Anything that is commonly discussable or interesting Research Paper

Anything that is commonly discussable or interesting - Research Paper Example In Medieval Latin, it was considered to be a â€Å"crime against nature†. In today’s world, some believe that it is a natural desire, not an acquired behavior or lifestyle choice, therefore, it is moral. On the other hand, some believes that this behavior is an adaptation, not inherent nature of human being. It distorts the divine mandate (procreation), marriage, physical and psychological health of human being, therefore, it is immoral. This research paper posits that homosexuality is unnatural and it defies the sanctity of marriage, divine purpose of procreation, and therefore, it is immoral practice. One of the major reasons behind the opposition of homosexual relationship is that it is unnatural, therefore, immoral and must not be practiced. Corvino argues that most of the opposition for homosexuality stems from five basic interpretations of â€Å"naturalness†. He exclaims what unnatural really means for opponents. There are many things that people value and consider ethical are unnatural, for instance, clothing, housing, medicine, government or organizational systems. On the other hand, people detest many natural things, such as, death, misery, disease. Later events are entirely natural but people find it hard to accept them (309). In order to understand opponents’ idea of unnatural, Corvino borrows its five definitions from Burton Leiser. Firstly, Leiser believes that what is unusual or abnormal is unnatural. It implies that homosexual relationship deviates from the norm and what most people practice. It is obvious that most people get into heterosexual relationship; however, Corvino argues that it does not make homosexual relationship wrong. He asserts that most people don’t learn Sanskrit, play mandolin, pilot ships, breed goats, or write with both hands, yet none of these are considered immoral on the basis of their unusualness (310). He further quotes Ramsey

Foundations of Organizational Structure Essay Example for Free

Foundations of Organizational Structure Essay TUNKU ABDUL RAHMAN COLLEGE ABDM2083 ORGANIZATION HUMAN RESOURCE TUTORIAL 1 General Introduction 1. Ice-breaking session. 2. Self-introduction by tutor and students. 3. Briefing on course requirements. 4. Tutorial expectations and participation. 5. Briefing on Group Report Oral Presentation (requirements and expectations). 6. Team formation for Group Report. (4 members per group) 7. Tutor assigns question and time for oral presentation group report ** Oral presentation and group report submission will starts from Week 3 to 5** **Important note** Students are required to sit for one (1) online test on Week 3. Please make sure that you are registered under this course and be able to access to CEL to take the test. TUNKU ABDUL RAHMAN COLLEGE ABDM2083 ORGANIZATION HUMAN RESOURCE TUTORIAL 2 Topic 1 : Foundations of Organizational Structure Part A: Multiple Choice Questions 1) The ________ refers to the number of subordinates that a manager directs. A) span of control B) unity of command C) chain of command D) decentralization principle E) leadership web 2) A task that is subdivided into many separate jobs is considered to have ________. A) a high degree of departmentalization B) a low degree of decentralization C) a high degree of work specialization D) a low degree of structure E) a high degree of matrix structuring 3) Aeronautics Inc., a parts supplier, has departments for government aircraft and contracts, large commercial aircraft clients, and small personal aircraft clients. This is an example of ________ departmentalization. A) product B) function C) geography D) customer E) service 4) Stalsberry Company has employees in personnel, sales, and accounting. This division of an organization into groups according to work functions is an example of ________, the second element of structural organization. A) social clustering B) bureaucracy C) specialization D) centralization E) departmentalization 5) The unbroken line of authority that extends from the top of the organization to the lowest echelon and clarifies who reports to whom is termed ________. A) chain of command B) authority C) span of control. D) unity of command E) web of authority 6) Which one of the following is consistent with a simple structure? A) high centralization B) high horizontal differentiation C) high employee discretion D) standardization E) bureaucracy 7) Which of the following is a drawback of a narrow span of control? It ________. A) reduces effectiveness B) is more efficient C) encourages overly tight supervision and discourages employee autonomy D) empowers employees E) increases participatory decision-making 8) In an organization that has high centralization, ________. A) the corporate headquarters is located centrally to branch offices B) all top level officials are located within the same geographic area C) action can be taken more quickly to solve problems D) new employees have a great deal of legitimate authority E) top managers make all the decisions and lower level managers merely carry out directions TUNKU ABDUL RAHMAN COLLEGE ABDM2083 ORGANIZATION HUMAN RESOURCE TUTORIAL 3 Topic 2 : Organizational Culture Part A: Discussion Question 1) Explain the primary methods of maintaining an organizations culture. Once a culture is in place, there are practices within the organization that act to maintain it by giving employees a set of similar experiences. Three forces play a particularly important part in sustaining a culture: selection practices, the actions of top management, and socialization methods. a) First, the explicit goal of the selection process is to identify and hire individuals who have the knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform the  jobs within the organization successfully. It would be naive to ignore that the final decision as to who is hired will be significantly influenced by the decision makers judgment of how well the candidates will fit into the organization. This attempt to ensure a proper match, whether purposely or inadvertently, results in the hiring of people who have values essentially consistent with those of the organization, or at least a good portion of those values. In addition, the selection process provides information to applicants about the organization.   Candidates learn about the organization and, if they perceive a conflict between their values and those of the organization, they can self-select themselves out of the applicant pool. b) In addition to selection, the actions of top management also have a major impact on the organizations culture. Through what they say and how they behave, senior executives establish norms that filter down through the organization as to whether risk taking is desirable; how much freedom managers should give their employees; what is appropriate dress; what actions will pay off in terms of pay raises, promotions, and other rewards; and the like. c) Finally, no matter how good a job the organization does in recruiting and selection, new employees are not fully indoctrinated in the organizations culture. Because they are unfamiliar with the organizations culture, new employees are potentially likely to disturb the beliefs and customs that are in place. The organization will, therefore, want to help new employees adapt to its culture. This adaptation process is called socialization. This is when the organization seeks to mold the outsider into an employee in good standing. Employees who fail to learn the essential or pivotal role behaviors risk being labeled nonconformists or rebels, which often leads to expulsion. But the organization will be socializing every employee, though maybe not as explicitly, throughout his or her entire career in the organization. This further contributes to sustaining the culture. 2) Explain how an institutionalized culture can be a barrier to diversity. Describe how an organization could utilize the three forces at play in sustaining a culture to help create a diverse workforce. By limiting the range of acceptable values and styles, strong cultures put considerable pressure on employees to conform. In some instances, a strong culture that condones prejudice can even undermine formal corporate diversity policies. Strong cultures can also be liabilities when they support institutional bias or become insensitive to people who are different. Hiring new employees who differ from the majority in race, age, gender, disability, or other characteristics creates a paradox: management wants to demonstrate support for the differences these employees bring to the workplace, but newcomers who wish to fit in must accept the organizations core cultural values. Because diverse behaviors and unique strengths are likely to diminish as people attempt to assimilate, strong cultures can become liabilities when they effectively eliminate these advantages. The explicit goal of the selection process is to identify and hire individuals with the knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully. Taking diversity into consideration at this phase does not have to be antagonistic to the culture. The final decision, because its significantly influenced by the decision makers judgment of how well the candidates will fit into the organization, identifies people whose values are essentially consistent with at least a good portion of the organizations. Looking beyond surface level differences at the selection phase will help create a diverse workforce. Through words and behavior, senior executives establish norms that filter through the organization about, for instance, whether risk taking is desirable, how much freedom managers should give employees, what is appropriate dress, and what actions pay off in terms of pay raises, promotions, and other rewards. Management actions should be inclusive and non-prejudicial to create a diverse and functional culture. During the metamorphosis stage of socialization management should use institutional practices to encourage person–organization fit and high levels of commitment. 3) What are the three stages of socialization through which employees become indoctrinated into an organizations culture? The three stages of socialization are prearrival, encounter, and metamorphosis. a) The prearrival stage recognizes that each individual arrives with a set of values, attitudes, and expectations. These cover both the work to be done and the organization. b) Upon entry into the organization, the new member enters the encounter stage. Here the individual confronts the possible dichotomy between her expectations and reality. c) Finally, the new member must work out any problems discovered during the encounter stage. This may mean going through changes hence, this is called the metamorphosis stage. 4) Discuss the difference between strong and weak organizational cultures and discuss the effect that a strong culture can have on an acquisition or merger. Strong cultures have a greater impact on employee behavior and are more directly related to reduced turnover. In a strong culture, the organizations core values are both intensely held and widely shared. The more members who accept the core values and the greater their commitment to those values is, the stronger the culture is. A strong culture will have a great influence on the behavior of its members because the high degree of sharedness and intensity creates an internal climate of high behavioral control. One specific result of a strong culture should be lower employee turnover. A strong culture demonstrates high agreement among members about what the organization stands for. Such unanimity of purpose builds cohesiveness, loyalty, and organizational commitment. These qualities, in turn, lessen employees propensity to leave the organization. In recent years, cultural compatibility has become the primary concern. All things being equal, whether the acquisition actually works seems to have more to do with how well the two organizations cultures match up. The primary cause of failure is conflicting organizational cultures, when people simply dont match up. Therefore, when considering an acquisition or merger, management would need to carefully evaluate the cultures of each organization. TUNKU ABDUL RAHMAN COLLEGE ABDM2083 ORGANIZATION HUMAN RESOURCE TUTORIAL 4 Topic 3: Foundations of Group Behavior Understanding Work Teams Part A: Discussion Question 1) List and briefly describe the stages in the five-stage model of group  development. The five-stage group development model characterizes groups as proceeding through five distinct stages: forming, storming, norming, performing, and adjourning. a) Forming is characterized by a great deal of uncertainty about the groups purpose, structure, and leadership. Members are testing the waters to determine what types of behavior are acceptable. b) In the storming stage, members accept the existence of the group, but there is resistance to the constraints that the group imposes on individuality. There is conflict over who will control the group. c) The third stage is one in which close relationships develop and the group demonstrates cohesiveness. There is now a strong sense of group identify and camaraderie. This norming stage is complete when the group structure solidifies and the group has assimilated a common set of expectations of what defines correct member behavior. d) The fourth stage is performing. The structure at this point is fully functional and accepted. Group energy has moved from getting to know and understand each other to performing the task at hand. e) In the adjourning stage, the group prepares for its disbandment. High task performance is no longer the groups top priority. Instead, attention is directed toward wrapping up activities. 2) Design the most effective team to figure out ways to reduce the number of preparation hours for shipping products overseas for your company. Choose the type of team from one of the four principal team types. Describe your teams context, composition, and process parameters. Answers will vary. A problem-solving team is probably the best type of team for this task. In a problem-solving team members share ideas or suggest how work processes and methods can be improved. The problem-solving team will offer ideas to management. Together they discuss ways of improving quality, efficiency, and the work environment. The team will need information on what products are being shipped and how  long each of them takes, as well as details on the current procedures. Adequate information is essential. A firm goal of reducing the hours spent must be established by a leader. The group should be comprised of workers and management with expertise in the shipping department procedures. The team should have five members, three management and two people from shipping and packaging. The process parameters should be clearly outlined, with goals of exactly how much time needs to be shaved off of packaging processes. 3) Explain the difference between groupthink and group shift. Give an example to support your answer. Groupthink is related to norms. It describes situations in which group pressures for conformity deter the group from critically appraising unusual, minority, or unpopular views. Groupthink is a disease that attacks many groups and can dramatically hinder their performance. Group shift indicates that in discussing a given set of alternatives and arriving at a solution, group members tend to exaggerate the initial positions that they hold. In some situations, caution dominates, and there is a conservative shift. More often, however, the evidence indicates that groups tend toward a risky shift. Students answers may vary. TUNKU ABDUL RAHMAN COLLEGE ABDM2083 ORGANIZATION HUMAN RESOURCE TUTORIAL 5 Topic 4: Motivation Concepts Part A: Discussion Questions 1) Compare and contrast a manager that implements Theory Y and one that adheres to the expectancy theory. How would each choose to motivate their employees? Theory Y managers assume that employees can view work as being as natural as rest or play, and therefore the average person can learn to accept, even seek, responsibility. Theory Y assumes that higher-order needs dominate individuals. Theory Y managers would contend that ideas such as participative decision making, responsible and challenging jobs, and good group relations are approaches that would maximize an employees job  motivation. A Theory Y manager believes that the employee is inherently motivated as long as the conditions respect his intellect and character. A Theory Y manager would work hard to include the employee in decision making concerning his job, to satisfy work environment preferences, and to make sure the work is stimulating. Expectancy theory proposes that employees will be motivated to exert a high level of effort when they believe it will lead to a good performance appraisal; that a good appraisal will lead to organizational rewards such as bonuses, salary increases, or promotions; and that the rewards will satisfy the employees personal goals. An expectancy theory manager would focus much more on the reward expectations of the employee, versus the psychologic expectations. It would be important for the manager to understand the personal goals that the employee strives to achieve so that he can be appropriately rewarded and praised. 2) Describe Maslows hierarchy of needs including the types of needs and how they become dominant. Maslows hierarchy of needs hypothesized that within every human being there exists a hierarchy of five needs. a) The physiological needs include hunger, thirst, shelter, sex, and other bodily needs. b) Safety includes security and protection from physical and emotional harm. c) Social includes affection, belongingness, acceptance, and friendship. d) Esteem includes internal esteem factors such as self-respect, autonomy, and achievement; and external esteem factors such as status, recognition, and attention. e) Self-actualization is the drive to become what one is capable of becoming; includes growth, achieving ones potential, and self-fulfillment. As each of these needs becomes substantially satisfied, the next need becomes dominant. So if you want to motivate someone, according to Maslow, you need to understand what level of the hierarchy that person is currently on and focus on satisfying those needs at or above that level 3) According to Two-Factor Theory, how might a manager motivate employees? According to Herzberg, the factors leading to job satisfaction are separate and distinct from those that lead to job dissatisfaction. Therefore, managers who seek to eliminate factors that can create job dissatisfaction may bring about peace but not necessarily result in motivation. Conditions surrounding the job such as quality of supervision, pay, company policies, physical working conditions, relations with others, and job security were characterized by Herzberg as hygiene factors. When they are adequate, people will not be dissatisfied; neither will they be satisfied. If we want to motivate people on their jobs, Herzberg suggested emphasizing factors associated with the work itself or to outcomes directly derived from it, such as promotional opportunities, opportunities for personal growth, recognition, responsibility, and achievement. These are the characteristics that people find intrinsically rewarding. TUNKU ABDUL RAHMAN COLLEGE ABDM2083 ORGANIZATION HUMAN RESOURCE TUTORIAL 6 Topic 5: Motivation: From Concepts to Applications Part A: Discussion Questions 1) List and describe THREE (3) different variable-pay programs. Be sure to include piece-rate plans, profit-sharing plans, and gainsharing. a) Piece-rate plans. In piece-rate pay plans, workers are paid a fixed sum for each unit of production completed. When an employee gets no base salary and is paid only for what he or she produces, this is a pure piece-rate plan. b) Merit-based pay. Merit-based pay plans also pay for individual performance. However, unlike piece-rate plans, which pay based on objective output, merit-based pay plans are based on performance appraisal ratings. c) Profit-sharing. Profit-sharing plans are organization-wide programs that distribute compensation based on some established formula designed around a companys profitably. d) Bonuses. Bonuses can be paid exclusively to executives or to all employees. Many companies now routinely reward production employees with bonuses in the thousands of dollars when company profits improve. e) Skill-Based Pay. Skill-based pay (also called competency-based or knowledge-based pay) sets pay levels on the basis of how many skills employees have or how many jobs they can do. f) ESOPs. Employee stock ownership plans (ESOPs) are company-established benefit plans in which employees acquire stock, often at below-market prices, as part of their benefits. g) Gainsharing. Gainsharing is a formula-based group incentive plan. Improvements in group productivity determine the total amount of money that is to be allocated. By focusing on productivity gains rather than profits, gainsharing rewards specific behaviors that are less influenced by external factors. Employees in a gainsharing plan can receive incentive awards even when the organization isnt profitable. 2) Compare and contrast the benefits of intrinsic rewards such as recognition and extrinsic rewards such as pay as forms of motivation. Organizations are increasingly recognizing that both intrinsic and extrinsic rewards are important. Rewards are intrinsic in the form of employee recognition programs and extrinsic in the form of compensation systems. Intrinsic rewards range from a spontaneous and private thank-you to widely publicized formal programs in which specific types of behavior are encouraged and the procedures for attaining recognition are clearly identified. Pay, an extrinsic reward, is not the primary factor driving job satisfaction, however, it does motivate people, and companies often underestimate its importance in keeping top talent. No matter how much recognition a top performer gets, he will be tempted to leave if the pay scale is much lower than the market and another offer arrives. Recent survey data indicate most employees dont see a strong connection between pay and performance. Variable pay structures, such as bonuses are often the best production motivators. When pay is tied to performance, the employees earnings also recognize contribution rather  than being a form of entitlement. Over time, low performers pay stagnates, while high performers enjoy pay increases commensurate with their contributions. An obvious advantage of intrinsic rewards like recognition programs is that they are inexpensive since praise is free. However, they are highly susceptible to political manipulation by management. When applied to jobs for which performance factors are relatively objective, such as sales, recognition programs are likely to be perceived by employees as fair. However, in most jobs, the criteria for good performance arent self evident, which allows managers to manipulate the system and recognize their favorites. Abuse can undermine the value of recognition programs and demoralize employees. Research suggests financial incentives may be more motivating in the short term, but in the long run intrinsic incentives will retain good employees if the extrinsic incentives are competitive. 3) What is employee involvement and why is it important. Give two examples. Employee involvement is defined as a participative process that uses the entire capacity of employees and is designed to encourage increased commitment to the organizations success. The underlying logic is that by involving workers in those decisions that affect them and by increasing their autonomy and control over their work lives, employees will become more motivated, more committed to the organization, more productive, and more satisfied with their jobs. Examples of employee involvement include a) Participative management. Participative management programs use joint decision making. Subordinates actually share a significant degree of decision-making power with their immediate superiors. b) Representative participation. Representative participation refers to worker representation by a small group of employees who actually participate on the board. The goal is to redistribute power within an organization, putting labor on a more equal footing with the interests of management and stockholders. TUNKU ABDUL RAHMAN COLLEGE ABDM2083 ORGANIZATION HUMAN RESOURCE TUTORIAL 7 Topic 6: What do Managers Do Leadership Part A: Multiple Choice Questions 1) Which of the following is most likely to be a belief held by a successful manager? A) Technical knowledge is all that is needed for success. B) It is not essential to have sound interpersonal skills. C) Technical skills are necessary, but insufficient alone for success. D) Effectiveness is not impacted by human behavior. E) Technical skills do not influence efficiency. 2) Which of a managers primary functions requires the manager to define an organizations goals, establish an overall strategy for achieving these goals and develop a comprehensive hierarchy of plans to integrate and coordinate activities? A) controlling B) planning C) staffing D) coordinating E) leading 3) As a manager, one of Joes duties is to present awards to outstanding employees within his department. Which Mintzberg managerial role is Joe acting in when he does this? A) leadership role B) liaison role C) monitor role D) figurehead role E) spokesperson role 4) Jill is valued by her colleagues for her ability to perform effective break-even analysis on upcoming ventures. In this case, her colleagues value her for competencies that fall within which essential management skills categories? A) technical B) communication C) human D) conceptual E) education 5) Leadership is best defined as ________. A) the ability to influence a group in goal achievement B) keeping order and consistency in the midst of change C) implementing the vision and strategy provided by management D) coordinating and staffing the organization and handling day-to-day problems E) not a relevant variable in modern organizations 6) The two dimensions of leadership behavior identified in the University of Michigan studies are ________. A) coercion and motivation B) emotional and rational C) employee-oriented and production-oriented D) initiating structure and consideration E) initiation and completion Part B: Discussion Questions 1) Describe the three essential management skills that differentiate effective managers from ineffective ones. Provide a workplace example of how these skills could be used when dealing with the challenge of a workplace recession. The three essential management skills identified by researchers are technical, human, and conceptual. Technical skills are defined by the ability to apply specialized knowledge or expertise. Human skills are defined by the ability to work with, understand, and motivate other people. Finally, conceptual skills are defined by the ability to analyze and diagnose complex situations. In a time of recession human skills are essential to motivate fearful employees and to create a positive work environment. They would also be necessary in the event of workplace staff reduction. Technical skills could be applied in the area of expertise to raise production and, combined with conceptual skills, can be used to look for small market niches and ways to analyze the industry to continue to make a profit until times are better. TUNKU ABDUL RAHMAN COLLEGE ABDM2083 ORGANIZATION HUMAN RESOURCE TUTORIAL 8 Topic 7: Leadership Part A: Multiple Choice Questions 1) Hersey and Blanchard developed which of the following? A) situational leadership theory B) cognitive resource theory C) managerial grid model D) path-goal theory E) cognitive orientation model 2) Hersey and Blanchards leadership theory differs from other leadership theories primarily because it ________. A) explores the role of the expectations of the leader for the follower B) focuses on the followers C) holds that leadership style should be dependent on the situation D) is normative E) deals strictly and exclusively with contingencies 3) What is the main principle of path-goal theory? A) Successful leadership is achieved by selecting the right leadership style. B) Stress is a form of situational unfavorableness and a leaders reaction to it depends on his or her intelligence and experience. C) Effective group performance depends on the proper match between the leaders style and the degree to which the situation gives control to the leader. D) Leaders establish a special relationship with a small group of their followers because of time pressures. E) The leader is responsible for providing followers with the information, support, or other resources necessary for them to do their jobs. 4) Which of the following is not a key characteristic of a charismatic leader? A) sensitivity to follower needs B) unconventional behavior C) vision and articulation D) task orientation E) willingness to take risks 5) Researchers are conducting a study of a company called Acme Corp, which they believe to be led by a transformational leader. Which of the following, if true, would most support the conclusion that Acmes leader is a transformational leader? A) Acmes top managers often conflict over defining the organization’s goals. B) Acmes goals tend to be very ambitious and to hold personal value for employees. C) Creativity is discouraged among Acme employees. D) Acme managers are cautious and rarely take risks. E) Acmes compensation plans are designed to reward short-term results. 6) Leaders who clarify role and task requirements to accomplish established goals exhibit a _________ style of leadership. A) transformational B) transactional C) charismatic D) self-initiating E) situational 7) Richard is a transactional leader who has just assigned a series of tasks to a project team. Which of the following is most likely to be true about the teams performance under Richards guidance? A) They will set new standards of productivity for the department, exceeding Richards expectations. B) They will meet the goals set for them but are unlikely to go beyond those goals. C) They will tend to be unclear about the roles assigned to each team member. D) They will be highly motivated by what they view as Richards heroic or extraordinary qualities. E) They will tend to put their individual self-interest above the interests of the company. Part B: Discussion Questions 1)Compare and contrast Hersey and Blanchards situational leadership theory with Houses path-goal theory. Hersey and Blanchards situation leadership theory is a contingency theory  that focuses on the followers. Successful leadership is achieved by selecting the right leadership style, which Hersey and Blanchard argue is contingent on the level of the followers readiness. The emphasis on the followers in leadership effectiveness reflects the reality that it is the followers who accept or reject the leaders. The term readiness refers to the extent to which people have the ability and willingness to accomplish a specific task. SLT says if a follower is unable and unwilling to do a task, the leader needs to give clear and specific directions; if followers are unable and willing, the leader needs to display high task orientation to compensate for the followers lack of ability and high relationship orientation to get the follower to buy into the leaders desires; if followers are able and unwilling, the leader needs to use a supportive and participative style; and if the employee is both abl e and willing, the leader doesnt need to do much. Path-goal theory was developed by Robert House. The essence of the theory is that its the leaders job to assist followers in attaining their goals and to provide the necessary direction and/or support to ensure that their goals are compatible with the overall objectives of the group or organization. The term path-goal is derived from the belief that effective leaders clarify the path to help their followers get from where they are to the  achievement of their work goals and make the journey along the path easier by reducing roadblocks. House identified four leadership behaviors. The directive leader lets followers know what is expected of them, schedules work to be done, and gives specific guidance as to how to accomplish tasks. The supportive leader is friendly and shows concern for the needs of followers. The participative leader consults with followers and uses their suggestions before making a decision. The achievement-oriented leader sets challenging goals and expects followers to perform at their highest level. House assumes that leaders are flexible and that the same leader can display any or all of these behaviors depending on the situation. TUNKU ABDUL RAHMAN COLLEGE ABDM2083 ORGANIZATION HUMAN RESOURCE TUTORIAL 9 Topic 8: Communication Part A: Multiple Choice Questions 1) Communication serves all of the following functions within a group or organization except ________. A) motivation B) planning C) emotional expression D) control E) conveying information 2) Alejandro is annoyed that the new recruit, Ben, is working faster than anyone else in the group, making the rest of the group look bad. In the company cafeteria Alejandro teases Ben and calls him the super recruit and imitates his style of working so rapidly. Alejandro wants to intimidate Ben so that he will work slower. Which function of communication is Alejandro using by making fun of Ben? A) motivation B) control C) expression D) information E) formal 3) Helena and Laura were talking on the phone. Lauras two year old son fell and started crying and Laura could no longer hear what Helena said. This is an example of ________. A) transmitting B) decoding C) noise D) understanding E) analysis 4) The communication used by managers to provide job instructions is ________ communication. A) downward B) lateral C) formal D) directional E) diagonal Part B: Discussion Questions 1)Describe the communication process. Include the communication process model and explain the eight parts of this model. Before communication can take place, a purpose, expressed as a message to be conveyed, is needed. It passes between a sender and a receiver. The message is encoded (converted to a symbolic form) and passed by way of some medium (channel) to the receiver, who retranslates (decodes) the message initiated by the sender. The result is a transfer of meaning from one person to another. The key parts of the communication process are 1) the sender 2) encoding 3) the message 4) the channel 5) decoding 6) the receiver 7) noise 8) feedback The source initiates a message by encoding a thought. The message is the actual physical product from the source encoding. The channel is the medium through which the message travels. The receiver is the object to whom the message is directed. The symbols must be translated into a form that can be understood by the receiver. This is the decoding. Noise represents communication barriers that distort the clarity of the message. The final link is a feedback loop. 2) Explain how the grapevine functions and why it exists in organizational communication. Describe the general direction of communication and the form of communication most commonly used in the grapevine. What can a manager do to limit the negative effects of the grapevine? The informal communication system is the grapevine. While it is informal it is still an important source of information. A survey found that 75 percent of employees hear about matters first through rumors on the grapevine. The grapevine has three main characteristics. First, it is not controlled by management. Second, most employees perceive it as more believable and reliable than formal communiquà ©s issued by top management. Finally, it is largely used to serve the interests of the people within it. Rumors emerge as a response to situations that are important to us, when there is ambiguity, and under conditions that arouse anxiety. The fact that work situations frequently contain these three elements explains why rumors flourish in organizations. The secrecy and competition that typically prevail in large organizations, encourage and sustain rumors on the grapevine. A rumor will persist either until the wants and expectations creating the uncertainty are fulfilled or the anxiety has been reduced. The grapevine generally follows lateral communication in which persons from the same hierarchical levels begin to relay messages. Very rarely does management participate in the grapevine. In fact, one study reported that management only relayed messages to the grapevine ten percent of the time. Generally oral communication is used to relay grapevine information, although written e-mail can be used as well, but is considered less safe for accountability reasons. Managers can not entirely eliminate rumors. What they should do is minimize the negative consequences of rumors by limiting their range and impact. The best way to reduce the negative consequences of rumors is to: 1) Provide information; 2) Explain actions and decisions that may appear inconsistent, unfair, or secretive; 3) Refrain from shooting the messenger; and 4) Maintain open communication channels. TUNKU ABDUL RAHMAN COLLEGE ABDM2083 ORGANIZATION HUMAN RESOURCE TUTORIAL 10 Topic 9: Conflict Management Part A: Multiple Choice Questions 1) The traditional view of conflict is the belief that conflict is ________. A) harmful B) natural C) necessary D) situationally-dependent E) neutral 2) Which of the following is not a cause of conflict, according to the traditionalist view? A) general poor communication between people B) lack of openness in the organization C) trust between people in the organization D) management failure to be responsive to employee needs E) management failure to be responsive to employee aspirations 3) The ________ view of conflict argues that conflict is necessary for a group to perform effectively. A) human relations B) interactionist C) traditional D) functional E) reactive 4) ________ conflicts are almost always dysfunctional. A) Task B) Job C) Relationship D) Process E) Functional 5) The first stage of the conflict process is termed ________. A) cognition and personalization B) behavioral manifestation C) potential opposition or incompatibility D) intention E) habituation 6) High job specialization can lead to ________ conflict. A) communication B) structural C) personal-variable D) job-related E) team 7) In which stage are conflict issues defined? A) potential opposition B) cognition and personalization C) intuitions D) behavior E) reaction and transference 8) The conflict-handling intention of collaborating is ________. A) assertive and uncooperative B) assertive and cooperative C) unassertive and uncooperative D) unassertive and cooperative E) affective and reflective 9) Angelina feels that her cubicle neighbor talks too loudly on the phone, but in other ways she is a great neighbor. Angelina gets annoyed every time her neighbors phone rings, but she has decided its simply not worth the trouble to talk to her neighbor. Angelinas conflict intention is called ________. A) competing B) avoiding C) accommodating D) compromising E) collaborating 10) Which of the following is not a conflict-resolution technique? A) creating superordinate goals B) appointing a devils advocate C) avoiding the conflict D) exercising authoritative command E) generating additional resources 11) Stage II of the conflict process deals with conflict being ________. A) perceived and felt B) apparent and experienced C) expressed and perceived D) overt and covert E) internalized 12) Irma does not like a few of the standard operating procedures adapted for the new project. However, she discussed the items with the team and told them that she realized she was in the minority and that she would adapt the new procedures to maintain smooth operations within the team. This type of intention is called ________. A) sacrificing B) accommodating C) collaborating D) compromising E) competing TUNKU ABDUL RAHMAN COLLEGE ABDM2083 ORGANIZATION HUMAN RESOURCE TUTORIAL 11 Topic 10: Power and Politics Part A: Multiple Choice Questions 1) Power can be defined as ________. A) the ability to influence the behavior of others B) the actualization of the dependency of others C) congruence between the goals of the leader and those being led D) downward influence on ones followers E) upward influence on ones leaders 2) One reacts to ________ power out of fear of the negative ramifications that might result if one fails to comply. A) legitimate B) coercive C) punitive D) referent E) abusive 3) The power that the College Dean has been granted by the University over the faculty is termed ________ power. A) academic B) positional C) legitimate D) organizational E) balanced 4) Power tactics can be defined as ________. A) the only legitimate sources of power B) techniques for translating power bases into specific action C) strategies for gathering and maintain support D) organizational structural characteristics E) approaches for winning arguments 5) Vivian has not been handling one portion of her duties in a satisfactory manner. As a result, her manager threatens to withhold her promotion. Which power tactic is being used? A) exchange B) ingratiation C) pressure D) personal appeals E) inspirational appeals Part B: Discussion Questions 1) Contrast leadership and power. Power does not require goal compatibility, merely dependence. Leadership, on the other hand, requires some congruence between the goals of the leader and those being led. A second difference relates to the direction of influence. Leadership focuses on the downward influence on ones followers. It minimizes the importance of lateral and upward influence patterns. Power does not. Still another difference deals with research emphasis. Leadership research, for the most part, emphasizes style. It seeks answers to such questions as: How supportive should a leader be? How much decision making should be shared with followers? The research on power encompasses a broader area and focus on tactics for gaining compliance. Power can be used by groups as well as by individuals to control other individuals or groups. 2) List and discuss the bases of personal power. Personal power comes from an individuals unique characteristics. Two bases of personal power are expertise, the respect and admiration of others. a) Expert power is influence wielded as a result of expertise, special skill, or knowledge. Expertise has become one of the most powerful sources of influence as the world has become more technologically oriented. b) Referent power is based on identification with a person who has desirable resources or personal traits. If I like, respect, and admire you, you can exercise power over me because I want to please you. 3) Distinguish between legitimate political behavior and illegitimate political behavior. Legitimate political behavior refers to normal everyday politics complaining to your supervisor, bypassing the chain of command, forming coalitions, obstructing organizational policies or decisions through inaction or excessive adherence to rules, and developing contacts outside the organization through ones professional activities. On the other hand, there are also illegitimate political behaviors that violate the implied rules of the game. Those who pursue such extreme activities are often described as individuals who play hardball. Illegitimate activities include sabotage, whistleblowing, and symbolic protests such as wearing unorthodox dress or protest buttons, and groups of employees simultaneously calling in sick. TUNKU ABDUL RAHMAN COLLEGE ABDM2083 ORGANIZATION HUMAN RESOURCE TUTORIAL 12 Topic 11: Human Resource Policies and Practices (Human Resource Planning Forecasting, Recruitment) Part A: Discussion Questions 1) Define human resource planning. Describe the TWO (2) components in human resource planning. Human resource planning is the systematic process of matching the internal and external supply of people with job openings anticipated in the organization over a specific period of time. Human resource planning has 2 components: requirements and availability. A requirements forecast involves determining the number, skill, and location of employees the organization will need at future dates in order to meet its goals. The determination of whether the firm will be able to secure employees with the necessary skills, and from what sources, is called an availability forecast. 2) Describe human resource databases and how databases can assist in matching internal employees to positions. A human resource database contains employee information that permits management to make HR decisions. Information that might appear in such databases, includes, but is not limited to, the following: work history and experience, specific skills and knowledge, licenses or certifications held, organizational training completed, educational background, previous performance appraisal evaluations, assessment of strengths and weaknesses, development needs, promotion potential at present, and with further development, current job performance, field of specialization, job preferences, geographic preferences, career goals and aspirations, anticipated retirement date, and personal history, including psychological assessments. Databases are being used by organizations to enable human resources to match people with positions. 3) List TWO (2) methods are available to firms when either a shortage or surplus of workers is forecasted? Firms faced with a shortage of workers may use: 1) 2) 3) 4) innovative recruiting, compensation incentives, and training programs to fill positions. Lowering of employment standards Firms faced with a surplus of workers may use: 1) 2) 3) 4) 5) layoffs,  restricted hours,  hiring freezes may be necessary, and  encourage early retirement and  the use of vacation time. TUNKU ABDUL RAHMAN COLLEGE ABDM2083 ORGANIZATION HUMAN RESOURCE TUTORIAL 13 Topic 12: Human Resource Policies and Practices (Selection) Part A: Multiple Choice Questions 1) Which of the following is the most common method of initial selection? A) written tests B) background check C) performance test D) application form E) work-sample test 2) More than ________ percent of employers conduct some type of background check on potential employees during some point in the hiring process, usually either in the initial phase or the contingent phase. A) 25 B) 50 C) 65 D) 80 E) 95 3) The best way for an employer to find out if a potential employee can do a job is by ________. A) using the interview process B) using a written test C) having them spend a day in the office D) administering an IQ test E) using a performance simulation test 4) Work sample tests are widely used in hiring ________. A) unskilled labor B) skilled workers C) professional workers D) managers E) knowledge workers 5) The results of which of the following tend to have a disproportionate amount of influence on employee selection decisions? A) interviews B) written tests C) performance simulation tests D) work sampling methods E) personality tests 6) The behavioral structured interview is built on the assumption that ________. A) past behavior is the best predictor of future behavior B) technical knowledge and skills are the best predictor of job performance C) personality is the best predictor of job performance D) personality and mood are highly correlated E) technical knowledge and mood are highly correlated Part B: TRUE /FALSE Questions 1) As a selection device, written tests have decreased in usage during the past 20 years. (TRUE /FALSE) 2) A test that measures factors such as dependability, carefulness, responsibility, and honesty is referred to as a performance factor test. (TRUE /FALSE) 3) Work samples yield validities almost consistently superior to written aptitude tests. (TRUE /FALSE) 4) In assessment centers, job candidates are evaluated as they go through several days of exercises that simulate real problems they would confront on the job. (TRUE /FALSE) TUNKU ABDUL RAHMAN COLLEGE ABDM2083 ORGANIZATION HUMAN RESOURCE TUTORIAL 14 Topic 13 14: Human Resource Policies and Practices (Performance Evaluation) Part A: Multiple Choice Questions 1) Performance evaluations today are generally based on which three types of behavior? A) task performance, productivity, tenure B) productivity, efficiency, absenteeism C) task performance, citizenship, counterproductivity D) citizenship, counterproductivity, personality E) leadership, training, efficiency 2) Performance evaluations are used as a mechanism for all of the following except ________. A) monitoring the success of marketing strategies B) determining promotions C) pinpointing employees skills D) identifying training and development needs E) providing feedback to employees 3) Which of the following is not a weakness of the 360-degree evaluation system? A) artificially inflated feedback from peers B) insufficient training for performance evaluators C) discrepancies between evaluating groups D) provides a wide performance perspective E) difficulties in reconciling differing evaluations 4) Performance evaluations are used to ________. A) improve group cohesiveness B) define departmental structure C) help management make HR decisions D) identify how jobs are completed E) decrease conformity within organizations 5) Which of the following is the least predictive set of criteria used to evaluate employees? A) traits B) task outcomes C) behaviors D) personality E) mood Part B: Discussion Questions 1) What are the three most popular sets of criteria for evaluating employee performance? The three most popular sets of criteria for evaluating employee performance are individual task outcomes, behaviors, and traits. a) If ends count, rather than means, then management should evaluate an employees task outcomes. In many cases, its difficult to identify specific outcomes that can be directly attributable to an employees actions. b) Its not unusual for management to evaluate the employees behavior. c) The weakest set of criteria, yet one that is widely used by organizations is individual traits. They are weaker because they are farthest removed from the actual performance of the job itself. 2) Who should perform employee evaluations? With many of todays organizations using self-managed teams, telecommuting, and other organizing devices that distance bosses from their employees, an employees immediate superior may not be the most reliable judge of that employees performance. Thus, in more and more cases, peers and even subordinates are being asked to participate in the performance evaluation process. Also, increasingly, employees are participating in their own performance evaluation. In most situations, in fact, it is highly advisable to use multiple sources of ratings. Any individual performance rating may say as much about the rater as about the person being evaluated. By averaging across raters, we can obtain a more reliable, unbiased, and accurate performance evaluation.

Free Essay: Interpretation of God and Satan in John Miltons Paradise Lost :: Milton Paradise Lost Essays

Interpretation of God and Satan in Paradise Lost In John Milton's Paradise Lost, he tells of Satan's banishment from Heaven. He and his brigade have plotted war against God and are now doomed to billow in the fiery pits of hell. Satan is a complex character with many meaningful qualities. The relationship between Satan's qualities and Hell's atmosphere tell the reader more about why they seem to go hand in hand. Without Satan's features and Hell's tormenting aspects, the place would not be all it is. Milton states that one will "dwell in adamantine chains and penal fire" if he defy's God. Satan definitely defied him and will therefore suffer this. Chains are symbolic of Satan in that they will tie one down and keep him under control. Satan has disobeyed God and needs to be tied restrained and controlled. The fire is only to show Satan's primary intentions. Fire indicates evil and pain, both of which he is a part of. He is the creator of evil just as God is the creator of all. Milton also describes Hell as a place that one must dwell in forever more full of wrath with no happiness and constant pain. Satan once lived in a universe full of happiness, joy, and surrounded by pleasure. Now that he has forsaken God, he must live without those, but to the worst extremes. No more content or delight can he experience. He must be punished for his unfaithfulness. Hell has "no light, but rather darkness served only to discover sights of woe." It is a "region of sorrow, doleful shades, where peace and rest can never dwell, hope never comes...but torture without end still urges." This is an atmosphere severely unlike the one from which Satan came. He was willing to give up all he had, peace, love, joy, beauty, and all alike, to overcome God and gain all of His power. The war in Heaven was between forces of Satan and forces of God.

More Than One Billion Indians: a Gigantic Problem or a Sea of Opportunities

If the 2011 census is to be believed the current population of India is around 1. 21 billion plus or minus a few millions and we all know to which side the scale is going to tip. The Indian population is varied not only on the lines of religion, region but also on the basis of thought process. While on one hand we are facing the problem of land acquisition from the poorest of poor farmers, on the other hand luxury car maker brand Mercedes has shown a sales growth of 67 percent. The huge population of India provides a large service sector which plays a crucial role in developing the economy of a nation. Moreover, 30% of the population is between the ages of 10-24 years which clearly shows the amount of untapped energy that India has. If used and guides correctly this can be used to boost our industrial and structural sectors. The brain drain that India has suffered since last two decades clearly shows that Indians have huge potential and they are just looking for the right niche to develop themselves. Indians have raised themselves from all walks of life and made a mark in fields from astronomy to yoga. On the other hand, the resources that the country has are limited and therefore a burgeoning population restricts the per capita availability. We have seen an increase in the crime rate due to the unavailability of even the most basic amenities. The government has clearly hit the mark by creating employment opportunities for the rural masses through programs such as NREGA, NRLM, etc. But even creating such employment opportunities costs the government a lot of money and resources. The glass can be half empty or half full. We may say we have more than a billion mouths to feed but we forget that we also have more than 2 billion hands to make such a humongous task possible.

Outline the Inequality Problems That Persist in Terms of Pay for Men and Women.

Wikipedia The Equal Pay Act 1970 is an Act of the United Kingdom Parliament which prohibits any less favourable treatment between men and women in terms of pay and conditions of employment. It was passed by Parliament in the aftermath of the 1968 Ford sewing machinists strike[1][2][3][4] and came into force on 29 December 1975. The term pay is interpreted in a broad sense to include, on top of wages, things like holidays, pension rights, company perks and some kinds of bonuses. The legislation has been amended on a number of recent occasions to incorporate a simplified approach under European Union law that is common to all member states. Equal pay for women is an issue regarding pay inequality between men and women. It is often introduced into domestic politics in many first world countries as an economic problem that needs governmental intervention via regulation. The Equal Remuneration Convention requires its over 160 states parties to have equal pay for men and women. A report commissioned by the International Trade Union Confederation in 2008 shows that, based on their survey of 63 countries, there is a significant gender pay gap of 15. 6 %. Excluding Bahrain, where a positive gap of 40% is shown (due possibly to very low female participation in paid employment), the global figure is 16. 5%. Women who are engaged in work in the informal economy have not been included in these figures. Overall, throughout the world, the figures for the gender pay gap range from 13% to 23%. The report found that women are often educated equally high as men, or to a higher level but â€Å"higher education of women does not necessarily lead to a smaller pay gap, however, in some cases the gap actually increases with the level of education obtained†. The report also argues that this global gender pay gap is not due to lack of training or expertise on the part of women since â€Å"the pay gap in the European Union member states increases with age, years of service and education†. [4][5] www. employeebenefits. co. uk/item/11642/pg_dtl_art†¦ /pg_ftr_art †¢Under the Equality Act 2010, employers can no longer use secrecy clauses to prevent employees from discussing pay rates. †¢According to figures from the Office of National Statistics, the median gender pay gap for full-time workers in the private sector is 20. %. †¢Employers can identify any pay gap via pay audits and job evaluations. †¢Issues making it difficult for women to get to top jobs should be tackled. Yahoo answers; assume you employ 7 women and 7 men, all the same age, and you pay them all the same wage for the same job.. then 3 of the women tell you that they want to leave, to have a child.. you have to pay them â€Å"maternity leave† and hold their job open, in case they want to return, after they have had their child.. t costs you a fortune to employ 3 other people, and the pregnant women as well.. so, do you pay them the same as a man.. who will not cost you the same even if their wife gets pregnant.. or do you pay the men more, because they will not leave.. or do you just employ men, and then you do not have the problem in the first place !! http://www. tuc. org. uk/equality/tuc-14435-f0. pdf Explaining the gender pay gap There have been a number of studies that have used statistical modelling techniques to explain why we have a gender pay gap. A comparatively recent and very thorough study, using data from the British Household Panel Survey (a large up-to-date survey, that that looks at how people’s lives change over time) explained the gap in terms of four explanations:35 †¢ 36 percent of the gender pay gap could be explained by gender differences in lifetime working patterns, including the fact that women, on average, spend less of their careers than men in full-time jobs, more in part-time jobs and have more interruptions to their careers for childcare and other family responsibilities. 18 percent is caused by labour market rigidities, including gender segregation and the fact that women are more likely work for small firms and less likely to work in unionised firms. †¢ 38 percent is caused by direct discrimination and women and men’s different career preferences and motives (some of which are in turn the result of discrimination). †¢ 8 percent is the result of the fact that older women had poorer educational attainment. Another way of explaining the gaps is to analyse the problem in terms of three broad themes: †¢ Under-valuing of women’s work †¢ An employment penalty for mothers Gender segregation http://assembly. coe. int/documents/workingdocs/doc05/edoc10484. htm C. The wage gap 17. There are several dimensions to the problem of the wage gap: First, there is the classic case of a man and a woman doing exactly the same job (whether in a factory or on the stock market floor), but the woman being paid less for it. This used to be a common problem, especially in Western Europe, and many countries have outlawed this type of wage discrimination – there even exists an ILO Convention designed to eliminate it21, dating back to 1951, as well as a 1975 European Council Directive22. But, as several recent studies conclude, even this type of classic wage discrimination persists in many countries, which prompted the European Commission to issue a (non-binding) â€Å"Code of Practice on the implementation of equal pay for work of equal value of women and men† as recently as 199623. For example, a Eurostat study of 2003 showed that the average earnings of women in full-time employment in the EU (at that time, of 15 member states) stood at only 70-90% of those of men. Similarly, the 2004 UNIFEM study I mentioned in the previous chapter shows that the annual average earnings of women in the year 2000 stood at 73. 28% of men’s in the Czech Republic, 79. 96% in Poland, 75. 01% in Slovakia and 88. 82% in Slovenia24. 18. Second, women are often paid less than men for work of equal value. This type of discrimination is usually based on â€Å"horizontal occupational segregation by sex†. For example, the level of education and experience required to work in a certain job might be the same, but women are paid less (e. . chauffeurs/taxi drivers are usually paid more than cleaners or receptionists). In some countries, wage levels have gone down in certain professions when more and more women enter them (for example, doctors and teachers in Central and Eastern Europe). 2002 data cited by Mrs Leitao relating to the average salary of women working full time compared with that of men in the same circumstances show that, in the 18 countries covered by a recent European survey, the average difference, to women's disadvantage, is till approximately 20%, with wage discrimination in the strict sense being estimated at 15%25. Various other international studies have shown that around one-third of the female-male pay differential is due to occupational segregation by sex, and that about 10 to 30% of the gender pay gap remains â€Å"unexplained† – i. e. due to discrimination26. 19. In the Central and Eastern European countries, certain professions have â€Å"gained† the connotation of being feminized as these professions (the above mentioned teachers, nurses etc. are dominated by women. Nevertheless, even these professions are highly segregated – although women account for more than 70% of all teachers, there is proportionally a larger number of men school directors. This is very often the result of a â€Å"reverse action†, when the need for more men in the profession is felt, and thus their pay-ris e and promotion is faster. When we compare it to the situation in politics, where there are more men than women, the society does not feel any similar need. 20. Third, women earn less, on average, than men in their lifetime (and thus also receive smaller pensions when they retire). In addition to the two factors mentioned above, there are several other possible explanations for this phenomenon: Women work less during their lifetime (calculating periods of maternity leave and part-time work) – and women have less of a career, as they are often discriminated against when it comes to promotions to higher-earning posts27: this is usually called â€Å"vertical occupational segregation by sex†. As the ILO points out: â€Å"Women’s lower educational attainments and intermittent career paths are not, contrary to conventional belief, the main reason for gender differentials in pay. Other factors, such as occupational segregation, biased pay structures and job classification systems, and decentralized or weak collective bargaining, appear to be more important determinants of inequalities in pay. †28 21. Apart from women’s lower pensions, it is important to see the tight interrelation of female length of life and feminization of poverty: since women live longer, for some period of their life, they share their pension with their partner; however, when he dies, they are left to live on their pension which is usually much lower than their living standards. One example connected to women’s pensions is pension insurance – as women live longer and although they generally earn less, to attain a final sum similar to men they are expected to pay higher sums for their monthly pension insurance. 2. Furthermore, economic recessions often affect women more than men as far as unemployment is concerned (many companies unfortunately still believe that it is more important to keep a male â€Å"breadwinner† in employment), and women’s needs or the determination to keep on working therefore leads them to accept levels of pay not consonant with the principles of equali ty and fairness or dissuades them from reporting cases of discrimination for fear of losing their jobs. This is why, as Mrs Leitao correctly pointed out, all those involved in combating wage discrimination (bodies promoting equality, labour inspectorates, courts, trade unions, NGOs etc) should step up their capacity to intervene to try and close the wage gap. 23. This issue can be illustrated with an example common to all European countries: when textile companies, which employ mostly women earning very low salaries, were threatened with closure, no major discussions were held about unemployment issues. But as soon as coal and other mines, where male â€Å"breadwinners† worked, were being closed down, those discussions were launched widely. There are a number of barriers to women’s career development – here are a few examples32: – lack of management or line experience; – lack of mentoring and role models for women at the highest levels; – exclusion from informal networks and channels of communication (the â€Å"old boys network† is apparently still going strong in many countries); – stereotyping and preconceptions of women’s roles and abilities, commitment and leadership style; – sexual and moral harassment, bullying and mobbing; – unfriendly corporate culture.

Joseon Dynasty - Ancient Korean History

Joseon Dynasty - Ancient Korean History The Joseon Dynasty ruled over a united Korean Peninsula for more than 500 years, from the fall of the Goryeo Dynasty in 1392 through the Japanese Occupation of 1910. The cultural innovations and achievements of Koreas last dynasty continue to influence society in modern-day Korea. Founding The 400-year-old Goryeo Dynasty was in decline by the late 14th century, weakened by internal power struggles and nominal occupation by the similarly moribund Mongol Empire. A wily army general, Yi Seong-gye, was sent to invade Manchuria in 1388. Instead, he turned back toward the capital, smashing the troops of rival General Choe Yeong, and deposing the Goryeo King U. General Yi didnt take power immediately; he ruled through Goryeo puppets from 1389 to 1392. Dissatisfied with this arrangement, Yi had King U and his 8-year-old son King Chang executed. In 1392, General Yi took the throne and the name King Taejo. Consolidation of Power For the first few years of Taejos rule, dissatisfied nobles still loyal to the Goryeo kings regularly threatened to mutiny. To shore up his power, Taejo declared himself the founder of the Kingdom of Great Joseon, and wiped out rebellious members of the old dynastys clan. King Taejo also signaled a fresh start by moving the capital from Gaegyeong to a new city at Hanyang. This city was called Hanseong, but it later became known as Seoul. The Joseon king built architectural wonders in the new capital, including the Gyeongbuk Palace, completed in 1395, and the Changdeok Palace (1405). Taejo ruled until 1408. Flowering Under King Sejong The young Joseon Dynasty endured political intrigues including the Strife of the Princes, in which Taejos sons fought for the throne. In 1401, Joseon Korea became a tributary of Ming China. Joseon culture and power reached a new pinnacle under Taejos great-grandson, King Sejong the Great (r. 1418–1450). Sejong was so wise, even as a young boy, that his two older brothers stepped aside so he could be king. Sejong is best known for inventing the Korean script, hangul, which is phonetic and much easier to learn than Chinese characters. He also revolutionized agriculture and sponsored the invention of the rain gauge and sundial. First Japanese Invasions: In 1592 and 1597, the Japanese under Toyotomi Hideyoshi used their samurai army to attack Joseon Korea. The ultimate goal was to conquer Ming China. Japanese ships, armed with Portuguese cannons, captured Pyongyang and Hanseong (Seoul). The victorious Japanese cut off the ears and noses of more than 38,000 Korean victims. Korean slaves rose up against their masters to join the invaders, burning down Gyungbokgung. Joseon was saved by Admiral Yi Sun-sin, who ordered the construction of turtle ships, the worlds first ironclads. Admiral Yis victory at the Battle of Hansan-do cut the Japanese supply line and forced Hideyoshis retreat. Manchu Invasions: Joseon Korea became increasingly isolationist after defeating Japan. The Ming Dynasty in China also was weakened by the effort of fighting off the Japanese, and soon fell to the Manchus, who established the Qing Dynasty. Korea had supported the Ming and chose not to pay tribute to the new Manchurian dynasty. In 1627, the Manchu leader Huang Taiji attacked Korea. Worried about revolt within China, though, the Qing withdrew after taking a Korean prince hostage. The Manchus attacked again in 1637 and laid waste to northern and central Korea. Joseons rulers had to submit to a tributary relationship with Qing China. Decline and Rebellion Throughout the 19th century, Japan and Qing China vied for power in East Asia. In 1882, Korean soldiers angry about late pay and dirty rice rose up, killed a Japanese military advisor, and burned down the Japanese legation. As a result of this Imo Rebellion, both Japan and China increased their presence in Korea. The 1894 Donghak peasant rebellion provided both China and Japan an excuse to send large numbers of troops to Korea. The First Sino-Japanese War (1894–1895) was fought mainly on Korean soil and ended in defeat for the Qing. Japan took control of Koreas land and natural resources through the end of World War II. Korean Empire (1897–1910) Chinas hegemony over Korea ended with its defeat in the first Sino-Japanese War. The Joseon Kingdom was renamed The Korean Empire, but in fact, it had fallen under Japanese control. When Korean Emperor Gojong sent an emissary to The Hauge in June 1907 to protest Japans aggressive posture, the Japanese Resident-General in Korea forced the monarch to abdicate his throne. Japan installed its own officials in the executive and judicial branches of the Korean Imperial government, disbanded the Korean military, and gained control of the police and prisons. Soon, Korea would become Japanese in name as well as in fact. Japanese Occupation / Joseon Dynasty Falls In 1910, the Joseon Dynasty fell, and Japan formally occupied the Korean Peninsula. According to the Japan-Korea Annexation Treaty of 1910, the Emperor of Korea ceded all his authority to the Emperor of Japan. The last Joseon Emperor, Yung-hui, refused to sign the treaty, but the Japanese forced Prime Minister Lee Wan-Yong to sign in the Emperors stead. The Japanese ruled Korea for the next 35 years until the Japanese surrendered to the Allied Forces at the end of World War II.

Europen Imperialism essays

Europen Imperialism essays In order to explain the differences between the maritime kingdoms of Europe and the land based empires of Eurasia we have to understand the similarities first. What these two groups had in common was that they were both looking to expand their nations. This is where the differences come in as well. While the land based empires, Ottoman, Safuid, Mughal, Russian, and the Chinese were spreading their control in all directions over land, the smaller European kingdoms of France, England, Holland, Spain and Portugal had no where to expand except out to sea. The reason that the kingdoms could only expand into the sea was simply because of population size. The Chinese empire alone had over 200 million people under its control. All together Holland, France, England, Spain, and Portugal, hardly had 100 million people under rule. Even if their total population was close to the Chinese, there was five kings who would have to share in the decision making process, whereas the Chinese had one emperor who made choices. It would be very hard for the five European kingdoms to band together and try to take on any of the western empires. So the only choice that was left for them was to compete with each other and expand into the sea. Now between 1500 and 1750 European overseas colonization grew tremendously because there were five nations competing with one another. There was such a rush for the expansion of each nation because they each thought if we dont get that land one of our enemies will. The reason the land was seen as valuable was because more land meant more available farm land and more places to gather natural resources. The more natural resources they could gather the more money they had. The more money they had the more they could spend on oversea adventures which would eventually yield more land and more resources which again lead to more money. The kings needed money because each nation was at war with one another. The kin...

6 Tips to Boost Your Energy Levels While Writing a Paper

6 Tips to Boost Your Energy Levels While Writing a Paper 6 Tips to Boost Your Energy Levels While Writing a Paper One nationwide study found almost 40% of respondents admitting that workplace fatigue impacts negatively on their productivity. This is just as much a problem for college students as elsewhere, so it’s important to keep your energy levels high when writing a paper. There are lots of ways you can do this, including both quick-fixes and longer-term solutions. 1. Fuel Up Make sure to give your body the fuel it needs. While writing, this might include having snacks and a drink to hand as well as stopping to eat regular meals. More generally, eating a healthy, balanced diet can improve your overall energy levels. It’s also important to drink plenty of water during the day, not just coffee! 2. Have a Plan As well as planning your essay to ensure efficiency, having a regular work routine and taking a structured approach to the day can boost productivity in the long run. 3. Soak Up Some Sunshine Spending too much time indoors can leave you drained, partly due to a lack of vitamin D. Exposure to natural sunlight boosts your body’s vitamin D production, so getting outside regularly can help if you’re feeling run down. If youre not sure how to sunbathe, just copy this lemur. 4. Get Active Even in the short-term, getting up and going for a walk is a great way of refreshing if you’re struggling for energy while writing a paper. In the long-term, regular exercise has been shown to increase energy levels and reduce vulnerability to fatigue, so staying active will ensure you’re always at your best. 5. De-Stress Another common reason we feel run down is stress, which can lead to physical and mental exhaustion. It’s therefore important to know the symptoms of stress, as then you can take action before it affects your productivity. 6. Rest Easy (And Well) The amount of sleep you get also influences your energy levels and you may struggle to concentrate on your work if you don’t get enough. Eating healthily and exercising regularly will help, as will foregoing caffeine and electronic products (TV, computers, phones, etc.) immediately before bed. On another note, napping has been shown to enhance energy levels and concentration among students. So, if all else fails, a quick snooze may be just what the doctor ordered!

HTML and e-commerce Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

HTML and e-commerce - Essay Example HTML has become the language of all webs. All web pages are written in HTML. It is a markup language and surrounded by many other markup languages like SGML, XML and many more. Html by having more precise and efficient functions effectively distinguishes the other markup languages. Another reason of HTML distinction is that it not only included the features that was found in prior markup languages but accumulated by many more like it has more complicated style and content tags integrated into one language. It has a tag that separately defines the content with tag like H1, in order to define style it uses a FONT tag (Schaum's, 2003). It is of necessity that now web documents are defined by the HTML because of its excessively constructive features. However, HTML is an essential markup language used for web pages. It involves many features from which building blocks of all websites are formed. It is used to slot-in varied images and objects on the web and allow interactivity between user and computer. HTML is used to embed video without any authority, and is very handy for web developers who exhibits graphics easily and pleasantly. Many individuals facilitate the relocation of computer files to their mobile by the use of HTML5. Web pages have been expanding its utility by getting large storage of information. We browsers also attribute Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) which labels the emergence and outline of the text and the matter contained (Powell, 1998 ). Question 2 Examine the purpose of client servers and browsers and the function of the search engine for technology software house. To examine the function of clie nt server and browser we can use the mechanism that occurred between these two regions. Client server is basically a server used to form the communication for a wide range. Clients are browsers that always initiate in this mechanism to forward the details to the server which it is asked for. The server application waits inertly to have the instructions from clients and then accordingly provides the specific services into browser by which user can further proceed. The browser allows the users to look through the resources accessible on the server. Users can browse any resource that could be present in the server or for the documents with dynamism depending on the user’s requirements (Kiley Mitchell). We can say that the browser function is to advance the user’s detail to server for demonstration. The main purpose of search engines is associated with finding targeted keyword information, sorting it properly, storing in an organized manner and finally ranking the valuable information found on the web. On the other way, server responses to the instruction put into the browser by the user. All communications between browsers and servers use the Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP). The pattern in which clients and servers exchange messages is referring to the request-response messaging mold. The reason of the effective communication between clients and server is certainly highlighting the common language between them (Thurow, 2003 ). Web crawlers and indexing are few of the notable functionalities associated with search engines. Crawlers are designed in a manner that it can locate any new information available on the internet within seconds and then ranks it

The International Coordination by Israel During the Raid Case Study

The International Coordination by Israel During the Raid - Case Study Example While the counterterrorism approach used by Israel does not meet standard practice since it was a breach of the UN Charter, it is evident that Israel operated using different standards in comparison to other nations. In this case, it would be impermissible for other nations to take a similar approach to the one that Israel took, and such an approach could have attracted punitive measures although Israel appears immune. Indeed, African nations noted that the approach by Israel towards counterterrorism was against the expected practice although the country appeared to have embraced it as a policy, which put the security of nations at risk. In this regard, McDowell (1976) noted, â€Å"No country, and certainly no African country, can henceforth be secure against such acts, on which the Israeli government seems to wish to confer the status of State practice† (1228). In effect, this emphasizes that Israel’s counterterrorism approach was not standard practice although the US and the UN appeared to have sanctioned the raid. In conclusion, nations face challenges regarding the counterterrorism approaches they will use to rescue their citizens in instances that involved other nations. Case in point, Israel’s approach to raid Entebbe and rescue the hostages was an act in breach of the UN Charter although it gained support from other nations. Nonetheless, the raid involved international coordination with nations such as Kenya, which was subsequently bombed as a repercussion on the role it played. However, it is important to point out that Israel did not use standard practice during the Entebbe raid although the country appears to have perfected unconventional approaches in counterterrorism.

Differences between both Sakuntala's (Kalidasa versus Mahabarata Research Paper

Differences between both Sakuntala's (Kalidasa versus Mahabarata version) - Research Paper Example The interpretation of Karma theory is simple and straightforward. ‘Every action has the reaction and the intensity of the reaction is in proportion to the intensity of the action.’ No dispute exists between the scientists and the spiritualists as for this issue. So, Sakuntala and Dushyanta are both the victims of their past deeds and they had to suffer the fated consequences of separation. Kalidasa generously uses flowers and trees to describe his women characters. Bee and deer are used as metaphors to highlight the activities and amorous adventures of the King. In Act I, the King is compared to a bee that is out to suck honey from the flowers, in this case the one and the only flower, Sakuntala. Sakuntala is not accustomed to such attacks from the bee. Initially she wonders why the bee has left the Jasmine vine and now tries to fly to her face. As the bee is persistent in flying towards her, she turns her bewitching eyes swiftly to watch the bee’s flight. Not out of love, but due to fright. But this bee is bold, and seems as if he has come to conquer her. He reaches out to her eyelids, then cheek and gently buzzing around, he whispers some sweet nothings into her ear. She tries to ward off the bee, but he strikes at her hand and steals a kiss. The King is so much enamored of Sakuntala that he wishes that she should accompany him. Sakuntala is awfully afraid and thinks that her virginity is in peril. She cries out to her friends to save her from the dreadful bee. This bee episode appears in act I. The story of Sakuntala appears in the 'Adiparva' chapter of the epic Mahabharata. â€Å"Sakuntala from the Mahabarata version is confident, outspoken and independent in nature, whereas the Sakuntala from Kalidasa's "The Recognition of Sakuntala" is displayed as quiet, immature (romantic), and dependent.† Sakuntala of Mahabharata: â€Å"The two Sakuntalas are a good example of the change in characterization of a heroine. The Sakuntala of the Mahabharata stands her ground and speaks up for her right. Kalidasa’s Sakuntala does try to argue her case, but it is not her independence or the power of her words which we remember.†(Rustomji, p.45) When Sakuntala reached the court of Dushyanta, he took a defensive posture. Rather he was trying to defend the indefensible. He pleaded with her that no one knew about their association. Dushyanta presented before Sakuntala his queer logic that women were capable of enticing men to achieve their objective and he further argued that his people would conclude that she did the same thing to trap him and demand that her son should become the crown prince, which was part of her game plan. So, Dushyanta said that he did not admit to the marriage immediately and denied any association with her. He was clearly taking the defensive position as Sakuntala could not be browbeaten by his barbs. She reminded him about his promise and put forth her demand with all the confidence and wit h adamancy. Dushyanta remembered everything but shamelessly denied knowing her or having married her in Gandharva style. In such a grim situation anybody would turn cynical. She was about to faint, but regained her composure to launch a verbal attack on Dushyanta, for which she had

Group Counseling in Elementary Schools Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Group Counseling in Elementary Schools - Essay Example Due to this legislation school counselors are being expected to contribute more towards the academic achievements of their student body (Brigman & Campbell, 2003). The following paper aims to inform the reader about two interventions that are currently used as part of school-based group counseling. First, a brief outline of the purpose behind group counseling for elementary students shall be provided. Second two group counseling intervention activities shall be presented. Next, an outline of ethical and best practice principles shall be identified that align with a learner-centered approach to group counseling. Finally, a conclusion shall summarize the key themes of this paper. Group counseling within the elementary environment has more recently taken on a learner-centered approach to school counseling (Stroh & Sink, 2002). Recent changes to education legislation emphasize a focus on student academic achievements (Brigman & Campbell, 2003). ... School-based group counseling is proving to be an effective intervention for positive change in student behavior (Schechtman, 2002). Group counseling intervention activities may be centered around a diverse range of topics, such as friendship and social skills study, anti-bullying, organizational skills development, building self-esteem, changes to family dynamics and grief, just to name a few (Schechtman, 2002) .Group counseling has been found to significantly reduce rates of acting-out behavior in elementary students considered to be at risk (Stroh & Strike, 2002). Interventions that have included group counseling have also been found to be beneficial at improving overall behavioral adjustment of elementary students (Stroh & Strike, 2002). The use of small group counseling interventions have been found to positively affect the racial attitudes of elementary students (Stroh & Strike, 2002), as well as increase scores on measures of self-concept amongst school aged children (McGannon , Casey, & Dimmitt, 2005). In 2002 Chemtob, Nakashima and Hamada conducted a community wide school-based study of elementary students with ongoing disaster-related trauma two years after Hurricane Iniki. The sample was comprised of 2 358 children in grades 2-6 on the island of Kauai. There were 248 children who rated highest on scores of psychological trauma. Children awaiting treatment comprised the waiting-list control group. The other children were randomly assigned to either the individual or group counseling treatment. Following four treatment sessions there was a significant reduction in self-reports of trauma-related symptoms as compared to the waiting list group. Although,

History of Botswana Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

History of Botswana - Essay Example There was a high expectation that the northern region of what was to become the Republic of Botswana was under the British colonies that was protecting it. They were located in the north of the Molopo River and their intention was to merge the protectorate with the south of the region. The southern part of that region was under the colony of Cape. The British controlled the area called Bechuanaland after a request to put it under its protection was influenced by the then tribal leader, Khama III. Khama traveled to the United Kingdom to request the British to put their land under the protection of the crown so that it was not disturbed by their hostile neighbors. To but their land under their protectorate, the colonial secretary requested that it allows the British to construct railway line across their land that later came to be an economic opportunity to their land as it had opened them up to trade. In the early twentieth century, particularly 1910, the Cape politicians wanted to jo in the Bechuanaland and this was influenced by the Union of South Africa, but it would later become a challenge to join the state. Before the Cape politicians could join the Bechuanaland, there was to be a signed agreement between the rulers of Bechuanaland and the British. The grandson of Khama III by the name of Seretse Khama went to the United Kingdom to study at the Oxford University. At that time, their neighbors, South Africa, had introduced apartheid laws that restricted the intermarriage and other fundamental rights between different races.

Group Counseling in Elementary Schools Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Group Counseling in Elementary Schools - Essay Example Due to this legislation school counselors are being expected to contribute more towards the academic achievements of their student body (Brigman & Campbell, 2003). The following paper aims to inform the reader about two interventions that are currently used as part of school-based group counseling. First, a brief outline of the purpose behind group counseling for elementary students shall be provided. Second two group counseling intervention activities shall be presented. Next, an outline of ethical and best practice principles shall be identified that align with a learner-centered approach to group counseling. Finally, a conclusion shall summarize the key themes of this paper. Group counseling within the elementary environment has more recently taken on a learner-centered approach to school counseling (Stroh & Sink, 2002). Recent changes to education legislation emphasize a focus on student academic achievements (Brigman & Campbell, 2003). ... School-based group counseling is proving to be an effective intervention for positive change in student behavior (Schechtman, 2002). Group counseling intervention activities may be centered around a diverse range of topics, such as friendship and social skills study, anti-bullying, organizational skills development, building self-esteem, changes to family dynamics and grief, just to name a few (Schechtman, 2002) .Group counseling has been found to significantly reduce rates of acting-out behavior in elementary students considered to be at risk (Stroh & Strike, 2002). Interventions that have included group counseling have also been found to be beneficial at improving overall behavioral adjustment of elementary students (Stroh & Strike, 2002). The use of small group counseling interventions have been found to positively affect the racial attitudes of elementary students (Stroh & Strike, 2002), as well as increase scores on measures of self-concept amongst school aged children (McGannon , Casey, & Dimmitt, 2005). In 2002 Chemtob, Nakashima and Hamada conducted a community wide school-based study of elementary students with ongoing disaster-related trauma two years after Hurricane Iniki. The sample was comprised of 2 358 children in grades 2-6 on the island of Kauai. There were 248 children who rated highest on scores of psychological trauma. Children awaiting treatment comprised the waiting-list control group. The other children were randomly assigned to either the individual or group counseling treatment. Following four treatment sessions there was a significant reduction in self-reports of trauma-related symptoms as compared to the waiting list group. Although,

The Strategic Management of Human Resource Assignment

The Strategic Management of Human Resource - Assignment Example As a variety of mounting competitive forces mount, organizations are recognizing that to thrive, they require leaders and managers who can keep the organization intact and maintain employee morale throughout phases of change. Furthermore, they need personnel at every level who are eager and lithe enough to adopt change rapidly, adapt, and cultivate their skills. Accordingly, the demand to provide effective and quick employee grow this at the fore. Learning as well as development undertakings can influence organizational performance. To achieve this, organizations have to shift from training to learning. High-performance functioning involves employing a range of human resource practices and strategies to involve and inspire employees to amplify their input and increase levels of output and performance throughout the company as a whole. Though a variety of human resource policies and practices are considered equally to high-performance working practices, most analysts would agree that litheness and constant learning stand at the core of the functioning efficiency of the good-performance work approach (Armstrong 2000). Given the rapid speed of change, workers must be stimulated and reinforced to constantly update their abilities and expand knowledge. Therefore, learning is fathomed as the procedure through which a person creates new skills, knowledge and capabilities, while training is among some of the responses a company can assume to stimulate learning. Learning is, therefore, an individual course – nobody but the apprentice can learn. However, it is conceivable to set up interventions, which encourage persons to learn as well as develop. During the move from training to  learning, many learning, as well as development interventions and undertakings, progressively focus on backing the learner. Individual accountability for learning (coupled with help from the company in backing up learners) is one way of promoting effective learning to bring about individual support and organizational change. Significant efforts must be made to encourage and support effective personal learning in the ev ent of a developmental activity in an organization (Armstrong 2000).

Walter Benjamin’s account of social class and photography Essay Example for Free

Walter Benjamin’s account of social class and photography Essay Walter Bendix Schonflies Benjamin was born in July 15, 1892 in Berlin, German. He was many things rolled in one: sociologist, essayist, philosopher, translator, literary critic. Occasionally, he was associated with critical theory school of Frankfurt, as he wrote extensively on cultural and sociological thoughts and contributed greatly to the Western Marxism and aesthetic theory. He translated Marcel Proust and Charles Baudelaire, the coiner of ‘Modernism’. He himself came up with the term’ auratic perception’ in the aesthetic field in which civilization was to recover myth appreciation (Mali 1999, p. 170). Benjamin came from in a rich business family. His parents were Emil Benjamin, a banker and later a trader in antiques, and Pauline Schonflies, his sibling being Georg and Dora. He later married Dora S. Pollak who bore him a son called Stefan Rafael. He killed himself through an overdose of morphine in Portbou; a French-Spanish border town in 1940. He was escaping from Nazis, who had invaded France. The discussion below will concentrate on Benjamin account of social class and history of photography. Social class Being one of romantic/socialist Jewish-German writers, Walter Benjamin developed a radical anti-protestant and anti-capitalism argument, which was chiefly instigated through the works of Max Weber (Lowy, 2010). In his attempt to describe the system of capitalism, Walter Benjamin proclaims that capitalism was a form of an evil and cruel religion. To him there exists a connection between work ethic of Protestant: hard work, ploughing back of profit to business and frugal life, all of which are the characteristics of bourgeois, and capitalism. Winning more and more money, accumulating wealth and in the process of doing so, one should let go of all pleasures of life are the basic tenets of capitalism. To capitalists, a person is conditioned to continue acquiring wealth not for the sake of gratifying his needs and wants, rather as organized way of living. To Benjamin, bourgeois pay little attention or no attention at all, to the struggle of proletariats. Capitalism begs that the human happiness and life’s need are something meaningless and irrational which according to Benjamin; it is a complete reversal of the common order of life. Capitalism brought about the order of people living for their work instead of working for their life. He borrows the phrase ‘Capitalism as religion’ from Ernst Bloch and Max Weber’s work and Benjamin continue to show the religious aspects of capitalism, and it is not controlled by religion, but capitalism is in itself a religious phenomena, for it has taken the world like a bush fire, no one is save from it’s tentacles. His arguments goes on to highlight how at the Reformation time, Christianity opposed capitalism establishment, but how later Christianity let itself into capitalism (Weber 2002, p. 17). One of characteristic of capitalism as a religion is just like a cult; capitalism does not have a specific theology or dogma but utilitarianism-which wins the day. Such capitalism utilitarian practices: speculations, capital investment, manipulation of stock-exchange, financial operations, buying and selling goods and services; all these aspects take the shape of a religious cult. In capitalism, there is no requirement of a theology, a creed or a doctrine acceptance, rather action counts, which by extension, through social dynamics, take cult practices form. In capitalism, just like in religion, there exist adoration objects which come in form of money. People adore saints in ordinary religions, just as they adore money in capitalism. Benjamin does not stop at that, but goes all the way in comparing paper-notes with ‘Hell’s door architecture’ manifesting seriousness as capitalism’s Holy Spirit. According to him, the world’s religion state is despair, under capitalism. The other characteristic of capitalism, just like the permanence nature of a cult, capitalism is conducted year in year out. Capitalism permeates all the life conduct setting on vocation calling of systematic, restless and continuous work. Most if not all of Catholic holidays have been suppressed by Puritan capitalists who see them as some type of idleness. Capitalist religion permanently deploy ‘sacred pomp’ every day of Finance or Stock-Exchange, adorers following with extreme tension and anguish, the fall or rise of the value of shares. Capitalist practices know not of stoppage, it take over the control of a person, twenty fours hours a day, seven days a week and three hundred sixty five days a year.

Saudi Arabia and the UK: Cultural Differences

Saudi Arabia and the UK: Cultural Differences Cultural Differences The Variance of the countries and peoples is the culture of customs and traditions, and every country has its particular culture, whether if it is in the East or West. A culture of community is meant by patterns of social behaviour such as customs, believes, literature, arts, history , heritage, language, dress and everything relates to that sort. These cultural elements are combined to form a society characterized by special type to signify it from the rest of other communities. Not only that, but also, the culture of the community is thought of its members and determined its orientation.Unfortunately, only few people understand and appreciate cultural differences of other countries. In fact, they are unaware of the differences until they face the reality of a total different society, then they suffer from the inconvenience and conflicts of such customary habits. For further understanding, I will discuss in the following paragraphs cultural similarities and differences between Saudi Arabia and United Kingdom. The main similarity between the two countries, they are both kingdoms, however UK is headed by a queen (Elizabeth the second) while kingdom of Saudi Arabia headed by king Abdullah. UK has an elected prime minister ,who is rolling the country, while Saudi Arabia the king himself is the also prime minister and rolling the country. Furthermore, there is an education similarity in teaching science, math and physics, while difference exists in the education system, where in UK is divided into two systems: schooling and home education, Home education has always been common among the countrys elite. The Royal Family have all in the past been educated at home, including the current Queen, though more recently royalty have attended various public schools (anon 2008). Since this system is common in the past years, and even today, many parents would like to teach their children at home, as that kind of education does not exist in Saudi Arabia. Another educational difference between the two countries is clear in education system. Where as in UK males and females attend school together while in Saudi Arabia males and females attend completely separated schools. In terms of jobs, most of Saudi women prefer to be housewives and to raise children rather than working , because family gathering and interdependence of family in the Eastern societies is very important Of the communities. On the contrary.UK women do not give accord priority to marriage and having children. Women in the UK are equal to men in employment and jobs, where is the state encourages female employment, and there are several researches in this regard, as mentioned in Turgoose and Hall research . The vast majority of the women intend to increase their participation in work and some of them would like to increase the hours of work, in addition non working women would like to join the labour market. ( Turgoose and et al., 2006). Some countries have different religion that distinguishes them from other countries. Religion of Islam is the official Saudi Arabia , and is owed by all the people of Saudi Arabia , while the official religion in the United Kingdom is Christianity, but not all the people believe in god. Recent study Crabtree (2007) showed that about 72% were Christian, and 66% of the population has no actual connection to any religion or church. And in the last quarter of a century, half of all Christians stopped going to church. At the same time, there are some similarities between the two countries, where both allow the existence of other religions through the living outside the country, in Saudi Arabia there are a lot of Indians, and western people, as same in the UK there is many foreign nationalities and allows them to perform their religious rites freely. For religion, every religion has its special celebrations. Muslims in Saudi Arabia have special occasions such as Ramadan, Hajj and Eid. As for UK people, there many occasions to celebrate, such as Charismas, new-year day, Easter, Labor Day, and so on. Every occasion has its own special food that distinct it from rest of the events. In Saudi Arabia, Ramadan has a distinctive cuisine, such as kabsah, sambosa and other special food. In UK, Christmas and new year day are famous for turkey dinners, Easter characterized by its eggs. Another common difference, Transport in the UK has more advanced than Saudi Arabia, where they are using buses, trains and underground add to cars and vehicles. However, in Saudi Arabia cars is the only means of mobility and there are few buses, also there is only one Train station linking the capital Riyadh with Dammam city. But there are advanced studies on the establishment of many of the trains in the future, which is a joint project for construction of a railway link between Jeddah and Makkah and Madinah called The Haramain High-speed Railway (HHR), as it mentioned in the article (2009). In conclusion, it is clear that multiplicity of similarity between the two countries cultural aspects, there are some differences .It is noted that the culture of people in any country varies from one to another, and it is related to history, climate, religion, and some other un-seen factors. Cultural differences between countries exist, but due to usage of the new technology and with globalization and the spread new media tools, we will learn a lot of other countrys culture even if we are unable to visit it. Fast and easy transportation and modern technology facilitate people contacts which spread well under standing for other people cultures. By doing so, minor differences become smaller with time. Being open minded, and neglecting minor cultural differences, will bring different people together, which may result in spreading peace and more understanding between people of same planet EARTH. References Anon (2008) A short history of Home education [online]. home-education. Available from: http://www.home-education.org.uk/article-history-of-he.htm [Accessed 22 August, 2009] Anon (2009) Haramain High-speed Railway Saudi Arabia Architecture [online] .e-architect . Available from: http://www.e-architect.co.uk/saudi_arabia/haramain_high_speed_railway_stations.htm [Accessed 24 August, 2009] Crabtree, V. (2007) Religion in the United Kingdom Diversity, Trends and Decline [online].vexen. Available from: http://www.vexen.co.uk/UK/religion.html [Accessed 24 August, 2009] Turgoose, C. Hall, L. (2006) Encouraging an increase in the employment of women returners in areas of skill shortage in traditionally male industries [online] University of Sheffield. Available from: http://www.berr.gov.uk/files/file28572.pdf [Accessed 23 August, 2009] Bibliography Hofstede, G. (2008) Cultural Differences in Teaching and Learning [online] . FUHU conference on Education and Training in the Multicultural Classroom Copenhagen. Available from: http://fuhu.dk/filer/FBE/Arrangementer/Denmark%20Unlimited%20080508/FBE_geert_hofstede_teaching_learning.pdf [Accessed 21 August, 2009] Vaara, E. (2000). Constructions of Cultural Differences in Post Merger Change Processes:A Sensemaking Perspective on Finnish-Swedish Case [online] Helsinki School of Economics and Business Administration. Available from: http://www.management-aims.com/PapersMgmt/33Vaara.pdf [Accessed 20 August 2009]