Saturday, December 28, 2019

Frame Characteristics In Geoffrey Chaucers The Canterbury...

Frame narratives, a collection of stories or adventures all contained in one book, provide the reader with more information, background and one’s motivation. In the fabliau, The Canterbury Tales, Chaucer uses frame narratives to incorporate the many stories of pilgrims. The author, Geoffrey Chaucer, also known as the â€Å"Father of English Literature,† writes these little stories to mirror his inquisitive language and use of cunning and satirical passion. The tale takes place in the fourteenth century where the wealthy Catholic Church dominates the political scene of England. This story describes twenty-nine individuals who are going on a pilgrimage to Canterbury with the goal of visiting the Shrine of St. Thomas a Becket. Chaucer uses†¦show more content†¦He is described as a fat and robust man, one who savors eating, certainly not deprived despite vows of poverty. Further illustrating the corruption of the church, this religious figure is shown as wearin g very expensive clothes and gold, not customary for a stately religious person. As one observer stated, â€Å"I saw his sleeves were made with fur at the hand/ With fine grey fur, the finest in the land; Also, to fasten his hood under his chin, He had made of wrought-gold a curious pin† (Chaucer 198). Consistent with this, the Monk retells many stories that revolve around wealth, fortune and death rather than aspirations to become better spiritually. Ultimately, he expresses negative connotations through his self-centered stories. With these frame narratives, he is able to focus on the corruption of the church. As the story progresses, the audience encounters a Summoner who similarly is able to expose the Christian church through personal narratives. This unusual character is hired by the Medieval church to summon people to court for possible spiritual crimes. Described as being very smelly and eating disgusting foods, the audience quickly realizes that the Summoner may not be the most admirable person. Furthermore, he frequently gets drunk and is especially cantankerous. Throughout his story, he bellows out certain words in Latin in the attempt to persuade people to think that he is actually educated. During his story or frame narrative, he demeans theShow MoreRelatedThe Canterbury Tales Comparative Essay887 Words   |  4 Pagesa Monk The Canterbury Tales, written at the end of the fourteenth century, is a frame story written by Geoffrey Chaucer. In the novel, the narrator joins a diverse group of twenty-nine pilgrims who are traveling from Southwark to the shrine of the martyr Saint Thomas’a Becket. While the pilgrims are gathered at the inn, Chaucer observes the pilgrims and records a descriptive account of twenty-seven of the pilgrims, which include a knight and a monk. When reading The Canterbury Tales, the readerRead MoreCharacteristics Of Middle English Literature1356 Words   |  6 Pagesin Middle English Literature In today’s time, we have modern day literature and it’s refreshing to be able to go back into the past and look at classic English literature to see how different literature has become. There hasn’t been another time frame of English literature like the Middle English Literature era. During the middle English era literature and its writers were unique and their pieces of literature were created during the Middle English era to cover a variety of many different literacyRead MoreAn Analysis Of Chaucer s The Canterbury Tales 2650 Words   |  11 PagesAn Analysis of Chaucer’s Miller in The Canterbury Tales In the prologue to The Canterbury Tales, Chaucer introduces the Miller as a crude, rude, loud character who cheats his customers. The tale, which the Miller later narrates, is appropriate because the Miller’s tale clearly reflects this individual’s unrefined personality by telling a typical, filthy tavern story. The Canterbury Tales, written by Geoffrey Chaucer, is a story that details thirty pilgrims, including Chaucer, traveling onRead MoreGeoffrey Chaucer: the Cantebury Tales Hypocrisy in the Church of England During the,, ,, ,, ,, ,, ,, ,, ,, ,, ,, ,, ,, ,, ,, ,,1973 Words   |  8 PagesGeoffrey Chaucer was an English poet during the Medieval Era. While he does not appear to have been a social reformer, he drew attention to the hypocrisy of the Catholic Church in his works, The Canterbury Tales. Scholars agree that little is known about Chaucer. We do not have much personal inform- mation, such as â€Å"the memorabilia, letters, diaries, personal reminiscences, that cluster thickly around such later figures as Byron, Shelley or Yeats† (Morrison 7). MostRead MoreCriticism of the Church in the Canterbury Tales1576 Words   |  7 PagesThe Canterbury Tales, a collection of tales by Geoffrey Chaucer, was written in Middle English at the end of the 14th century (Encyclopaedia Britannica, 2011). It is considered to be the best work of literature in English in the Middle Ages (Johnston, 1998). Chaucer uses literary devices as no one had ever done. In addition, he chose to use English instead of Latin. This masterpiece is structured in a similar way as Bocaccios Decameron. The tales are organized within a frame narrative (EncyclopaediaRead MoreCritical Analysis Of The Wife Of Bath1521 Words   |  7 Pagesvalue outside of being a wife and mother. â€Å"The Wife of Bath’s Tale† provides one of the most intriguing medieval cultural insights to gender studies. The reader joins a pilgrimage with the Canterbury Tale’s most audacious and sexu ally unrestricted female narrators who also gives a personal account of the conflicts women faced in Medieval England. The complexities, ambiguities and wit of his characters allows Chaucer to evoke humor in this tale, while displaying a sensitivity and varying perspectives toRead MoreThe Wife Of Bath, By Geoffrey Chaucer880 Words   |  4 Pagessocial and individual concepts, within female characters, illustrates feministic divergences within specific writings of Geoffrey Chaucer, the Pearl Poet, and Margery Kempe. In Chaucer’s frame story The Canterbury Tales, the account of â€Å"The Wife of Bath† demonstrates a mixture of feminine ideas. The prologue of to the tale shows a complexity of medieval female characteristics and roles. Alyson, the Wife of Bath, challenges the conventional behavior of women. She speaks her mind freely and feels

Friday, December 20, 2019

Describe The Organization s Current Risk Management Policies

†¢ describe the organisation’s current risk management policies, procedures and processes and comment on the strengths and weaknesses of these arrangements As a Person Conducting a Business or Undertaking (PCBU) or responsible contractor, you are required by law to provide a safe system of work. This means you need a method of communicating and implementing a way of working safely. The basis for this process begins with your Workplace Health Safety Management System. The chosen risk management policy was created in July of 2011; it alludes back vigorously to AS/NZS 4801:2001 being the Australian standard. It details on its involved contents, document history, amendment and approval table procedure, description and scope of document, responsibility charts, triggers, definitions, references, legal references, activity descriptions being hazard identification etc. Reviewing the procedure and investigating the strategy and the way it is mapped out is very simple for anyone to follow, whether in the event of a risk or simply amid an audit the procedures takes into account simple proficient use. The main shortcoming I can discover is that the obligations chart is not sufficiently detailed enough, it does not advise where or how to find the significant individual responsible for the application of that hazard. Any event or action that could have a negative impact on the company is considered a risk to the company. This includes events that could lead to: - Death or injury. -Show MoreRelatedRisk Assessment And Safety Management System1267 Words   |  6 PagesRisk Assessment (RA), Accident Investigation (AI) and Safety Management Systems (SMS) are all valuable tools in a total Risk Management program. They can each be used in a different way in order to manage and reduce an organizations risk. My organization uses each of these three in our program to accomplish different tasks and objectives. Before looking at how my organization uses these tools, we must first understand these tools individually and how they work together. Accident InvestigationRead MoreFin 370 Syllabus Essay examples1359 Words   |  6 Pagesbusiness. Emphasis is placed on financial management, financial markets, and the tools, techniques, and methodologies used in making financial decisions. Topics include: Financial planning, working capital management, capital budgeting, long-term financing, and international finance. Policies Faculty and students/learners will be held responsible for understanding and adhering to all policies contained within the following two documents: University policies: You must be logged into the studentRead MoreThe Best Suitable Corporate ICT Governance Model for the Gobà ¡r Saor Corporation Group1443 Words   |  6 Pagesreport describes different ICT Governance characteristics and solutions from the concepts to the recommendation for the specific case of GSC described in the following sections: †¢ ICT Governance: describes what ICT Governance is, including its expected benefits, its possible problems and the main ICT Governance alternatives. †¢ Gobà ¡n Saor Construction: specifies the actual status of GSC in terms of ICT Governance including the main problems and barriers of adoption of new ICT Governance policies †¢ RecommendedRead MoreInformation Systems Strategic Planning Risk And Performance Management942 Words   |  4 Pages BA531 Business Performance Management Week 1 Assignment Information Systems Strategic Planning Risk Performance David Nagus Grantham University Professor Duhn Sept 3, 2015 1. State a simple definition of performance management. Performance management is a process that provides feedback and accountability and also documentation for performance outcomes. It is a forum to help employees channel their talents toward organizational goals. 2. State the three major strategic choices facing firmsRead MoreHow Can Today s Cio ( Chief Information Officer ) Make The Biggest Impact On Behalf Of The Entire1290 Words   |  6 PagesCIO (Chief Information Officer) make the biggest impact on behalf of the entire Organization. Aishwarya Palepu Kent State University September 25, 2015 Abstract: As the IT Industry has recorded prodigious growth over the past ten years, the role of the Chief Information Officer (CIO) has become a daunting job because of the heaping business and technological responsibilities assigned to the organizations. 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The view of managers as omnipotent is consistent with the stereotypical picture of the take-charge executive who can overcome any obstacle in carryingRead MoreRisk Management Process Is Risk1436 Words   |  6 PagesRisk management is developed in order to reduce the likelihood of possible events that have negative effects for patients, staffs and the organization; to reduce the risk of death and injury or disease for patients, staffs, and others as result of services provided; to improve patient outcomes; to manage resources effectively; and to support legislative compliance and to ensure organizational viability and developme nt. In order to achieve these goals, risk management teams should follow the fourRead MorePolicy Gaming For Strategy And Change Essay1405 Words   |  6 PagesSummary: â€Å"Policy Gaming for Strategy and Change† The following assignment is a summary of the article â€Å"Policy Gaming for Strategy and Change† that was written by Geurts, Duke and Vermeulen in 2007. In the article, it can be read how companies can use gaming simulations in order to analyse future scenarios and adapt certain strategies to their complex organisational environment. The article begins with an introduction about policy gaming, why it is becoming more useful for today s organisationsRead MoreAccountability And Responsibility Of An Organization1009 Words   |  5 PagesIntroduction Accountability and responsibility in an organization are vital. Who is responsible and accountable for what? Who is answerable to who? Who make critical decisions, and on what matters? Who assists who? Who make decisions in absence of who? These are crucial questions that describe responsibilities and accountabilities in an organisation. The Zoo must have clear job description, decision-making process and communication system for all office holders. The Board of DirectorsRead MorePlanning Steps : Workforce Planning Strategy1412 Words   |  6 Pagesnumber of concerns, constraints or risks were identified which needed to be taken into account in the development and maintenance of a workforce planning strategy. Step 1: Identify Workforce Issues. Step 1: Employers Identify Workforce Issues tied to changes in strategic business plan and other new business initiatives. Go straight to developing workforce proposals, strategies, and programs. Employing Organization Workforce Functions The employing organization has to identify needed competencies

Wednesday, December 11, 2019

Online Software Accounting Market

Question: Discuss about theOnline Software Accounting Market. Answer: Introduction: The software that has been developed for maintaining the processes of the total records and the transactions of the accounts by following the modules of the accounting functions is said as the accounting software. In other words, it can be said that the accounting software is a whole total system of the information system of accounting process which is online based and is internet enabled and also easy to access with the availability of internet which generally varies in its mode of complexity and the mode of cost. This process of the accounting method or the accounting software had come along from the 15th century. Accounting software process is developed with a process having some modules which have specific effects over specific areas or can be said that every module of the accounting software works on its particular specific part of the accounting process (Arvidsson, Holmstrm Lyytinen, 2014). Out of the modules, there are some modules called the core and the non-core modules. Th e core modules include some specific area, and the non-core modules have some specific area of functioning which deals with its part of accounting. The core modules which include the accounts receivable, accounts payable, general lodger, billing, stock/inventory, purchase order, sales order and bookkeeping where the work of the software to check the entry of the money received or the entry of the bills of the particular amount of the money along with the records of the company. Also, the invoices are also prepared with its help for maintenance of the record (Al-Mamary, Shamsuddin Aziati, 2014). In accordance with this, it also pays account on its inventory and the supply for orders. Afterward it is also very helpful in keeping the records of the collection and the payment. With knowledge of the core modules, the non-core modules include the debt collection, electronic payment, expense, inquiries, payroll, reports, timesheet, purchase requisition, reconciliation, drill down, journal s, departmental accounting and finally the taxation and the statutory holdback. The process of the non-core modules includes the process starting from the collection of the overdue bills, processing, the validity of information and its tracking and finally the purchases and the transactions (Biswas, 2015). These whole processes sometimes vary from vendor to vendor as the work procedure is different according to their business type, i.e., there having small business enterprises or the large business enterprises. General Background For the enterprises, the main part is the owners have to use of many processes for the accounting processes to ensure the record of the income, expenses and the levels of stock. So the development of the financial soft for the accounting process is a very beneficial achievement for keeping the records of the business and the monitoring of the whole procedure. Like in the small business, they usually prefer to adopt the home accounting software and sometimes a bit more advanced with the use of CRM, HRM, groupware and all. On the other hand, the large enterprises generally use the CRM, BPM, and ECM. Though there are many types of enterprises in the Australian market is having a mixture of all of the above-mentioned businesses which need its specific type accounting system which again have a different level of its packages that are running currently in the market (Galliers Leidner, 2014). So by the use of this software system, there is an ease in handling the records and monitoring the overall work without any problem. Particular for this convenience in work and to get an efficient result in the work, the choosing of the software needs to be perfect. For this process it is necessary to know that if the system is capable of handling the multiple bank accounts or calculating the payroll requirements or if it can handle the foreign currencies or it can handle the requirements for the task management and finally it is necessary to check that whether it have the customer records or can handle CRM or not. After checking these criteria, the Software is finally selected to get implemented as per its requirement which includes the procedure of the installation and the configuration of the system (Bajdor Grabara, 2014). This implementation process is a bigger process of consideration as it is a long process starting from the software vendor license to the charge on the client for all the process of implementation. Literature Review The accountancy process is getting its development in every increasing day as it is gaining demand within the foils for making the stresses and demanding work simpler and reliable. The accounting system of the blackline journals gives an idea of the system of the whole management and also monitors the creation and review and finally the approval of the journals. Harley M. Courtney et al. in the Guide to the Accounting Software stated about the accounting software and analysis of programs. They said the process of the selection of the accounting software (Dwivedi et al., 2015). In the article, Effect of Accounting Information System on Organizational Effectiveness, Onaolapo A.A, and Odetayo T A said about the accounting software. In which they said it is very particular regarding its concern of work and up to which it has to cover (Onaolapo Odetayo, 2012). They said accounting software is an effective tool for the period of global technology advancement and formulated a hypothesis wh ich contains the statistical tools for data analysis. Dwivedi et al said accounting to be a powerful force of economy for the two parties those are a business (Dwivedi et al., 2015). They also said that to keep this power of force increasing it is important to value the process of the accounting software which will clarify many illusions regarding the businesses. Haux et al Software said that the accounting software could be used for keeping the technology and the business in advance in a rapid pace (Haux et al., 2013). Evidence of Research As in day to day lives the business or the enterprises are increasing so is the use of software also required which includes the maintenance and monitoring of the business records which has given rise to the concept of accounting software. Ismail King had studied about the evolution of the accounting software and also he had kept an eye in every corner of the past and present and the future scenario of handling the accounts, i.e. with or without software and has drawn conclusions (Ismail King, 2014). As per Galliers Leidner, the technology or the software that is used for accounting is able to deal with many types of reporting whether it is compliance, management or financial. He also said that sometimes there occur many stresses and demands that are involved in the process of accounting (Galliers Leidner, 2014). It is also evident that till 1974 the accountancy also was going through the same procedure by the ancient Egyptians which afterward migrated to Europe then to the east and lastly to west. Evidence of research says that Italy considered being the accountancys birthplace. In 1990, Biswas had distributed the TurboCASH in South Africa which was being used in the local market for accounting software (Biswas, 2015). Further before this the quick books gave many solutions to the issues related to accountancy as it is evident software. Gary Epstein said that the quick books contain the cloud solution which will make the work reliable. Development Discussion Accounting Software is the functions that will take help the companies in taking their finances in a good level and help in monitoring them. This software is intended for the simplification of the financial management of the companies. The software intended for accounting needs a good installation and configuration of the system and also depends on the particular type of business going on as the type of business only. As like in a basic structure, there are three types of accounting software, i.e., for payroll and accounting, enterprise resource management and freemium (Dwivedi et al., 2015). The pay roll and accounting software include the standard accounting tools and reports, the cash flow calculator, drag and drop formats, multiple users and finally industry-specific modules for construction, distribution, and manufacturing. The ERP or the Enterprise Resource Management system can be said to be an as very important system for the accounting system which contains standard financia l tools and reports, points of sale, inventory control, billing and purchasing, customer relationship management, industry-specific modules for construction, distribution, and manufacturing (Onaolapo Odetayo, 2012). Freemium is software of accounting which has limited accounting features like creating invoices and print checks, the paid subscriptions need more features, the data must be downloaded, the credit card data needs to get submitted. All the software present for the accounting purpose has its own importance and identity which works in its specific areas and are ideal for its concern area of business. Conclusion The accounts of the companies need a regular monitoring and a framework of the records that are the causative of the emergence of the accounting software. The emergence of the accounting software also is the result of the globalization which demands accuracy in every aspect so developed such software which will be able to keep an eye on each and every bit of the financial regards of the company (Rainer et al., 2013). The software is very specific in its function in accordance with the business that is the reason why the business enterprises are having an increase in their numbers. Therefore the development of such system created a new environment and new scope for the enterprises to keep their records and functions in a mannered way. References Arvidsson, V., Holmstrm, J. and Lyytinen, K., 2014. Information systems use as strategy practice: A multi-dimensional view of strategic information system implementation and use.The Journal of Strategic Information Systems,23(1), pp.45-61. Al-Mamary, Y.H., Shamsuddin, A. and Aziati, N., 2014. The Role of Different Types of Information Systems in Business Organizations: A Review. International Journal of Research,1(7), pp.333-339. Biswas, S., 2015. Application of Accounting Information System: A Study on Listed Banking Companies of Bangladesh.ASA University Review,9(1). Bajdor, P. and Grabara, I., 2014. The Role of Information System Flows in Fulfilling Customers Individual Orders.Journal of Studies in Social Sciences,7(2). Dwivedi, Y.K., Wastell, D., Laumer, S., Henriksen, H.Z., Myers, M.D., Bunker, D., Elbanna, A., Ravishankar, M.N. and Srivastava, S.C., 2015. Research on information systems failures and successes: Status update and future directions.Information Systems Frontiers,17(1), pp.143-157. Galliers, R.D. and Leidner, D.E., 2014.Strategic information management: challenges and strategies in managing information systems. Routledge. Hall, J.A., 2012.Accounting information systems. Cengage Learning. Haux, R., Winter, A., Ammenwerth, E. and Brigl, B., 2013.Strategic information management in hospitals: an introduction to hospital information systems. Springer Science Business Media. Ismail, N.A. and King, M., 2014. Factors influencing the alignment of accounting information systems in small and medium sized Malaysian manufacturing firms.Journal of Information Systems and Small Business,1(1-2), pp.1-20. Kogan, A., Alles, M.G., Vasarhelyi, M.A. and Wu, J., 2014. Design and evaluation of a continuous data level auditing system.Auditing: A Journal of Practice Theory,33(4), pp.221-245. Onaolapo, A.A. and Odetayo, T.A., 2012. Effect of Accounting Information System on Organisational Effectiveness: A Case Study of Selected Construction Companies in Ibadan, Nigeria.American Journal of Business and Management,1(4), pp.183-189. Pearlson, K.E., Saunders, C.S. and Galletta, D.F., 2016.Managing and Using Information Systems, Binder Ready Version: A Strategic Approach. John Wiley Sons. Pondeville, S., Swaen, V. and De Rong, Y., 2013. Environmental management control systems: The role of contextual and strategic factors. Management accounting research,24(4), pp.317-332. Usmanij, P.A., Khosla, R. and Chu, M.T., 2013. Successful product or successful system? User satisfaction measurement of ERP software. Journal of intelligent manufacturing,24(6), pp.1131-1144. Rainer, R.K., Cegielski, C.G., Splettstoesser-Hogeterp, I. and Sanchez-Rodriguez, C., 2013.Introduction to information systems: Supporting and transforming business. John Wiley Sons. Shapiro, C. and Varian, H.R., 2013.Information rules: a strategic guide to the network economy. Harvard Business Press. Ward, J. and Peppard, J., 2016.The Strategic Management of Information Systems: Building a Digital Strategy. John Wiley Sons. Yigitbasioglu, O., 2016. Firms information system characteristics and management accounting adaptability.International Journal of Accounting and Information Management,24(1), pp.20-37.

Wednesday, December 4, 2019

Working with and Leading People Business Management

Questions: Task 1 Scenario LSBF needs to recruit a Business tutor for its HND Business programme for the next semester. As a Recruitment Manager, you were asked to prepare the Recruitment Procedure, job description and person specification to be followed to guide the other members of the Team and for documentation purpose. As part of the recruitment, you need to select two CVs from any job portals or website and analyse them in terms of candidates suitability for the job. This example will illustrate the Recruitment procedure details which cannot be all written down. 1.1 Write the Recruitment Procedure, job description and person specification to select and recruit a new Business tutor.1.2 Assess the impact of legal, regulatory and ethical considerations to the recruitment and selection process for above case if applicable.1.3 Write a report demonstrating the selection process that took place in order to recruit a new Business tutor.1.4 Evaluate your contribution as the Recruitment Manager in the above selection process. Task 2 Right Boss, Wrong Company Brenda Hogan was continuously on top of things. In school, she had always been at the top of her class. When she went to work for her uncles shoe business, Fancy Footwear, she had been singled out as the most productive employee and the one with the best attendance. The company was so impressed with her that it sent her to get an M.B.A. to groom her for a top management position. In school again, and with three years of practical experience to draw on, Hogan had gobbled up every idea put in front of her, relating many of them to her work at Fancy Footwear. When Hogan graduated she returned to Fancy Footwear. To no ones surprise, when the head of the companys largest division took advantage of the firms early retirement plan, Hogan was given his position. Hogan knew the pitfalls of being suddenly catapulted to a leadership position, and she was determined to avoid them. In business school, she had read cases about family businesses that fell apart when a young family member took over with an iron fist, barking out orders, cutting personnel, and destroying morale. Hogan knew a lot about participative management, and she was not going to be labelled an arrogant know-it-all. Hogans predecessor, Max Worthy, had run the division from an office at the top of the building, far above the factory floor. Two or three times a day, Worthy would summon a messenger or a secretary from the offices on the second floor and send a memo out to one or another group of workers. But as Hogan saw it, Worthy was mostly an absentee autocrat, making all the decisions from above and spending most of his time at extended lunches with his friends from the Rotary Club. Hogans first move was to change all that. She set up her office on the second floor. From her always-open doorway she could see down onto the factory floor, and as she sat behind her desk she could spot anyone walking by in the hall. She never ate lunch herself but spent the time from 11 to 2 down on the floor, walking around, talking, and organizing groups. The workers, many of whom had twenty years of seniority at the plant, seemed surprised by this new policy and reluctant to volunteer for any groups. But in fairly short order, Hogan established a worker productivity group, a "Suggestion of the Week" committee, an environmental group, a worker award group, and a management relations group. Each group held two meetings a week, one without and one with Hogan. She encouraged each group to set up goals in its particular focus area and develop plans for reaching those goals. She promised any support that was within her power to give. The group work was agonizingly slow at first. But Hogan had been well trained as a facilitator, and she soon took on that role in their meetings, writing down ideas on a big board, organizing them, and later communicating them in notices to other employees. She got everyone to call her "Betty" and set herself the task of learning all their names. By the end of the first month, Fancy Footwear was stirred up. But as it turned out, that was the last thing most employees wanted. The truth finally hit Hogan when the entire management relations committee resigned at the start of their fourth meeting. "Im sorry, Ms. Hogan," one of them said. "Were good at making shoes, but not at this management stuff. A lot of us are heading toward retirement. We dont want to be supervisors." Astonished, Hogan went to talk to the workers with whom she believed she had built good relations. Yes, they reluctantly told her, all these changes did make them uneasy. They liked her, and they didnt want to complain. But given the choice, they would rather go back to the way Mr. Worthy had run things. They never saw Mr. Worthy much, but he never got in their hair. He did his work, whatever that was, and they did theirs. "After youve been in a place doing one thing for so long," one worker concluded, "the last thing you want to do is learn a new way of doing it." Answer the following questions: 2.1 Explain the skills and attributes needed for leadership.2.2 Explain the difference between leadership and management.2.3 Compare the leadership styles of Mr. Worthy and Ms. Hogan.2.4 How do you think the people under Ms. Hogan can be motivated? Explain how Ms. Hogan can motivate the staff to achieve the objectives. Task 3 You currently work as a customer service officer in a busy customer service department. At the moment the company is looking to recruit a Department Manager who can effectively run the department in order to improve the customer satisfaction by 15% by the end of 2014. As part of the selection process, the candidates should demonstrate their ability to work in a team. Therefore you were asked to answer the following questions: 3.1 Assess the benefits of team working for the above mentioned organisation, 3.2. Discuss how working in a team as a leader would differ from working as a team member. Your answer should include working towards specific goals, dealing with any conflict or difficult situations.3.3. Suggest how you will review the effectiveness of the team in achieving the above goal. Task 4 You are the HR Manager at LSBF and need to prepare a report to the board of directors regarding the progress of the members of the Vocational School. 4.1 Explain the factors involved in planning the monitoring and assessment of work performance for the above member.4.2 Make a plan to assess the development needs of individuals and how to implement it.4.3 Evaluate the success of the assessment process. How will you assess the success of the assessment process with respect to the goals. Answers: Task 1 1.1 The recruitment procedure is a formalized methodology to select a new employee or tutor in this case. The initial step is to identify the vacancy and evaluate the requirements of the position. Thereafter, a detailed description is provided with a recruitment plan. Recruiting committee is selected and finalized for interviews. Interviews, assessments and sessions are carried out and reviewing of applications take place to shortlist some candidates. After selection and hiring recruitment is made as a final decision. Hence, this recruitment procedure can be shortlisted as setup, sourcing, screening, schedule, feedback, offering, onboarding (Taylor, 1987) with recruitment. LSBF is a leading business and management school and is inviting application for the post of HND Business tutor for the next semester. It will be a five hour tutorial everyday on five days a week with initial monitoring. You must comply with the minimum requirement of having an MBA degree from a registered Business School and must have an experience of teaching of two years or more. Curriculum will be provided at the onset to prepare in advance for the lectures and tutorials. There would be weekly reports given to the managers of the institution regarding progress of the class in weekly assessments or projects. The roles of the job are to make students understand the core concepts of the syllabus in both theoretical and practical way. They must be given real life problems and solutions pertaining to contemporary time. The tutor will be given some resources for teaching however, he can request for additional resources from the library. There will be a full fledged selection procedure for this post. Tutor shall be monitored for a period of time and thereafter must be made permanent to the institute after monitoring the progress and feedback of the students. 1.2 There are various acts, laws, legal considerations and ethical implications for recruitment and selection process. Under the Sex Discrimination Act 1975 there is opposition for sex discrimination and discrimination carried out on the basis of marriage so as to promote and foster equal opportunity between both men and women in the field of job. The Age Discrimination in Employment Act 1967 forbids the discrimination against employees of at least 40 years (Gregory, 1987) This act prohibits discrimination in hiring or termination of employees, denial of benefits to older employees. Americans with Disabilities Act 1990 is a civil right that prohibits discrimination done on the basis of physical disability and on the other hand Civil Rights Act of 1964 curbed discrimination against sex, religion, caste, religion, color etc. These formal laws have to be followed while recruiting the tutor. According to the laws of the University, the applicant should have a right to live and work in UK . He must have a work permit and a valid license. According to the ethics, there shall be no partiality or biased results and the most deserving candidate shall get the post. There is no room for nepotism in any form and unworthy people do not get access to jobs by the virtue of their relatives. 1.3 The selection process for the post was a three step procedure that had panel of experts involved at various stages. The first phase was the written examination that tested the intellectual level and intelligence quotient of the applicants. This was designed by one of the present faculty member. This contained practical application questions with real life problems to get a better knowledge about skills of the applicant. Soon after the written examination there was a procedure for shortlisting of the candidates based over computerized checking of the answer sheets prepared by OMR technology (Callaghan, 2002). The results were declared and the candidates were shortlisted. Thereafter, an interview was designed which was aimed to be both structural and non-structural. I designed a part of the structural interview to be asked from a business management faculty. This included case studies, scenarios, questions about experience, some distinguished skills, course related theoretical ques tions and some more. There were three members in the panel out of which one was me. There was another expert from the recruiting team and the third person was an analyst who noticed the body language, level of confidence, way of communicating and command over answers by staying silent during the process. After a long round of interview session we collaborated our views and took some time to further shortlist the applicants. We had mixed views and perspectives about each of the candidate and hence the decision took time. Thereafter, demo classes were arranged in the form of a presentation where the classroom had a few students and experts from the selection panel. Students were asked about the reviews based on a rating scale and experts gave their personal opinions which on collaborating with other results gave a final candidate to be recruited. After verifying his documents, final result was declared and he was appointed as the new faculty member. This whole selection process evalua ted the competencies and skills of a HND Business Tutor. These attributes adorned the process of selection by raising the level of interactivity and communication between the two ends. 1.4 My contribution as a recruiter manager was to monitor the tasks of the team in each phase of selection process. I was responsible to craft a piece of structural interview for the process of selection and then control other tasks performed by other members of recruitment. I kept a check on the structure of the written paper and ensured its safety. Thereafter, I had a meeting with the experts involved in the selection and recruitment process to guide them a smooth functioning of the interview. I personally had a word with the analyst to ensure a deep insight into the applicants mindset and confidence level. I guided the team to have a proper analysis of the results and to come on an intellectual decision so as to make the right choice for the university. From the initiation of the selection process till the selection of the final candidate, my task was primary to control the tasks. Hence, my productive contribution was to prepare a rough template or the draft for the structured int erview so as to ease up process of face to face interview for a better analysis. Task 2 2.1 Leadership is a trait that adorns an organization by a sense of WE to inspire the followers and refine mutual skills for the growth and success of a company. Leaders should have some unique skills so as to create and sustain a culture that fosters personal and professional growth. Leadership is an amalgamation of leaders experience, introspection ability, influential charisma and flexible approach. A leader should have an inherent ability to delegate the followers by having an insight into their interest. Communication skills in a leader is a key to successful legacy as what can be accomplished by an open communication, cannot be achieved by a strict formal rule. The ability of a leaders should be clearly, completely, and comprehensively (Connelly, 2000) describe all the important tasks and information. In addition to disseminating information, he should be an active listener to strengthen the team relationships and to monitor the organization. A healthy line of communication is catalyst for work productivity and hence it opens the doors for all together new opportunities. Confidence is an attribute which increases the focus and the level of commitment towards work. It is the key to keep everyone moving onto a fast pace. A positive attitude is the motivational factor for the team as it keeps the enthusiasm level really up. It helps to keep the mood light and productivity is kept at a playful mood. A leader must be creative and innovative so as to fit in this dynamically changing environment and requirements of the market. It is the secret ingredient to set the course of management onto a correct path. It is essential to think out of the box and to come up with the best possible idea to implement a methodology. Being able to set fire in the organization and inspire the team to build a great level of concentration to keep the morale high, energy levels escalated, and a deeper perspective into work. He must have analytical and problem solving skills by becomin g flexible, adaptable, flexible and open minded. He must be able to utilize the features of the technology to analyze the information and come on an intellectual result. He must have the ability to dwell deeper into the domain of the problem and find innovative solutions to fix them. He must be strategically competent (Mumford, 2000) by having a commendable level of intellect. Above all, he should be a great learner to adapt to the required situation and learn from the mistakes committed. He must focus on the vision and focus on the bigger picture of the scenario. It is impossible to summarize all the leadership traits as it depends upon various other factors and situations. Leadership is therefore, amalgamation of intellect, patience, innovation, cooperation, flexibility, agility, competency, focus, confidence and a willpower to work for the task undertaken. 2.2 Leadership and Management are two closely related terms which are both intertwined yet different. Management is an art to administer the methods, follow the genre of legacy of famous managers to bring about a change and maintains the position of the company on a successful level. Management lays its focus over structure and the system to exert control. Management is to keenly vision the bottom line with a short ranged views (Kotterman, 2006) and ideas for the company. As it is said that management is to do the things in a right manner whereas leadership is all about doing right things only. Leadership is based over innovation and the true essence of leadership is in originality of thoughts rather than implementation of orthodox management principles in the organization. Leadership has the aim to inspire the trust of the team and focus over the human resources by having a long ranged vision. Leadership sets its focus beyond the horizon to innovate, initiate and invent. Leadership develops a following to refine the skills and to challenge the present status quo of the society. Leadership is mercurial and brilliant in comparison with management to be rational and structural. Leadership is achievement oriented with a factor of Eureka and management has its outcomes as results. Management revolves around the buzz words of planning, budgeting, organizing, controlling, coordinating, time management, resource management, decision making and problem solving. Leadership on the other hand revolves around the ethics of vision, motivation, team work, persuasion, inspiration, relation building, counselling, listening, coaching and mentoring. Leadership and management are like reflection of each other with subtle differences that have impact over the employees or followers. It is recommended to be more of a leader and less of a manager so as to sustain the organizational health and growth. Therefore, leadership and management goes hand in hand with each other with subtle differences and visible attributes that differ in approach and operational strategies. 2.3 The leadership styles of Mr. Worthy and Ms. Hogan were remarkably different which had varied impact over the team in the organization. The employees were adaptive to the leadership style of Mr. Worthy and hence a sudden transition of management made them uncomfortable and forced them to give resignation from the job. The leadership style of Mr. Worthy was under the tag of Laissez-Faire. He lacked a direction of supervision exerted over his employees and was least involved directly with the organization. He gave some of the powers to workers to work according to their whims and fancies without commanding directly over their heads. It is also termed as hands-off leadership where the top manager is not directly involved with the team in the work. The leader is responsible for delegating the tasks to the workforce and not putting his nose into their work by providing little or no direction to the followers. There is a high degree of autonomy in this type of leadership and a self rule is formed (Goodnight, 2004) into the organization. He completed the required work for a manager but hardly interfered with the team. He used to send his subordinates or secretaries for the workshop tour but never approached them directly. He hardly monitored the performance or had meetings and the feedback was as given by his trusted employees. There was a level of high job satisfaction with an appreciable production and productivity. Mr. Worthy used to provide with the necessary tools and resources and under his rule the group members were expected to solve the problems of the organization on their own without the interference of the top leader. But there was a sudden transition from Laissez Faire leadership style towards a Participative and Democratic Leadership style in which Ms. Hogan changed the course of management. Having her office in the building compartment she had all time control over the team. On one side she meant that a healthy, collaborative and open environment will enhance the productivity as problems will come up easily and solutions will be formulated effectively. But, she didnt know that the team members had become adaptive to the Laissez Faire style of leadership. They did not accept direct intervention and intrusion of the leader and felt themselves to be bound in the tentacles of the manager. There is a high involvement in leadership and decision making with constant meetings and discussion boards. With incoming of so many departments for control, people started feeling suppressed and controlled which was against their work ethics. In participative or democratic leadership there is a requirement for ac tive member participation, fair praise, collective decision making, open communication, timely meetings etc. There is an enhancement in collaboration rather than commitment. With this style, there is a close setting of the leader and the team by focusing on relationships and building rapports. Participative leadership was not at all suitable in this case where the team and group leaders were autonomous to make their decisions and were not much into on-the spot regular meetings and discussion boards. 2.4 To get the staff functional again with the present leadership style of Ms. Hogan, she should have realized that the leadership style should have been shifted and changed at a slower pace, she should have gone to a deeper level in the mindset of the employees and should have gone at a slower pace of change. Instead of having her office right at the outset of workshop she could have arranged workshop tours in a day so as to make the employees feel a bit free to work at their style. And moreover, instead of necessary meetings she could have made the provision of calling a direct meeting in case of any query or conflict. Now since, the matter had gone worse, she should restore back to the type of leadership Mr. Worthy practiced by bringing timely and subtle changes in the leadership style. She should remove all the constraints and restriction of meetings. She should motivate the employees by trusting their skills and style of work and making them understand that the involvement is fo r the betterment of the company rather than keeping an eye on the workers and their style of working. She should arise a sense of confidence in the employees and must work as per the required level of interference. She must openly claim that in case of any issues, there will be a provision of meeting and for all the groups maintained she must have a periodic check with lesser constraints and regulations. The employees can be motivated by making them believe that their work is appreciated and not negatively monitored. She must ask for the time of a month for resettlement of the company on the basis of a mutual style which is beneficial both for the company and the employees. They must have a feeling of freedom along with an open communication so as to form a perfect blend of both the leadership styles and coming upon to a compromised and mid-way leadership style. For the piece of final recommendation, it should be noted that Laissez-Faire leadership theory should be slowly transforme d into participative and democratic theory of leadership by small scaled involvement, subtle control, smooth transitions. This slower change will motivate the employees to adopt to new style of leadership as democratic leadership is the voice of contemporary world where employees need to have an open discussion panel and portals for every upcoming issue. Task 3 3.1 In a scenario of a busy customer service department, where the aim is to enhance the curve of customer satisfaction by another 15% by the end of this year, there is a requirement of a sincere, collaborative and concentrated team work. When the tasks of a department are so many and employees are continuously working, team work helps in making the tasks divided and hence helps in producing a better output with a higher efficiency report. With accomplishment of collaborative tasks the efficiency can enhance and enrich. With efforts of many employees and higher contribution from all, the speed of tasks will be faster and the activities may be completed in a shorter span of time. There is a scope of bundle of ideas which can mushroom up in any ones mind and come up in the form of a collaborative idea. There will be many analytical styles of problem solving applied to a problem and hence solution will be innovative and quick. There is an essence of mutual support where team members can rely upon others for a shared goal and a sense of motivation and encouragement. There is refinement in a greater sense for accomplishment (Barry, 1999) where members take collective responsibility for all the consequences and outcomes. Therefore, there is a value creation by the team to enrich overall effectiveness of the team. There is a wide opportunity to learn from each other in the team. There is a high potential for cross training where people learn internal to the team and there is a mode of flexibility for reaching up to the potentials. There are synergistic collaboration and blend of ideas and abilities of the team members. There may be provisions for innovations, creativities, inventions and some approaches towards setting up newer limits. There may be an open, healthy and effective communication building up a professional and personal identity with a facilitated level of information exchange. There is a scope for greater degree of autonomy, identity, variety, acceptance, understanding, significance and feedback for all the team members and hence this team work is the key to successful operations in a business. A foundational level of trust gets inbuilt within the team members with a degree of transparency. The overall commitment of the team may be a stimulating factor for the attendance and respo nsibility of the team members. With a healthy diversity in a group, members tend to perform better on an individual level to give their best as an input. There is a keen focus over bigger picture and the trajectory of success has an increasing shape. Most importantly in this type of department, stress among the individuals reduces and it leads to a better physical and mental health. The morale of the individuals boost up so as to have a control of the team tasks. There is increased morality with extra accountability. A team work can give an extra sense of belonging and a stamp of recognition to take more pride in the team work and outshine other teams. Working in a team is not only the secret to highlight the strengths of an individual but it also makes room for compensating the weaker areas of a person too. There is glorious presentation of ones strengths and a scope of improvement to work hard upon the weakness. This leads to a stronger and skilled workforce in a company and that too a department where employees are too busy with strong and hard targets to achieve in a short span of time. The presence of competition in the team steers from being negative towards being healthy and positive. The level of investment in human resource becomes successful and the relationship among the employees become better and improved. Every team member becomes adaptive and henc e adopt the working style of the co-members. Hence, working in a team propels the growth of an individual at both personal and professional level. In the present scenario of high level of busy schedule and a need to upraise the customers satisfaction level, there is a dire need to inculcate team work principles and practices so as to motivate the employees on a collective level and make each individual aware of the benefits leveraged out of the teamwork. 3.2 Team is a term where every individual is equal and is regarded equally as per the performance of the whole team. But, when we talk about a leader, there is a whole lot of difference being the leader of a team and being just another member of the team. Team leaders can be motivators, managers, directors, executives, owners etc. Team leaders have this exceptionally unique authority with them that allows them and makes them responsible to set up the tasks of the team. Team leader assigns the team members with their respective roles and responsibilities. He can edit, modify, change and monitor the team setting at any point of time during the project development. He is the one who is partially responsible for recruiting efficient and suitable team members that match up with the tune of the organizational goals. Team leaders have to customize the tasks according to the mission of the project and the competency of the members. The sole responsibility of the team lies over his shoulders of the team leader. He is the voice and face of the team which represents the team at every event or meeting. He has the task of keeping the team members motivated towards their tasks and complete them well within the time frame and the allotted deadline. He must have a long term vision for the team by pre planning the tasks. He has the responsibility of a disturbance handler to resolve any kind of conflicts arising in the team with the help and aid of the members of the team. He should be competent enough to analyze the trends of the team and work in a positive direction to foster a rising curve of productivity and efficiency. He must have a visionary outlook for the future of the team. Team leader is accountable for both internal issues and any of the external issues (Fisher, 2000) hindering the development of the team growth. Team leader is by default a team member who has added set of responsibilities. He can either act as an active member of the team by performing some of the t asks or he can be a passive member who will just handle monitoring and controlling functions of the team. In the active case, the leader will be able to develop his skills along with inspiring others to do so whereas in the passive case (Kozlowski, 1996), he must be competent enough to have a mastery over the skills that his team mates acquire and must have a charismatic personality to motivate them for the completion of tasks. He is the leader of the army of team members. Team members on the other side are the functional people who perform the tasks under the guidance and motivation of the team leader. It is quite different to be a leader and a member of the group. Members do participate in decision making in some styles of leadership but the ultimate decision lies in the hands of the team leader. They are mutants of change but the team leader leads to the final implication of those changes in the group. Members have to accept his orders or requests and incorporate them into their working styles. They must follow up the routine and the working code as specified by the team leader. They become more of an employees than equal members of the team as they are actually lead by a leader. Team leader focuses on sharpening the human resources and team members focus on developing their individual identity within the team and collaborating in a healthy manner for the overall success of the team. Team members go up to the team leader to resolve an issue which is outside the scope of their personal problem solving ability. Team leader on the other hand balances the requirements of every individual team member and align the goals of the team with the goals of an individual. Team leader actually acts as a bridge between team members and the top management by communicating the information both the sides. The whole responsibility of time and resource management lies with the team leader. He has the inherent ability to steer the direction of focus, working style, work pace and nature of the team. Being a team member is equally important and worthy as the members are taught to obey orders, give their genuine opinion, look forward for becoming the future leaders by learning the capabilities of the team leader, put in their best of the efforts to complete the assigned task within the allotted deadline and many more features. 3.3 The effectiveness of the team to achieve the desired goals can be monitored with the help of blend of both qualitative and quantitative methods. The competency of each of the individual team member can be monitored by observing their productivity in a span of fixed time. The team leader can set aside a few days to observe the performance of the members and develop a comprehensive plan and approach towards it. For a qualitative, peer reviews can be one of the best methods to have an insight into the development of the team. Peer reviews can either be taken in a word of mouth manner or may be taken in the form of a written questionnaire which can be presented either in an online of an offline mode. For a quantitative analysis there can be surveys carried out within the team to compare the productivity, sales, profits, attendance, retention etc. Key Performance Indicators may be useful tool to provide the team leader with an overall picture of the scenario in quantitative terms. The re will be an analysis of the improvement in the context of increase in customer satisfaction which can be measured by enhanced productivity, sales and demands. Customer review will also matter a lot in giving a genuine review of effectiveness of the team at a collaborative level. Customers can be contacted either on phone or via emails generated by the marketing team of the company. The number of transactions or the increase in profit will be directly proportional to the enhanced effectiveness of the team. There will be lesser number of customer complaints which can be observed by recording the customer support and satisfaction calls and reviewing them for an analysis. Therefore, both qualitative and quantitative methods will be used in collaboration to analyze the efficiency and development of the team. The requirement of the task is to enhance the satisfaction level of the customers which can be evaluated and monitored based over the beta testing done with the help of some selected and loyal customers. This would give results of the effectiveness of the team work implied in the task rather than chaotic individual activity. Task 4 4.1 For planning the assessment of progress by vocational school, there must be timely observations based over the patterns of progress and studies of reports. The progress must be monitored and noted manually for a better analysis. There can be use of some software which can give the progress results easily and efficiently. There may be a test or an assessment for having a survey of the potential progress made by the department. Also there may be review strategies and operations so as to prepare an action plan and act according to the progress rate. The success curve should be daily analyzed for predicting the future of the department. Technology should be deployed in assessment of planning tasks in which Microsoft Project or Microsoft Access can be used for keeping up a database and Gnatt chart record. The assessment of the work should be given to a specialized team giving periodic updates for improvement and maintenance of the level of vocational training given. Staff development should be focused in order to distribute the tasks of assessment for a better review and monitoring strategy implementation. 4.2 Every individual should be given a full exposure so as to realize his personal requirements and working needs for developing. He should have the freedom to speak via open communication medium to express their needs. There must be proper training provided so that they can express their developmental status and future requirements. They must be mentored and coached in an efficient manner so as to provide with support. After assessing the needs, some of the common needs must be prioritized at the first go followed by special needs as per the urgency. These common needs will satisfy maximum individuals and hence foster enhanced efficiency. After implementation of the plan, it should be matched with the original needs so as to attain the level of satisfaction and efficiency among individuals. There should be feedback forms given to individuals along with surprise tests to check the level of their training process. Individual staff members must be given heterogeneous groups for monitor ing purpose so as to have a deep insight into individual level reports. 4.3 To assess the success matched up with the goals there must be a survey whether the goals are met with the efforts or are still yet to be accomplished. There must be a checklist which should be completed and the milestone sheet analyzed to check if the targets are met or not. Meetings are arranged to discuss about the level of success and further plans required after reviewing, there should be a constant monitoring or maintenance for the assessment tasks. References 1. Taylor, M. S., Bergmann, T. J., Organizational recruitment activities and applicants' reactions at different stages of the recruitment process, Personnel Psychology, vol. 40. no. 2, 1987, p. 261-285.2. Gregory, J. Sex, race and the law: Legislating for equality (p. 161), 1987, London: Sage.3. Callaghan, G., Thompson, P., We recruit attitude: the selection and shaping of routine call centre labour, Journal of Management Studies, vol. 39, no. 2, 2002, p. 233-254.4. Connelly, M. S., Gilbert, J. A., Zaccaro, S. J., Threlfall, K., Marks, M. A., Mumford, M. D. , Exploring the relationship of leadership skills and knowledge to leader performance, The Leadership Quarterly, vol. 11, no. 1, 2000, p. 65-86.5. Mumford, M. D., Zaccaro, S. J., Harding, F. D., Jacobs, T. O., Fleishman, E. A., Leadership skills for a changing world: Solving complex social problems, The Leadership Quarterly, vol. 11, no. 1, 2000, p. 11-35.6. Kotterman, J., In My View... Leadership Versus Management: What's the Difference?, Journal for Quality and Participation, vol. 29, no. 2, 2006, p. 13.7. Goodnight, R., Laissez-faire leadership, The Economic Journal, vol. 98, no. 392, 2004, p. 755-771.8. Barry, C. A., Britten, N., Barber, N., Bradley, C., Stevenson, F., Using reflexivity to optimize teamwork in qualitative research, Qualitative health research, vol. 9, no. 1, 1999, p. 26-44.9. Fisher, K., Leading self-directed work teams: A guide to developing new team leadership skills, 2000, McGraw-Hill.10. Kozlowski, S. W., Gully, S. M., Salas, E., Cannon-Bowers, J. A., Team leadership and development: Theory, principles, and guidelines for training leaders and teams, 1996.

Thursday, November 28, 2019

Post-Colonialism-Trying To Regain Individuality Essays -

Post-Colonialism-Trying to Regain Individuality Post-Colonialism-Trying to Regain Individuality Indeed, the stranger has unusual customs. The white man held the paper like a sacred thing. His hands shook, and we mistrusted him... For how many moons will the stranger be among us? (Vera 43) The stranger still lives among the people of Zimbabwe, though the colonial political authority has left. Yet I wonder if the town elder speaking in the above passage from Yvonne Vera's Nehanda would recognize current Zimbabwean authorities as strangers or countrymen. Could he relate to today's government officials and understand the languages which they speak? Would he feel at home in an African country with borders defined by European imperial powers without regard to the various ethnic nations involved? Post-colonial theory attempts to explain problems such as these, yet it does so almost exclusively in the languages of the European colonial powers. Europeans even created the word Africa. "To name the world is to 'understand' it, to know it and to have control over it" (Ashcroft 283). Because knowledge is power, and words, whether written or spoken, are the medium of exchange, using words incurs responsibility. One must use special care with broadly defined words and terms, such as post-colonial. Post-colonial literature describes a wide array of experiences set in the contexts of heterogeneous societies which themselves represent many different ethnic groups. Ashcroft, Griffiths and Tiffin define post-colonial theory as discussion of "migration, slavery, suppression, resistance, representation, difference, race, gender, place, and responses to the influential master discourses of imperial Europe... and the fundamental experiences of speaking and writing by which all these come into being" (Ashcroft 2). The wide-ranging nature of the term post-colonial threatens to weaken its usefulness by "diffusion... so extreme that it is used to refer to not only vastly different but even opposed activities" (Ashcroft 2). Post-colonialism encompasses many of the issues encountered in the work we have discussed thus far in the semester. Yet because vague and generalized theories have limits and tend to oversimplify, clouding over real problems, one must handle the term with care. Ashcroft, Griffiths, and Tiffin suggest that we should restrict the term post-colonial to signify after colonialism. "All post-colonial societies are still subject in one way or another to overt or subtle forms of neo-colonial domination, and independence has not solved the problem" (Ashcroft 2). After colonialism, new elites, often in the form of dictators, frequently rose and still rise to power in post-colonial countries. In Chinua Achebe's Anthills of the Savannah, Ikem complains about countrymen worse than thieves, "leaders who openly looted our treasury, whose effrontery soiled our national soul" (Achebe 39). Ikem refers not to the white strangers but rather to Africans who have ruled with policies similar to those of colonial oppression. With the British empire gone, African societies must look inward to find remnants of colonialism which continue to harm their nations, and perhaps, find those which are advantageous in the new world they have been thrust into. Ikem's speech directed to all Nigerians rather than to any particular class pleads, "you must develop the habit of skepticism, not swallow every piece of superstition you are told by witch doctors and professors... When you rid yourself of these things your potentiality for assisting and directing this nation will be quadrupled" (Achebe 148). Part of the danger of the term post-colonial stems from people's disregard of their responsibility for their situation. As Ikem notes in his speech, people prefer to blame other groups, perhaps even post-colonialism, for their problems and rarely comprehend that only they can help themselves. Yet for people to act responsibly, they must first have a certain level of understanding of the situation which faces them. However, because colonialism and exposure to Western culture caused so many changes in African societies, people were thrust into new experiences which they could not comprehend with the guidance of the old traditions. In Ken Saro-Wiwa's Forest of Flowers, when a young man becomes dumbfounded after bringing home a man who he thought was a woman, people explain transvestites in the following manner. "One man said it was spirit, another said fairy and another ghost" (Saro-Wiwa 73). Resorting to old superstitious explanations of events makes it very difficult to understand real life situations and from thence, act responsibly in them. Too much has changed to simply revert to the old ways of life. New problems exist and will continue to do so unless one can learn to deal them in the modern context. Blaming post-colonial syndrome for the ills of developing countries sentences those countries to continue in their state of hardship. Rewinding the clock to prevent colonialism from

Sunday, November 24, 2019

20 surefire tips for using bullets like a pro - Emphasis

20 surefire tips for using bullets like a pro 20 surefire tips for using bullets like a pro Bullet points can bring clarity to an otherwise dense report, delivering quickfire information. But overuse them and you could shoot yourself in the foot – too many can make a document very hard to read. There are 20 bullet points in this article. Take each of them on board next time you draft a document and youll be formatting like a pro in no time. Why use bullets? Bullet points are great for communicating information and breaking up text. For example, they can: make lists clearer, as they are more visual use white space well grab attention by drawing the readers eye help readers scan information reduce word count. When to use bullets Bullet lists always need an introduction (like this one) and are good for: concise web content conveying key information breaking down complex lists summarising main points giving instructions. Bullets can be particularly useful in technical writing. In our experience, theyre popular with scientists and engineers, who sometimes even have a tendency to overuse them as a substitute for structured prose. Historians and policy makers, on the other hand, tend to prefer more connected text, and in some cases dont even use bullets at all. So, how do you strike a good balance? Just remember that they should be the exception, not the rule. They cant draw the readers eye if theyre everywhere, so reserve them for your hardest hitting, most concise points. When to dodge the bullets As a general rule, readers dont like bullet points when: there are too many or  the points are too long they are used for unimportant details the story is emotive or involved and so needs connected text (T)he punctuation is erratic and distracting(;) some of them are very much longer than others and it’s difficult to really see what the point of this particular type of bullet point is – in fact when the writer is just rambling on and simply wasting the reader’s time (annoying, isn’t it?). How to punctuate bullets There are various different styles of punctuating bullet points, and no hard-and-fast rules on the right way to do it. The most important thing is to have a consistent style across your organisation.  At Emphasis, for example, we use two different styles. When the bullet points are not full sentences (as in this article so far), we use: lower case no punctuation a full stop after the final bullet if it ends the sentence (as this one does). However, if were using bullet points for a list of complete sentences: We use a capital letter at the start of each one. And we end each one with a full stop. So there you have it, 20 bullets to help you hit your writing targets. Do you have a preferred style? Do you want to come clean as a bullet-point addict or phobic? Wed like to hear what you think – join the discussion below. How to use bullet points effectively is just one of the many topics we typically cover in our in-company courses and courses for individuals.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Introduction to Accounting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Introduction to Accounting - Essay Example Groups are treated as a single entity for the purpose of showing the financial position of the range of companies including parent (holding) company, its subsidiaries, associated companies and other investments such as joint ventures. These financial statements are known as consolidated financial statements because all the accounts of the companies are consolidated to form just one set of accounts. This is done for the better management of accounts, tax cuts, measurement of the size and extent of the business and also it is a requirement in some cases (Brennan & Pierce, 2003). The case discussed below is per USGAAP treatment of group accounts. (Definitions, 2008) When the company owns or purchases 50% or more of the outstanding common stock, the purchasing company has control over the acquired company. Control in this context is defined as ability to direct policies and management. In this type of relationship the controlling company is the parent and the controlled company is the subsidiary. The parent company needs to issue consolidated financial statements at the end of the year to reflect this relationship. Consolidated financial statements show the parent and the subsidiary as one single entity. During the year, the parent company can use the equity or the cost method to account for its investment in the subsidiary. Each company keeps separate books.

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

How the existence of cheat codes could hurt Johnsons argument about Case Study

How the existence of cheat codes could hurt Johnsons argument about video games - Case Study Example Some of these regions are in dire need of security and other resources that are basic for human existence like food, shelter and clothing. The UN is has presence in most parts of the world with different organizations, within it, having key roles to play in promoting people’s wellbeing and improving security. Though the initial charter does not state that the UN should participate in peace keeping, the organization has been influential in keeping peace, for example, in Eastern Europe and Africa. As such, the UN participates in prevention of recurring wars and any spread of warfare to other areas. Therefore, the United States should take the UN as an asset that enhances development and sustainably. The UN has been influential in promoting peace, sustainability and development in many regions which are vital in the economic and political development of the US and the whole world. The most notable peace keeping missions in which the UN was heavily involved are centered in the Mid dle East. There has been a recurrent eruption of war in the Middle East, which has affected the world’s economy. Many countries in the world are affected by these war eruptions, which is a disadvantage to the development of many economic regions. The Middle East is known to have massive oil deposits. It is explicitly reflected that the management of world’s oil deposits is vital to the world economy. As such, any detrimental effects in these nations will affect the world oil prices and thus increase the cost of production the world over. When there instability in this region the first effect is always reduced oil production followed by increased oil prices. The countries in the Middle East are likely to record unfavorable balance of trade as their exports reduce during war or instability. This is an issue that directly affects the US as it is the single-most largest consumer of oil and related products. Were it not for the UN, the Middle East case would have been much worse than it is today. Similarly, diminished trade between the US and the Middle East countries has a direct impact on the economy of the US. If the wars in the Middle East are to continue for the next decade, the economy of the US will be worst affected. Therefore, the indulgence of the UN should be considered an asset as it strengthens the peaceful coexistence in the region. If these indulgences started after the WWI, there would be peace in this region. The activities of the UN should be enhanced to make the organization have increased positive influence worldwide. In addition to this, the UN has been influential in helping Cyprus. This nation has been adversely affected and the UN has stepped in to solve the situation. 6. Evaluation of the United Nations in the Middle East In the recent times, Syria has experienced unrest which led to the displacement of over 350, 000 refugees. As per the year 2012, Iraq recorded the highest number of refugees coming from the country, others ge tting into the country and many others displaced internally. According to statistics, the number of refugees from Iraq was recorded at 1.4 million while internally displaced persons were recorded at 1.3 million. This is a large number of people that need protection and other humanitarian assistance. The UN has since established its mission in the area to help these persons. According to the UN strategy in 2013, the organization is hosting 148, 000 refugees which are particularly from Syria. The r4ecent financial report states that the UN has used a total of 453,386, 000 USD. The UN has been effective in maintaining peace in the Middle East from its ongoing peace missions. The Middle East is

Sunday, November 17, 2019

Article on improving training and retention in small to medium sized Assignment

Article on improving training and retention in small to medium sized businesses - Assignment Example Concerns of improving training and retention in these businesses are increasingly becoming centres of attraction for successful businesses. This essay explores the issue of employee training and retention in small and medium businesses. Comparative advantage in performance and labour productivity is being realized in small to medium sized businesses through strategic development of their human resources. Effective training and retention forms the key component of such an achievement (Analoui & Karim 2003). The ultimate goal of training in any organization is to improve the skills and knowledge of its employees and also gain a competitive advantage in a particular business sector. Training needs be tailored to address the business strategic objectives and meet its calculated needs. It also facilitates creation of a unique workforce. Small and medium sized businesses have to embrace the following practices in order to improve training and retention, putting more emphasis in valuing of work place learning and training. Like larger organizations, small and medium sized businesses need to continuously and regularly improve their capacity to gather information, managerial skills and their commitment to investing in employee’s knowledge and skills. ... Strategic training and partnerships should be employed to foster the achievement of such goals. For instance, in organizations that employ the principle of lean manufacturing which is geared to reduce waste and improve productivity, employees learning initiatives are tailored to support the principle. In addition, partnership training should help small business entity in strengthening its training reserves and learning to explore new business opportunities and increase returns in the long run (Alberto & Hamel 2005) Moreover, Employees need to receive tailor made training that matches their job task and anticipated work results. The training offered should be flexible to enable the employees accommodate their job responsibilities as well as social life ones. The training should also be participatory in nature such that employees who are efficient in one area are involved in sharing that knowledge with their colleagues. Formal employee training programs especially the foundation learni ng programs need to be adopted by the employers with the emphasis of developing communication skills. In the globalized and technology oriented business environment, customer satisfaction is imperative to any business success. In small and medium sized businesses, the employees represent the image of the organization and forms daily contact with the customers especially in those the service industry. The foundation training program should work as a curtain raiser to advanced training programs that facilitate the acquisition of management and leadership skills, decision making and problem solving (Alberto & Hamel 2005). This will form the basis of promotion within the organization because such programs prepare the employees for higher

Friday, November 15, 2019

The differing historical and sociological views of childhood

The differing historical and sociological views of childhood This essay will highlight how childrens health and the laws to protect them from being exploited by employers through the introduction of Parliamentary Acts have been effective. It has also been important to discover how taking children out of the workforce impacted on society and how it was able to support them. A further issue to be investigated will be how important it was to rescue children from living rough and trying to support themselves which was taken up by Nonconformists such as Thomas Barnardo and how the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) was founded (Cunningham-2006). Another aim of this assignment is to seek out how childrens health has improved through both Government and other organisations intervention. Therefore, what Government Acts were introduced to improve the living standards of the very poor and how they have been updated to deal with the problems of the twenty first century. Another part of trying to improve the lives of all ch ildren has been focused on providing all children with an education that would link into them achieving a better standard of living and being able to make a positive contribute to society. This has been a theme of Barnardos homes since Victorian times (Rose. J 1987) and is still been seen as a necessary goal in the Governments green paper Every Childs Matters (2003) and the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS-2007). Therefore this will be the final area discussed in how different historical and sociological views of childhood are linked to the in present day UK. Cunningham (2006) Miller et al (2002)research states that Victorian times saw fifty per cent of recorded deaths in children aged five years old and under, the biggest killers being diarrhoea, whooping cough, measles and small pox. In 1840 it became compulsory to be vaccinated against small pox; a vaccination founded in 1790 by Edward Jenner a country doctor working in a practice in Gloucestershire. He had a chance conversation with a milk maid who had contracted cow pox and she told him that folk lore said that if a person had survived cow pox they could not contract small pox. His vaccine was an important discovery as small pox was the biggest killer in Victorian time; in todays terms it claimed as many lives as cancer or heart disease. During this period ten percent of the population suffered from the disease in rural areas, this rose to twenty percent in towns and cities who contracted the virus and subsequently there was a higher death toll due to overcrowded conditions. The lar gest group was of children, as one in three died. Jenners assertion was that the cow pox protects the human constitution from the infection of small pox (Health affairs, 24 No 3 2005) He called it the Speckled monster (www.Jenner museum.com-30/12/10). In 1853 an act was passed that made it compulsory that all infants under three months were to have the vaccination. If parents failed to have their children immunised they could be ordered to court where they would be fined, property confiscated and finally imprisoned. However, this did not deter some parents across all classes who continued to battle with the authorities until their children were fourteen years old and did not have to have the vaccination. This was because many parents feared that the conditions in which the procedure was carried out were not sterile. Their fears were well founded as there was evidence that other disease were spread e.g. erysipelas, syphilis and scrofula (Baxby, small pox vaccination). Although Jenner gave this vaccination to the world for free, the doctors charged for this service therefore many poor people, who were amongst the most vulnerable, could not afford it. If doctors had not charged for this vaccination, small pox would have been under control a lot soon than it was. (www.History Learning Site.co.uk-30/12/10). However, childrens survival rate did increase as they got older although other health factors came to the forefront. Life expectancy was reduced due to the hazard of death at work, from dust in mines, quarries, barns, mills and bakeries alongside many accidents involving using dangerous equipment. In 1842 the mines act (Maybin.J, 2003) was passed so that no child under ten years old or woman were to work underground in mines but this did not stop them from working above ground where the conditions were not much better. Many acts were also passed in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth century that tried to control the hazardous, and what proved in many cases the fatal occupation of chimney sweeps or climbing boys as they were called (Cunningham, H 2006). All these previous acts proved ineffective and it took a court case in 1875 about an eleven year old boy, George Brewster who died when sweeping a flue at Fulbourn Hospital in Cambridge. The post-mortem showed that George had suf focated, his head was congested and he had large levels of black powder in his lungs and windpipe. Lord Shaftesbury then put forward another bill to parliament, this time with success. This ended what the Times newspaper called the worst public scandals of the Kingdom. (Strange, K.H, 1982) Other Acts of Parliament were also passed to try and safeguard children in cotton mills and factories over a period of time e.g. 1802 Health and Morals of Apprentices Act and the Factory Act of 1819 (Maybin,J.2003) but no provision had been ordered for these acts to be enforced. Things did not really improve until 1832 when thousands of children and adults marched to York to listen to speakers calling for a ten hour day act. The outcome of this was the 1833 Royal Commission on the Employment of Children in Factories Act (Maylin, J.2003) which said that no child under nine years of age could work in a factory and it also said that the eight hours older children spent at work had to be matched with eight hours of time spent in school until they were fourteen years old. This was supposed to be implicated by inspectors even thought there were only four for the whole of Britain. However, their work did go some way to put into place regulations that refined a system that progressed through the century. This meant that children spent equal amounts of their time in work and in school until 1918 (Cunningham-2006). Although these acts gave children more rights they were also the cause of other problems for society and the policy-makers. The poor law amendment act of 1834 (PLAA) was still in place, which was a problem for certain authorities who had to care for the children as the work they were allowed to carry out was getting more difficult to find. However, factory masters in Northern England and the Midlands needed children to work their machines in these remote sites. This led to the London authorities who were in charge of the poor houses, to take these factories needs as an opportunity to send cartloads of children to these valleys to work. One boy, Robert Blincoe tells of how 80 girls and boys were promised Roast beef and plum pudding ,but instead were forced to work 14 hours a day, were regularly beaten and given insufficient food .( Cunningham, H.2006) Thomas Barnardo became one of the most famous men in shaping childrens history in Victorian Britain. He arrived in London from Ireland in 1866.The city at the time was coping without much success with the effects of the Industrial Revolution. London was over populated had bad housing, poverty, massive unemployment, and an outbreak of cholera had just ripped through the East End of London.3,000 people had died leaving many children without family, homeless and also many were left with terrible injuries sustained from accidents in factories. Barnardo was appalled at the site of these unfortunate children and in 1867 set up a ragged school, so called because of the condition of the childrens clothes, in the East End of London for poor children to receive some basic education. A young boy Jim Jarvis from the mission showed Barnardo round the streets one cold night, children were sleeping on roofs huddled together for warmth. This sight effected Barnardo greatly and he decided to dedicate his time and efforts to helping destitute children. In 1870 Barnardo opened the first home for boys in Stepney Causeway. One evening a boy, John Somers was turned away from the home because it was full. He was found two days later dead from malnutrition and exposure. The home from that day had a sigh which read No Destitute Child Ever Refused Admission. Barnardo opened a home for girls in Barkingside which housed 1,500 girls. The aim of these homes was by the time children left they had a skill to help them make their way in the world and make a contribution to society. Boys learnt a craft or trade, girls learnt domestic skills. Barnardo believed that family life was the best for children to be bought up in. He started the first fostering scheme boarding out children to well to do families; he also started a scheme to board out babies born to unmarried mothers. The mothers worked in service nearby so they could still see their off spring. Victorians looked upon poverty, something t hey had helped to create, as shameful. They believed it came about through vice and laziness. Thomas Barnardo felt that all children, no matter what background they had come from deserved a chance and the best start in life . A philosophy that still inspires the charity today. Even though Barnardo was seen as a benevolent person there were still those who opposed him and tried to undermine his efforts. He was accused of having liaisons with a prostitute, falsifying photographs by dressing children in ragged clothes and miss using funds. All this was unfounded.(Cambridge University 1998) In 1946 The Curtis Report was published it was a national report on children deprived of a normal home life. Children were acknowledged as the nations responsibility. This report was the backbone of the Childrens Act of 1948 which placed local authorities responsible for the care of homeless and those children in need. Another Act that helped to change history and the plight of children for ever is the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children. The Reverend George Staite caused a public stir in writing a letter to the Liverpool Mercury dated 1881 in it he asked Whilst we have a society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, can we not do something to prevent cruelty to children? This statement summed up the callous way the late Victorian era still treated its children. Social attitudes of Victorian people saw a very distinct line between public and private lives. Lord Shaftesbury, who himself had campaigned successfully for the Mines Act of 1842, warned Reverend Staite against trying to help protect children using the legal system. Shaftesbury said the evils you state are enormous and indisputable, but they are of so private, internal beyond the reach of legislation. However by 1884 The London Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children was born. Lord Shaftesbury was given the post of President and the Reverend Benjamin Waugh and Reverend Edward Rudolf were joint honorary secretaries. Waugh lived in Greenwich in London, and after seeing the high levels of child cruelty in the area, wanted to draw public and government attention to the unnecessary suffering of the children. The London Society lobbed parliament hard and succeeded in changing the law through what was called Childrens Charters. These charters reduced the parental powers. The society recognised that most neglect and abuse happened at home. An annual meeting was held in 1889 and the name of the society was changed to the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children. Queen Victoria became patron and Waugh the director. In 1889 the society had thirty two branches across the UK. Inspectors were paid by raising funds. They investigated reports of abuse and neglect usually from neighbours. The public had finally got behind this Act and by 1901 the NSPPC had 250 inspectors and had had over 50,000 complaints. The NSPPC continues to uphold the traditions set in place by its founders; it acts as an independent voice of children and young people to this day.(Hendrick,H.2003) With more children now attending school scientific studies showed that were serious health issues. These studies lead to the 1906 Welfare Act .Until this Act was in place free school meals for children of poor families were suggested but optional so some local authorise did not provide them. By 1914 150,000 children were getting one good meal a day. These studies also paved the way for the 1907Act that meant that all children who attended school were entitled to a free health check. The floor in this Act was that not all children went to school and were still working more times than not to keep their family from poverty. In 1986 a National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act (NCVIA) came into effect in the UK and a similar attitude to that of the Victorians recurred with parents having concerns about links between vaccinations specifically the MMR and neurological problems. Research was headed by Dr Andrew Wakefield at the Royal Free Hospital London. The research suggested that there were links between the MMR vaccination and autism in children. It went on to also make possible links to bowel disease. Two reports in1998 and 1999 looked at the evidence from Dr Wakefields team and concluded that firstly there was no evidence to link the MMR to autism or bowel disease and secondly that there was not enough information available to cause concern about the safety of the MMR vaccination. The Department of Health did acknowledge that the final decision was with the parents or guardian of the child but they had no hesitation to advice the use of the MMR vaccine. In 2001 (WHO) the World Health Organisation came out in a report supporting the MMR vaccine (MacLeod-Brudenell 2004). Even though things have improved for children from Victorian times, things are still not ideal for our children of today. Poverty is still a major concern in the 21st century .Three times as many people are living relative poverty compared to 1979. Families are experiencing high levels of divorce, separation and traditional networks decrease(DSS 1999a).These changes have an adverse impact on childrens emotional well-being and physical health. Children who live in families experiencing relative poverty are; less likely to eat healthy, to be breastfeed for any length of time, to do well in school and more likely to have childhood accidents, to have parents that smoke and have parents that suffer from depression. After the death of an eight year old girl ,Victoria Climbie, she was tortured and killed by her aunt and partner. Lord Laming chaired a public inquiry it asked how in the 21st century this little girl could have been failed so miserably. After the Laming Report, a minister for children,. The government published the green paper Every Child Matters.(DfES 2003)The spirit of this paper is positive. This policy outlined the care that needed to be in place to protect our children including the National Service Framework(NSF) for childrens health, Sure Start for families with children under five, improve access to health food, and reduce child poverty.(Miller,L.2002) In conclusion, from Victorian days up to modern times there have been pioneers who developed vaccinations such as Edward Jenners small pox inoculation to Lord Shaftesburys law to protect the chimney sweep boys. However, any changes no matter how well intended have had some serious implications to families ability to survive poverty. Further, even though there were laws to ensure the authorities did take care of the poorest in society, reforms to protect children from working had serious implication to their ability to fulfil their role.

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

Functionalist and Interactionalist Perspective on Illegal Drugs Essay

Functionalist and Interactionalist Perspective on Illegal Drugs The war on drugs in our culture is a continuous action that is swiftly lessening our society. This has been going on for roughly 10-15 years and has yet to slow down in any way. Drugs continue to be a problem for the obvious reason that certain people abuse them in a way that can lead to ultimate harm on such a person. These drugs do not just consist of street drugs (marijuana, cocaine, ecstasy), but prescription medications as well. Although there are some instances where drugs are being used by subjects excessively, there has been medical research to prove that some of these drugs have made a successful impact on certain disorders and diseases. One of the most obvious reasons why drugs are still around is because it is such a profitable business. In our society, marijuana, cocaine, xanax, and ecstasy are convenient and readily available to purchase almost anywhere you go. Those who sell drugs can make anywhere from five hundred to three thousand dollars a day. This income is tax-free and requires little to no labor efforts whatsoever. Those involved in this lucrative trade are taking somewhat of a risk, but because dealing drugs is so common in our society the chances of getting caught aren’t as high as expected. Drug trafficking alone serves for about 40 percent of all organized crime activity with this number increasing everyday as drugs become more and more popular. With the economy being so bad most find it easy to turn to selling drugs as an acceptable mean of income. Although drugs are used in an illegal aspect for the most part, there are accounts of medical research to prove the positive effects on some patients with long-term diseas... ...f actual reality. They are no longer able to face day to day activities without having that drug in their life. Many factors contribute to the reasons why drug use still exists in America today. It provides needed job titles, it is an on going process for medical research, and acts as a contribution to help certain people in their own personal ways. Drugs have been around for nearly two decades and as the years progress, the war on drugs seems as if it has no intensions of slowing down. This problem will only continue to intensify in an inferior situation. In using both the functionalist and interactionist perspectives, several imperfections such as addiction and the fact that people use drugs in illegal ways are identified. Ultimately, it is only us as a society as a whole who can take the responsibility and can change this issue †¦ for better or for worse. Functionalist and Interactionalist Perspective on Illegal Drugs Essay Functionalist and Interactionalist Perspective on Illegal Drugs The war on drugs in our culture is a continuous action that is swiftly lessening our society. This has been going on for roughly 10-15 years and has yet to slow down in any way. Drugs continue to be a problem for the obvious reason that certain people abuse them in a way that can lead to ultimate harm on such a person. These drugs do not just consist of street drugs (marijuana, cocaine, ecstasy), but prescription medications as well. Although there are some instances where drugs are being used by subjects excessively, there has been medical research to prove that some of these drugs have made a successful impact on certain disorders and diseases. One of the most obvious reasons why drugs are still around is because it is such a profitable business. In our society, marijuana, cocaine, xanax, and ecstasy are convenient and readily available to purchase almost anywhere you go. Those who sell drugs can make anywhere from five hundred to three thousand dollars a day. This income is tax-free and requires little to no labor efforts whatsoever. Those involved in this lucrative trade are taking somewhat of a risk, but because dealing drugs is so common in our society the chances of getting caught aren’t as high as expected. Drug trafficking alone serves for about 40 percent of all organized crime activity with this number increasing everyday as drugs become more and more popular. With the economy being so bad most find it easy to turn to selling drugs as an acceptable mean of income. Although drugs are used in an illegal aspect for the most part, there are accounts of medical research to prove the positive effects on some patients with long-term diseas... ...f actual reality. They are no longer able to face day to day activities without having that drug in their life. Many factors contribute to the reasons why drug use still exists in America today. It provides needed job titles, it is an on going process for medical research, and acts as a contribution to help certain people in their own personal ways. Drugs have been around for nearly two decades and as the years progress, the war on drugs seems as if it has no intensions of slowing down. This problem will only continue to intensify in an inferior situation. In using both the functionalist and interactionist perspectives, several imperfections such as addiction and the fact that people use drugs in illegal ways are identified. Ultimately, it is only us as a society as a whole who can take the responsibility and can change this issue †¦ for better or for worse.