not dropped the second bomb, or(take out or) since Japanese Prime Minister Suzuki formed a new War cabinet to bring the war to end on its own. (Stoff, Michael B., Fanton, Jonathon, F., William, Hal, R., EDT. Al. 1991, p. 1991). This project had many different components for it to run successfully. Components such as theology and applied sciences were used. Oppenheimer was the main administrator credited to put the organization together. I will cover how(take out how) the time periods from 1938 (the discovery of Nuclear Fission) to 1 945 (when the atomic bombs were dropped on Japan.) This major contribution is important today because the technology and the leap of science were emphasized greatly during the war. I will also be covering some results and life after the two bombs(were) set off. In the book â€Å"The Manhattan Project† by Jeff Hughes, during the 1930s, America was not the only country to research the secrets of nuclear transmutation. This justifies one of my points that the bombs were not a rational decision made by the Truman administration. The elements and materials needed to create the atomic bombs were not only the U.S’s call. Discoveries(that were) made in a short amount of time and having to put a team together to make the world’s first weapons of mass destruction is ... ...the military advantage of this war.† (Compton, 1945) It was better to demonstrate the bombs in the most non-lethal (way) to gain international control. James Frank a physicist pull(pled) together a committee (along with Leo Szilard) that wrote up a rejection of the surprise attack on Japan. They suggested they should demonstrate the power of the bomb on a random island. Martin Sherwin argued that the Frank committee shared the same views as President Truman, were(where) an attack on Japan would shock the Russians. (Compton, 1945) Even though the Russians had spies aware of the Manhattan project way before the bomb was developed, so(take out so) it would (not) have no(take out no) mattered. According to Truman’s Memoirs (The Manhattan Project, 1991) he mention to Joseph Stalin about having some powerful weapon device, the Soviet Leader didn’t really get surprised. Essay -- The Manhattan Project was one of the first outlets America used to show the era of scientific triumph. The directors of this project, J. Robert Oppenheimer, Albert Einstein, Leo Szilard and General Groves played a big contribution in the outcome of World War II. I have researched the argument of(that) the Manhattan Project being(was) vital for the legitimate ending to World War II. While other(s) some(take out some amd put could) say(that) they could have not dropped the second bomb, or(take out or) since Japanese Prime Minister Suzuki formed a new War cabinet to bring the war to end on its own. (Stoff, Michael B., Fanton, Jonathon, F., William, Hal, R., EDT. Al. 1991, p. 1991). This project had many different components for it to run successfully. Components such as theology and applied sciences were used. Oppenheimer was the main administrator credited to put the organization together. I will cover how(take out how) the time periods from 1938 (the discovery of Nuclear Fission) to 1 945 (when the atomic bombs were dropped on Japan.) This major contribution is important today because the technology and the leap of science were emphasized greatly during the war. I will also be covering some results and life after the two bombs(were) set off. In the book â€Å"The Manhattan Project† by Jeff Hughes, during the 1930s, America was not the only country to research the secrets of nuclear transmutation. This justifies one of my points that the bombs were not a rational decision made by the Truman administration. The elements and materials needed to create the atomic bombs were not only the U.S’s call. Discoveries(that were) made in a short amount of time and having to put a team together to make the world’s first weapons of mass destruction is ... ...the military advantage of this war.† (Compton, 1945) It was better to demonstrate the bombs in the most non-lethal (way) to gain international control. James Frank a physicist pull(pled) together a committee (along with Leo Szilard) that wrote up a rejection of the surprise attack on Japan. They suggested they should demonstrate the power of the bomb on a random island. Martin Sherwin argued that the Frank committee shared the same views as President Truman, were(where) an attack on Japan would shock the Russians. (Compton, 1945) Even though the Russians had spies aware of the Manhattan project way before the bomb was developed, so(take out so) it would (not) have no(take out no) mattered. According to Truman’s Memoirs (The Manhattan Project, 1991) he mention to Joseph Stalin about having some powerful weapon device, the Soviet Leader didn’t really get surprised.

Wetlands Essay -- Nature Wildlife Essays

Wetlands A clear and widely accepted definition of a wetland has yet to be established. Wetlands are of various types and function, and occur in diverse locations, and climates which in part make them difficult to define. Many definitions of a wetland have been posed by different groups and individuals, some of the definitions include: â€Å"An area of land that has hydric soil and hydrophytic vegetation, typically flooded for part of the year, and forming a transition zone between aquatic and terrestrial systems (Brady and Weil, 1999).† A wetland is an ecosystem that depends on constant or recurrent, shallow inundation or saturation at or near the surface of the substrate (soil). The minimum essential characteristics of a wetland are recurrent, sustained inundation or saturation at or near the surface and the presence of physical, chemical, and biological features reflective of recurrent, sustained inundation or saturation. (National Research Council, 1995).† In g eneral Mitsh and Gosselink (1993) define wetlands as areas that have characteristics of both aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems, but are neither. Wetland classification systems are not used consistently by all groups of people, consequently wetland classification differences occur regionally. Wetlands classifications include; bogs, fens, swamps and flood plain forests, marshes, and wet meadows. In North Carolina Wetlands are classified by the source of moisture and include; wetlands sustained by rainfall, wetlands sustained by ground water discharge, wetlands sustained by ground water and surface water, wetlands on rivers and lakes, and wetlands on the ocean. This classification system has subcategories under each type of wetland (Vepra... ...npoint pollution. J. Soil & Water Conserv. 40:87-97. Mitsch, W.J. 1993. Landscape design and the role of created, restored, and natural riparian wetlands in controlling nonpoint source pollution. Pages 43-70. In: Created and Natural Wetlands for Controlling Nonpoint Source Pollution, R.K. Olson (ed.), CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL. Richards,C.J. (Ed.) 1981. Pocosin Wetlands, Hutchinson Ross Publishing Company. Van der Valk, A. and R. Jolly. 1993. Recommendations for research to develop guidelines for the use of wetlands to control rural nonpoint source pollution. Pages 167- 190. In: Created and Natural Wetlands for Controlling Nonpoint Source Pollution, R.K. Olson (ed.), CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL. P.E. Greeson, J.R. Clark, and J.E. Clark (Eds.) 1978 Wetland Functions and values: The state of our understanding. Am. Water Resources Assoc., Minneapolis.

Leonardo Da Vinci Essay -- essays research papers

"Leonardo da Vinci...oh yeah, that is the guy who painted the Mona Lisa!" That was all I knew about Leonardo da Vinci before I started this report. I knew that he lived during the Renaissance and that he was a very important man, but that is about it. There is so much more about Leonardo that he is known for, other than him being the painter of the famous Mona Lisa. Leonardo was a universal genius, (as said in "What Makes a Leonardo a Leonardo?" By: Richard MÃ ¼hlberger, Copyright: 1994) because he excelled in numerous areas of knowledge and contributed so much to the Renaissance. He was one of the great masters of the High Renaissance (as said in the following website: http://metalab.unc.edu/cgfa/vinci/vinci_bio.htm) who was a painter, sculptor, architect, engineer, mathematician, geologist, astronomer and scientist. Birthplace and Childhood: Leonardo da Vinci was born at 10:30 PM on Saturday, April 15th, 1452. He was born in the small Tuscan town of Vinci, which is near Florence. Although, in another reference, it said that he was probably born in a farm house in Anchiano, which is about three miles away from Vinci. The family of Leonardo lived in this area since the 13th century. When Leonardo was born, Ser Piero, his father, was a twenty-five year old public notary. Also, when Leonardo was born, Ser Piero married his wife. He didn't marry Catarina, his mother, because she probably the daughter of a farmer. Leonardo was christened from the parson Peiro da Bartolomeo, in the Baptismal Chapel. He was baptized to the name Lionardo, not Leonardo. The chapel is inside the church of Vinci. According to a tax record, when Leonardo was five years old, he was living with his grandparents. Francesco, his uncle, probably taught him about nature though the wild countryside that surrounds Vinci. When Francesco died, about fifty years later, he willed his estate to Leonardo, which showed a sense of fondness to Leonardo. Apprenticeship: Leonardo lived in Vinci until 1466. Vinci is a small town, in the foot of Monte Albano, in the Tuscany in Italy. When he was fourteen, he moved to Florence, where he bagan an apprenticeship in the workshop of Andrea del Verrocchio. Verrocchio was the leading Florentine painter and sculptor of his day. The apprenticeship program provided all artistic training. He was introduced to many thing... ...tructure; for that, indeed, be it may, is a Devine thing. Leave it then to dwell in its work at its good pleasure, and let not your rage or malice destroy a life~for indeed, he who does not value it, does not himself deserve it." "Iron rusts from disuse; stagnant water loses its purity and in cold weather becomes frozen; even so does inaction sap the vigour of the mind." "Man is the model of the world." "Science is the captain, practice the soldier." "Painters who wish to represent the relief of things they paint must cover the service with a half-tint, then paint in the darkest shadows and lastly the main lights." "He who wishes to see how the soul inhabits the body should look to see how that body uses its daily surroundings. If the dwelling is dirty and neglected, the body will be kept by its soul in the same condition, dirty and neglected." "Nothing flows faster than the years, daughters of time." "When fortune comes, seize her firmly by the forelock, for, I tell you, she is bald at the back." "Avoid excessive study; it will give rise to a work destined to die with the workman."

Employment Essay

The Organization that we selected as our topic of discussion in our Project Paper is the Wal-Mart Corporation. Sam Walton is the founder of Wal-Mart. He opened his first store called Wal-Mart Discount City in Rogers, Arkansas in July of 1962. Their corporate office is currently located in Bentonville, Arkansas. Wal-Mart Stores Inc. incorporated its stores on October 31, 1969. In 1972, they started selling stock on the New York Stock exchange. Although, though the company has had controversial operational business practices they have grown to be the largest Retail Corporations in the world. In 1997, Wal-Mart was able to become the largest private employer in the United States. In that same year, their annual sales totaled over $105 billion. In 2010, Wal-Mart has over 2. 1 million employees worldwide. There 2010 fiscal year sales exceeded $400 billion dollars (Wal-Mart About Us, 2010). I have been a loyal customer of Wal-Mart for years. Therefore, I was shocked when I found out about some of Wal-Marts questionable unofficial policies through talks with friends and family members who worked for them in the past and some who currently employed by them. My mother in law worked for them from 2006 thru 2008. She was required to work 8-hour shifts without a lunch break on a regular basis. One of my cousins was required to clock out because he was about to be in overtime and continue to work to keep labor cost down. I decided to Google Wal-Mart, to see if other people experienced the same injustice. I was stunned to see some of the practices of this company I loyally supported. According to an article released by the Associated Press on 12/24/08 called Wal-Mart to Pay Workers Up to $640 Million it will pay as much as $640 million to settle 63 lawsuits over wage-and-hour violations, ending years of dispute. Wal-Mart faced 76 similar class action lawsuits in courts across the country as of March 31, 2008. These violations range from having employees clock out and continue to work without pay, denying them with lunch breaks that they are entitled to by law, non-payment for overtime worked. They have also had issues with discrimination against women, resulting, from denying them promotions and paying them less then their male counterpart even though they held the same position, and in some cases, women had seniority over the men (Associated 2008). It is widely known that Wal-Mart pays its associates below the average retail wages. In 2008, the average full time Associate (34 hours per week) earns $10. 84 hourly for an annual income of $19,165. That is $2,000 below the Federal Poverty Line for a family of four. In 2007, Wal-Mart CEO Lee Scott earned $29. 7 million in total compensation, or 1,551 times the annual income of the average full time Wal-Mart Associate. Consequently, large portions of their employees qualify to receive Government Assistance to support their families. They are well aware that they pay their fulltime employees below the poverty level. In fact, Wal-Mart actually encourages their employees to take advantage of the Government Assistant Programs (Wake Up Wal-Mart, 2008). Wal-Mart does not offer its associates affordable healthcare insurance benefits. According to Wal-Mart employees, when they complained about high the cost of the insurance and lack of coverage it offers their managers would simply suggest that they try to qualify for Medicaid or Medicare. According to Wal-Mart Facts. om, If an average full-time Wal-Mart employee chooses the least expensive family coverage plan, they would have to spend over 20% of their income before the health insurance provided any reimbursement. An average full time Wal-Mart Associate faces a serious family health issue. They have to pay the entire out-of-pocket maximum for the least expensive health plan, which adds up to pay 53% of their income (Wake Up Wal-Mart, 2008). I am just a customer of Wal-Mart. I am an accountant, so I budget my money pretty well and I love a good bargain. However, when I look at this organization and their business practices all I see is greed. Therefore, as a customer I have to question my whether or not to continue to support this business if they persist on behaving in such an manner that is clearly unfair to its employees. This is not a struggling organization. It brings in sales exceeding $100 billion annually. Wal-Mart has the resources to make their employees NEEDS a priority. I would like to believe that they are sincerely willing to make the necessary changes. Wal-Mart’s management behaves immorally towards its employees. They do not value their employees’ needs, rights, or the labor laws that the US put into lace to protect them. Wal-Mart’s low price on everyday household products is what sets them apart from other discount retailers. Their employees help make it possible for them to dominate their competitors in the discount retail market and maintain their competitive advantage. It is essential for employees to feel that the company that employs them provides an ethical organizational culture in order for them to feel a sense of job security and to be motivated to be productive for the company. What is Organizational Culture? What type of OC does Wal-Mart reflect?  What effect does their OC have on employee job satisfaction, morale, and performance? What can management do to improve their employee relations? According to our text Organizational Behavior, 11th Edition, a company’s organizational culture is a shared set of beliefs and values within an organization. The culture is the behaviors that employees feel they are required to fit in order to meet the expectations of their organization (Schermerhorn, Hunt, and Osborn, & Uhl-Bien, 2010, p. 12). On of the OCI’s that the Human Synergistic Study addresses the Aggressive/Defensive Culture. The cultural norms are built upon a value structure whereby management puts its own interests before those of its key constituents—its customers, employees, suppliers, and even stockholders. Members place priority on doing what is best for themselves over the long-term best interests of their organization. Previous organizational successes (due to prior leadership, technological patents, or good business strategies) fuel the arrogance and short-term orientation of management and allow Aggressive/Defensive organizations to continue to appear effective—at least for a while. However, as shown by John Kotter and James Heskett’s study of 207 organizations (and consistent with research based on the OCI), this type of value structure prevents organizations from effectively adapting to changes in their environments and ultimately has a negative impact on their financial performance (Human Synergistic 2006). Your business strategies shift; your organization’s values should not. Organizational values guide employee actions and influence business practices. They help provide meaning for employees searching for an emotional connection to work each day. Also known as ground rules or operating principles, at their best values are actionable guidelines, not to be confused with abstract beliefs that are merely â€Å"held† or posted on a plaque (Organizational Values, 2008). † In an Aggressive/Defensive Culture, management tends to have very little value for people. There focus is on setting goals and meeting them by any means necessary. They are very competitive and want to devour the competition. Some of the characteristics of this type of culture are oppositional, competitive, motivated by power, and perfection. Managers may oppose things indirectly, stubborn, always has to be right, avoids admitting mistakes, resists suggestions made by others, and have a strong need to win or dominate. Their members do not feel any sense of job security. Employees typically believe that they have to go with the follow in an effort to avoid the label â€Å"troublemaker† in order to keep their job. They fears managements’ retaliation and often feel as though they are in a hostile work environment (Human Synergistic 2006). Staff turnover is near 20-year highs for many companies. Two research firms, Walker Information and Hudson Institute, recently joined forces to conduct a nationwide employee loyalty study. Their results confirmed that staff loyalty is in short supply. Only 24 percent of employees consider themselves truly loyal, committed to their organization and its goals, and planning to stay at least two years. Thirty-three percent of employees were high risk, not committed and not planning to stay. Thirty-nine percent were classified as trapped. They plan to stay, but are not committed to their employer. Among those who felt they worked for an ethical organization, 55 percent were truly loyal. For those who did not feel they worked for an ethical organization, the loyalty figure was 9 percent (Lowenstein 2006). Creating a culture within the organization that nurtures loyalty, commitment, advocacy and productivity from the moment the new hire walks through the door and throughout the lifecycle of the employee will go a long way to sustaining customer loyalty behavior. The good news is that employees, particularly those in customer service, seek trust and trustworthiness; and they desire to be active contributors to that effort (Lowenstein 2006). The benefits for business of adopting ethical human resource management practices and viewing employees as human capital to be developed and to provide a unique advantage in the marketplace can be utilized as part of a corporate social responsibility strategy. Effective corporate social responsibility requires that along with minimizing harm to the environment, a company needs to be aware of the social impacts of its operations and ensure that they are not harming human stakeholders (Tracey Lloyd 2009). The importance of health insurance as an employee benefit is also illustrated by the fact that more than one quarter of Americans report that they or an immediate family member have encountered job lock, passed up a job opportunity, stayed at a job they would otherwise have quit, or had not retired solely because they needed to keep the health insurance coverage they were receiving. According to another survey, employees are moderately satisfied with their benefits, with 39% of full-time workers reporting this, which is a rise from 32% in 2003 (Reddick 2009). Employers who hope to retain solid, hard-working employees should be prepared to offer basic employee benefits. In addition to salary, good benefits provide important resources that not only help build a positive working relationship between employer and employee but also promote good work habits and financial practices (Thompson 2010). Wal-Mart problem is their leadership style. It reflects many of the characteristics of an Aggressive/Defensive Culture. Its issues stem from them putting their interest before the needs of their members. It does not value its employees as of Human Capital. Employees are just another resource used to achieve the organizational objectives. Wal-Mart leaders invest a lot into making decisions and strategies that will get the best prices for their customers and keep their competitive advantages. Nevertheless, they are not investing enough time and effort in training managers on how to treat their human capital. As a result, managers are presented with problems that they have no been trained for and they avoid the issue or make bad decisions. I find it hard to believe an organization as large and successful as Wal-Mart can make these types of mistakes and they go unrecognized or resolved for so long. Several people had to have been complaining about the errors before having to go before a judge. Considering the validation of the errors during the trial investigation, it is safe to say that if Wal-Mart had done its due diligence prior to trial they would have resolved this pay issue. There is no reason a company of Wal-Mart’s size and resources could not have identified and addressed the discrepancy prior to it escalating to a court issue. Which raises the question of, was this done intentionally or their employees concerns or grievances are not a priority to them. This type of mmoral behavior ultimately leads to employees distrusting the company, resulting in a low morale, lack of motivation, and high turnover. Every company has a distinct set of characteristics that drives the decisions, practices, policies, procedures, and organizational goals, which in turn affects the organizations’ atmosphere. The biggest influences are going to come from the visions and standards that the Senior Leaders of the company. Wal-Mart’s employees do not feel any emotional connection or sense of value from their organization, which leads to a lack of job satisfaction, loyalty, and commitment. Of course, this is going to show up in how employees treat customers. All Wal-Mart has to offer is low prices, there is very little customer service. For example, I pulled up to customerservicescoreboard. com and some one posted this comment. â€Å"Wal-Mart has the worst customer service, worse yet, they ignore any inquiry and advertise that they value it†¦ I really have to commit to not shopping there any more†¦ lines are long, cashiers are slow and don’t even help put bags in carts. Their greeters wont get carts and roll their eyes, the bathrooms are a mess, the shelves are empty, I hope they get what they deserve†¦ ower customer count and lower profits†¦ today I tried once more and wasn’t disappointed, no carts, very long lines and best yet†¦ customer service said there was no manager on duty and there were not customer complaint forms†¦ go figure. mad at Wal-Mart 4/1/10 2:21PM â€Å". In order to change this Wal-Mart has to consider ways to attract and retain productive employees (Customer 2009). Another issue is the lack on emphasis on teamwork. Employees concerns and suggestions have no validity. They are not included in any part of the goal setting or decision making process on the individual store retail level. The â€Å"my way or no way† management attitude does not work. There has to be some compromise. SOLUTIONS Wal-Mart has to change their leadership style. The CEO and other major Leaderships need to take a more active role in establishing acceptable managerial behavioral procedures and rules to direct the organization. Instead of reacting to all of the bad press concerning their employee relations they need to take a more active approach to dealing with all of the stigmas attached to the company. For example, they can start by sending out a corporate communication-notifying managers and employees that the company is about to undergo so major changes to and are about to invest in an organization overhaul that will put just as much value in taking care of the associates that make their sales possible and they put into their valued customers. Wal-Mart can continue to ride the cloud of success with no regards to the long-term ramifications of lack of change, but these are the cost of avoidance. Change will be forced upon them one of two ways. The lawsuits will continue to come and the courts will make to settlements high enough that Wal-Mart will feel the financial sting of their unethical behavior. Secondly, they will start to see a significant decrease in their sales because of the poor customer services rendered by their distrusting, low morale, and unmotivated associates. Considering how large Wal-Mart’s organization is this change would be a major project they could consider doing it in-house, but I suggest they hire an outside consulting firm that to oversee the project in order to get some fresh ideas and strategies. Of course, they would be collaborating with Wal-Marts project team in order to what the deliverables are to complete the project. Wal-Mart Leaders need to ensure total participation by giving the project team the financial and staff resources needed to complete the project. The first step would be to perform a training needs analysis and determine where the practice and policy breakdowns are occurring. Then address the issue, by establishing a new uniform policy, updating the employee handbook, training managers and employees on the new policies, and finally enforcing it. This project will take about a year to prepared, reviewed, and implemented. Prioritization will be according to the most critical needs, such as proper employee pay protocol, anti- discrimination policy training, and team building programs. For example, have a workplace diversity class set up to teach managers how to cultivate diversity and to prevent discrimination. Require that managers have a complete training class annually. Address and investigate all allegations of discrimination immediately. Written documentation is required for discrimination allegation, investigation, and resolution steps that taken. The only way to ensure that employees feel a since of organizational justice is to uphold the companies policies on the matter. Consequently, immediate punishment is required if an employee found guilty of the allegation. Send out corporate communication, notifying employees of the companies’ commitment to improve employee relations. Send the communication via email and display it in high traffic areas. Express managements desire to include employees in some of the decisions that directly affect them by establishing an Employee Involvement Team to be apart of the project. That will help Management and employees address employee concerns and grievances, such as a fair and competitive wages and health insurance package. Allowing employees to be apart of the decision making process will help management get feedback on the best ways to go about achieving up coming goals, while building team commitment, loyalty, and moral. There will be annual policies will be reviews and revision if necessary. Managers and employees will complete skill assessment tests annually. There will be skill-training classes set up to teach managers how to promote effective communication and leadership abilities. Issue training results to department heads and certificates of completion to participants. Finally, collect feedback from the managers and employees to evaluate, results and feelings on the process improvements. Leave a comment section to get their feelings on the companies’ efforts to improve employee relations. Identify remaining problems and work with the In-house Project Team and the Employee Involvement Team to improve them.

Examining Mary Cassatt And Her Paintings Art Essay

Cassatt is possibly best-known for her pictures of female parents and kids, plants which besides reflect a surprisingly modern esthesia. Traditional premises refering childhood, child-rearing, and the topographic point of kids in society were confronting challenges during the last portion of the nineteenth century and adult females excessively were reconsidering and redefining their topographic point in modern civilization. Cassatt was sensitive to a more progressive attitude toward adult females and kids and displayed it in her art every bit good as in her private remarks. She recognized the moral strength that adult females and kids derived from their indispensable and elemental bond, a integrity Cassatt would ne'er pall of stand foring. The many pictures, pastels, and prints in which Cassatt depicted kids being bathed, dressed, read to, held, or suckled reflect the most advanced 19th-century thoughts about raising kids. After 1870, Gallic scientists and doctors encouraged female parents ( alternatively of wet nurses and nursemaids ) to care for their kids and suggested modern attacks to wellness and personal hygiene, including regular bathing. In the face of several cholera epidemics in the mid-1880s, bathing was encouraged non merely as a redress for organic structure olfactory properties but as a preventive step against disease. Shortly after her victory with the Impressionists, Cassatt ‘s manner evolved, and she moved off from Impressionism to a simpler, more straightforward attack. By 1886, she no longer identified herself with any art motion and experimented with a assortment of techniques. A series of strictly drawn, tenderly observed, yet mostly tough-minded pictures on the female parent and child subject organize the footing of her popular work. In 1891, she exhibited a series of extremely original colored lithograph prints, including Woman Bathing and The Coiffure, inspired by the Nipponese Masterss shown in Paris the twelvemonth earlier. Her determination to go a professional creative person must hold seemed beyond the picket, given that serious picture was mostly the sphere of work forces in the nineteenth century. Despite the concerns of her parents, Cassatt chose calling over matrimonyJanson ‘s History of Art, Seventh Editionp. 879-880 This text gives us a small penetration into the life of Mary Cassatt ( 1844-1926 ) . She was an American who was born into a affluent household and raised in Pittsburgh ; besides influenced by Renaissance art, she approached Impressionism from a adult female ‘s position, chiefly as a figure painter. As a female, she was frequently restricted every bit far as traveling topographic points unattended where work forces could travel. Her capable affair was attributed to these limitations. Many of her subjects included adult females reading, sing, taking tea, and bathing an baby. The Child ‘s Bath is non merely a image about wellness, but about intense emotional and physical engagement. Paul instance: Cather ‘s apprehension of the silent bounds regulating the representation of gender, and the manner they were linked to genre, explains why she chose the manner of indirection in composing her 1905 narrative of a homosexual adolescent, â€Å" Paul ‘s Case. † Recent developments in sexology enabled Cather to qualify Paul as a homosexual without calling his status. Through background information and physical description, Cather ‘s storyteller discreetly invokes degeneration theory to explicate her supporter, alining him with the topics of recent instance surveies. After experimenting with the character of the â€Å" faery, † Paul uses stolen money to transform himself into a civilized, sophisticated â€Å" fagot, † but neither persona proves for good satisfactory. Through its mentions to Paul ‘s gender, the narrative analyzes one peculiar merchandise of late-nineteenth-century consumer capitalist economy: the middle-class, urban homosexual a dult male. How to compose it? Write your flood tide foremost ; it will help you to estimate decently the view-point of your narrative. The flood tide is the secret plan in brief: here is a intimation as to plot determination. Take a state of affairs: it may be humourous, hapless, full of enigma, or dramatic ; but it must be striking. Life abounds in many such, and he who goes about with his eyes open can non neglect to put aside an ample shop. The decision should follow closely on the heels of the flood tide. Its office is to pealing down efficaciously the drape on the scene. Often it dovetails in the flood tide so that we can non state where one begins and the other terminals When you conceived your flood tide, doubtless some one thing stood out in bolder alleviation than all the remainder. It may hold been wit, it may hold been pathos, it may hold been inexorable calamity. Whatever it was, it is the point of the narrative, the Centre of gravitation of your narrative. You sagely gave it a puting in maintaining, and in the decision let it brood like a lingering note to be a persistent memory for many a twenty-four hours. It is the kernel of your construct, and in the debut you held it up before your reader ‘s eyes as the game to be pursued. This we will name the subject of the composing. The elusive power of the Gallic school lies in the art of insinuation. It is what is left unexpressed instead than what is said that causes the greatest bang. But the illation must be field: the reader ‘s imaginativeness should non be left to build the narrative which you set out to state. Often a narrative will be saved from ennui to captivation by the power of suggestion entirely. This is peculiarly true of love scenes, deceases, and the similar, such as merely a maestro ‘s manus at description can trust to manage efficaciously. Rosebud: One of the cardinal Southern Crosss of the movie is the inquiry of what precisely Rosebud means. We ask this inquiry even though we know that Welles & A ; Co. were in portion seeking to demo that you can non cut down a adult male ‘s enigmas to one thing. On the other manus, there is a solution to the â€Å" job. † It is really found in Welles ‘s following movie, The Magnificent Ambersons. Throughout Welles ‘s wireless calling, his most moving shows, such as his version of â€Å" The Apple Tree, † were about loss aa‚ ¬ † loss of a arcadian yesteryear, of a domestic felicity, of a quiet life. This subject does n't look to hold anything to make with Welles ‘s existent life. It ‘s merely something he liked, though possibly based on the loss of his female parent at an early age. The Brilliant Ambersons is his most affecting realisation of this subject in his work. Rosebud leads up to that movie. Rosebud is The Brilliant Ambersons. The small-town values and female parent ‘s love that the snow-ball evoke aa‚ ¬ † which reminds Kane of his childhood place, and the sled called Rosebud aa‚ ¬ † are all explored in much more item and presented with an extra dollop of hurting loss, in Welles ‘s 2nd movie. Rosebud is non a catch. As a narrative device, it is the holy grail of the movie, the engine that drives the newsman Thompson to work out the enigma of Kane, and along the manner we learn every bit much about Kane as the characters ( and the undermining overvoice of the movie itself ) can state us. But when we learn, from our privileged place as viewing audiences of the movie, what Rosebud really is, even as it is being destroyed, we besides learn that it is non a fraud, nor is it bathetic. As Bernard Herrmann ‘s beautiful music rises in the background, we feel both the unsealing of the envelope and the shutting of a life. It ‘s a beautiful minute, one of the most expressive in all film. And you know what? In a manner, a adult male ‘s life can be reduced to one thing, if that thing is the rich bunch of images and thoughts that Rosebud contains.The homosexual subtext in Citizen KaneWho wrote Kane? The reply is in the facet of the movie that everyone is afraid to adve rt, the homosexual subtext that appears in Kane and in many of Welles ‘s other movies. I ‘m non speaking about his private life, in which, harmonizing to Simon Callow, Welles had a bent for pulling the support of older homosexual work forces such as Houseman, who were smitten with the young person ‘s vivacity. Welles, a heavy drinker, was married three times and, like Marlon Brando and Warren Beatty after him, had pretentious personal businesss with many adult females, among them Dolores Del Rio. None of this seemed to happen its manner into his movies. Womans do n't calculate that to a great extent in most of Welles ‘s movies, and seldom does sex genuinely enter. Love and passion are at that place, but frequently presented discreetly. Kane offers up something of a Madonna/whore contrast, while his following movie shows dedicated adult female in a soap-operaish margarine of unanswered, frequently even unsaid, love. Although the aborted It ‘s All True celebrated the passionate life of Latin America, Welles was truly interested in the political relations of the clip. Subsequent movies dealt with â€Å" great work forces † and their political lives. Welles played Othello as if he were truly married to Iago. There is the suggested colza of a newlywed in Touch of Evil, and a nymphomaniac in The Trial. It ‘s a daze to see footage from the unfinished The Other Side of the Wind in which existent lecherousness is realized in the back place of a auto. But the combination of sex and adult females is non what we carry o ff from many of these movies. Male friendly relationship and its treacheries interested Welles, from one movie to another, get downing with Kane and enduring all the manner to The Big Brass Ring, a screenplay credited to Welles but eventually filmed by person else. As in many movies with a homosexual subtext, parts of Kane do n't do sense unless you view them from a cheery position. Why, precisely does Jed Leland feel so betrayed by Kane? It ca n't merely be because Kane ‘s political foolishness â€Å" put back the cause of reform 20 old ages. † When Leland, the flunky friend, first learns of the political shame, he walks into a saloon to submerge feelings of†¦ what? Leland, who elsewhere says he took concert dance lessons with Kane ‘s first married woman and was â€Å" really graceful, † has no female comrades in the movie, and his reaction to Kane ‘s political â€Å" treachery † far exceeds its existent weight. There ‘s a love here that daring non talk its name. This cheery subtext provides another indicant of Welles ‘s manus in the Kane screenplay. Welles ‘s other great film, Touch of Evil, has a similar relationship between a powerful adult male and a flunky, in which the powerful adult male is the love of the flunky ‘s life: Welles ‘s Quinlan and Joseph Calleia ‘s Pete Menzies ; merely here, both work forces betray each other. And the entirety of The Trial merely makes sense if the movie is viewed as truly about the persecution of a homosexual adult male in a consecutive society. The cheery subtext of Kane merely adds to its enigmas and makes it a richer movie. Understanding subjects: D1 Personal individuality is shaped by oneaa‚ ¬a„?s civilization, by groups, and by institutional influences. Examination of assorted signifiers of human behaviour enhances apprehension of the relationship between societal norms and emerging personal individualities, the relationships between societal procedures that influence individuality formation, and the ethical rules underlying single action.

Tess of the D’Urbevilles – Hardys View on Industrialisation

Explore Hardy’s attitude towards industrialisation in phase the fourth. Industrialisation became a growing presence amongst the Victorian Era and had an elusive yet undeniable impact on the population. Within the novel Tess Of The d’Urbervilles and in particular phase the fourth, Industrialisation is heavily focused on and explored. However Hardy establishes a balanced and ambivalent viewpoint towards the implications and presence of Industry as there is evidence to suggest both positive and negative aspects to its advancement.This therefore demonstrates that Hardy, especially through his effective use of binary oppositions offers a complex view which evokes a variety of Interpretations. To successfully convey clear comparisons between industrial interventions and rural aspects of pastoral life, Hardy uses binary oppositions to effectively highlight these contrasts. For example, parallel distinctions between light and shade / symbolic colours (Industry vs. Country) are made apparent in chapter xxx.This is shown when a ‘feeble light was beginning to assert its presence’ used to describe the train and this is in contrast to the ‘expanse of shade’ which represents the countryside. The connotations of ‘light’ against what essentially is darkness may that the train of which modern life represents offers optimism, hope and a prosperous future compared to the harsh standstill that is rural life. However this can also be successfully challenged with the argument that the light is superficial and not real which can justify its feebleness, and offer a rather negative and weak view of industrialisation.Another interpretation to this comparison may be that the fact the light of the train ‘asserts’ itself suggests that industrialisation is imposing itself on rural life and the environment in quite a forceful yet inevitable manner. To further support this, the ‘fitful white streak of steam’ which asserted itself on the ‘dark green background’ can be effectively seen as symbolic of the demising taint of which industry inflicts on the rural landscape.Furthermore this conjunction/fusion of industry on the country side again highlights the obvious visible contrast and proposed artificial lights/ colours against the natural and pure landscape. This proposes that Hardy presents quite a negative and tarnishing view of industrialisation and its impact on the countryside. However the negative perception of Industry is counter argued with the inclusion of the celestial and terrestrial comparisons, for example ‘’terrestrial star yet in more importance†¦ to mankind than the celestial ones’.This is of high significance because it directly addresses the view that although nature a creation by god, which is represented by the natural celestial star is grand and majestic, however it is not always useful especially when in contrast to an evolving modern (manmade) industrial world. This can be therefore effectively be argued that this balance hardy creates between the presentations of Industry is way of suggesting that the fusion between nature and industry is symbiotic and thus in affect beneficial to both.This displays Hardy’s effective complexity within his attitude towards industrialisation and this may because it is an accurate response of his believes that despite that industrialisation is inevitable it is both positive and negative and will have a dual symbiotic impact of society, which is made apparent by his balance argument. Hardy also intricately uses the focalised theme of industrialisation in this chapter to again highlight the motif of social development. Tess is potentially used as an instrument by Hardy to distinguish clear opposing comparisons between the two conjunctions that is industry and the countryside.For example while Tess in awe of the train, is described as a ‘motionless’ which is a dir ect opposition to the moving pace of the train. This is effective in the claim that whilst industry is forever evolving and inevitable to progression, the rural life is still, unmoving and highly limited. This is also enforced by Hardy’s representation of Tess (which is symbolic for the countryside as one of ‘ no date or fashion’ which is negative and highlights the contemporary progression made against the ‘unsophisticated’ life of the countryside.Hardy’s structure with the inclusion of industrial elements is also highly interesting. This is because in contrast to the beginning of the novel where Hardy incorporates no use of modern/industrial aspects, as the novel progresses and especially as Tess attains a higher social status due to her peaking relationship with Angel who represents modern thinking and way of life, modernisation becomes apparent.This is symbolic of the fact that industrialisation is representative of higher social status an d economic growth, business and essentially a means of production which is affiliated with the bourgeoisie. This view is further enhanced by Tess’s ignorance of modern life and her reference to the specific section of Londoners ‘noble men and noble woman’ who are at the heart of industry. This again suggests hat modernisation is another form of referring class distinctions within society and particularly the Victorian era. This may suggest that Hardy’s somewhat negative views on industrialisation may be for these implications on society. However it can also be noted that Industry (metaphorically used through the train) is used to connect these two opposing ways of life, therefore is a positive impact on society and this enforces the symbiotic view which was previously made.In conclusion it is clear that Hardy intricately portrays and depicts the implications of industrialisation in various ways. This shows that his balanced and complex is representative of multiple people within both modern urban areas and the rural countryside. Also these balanced views may be that despite the fact that industry had not fully developed in the Victorian era, they were still showing both negative and positive implications of the world and one of which are inevitable,

Family and International Assignment Policy Essay

What Is Your Critical Evaluation of Colgate-Palmolive’s International Assignment Policy? What Are Its Strengths And Weaknesses? Colgate-Palmolive’s (C-P) international assignment policy was designed to standardize entitlements for the expatriate managers. It covered tax equalization, goods and services, housing, the actual move and settling in, sale or rental of the principle residence, relocation allowances, living expenses, education, vacation, leave, post allowance and smooth transitions (Rosenzweig, 1994). The assignment policy was progressive, permitting applicants a 5 day pre-acceptance tour. The language courses at the company’s expense were paramount. Overall, the company sought to address both the expatriate and his family’s quality of life. I subscribe to the motto: â€Å"a happy wife makes a happy life†, thus I would agree that the policy was comprehensive and supported the aforementioned and motto. Strengths included â€Å"financial parity† and the overall family and spouse assistance program. However, the greatest strength was C-P’s willingness to improve the policy and orientations based on surveys (Rosenzweig, 1994, p. 7). The only weakness I can surmise is that such a policy does not support a local indigenous applicant. What Should Colgate-Palmolive Do About the Growing Issue of Dual-Career Families? C-P has two courses of action (COA). Do not hire or address dual-career families or succumb and make the overseas assignments attractive to dual-career families. COA one would limit their candidate pool. One C-P human resource manager (HRM) stated: â€Å"the frequency of dual-career families among C-P’s young managers was a reflection of their high quality: ‘We tend to attract people who have been to graduate school and who often met their spouses at graduate school. Both spouses are educated professionals and both tend to want to pursue their careers’† (Rosenzweig, 1994, p. 9). Thus COA two would support a larger qualified candidate pool. However, there is a cost(s) associated. C-P discussed income replacement to offset the spouses lost income (Rosenzweig, 1994, p. 0), but was viewed to expensive. Others recommended C-P change the overseas perception, in lieu of a loss or sacrifice, a positive spin was placed on foreign employment. Personally, I would opt for COA one but with two additions. Transfer young single executives on shorter term assignments in support of saving costs and capitalize on modern technologies that did not exist at the time this article was published. Secure virtual training conference lines can be purchased for under $25,000 permitting daily interaction, meetings and mentoring between C-P headquarters and the expatriate manager. Lastly, C-P foreign employees may capitalize on the numerous web based social technologies such as Skype and Face Time that are now a staple communication platform. What Should an MNC Consider When Designing a Policy Regarding International Career Development? It is paramount that MNC focus on recruiting processes. A larger diverse, multi lingual applicant pool who have lived and been educated abroad would mitigate many of the culture shock experiences associated with overseas assignments. The policy development should incorporate local nationals employed by companies like C-P. In the US, we are familiar with the big Japanese motor companies like Toyota and Nissan, but we often overlook the other foreign owned companies like Pillsbury and CBS Records who employ thousands of US professionals. Ultimately, MNC must address the monetary compensation and quality of life for 2 potential candidates: host-country employees and home country employees (where the headquarters is located). Certainly, I am not naive to the fact that compensation is not easily addressed as it should conform to local laws and taxation (both host and home countries). What Should an Employee Consider When Deciding to Accept or Decline an International Assignment? How Does the Employee’s Current Career Stage Affect Such a Decision? As an active duty Soldier with family and prior overseas duty assignments, I have had given this question a great deal of thought. Certainly C-P’s policy covering areas such as tax equalization, goods and services, housing, the actual move and settling in, sale or rental of the principle residence, relocation allowances, living expenses, education, vacation, leave, post allowance and smooth transitions are important. Ultimately, it boils down to education, medical care, quality of life and face time with family. Dependent on one’s age and the age of your children, a support system for the spouse is paramount. Extended family is ideal if the expatriate will travel frequently, thus transcontinental travel, accessibility to international airports is important. Quality of education and backwards planning are important. The closer children get to high school and college age, the more important it is to be in the US with a stabilized duration of assignment.