The Theory Of Parallelism

The Theory Of Parallelism Mind and body is considered as a separate form of human. By giving an example for mind such as sad, euphoria, angry or happy, it is considered as mind. A mind can be explained as what we called feeling. For our body, it can do things such as cycling, hiking, writing paperwork, and talking. We cannot see how large is our mind but we can see our body. So, we can conclude that body is a physical subject while mind is a mentally subject. Based on the older philosophy theory, the mind and body is not correlated. This theory is called as parallelism. What is parallelism? Based on thefreedictionary.com, parallelism is The doctrine that to every mental change there corresponds a concomitant but causally unconnected physical alteration. (thefreedictionary.com ,2009) The meaning is every changes that happened in our mind, doesnt affect our body while the changes in our body doesnt affect our mind. These two are independent against each other. For example, if were happy, it just a stimulation o f chemical in our body that is call endorphin. It is nothing related to our thinking. However, if we are saying that the mind and body are two different and independent things, we are no better than a machine or robot. The idea of Descartes theory has formed a mind and body problem. So what is mind and body problem? The problem is how does mind and body correlated to each other? According to Descartes philosophy, mind is a thinking thing while body is an extended thing. These two is somehow related to each other. To answer this question, Decartes has formed a philosophical theory called dualism. Based on Decartess dualism, body and mind is dependent against each other. The body needs the mind to tell them how to react and what to do and the mind needs the body as an object to express our thinking. However, if we said that there are connected to each other, but where is the connection between the mind and the body? There must some connection within the mind and body. The things that we think somehow affect our body and vice versa. Decartes solution is possible for mind/body problem. What he said was mind and body are connected and irrelevant to each other, but where is the bond that connects the mind and body? Do they even exist? We cant say that our body is connected by electrons or electromagnetic waves that generate within our body because electrons and electromagnetic waves is something that we can see and know for a long time through science. The connection between mind and body must not be visible to our naked eyes. If we use the theory of electrons as our proof of the existence; a scientist can manipulate the electrons that connect through our mind and body and extract the mind and put into someones body. The body must have a special code or something special to connect with the mind. We cant just move the mind into someones body to survive. If we can do that, we can escape the fact of death. When a person is about to die, just extract the electrons and put into someones body. According to Joseph Almog, he said that ..here is the kind of mind a mind is is stable in time. Given that Decartess Meditation is a human mind, it may not turn into an angelic or divine mind.. (Joseph Almog, 2002, pg 94). Mind provides use stability. Hence, there must be a connection that binds within a mind and a body of a person, and mind and body must be complete with each other. Besides that, if mind and body arent related just as what parallelism said, we can just live in this world without a body. The body basically is an extended thing. If I ask a normal person, what they think about mind. Basically they will just tell you something like mind is a soul, mental, or a spirit. So why dont we just live in this world just by using a soul? Isnt that our body is just a little an extra feature? When were dead, our body will be assumed as a corpse, our soul will be assumed as a spirit. Based on what I said before this about spirit and corpse, if dualism is not a solution for this, we can say that were just spirit living in a corpse body. We are no better than a zombie that doesnt have any feeling and emotion towards anything. It is basically just a walking corpse. As a result for that, to be called as a human or a living being, one must be exist with a package that contains mind and body. These two things arent divisible as they two are depending on each other. Ba sed on science, there is nothing such as zombie, spirit or recreation exists. However, the scientific reporting of the reality only provided evidence based on medical research investigating birthmarks and defects. (Casimir J. Bonk,contents pg xvii) This determines how we can deeply understand what an individual with thinking and physical are connected together. Apart from that, physical (body) must exist with mind (consciousness). A person wouldnt know what pain is, if the physical part of his body does not experience any pain before. For example, if a person touches a hot stove, he/she will feel the pain by pulling his/her hand. That person can scream too as an alert to show that we are in pain. However, the pain feeling will stays in our consciousness. For the next time, even when the stove if not hot, when we are going to touch it, there is a pain feeling in our mind. Besides that, if a person did not feel any pain before, will they know what is the meaning of pain is? They might just know the theory of pain but not exact consciousness of pain. Hence, it creates a conscious between mind and body about how we feel. In conclusion, I think Decartess dualism is the solution for mind and body problem. Mind must exist with the body and body must exist with mind to stay in what we called as a human being. Without any of them, we are just a dead corpse or a spirit. Hence, I think Decartes has one of the best solutions for this problem. Citation Joseph Almog, 2002 What am I?: Descartes and the mind-body problem, Oxford University Printing Press. http://www.thefreedictionary.com/parallelism , Access 17th February 2011, Updated at year 2000 Casimir J. Bonk, 2010, Descartes Was Right! Souls Do Exist and Reincarnation Proves It: A Challenge To Rethink Dualism

Managing An Overseas Branch Office Management Essay

Managing An Overseas Branch Office Management Essay Cabelas Inc. is a well-established specialty retailer of hunting, fishing and outdoor gear, since its founding in 1961 by the brothers Dick and Jim Cabela, it has grown from a small company from their parents kitchen table into a 3 billion NYSE publicly listed company with 41 stores in the United States and Canada. In order to have better support and more effective communication with vendors, the Cabelas HK office had been started in 2005 to cope with the rapid increase in merchandise styles and the growing demand of an overseas quality assurance team. For the first 43 years Cabelas would only need to manage offices, warehouses and retail locations all inside United States, with the new HK office in 2005 and Canada office in 2009, and possibly an Australian store in the coming 2 years, it is time to identify the methodology of Managing an Overseas Office. 1.2 Rationale for Identifying the Issue At the beginning there was only 5 contract staff in the Cabelas Hong Kong office, as the company grew to a 25-employee office, to manage it becomes a challenge. As a member of the Cabelas HK office, seeing the differences between the US and HK team, and also the issues with communications with respect to differences in background, culture, language, knowledge, relationships, etc., its important to identify the issues and tackle them using the 3Rs Recognize, Remedy and Report. When interviewing our CEO and President Mr. Tommy Millner, he said, The challenges of running an international office are pure cultural in my view. Specifically, how do we get our employees in China to accept and embrace the values that were created in the farm lands of Western Nebraska? Whereas when interviewing the HK Office Manager Mr. Justin Gordon his view is very different, as he mentioned The main challenge for a manager is to ensure he /she gets clear instructions / directions / objectives from those he /she reports to. Without these it is virtually impossible for the manager to give clear instructions to those that report to him/her. This then results in what appears to be poor management. These would be 2 of the most important HR related issues with managing an overseas office Cultural and Communication. This document will discuss all the related challenges and provide recommendations for management on how to effectively manage an overseas office, in order to create a happy working environment that creates trust and value their employees, with responsible HR practices aligning to CSR values. 1.3 Recommendations for Management The question of how to better manage an overseas office has been a broad issue, there are many variables and could have a lot of ways to do it better, which should all be catered to a particular situation. The below outlines a few main concerns and recommendations to management to make a difference in the overseas office. Cultural Differences For urban dwellers it would be hard for them to imagine the life of people growing up in the nature while hunting, fishing, hiking and camping is embraced in their everyday lifestyle. It is not easy to change how employees think, except to fly them to Nebraska to really experience it, listen to stories how hunting should be done ethically, and why hunting is considered essential in some areas of the world. The reason for thinking it is cruel is that they are not exposed before and thus do not understand, by education and exposing them with the reality, this could be corrected in times. Of course for them to fall in love with hunting would not be very possible, but taking another direction and lead them to appreciating the nature could be a better approach. Cabelas has recently launched a new anthem Its In Your Nature. It has always been a controversial topic in the office where hunting equals cruelty. As the anthem suggests, its in your nature to respect for tomorrow, it could apply to hunting and fishing, and it could also apply to overseas staff with preserving the environment by less greenhouse gas emission, switching off the lights behind you, and printing conservatively. The difference in the traditional cultural background could also be creating issues at work. Nobody intends to offend anyone else, but may do so inadvertently if not educated in the cultures. For example Americans casually throw their name cards over their desks, while Asians considered that as rude. Relationships in Chinese context are very important in businesses, but westerners might see that as bribery in some ways. It would take both sides to learn each others culture, as a responsible corporate this difference must be respected and HR policies should be sensitive in addressing this through values, ideas and beliefs. It would also be HRs responsibility to educate employees about diversity, that different people would act differently for the same circumstances, and respect would be the key to work together. Suggestions to Management: Educating and exposing employees to company culture lead employees into appreciating the nature and wildlife HR policies should be sensitive in addressing cultural differences HR should educate employees about diversity Coordination between Corporate Office and Overseas Office As the HK Office Manager has identified, clear instructions from corporate office to overseas office would be essential for managers to communicate directions to employees. These would include long and short time objectives and goals, HRM initiatives as well as CSR commitments. Objectives and goals could assist employees recognize their value, have a target to look forward to, knowing what they are doing is making a difference, and would be contributing to the sustainable growth of the company. The current Employee Handbook is written for US outfitters, the Director of Human has commented that the company will follow the same HR practices for overseas outfitters where the policies are not otherwise dictated by local laws or customs. Of course ideally there should be a customized local version as the office grows, it would be the best if employees can be involved with setting the policy so that what they are looking for could be considered and included too. Whereas for CSR commitments, bear in mind that employees nowadays not only look for the salary, but also if they are working for a responsible employer with greater corporate disclosure  [1]  . With the cultural differences, it would not be surprising to see different expected CSR initiatives between US and overseas employees, and therefore staff involvement would be crucial to make sure HR is working on the focused areas when drafting the CSR commitments for overseas offices. It is important to keep your HRM initiatives and CSR commitments alive in your corporate communications on a regular basis. Very often employees of overseas offices would have a feeling that they are being neglected being far away. Semi-annual or even seasonal meetings with the corporate HR department could pull everybody together so that employees will get to hear first-hand updates and HR can hear about comments to policies and procedures. Either somebody from the corporate office visits the overseas office regularly, or the video conferencing system could be utilized, as face to face meetings create warmer atmospheres. Also whenever anybody from the senior management team visits the overseas office, make sure they schedule an hour to meet with the whole office and update them with what is happening at the corporate office, how is the business for the last quarter, new management level changes, exciting new store opening announcements, comments from US team to the work from the overseas team, etc., could be great information for the employees. Other than that, sharing corporate presentations, keeping employees updated through company announcements and regular newsletters are the instruments necessary to keep employees energized about the organizations socially responsible initiatives. Suggestions to Management: there should be a customized local version of the Employee Handbook with employee involvement when drafting CSR commitments for overseas offices take into account employees needs too regular meetings with the HR department from the corporate office keep employees updated whenever senior management team visits the overseas office Good communication within Teams Although emails would do for day to day routine communications, weekly departmental or whole office face to face meetings would also be a good way for the team to sit together and go through the agendas and projects to see if there are obstacles and any help could be provided. It would also be a good time for the HR manager to announce anything related to the office well-being, such as new medical care plans, job duties assigned, or new regulations imposed by the corporate office etc. Currently there is a lack of these weekly meetings in the Cabelas HK office for the office manager to know if there are any concerns with work, although the office manager usually keeps an open door policy, it would still be beneficial to start so that employees will feel warmer with the closer communications and a feeling that they are well taken care of with their job security and career progression  [2]  . Managers should also not be locked up in their room the whole day but to walk out and talk to the team more, through these day to day communications would the manager be able to know how employees have been working hard to gain the trust and advance on the targets. Managers could also be able to establish a loving environment and let the employees feel a sense of belonging through additional interactions. Whenever the office manager needs to make a big decision he should ask the employees for advises so that they feel respected and a better sense of confidence. Sometimes interdepartmental task forces would be created for special tasks, these groups could have members from both US team and overseas team. To ensure better communication web conferences on a regular basis could enhance the communication and grow the bond between the teams, as well as eliminating misunderstanding through email communications too. Suggestions to Management: More face to face meetings should be arranged between Office manager and all employees Manager should check with employees for comments before making major decisions Web conferences should be utilized for tasks forces to communicate with the US team The Role of HR Manager Talents that are well suited into a companys culture are hard to find but are the greatest asset any company can possess. In order to obtain and retain these talents, HR would need to make sure the company brand is well managed to attract talents, and competitive packages, rewards and incentives are offered to retain talents. Employees nowadays would also be looking forward to involvements in giving back to the society, the HR manager could send surveys and discuss with the staff what employee volunteering would they prefer, and work with social enterprises to arrange volunteer projects. At times of major disasters the company can setup donation boxes and send love to organizations that uses the money most wisely. Also working with employees to preserve the environment by switching off lights behind, printing less, and avoiding non-reusable utensils cold help too. Other than daily administration work, the HR Manager should also periodically hold workshops with employees to go through employee handbook and code of conducts and make sure everybody understands their rights and obligations. Employees also work happier in an environment without discrimination, one that promotes a diversity workforce and inclusion in the workplace. HR in US has recently employed a Senior Diversity Manager, whom would be planning events for diversity and inclusion. The HR manager could take the initiative and work with the diversity manager to create diversity programs specially catered for overseas office, especially with a big cultural difference in HK. Suggestions to Management: HR manager should hold workshops to go through employees rights and obligations HR should make sure company brand is well managed to attract talents HR should ensure there are competitive packages, rewards and incentives to retain talents Staff volunteering should be arranged for employees to give back to society HR should work with Diversity manager to promote diversity and inclusion in overseas offices Staff Involvement Employees nowadays look for working with a good and responsible company that they have pride working for, and not only for a stable income. Many CSR initiatives fail as a result of the lack of employees involvement and failure to embed the socially responsible values into organizational culture. Before policies are imposed, HR can set up a review committee to ensure staff involvement and to collect comments of what the employees actually want. In this way they will be more involved in the process and will actively follow up, thus internalizing corporate culture. Also try to get the staff involved as much as possible with every project that involves multiple parties, they will feel respected by their contribution and the knowledge they possess, higher morale leading to better results. Whenever employees take pride in their work strengthen employee identity, making them the brand ambassador. Although there are no retail stores in Asia, this brand ambassador will work with vendors and factories as well to be sending positive message to partners and ensuring them mutually benefits by working with Cabelas. Although taxidermies are mounted to make the office more Cabelas, its still difficult to feel the nature-loving culture with from overseas offices. To further enhance staff involvement management should send employees to the corporate office at their first year so that they can feel the passion of corporate employees towards outdoor living, going out to the fields to inhale the scent of nature, and stepping into the retail stores and be greeted by the outfitters, would they feel how enthusiastic customers would feel when they step into a Cabelas store and feel the sense of belonging. When the employee return, HR should also encourage them to share their experiences so that other teammates could feel the same too. With this sense of involvement, whenever employees identify risks at the factory they would know where to report so that the company can work on risk management remedies immediately, reducing the possibility of destroyed reputation if sweatshop factories being identified, child labor found, etc. Employees that are less involved might simply pretend not seeing the risks and give a pass to the factory audits in order to do less. Suggestions to Management: HR can set up review committee to ensure staff involvement in setting up of CSR policies send employees to the corporate office at last once when the employee returns arrange for experience sharing encourage staff involvement so that risks would be identified and reported Fair Employment Practices and Leveraging Diversity In job posted for openings in the corporate office, it will quote Cabelas as an Equal Opportunity Employer (EOE)  [3]  , this is not included in the job ads from the HK office and should be added to make sure eligible candidates know that the company is a responsible employer. The ads will also list the workplace as inclusive, embracing diverse background, life experiences and perspectives. This will be very important to send a message to candidates that this is the company that they would love to work for. From within, HR has to be living up with the promises and be fair with the selection, interview and recruitment process for new employees, not discriminating candidates with race, religion, color, sex, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity, etc. As the employee handbook clearly wrote, Cabelas is committed to improve the quality of life within our community. To be a fair employer all benefits should not be withhold for certain employees as well, therefore benefits including vacations, medical insurance, dental coverage, employee insurance, provident funds, etc should have the same treatment as US colleagues. As the Director of Human Resources has mentioned that The entire area of compensation and benefits must of course be administered based upon international differences. We do need to be aware of any differences by culture or customs. This fairness will also be enhanced when the group gains more awareness with diversity program being carried out both in US in overseas offices. By leveraging diversity, a company should respect and relate to people from varied backgrounds, see diversity as an opportunity, creating an environment where diverse people thrive, challenge bias and intolerance, and understand diverse worldviews and are sensitive to group differences. Cabelas has a moral and ethical commitment, as well as a legal responsibility, to promote equal opportunity within all operating units. Overseas offices should make sure employees understand their rights to be treated equally, if there is unlawful and discriminatory treatment, they should inform supervisor or HR manager immediately, and if they are the source of the problem, employees can utilize the Cabelas anonymous In-Touch Hotline to report concerns. HR should re-communicating this information to employees periodically. Corporate HR has been doing a good job last year with the Diversity week, arranging a diversity photo competition and inviting all employees to submit photos related to the Cabelas Core values. By taking part in the game employees go through self-evaluation to think what is important in their work that relates to the core values, thus promoting CSR initiatives from within. Management should be encouraging overseas employees to participate in living the company culture. Suggestions to Management: Job postings in HK should include Cabelas as an Equal Opportunity Employer (EOE) HR should be fair with the recruitment process for new employees make sure benefits provided to overseas team match with the corporate office make sure employees understand their rights to be treated equally encourage employees to participate in diversity competitions Recruitment, Retention, Redundancy and Performance Appraisal Many successful CEOs had identified the most important measure of corporate success and main business objectives as hiring and retaining of talents over profitability  [4]  , and treating the talented workforce as the most valuable asset, as Cabelas CEO has also stated that the right talents are often hard to find but are the greatest asset any company can possess. Employer branding is essential with attracting talents, recruiting the right person at the right time, retaining them and as a result, strengthening the employer brand.  [5]  Good CSR initiatives will attract good employees as candidates will look at a companys CSR policy before they apply. Employees that look for a responsible employer would at the same time be more committed in helping with improving the CSR policies after they have joined. With fair employment in mind, HR should be selecting, interviewing and recruiting new talents with an aim to attain a diversity workforce. Job advertisements should be posted in the main career newspapers and websites, as well as sending to agencies to recruit the best candidates available. For management posts head hunters could be utilized to capture the experienced. It is very important that we have leaders in place to manage the staff that understands the importance of the companys core values and treating everyone with respect, honesty, and integrity. Once talents have been obtained, the orientation programme for newly recruited employees should be designed in a manner that corporate philosophies will be well communicated, with CSR being highlighted. It would take a new person weeks or months to understand a companys culture by himself, so a thorough introduction would be beneficial, and managerial positions should be sent to the corporate office as soon as possible to learn the culture too. Good CSR leads to improved staff retention and better motivated and innovative staff and thus improving work performance and profitability of the company, therefore making sure employees are aware of the efforts done in CSR would help in building faith and trust with employees. Employees have a lower morale when there are other individuals not performing up to standard or have a comparatively smaller workload. HR would need to work with the manager to give him more responsibilities, or consider this as redundancy and let him go. Carefully handling this case could make sure a positive impact on the morale of other employees Given replacement costs is 100% to 250% of annual compensation, HR should investigate if this person is having a work life imbalance or not that result in lower performance and use the 3Rs to try and fix it. Current performance appraisals have been done annually, but to effectively manage and retain the talents, this should be done every 6 months to make sure employees are on track with their yearly planning and expectations. Senior managers can have a CSR bonusable goal, while employees could set personal CSR objectives to be reflected in their annual performance reviews. In Chinese society appreciation and incentives is a big push to better performance, if possible, mid and end of year bonuses could be motivations to better performances. Suggestions to Management: make sure the employer brand is established to attract and retain talents recruitment process should be fair and aiming at a diversity workforce orientation programmes should communicate corporate philosophies with CSR highlighted Investigate if an employee has become redundant and try to remedy before letting go. Performance appraisals should be done mid-year as well HR should assist employees in setting personal CSR goals Bonuses as incentives could better motivate employees Leadership Development and Mentor program Employees nowadays not only look for career advancement, but also how would the company assist them to step up to the next level, therefore leadership development and mentor programs are common staff requests. Cabelas CEO Mr. Tommy Millner has picked 24 managers from all locations to attend his From the Field Leadership trainings, which he would be talking about his own experience on various topics, through interesting work experience sharing, managers could learn to be a good leader and how to handle different situations. More of these leadership courses should be held through the Cabelas University, an online Learning Management System where courses are provided for various topics from policies explanation to how to be a good leader. HR should encourage overseas employees to attend as many courses so as to better equip themselves. The Women in Leadership council will also be working on mentor programs to train up potential women into higher positions. HR should work with the WIL council to make sure these programs will consider overseas employees as well. Suggestions to Management: HR should encourage staff to attend training classes on Cabelas University Make sure the Woman in Leadership program consider mentorship in overseas offices Staff Engagement and Development For employees to be more engaged in work and the company, one of the easiest ways is to make them satisfied and happy with their work and with their supervisors  [6]  . People tend to be happier when they feel the trust. The first office manager of the Cabelas HK office has returned to US after 7 years, upon re-joining the US team one of his responsibilities is to educate US team about the role and connection the HK team had played in the business, and how important it is to include the HK team when making important decisions. With involvement of more big projects, the overseas teams could all be more engaged. The management should also persuade directors to further empower the overseas team, like moving Quality Assurance and Sourcing to HK as the team is closer to the factories and suppliers. With each individuals vast knowledge of the industry and environment and also with the common language, work would be done more effectively and employees would love to be trusted by corporate office. As for staff development, internally, management should encourage employees in utilizing the Cabelas University for courses such as leadership, communication, process management, etc. to equip staff with the necessary skills and be more confident at work. Cabelas also has a Tuition Reimbursement Program where job related courses could have tuition fee reimbursed. Management should encourage employees to look for further education to increase their industrial knowledge, stay ahead of the trend, and to be more professional in their work. Suggestions to Management: Management should encourage US to get overseas team involved in projects. Further empowering the overseas office could increase staff engagement Encourage more internal training through the Cabelas University Encourage employees to attend external trainings and further education. Managing Work Life Balance Making sure employees has a balance between work and life is a very important task for the Human Resources team. Using the 3Rs, HR professionals should be able to easily recognize if an employee has too much stress at work or from life that has affected their performance. Once issues were identified they will also need to remedy or report it. In the US employees can enjoy a very flexible working hour system, they can shift their work given that they work 40 hours a week. Some prefer to start earlier at 6am and leave earlier by 3pm to fetch their kids from school. Some might need to take care of personal matters on Fridays, and therefore work a 10-hour per day schedule for 4 days only. This should be applied to the overseas office as well, where if employees prefer to stay late at night, they can go to work slightly later as well. This has traditionally been not accepted by the older generation managers since they look for punctuality, however flexibility is very important as well, if shifting work schedule slightly and start working at 9:30am could enable employees to take their kids to school they would be more happy with their managers. Too much overtime could be due to slow performance, but could also be due to too much work and understaffing. Managers should evaluate each employees workload and check if extra staffing will be necessary. Of course to be keeping a smaller team could save extra headcounts, however if employees are working late into the night, the next day they will come in with a lack of sleep and the possibility of incorrect calculations and human input errors would increase. If the manager could remedy the situation by increasing staff for the same amount of work, employees can leave work earlier, enjoy their own personal life, and come back with a fresh mind, increasing productivity and result in happier employees too. Suggestions to Management: Be flexible with working hours HR should assist employees reach a Work Life balance by recognizing stress. Make sure the teams are not understaffed to avoid excessive overtime. Managers and the Generation Y team Among the 4 managers in the Cabelas HK office, only one of them is from the Generation Y and at least 2 of the managers are still using the traditional way of managing their team. Generation Y employees are more diverse, achievement oriented, attention craving, confidence, collaborative. In order to keep them interested in their work, managers should periodically check with the team if they are satisfied with their current work, and if they have any suggestions to changes, the job nature, the way projects are handled, the way information is gathered, etc., anything that they could find challenges in, manager should evaluate and give it a try. Managers should also ask employees if there are any courses that theyd like to take to enrich their knowledge. In this way the employees will feel they are being respected with their ideas and needs and the manager has been an open minded one that they can continue to work for. Keeping the Gen Y employees busy is another key to managing them. Manager should be setting short to long term goals and targets with employees that are feasible and mutually agreed upon. New projects and challenges could keep the employees challenged and prevent them from feeling bored too. Another characteristic of Gen Y employees is they prefer to work anytime anywhere, this would require a change of mindset to traditional managers, but as long as they can deliver their work managers should give them the flexibility. Bear in mind that they are accustomed to multitasking, managers might see a surprising better result with the change! Newer generation employees like to be acknowledged, managers should be holding team meetings for them to share achievements, and everybody should be encouraged to praise good work done. This creates a sense of belonging to the company and further boost productivity. Suggestions to Management: Managers should be educated the characteristics of Gen Y employees Keep the Gen Y employees busy and entertained. Praise good work from the employees. 1.4 Conclusion The key to better manage an office is always, trust, respect and communicate. Managers that understand what the employees want and act upon them, know how to keep them happy, be innovative with providing little benefits, have CSR initiatives in mind, keeping the employees entertained, competitive and educated, assist with preparing for the next step, etc., could be good managers. To manage an overseas office will be very similar, add the ability to handle cultural differences and be able to communication well between parties, employees will stay happy and loyal. Think, decide and act, and managers would have a devoted workforce that drives better performance and profitability. (4992 words) 2a Question 1 Business Case for Diversity and Inclusion within Cabelas Established since 1961 in the farmlands of Western Nebraska, Cabelas has a large workforce of mostly white people at the corporate office, with male dominance in some departments a

Power and the Legal System Essay -- Law

Access to the law and legal system is the ability to shape it, both in its meaning and understanding. While the factors that usually determine the power to shape law are not static, in general, access to law has been held by specific groups of people: the wealthy, males, whites, and religious authorities. In constructing the law, these specific groups have traditionally used their power to reinforce their dominant position and impede the ability of powerless groups to further their interests. It is this position of advantage that allows the prevailing groups to maintain a system of inequality fortified by the law that protects their prosperity while forcing the disadvantaged to appeal to problematic methods to promote their well-being as a result of their lack of access. In his speech, â€Å"Address to the Prisoners in Cook County Jail,† Clarence Darrow defines law as a creation of the rich, who, because of their wealth, own and control most of the property and institutions of society (Darrow 229). The access that comes with their wealth then grants them the power to construct the law in a way that sustains their elite position. For Darrow, as a consequence of this system of power, the unprivileged individuals are forced to seek out other, often criminal means of living in order to survive. He explains this by stating, â€Å"The more that is taken from the poor by the rich, who have the chance to take it, the more poor people there are who are compelled to resort to these means for a livelihood† (227). By wielding their power, the rich have been able to consistently thwart the ability of the poor to access legitimate opportunities, often leading them to participate in activities such as robbery and burglary in order to ob... ... for the structure of inequality to be destroyed, access to the law and the ability to shape it must be given to all. Works Cited MLA Citation Darrow, Clarence. â€Å"Address to the Prisoners in the Cook County Jail.† Before the Law: An Introduction to the Legal Process. Ed. John J. Bonsignore., et. al. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2006. pp. 225-232. Galanter, Marc. â€Å"Why the ‘Haves’ Come Out Ahead: Speculations on the Limits of Legal Change.† Before the Law: An Introduction to the Legal Process. Ed. John J. Bonsignore., et. al. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2006. pp. 81-89. Kropoktin, Peter. â€Å"Law and Authority.† Before the Law: An Introduction to the Legal Process. Ed. John J. Bonsignore., et. al. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2006. pp. 158-167. MacKinnon, Katherine. â€Å"A Rally Against Rape.† White Plaza, Stanford University. 16 Nov. 1981.

File Sharing Survey :: File Sharing Illegality Essays

File Sharing Survey With a coke in one hand and the computer mouse in the other, Jack Napster is busy downloading Mp3's from Limewire with his super fast college Ethernet connection. Jack Napster lives for his music and consequently makes use of file sharing programs in order to keep up with current musical trends. He can access all the new hit songs and even some underground artists that his friends have recommended to him. Jack feels that file sharing is an ethical practice even though it is deemed illegal by the law. He feels that the downloading of music does not hurt the music industry; on the contrary it actually helps promote smaller artists. Most important, he knows that mp3's are free, and what college student does not like the word free? College campuses all across the nation are full of Jack Napster's. On October 8th, 2002, a letter was sent out to over 2,300 colleges and universities across the nation by the Recording Industry of America (RIAA) and the Motion Picture Association (MPA) informing them of the legal issues about on-campus file sharing programs. The letter seeks the support of the colleges’ to help fight against file sharing and outlines a set of policies for the schools to adopt (MTV.com). In light of these recent incidents, I choose to delve into this controversial issue by creating a survey to give to college students at James Madison University (JMU). The purpose of my survey was to determine the ethical beliefs of the Jack Napster’s at James Madison University in response to file sharing programs. The survey was administered to both female and male students as well as students of every undergraduate level. The demographics are as follows; eight males and seventeen females were surveyed for a total of twenty five completed questionnaires. The survey was distributed in my hall in my dorm, the laundry room, in my friend’s dorm, at a theater rehearsal, and at a super bowl gathering. The survey was administered from January 24th through January 27th, 2003. I feel that this variety of settings, ages, and gender provide for a more balanced survey. Going into the survey, I was sure that everyone on campus used file-sharing programs, but to my surprise only 18 of the students actually did.

Weather and Famous Landmarks

15. Choose the word that means the same or similar to the word  «nature ». ?) environment; ?) scenery; ?) landscape; ?) view. 5  « -2011 » 8 16. Match the quotation with one of the sources listed below: Interested in photography? Fujiko have produced an amazing new mini-camera – the advanced 1001x. 3 1. What kind of film would you see if you wanted to get a detailed information about a definite subject? ?) animated cartoon; ?) thriller; 2. ?) documentary; ?) trailer. ?) recipe; ?) instruction; 17. ?) announcement; ?) ad.Do you know that the English Queen, Elizabeth II, is the only person in Britain with two birthdays. Her official birthday is on the second Saturday in June. When is her real birthday? ?) on April 21; ?) on May 21; ?) on July 21; ?) on August 21. Choose one of the following as the appropriate reaction to the statement: My friend has seen this film already. ?) So I have; ?) So have I; ?) I so have; ?) I have so. 18. Do you know who gave Britain it s modern name? ?) the Romans; ?) the Anglo-Saxons; ?) the Celts; ?) the Dutch. 3. Who said:  «The world is a stage and people are merely actors »? ) R. Stevenson; ?) B. Show; ?) O. Wild; ?) W. Shakespeare. 19. Read the weather forecast and decide in what season this weather is expected to be: The South East will see the best of today’s weather. It will be warm, no winds, and sunshine nearly all day, with temperatures around ten or fifteen, so quite warm for the time of the year. 4. There are eight public holidays in Great Britain. Do you know that they are called: ?) Bank Holidays; ?) Festival Days; ?) Feast Days; ?) Carnival Days. ?) winter; ?) spring; 20. ?) summer; ?) autumn. You can find the name of these animals in the Red Book. ) rabbits; ?) foxes; ?) Indian tigers; ?) sharks. 5. Stonehenge is: ?) one of the most famous landmarks of ancient Canadian history; ?) one of the most famous landmarks of ancient British history; ?) one of the most famous landmarks of ancien t Australian history; ?) one of the most famous landmarks of ancient American history. —————————————————-  «Ã‚ » Web-site: www. uclever. com, e-mail: [email  protected] com 4 6. John likes to spend much time in the open air.When he does his hobby for more than one day he takes a rucksack, a tent and a compass with him. Can you guess John’s hobby? ?) running; ?) fishing; ?) hiking; ?) swimming. 7. Which of the library rooms provides video and film circulation, and audiovisual equipment circulation? 10. Complete the following tongue-twister with an appropriate word: Swan swam over the sea, Swim, swan, swim! Swan swam back again. Well †¦ , swan! ?) swum; ?) swim; ?) swam; ?) swims. 11. Link the following paragraph with one of the cities listed below: This city is on the river Mersey.It’s famous for its football teams and for the Beatle s. ?) Cardiff; ?) Birmingham; ?) Manchester; ?) Liverpool. ?) the reading room; ?) the multimedia hall; ?) the book borrowing department; ?) catalogue. 12. The American traveller and scientist Lowell Thomas thinks that Grand Canyon, Glacier Bay, the Mammoth Cave, Victoria Falls, Baikal, Mountain Everest and Yellowstone National Park are: ?) seven Nature’s enigmas; ?) seven Nature’s wonders; ?) seven Nature’s gifts; ?) seven Nature’s mysteries. 8. Look at the following list of adjectives.Which would apply to a sportsman? ?) weak; ?) awkward; ?) enduring; ?) stout. 13. In which part of Britain do the men wear a kilt? ?) Wales; ?) England; ?) Scotland; ?) Ireland. 9. The following sentence contains an idiom. The key word is missing in the idiom. Choose the correct word: If you have any trouble with your homework, I'll be glad to give you a †¦ . 14. Match the first half of a proverb with an appropriate second half: Custom is †¦ ?) hand; ?) head; ?) hair; ?) hip. ?) the second habit; ?) the second nature; ?) the second manner; ?) the second tradition.

Fundamentals of a Research Paper

In this paper, am going to discuss the different types of research, provide examples f what sort of study is appropriate for each type of research and I will also discuss how these types of research can be used in the human services field. Scientific Research Method What Is the scientific research method? I had to ask myself this question several times before I came to the conclusion of what Is actually Is. There are SIX steps In the scientific research method that will help you get to the bottom of your research with a proven conclusion versus a conclusion that is based solely on a hunch.According to chapter 1 in our reading, scientific research means to embrace all branches of science; the applications of this approach vary from one research discipline to another. Researchers in disciplines as varied as psychology, biomedicine, business, education, communication, economics, sociology, anthropology, physics, biology, and chemistry all use some variation of this approach. (Orison, 20 08, Para. 1) There are six steps to scientific research these include these steps Include (1) stating what the problem is.By discovering what the problem is then you can go to step (2). Gather information, it is very important to gather the appropriate information needed to (3) come to a hypothesis. After you come to a hypothesis then you will need to (4) test your theory. (5) After you are done testing your theory you will need to analyze your data that you have taken. It Is very important to follow these steps otherwise you may come to an Incomplete conclusion In the data you are researching.Quantitative and Qualitative Research Quantitative research is a type of educational research in which the researcher decides what to study; asks specific, narrow questions; collects quantifiable data from participants; analyzes these numbers using statistics; and conducts the inquiry in an unbiased, objective manner. Qualitative research is a type of educational research in which the research er relies on the views of participants; asks broad, general questions; collects data consisting largely of words (or text) from participants; describes and analyzes these words for themes; and conducts the inquiry in a subjective, biased manner.Quantitative research began in the late 19th century and dominated educational inquiry for most of the 20th century (see De Lancashire, 1988, and Traverse, 1992, for an expanded discussion). It is remarkable how similar quantitative research is today with its beginnings during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. I en Minimal Ideas Tort quantitative research came Trot ten Pensacola silences, such as physics and chemistry. Just as atoms and molecules were subject to predictable laws and axioms, so also were patterns of children's behaviors in schools.Following this line of logic, early quantitative researchers began identifying educational patterns by assessing or measuring individual abilities, collecting scores (or numbers) from individua ls, and employing procedures of psychological experiments and large-scale surveys. In the history of the development of quantitative research, three historical trends are present: statistical procedures, test ND measurement practices, and research designs. Today, qualitative research presents an alternative to the traditional form of quantitative research.However, its historical use in education is more recent than that of quantitative research. The ideas for qualitative research developed in the late sass and early sass in fields other than education. For example, qualitative studies of the poor in Great Britain and Europe, anthropological reports about indigenous cultures, and the fieldwork of sociologists in inner-city Chicago and with immigrants all appear in social science search up through the sass and sass (Bogged ; Bikini, 1998).There are several different ways that both of these research types can be used in human services. The first can be used to track statistics for demo graphic purposes, this could be helpful if you are writing a grant or applying for some type of business loan. Qualitative research can be used when you are trying to see what kinds of human service needs are necessary in a particular region. Conclusion There are different ways to do research, these include the scientific ways meaning you follow the six steps to come to a conclusion and test your theory to make sure hat it works for you.

BE Reading

This involves creating the opportunity, space and time needed to think about practice and the appropriate action emerging from a reflective thinking process. We argue that being a ‘thoughtful agent' alls requires a deeper understanding of self and of the nature of personal engagement with ongoing reflective activity. This approach enables restrictions to question the ‘paradigms in which one is operating' (Peters and Vandenberg, 2011 : 63) and to be responsive to the need for change and quality improvement in relation to the specific needs of spellbinder, families and settings. Consequently, it requires an understanding of what we mean by being a reflective practitioner, including understanding the terminology we use and the interpretation we apply throughout this chapter.Table 4. 1 explains how we use the terminology that surrounds reflective practice in this chapter. Reflective practice has been identified by educators as beneficial for quality improvement (Arises and Ch on, 1978; Bout et al. , 1985; Brookfield, 1987; Broadband and McGill, 2007). It has been described as a generic term for ‘those intellectual and affective activities in which individuals engage to explore their experiences in order to lee ad to new understandings and appreciation' (Bout et al. , 1985: 19). In addition, reflection has the capacity to create ‘alternative and more productive ways of organizing the workplace' (Brookfield, 1987: 14).Together these two statements indicate that examining our actions and activities, both at a cognitive and an emotional level, can help restrictions to think and learn from experience in order to improve practice. Such reflective activity can also be creative, offering different, new and more effective ways of organizing things, whether applied when working with children or colleagues or to the way we organism the environment. Expressed simply, the core principles Of reflective practice involve reflective thinking and learning, whi ch are used to inform decisions and actions in practice, and by implication, improve quality. A number of ‘models' have evolved to support reflective thinking and practice. Many of these, such as Kola's (1984) model of experiential learning,Ghee and Ghee's (1998) ‘reflection-on-practice' and Brookfield (1995) ‘lenses', have the clear purpose of supporting critical thinking about experience and using what is learnt from this process 60 to inform future actions. In addition Ghee (2011: 28) draws on the work of Bandmaster (1991 ) and asks us to see reflection as a mainstreaming process that includes the satisfaction of four personal needs of purpose, value, efficacy and self-worth'. However, while many recognize the role of self- reflection and the influence of a range of personal ‘drivers', they do not serially encourage practitioners to understand, take ownership or utilities the unique nature Of their reflective activity.Ownership draws on a range Of personal factors, such as heritage, disposition, skills and understanding. A deeper level of engagement with reflective activity also requires understanding and appreciation of personal potential. Self-awareness can support reflective practice that is personally meaningful and therefore more likely TA produce the energy and drive necessary to make significant differences in terms of quality. This perspective includes recognition and acceptance of unique ways of being reflective and how this is supported by an individual's specific professional qualities. Such an approach values different ways of engaging with reflective activity and professes no single model or particular professional context.It also supports the development of reflexive practitioners who question ‘taken for granted beliefs' and develop an ‘understanding that knowledge is contestable' (Peters and Vanderbilt, 201 1: 63). Peters and Vanderbilt argue that such reflexivity supports a focus on ‘doing the right things rather than doing things right', a key principle hat we believe underpins the process of improving quality. An individual's reflective activity often takes place within dynamic and changeable socio- cultural context, which shapes the processes, responses and individuals involved. While the core values and principles of an individual al may remain constant and be articulated and understood as a basis for reflective activity, there are many ways of responding to issues according TA context.Developing as a reflective practitioner means being someone who is able to act in ways that make a qualitative difference and it requires an understanding of the current socio-cultural context and how this affects the nature Of professional responses. Brotherliness's (1986) ecological model may help us to explore this concept of socio-cultural influence on reflective identity and practice. According to Frontbencher an individual's development is affected by a series of environmental influence s: the ‘mortises' of family, school, or neighborhood; the ‘ecosystem' of a town, local policy, or economic influences; and the ‘Microsystems' of cultural influences, national policy, or pervading ideology.A practitioner's reflective reactive may likewise be influenced by colleagues, peers, managers and parents at a setting; who in turn may be influenced by local quality improvement policy, REFLECTIVE PRACTICE 15 THE KEY TO QUALITY IMPROVEMENT 61 risk awareness, and economic status; and overall this is influenced by central government policy and perhaps the perceived ‘culture' of the type of setting. Therefore practitioners may subtly shift in perceived identity and consequent reflective responses according to the social and environmental situation in which they find themselves. The ability to engage positively and constructively thin a changing professional landscape is supported by an individual's understanding of both that landscape and what is possible wit hin a particular situation in terms of their personal responses and qualities.Just as external socio-cultural spheres influence responses, the reflective activity by an individual may influence future qua a lit y improvement in others because the practitioner is an ‘active' agent within their professional context. Recognizing and valuing the impact of this agency may offer an opportunity for reflective practice to be a ‘means of empowerment, leading to change at the individual ND societal level' (Cable and Miller, 2008: 173). Developing a strong sense of one's own identity as a reflective practitioner can have a significant impact on both individual and collective confidence to engage in reflective activity as a means of improving quality.Reflective practice as a ‘way of being' Understanding reflective practice as a ;way of being' that is owned and experienced by a practitioner encourages the development of an individual as a ‘reflective professional practiti oner rather than as a technician' (Moss, 2008: xiii). This allows for the identification of different ways of engaging within a recess. A ‘technician' may go through' the motions of making changes in practice by following a prescribed model of reflective practice. However, it IS essential for a ‘reflective professional practitioner' to emotionally and intellectually ‘own' the process (Moss, 2008: xiii). Ownership means acknowledging that reflective practice can include the use of deeply embedded intuitive ‘reflex responses' and ‘ways Of knowing' (Atkinson and Clayton, 2000: 2).Atkinson and Clayton argue that we should value ‘other forms of reflection' that do not focus solely on reason and articulation; rather, unconscious insight draws on the whole of what has been known'; the enormity and complexity of which cannot always be articulated (2000: 5). Encouraging practitioners to use their full range of personal resources within reflective activity is essential. It is possible that compliance with a prescribed ‘model' limits reflective potential by indicating one preferred way of proceeding towards 62 reflection, or even towards quality improvement. We would suggest that without alternatives, such reliance on an external ‘expert' model may leave practitioners feeling De-skilled and disemboweled. Recognition of reflective practice as unique to individuals celebrates difference, recognizes personal development and is therefore inclusive.Enabling practitioners to utilities their full range of personal resources within reflective activity requires a critical view of what is involved. There is a view that intuitive forms of knowledge and ‘ways of knowing' have been unjustly ignored in our rational technical world (Atkinson and Clayton, 2000). For Atkinson and Clayton intuitive and ‘tacit' forms of knowledge in practice are of equal value and should be equally validated and respected. They even argue that the re are times when we can ‘think too much' in rationalizing processes when we should rely on a more instinctive way of being. This suggests that there is a form of professional reflection that is much more intuitive and instinctive and relies on the inner resources of a practitioner.We see this as important in the context of developing early years practice, which requires an understanding of many complex issues. Kernel and Sheep (2010) suggest that reflective intuition should be respected as a ‘way of knowing' that is particularly useful in dealing with complexity. Intuitive reflective practice respects and releases inner qualities and understandings, which inform actions taken to improve quality in practice. Many models of reflective practice represent what seems to be a relatively simple process. Investigation into the nature of a practitioner's ‘real life' participation in reflective practice reveals a complex array of professional qualities applied and synthesiz ed in different ways at different times according to the situation.Understanding the coming together of the individual al and context offers a way of understanding reflective activity from a deeply arsenal perspective. Through a process of making ‘human sense' (Donaldson, 1987) of one's own reflective activity, practitioners Gin evaluate the ways and extent to which they make changes for the better in all aspects of life. Personalized reflective activity that becomes a positive experience and rewards aspects of self is more likely to become a disposition or ‘habitat mind' (Arnold, 2003), owned by the individual. Practitioners who understand the nature of their own engagement in reflective practice are more likely to be . Emotionally as well as intellectually involved in the process.