Voting & Election Methods Essay Question Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Voting & Election Methods Question - Essay Example However, an alternative within the plurality procedures is called a runoff election where the top two candidates would have a separate election after the initial plurality vote. In this case, it is likely that the top two candidates would be the liberal and conservative candidates winning 41% and 39%, respectively. These candidates would face off in a runoff election. If the results are at all similar to the support numbers in the polls for the 1992 election with Clinton, Bush, and Perot, it may be likely that the 20% of the voters who chose our moderate candidate in this example would favor the conservative candidate at 39% and this candidate would become the winner. If the majority of the 20% would go in favor of the liberal at 41% then the candidate would likely win the majority vote and win in a landslide. The remaining two types of voting processes are called a preference ballot and a Borda count. These two processes require the voter to rank each candidate in the election in the order they like the candidates the best. The votes are counted and each candidate receives the number of votes they won, 3 would stand for the top choice, 2 for the middle choice, and 1 for the least choice in our three person example. The goal of the preference ballot or Borda count is to find the majority winner or the person with more than 50% of the total votes. If this does not occur, then in places such as Australia, a sequential runoff is performed where the weakest candidate’s votes are given to the #2 choice on each voter’s ballot. This process is more difficult to predict. If more people vote that our moderate candidate at 20% is their second choice, it will cause more total votes to be given to that candidate and result in he or she being the winner. This process is problematic becau se at the very end, should this example

Time Value of Money Essay Example for Free

Time Value of Money Essay Interest rate pertains to the earning which is made over time (Valentino, 2002). Two important parties are engaged in this scenario – the borrower and the lender. The borrower incurs the losses while the investor has the interest, the profit, after the term is fulfilled. There are two main types of interest rates according to their nature: nominal interest rate and the real interest rate. Nominal interest rates are fixed and normally contract bound for a given term. While real interest rate takes inflation into account, thus the interest rate is subject to change over time, depending on the economic conditions (Dr. Johnson, 1994-2005). For example, a $10,000 loan with an interest rate of 20% payable for 2 years will have the same interest rate until the 2-year term ends under a nominal interest rate setting while the interest rate is likely to change after the 1st year under a real interest rate setting. Interest rates can also be classified according to their earning power: simple interest and compound interest. In simple interest, only the principal amount gains interest. While in compound interest, the current amount (principal + the previous interest incurred) will gain the interest (Valentino, 2002). For example, if Mr. X borrowed $10,000 from a bank with a simple interest rate of 10% annually. The interest will be equal to $10,000 X 0.10 X 2 which is equal to $2,000. Hence, the accumulated value will be equal to $10,000 plus $2,000 which is equal to $12,000 after the 2-year term. While under compound interest, after the first year, the interest would be $10,000 X 0.10 = $1,000 and the accumulated value will be $11,000. This will become the new principal. After the second year, the interest would be $11,000 X 0.10 = $ 1,100 and so the accumulated value would be $ 12,100 at the end of the 2-year term (TVM 1.2.2 Java Bean, 2007)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Discount rate is not much different from the interest rate. Actually, it is also governed by the same principle. The only difference between the two is that the interest is paid at the end of the term under an interest rate, but under a discount rate, the interest is paid immediately or at the beginning of the period (Dr. Johnson, 1994-2005). Using the previous example, under a simple discount rate of 10% if Mr. X would have to borrowed the same amount then, the bank would not give him $10,000, but less the interest. Since the interest must be discounted at the beginning, then the bank will only lend him $8,000 but he has to pay $ 10,000 at the end of the 2-year term (TVM 1.2.2 Java Bean, 2007).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Clearly, the interest and discount rate are some of the most important economic indicators. Proper computation and data would give economists a measure of how much an interest rate would be. Therefore, to preserve the value of money through time, analysts should accurately measure the current economic trends and implement the most accurate rates as possible. References: Valentino P. (2002). Interest Rates. Retrieved August 17, 2007, from Economics Web Institute. Website: http://www.economicswebinstitute.org/glossary/interest.htm. Dr. Johnson, P.M. (1994-2005). A Glossary of Political Economy Terms: Discount rate. Retrieved August 17, 2007, from Auburn University.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Website: http://www.auburn.edu/~johnspm/gloss/discount_rate. TVM 1.2.2 Java Bean. Retrieved August 17, 2007   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   from: http://www.getobjects.com/Components/Finance/TVM/tvm.html.

Ageism at work

Ageism at work INTRODUCTION Ageism can be defined as any attitude, action, or institutional structure which subordinates a person or group because of age or any assignment of roles in society purely on the basis of age (Traxler, 1980, p. 4). As an ism, ageism reflects a prejudice in society against older adults. Ageism, however, is different from other isms (sexism, racism etc.), for primarily two reasons. First, age classification is not static. An individuals age classification changes as one progresses through the life cycle. Thus, age classification is characterized by continual change, while the other classification systems traditionally used by society such as race and gender remain constant. Second, no one is exempt from at some point achieving the status of old, and therefore, unless they die at an early age, experiencing ageism. The later is an important distinction as ageism can thus affect the individual on two levels. First, the individual may be ageist with respect to others. That is s/he may stereotype other people on the basis of age. Second, the individual may be ageist with respect to self. Thus, ageist attitudes may affect the self concept. Much research has been conducted concerning ageism. However, the empirical evidence is inconclusive. Some research demonstrates the existence of ageist attitudes (Golde Kogan, 1959; Kastenbaum Durkee, 1964a, 1964b; Tuckman Lorge, 1953) and other research does not (Brubaker Powers, 1976; Schonfield, 1985). This discrepancy is most likely the result of methodological differences and, in particular, methodological errors. A brief discussion of the major methodological errors or problems found in ageism research may be helpful in clarifying this point. The first major problem is that the majority of ageism research suffers from a mono-method bias. In other words, each study used only one method to operationally define the ageism construct. Methods commonly used have included sentence completion (Golde Kogan, 1959), semantic differential (Kogan Wallach, 1961; Rosencranz McNevin, 1969), Likert scales (Kilty Feld, 1976), and adjective checklists (Aaronson, 1966). The problem inherent in the use of a mono-method is that any effect found may be an artifact of the method employed rather than the construct under study. Thus, a researcher should employ more than one method to look for consistency in the results. Another problem, according to Kogan (1979) is the use of within-subjects designs in ageism research. In other words, a subject will be asked to complete a questionnaire regarding both younger and older adults. Kogan asserts that by using this methodology, age is pushed to the foreground of a subjects mind. The subject thus becomes aware that the researcher is looking for age differences. Therefore, age differences are found. The use of primarily younger populations to study ageism represents another problem with ageism research. The majority of ageism research uses children, adolescents, or young adults as subjects and examines their perception of older adults. Only a few studies have examined the perceptions of the population whom the construct affects most older adults. Those studies which have used an older subject population have unfortunately used primarily institutionalized individuals as subjects (Kastenbaum Durkee, 1964a; Tuckman Lavell, 1957). Therefore, they do not represent the vast majority of older adults. Another problem with much of ageism research is that it only examines the negative stereotypes of old age. More recent studies have suggested that while attitudes toward the aged are increasingly positive, they are still stereotypic (Austin, 1985). Therefore, ageism has been expanded to include positive stereotypic images. However, these are rarely studied (Brubaker Powers, 1976). Two additional problems are primarily theoretical in nature. First, ageism research rarely examines or attempts to understand the causes of ageism. Thus, while much theoretical work has been conducted concerning the factors contributing to ageism, little empirical research has been conducted in this area. Second, ageism research rarely examines the interaction between ageism and other isms. As many individuals are in a position to experience more than one prejudice, the interaction between these prejudices needs to be examined. The Theoretical Basis of Ageism Ageism consists of a negative bias or stereotypic attitude toward aging and the aged. It is maintained in the form of primarily negative stereotypes and myths concerning the older adult. Traxler (1980) outlines four factors that have contributed to this negative image of aging. Each will be discussed below. The first factor that is postulated to contribute to ageism is the fear of death in Western society. Western civilization conceptualizes death as outside of the human life cycle (Butler Lewis, 1977). As such, death is experienced and viewed as an affront to the self. Death is not seen as natural and inevitable part of the life course. This can be contrasted with Eastern philosophy where life and death are all part of a continuous cycle. Death and life are inextricably woven together and the self continues throughout. To be a person, in Western society, however, means that one must be alive and in control of the events of one1s life. Therefore, death is feared. As death is feared, old age is feared; death and old age are viewed as synonymous in American society (Kastenbaum, 1979). Kastenbaum (1973) hypothesizes that ageism attitudes and stereotypes serve to insulate the young and middle-aged from the ambivalence they feel towards the elderly. This ambivalence results from the fact that the older adult is viewed as representing aging and death. Butler (1969) states: Ageism reflects a deep seated uneasiness on the part of the young and middle-aged a personal revulsion to and distaste for growing old, disease, disability; and a fear of powerlessness, uselessness, and death ((p. 243). This represents the most commonly argued basis for ageism. The second factor postulated by Traxler (1980) to contribute to ageism is the emphasis on the youth culture in American society. For example, the media, ranging from television to novels, place an emphasis on youth, physical beauty, and sexuality. Older adults are primarily ignored or portrayed negatively (Martel, 1968; Northcott, 1975). The emphasis on youth not only affects how older individuals are perceived but also how older individuals perceive themselves. Persons who are dependent on physical appearance and youth for their identity are likely to experience loss of self-esteem with age (Block, Davidson, Grumbs, 1981). The emphasis in American culture on productivity represents the third factor contributing to ageism in American culture (Traxler, 1980). It should be noted that productivity is narrowly defined in terms of economic potential. Both ends of the life cycle are viewed as unproductive, children and the aged. The middle-aged are perceived as carrying the burdens imposed by both groups (Butler, 1969). Children, however, are viewed as having future economic potential. In a way, they are seen as an economic investment. Economically, older adults are perceived as a financial liability. This is not to say that older adults are unproductive. However, upon retirement, the older adult is no longer viewed as economically productive in American society and thus devalued. The fourth factor contributing to ageism in American society and the so-called helping professions is the manner in which aging was originally researched. Poorly controlled gerontological studies have reinforced the negative image of the older adult. When aging was originally studied, researchers went to long-term care institutions where the aged were easy to find. However, only 5 percent of the older population is institutionalized. Thus, the early research on the aged and aging was based upon non-well, institutionalized older individuals. There is still a need for more research to be undertaken using a healthy, community-dwelling older population. The factors cited above represent four contributing factors to ageism. It has been proposed that individual ageist attitudes can be decreased through continual exposure to and work with older adults (Rosencranz McNevin, 1969). However, there appears to be a large societal influence on ageist attitudes. Therefore, until these societal influences are addressed, ageism can not be obliterated. For example, if the fear of death and therefore aging is not somehow addressed societally, then younger individuals will continue to attempt to make the older population somehow different from themselves. This differentiation of themselves from older adults, thus serves to protect them from the reality of death. DISCRIMINATION AT WORK PLACE The number of people claiming to have faceddiscrimination at workbecause of their age has more than tripled in a year, according to official statistics. Figures released by the Tribunal Service show that claims rose from 962 in 2006 to 2,940 in 2007. The figures come just days after Selina Scott reached a settlement with Channel Five, thought to be worth  £250,000, after claiming she had been the victim of ageism. The 57-year-old presenter sued the broadcaster after claiming she had been lined up to provide maternity cover for Natasha Kaplinsky on Five News but was subsequently overlooked. The figures will reinforce the belief among solicitors that the number of age-related cases will soar over the next few years. Legislation outlawing age discrimination was introduced three years ago, and Melanie Thomas, a solicitor at discrimination law specialists Palmer Wade, said: It takes a while for people to understand that they have new rights. Other figures show that there were 1,032 age discrimination claims in tribunals between April and June, compared with 700 claims in the same period last year. In 2007, the average payout for successful age discrimination cases was  £8,695, compared with  £10,044 for sex discrimination and  £17,308 for race claims. Meanwhile, some people have tried to exploit the laws to their own advantage. Margaret Keane, 50, applied for a series of jobs for recently qualified chartered accountants and, after failing to get any, tabled compensation claims on the grounds of age discrimination. Gillian Shaw, a solicitor at employment law specialists Ledingham Chalmers LLP, said: There is a financial incentive for claimants to look for an alternative to a straightforward claim of, say, unfair dismissal because age discrimination, like sex and race discrimination, does not have an upper limit on the amount of compensation that can be claimed. Scott argued that Channel Five had backed out of a  £200,000 presenting deal because they felt she was too old, choosing Isla Traquair, 28, instead. A string of former BBC faces including Kate Adie and Anna Ford joined forces to accuse television of discriminating against mature women. Dame Joan Bakewell claimed the medium was dominated by the hideously young. In an interview in todays Observer, Ford claims women suffer the most. Ageism against women, she adds, is a peculiar British tradition. In America, there are women with white hair who are heads of banks, heads of corporations, she said. Where are those women here? The latest government figures, released earlier this year, showed that the pay gap between men and women had widened for the first time in years. The new Equality Bill is due to be presented to Parliament this spring, and not a moment too soon, according to the Equality and Human Rights Commissions fifth annual Sex Power report, which recorded a drop for the first time in women attaining top jobs. In 12 out of 25 job categories, it found fewer women in top posts than in 2007. Ageism at work in later life There is a commonly assumed view that ageism affects only a small minority of older people in the UK. The popular television character Victor Meldrew from One Foot in the Grave perfectly captures the stereotype of a grumbling man in later life, stuck in his ways, resistant to change, baffled by technology and distanced from the views and activities of young people. Yet, when examining the issue of ageism, it becomes clear that as with all stereotypes this image is flawed. Ageism affects a wide age group, of both genders and all backgrounds. According to a MORI Social Research Institute poll, ageism tops the list of UK discrimination in the workplace. Over one in five people (22%) interviewed by MORI felt they had been unfairly discriminated against in the work environment. 38 per cent of those who were discriminated against cited age as the most prevalent form of discrimination. Of those who believed they had personally encountered ageism in the workplace, just over half said they were discriminated against because they were too old, however the remaining half claimed to have received unfair treatment for being too young. Estimated cost to the economy of this form of discrimination ranges from  £16 billion to  £31 billion.These figures are shocking but statistics alone cannot account for the social or personal impact that ageism has on individuals and society at large. The government Age Positive Campaign is insistent that attitudes must change. By 2010 nearly 40 per cent of the working population will be over 45. Supporting this cultural shift, legislation preventing ageism in the workplace will be in place in the UK by 2006. But what the government really wants is change here and now. More and more employers in the public and private sector are convinced by the business case of employing a mixed age workforce. They know that Age Positive can result in operational, market and revenue gains. Mixed age workforces are proven to provide employers with a wider available skills base, improved productivity, better morale, increased customer loyalty, greater market share and increased shareholder wealth. METHODOLOGY Todays report by the Employers Forum on Age (EFA), which surveyed 1,000 workers over the age of 16, claims discrimination against older and younger employees remains rife in the workplace. It found that 61 per cent of respondents had witnessed ageist behaviour at work, and half did not know about legislation which would make this illegal. The survey also shows that young and old people could lose out on pay rises and promotions as a result of their age 31 per cent said they had seen older people paid more for doing exactly the same job as a younger employee. Almost a quarter 23 per cent recalled an older worker being promoted even if the younger candidate had more experience. EFA director Sam Mercer commented: As our research has confirmed, ageism is endemic in our society and rife in our workplaces. These attitudes need to be challenged and outlawed so that they become as unacceptable as sexism or racism. Although Mr Mercer said the new laws, which will come into force on Sunday, will help provide protection for people who feel that they have been discriminated against on grounds of their age, he added the change in legislation was just the beginning of a long jour ney towards tackling social prejudices. A spokesman for the Department for Work and Pensions told politics.co.uk the government was committed to ensuring equality at work. He noted that in the past year 208,000 more people aged over 50 are working, claiming the evidence suggests there are many businesses which are keen to harness the skills and experience older workers can bring. He added: We know the practice of ageism is bad for business and the new legislation will ensure that older workers are protected and ageism is stamped out. The governments Age Positive campaign, which sees businesses supplied with an age toolkit, involves working with a wide range of UK businesses to help them recognise the benefits of older workers such as reduced recruitment costs, higher retention rates, greater flexibility, higher productivity, and a broader range of skills and experience, he said. The government will consider whether to keep the compulsory retirement age, currently at 65 for men, or to abolish it at a formal review in 2011. The EFA report comes in the wake of a separate survey for the charity Help the Aged, which finds only 42 per cent of the 1,000 people questioned were aware of the new laws on age discrimination. It also showed that older people still feared ageism at work, and called on the government to ensure older employees knew their rights Age discrimination is still rife, and urgent legislation is needed to stamp it out, a survey has said. EXAMPLES Ageism also happen in sports like there is an example of Pakistani team coach Intikhab Ageism doesnt bother Pakistan coach KARACHI: Pakistan cricket team coach Intikhab Alam on Tuesday brushed aside negative criticism from those demanding his removal because of hisage, saying the campaign was motivated by jealousy. The 67-year-old guided Pakistan to the World Twenty20 title in England in June but Tests and One-day defeats on the Sri Lankatourlast month prompted former players to brand his old age a hindrance in proper coaching. But Alam brushed aside the flak. If there is healthy criticism I take it in a positive way, but targeting my age is negative thinking and I smell jealousy from this, said Alam on the sidelines of Pakistan teams training camp. The five-day camp is the final phase of Pakistans preparations for the elite eight-nationChampions Trophyto be played in South Africa from September 22-October 5. Alam said the same people who were pointing finger at his age were praising him a few months ago. I feel sorry for such people who have a personal vendetta against me, said Alam, who was also credited for Pakistans success in the 50-over World Cup in Australia in 1992. They cannot digest our T20 success. Former captain Aamir Sohail last week criticised Alam for being too old to handle coaching at international level. Former PakistanCricketBoard chief Tauqir Zia also joined Sohail in targeting Alams age, saying Pakistan needs a young coach to guide them to more successes. Alam, however, insists he is fit. I even take part in coaching drills and my age has never been a hindrance in my work. Coaching is all about experience and football coaches worldwide are over 70 years of age but no one speaks against them, said Alam. CONCLUSION According to an ICM poll for Age Concern, nearly one third of people know someone who has been a victim of age discrimination at work. Age discrimination is so widespread that 70% of people believe that ageism still occurs, the same as when a similar survey was conducted in 1998. Another one-in-10 people said that they have experienced discrimination by the NHS, health insurance companies, and been turned down for financial products because of their age. Too old Age Concern criticised employers and companies for failing to tackle ageism and the governments voluntary Code of Practice on age diversity in employment, which was published in 1999. Gordon Lishman, director general of Age Concern England, said: The governments voluntary code clearly isnt working. Comprehensive legislation is needed now, not just to cover the workplace but many other sectors of life. In November 2000, the government adopted a European Union directive, which outlaws age discrimination at work. It must now introduce legislation which supports the directives principles by 2006. Political voice Age Concern has also announced plans to offer older people membership of the charity, to strengthen its campaigning work. Mr Lishman, said: It will give older people the opportunity to directly influence policy makers and force the age issue higher up the political agenda. There are between 700,000 and 1m people in the UK who are aged between 50 and 64 and are unemployed or economically inactive. BIBLOGRAPHY BBC INDIATIMES http://www.india-seminar.com/2000/488/488%20srivastava.htm

Essay --

In the poems â€Å"Hawk Roosting† and â€Å"Golden Retrievals,† Ted Hughes and Mark Doty, respectively, portray differing views of the world from the perspectives of two different animals. Hughes depicts a hawk as omnipotent, cunning, and calculating in its actions and motives; whereas Doty conveys the animal perspective through a golden retrieval depicted as carefree and joyful. Through utilization of poetic devices, both authors offer contrasting characterizations of the two animals and distinct perspectives of the world. Through use of poetic devices, Hughes and Doty, respectively, characterize the hawk and the golden retrieval in different lights to ultimately reveal the animals' views on themselves. Hughes’ poem, the â€Å"Hawk Roosting,† features a self-obsessed and demanding Hawk. The author characterizes the hawk through the use of first person point of view. The use of personal pronouns â€Å"mine,† â€Å"my,† and â€Å"I† furthers the author’s point that the Hawk believes the world revolves around it and it alone. It seems oblivious to the importance of the world around it. It takes on the position of a king; the hawk presides over everything. Furthermore, the Hawk never seems to mention any other living creature. As far as it is concerned, every other creature is entirely irrelevant and has no place in the world. Moreover, the hawk sees itself as a God-like creature. The hawk may â€Å"kill where [it pleases]† and in the most gruesome â€Å"ma nner,...tearing off heads.† The hawk seems to have declared itself grim reaper at this point in the poem. The hawk has no one to answer to and thus does and plans accordingly. It almost brags to the audience about its unique ability of killing other creatures in the most brutal way possible; it enjoys the viciousness of... ...ife, demonstrating that humans also calculate and systematically plan for the future, collectively trying to be the best of the best at all times much like the hawk. Hughes’ systematic hawk makes Doty’s golden retrieval seem very much lost and distracted as each day passes. The hawk would like nothing more than to fly alone and dictate the universe, whereas the dog simply travels with his master as nothing more than a companion. The hawk recognizes the world around him with a callous superciliousness and deliberate approach for the future while the dog lives in the present and concentrates on the small, but valuable things in life. Both animals live their lives differently and individually as humans do. The utilization of an animal’s point of view is accomplished completely in both poems as the poets connect the animals’ thought processes to that of the human race.

Custom Mold Inc

Case Study Background Custom Molds Inc produces custom made molds for plastic parts and manufactures connectors for the electronics industry. The father founders of Custom Molds Inc are father and son, Tom and Mason Miller, in 1987 which is located in Tucson, Arizona. Tom Miller who is a mechanical engineer, had vast experience in the connector industry with AMP. Mason Miller is a double degree holder in chemistry and chemical engineering, a graduate from Arizona State University.Originally, the company manufactured electronic connectors with source of high quality, custom made molds for producing plastic parts. They worked closely with their customers so that they can meet the customers’ requirements and their mold have to meet the exact standards and have to be unique. Once the customers have moved from the design and pilot-run stage of development to large-scale production, they will place orders for multiple molds. Custom Mold’s reputation grew with the years as a d esigner and fabricator of precision molds.With the reputation, the Millers decided to expand into the limited manufactures of plastic parts and new equipments were added such as ingredient mixing facilities and injection molding equipment. In the mid-1990s Custom Mold’s reputation grew to include being a supplier of high quality plastic parts. Due to limited capacity, the company decided to concentrate its sales efforts on supplying parts that were used in limited quantity for research and development efforts and in preproduction pilot runs. Production ProcessesBy 2000, Custom Molds operations involved two distinct processes which are fabricating molds and producing plastic parts. Both the processes are inter-connected for an instance, when a customer places an order, Custom Molds both fabricate a mold and produce the necessary parts to support the customer’s research and design efforts. All fabrication and production operation were housed in a single facility. Fabrica tion molds requires a skill-oriented, craftsman-driven process. When an order is received, a design team, consisting of a design engineer and one of 13 master machinists, reviews the design specification.Working with the customer, the team comes up with the final specification for the mold and passes it to the master machinist for fabrication. At the same time, the specification is given to the purchasing department, who orders the required raw materials. It usually takes about three to four weeks for the raw material to arrive. Once the materials have been received, the plant master scheduler reviews the workload of the assigned master machinist and schedules the mold for fabrication. Fabricating a mold usually takes up to two to four weeks, depending in the amount of work the machinist already has scheduled.The fabrication process takes only three to five days. Once completed, the mold is tested and inspected, where it is used to produce a small number of parts on one of the injec tion molding machines. If the mold passed the required specification, it is then sent for cleaning and polishing, and then packed and sent to customers. If at all the mold fails, it is sent to the maser machinist for retooling and the process starts all over. Currently, Custom Molds holds a lead time of nine weeks for delivery of the molds. The manufacturing of the plastic parts is different from mold fabrication.An order for parts may be received in conjunction with an order for a mold to be fabricated. For instances, if the Custom Molds already have made the molds, an order may be jus for parts. If the mold is already available, the order is reviewed by the design engineer, who verifies the part and material specifications. If the is any doubts, the design engineer will contact the customer and clarifies the doubts. Once the parts and raw materials are accepted, orders are placed for the raw materials and production in scheduled for the order. Chemicals and compounds used for the manufacturing are ordered and received within a week.When received, the compound is dry-mixed and blended to achieve the correct composition. Then the mixture is wet-mixed to the desired consistency, called slurry, for injection into molding machine. When ready, the slurry is transferred to the injection molding area by an overhead pipeline and deposited in holding tanks adjacent to the injection machines. The whole process takes only one day. When the slurry is staged and ready, the proper molds are secured from the inventory or from the clean and polish operation if new molds were fabricated for the order and the parts are manufactured.Although different parts require different temperature and pressure settings, the time to produce a part is relatively constant. Custom Molds has the capacity to produce 5000 parts per day in the injection molding department; historically however, the lead time for handling orders in the department has averaged one week. Once molding is completed, t he parts are taken to the cut and trim operation, where they are disconnected and leftover flashing is removed. Once inspection is completed, the parts are either taken for assembling or transferred to packing and shipping area for shipment to customer.If assembly of the final parts is not required, the parts will be sent to customer within two days after being molded. Sometimes the final product needs assembling. Typically, this entails attaching metal leads to plastic connectors. If assembling is need, additional three days are required before they can be sent to customer. Customs Molds currently have a lead time of three weeks for parts not requiring fabricated molds. The Changing Environment In the early 2009, Tom and Mason Miller realized that the electronic industry they supplied and their own business was changing.Electronic manufacturers have decided to make their own components to reduce cost and ensure timely supply of parts. By the 1990s, this trend has changed. Manufactu ring were developing strategic partnerships with the parts suppliers to ensure the timely delivery of high quality, cost effective parts. This has allowed for other funds to be used on other uses with larger return on investment. During the same period, Custom Molds started to have issues with delivery. Customers were complaining to delay in the delivery of the parts instead of the promised dateline.When asked about the situation, the master scheduler stated that it is difficult in determining when a particular order will be delivered. Bottlenecks were occurring during the production process, but where and when it will occur cannot be predicted. The bottleneck started to move to other operations. Tom Miller thought that that he had excess labor capacity in the mold fabrication area. He came up with a solution to push through the schedule by assigning one of the master machinist to identify the expediting those late orders. However, the tactic wasn’t effective. Complaints abou t late delivery were still coming in. o add on to the problem, two defective parts were returned. Tom Miller knows something has to be done. 1. What are the major issues facing Tom and Mason Miller? The Electronics industry to which they supplied was changing very rapidly The millers are facing the shrinking size of their core market; traditionally fabrication. These changes impact both the fabrication and the manufacturing sides of the business. For fabrication, although the number of orders remained around the same, the market for multiple molds was shrinking, so the absolute number of fabricated was reducing.The Demand for multiple molds is declining Earlier Custom Molds used to produce custom designed molds in majority but through the data provided we can analyze that in the last 3 years, the company has been getting more and more orders in the production of plastic parts consistently and the orders for custom molds have been decreasing. This calls for a mass production of plast ic parts. Inefficient Testing and Inspection Process It has been mentioned in the case that two orders were returned recently because of number of defective parts in those batches.This can be attributed to the inefficiency of the testing and inspection team. The transportation, packing, shipping etc. costs have to be incurred by the company and could have been avoided if the testing and inspection been rigorous. Increase in order sizes for plastic parts There has been a shift in demand from custom molds to plastic parts. Therefore there is a need to change the layout of the plant to something more suitable for mass production. Difficulties Meeting Quality Objectives As demand characteristics increased for manufacturing parts, there was consequent increase in lead time on parts.Customers are complaining about the late delivery of the products. This will lead to loss of credibility in front of their customers. Bottlenecks were occurring throughout the manufacturing process and quality issues were increasing. There was unplanned growth beyond the available capacity given the process issues. There were numerous non-value-adding processes throughout the workflow including delays, many inspection steps, storage and transport. Parts were not being manufactured at optimum speeds and as pressures of late deliveries and mounting backlogs built up. Thus, the quality of finished goods suffered. . What are the competitive priorities for Custom Mold’s Processes and the changing nature of the industry? Previously a. High quality product Custom Mold previously strive for top quality product for their customers and grew reputation of one of the most consistent company that strive for quality products b. Flexibility in customer orders Customization was their priorities. They fully concentrate on customers orders requirements and needs and try their best to meet those requirements. c. On time delivery Custom Mold managed to deliver all of their products to the customers w ithin the required timeEarly 2009 Due to changing nature of the industry, more customers are making strategic partnership with supplier to ensure the timely delivery of high quality and cost effective parts. As we can see, the competitive of the industry, the demand is changing and Custom Mold also must be aware of this. They must change their competitive priorities to continue compete in the industry. They might have to change their layout for molds from job shop to small batch process in this changing process. Below are the suggested competitive priorities: a. Consistent quality productsThey should maintain the quality of their products b. Cost effective They might achieve this by changing the layout from job shop to small batch process. Small batch process allows products to be made in larger volume and low variety from the job shop process. High volume tends to reduce cost per unit and can directly lowered the operation cost. c. On time delivery With customers focus on on time s hipment for their products, Custom Mold cannot simply overlook to this competitive priority. On time delivery ensure the customer trust to them and they have to be excellent on that. 3.What alternatives might the Millers pursue? What key factors should they consider as they evaluate these alternatives? Short term alternatives a. Layout of the plant should be changed Custom Molds need to change the plant layout from job shop to assembly line. This is because the company is getting more orders for manufacture of plastic parts consistently over the last three years. The demand form from the customers changed from highly customized and high quality to cost effective and timely delivery of high quality products are the strongest proof why they need to change their argument. . Identify bottlenecks in production process This is important in order for Custom Molds to retain their clients. The bottlenecks might be due the process layout in the company. Two different process for a different p roduct might overlap each others and create confusion to the process. c. Improve the efficiency of Testing and Inspection Team As has been mentioned in the case, two orders have been rejected by the customer. For this not to happen again, the efficiency of Testing and Inspection team needs to be improved. Long Term Alternatives a. Investment in Research and DevelopmentCompany would be better off to invest in R&D in order to stay ahead of its competition. R&D can often show ways to reduce costs by maintaining the same quality. b. Expansion Plans As the orders increase, company should plan for some expansion plans or some new plants to cater to increasing demand. c. Phase-out the production of Custom Molds As the numbers of orders for Custom Molds are decreasing consistently over the last 3 years, the company should look out for phasing out the production of custom molds as the company may start losing out money.Recommendations 1. Shift to Assembly Line As the number of orders for big order sizes are increasing for plastic parts, the plant layout should be changed from job-shop to an assembly line production. 2. Operational Excellence The company should focus on overall efficiency in terms of process, movement and inter-department communication. 3. Market Research The company should do extensive market research to ascertain customer’s needs and use it to determine the needs of facility and human resources.

How to Figure Out If You Should Quit Your Job [Infographic]

How to Figure Out If You Should Quit Your Job [Infographic] Can’t decide whether to leave your job? It’s often not an easy decision. But if you think through all of your options, you should be able to make your decision more confidently. Follow this flowchart from BBC to help you figure out if you should quit your job.   [Source: BBC]

Herrick The marshal of Salem Essays

Herrick The marshal of Salem Essays Herrick The marshal of Salem Paper Herrick The marshal of Salem Paper Mr Hale is nearly 40, tight-skinned, eager-eyed intellectual. A young minister reputed to be an expert on witchcraft. Mr Hale is called in to Salem to examine Parriss daughter Betty. His intimate liking toward Proctor actually stuns we, as readers, that a third party could be so understanding and is able to try and console those in need. In this case, Hale actually proves to be a upright citizen who tries to save Proctor from the noose by advising him to succumb to a false crime. His intentions were good like a committed Christian and hater of witchcraft. It is his assurance that we cannot look to superstition in this. The Devil is precise. His critical mind and intelligence save him from falling into blind fervor. His arrival sets the hysteria in motion, although he later regrets his actions and attempts to save the lives of those accused. Elizabeth Proctor Elizabeth does not appear until the beginning of Act Two. She is referred to beforehand, notably in a scathing comment by Abigail. When we first hear her, though, she is singing lullabies to her children, giving us the impression of a homely woman. The atmosphere in the Proctor household tells us that she has had difficulty in coming to terms with her husbands brief adultery. She is accused by both Proctor and Abigail of being cold and she confirms this opinion of herself in the last act. But she is no fool and understands well Abigails intentions, well before Proctor himself does. Her love and understanding of John is crystal clear in the last act when she leaves him to make his own decision over whether to confess. She undoubtedly recognizes that he will not be able to live with a decision to confess, but she allows him to come to his own realisation of this. Danforth Deputy Governor Danforth represents both the authority of the Law and the Church within this community. He takes his position seriously and seizes every opportunity to impress the importance of his work upon others. This is reflected in some of the long, serious speeches he gives in Act Three. His determination to enforce the Law is unrelenting. He is not interested in the individual and will not allow the work of the court to be questioned. His manner is inflexible and unemotional. It is impossible to tell why he does not accept the horror of the situation. Does he actually believe all that the girls allege? Or does he think that events have gone too far, but to stop the process would undermine his authority? Proctor has no doubt that Danforth is allowing himself to be fooled, and that he will be damned because of it Giles Corley An elderly but feisty farmer in Salem, famous for his tendency to file lawsuits. Giless wife, Martha, is accused of witchcraft, and he himself is eventually held in con-tempt of court and pressed to death with large stones. As the start of the play, Corey is something of a comic character and Proctor deals with his argumentative tendency is a good-natured way. He unwittingly implicates his wife in witchcraft, and whilst protesting to the court refuses to name an informant, and so is arrested himself. The grim manner of his death being pressed by great weights to try to force an answer is poignantly revealed to Proctor in jail. The Putnams A bitter couple, who between them represent the worst aspects of Salem society such as jealously, small-mindedness and greed, it was Ann Putnam that sent her daughter to conjure spirits in the first place and Thomas Putnam sought to gain from the tragedy of others. Thomas Putnam A wealthy, influential citizen of Salem, Putnam holds a grudge against Francis Nurse for preventing Putnams brother-in-law from being elected to the office of minister. He uses the witch trials to increase his own wealth by accusing people of witchcraft and then buying up their land. Ann Putnam Thomas Putnams wife. Ann Putnam has given birth to eight children, but only Ruth Putnam survived. The other seven died before they were a day old, and Ann is con-vinced that they were murdered by supernatural means. Ruth Putnam The Putnams lone surviving child out of eight. Like Betty Parris, Ruth falls into a strange stupor after Reverend Parris catches her and the other girls dancing in the woods at night. Rebecca Nurse Francis nurses wife, the elderly and respected Rebecca is a wise, sensible, and upright woman, held in tremendous regard by most of the Salem community, and one of the voices of good sense in the play. Hale has already heard of her good reputation before meeting her. However, she falls victim to the hysteria when the Putnams accuse her of witchcraft and she refuses to confess. The conviction of Rebecca reveals how low the community at Salem has fallen. She goes to her death with dignity and acceptance Francis Nurse A wealthy, influential man in Salem. Nurse is well respected by most people in Salem, but is an enemy of Thomas Putnam and his wife. Mary Warren Mary is the Proctors servant. She is weak and easily influenced, so it is ominous that Proctors evidence rests on Marys confession. She can barely speak in the courtroom and its relatively simple for Abigail to turn her. This is devastating for Proctor as Mary then testifies against him. Tituba Reverend Parriss black slave from Barbados. Tituba agrees to perform voodoo at Abigails request Betty Parris Reverend Parriss ten-year-old daughter. Betty falls into a strange stupor after Parris catches her and the other girls dancing in the forest with Tituba. Her illness and that of Ruth Putnam fuel the first rumors of witchcraft. Martha Corey Giles Coreys third wife. Marthas reading habits lead to her arrest and conviction for witchcraft. Ezekiel Cheever A man from Salem who acts as clerk of the court during the witch trials. He is upright and determined to do his duty for justice. Judge Hathorne A judge who presides, along with Danforth, over the witch trials. Herrick The marshal of Salem. Mercy Lewis Servant to the Putnam household. She is a merciless girl who seems to delight in the girls activities. The threats Abigail uses on the other girls are unnecessary for Mercy. When Abigail eventually leaves town, Mercy goes with her.

Cascade Volcanoes essays

Cascade Volcanoes essays The Pacific Northwest is home to the Cascade Volcanoes. Between Southern British Columbia and Northern California is where the Cascades thrust out of the earth. All along the range majestic peaks climb towards the sky. The Gorda, Juan de Fuca, and Explorer plates are being pulled down into the Cascadia subduction zone and beneath the North America plate. As a result of this the Cascade range was formed, and is still being changed to this day by the interaction of these plates. Because of this specific type of interaction between the plates the Cascades are volcanic. Within the range there are varying types of volcanoes. Major peaks like Mt. Ranier and Mt. Hood are composite volcanoes. Lassen Volcanic National Park has good examples of many types of volcanoes. The peak we see today is a plug dome volcano. However, there are shield volcanoes, and cinder cones found throughout Lassen Volcanic National Park. Crater Lake is a great example of a caldera. All through the Cascade mountain range one can find all sorts of examples of different types of volcanoes. Volcanoes have no regard for human life, and they will erupt, change, and vent whenever it is necessary. The eruption of Mt. St. Helens in the early 1980s is a very good example of an extremely violent eruption. Surrounding forests were devastated and mudflows brought havoc to the lower laying areas around St. Helens. If St. Helens was near a major metropolitan area, or even a modest sized city, the damage would be almost immeasurable. Many Cascade Volcanoes are still very active. Mt. Ranier is near Seattle, and Mt. Hood is just east of Portland. If either of these volcanoes were to erupt the cities below would be directly in the warpath. ...

Personal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Personal - Essay Example Grandma would always tell me, "Make something of yourself or somebody will make a fool out of you". I struggled in school, but her relentless passion pushed me to heights I never knew I could climb. Today, as I count the blessings of my teenage years, I am also reminded of my long past parents. I try not to think of them, but my mind does not obey my will. It wanders back into the blackened past of my childhood, and the spilled memories of my loving parents. The memories pull at me like a magnate to steel as I think about the years I spent with my parents while they worked as Christian missionaries in nameless Central American villages. I remember sleeping in the stillness of a rainforest or with the cacophony of an ocean pounding the beach. There I could dream all night in a fairyland far away from here and far away from my home, my young mind lost in the stillness of a Guatemalan night. The silence, occasionally broken by a primate's shrill cry, sounded like loneliness looking for a place to hide. At nine years old, I had an uneasy sense of the jungle and even more so since father had begun to lock the door at night. My imagination worked overtime to solve the riddle of the locked door and thought that monsters may come to snatch me away at any time. This night as my mother tucked me in she accidentally dropped a candle and stumbled in the darkness. I could see her hand quivering as she stooped to re-light the wick. Her anxiety boiled over into my pot leaving me shaken. I called for my father but my mother said simply, "Quiet, he's gone out". Afraid of the answer, I could not choke up the words to ask, "Where Why". The noisy crack from the jungle woke me to a crisp wakefulness. Three more explosions echoed through the room and ricocheted for seconds through my vacant head. I was alarmed, yet had only my fantasy of the events that were taking place right outside my window. The closed door loomed like an unsolved puzzle, beckoning me as I struggled across the room. I cracked the door like a gambler checking his hole card and stared into the inky depths. Suddenly, I heard my mother scream from behind a Banyan tree. Panicked, I squeezed between an old crate and a stack of lumber at the side of the house. I could hear my mother choking and struggling, and though I felt the need to go to her rescue, I was frozen in place. Locked in time. My mother's last gasp of fright was followed by the surreal sounds of life making an unscheduled exit. I looked to see my mother's lifeless body lying next to the tree. My father approached and for a moment I had the unrealistic euphoria that he was the hero coming to save the village. He solemnly knelt over her body as the silence returned, broken only by my father's whimpering and the songs of angels. The orange glow of fire flashed from the jungle and my father repulsed in a series of awkward contortions. His body, thrown back from the gunfire, came to rest inches from my mother's hand as if she was reaching for an escort to guide her to heaven. The next few seconds took hours to pass as I stared in a state of horrified shock. I watched three men dressed in black as they examined my parent's bloodied bodies. Their sneering and mumbling fell like water on a sponge, instantly absorbed by the thick undergrowth. I stayed motionless and could hear their voices go faint, seeping back into the night. I cried, never moving, until the safety of the

Accomplished Practices Brochure Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Accomplished Practices Brochure - Research Paper Example The most common forms of technology that is used heavily in education are computers and information technology. With these, teachers have been able to perform their tasks more effectively. On the other hand, the students too have come to appreciate the lessons provided to them as they enjoy the entire learning process due to teaching methods that employ computers and other forms of technology. The Educator Accomplished Practices are basically guidelines by which the teacher is supposed to refer to while performing his tasks. Technology can also be used in ensuring that these are implemented according to professional standards and to the best interests of the students. In fact, it should be employed in these concerns if the teacher is genuinely interested in making his or her methods effective. The computer and software are the forms of technology that could be greatly used towards this end. One of the accomplished practices, for example is assessment. An accurate assessment of the students’ behavioral and intellectual response towards the lessons provided to them could only be achieved through a database. This database, which provides quantitative and qualitative information regarding the students’ condition, is best stored in a computer for easy access and formatting for charts and visual presentation. Other examples of how technology could be applied in ac complished practices are the use of the internet in the aspects of communication and continuous improvement. Audio-visual presentations may also be employed in sessions where the ability to think critically are honed. The teacher’s main concern why he or she should employ technology in performing his or her tasks is the students’ educational well-being. It is a fact that the individualization of education guarantees enhanced absorption of what is taught to the students. This is not easily realized in classroom setting. With the use of

Mens Health Magazine Research Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Mens Health Magazine Research - Case Study Example This cause may be based on observed phenomena that are directly or indirectly related to the deteriorating status of Americans' health. The next step is to establish a hypothesis to rationalize some feature of the observations (Hopper, K., 2008). Again, as far as hypothesis is concerned, the magazine's review has enough reason to speculate that children's overall health is parallel to the general lifestyle of its environment, either sanctioned by the government or common customs. The magazine has enough reasons to suspect that comparing cities' lifestyles would determine the status of children's health in these cities. The last step of the scientific method is to meticulously test the hypothesis (Hopper, K., 2008). Keep in mind that hypotheses cannot be proven (Samdahl, D. M., 1997). One can only fail to refute it. As early as now, one may actually say that Men's Health Magazine's review on the fittest and fattest cities for kids is a theory that is neither proven nor unproven. Facts about this statement will be discussed below. As a requirement, scientific method eliminates a hypothesis if tests constantly contradict the prediction. A hypothesis is only as valuable as its capacity to consistently forecast test outcomes no matter how great a hypothesis sounds. One should also remember that a hypothesis or prediction is not important if it is not testable and quantitative (Samdahl, D. M., 1997). Men's Health Magazine's theory is valid, quantitative, and testable. However, scientific method was not used quantifying and testing the publication's theory. The results are also not reliable and tend to change with a little addition or subtraction of the original data gathered. Men Health Magazine's review was based on these collected data: report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, reports by the American Heart Association and the National Association for Sport and Physical Education, statistics of winners of the President's Challenge, statistics by the CDC and Claritas, statistics by Economic Census, and the magazine's survey on the amount of fast food consumed within a month (Colleti, J., 2007). All these were quantitative researches on adults' lifestyle --- their exercise habits and eating habits --- and percentage of overweight adult population. Other data collected were reports on the number of fast-food restaurants per capita and sports activities (Colleti, J., 2007) offered to each child. A quantitative type of research would have been sufficient for this review except for the fact that all data gathered were mostly reports on adults' lifestyle. It is like judging a building based on the engineer, without consideration to other essential factors such as the owner's budget for the construction, the timeframe given to finish the structure, etc. While it may be commonly agreed that corpulence is contagious and children have Research Methods 4 a tendency to mimic their adults (Snyder, C., 2007), focusing on this principle does not constitute a solid review. As far as health lifestyle is concerned, the

Gay Marriage and its Legalities Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Gay Marriage and its Legalities - Essay Example For proponents of the human rights issue, the matter would appear to be rather open and shut in terms of challenging constitutionality and this issue impacts decision-making at the social level, even if this practice is discouraged in the rule of law. This division seems to maintain the gay marriage and its constitutionality while this divisional approach exists. â€Å"Consistent with the rule of law, however, the Department of Justice has long followed the practice of defending federal statutes as long as reasonable arguments can be made in support of their constitutionality, even if the Department disagrees with a particular statute as a policy matter, as it does here." (lawlib.state.ma.us, 2). In defense of those who uphold the constitution as a foundation on which to mold new social policy, leadership recognizes that policy on gay marriage stands and will remain defended providing there are no significant grounds on which to proclaim the act unconstitutional. Federal support for the program without claims of unconstitutionality put this issue much into state-level hands, with federal level support in the objective if the goal is to uphold this civil rights matter. The mid-tier court system that governs and shapes these policies is currently made up of very conservative judges and a blend of more liberal decision-makers (Chemerinsky, 3). Division at this level and lack of solid ground on which to claim opportunity for repealing federal policy halts the progress of ensuring adequate legal protection for gay marriage. Under this system, challenges to decisions made at the district level are put forward to the Supreme Court in the pursuit of discretionary review. In general, gay marriage will likely be decided at the highest levels of judicial scrutiny providing that a resolution (either for or against) is determined at the inferior levels of justice. States that allow gay marriage include California, though its momentum is continuously challenged.  

Strategic Analysis differentials Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Strategic Analysis differentials - Assignment Example The board of directors of public companies should be involved in the planning process associated with strategic analysis at the corporate level. The implementation of strategic analysis at the business level is much different than at the corporate level. The manager or supervisor of a business unit is the person responsible for strategic analysis decisions at the business level. A big difference between the two concepts is that decisions made at the business level do not affect the long term plans of the company. Companies that empower their employees often involve their floor employees in the decision making process at the business level. A way to involve employees in the decision making process is by implementing a feedback system. Most of the decisions performed by supervisors or managers at the business level affect the company in the short term, which is much different than at the corporate level which deals mostly with long term

Professionalism project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Professionalism project - Essay Example Sheng reckons that individuals, businesses, nonprofit organizations, and government can use managerial accounting to evaluate their business performance. More so, Sheng notes that managerial accounting follows no accounting standards or general principles and hence companies can choose specific tools and techniques for managing their businesses (Caplan 1). Sheng observed that business could implement managerial accounting by themselves or hire professional accountants with knowledge on management accounting to carry out this role. In Sheng’s case, her relative uses certain managerial accounting techniques to evaluate the business performance of the food store. Most importantly, Sheng says that various management accounting techniques help their family in making important management decisions. She named the techniques he relative uses that included budgets, variance analysis, target costing, activity based costing, just – in - time system, and break-even analysis. Sheng states that budgets are important in the food store as they create a financial road map for the management to follow while planning on how to spend business capital in the future. Sheng notes that the process of making the food store’s budget involves the analysis of past production figures, labor cost, and raw material costs used to do specific things in the business. She hence says that they use another technique called variance analysis to ensure that the management follows the budget and provides information on how to handle potential variances. Sheng states that variance analysis involves the calculation of variances on the assumed labor costs, and level of sales in the food store. As such, variance analysis helps the management of the food store to choose which department in the food store needs changes. On the other hand, Sheng state that her relative uses Just-in-time systems to ensure that supply of products to the food store takes

Gay Marriage and its Legalities Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Gay Marriage and its Legalities - Essay Example For proponents of the human rights issue, the matter would appear to be rather open and shut in terms of challenging constitutionality and this issue impacts decision-making at the social level, even if this practice is discouraged in the rule of law. This division seems to maintain the gay marriage and its constitutionality while this divisional approach exists. â€Å"Consistent with the rule of law, however, the Department of Justice has long followed the practice of defending federal statutes as long as reasonable arguments can be made in support of their constitutionality, even if the Department disagrees with a particular statute as a policy matter, as it does here." (lawlib.state.ma.us, 2). In defense of those who uphold the constitution as a foundation on which to mold new social policy, leadership recognizes that policy on gay marriage stands and will remain defended providing there are no significant grounds on which to proclaim the act unconstitutional. Federal support for the program without claims of unconstitutionality put this issue much into state-level hands, with federal level support in the objective if the goal is to uphold this civil rights matter. The mid-tier court system that governs and shapes these policies is currently made up of very conservative judges and a blend of more liberal decision-makers (Chemerinsky, 3). Division at this level and lack of solid ground on which to claim opportunity for repealing federal policy halts the progress of ensuring adequate legal protection for gay marriage. Under this system, challenges to decisions made at the district level are put forward to the Supreme Court in the pursuit of discretionary review. In general, gay marriage will likely be decided at the highest levels of judicial scrutiny providing that a resolution (either for or against) is determined at the inferior levels of justice. States that allow gay marriage include California, though its momentum is continuously challenged.  

Professionalism project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Professionalism project - Essay Example Sheng reckons that individuals, businesses, nonprofit organizations, and government can use managerial accounting to evaluate their business performance. More so, Sheng notes that managerial accounting follows no accounting standards or general principles and hence companies can choose specific tools and techniques for managing their businesses (Caplan 1). Sheng observed that business could implement managerial accounting by themselves or hire professional accountants with knowledge on management accounting to carry out this role. In Sheng’s case, her relative uses certain managerial accounting techniques to evaluate the business performance of the food store. Most importantly, Sheng says that various management accounting techniques help their family in making important management decisions. She named the techniques he relative uses that included budgets, variance analysis, target costing, activity based costing, just – in - time system, and break-even analysis. Sheng states that budgets are important in the food store as they create a financial road map for the management to follow while planning on how to spend business capital in the future. Sheng notes that the process of making the food store’s budget involves the analysis of past production figures, labor cost, and raw material costs used to do specific things in the business. She hence says that they use another technique called variance analysis to ensure that the management follows the budget and provides information on how to handle potential variances. Sheng states that variance analysis involves the calculation of variances on the assumed labor costs, and level of sales in the food store. As such, variance analysis helps the management of the food store to choose which department in the food store needs changes. On the other hand, Sheng state that her relative uses Just-in-time systems to ensure that supply of products to the food store takes

On Morality Essay Example for Free

On Morality Essay What is Morality? The inevitable fore comings of being a child literally flash right before your eyes. One minute you are learning how to walk and talk and in the next you are graduating high school. We find ourselves constantly wondering where the hell all that time went. And in between all this growing up it seems we acquire a set of â€Å"morals† and â€Å"values†; merely things we tend to blame our actions and thoughts on. It’s like this illusory line comes into play where we place the good and the bad. Perhaps once you have a belief about something it becomes permanent and forever engraved in your head but I don’t think I have the particular values or perspectives on life as I once did. To think that one of a parent’s main ambitions is to produce a child and raise it to have said good morals and values. It is only slightly disturbing to think of Hitler or Stalin’s parents and wonder what happened? As an adolescent we are taught an abundance of things, but if asked to come up with pertinent examples, I think a lot of us would stutter to come up with a few. The problem is that these lessons and ideals become instilled in us therefore becoming second nature – no thought process needed. A moral is something so excruciating and hard to be defined. Everyone seems to have their own set, but how is it that the majority sees the differences between okay and not in agreement? The absence of an explanation leads me to conclude that your own values and morals are dependent upon the circumstances you are subjected to. The point that I am so desperately trying to convey is that certain situations I had to deal with as a child and a young adult have led to my morals and values consequently changing. Joan Didion once said, â€Å"I followed my own conscience. I did what I thought was right. How many mad men have said and meant it? † (On morality, 1965) A statement that is so relevant to my own thinking due to the fact that I have felt myself questioning where and how the â€Å"good and bad† contour was formed. If a mad man truly felt that a mass murder was right, and cohesive with his conscience, then who are any of us to circumscribe his well -being? When you think of this mad man in a different context, you resolve that maybe rather than being â€Å"mad† possibly, he has converted his pragmatic necessities into moral imperatives without second thought. â€Å"You see I want to be quite obstinate about insisting that we have no way of knowing – beyond that fundamental loyalty to the social code- what is â€Å"right† what is â€Å"wrong† what is â€Å"good† what is â€Å"evil†. I dwell upon this because the most disturbing aspect of morality seem to me to be the frequency with which the word now appears; in the press, on television, in the most perfunctionary kinds of conversation. † (Joan Didion, on morality) What Joan Didion and presumably I keep diverging back to is the improper use of the word. What truly matters is exactly that- the way in which you toss these words around. Words like morals and values are merely titles. The manuscript of my childhood may or may not have stayed but there are still reminiscent little bits that remind me of who I am and where I came from. So what is morality? I have no idea.

Assessing The Strategic Human Resource Management Preferences Business Essay

Assessing The Strategic Human Resource Management Preferences Business Essay Number of growing organizations believes that Human Resource (HR) provides them competitive advantage. It was understood by many organizations that competitive advantage can be obtained by quality work force/employees and culture. Approach of linking Human Resource Management to Strategic objectives of an organization is called as Strategic Human Resource Management (SHRM) (Bratton and Gold, 2001). It was cited by Bratton and Gold (2001, p39) strategic management is defined as that set of managerial decisions and actions that determines the long-run performance of a corporation. Strategic HR ensures that employees/human capital of an organization contributes to its achievements with their skills and performance. Traditional HR is concerned with implementation of policies and techniques like recruitment, staffing, remuneration, assessment etc (Klabbers, University of Bergen). But linking the general HRM and the organizations strategy gives HR department more scope to enhance the abili ties of their workforce and concentrate on the vision and mission. This connection is made to improve the organization performance and develop organizational culture which in turn facilitates innovation and flexibility. Overall the key principle of Strategic HRM is to achieve organizations vision and mission. Bratton (2001) describes SHRM as a continuous process that requires constant adjustment in three major areas namely Value of Senior management, the environment and the resources available. Fig 1: Three major poles in strategic planning (Adapted from Bratton and Gold, 2001) Some authors believe that Strategic HRM is an Outcome and some believe that its a process. It was cited by Bratton and Gold (2004) that authors like Ulrich (1997) and Snell et al had different opinion on Strategic HRM. Snell et al believed that its an outcome designed to achieve sustained competitive edge through quality workforce. Ulrich (1997) also stated SHRM as an outcome of mission, vision and priorities of HR department. HR strategies are more concerned about matching the Five Ps that stimulates the employee roles for competitive strategy (Bratton and Gold, 2004, p46 and Cerdin and Ashok Som, 2003). It was cited by Cerdin and Ashok Som (2003) that Strategic HRM is identified in three levels namely Strategic, Managerial and operational level. Strategic level looks to the long term future, Managerial level looks at the mid term and the operation level looks at the short term focus. Different models and approaches were discussed in this assignment to understand the functionality o f strategic HRM and how far the organization able to implement it. Models and Approaches There are several approaches and models by which Strategic HRM can be applied but basic strategic HRM model is widely accepted by many authors, researchers and even critics as well (Kane and Palmer, 1995). This basic model is based on the external and internal environment and basic organization strategies. Fig 2 Basic Model of Strategic Human resource Management (Adapted from Kane and Palmer, 1995) Strategic HRM models demonstrate how an organization links its business strategies and HR function to achieve it goals. Though SHRM adopts resource based philosophy, there are three different models defined by authors (Bratton and Gold, 2004, p49). These models are Control based, Resource based and Integrative model. Control based approach generally deals with control of work place and direct monitoring of employee performance. According to this approach, HR strategies and management structure are used as instruments and techniques to enhance labour productivity and there by increasing profitability. Resource based approach satisfies the human capital requirements of the organization (Armstrong, 2006, p117).It was observed by Bratton and Gold (2004) that sustained competitive advantage is not achieved by external market position but careful assessment of their own skills and capabilities that competitors cannot copy. Main objective of this approach is improving resource capability and effective utilization of resources to achieve the goals set by the organization. Within this model there are three different approaches by which organization can implement strategic HRM practices (Armstrong, 2006, p117) High Performance management approach High commitment management model and High involvement management model High Performance model helps in developing several processes by which employee performance is improved and impacted. This in turn directly effects the organization growth. This model believes enhancing the employee skills and encouraging them to learn continuously. This model involves rigorous recruitment and selection procedures, learning development activities and performance management system. Kemin nutritional technologies in India adopted similar model in implementing their strategies human resource. Kemin is a manufacturer of animal feed ingredients and human food ingredients. Their head quarter is located in Des Moines, US and having operations in over eight countries. Kemin have more than 4000 employees world wide. Kemins vision is to improve quality of Life by touching half the people of the world every day with its products and services. In order to achieve this vision Kemin strategically aligned all its divisions to contribute to the vision. HR division developed strategies to improve workforce capabilities and bring quality workforce into the organization. They have made certain changes in their recruiting process that will indirectly lead them to the vision of the organization. Now their selection process is complex and specifically looks for individuals who are matching to their core values. The recruiting process involves three stages with the initial screening is made to identify the ability of the individual to adapt to the situations and show high levels of resilience. Individuals integrity is also tested during this process. This process is fallowed by the technical assessment of an individual by the concerned department and finally personal interview is done by the HR to speak about his growth in this organization, performance analysis, incentives and learning prospective. Once the strategic planning is done for the year, senior management roles out the goals and responsibilities to the concerned departments. They constantly monitor the proceedings of their departments and analyse how far they have come. For example, Customer Lab Services (CLS) come under the marketing department. This department is evolved to support the marketing department technically. All the employees in the CLS have clear job responsibilities which will contribute the organizations strategic goals. If the organizations (Kemins) strategic plan is to improve one particular product group in this year, all the employees in CLS will have their SMART (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Time bound) goals related to that product category. This SMART goals system is implemented by Kemin to align organizational strategy to the HR practices so that they have a competitive edge to their competitors. These goals are set during the beginning of the year and monitored regularly by the senior management/supervisors. These goals are agreed mutually with the concerned supervisor regularly and employees are committed to deliver them. Kemin in 2005 introduced 360 degree appraisal system to analyse the employee performance in the place of regular one to one appraisal system. In 360 degree feedback system, employees are asked to select colleagues, peers or supervisors to rate them in the aspects of adoptability, development, learning, team work and technical etc. Again selection of the ratters should be discussed with the employee and his/her supervisor. All the employees are encouraged to participate in team meetings, ask questions regarding the approach of the organization to achieve certain task. Employees are also encouraged to submit ideas which will lead to a new product or a new business opportunity. Employees are provided with career ladders to understand about the hierarchies and their future growth. This will enable employee to focus more and contribute to the organizational growth and there by obtaining personal benefit. Kemin also identified few employees interested in taking new job roles and provided them with horizontal promotions (Lima and Pereira, 2003). For example an employee who was found efficient in serving customers was identified and offered to serve in marketing department where the employee originally belongs to CLS (Technical). Kemins HR department also incorporated developmental goals in their regular SMART goals so that employees make an effort to develop some personal capabilities which in turn help organization or help the individual to perform the job better. Kemin regularly conduct strategic meetings with the HR personals to understand their core capabilities and competencies. Some of the key points are listed below. Finally all the employees who are leaving Kemin are interviewed in process called Exit interview (Arnold, 1995) to find out their experience with Kemin and know possible areas of improvement. A clear vision and mission Clear job description and SMART Goals Rigorous recruitment/interview process 360 degree appraisal system Developmental trainings Horizontal promotions Encouraged to learn and develop continuously Exit interviews One of the main strategic plans of Kemin is to maximise utilization of resources without increasing the cost structure. Kemin HR had built a strategy to cope up with this task. HR hired few internship students to conduct market surveys and research in different locations so that they avoid cost bared by regular employees and their time and travel expenses. These small things contributed in a big way to companys performance. All the departments worked parallel to each other to achieve the same objective saving time and money. Overall by implementing these strategies Kemins Strategic HRM function aligns with the companys objectives, vision and mission. These strategies deliver high performance environment for the employees and for the management. Kemin also provided opportunities for its employees to work globally and allowed them to participate in seminars, conferences etc where ever they were held. Kemin also made a strategy to retain employees by giving them benefits for staying lon g years. Once the employee of Kemin stays longer than 15 years he/she will join the presidents elite committee which plays a major role in taking key business decisions. The High commitment approach is defines as a focused approach which concentrates on development of career goals and trainability and commitment of employees (Armstrong, 2006, p119). Key points of this strategic approach are developing ownership where employees are given opportunity to speak and involved in decision making. The second aspect is providing clear communication to the employees about the goal they are committed to achieve (Armstrong, 2006, p279). And the initiative of this approach is to develop leadership skills. Commitment can be increased or enhanced by making leaders inside the organization. From this theory it is understood that Kemin also practiced such type of strategies to improve the commitment of the employees. Kemin provide employees with useful trainings like SALT (Strategic accounts and leadership Program) and Project Management (e.g. Stage Gate process).So it seems Kemin strategic HRM is a mix of the two approaches discussed above. The High involvement approach involves treating employees as partners in the organization. In this approach employees are given opportunity to communicate with the managers continuously about the organizations mission, vision, values and objectives. Integrative model characterized by two dimensions namely acquisition and development and the locus of control (Bratton and Gold, 2004, p53). Bratton and Gold explained that Bamberger and Meshoulam (2000) integrate two main models of SHRM. Whatever strategy or approach fallowed by organization it is the aim of the SHRM to obtain competitive advantage and achieve organization objectives. TASK TWO HRM Practices , horizontal and vertical integration Introduction Organization now concerned about their human capital and their competitive advantage. Human resource management (HRM) largely replaced the term Personnel management. Personnel management deals with managing people in the organization who contributes to the organizations performance. Human resource management can be defined as a strategic and coherent approach to the management of people. HRM operates in a coherent way to help organization perform better and achieve target. HR philosophies, strategies, policies, processes, practices and programs are the processes by which Human resource function works. Values and guidelines of principles of people management (Armstrong, 2006, p4) are described in the HR philosophies. HR strategies define the path of the HR function in achieving organizations vision. Key functions of HR department are Improve organizations effectiveness Human capital management Knowledge management Rewarding and employee relationship management All the goals and policies are made by the HR department are finally helps to improve stakeholder value by putting the customer in the first place. HR function will play a major role in creation of an environment for the employees that enable them to utilize their capabilities maximum and benefit the organization (Armstrong, 2006, p54). HR function also supports the management to achieve its vision through the people. HR function also aligns with organizations strategies to achieve vision and it can also be described as vertical integration. Concept of coherence can be described as Horizontal integration which defines developing HR employment and development policies and practices. Different theorists defined several models Human resource management. Some of the models include Matching model, Harvard frame work model and conceptual model. Matching model include four generic processes namely selection, appraisal, rewarding and development. The Harvard frame work model was developed by Beer et al of Harvard University, hence called as Harvard model. s Kemins HR function employed effective policies to serve employees and the organization with benefits. By providing benefits to the employees it is eminent that organizations performance is improved. HR function in Kemin operated in organized way by both horizontal and vertical integration. To integrate HRM successfully its is observed that people in that department should have a good idea about how HRM is different from personnel management (Cathy, 2005). Kemins vision states that Improve the quality of life and touching people, and their mission states that they provide nutritional solution to the customers by continuous improvement in their people, process and products. Every department in the company has been provided with a quality policy for which the department is committed to achieve certain tasks. Kemin HR quality policy is to provide best man power, improve organizational culture, reduce cost to the company, provide healthy and safe environment to the employees and provide c ompetitive edge to the company. Some of the key HR policies and practices adopted by Kemin are listed below. Code of Conduct Appraisal and promotions Internet and email policies Selection of employee and referral program Dress code and corporate clothing Salary increase, increments and incentives Leave and transfer policies Equal opportunities These policies make sure that HR function deliver best value to the employees. Horizontal integration of HR policies in Kemin was done with precision so that employees feel satisfied about the efforts of organization in treating them. Selection of employee was done with great importance. The interview process includes analysing the persons ability to adjust to the culture, capability to deliver job and respect the vision of the company. Salary negotiations were done in the HR interview to meet the organizations requirements. Important HR policies regarding transfer, promotions, transfers, relocation were circulated to the employees to make them aware of the organization policies and avoid any kind of confusion. It is important for the HR function in Kemin to protect and preserve companys valuable information within. The code of conduct and internet email policies serves as the protective strategies for Kemin. All the Kemin employees were asked to maintain professional relationship w ith internal and external customers and maintain the organization culture. One more basic function which was employed by Kemin was providing trainings to the employees for defined hours in a year. All the employees are eligible for the trainings and the trainings were selected based on the department and job roles. These training are provided to employees for their personal development and to make employee take care of his own career instead of looking for promotions (Ben, 1998) Employee referral system was found to be effective in Kemin. Every employee can refer a friend, past colleague or any he knows for any available position in Kemin and when the referred persons is successful and joins the company, employee will get a monitory benefit. This will encourage employees to bring new talent to the organization. Kemins HR department takes good care of the new employee in a way that he/she will get familiar with the organizations flow, roles and responsibilities of the job. An induction program will be provided for the new employee and mentor for the new empl oyee also assigned to monitor the progress. All the employees were provided with career ladder so that employee knows where he stands and understand the organizations hierarchies. Employees performance was measured twice in a year. Performance was measured in terms of SMART goals. Every goal set was given with some weightage and employees bound to achieve those goals. Performance will be measured in ratings/marks gained on the scale of 5. For example if an employees performance was analysed as meets the requirement, it means he/she achieved 3 on the scale. If the employee exceeds expectation it is measured as 5 on the scale. If the employee attains 5 on the scale, he/she will be eligible to climb up the career ladder. Increment and incentive schemes were rolled out to all the departments to reward the employees according to their performance. Vertical integration of HRM deals with the alignment of HR strategies with business strategies. This kind of integration encourages everyone in the organization to take responsibility of HRM, not just the HR department (Cathy, 2005). It was cited by Cathy (2005) that HR role also requires a business partner role along with the HR manager. Kemins HR manager was effective in delivering tasks related to people and controlling business process as well. Kemins HR manager was involved in many operation meetings and board meetings and developed ideas to achieve the strategic goals. This can be explained by an example by which HR manager made a difference in reducing cost to company and helping the strategic goal achievement. Kemin wanted increase the customer retention and satisfaction by 5 percent, increase the product sales by 25 percent during the year 2005. To achieve the task all the product managers had to work collectively in mobilizing the sales force. But achieving 25 sales growth was something difficult without the help of HR manager or department. It was difficult for the sales people to travel all over India as it consumes lot of time money. HR manger then employed internship students from different backgrounds to serve different departments in different location. This saved enormous amount of time and money for the company. The other concept of HRM vertical integration is to provide organizational learning/work based learning. Every employee has been provided with 40 hours training. It was cited by Bratton and Gold (2001) that formal and informal trainings can act as lever for the organization in terms of sustained core competencies. Trainings such as SALT (strategic account and leadership trainings) and Project management trainings make the difference in the employees in terms of competency and leadership which are most important for the organization. Kemins strategy is to produce innovative products with best processes. One of the Kemins HR policies includes Idea generation by which employees can submit an idea to improve, develop a product or a process. Each Idea will be considered after a careful investigation and analysing the feasibility. If the idea is unsuccessful initially, it is recorded for future use or reference. Once any idea is successful, idea generator is recognized and rewarded so that it motivates the other employees to contribute in the same way. Retaining the quality staff always been a difficult task for organizations. Reducing employee attrition rate/ worker turnover ( Ing-chung Haung et al, 2006) was one of the important goals for Kemin. Kemins HR employed a new strategy to retain the skilled employees. Kemin offered overseas assignments to the employments where they can work for sometime out side the country of origin. This lead to belief and trust of the employees on Kemin and lot of employees anticipated and shown positive approach to it. To improve the performance analysis of employees Kemin incorporated 360 degree feed back mechanism by which employees are rated based on their performance and behaviour. One of the main functions of the HR is to manage change in the organization. Change management is the process of continuous renewal of organization structure, direction and capabilities (Moran and Brightman, 2001). To improve the working condition Kemin even changed its office location to Chennai (India) city from a r ural area. HR played a major role in facilitating the change. He handled the people resistance (Waddel and Amrik, 1998) to the change in way that it had a very little impact on the organization performance. This change was anticipated by Kemin to achieve corporate goals and improve working conditions for the employees. Kemin seemed to effectively integrating its HR strategies to its business strategies. Recommendation Although Kemin appeared to be functioning well in the area of HR management, there are some areas of concern for the Kemin. Its is suggested that Kemin could use best fit model or the mix of culture fit and best fit models to manage the strategic HR function. Kemins employees had a dissatisfaction regarding the company salary policy and employee welfare. Though Kemin appear to be well function strategically, its bit neglected the Horizontal integration part. Kemins employees were unsure about the increment and incentive packages. In their policies it was mention that how and who are eligible for incentive and increments but it was not clearly mentioned that what is the percentage of raise they will get if their performance is above expectation. Few of the recommendations are listed below. It is suggested to document and communicate the reward and incentive policies accurately. Conduct regular audits to improve HR function and performance. It is suggested to Kemin that it employs strategies to improve employee satisfaction in terms of salary and compensation policies. Kemin should continue its practices in analysing the performance of employee and look for continuous improvement of the process. Kemins recognition system also needs improvements as they does not involve lower level employees. Often people from those levels hesitate to come forward and submit an idea. Kemin is suggested to have some strategies to motivate the lower level employees and come forward to participate in developmental programs. Kemin also should engage employees in some cultural activities that enhance team building and group working culture. Kemin also should employ job rotation (Huang, 1999) policy to enhance the learning capabilities and change to routine job responsibilities. These recommendation might help Kemin in improving the quality of life of their employees and help organization to perform better. Overall Kemin seem to be in good condition in employing HR policies and practices both in horizontal and in vertical integration. REFERENCES Armstrong Michael (2006), A hand book of Human resource management practices, 10th edition, Cambridge University Press, London. Arnold Kransdorff (1995) Exit interviews as an induction tool, Management Development Review, Volume 8  · Number 2  · pp. 37-40,  © MCB University Press Ben Ball (1998), Career management competences the individual perspective Librarian Career Development, Vol. 6 No. 7, pp. 3-11,  © MCB University Press Bob Kane and Ian Palmer (1995), Strategic HRM or managing the employment relationship, International Journal of Manpower 16,5/6, pp. 6-21, © MCB University Press. Bratton J, Gold J, (2001), Human Resource Management: Theory and Practice, Routledge, Publications. 2nd edition. Cathy Sheehan (2005), A model for HRM strategic Integration, Personnel Review Vol. 34 No. 2, pp. 192-209 q Emerald Group Publishing Limited Cerdin Jean-Luc Ashok SOM (2003),Strategic Human Resource Management Practices: An Exploratory Survey of French Organisations, Strategic human resource management practices: exploratory surveys on French organization, Groupe ESSEC CERNTRE DE RECHERCHE / RESEARCH CENTER, ESSEC Working Papers DR 03024 Huang, H. J. (1999). Job Rotation from the Employees Point of View, Research and Practice in Human Resource Management, 7(1), 75-85. see at http://rphrm.curtin.edu.au/1999/issue1/rotation.html, accessed electronically on 14th May 2008. Ing-chung Haung, Hao-chien Lin, Chih-Hsun Chuang, (2006) Constructing factors related to worker retention, International Journal of Manpower, Vol. 27 No. 5, pp. 491-508 q Emerald Group Publishing Limited Klabber Jan H.G, Enhancing corporate change: The case of strategic human resource management, University of Bergen, Norway, KMPC Netherlands, See at   http://www.ifm.eng.cam.ac.uk/mcn/pdf_files/part9_1.pdf, accessed electronically on 8th May 2008. Lima F and Pereira P T (2003), Careers and wages within large firms: evidence from a matched employer-employee data set International Journal of Manpower, Vol. 24 No. 7, pp. 812-835 q MCB UP Limited Moran J.W and Brightman B.K (2001), Leading organizational change, career development international, vol.6 No.2, pp 111-118, MCB University press. Ulrich, D. (1997), Human Resource Champions: The Next Agenda for Adding Value and Delivering Results, Harvard Business School Press, Boston, MA, . Waddell Dianne and Amrik S. Sohal (1998), Resistance: a constructive tool for change management Decision, Management decision, 36/8, MCB University Press, pp 543-548

A Narrative of the Captivity and Restoration of Mrs. Mary Rowlandson Es

The Pressure to Assimilate in Mary Rowlandson’s A Narrative of the Captivity and Restoration of Mrs. Mary Rowlandson There are times when assimilation is not a choice but rather something is forced. In circumstances such as being taken hostage, the ability to survive must come at the price of assimilating one's own customs into another lifestyle. In February of 1675 the Native Americans who were at war with the Puritans obtained hostage Mary Rowlandson of the Plymouth colony. During this time she must perform a role that is uncommon to a colonial woman's way of life so that she may live among them. With the need to survive, how can a person accommodate a second culture? The actions of Mary Rowlandson demonstrate how a person can gain, retain, and end up examining their own beliefs for logical validity. Due to a limited food supply in the tribe, it can't be generosity given to Rowlandson; doing so would cause the entire tribe to become hungry. Rowlandson hand makes clothes for Native Americans in exchange for essentials. She trades with her caretakers and even the well-known King of the tribe. On several occasions she argues with the Natives, attempting not to lose what is her property. Trading and arguing with others was not a job performed by women in her colony; however, in her situation, a change of role is needed in order for her to live with her captors. In the seventeenth century, her change of role might have been seen as a sign of weakness, but today, it's much easier to see her change of role as being a sign of strength; After all, it takes a strong willed person to carry out a change in their life. An altering of one's religion alone could be a difficult task for some, but for Puritans in everyday situations... ...lture expects her to be. In summary, what Mary Rowlandson understands about the Native Americans changes greatly during her confinement. This change in her day-to-day life enables her to live among a Native American tribe while still being a faithful Puritan. The change in her viewpoint gives her not only an understanding of the Native culture, but also her own as well. Although it was never written that her role in the Plymouth colony changed after her return, one could speculate that she may have at least questioned her own beliefs and questioned what God may truly be looking for in a Puritan. Works Cited: Rowlandson, Mary. "A Narrative of the Captivity and Restoration of Mrs. Mary Rowlandson." Negotiating Difference: Cultural Case Studies for Composition. Ed. Patricia Bizzell and Bruce Herzberg. Boston: Bedford Books of St. Martin's Press, 1996. 67-83.