In Cold Blood Theme Essay

There are many prominent themes in the novel In Cold Blood, and they cover a wide spectrum of topics. They include the effects (if any) caused by environment in childhood, how a person of any of locale can be a victim of hostility, and the presence of contrasting personalities. Truman Capote gives the reader a detailed account of Perry Smith’s and Dick Hickock’s childhoods. Smith’s childhood was very problematic and scarred by years of abuse. He witnessed beatings of his mother by his father; as a result of the domestic violence, his parents divorced. Due to these problems he rans away from home, and he was â€Å"in and out of detention homes many times† (277). He is severely beaten and humiliated by a cottage mistress because of a mixuration malfunction. These violent episodes compelled his bitterness toward other humans. When Smith entered adulthood, he commited acts of thievery and acts of battery. While in the merchant marines, he once threw a Japanese policeman off a bridge and into the water. All these events had an impact on Smith, and his adulthood provided him with the opportunity to avenge the experiences that enraged him. Hickock’s childhood was marked by no horror stories. His years of childhood showed no signs of abuse or neglect, but his parents were a little overprotective. He showed no real contempt for his parents or his childhood. Dick’s inception into adulthood reveals his abnormal â€Å"tendencies,† (Reed 115) and in the novel proof is given by Hickock: â€Å"I think the main reason I went there [the Clutter home] was not to rob them but to rape the girl† (278). The two killers’ childhoods were obviously dissimilar, and their differences bring to question the formation of a killer’s mind. Is it childhood that affects the criminal mind’s mentality? Smith’s lack of companionship during his childhood led him to search for companionship in Hickock. Hickock took advantage of Smith’s need by promoting Smith’s fantasies. Hickock truly felt that Smith’s fantasies were ludicrous, but he supported his fantasies because he needed Smith’s aid to commit the murders. A second theme of In Cold Blood is the randomness of crime. The Clutter family lived in rural Kansas hundreds of miles from a major city, and people of this small community felt a sense of security. The Clutter family murder made national headlines because this crime fit no stereotype. The Clutter family was well loved and respected by the people of Holcomb, who would have never seriously considered a such a crime happening in their own backyard. The Clutter family was successful financially; they lived as well as any other family in town. However, there was no jealousy of the family’s success. This is another one of many reasons why this murder consternated the inhabitants of Holcomb, the investigators, and the rest of the nation. Another theme throughout In Cold Blood is the attraction of opposite personalities and what they can become once united. The reader sees these opposing personalities in Hickock and Smith. The first scene of Perry Smith is with a guitar and a set of road maps. The guitar appears to function as a feminine image and symbol. The reader also learns that part of what attracts Hickock to Smith is that Hickock fells â€Å"totally masculine† by this association. In one scene the contents of the criminals’ automobile is mentioned. One of Perry’s possessions is the guitar, and the â€Å"instrument that typifies his combative companion Dick†¦ a twelve gauge pump-action shotgun.† Another instance of Smith’s feminism is Hickock’s constant addressing of him as â€Å"sugar,† â€Å"honey,† and â€Å"baby.† Smith’s feminine qualities are evident; however, the reader is left to interpret their importance (Reed 113-114). In conclusion, there are many different themes throughout the novel. In Cold Blood discusses the issues of childhood influences, the randomness of a crime, and opposing personalities. These themes are unique in that they they can be molded into a nonfiction novel such as In Cold Blood.

Film Festival Essay

Houston, TX (Mar. 18, 2009) —The 2009 WorldFest-Houston proudly presents Food Fight as part of its award-winning documentary side bar. Food Fight is a fascinating look at how American agricultural policy and food production developed in the 20th century, igniting a California food movement that sparked a tasty, counter-revolution. The documentary dishes up topics including sustainable produce, farmers markets, school lunch programs and inner-city gardens. It’s a savvy, fast-paced investigation that chronicles the life and times of ‘slow foods movement’ pioneer Alice Waters and her landmark restaurant, Chez Panisse, which transformed an industry based on profits into a market based on wholesome flavor. Food Fight is a riveting, smart romp through the historic rise of the Organic foods trend. This culinary adventure cooks up a clever insider’s view of how the nation’s plates are forsaking processed filler foods for homegrown, healthy produce. Chefs Alice Waters, Wolfgang Puck and Suzanne Goin are featured. If you’re interested in the origins of America’s flavorful farmer’s market revolution, you can check out Food Fight which will screen during the WorldFest-Houston Film Festival’s run, April 17-26, at the AMC 30 Dunvale (2949 Dunvale, Houston, TX 77063). Enjoy the newest feature film from food activist and screen director, Chris Taylor, who will be available after the viewing to discuss the film’s highlights! WorldFest Houston, founded in 1961, is the third oldest Independent film festival in the United States. This annual event has evolved into a competitive Independent International film festival showcasing the rising stars of tomorrow. This year’s 42nd Annual WorldFest (April 17-26, 2009) will feature: 50 award-winning Indie films, 100 superb short films, 450 Indie filmmakers from around the globe, 6 Master Classes/Film industry seminars, 1 Grand Awards Gala & Cocktail Reception with the filmmakers and a Closing Day Regatta/Barbecue & VIP NASA/Space Center Houston Tour. Tickets are $6 for a single matinee (films before 6 pm) or $10.00 per single  evening admission and range upward based on packages that customers purchase. Film Buff $100, Silver Screen $150 and ultimate VIP Platinum Pass $500. Check www.worldfest.org for details. Tickets will be available mid-March online and up to theatre- capacity at show time at the Cinema Box Office. All films, seminars and events are open to the public. Opening Night Prices ~ $20 per person for Film & Program book. $30 per person for Film, Program book and Champagne Reception at Renaissance Hotel after the film

Can a Christian justify the use of Nuclear Weapons? Essay

When answering the title of this essay, you have to first look at why countries retain and develop nuclear weapons. The first reason and most obvious of all is to use the nuclear device to destroy an enemy. A good Christian however can never justify this, because no matter how accurate your weapons are you will undoubtedly kill innocent civilians. If you look at the Ten Commandments laid down by God you will see that God was opposed to war, violence and any form of mistreatment. We are told, â€Å"To love thy neighbour† and â€Å"To treat our enemies, as we would want to be treated. † If you were to look at these commandments you would see that nuclear warfare could never be justified and if you do provoke a nuclear war you should be punished. That brings me into the second reason of why countries retain nuclear weapons and that is as a threat. It is a way of protecting your country, but you will protect yourself and retaliate if provoked. Any Christian would feel that this was unjust, after all God did say in the Ten Commandments, â€Å"Forgive your enemy†. Retaliating in any way, shape or form would be breaking the Ten Commandments and therefore you could not call yourself a good Christian. That leads me onto the third reason of why countries retain nuclear bombs that is to use it as a deterrent to anyone who may consider attacking the country. Many Christians believe that retain nuclear bombs just for the use, as a deterrent, is ridiculous. They feel that there is no point in spending millions of pounds on producing nuclear weapons just for the use as a threat. It is difficult to imagine that people find it acceptable that 75,000 to 100,000 die unnecessarily every day from lack of food, water, shelter, sanitation etc (not from war) while the world’s most privileged governments pour even more billions into ‘security. ‘ I agree with them, and I feel that there are far more important things throughout the world that need our help like those listed above. Spending huge amounts on developing nuclear weapons is very unnecessary and the money should be aimed at ending death and pain rather than creating it. However, it is not only Christians that believe retaining nuclear bombs, as a deterrent, is wrong and that dropping nuclear bombs is unjust. I asked Canon Michael Evans (A priest at my local Roman Catholic Parish) and he said the following, â€Å"Nuclear deterrence as a national policy must be condemned as morally abhorrent because it is the excuse and justification for the continued possession and further development of these horrendous weapons. We urge all to join in taking up the challenge to begin the effort to eliminate nuclear weapons now, rather than relying on them indefinitely. † You can see that even in other religions the retention of nuclear weapons, as a deterrent is believed to be unjust, even though it may have a slim chance of preventing war. Then there is the saying from a 4th Century Roman Christian who said, â€Å"Let him who desires peace, prepare for war. † He was saying that if anyone wants peace, must protect themselves as a deterrent from potential attackers. But who is to say that nuclear weapons that are being used as a deterrent will never be used to destroy an enemy causing pain and death to a population. The most obvious approach a Christian would take to nuclear warfare would be the unilateral approach. That is never to retain nuclear weapons and certainly never to use them. This would be the most just way, because you can spend money on things that are important like health, education and transport. By not retaining nuclear arms, no one would try to attack you, because they would not find you as a threat. But of course you can never rid everyone of knowledge. Therefore any one person could have the know how to design and manufacture nuclear bombs for use of a destructive nature. I feel that the forth approach is the best and most just way of using nuclear weapons- not to use them at all. You are not threatening anyone, you follow all of the Ten Commandments and you follow the Just War Theory.

The Methodology of Risk Decreasing and Fraud Operations Avoiding with Essay

The Methodology of Risk Decreasing and Fraud Operations Avoiding with Payment Cards of International Payment Systems - Essay Example As the discussion stresses the great quantity of these methods gives us an opportunity to choose the most suitable for each specific task, for each kind of database. This paper declares that systems analysis of multiple risks is used when we have no considerable database of certainly fraud operations, which represents different fraud kinds. The idea of using this methodology lied in developing of system classification by degree and level of risk and situation recognition of given classification. Alaric, a company, which specializes on banking systems, insists that fractal systems of fraud prevention, based on adjusted rules with using Bayes logic, are more effective then neuronets. But the high result production of there systems can be reached only after 4 months for banks with great quantity of emitted cards and high branched acquirer system. The neuronet can help to create a mechanism of operation stream evaluation, which will be based on special rules. Firstly, these rules are defined by experts, later changed and corrected with system. This function is necessary system component, as the fraud methods are changed as times goes by, and detectin g them mechanically, we’ll miss more refined and, surely, more detrimental for a bank. The second task is trivial enough. For topology identification can be used next algorithms of local optimization with calculation of partial derivatives of first order; local optimization with calculation of partial derivatives of first and second orders.

Are legislatures always weaker than executives Essay

Are legislatures always weaker than executives - Essay Example Fundamentally, the legislative arm of the government has had two inherent contradictory roles: sustaining the executive and holding them to account between electoral cycles. Even though the legislative role of sustaining the executive is not in doubt, parliamentary oversight seems to be a poorly coordinated task that often lets the executive off the hook. Noteworthy, the nexus between sustaining the government and the task of challenging it and holding it to task opens a Pandora box full of fallacious fantasies – a fallacious inequity that, no doubt, tilts the balance of power towards the executive. Despite the wide adoption of democratic principles of governance across nations, an understanding that has significantly strengthened accountability and transparency mecha ­nisms with regard to promotion of evidence-informed policy processes, legislatures remain comparatively weaker in relation to the executive in terms of raw power necessary to effect immediate leadership challe nges. The Executive and Parliament: A Historical Perspective The impact of constitutional structures with regards to their political behavior and performance is central in the study of comparative governments. In particular, understanding the balance power between the executive and the legislature in either the parliamentary or presidential systems has been an area of focus in political research (Mustapic, 2002). Structured governmental control stems much from the historical politics of the mid- and late nineteenth century. Designed at a time when the role of government was limited in scope, the convention of superiority of the executive power over the legislature indeed antedates the modern presidential and parliamentary systems of governments. From inception to the present day politics, there is no pretense that executive autonomy bears much capacity and capability to remedy or compensate for social ills on its own without parliaments’ approval. In his submission on the sub ject, Bagehot, a British economist and journalist, referred to the convention of executive authority as the ‘buckle’ and the lynch-pin in the Whitehall-Westminster model (Flinders, 2002). Though modest in both size and ambition at the time, it was reasonable for a competent minister to have a personal control over small departmental portfolios in the mid-Victorian state. Strikingly similar, governmental administration in the first quarter of the nineteenth century fell under ministerial responsibility. But even then as is it to date, the powers vested in a ministerial mandate were highly doubtful in terms of usage. Supporting the foregoing, Cobbett (1823) wrote: â€Å"Ankle-pinching socks are like ministerial powers; a thing to talk about but for no use; a thing to laugh over; and a mere mockery at those whom real power is vested†. Constitutions the world over are molded around the concept of responsible executive authority for strong and stable leadership. Nothi ng services this claim better than a two-branch debate that culminated in the creation of the United States Constitution – a model constitutional debate that has since served as a roadmap to numerous constitutions around the world. While the federalists such as Alexander Hamilton rooted for ‘

Paper 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 11

Paper 2 - Essay Example On the other hand, compatibilism or soft determinism does not treat freedom and responsibility in isolation. Our actions are determined by the causes we take, and we could be held morally responsible for them. External events such as culture or genetics come into play, but the choice a person makes determine the actions. Therefore, a person should make choices that are consistent with his or her choices in order to become free. According to Frankfurt we have the inherent ability to use our will that enables us to have certain desires and motives. Having the ultimate will helps us to make choices, and that is where our freedom starts. Our choices are based on preconceived thoughts that differ from one person to another. He proposes the idea of second order of desires in human beings. We do not have the same abilities to pursue freedom with animals because they utilize first order desires where they may choose to engage in an activity or leave it altogether. Our freedom emanates from the reflective self-evaluation sessions inspired by second-order desires. The structure of a person is made by the capability to use of will to do the things he or she wants (Frankfurt 415). We are complete as human beings because if the innate capability to act out of our volitions due to second order desires. Frankfurt explains that there some of us who share the characteristics of first order desires and desires of the second orders. The characteristics render us free though our influence may be restricted to a particular extent. People who assumes or utilizes first and second order desires are called wanton. Wanton entails adults, nonhumans, and young children who do have the volition to do what they want. We get ample chances to act the way we feel without resulting into any form of conflict. We have the ultimate choice of acting rationally and deliberately irrespective of whether we have first or second order desires. However, we tend to ignore our strongest inclinations

O. J. Simpson Crimial Trial Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

O. J. Simpson Crimial Trial - Essay Example Yet another reason for his acquittal related to the fact that DNA evidence, which was relatively new in trials, was doubtable as noted by Eliot (1995). In order for the court to prove that someone has committed murder, four elements must be proved. Harris, Thomas, Fisher and Hirsch (2002) state that the elements of murder in this sense include killing, with malice aforethought, by another human being, unlawfully as noted by). Yet again, the killing has to be of a human being for murder to apply. Malice in this sense constitutes having the intent to kill, intent to engage in a dangerous felony, intent to harm a person’s body seriously without causing death, or irresponsible indifference to cause to human life risk that is high and that cannot be justified (Harris, Thomas, Fisher and Hirsch, 2002). From the trial, the defense team succeeded in convincing the jury that there was not sufficient evidence to link James to the murder of the two victims. As a result, the accused was acquitted only later to be convicted for the wrongful death of

Oscar Romero and Post Vatican II Church Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Oscar Romero and Post Vatican II Church - Essay Example Prior to these sessions, mass were conducted in a way that priests turned their backs to the congregation, modern forms were not accepted, masses were conducted in Latin language only, and sacraments were not updated or simplified. The council introduced new documents which saw landmark transformation of the Catholic Church. (http://www.catholicnews.com/data/stories/cns/0505787.htm). Alters were altered, and priests were made to face the congregation, priesthood and religious life were renewed, liturgy was modernized, lay Catholics participation in church affairs was enhanced, Catholic church opened dialogue with other churches and non-Christians and the church was recognized as ‘the people of God’. Way was given for people around the world to conduct masses in their vernacular language. All these changes were not immediate. This saw the church began a long and contentious process of every aspect of the Catholic Church. The council regarded this transformation as a way of opening dialogue with the modern world and facing modern challenges that were inevitable. It is believed that were it, not for these changes introduced by the Vatican II council, the church would be a small minority in the modern world. These transformations brought modern-day men and women nearer to the gospel and made the gospel important to them which was not the case before. One of the goals of the council documents was to enlighten the modern believers to see the world as an opportunity to announce the gospel and not a threat to the gospel. Prior to this, many catholic believers viewed the modern world as a threat to the gospel and existence of the church. These transformations greatly changed the spiritual view of the church. Another ongoing spiritual task since the inception of these transformations has been to enlighten the young generations not to see the Vatican as an ancient history of the church

Industrialization after the Civil War Assignment

Industrialization after the Civil War - Assignment Example As the report stresses the exhaustion of the war, ironically, created an atmosphere of peace. This gave vent to the entrepreneurial aspirations of the citizens. But the opportunities were not uniform or equitable. The privileged White Anglo-Saxon Protestant (WASP) community, which owned most of the properties, continued its economic and social dominance. It was this preordained economic privilege for the community that would give rise to such great industrialists as Henry Ford, John Rockefeller, etc. These luminaries were the first great capitalists of the country. Indeed they would develop great companies like Standard Oil and Ford Motor Company, which would supersede in scale and revenues even some older establishments in Europe.From this paper it is clear that the rapid pace of industrial growth had a major socio-cultural impact. It affected the life of the average working American in many different ways. The most important change they witnesses is the transformation of the mode o f livelihood from independent small-farmers to wage-earning factory workers. In fact, the late 19th century labor press was saturated with discussions on such fundamental changes. This transformation was not a smooth and swift process at all. Most small farmers put their independence ahead of job security. They moreover perceived receiving wages from a capitalist master as a slur on their dignity.  

Impact of information technology on Revenue management Research Paper

Impact of information technology on Revenue management - Research Paper Example The aim of devising revenue management techniques is to deliver the fine product or service to the appropriate customer at the precise price. This system is based on analyzing the customer’s perception of the value that the product would provide and make straight the availability, placement and price according to that perception. This discipline became the need of every business rapidly. There could be many reasons for this. Even a kid whose is out for selling orange juice will have to analyze and predict the appropriate weather and time for selling his product. When we talk about giant businesses, the need for assessing customer demand and subsequently managing that demand is enormous and critical. A revenue management system is the answer to the question of such demand. Information technology has gained rapid importance and improved itself in all aspects from the invention of first computer ENIAC till present. The cost of installing and communicating through IT based equipme nt has been reduced incredibly. This remarkable reduction made it possible to use information technology equipment in commercial businesses in addition to government and military (Forester, 1985). As like other field, information technology has played a great role in improving the processes of revenue management. In this paper, we shall study the impacts that information technology has on the revenue management. This article is concerned with defining revenue management systems and their application. It will also explain that how well it can meet the consumer demand, how well it can be integrated with overall distribution channels and what role information technology is playing to enhance the overall progress of the revenue management systems. We will at the end, try to make some conclusions and recommendations about the development of decision support system of revenue management and how can it be helpful in maximizing the future profits of the company. Brief history of revenue man agement The concept of revenue management is not new to the business world. Every business that is selling some fragile product needs to flex the price of that commodity due to some uncertain environmental change or response to some competitor’s action or customer’s demand. Seats in airplanes, clothes (i.e. for summer and winter), rooms in hotels etc., all require revenue management strategies to be sold in a manner that maximize the overall wealth of the company. This field properly originated in US airline industry in start of 1970s. Bob Crandall of American Airline (AA) who put restrictions on discounted fares. After that yield management came into practice which is the foundation of revenue management. American Airline, with the help of other airlines further extended the yield management system by offering low fares to the cost sensitive passengers and high priced fares to the time sensitive passengers, giving maximum value to both type of travelers. The impact of practicing yield management was come into knowledge by year 1985. American Airline reported about 48 percent profit growth. This huge success attracted other industries to develop into the field of yield management (Haley and Inge, 2004). Purpose and benefits of implementing revenue management We discussed above that yield management evolved into the revenue management. As it became the standardized practice for the companies, its definition progressed. Revenue management is defined as the field which is concerned with answering the demand questions related to consumer behavior and system and set of methodologies required to make

Collective Consensus Theory Essay Example for Free

Collective Consensus Theory Essay Social norms can be defined as The rules that a group uses for appropriate and inappropriate values, beliefs, attitudes and behaviors. These rules may be explicit or implicit. Failure to stick to the rules can result in severe punishments, the most feared of which is exclusion from the group. A common rule is that the some norms must frequently be displayed; neutrality is seldom an option. Here I include other norms, which are as follows: a. ) Injunctive Norms – These are behaviors, which are perceived as being approved of by other people. b. ) Descriptive Norms – The perceptions of how other people are actually behaving and whether their behavior is accepted or not. c. ) Explicit Norms written or spoken openly. d. ) Implicit Norms not openly stated (but you find out when you trespass them). e. ) Subjective Norms How we will behave with others who valued us. f. ) Personal Norms – Knowing our standards about our own actions. By exploring social norms and inequalities, let me be more specific, about the Americans Inequalities in American society have become so institutionalized that we rarely recognize most of them on a daily basis. Some are glaringly obvious: the privileges of the elite, the boss ability to come and go as he pleases- but these inequalities are sustaining, obvious, and dont hurt as much because we are conditioned to accept them Some inequalities change as certain circumstances change. The type of social stratification I wish to discuss is ever changing, weve all experienced it, but have we all noticed it? We like to think we live in a classless, multicultural society where everyone is treated equally. Frankly we are deluded. Of course there are classes, and not everyone is treated equally. The classes in our world are based on race, ethnicity, education and politics. Of the phenomenons of social stratification is social inequality, which is the distribution of resources dividing society into rank, grades, family, religion and education. These divisions should not occur in our society, but it is the sad truth that it does. Ethnicity is different to race as ethnicity is a distinct cultural definition which people identify with as customs, family patterns and religion. The sociologist, Max Weber, defines ethnic groups as human groups that entertain a subjective belief in their common descent because of physical type or of customs or of both or because of memories of colonialisation or migration. The biggest problem that arises in race and ethnic relations is prejudice, which is born out of pre-judgment and lack of knowledge. The Sociological causes of prejudice are: 1. It draws together people who share it; superiority is important. This is an element of Emile Durkheims Collective Consensus Theory. 2. Competing for resources. It is easier to get things if you can write others off as less deserving. 3. We can project onto others, who we think are lesser than us, those parts of ourselves that we dont like. The prejudices against those we think are different have negative consequences such as limiting our vision of the world. But far worse is its effect on society; it leads to discrimination and the consequence of discrimination is inequality. For Karl Marx, inequality was seen as a dichotomy based on the relations of production and the concept of class is the basic indicator of inequality. Weber saw inequality as three abstracted mechanisms of power; class (economic power), status (social prestige power) and party (political power). Whichever way it is described, inequality is found everywhere, between class, in education, health, occupations and power and within classes with sex, age, ethnicity and religion. However, there is hope in the end, for people can be socially mobile, which is the movement of people between social classes. Societys idea is that if you work hard enough you will move up in society, but this is not always true. People can move downwards in the social scale, or may start on the bottom and stay there because they do not have the same access to education as others may have. These people have less opportunities than others yet they are looked down upon because they are not upwardly mobile. How can people move up socially if they are not on an equal playing field to begin with? As long as people continue acting the way they do, inequality and racism will exist. Education is the key, and while older people may be set in their ways and may not be willing to change their views, we must educate the children, who are are future. Children must be taught that all people are equal and that thinking otherwise is wrong. For it is wrong. We were all created equal. Man made us not so. As per my view, when we live in a society were abiding by social, personal, or subjective norms, which are laid out for social and societal living is of utmost significance; I tend to stick to those norms and also inculcate the same things to people who are not aware of them. Man is a social animal, who needs to be trained to adapt different changes in societal environment. He has to abide by the norms laid out by the society to be accepted socially and morally, or else he/she is treated as a aborigine or uncivilized.

An Analysis of Freytag’s Five Steps in Shakespeare’s “The Tempest” Essay Example for Free

An Analysis of Freytag’s Five Steps in Shakespeare’s â€Å"The Tempest† Essay In this essay I will analyze William Shakespeare’s â€Å"The Tempest† using Gustav Freytag’s five phases which are: exposition, point of conflict, rising action, climax, and denouement.   I will first begin with the exposition phase.   The exposition phase includes a description of the chief protagonist and antagonist as well as a description of their conflict and setting.   I will also pinpoint the inciting moment, which is an incident that must occur for the story to happen. (www.reference.com)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The chief protagonist of the play is Prospero, the rightful duke of Milan.    The main antagonist is his brother, Antonio, the usurping duke of Milan.   Antonio overthrew Prospero and sent him and his young daughter Miranda out to sea.   They land on an island, which will be the central setting of the play, where Prospero learns magic and frees a spirit named Ariel who is indebted in servitude to him.   Prospero uses his magic to stir up a storm and moor a ship that his brother Antonio is on.   Ariel makes sure that the occupants of the boat arrive on the island unscathed.   The inciting incident is the arrival of Antonio and the rest of his party on the island.   The main conflict is between Prospero, who wants his dukedom reinstated, and Antonio, who wants the dukedom for himself.   Next, I will describe the rising action in the play.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The rising action includes related secondary conflicts. (www.reference.com)The first of these secondary conflicts occurs between Antonio and Sebastian, the king of Naples brother, and Gonzalo, a counselor, and Alonso, the king of Naples.   These gentlemen had been traveling together on the boat, but when they come to the island Antonio and Sebastian plan to murder Alonso and Gonzalo so that they can seize the power of the crown for themselves.   Alonso believes his son, who had been traveling with them as well to be dead and Antonio and Sebastian see this as a chance to eliminate Alonso and usurp the crown.    Alonso’s son Ferdinand really isn’t dead and is busy falling in love with Prospero’s daughter while this is happening.   The last secondary conflict begins with Caliban, Prospero’s unwilling slave, and Stephano and Trinuculo, a jester and a drunken butler who were traveling with the party on the boat, meeting each other on the island and deciding to kill Prospero.   Ariel hears this and informs Prospero thus avoiding catastrophe.   Now, I will discuss the falling action, climax, and denouement.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The climax takes place in â€Å"The Tempest† when Prospero charms the party from the boat and Caliban, Stephano, and Trinuculo into immobility.   Prospero, who is joyous at the thought of his daughter’s upcoming marriage to Ferdinand, has a change of heart and releases everyone from the spell.   They are all repentant and the falling action occurs at this point with a monologue from Prospero chastising the king of Naples and Antonio for the part the played in the usurping of his dukedom. He also chastises his slave and the butler and jester for trying to kill him.   The denouement encompasses the happy marriage of Miranda and Ferdinand and the reinstatement of Prospero’s dukedom.   The play ends happily with the protagonist better of at the end than at the outset because it is a comedy rather than a tragedy.   Thus, I have analyzed â€Å"The Tempest† and have discerned Freytag’s five phases within the play. Bibliography www.reference.com

The Types Of Murder

The Types Of Murder Murder is defined as 1. The action or an act of killing. a. The deliberate and unlawful killing of a human being, esp. in a premeditated manner; (Law) criminal homicide with malice aforethought (occas. more fully wilful murder); an instance of this. What makes the murder is the wilful killing of a human being by another human being. There are many people killed each year and in different ways which has developed different type of murderers with similar punishments for each one. The different types are A one off murder A one off murder that happens to a person that doesnt necessarily have the psychological profile of the average murderer but under difficult circumstances or situations becomes one. An example being Ronnie sulivans dad  [2]   Murder by defence In defending himself or her, the murderer protects himself from his victims attacks. In response he attacks back and results in killing him by accident while trying to escape. Majority of cases such as these, the murder is found innocent as it matter of defending your own safety. Mass murder A mass murderer would be a murderer whereby he has killed five and more people at one spot at any certain period of time from anywhere between a few minutes to a few days. Spree killers are the type of murderers where after killing a few victims they pass to another location where they keep killing more victims without any cooling-off period. Usually the killing constitutes a single event, although it can last for a short bit of time. Colombia case Serial killer Usually kill victims on separate occasions. Unlike mass murderers and spree types, serial killers tend to select a certain type of victim who fulfils a role in the killers fantasies. For this type of murder they usually have cooling-off periods between their murders, which instance gives them time to think of a more cunning murder. An example would be Harold Shipman Recorded crime statistics for overall murders in the twenty century counted at: 2002 2003 = 1,047 including the 172 attributed to Harold Shipman 2003 2004 = 904 2004 2005 = 868 2005 2006 = 764 including the 54 victims of the July bombings in London 2006 2007 = 758 2007 2008 774 2008 2009 657 being the lowest for 20 years 2009 2010 = 615  [3]   Focusing on the serial killer, i.e. Harold shipman. Harold was a convicted English serial killer. A doctor by profession, he is one of the most dangerous serial killers ever with a staggering 250+ murders and still counting to his name. He was arrested in September 1998 being charged with the murder of Mrs Kathleen Grundy aged 81. Shipman was born in Nottingham. Shipman was said to be relatively close to his mum, to who passed away when he was a child. In the manner that she died, it soon later began to be Harolds own method of operating. His mother had cancer and relating to the final stage of her death, she was given morphine by a home doctor. At that point Harold viewed his mothers pain disappeared while she passed away in June 1963. There are however four types of serial killers: The visionary type has visions ordering him to commit certain acts, to kill certain victims. It can even be he or she hears voices in their head to kill certain people. The mission-oriented type sees a certain crowd as people unworthy to live and seeks to murder them. Murdering them resulting in a better world. This type is un-recognisable and is described usually as a normal individual. The hedonistic type simply enjoys killing victim and has a taste for the buzz. The power-oriented type is the type whom enjoys power over the people he is going to kill. They seem to cant help themselves when kidnapping and controlling their victims so they do as they say. Harold shipman would most likely be the hedonistic. Harold seemed to get a thrill of watching his victim die; in his eyes it seem to give him control over life and death. Also mission-oriented type as people who knew him did not suspect a thing even police officers. However a close friend of Harold shipman disagreed with this and stated that Shipman had anxiety issues, perhaps one that Shipman did not know about. The Characteristics of a murderer of this this type usually is due to the Childhood. Childhood violence being, it is highly unlikely a serial killer suddenly at 40 changes from a normal person and turns into a disruptive murderous behaviour. The behavior that is used when the murder is committing the act would have been with him or her for a very long time, since childhood. In some instances it is not always the serial killer is brought up in an unstable home, it can be that the serial killer started life as a big happy family where everything was steady and satisfactory and instead later come across serious emotional abuse during their childhoods. Developing into a dysfunctional adult where not being able to sustain relationships with others. Serious emotional abuse for Harold shipman seeing his mother dying. And by pills From birth to teenage years, the mother is seen as the more vital adult in a childs life and to where there is a period the child learns what love is. Where there have been situations that the mother was distant and neglectful to the child, the child has been deprived of his mothers love. Harold shipman losing his mum no love. The emotional abuse targeted at the children was mental and physical. The child would be in an environment where his actions were ignored and limitations on behaviour were not set. Harold shipman having no limitations on childhood, gave him the chance to kill, kill Another characteristic is the murderers Fantasies Usually murderers believe in effect that they could control the world. In their childhood sustain all the repetitive abuse compensates for them carrying out their action to fulfil their fantasy. Their Fantasy being a happenstance which usually cannot happen in normal life. A normal individual learns to place limits on their behaviour whereas the person who has lacked limitations on his behaviour from his childhood thinks he is able to act out his fantasy and nobody is able to stop him. Harold shipmans childhood, would consisted of no one laying down limitations on his behaviour causing him to believe he can act his fantasy where he can kill people as he pleases. After many murderous acts, Harold then seems to believe he is somewhat invincible and never be caught. Contrasting the serial killer to a One off murder spur of the moment, the characteristics are much different. Senior Sullivan set upon Mr Bryan and his brother Kelvin, allegedly hurling racist abuse at the pair, who is black. Pulling out a six-inch hunting knife, OSullivan stabbed Bruce Bryan to death. His son Ronnie O Sullivan, snooker star stated He was in the wrong place at the wrong time and it certainly wasnt a murder, it certainly wasnt premeditated murder. Looking at this type of murder, characteristics such as Childhood would not be relevant to Senior O Sullivan. It seems Mr O Sullivan came from a normal, average childhood and simply lost control the night he murdered Bryan. Mindless murder such as these are harder to explain, it may be the result of O Sullivan binge drinking under the influence of Alcohol it made more prone to act fantasies out such as brutal stabbing. Even so, beforehand there were rarely any acts of violence where Senior O Sullivan lacked in behaviour control. During the years, people have testing out different theories in order to predict criminality by looking at factors of an individuals personality Lombrosso, (1836 1909) a criminal scientist, regarded that some people are born with an innate predisposition to criminality and anti-social behaviour (Savitz 1972). This leading to the Biological theory, such as brain pathology and hormone and chromosome theories. Biochemical Explanations show that Intelligence and Crime are linked. Criminals were 70 per cent in theory of being feeble mind out of a 100. Goddard 1914. However applying this theory towards a serial killer such as Harold, it is quite the opposite. Harold had quite the knowledge being a doctor, so clearly he was cable of understanding the consequences of murdering someone. This shows biological theory is not really accurate in predicting the criminal. For The theory of the functionalist the development of anomie theory involved the work of two scholars, Émile Durkheim and Robert K. Merton. According to Durkheim, crime has functional or positive consequences. It is impossible for all people to be alike and to hold the same moral consciousness. Some individuals differ from others and usually include criminal behaviour. It was later developed by Robert k Merton whom prior to his approach on explaining the effect of anomie presented five types of adaptations to this criminal behaviour, Conformity, Innovation, Ritualism, Retreatism and Rebellion. Using ritualism in relating to serial killer Harold Shipman, it seems to fit that he lose sight of the reasons for doing his crime, such as Killing people day to day continue his approved method making a lifestyle out of the method. But even so this theory may be critique when considering this theory on the one off murders, it does not explain mindless murders such as senior o Sullivan and in what adaption he may have been in. Ronnie senior For the Society structure theory, it has been outlined that so some sociologists are able to show that specific approach to why a person commits a crime. For example binge drinking. Using drugs, aggression have been found when under the right amount can constitute problem behaviour. Scholars have found that problem behaviour is related to environmental and personality factors. For instance when considering Senior O Sullivan particular at the time, he was using specific approach such as binge drinking running up to the amount he was using problematic behaviour. The environment being a club where fights are likely to happen making it related. Relating to the topic of the victims of a murder, when determining the relationship between suspect and victim it is said to be that the female victim was more likely to be killed by someone she knew. Whereas for the male victim, they were more likely to be killed by a stranger. The figure for female victim was at 54 per cent whom knew their suspect and of that 54 per cent, 61 per cent was their partner, ex-partner or lover. Whereas for a male victim, 38 per cent knew their main suspect and as a result only 12 per cent were killed from the partner, ex-partner or lover. As for being killed by a stranger, the 2005 2006 stated it was 44 per cent. For victims under the age of sixteen, it is said that 44 per cent were killed by their own parents during the period of 2005-2006, which is shocking. .it was said that during the last couple of years, the method of killing most commonly used was the sharp instrument to kill the victim. The percentage was 28, splitting it up to gender, the male were 31 per cent more likely to die from a sharp instrument and a female being 23 per cent. For the second common method of killing a victim, it is different between the two genders. For a male victim the second common method was involved hitting or kicking where as for the female they were more likely to be strangled. Also to add, just alone the effect of the London bombings alone amounted to 7 per cent. Comparing it to the Harolds staggering murder rampage, from the previous thirty years the method of killing them with pills seem to have decreased to the present years. The majority of what the murder or homicide was based on was quarrelling and loss of temper. So 33 per cent of victims died as a result of an argument or someone losing their temper in the period between 2005 and 2006. On the topic murder it was stated that the age group under 1 the infancy was most likely to be reported as homicide, male being the most likely victim. For suspects, on being convicted for murder it is said to be in the period of 2005-2006 it is half of how many suspects were convicted in 2003-2004. The figure being 199 suspects comparison to 606 suspects for the period of 2003-2004.

Offensive Speech Should be Allowed -- Freedom of Speech

There seems to be an internal desire for freedom within the soul of every man. Men realize that freedom is something basic, and to rob a man of his freedom is to take from him the essential basis of his manhood. The words of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., spoken forty-three years ago, capture the spirit of the American dream. Since its conception, the United States of America has been the universal symbol for freedom and hope. The five most fundamental freedoms cherished by every citizen are granted in the First Amendment to the Constitution. Among them, Americans treasure the right to freedom of speech above all others. Yet, as we stand here in the birth of a new millennium, this right has become endangered. College campuses across the nation are embroiled in a heated debate over what, exactly, constitutes free speech. At the heart of the debate is the issue of hate speech, or speech that "offends, threatens, or insults" a person because of some trait such as gender or race (McMasters). Incidents of hate speech include an international student shouting racial epithets from his dorm room window (Hinds 108), complaints of email harassment (Harmon 115), and fraternity rush T-shirts depicting raci ally insulting caricatures (Frammolino 112). What is the solution to this fundamental conflict? Many people strongly advocate implementing speech codes into campus legal systems in order to control such displays. However, this is an inadequate and superficial response to a much deeper issue. College campuses should not regulate hate speech because such regulations violate our constitutional rights, no practical definition of hate speech exists, and there is no way to enforce punishment. Abridging freedom of speech on college campuses banda... ...t Austin. "Sexual Harassment of Students by Faculty and Staff." Writing the World. Ed. Charles R. Cooper and Susan Peck MacDonald. New York: Bedford/St. Martins, 2000. 123-124. U.S. Supreme Court. "Beauharnais v. Illinois." Writing the World. Ed. Charles R. Cooper and Susan Peck MacDonald. New York: Bedford/St. Martins, 2000. 128-135. U.S. Supreme Court. "Chaplinsky v. New Hampshire." Writing the World. Ed. Charles R. Cooper and Susan Peck MacDonald. New York: Bedford/St. Martins, 2000. 126-128. Virginia Commonwealth University. "Rights and Prohibited Conduct." Writing the World. Ed. Charles R. Cooper and Susan Peck MacDonald. New York: Bedford/ St. Martins, 2000. 121-123. Walker, Samuel. "Hate Speech: The History of an American Controversy." Writing the World. Ed. Charles R. Cooper and Susan Peck MacDonald. New York: Bedford/ St. Martins, 2000. 135-143.

Discussing the Theory Modernization as a Cause of Secularization Essay

Today, most people think that something has happened regarding the importance of religiosity in everyday life, but nobody is quite sure how to generalize it, or even if it can be generalized. As industrialization and modernity has increased, religion has lost some of its social significance. This has been especially troubling for sociologists. Is it simply, as the "classic theorists" of secularization said a century ago, that when a society becomes modern it becomes secular too? Does modernity necessarily imply secularity? Secularization is a process of change as a society slowly migrates from close identification with the local institutions of religion to a more clearly separated relationship with general actions. It is a controversial term because the whole idea of secularization can be confused with secularism, a philosophical and political movement that promotes the idea that society benefits by being less religious, whereas the opposing view is that the values and beliefs understood in religions support a more moral and, therefore, better society. As stated by sociologists, secularization has many levels of meaning, both as a theory and a historical process. Theoreticians such as Karl Marx, Sigmund Freud, Max Weber, and Émile Durkheim, postulated that the modernization of society would see a decline in levels of religiosity. The study of the process seeks to determine the manner in which, or extent to which religious doctrines, practices and institutions are losing their social significance. B oth rely on the concept of a secular state: one that separates governmental and religious institutions, and bases its authority on man-made law, not in religious-doctrine. The ‘Secularization of Religion Debate’ is a conversation ... ...e life and times of secularization theory will be turned over to historians, who might just see it as yet another example of the glaring flaw of the social sciences. Furthermore, the secularization theory emerged at roughly the same time as the field of sociology, which was, at root, preoccupied with the meaning of modernization and fashion the theory of modernization. Along with bureaucratization, rationalization, and urbanization, secularization constituted a basic part of what it meant to be modern. Is it too far fetched to think that sociology, modernity, and secularization all need each other to survive? If secularization is tossed aside as an unreliable component of what it means to be modern, what might fall away next? And if rationalization, bureaucratization, and urbanization prove unreliable what will happen? It is still ongoing, so let’s wait and see.

Teacher Certification Requirements History :: Education Teachers Teaching Essays

Teacher Certification Requirements History The first training facility for teachers dates back to 1785. Many others came about between 1785 and the early 1800’s. It was not until the mid 1830’s that these teacher preparation schools became state subsidized. In the year 1839 the first state normal school was established, two others would follow the next year. Also, during the 1830’s and 1840’s, there was a movement to replace tuition schools with common schools. This created two different types of schools: rural, one room school houses, and city schools (Angus). Teacher certification became a requirement in the latter half of the nineteenth century. The process of certifying teachers began primitively. Prospective teachers were required to take oral examinations conducted by local officials, usually the principal. The purpose of these examinations was mainly to ensure that the prospective teacher was more highly educated than the oldest student attending the school was. Due to the shortage of teachers, the proctor of these exams made sure that almost everyone qualified. Urban boards of education had the liberty to dictate the difficulty of the entrance exams depending upon the current demand for teachers (Angus). An account from Martha Russel’s journal in 1868 regarding these examinations reads â€Å"I feel wretched this evening and a good deal relieved as the teachers examinations came off today and I came through alive, as you see. Did better than I expected†¦there were six in the class† (Macneal). This goes to show that all of the examinations were not as simple where teachers were in less of a demand. In 1897 teacher certification was granted to those who graduated from college without taking any further exams in twenty-eight of the states. Due to the fact that one did not have to have their degree in education to teach, only about a dozen out of the 400 colleges and universities offered teaching degrees. During this time 114 colleges and universities only offered specific courses for teachers. At the close of the nineteenth century the state supported teacher schools, or as they were more commonly called, normal schools became popular ways for teachers to be certified.

Problems of the Working College Student Essay

I work thrity-five hours a week at a warehouse in Ontario California. When I first registered for college classes, I figured college would be fairly easy to fit into my schedule. After all, I thought, college students are not in class all day, like high school students are. So, I assumed the twelve hours a week I’d spend in class wouldn’t be too much of a load. But I was in for a big surprise. My first semester at college showed me that students who work while going to college face problems at school, at work, and at home. First of all, students who try to juggle job and school responsibilities find trouble at school. Early morning classes, for example, are particularly difficult for me. Because I work every week night from six to midnight, I don’t get home until 1:00 a. m. , and I can’t fall asleep until 2:00 a. m. or later. Consequently, I am too tired to pay attention in my eight o’clock class. Once, I even fell asleep in that class and my Professor asked me to leave for the day. Not only was this an embarrassment for myself, but it also cost me to miss the day’s assignment not to mention being marked as absent for the day. Sometimes student’s work hours create other conflicts. For instance in my experience they cut into my study time, so I have little time to do all the assigned reading and homework. I get behind in the assignments, and I never seem to have enough time to catch up. As a result, my grades are not as good as they could be. To avoid these kind of experience’s students have to be organized, and have time management or they may get overwhelm in their daily schedule. Because students both work and go to school, they can have problems doing well with their education. But work can also suffer when workers attend college. Students can bring school into the work place. I’ve been guilty of this practice and have paid the price. One night I tried to study at work, but my supervisor caught me reading my college textbook at my work station this was a problem, and after the supervisor asked me to put my book away and get back to work I was reprimanded, and now my supervisor doesn’t trust me. Sometimes students come to work very tired, which is another problem. For example when I don’t get enough sleep I can become rude to fellow co-workers, and then the rudeness can get me into trouble. I remember one particular time a co-worker reported me because I was sarcastic to her. She had spent a half hour complaining about my job performance and I had been too tired to be patient and I lost my temper. Once again, my supervisor reprimanded me and I was asked to leave for the night. Another time, school interfered with my job when I had to leave work early to take a make-up test at school. I know my supervisor was unhappy with me then, too. Arranging a schedule that will fit the needs of schooling is a solution to combat this problem. Working college students can also suffer outside of classes and the workplace. For example my schedule illustrates the conflicts of trying to take on too many duties. Since I work nights during the week, the weekends are a more convenient time that I can study. Because I have to use my weekends to do school work, I can’t do other things. My apartment is a mess since I have no time to clean it. Worse, my girlfriend is threatening to leave me because I have no social life. We never even go out like we once used to now when she comes over, I am too busy studying. However the rewards of earning a college degree in this economy can be the difference between having a job and having a career. Students who have sacrificed their time with hard work and determination are more likely to earn that degree. Students, who have responsibilities at home, work and college can face a cycle of stress. For example, I am constantly racing around trying to manage my time, and I can’t break the cycle. I want a college education, and I must have a job to pay my tuition and living expenses. The only way students can manage is to learn to manage their time. For example after speaking with my supervisor about the quest for a higher education he understands my situation and has rearranged a work schedule to fit the needs of my schooling. Now in my third semester at college, I’ve realized that working students have to be very organized to cope with the responsibilities of college, work, and home.

Xmgt 216 Business Ethics Across Cultures

Abstract The following paragraphs will discuss business ethics from different cultural backgrounds. The focus of the backgrounds will be from the Mexican and Chinese aspect of proper business ethics. The articles, Double Standards: Mexico Business and Business Ethics in China are the two articles I will summarize to the reader. I will discuss the primary ethical perspectives of each country covered in the articles, as well as how the articles contributed to a better understanding of global ethical perspectives. Lastly, I will describe the business ethics of each foreign country.The two articles, Double Standards: Mexico Business and Business Ethics in China, brought an insight into ethics practiced in foreign countries, specifically the countries of China and Mexico. The United States of America has its own regulations and traditions that may, and have, conflicted, in an organizational setting, with the cultures and thoughts of their foreign partners. These â€Å"differences† in cultural beliefs or standards are evident in both articles, but the evidence that Globalization is an increasing desire for organizations is apparent as well.One article displays that in order to have success within a foreign country than we should allow natives of that country dictate the business ethical guidelines within that foreign office or division while the other article shows that a country is visibly being hypocritical of their own accepted guidelines and policies by saying one thing and doing the other. A different continent is not the only differences that Mexico and China are sharing. Both articles suggest accepting or understanding that certain business practices or ethics in these two countries as different but not necessary illegal.It also suggest that the entire core of an organization must stand firm on certain practices and not have to adjust for profitable business in a country as well. Though differences are evident amongst other countries’’ bel iefs and traditions, each country does what it feels will be morally, legally, and profitably positive for their own situation. Business Ethics in China Chinese business ethics and practices center, predominantly, on certain traditions and customs that are possibly considered unethical in the United States. There have been some students of China that argue and state theChinese account for their displays of obvious favoritism in business affairs to their traditions, more specifically to Confucius, who focuses on responsibility to family and that taking precedent over even laws (Schulman, 2012). There have been others that counter-argue that Chinese tradition itself saw favoring the family as the root of corruption and instead advocated laws that protect everyone equally, more specifically said by Mozi, who tried to replace the Confucian focus on the clan with a more universal caring (Schulman, 2012).The book, 18 Rules of International Business Ethics, published by Beijing: Renmin Uni versity Press in 2004 uses Chinese experiences for case studies and examples and supporting translation of classic business ethic text to Chinese towards developmental steps towards globalization success in foreign environments. Rule 1 in 18 Rules of International Business Ethics states if you strive to understand the values of different cultures, you will find common points (Schulman, 2012). This simply states that working towards learning and understanding one another is always a positive solution.The author of 18 Rules of International Business Ethics suggest against bringing in Western experts output and allowing the Chinese to develop their own codes so that their management and other employees may relate to it. Thus, Chinese traditions justify what may seemingly be considered unethical codes or decision-making by the United States of America. Business Ethics in Mexico Mexicans business ethics, as presented in the article Double Standards: Mexico Business, are considered hypocr itical and ethically inappropriate from an American’s perspective.The article, Double Standards: Mexico Business, states business logic is chiefly concerned with profit maximization, which can place ethics within the overall logic of self-interest (Adler, 2006). Discrimination is presumably illegal in Mexico, yet hiring process displays discrimination throughout the country. Employment want ads in Mexico regularly show favoritism of an organization’s desirable employee by hiring discrimination towards certain ages, physical looks, and gender. The individuals and organizations responsible for these discriminatory ads constantly deny their preferences as discriminatory intentions.A younger employee is desired because it is thought customers would interact better with a younger employee (Adler, 2006). These types of thought processes, and obvious use of hypocritical, discriminating actions used in the hiring process are ethical issues that can conflict with Americans†™ ethical outlook. It is a well-known, acceptable practice in Mexico to give pregnancy test to newly hired female employees justified because of the mandatory paid leave of absence (Adler, 2006). It seems Mexican business ethics tend to follow the idea of just staying legal as ethical enough.It is hard for American organizations to adopt these sorts of ethical practices when operating in Mexico’s territory. General Motors put an end to the pregnancy testing policies desiring a constant ethical standing throughout the whole organization. Mexico’s ethical business and practices leaves a lot to question from the United States of America’s standpoint. Ethical Perspectives and Understanding Global Ethical Perspectives The primary ethical perspectives that China and Mexico have, though different from our own beliefs, have helped the United States of America’s organizations towards effective globalization ventures.The article, Business Ethics in China, has sho wn favoritism towards family is considered following Confucius traditions and sayings. The article, Double Standards: Mexico Business, shows clear evidence towards discriminating practices and procedures, but with self-proclaiming of â€Å"justifiable† reasoning for preference when hiring employees. Understanding cultural differences is an absolute key in globalization. It has shown success for an organization to ensure cross-cultural training and to step back and allow native leadership and managers to set business ethics codes.By accepting business ethics that are customary of that particular foreign country, an organization allows managers and employees to better relate to the codes. Should an organization adopt the practice in some countries because it is merely legal? Could adopting the practice of a foreign country cause an inconsistency of ethics within the organization as a whole? Thus, an organization maintaining consistent ethical standards creates the opportunity f or success but understanding and adapting will help an organization in a foreign workplace. Comparing Business Ethics of Foreign Nations to the United States of AmericaMexico and China share different business ethics codes and practices than the United States of America. For the situation of Mexico performing pregnancy test before hiring a woman, an organization native to the United States of America would view this as unethical, even if it’s considered legal in Mexico. China shows favoritism towards family in organizational situations. This would be considered highly unethical in the United States of America. The United States of America has a set of business ethic codes that regulate against discrimination and bribery. American organizations understand the law and must follow the rules.It could be said that a country’s ethical views and practices are what make that country what they are. Differences aren’t always a bad thing but it can cause possible conflict in a business ethics situation. Countries should work together to learn about each other’s primary business ethics and try to adapt and compromise towards a similar set of ethical codes. Conclusion The articles, Double Standards: Mexico Business and Business Ethics in China, show that there is a lot to gain in understanding foreign ethics and adapting towards foreign ideas can increase the success of globalization.There is an obvious difference in how business is conducted in China and Mexico when compared to the United States of America but that is not necessarily bad. Organizations shouldn’t accept a policy that could question the consistency of its ethical values and practices but should attempt to understand why a foreign country practices the ethics it does instead. Cross-culture training is beneficial to an organization’s employees and managers that may be working in a foreign environment.An organization should do everything within its limits to understand foreign culture and traditions and properly train its employees to practice proper business ethics and regulations. The business practices of organizations in the countries of China and Mexico can help organizations in the United States of America create better business ethics for their personal benefit within their native country. References 1. Schulman, M. (2012). Buisness ethics in china. Retrieved from http://www. scu. edu/ethics/publications/ethicalperspectives/business-china. ht

Barriers to Communication

Sender-oriented †¢Receiver-oriented Sender oriented barriers: It can be either voluntary or involuntary. At any cost, efforts should be made on the part of the sender to identify and remove them. Some of the barriers that are sender oriented are: ? Badly expressed message: concrete ideas and well structures message ? Loss in transmission: correct choice of medium or channel ?Semantic problem: simple words and accurate understanding of intension ? Over/under communication: quantum of information should be right ? I’ Attitude: avoid I attitude ?Prejudices: mind free of bias Rules to overcome the sender oriented barriers: ?Plan and clarify ideas ?Create a climate of trust and confidence ?Time your mind carefully ?Reinforce words with action ?Communicate efficiently Receiver-oriented barriers: ?Poor retention: jot down points ?Inattentive listening: improve concentration ?Tendency to evaluate: delay evaluation ?Interest and attitudes: develop interest ?Conflicting information : confirm with feedback, clarify Differing status and position: encourage juniors to come up with ideas and listen ? Resistance to change: be flexible ?Refutations and arguments: enter into healthy discussions Communication noise In any communication model, noise is interference with the decoding of messages sent over a channel by an encoder. There are many examples of noise: Environmental Noise: Noise that physically disrupts communication, such as standing next to loud speakers at a party, or the noise from a construction site next to a classroom making it difficult to hear the professor.Physiological-Impairment Noise: Physical maladies that prevent effective communication, such as actual deafness or blindness preventing messages from being received as they were intended. Semantic Noise: Different interpretations of the meanings of certain words. For example, the word â€Å"weed† can be interpreted as an undesirable plant in your yard, or as a euphemism for marijuana. Synta ctical Noise: Mistakes in grammar can disrupt communication, such as abrupt changes in verb tense during a sentence.Organizational Noise: Poorly structured communication can prevent the receiver from accurate interpretation. For example, unclear and badly stated directions can make the receiver even more lost. Cultural Noise: Stereotypical assumptions can cause misunderstandings, such as unintentionally offending a non-Christian person by wishing them a â€Å"Merry Christmas. † Psychological Noise: Certain attitudes can also make communication difficult. For instance, great anger or sadness may cause someone to lose focus on the present moment. Disorders such as Autism may also severely hamper effective communication. [11] Barriers to Communication Barriers to communication I Ways to overcome the barrier I A person could be deaf, so obviously they cannot hear what any body is saying to them, they wouldn't be able to hear somebody calling them over and they wont know If people are talking about them which could also lower their self esteem. I This person could still be communicated with by others that know sign language, people could learn sign language so they can interact and communicate with this person, or written communication could be used so people are still able to talk to this person.I People from different cultures may not speak the same language which is a barrier to communication, because they will not be able to understand what you are saying and you will not be able to understand them. I This can be solved by having a translator to help you communicate, you could also try to understand their language by having someone teach you. Pictures and signs could be used to communicate visually making It easier to communicat e.I Having a lack of confidence could be a barrier to communication because the person wont feel confident enough to speak to you, be reverse, shy and scared, and lack of confidence could prevent communication skills from developing. I Ways to overcome this could be to make the person feel comfortable, start off the conversation, make the person feel like you are interested and make them feel better about them selves. I If a person is blind they could feel uncomfortable speaking to people because they wont be able to see who they're talking too, feel vulnerable, scared and unsafe.I Having a person that they know and feel comfortable around with them, would help because they then would feel safe ND secure having somebody they trust with them I Speech difficulties. A person may not be able to speak due to damage to the brain or vocal cords or any other problems they may have which doesn't allow them to speak. I Electronic speech synthesizers could solve this problem. It allows people who have problems with speaking, to communicate with others although they can't actually speak themselves.I Having parent's who are deaf/have speech difficulties could be a problem,it could prevent communication skills developing because their parent's can't speak to hem, teaching them communication skills as they grow up. I Being at nursery, and schools will help this situation. The child will be around others who will speak and communicate in other ways with them. Teaching them communication skills. Having a family member, friend or helper who has no speech difficulties, around the child as he or she grows up would make a difference because he or she can pick up the communication skills they need from that person. Barriers to Communication Sender-oriented †¢Receiver-oriented Sender oriented barriers: It can be either voluntary or involuntary. At any cost, efforts should be made on the part of the sender to identify and remove them. Some of the barriers that are sender oriented are: ? Badly expressed message: concrete ideas and well structures message ? Loss in transmission: correct choice of medium or channel ?Semantic problem: simple words and accurate understanding of intension ? Over/under communication: quantum of information should be right ? I’ Attitude: avoid I attitude ?Prejudices: mind free of bias Rules to overcome the sender oriented barriers: ?Plan and clarify ideas ?Create a climate of trust and confidence ?Time your mind carefully ?Reinforce words with action ?Communicate efficiently Receiver-oriented barriers: ?Poor retention: jot down points ?Inattentive listening: improve concentration ?Tendency to evaluate: delay evaluation ?Interest and attitudes: develop interest ?Conflicting information : confirm with feedback, clarify Differing status and position: encourage juniors to come up with ideas and listen ? Resistance to change: be flexible ?Refutations and arguments: enter into healthy discussions Communication noise In any communication model, noise is interference with the decoding of messages sent over a channel by an encoder. There are many examples of noise: Environmental Noise: Noise that physically disrupts communication, such as standing next to loud speakers at a party, or the noise from a construction site next to a classroom making it difficult to hear the professor.Physiological-Impairment Noise: Physical maladies that prevent effective communication, such as actual deafness or blindness preventing messages from being received as they were intended. Semantic Noise: Different interpretations of the meanings of certain words. For example, the word â€Å"weed† can be interpreted as an undesirable plant in your yard, or as a euphemism for marijuana. Synta ctical Noise: Mistakes in grammar can disrupt communication, such as abrupt changes in verb tense during a sentence.Organizational Noise: Poorly structured communication can prevent the receiver from accurate interpretation. For example, unclear and badly stated directions can make the receiver even more lost. Cultural Noise: Stereotypical assumptions can cause misunderstandings, such as unintentionally offending a non-Christian person by wishing them a â€Å"Merry Christmas. † Psychological Noise: Certain attitudes can also make communication difficult. For instance, great anger or sadness may cause someone to lose focus on the present moment. Disorders such as Autism may also severely hamper effective communication. [11]

Nike Hrm Issues and Solutions

Sarawak Campus School of Business & Design HBH225N Human Resource Management Semester 02/2012 Individual Assignment Nike – Human Resource Management Issues and Solutions Due Date: Friday, 30. November 2012 By Katharina Pilgrim, ID: 4310187 Executive Summary In 1964 a company known back then as Blue Ribbon Sports was founded by Bill Bowerman and Phil Knight. 14 years later the US American multinational corporation officially became Nike, Inc. , which is up to today engaged in the development, design and international marketing and selling of sport footwear, apparel, equipment, accessories and services.The company’s headquarters are located in Washington County, Oregon, near Beaverton in the United States of America. Nike’s revenue reached 24. 1 billion USD in 2012 with an operating income of 3. 04 billion USD and employing worldwide more than 44. 000 people. The company is leading in supplying athletic apparel and shoes as well as manufacturing sports equipment an d other athletic and recreational products. Just the brand alone is worth 10. 7 billion USD, which makes Nike the most valuable brand among sport businesses. Its president and CEO is Mark Parker and founder Phil Knight still remains chairman of the board.The company’s name Nike goes back to the Greek goddess of victory, Nike [ni? k ]. In 1971 the graphic-design student Carolyn Davidson drafted the company logo for 35 USD, the international trademark and better known today as the Swoosh. Nike owns a number of subsidiaries, including the four most important ones, the upscale footwear company Cole Haan, the surf apparel company Hurley International, Converse Inc. , makers of the iconic Chuck Taylor All Stars sneakers and sports apparel supplier Umbro (About Nike Inc, 2012). Table of Contents 1. Introduction 04 2. Analysis of HRM Issues 04 . 1 Employee Compensation 04 2. 2 employee Motivation 05 2. 3 Occupational Health and Safety 06 2. 4 Quality of Work Life 07 2. 5 Managing Div ersity 08 3. Implication of Issues 08 3. 1 Employee Compensation 08 3. 2 employee Motivation 09 3. 3 Occupational Health and Safety 10 3. 4 Quality of Work Life 10 3. 5 Managing Diversity 11 4. Recommendations 12 4. 1 Employee Compensation 12 4. 2 employee Motivation 13 4. 3 Occupational Health and Safety 13 4. 4 Quality of Work Life 14 4. 5 Managing Diversity 15 5. Conclusion 16 6. References 16 . Introduction The following report will analyse five major human resource management issues that occurred at Nike Inc. over the past years, relating them to human resource management models and theories, followed by an implication of those issues, which means elaborating on the outcomes or better, what happened to employees or management after the issues occurred and how they impacted the entire company. This will be followed by giving recommendations for those issues by finding solutions using human resource information systems and the theory of change management.In the end an overall con clusion will be drawn, summarizing the major points and solutions found. 2. 0 Analysis of HRM Issues 2. 1 Employee Compensation In 1998 the issue of unfair employee compensation in Nike’s factories in the South East Asian region arose and made its way to the public. Nike ‘s management was accused to use child labour in first place and pay Indonesian kids just 19 US cents per hour (Werner-Lobo 2008, p. 40). Workers complained that their basic monthly salary is not high enough in order to meet their cost of living.There were also complaints concerning unpaid wages and disputed overtime payments. Nike was accused to exploit their workers and use methods of compensation along with the overall treatment that are against human rights (Werner-Lobo 2008, p. 41). Base payment is considered a direct financial reward. Next to the indirect financial rewards and the non-financial ones regarding the job itself and the job environment it comes together as the overall employee compensa tion, which is the most important human resource management function (Kolbe, Burkart & Zundel 2010, p. 2). It can help in order to reinforce the culture of an organisation and its key values. Compensation also facilitates the achievement of the organisation’s business objects and therefore a significant mismatch between the compensation and the organisational strategy can create major barriers (Kolbe, Burkart & Zundel 2010, p. 22). In a compensation program with the employee as the objective, there are four points to take in mind. First, all employees must receive equitable treatment; second, the employee’s performance needs to me measured accurately and rewarded ppropriately. Also an appropriate compensation change needs to be provided as well as performance and compensation reviews on a regular basis (Kolbe, Burkart & Zundel 2010, p. 24). Nike does not see to apply this or any compensation program to their workers in South East Asia, especially in Indonesia and Vietn am. Nike also does not care to pay for performance. Merit pay exists in order to develop a productive, efficient and effective organisation that enhances their employee’s motivation and performance (Kolbe, Burkart & Zundel 2010, p. 25).Nike instead just pays and average minimum wage which neither reflects an employee’s performance nor is enough to survive in some cases (Werner-Lobo 2008, p. 45). 2. 2 Employee Motivation Another issue that arose at Nike Inc. also in factories in South East Asia was that workers experienced a great lack of motivation, because they were highly dissatisfied with the attitude of their direct supervisor. Again, human rights were violated. In 2007 workers in factories in Vietnam claimed that the treatment of their direct supervisors was inhuman and makes them not want to go to work anymore at all (Harte Arbeit, wenig Geld 2009).Employees for example were just allowed to use the bathroom once a day in a twelve hour shift and drinking water was limited to two glasses per day as well. Supervisors would treat employees like second class people, talk in a rude tone and threaten them as well. As a result of this misbehaviour employees didn’t feel valued as human beings at all and started to loose motivation (Harte Arbeit, wenig Geld 2009). Considering the existing theories of motivation, you can say that Nike’s supervisors practice the X theory, which makes manager’s assumptions directive, narrow and control oriented in their treatment of employees.Theory X is an early theory of motivation and in modern society should not be practiced anymore (Kolbe, Burkart & Zundel 2010, p. 41). Also the little pay workers receive can’t be the only motivational factor, since there is little trust between management and employees and money is viewed just as the sole motivator. The thought process of workers in affected factories looked like this; after they get treated poorly and have to face a difficult workplace environment, they put little effort in their work, so their performance is just acceptable, they receive a low wage with no opportunity in sight for a raise nyways, so they just do the minimum required in order to not get fired (Kolbe, Burkart & Zundel 2010, p. 42). This is not beneficial for the worker himself, since mentally he is also suffering if he has to go to a job every day he is not satisfied with and also not beneficial for Nike, since the worker’s performance will be on a very low level, raising chances for products to be not manufactured in a way the company desires.Taking a brief look at Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, you can see that the physiological need that includes water, food and air is the fundamental of all needs every job has to provide for an employee, since if the base already experiences cracks, everything build on top will be crocked and not function in the way desired (Kolbe, Burkart & Zundel 2010, p. 43). 2. 3 Occupational Health and SafetyI n 2010, Nike had to face another issue besides the lack of employee motivation and the general public denouncing Nike due to their general treatment of their workforce in South East Asia, this time considering the topic of occupational health and safety. In factories in South China, after providing surveys prior to training, 60 to 90% of the employees stated that procedures to obtain permission for sick leave or access to medical care are very difficult. The death of two workers was alleged to be directly linked to the denial of sick leave and access to medical attention (Trouble discovered in Nike’s Indonesian factories 2010).In general you can say, that Nike’s poor OH&S performance equates with poor human resource management and poor legal and social responsibility. Nike needs to establish its organisational health and safety objectives in order for the management to demonstrate commitment and support. Nike needs to be aware of the benefits of a safe work environment such as the improvement of personal safety, the reduction of uninsured losses as well as re-work (Kolbe, Burkart & Zundel 2010, p. 66).Since the key elements of workplace improvement are culture, systems and hardware you can say that Nike’s culture does not value the wellbeing of the entire staff, they do not seem to have a solid system underpinning OH&S as well as their hardware does not include OH&S considerations (Kolbe, Burkart & Zundel 2010, p. 67). 2. 4 Quality of Work Life Vice president of global human resource at Nike’s headquarters near Beaverton, David Ayre, stated in 2011, that growth is the biggest challenge for the company.The challenges for the management are continuously growing as rising global salaries dissipate the easy cost gains from offshore outsourcing (How Nike’s HR pros help the giant company stay competitive 2011). Considering that Nike’s highest concern is their profit, the management tends to forget about the employees and the quality of their workplace. The latest issue with Nike's labour practice that again occurred in factories in Vietnam, are a violation of overtime rules and an excess level of toxic fumes in the workplace.The quality of work life was rated poorly by questioned workers, claiming that there is no safe and healthy environment, no growth and security, no social integration and too little life space in general (Harte Arbeit, wenig Geld 2009). A questioned worker, Miss B. , 32 years old stated, that she is suffering from a constant head and stomach ache, since she is working in the gluing section of the factory. The glue smells, sticks to skin and clothes and pain killers are not even working anymore (Harte Arbeit, wenig Geld 2009).Nike is known for making its equipment in countries which are in the developing phase, having very cheap labour, authoritarian government, a lack of human rights appeal and union movement (How Nike’s HR pros help the giant company stay competitive 2011). It does not seem that Nike has introduced quality of work life programs which incorporate principles of job enrichment and sociotechnical enrichment in a comprehensive effort in order to improve the quality of the work environment. The company does not seek to integrate employee needs with higher productivity (Kolbe, Burkart ; Zundel 2010, p. 50).Instead spokesman like David Ayre make excuses in public to justify the poor quality of work life in Nike’s South East Asian factories. If quality circles would exist, work-related issues could be identified and solved, but this would require training, commitment, support and relevance to a range of organisational members (Kolbe, Burkart ; Zundel 2010, p. 51). Besides the toxic fumes, tables and chairs were not appropriate in order to sit on them for twelve hours and even longer, plus the entire work atmosphere was not rated as comfortable as stated in the paragraphs above (Case Study for Nike 2009). . 5 Managing Diversity Nowadays managing diversity is highly important in any company. Unfortunately Nike also experienced problems in this field. 2001 female workers at factories in Indonesia reported incidents of sexual harassment and abuse. After the initial incident, when women reported that they were just allowed to go to the toilet with a supervisor watching, further investigations were undertaken. The outcome was that 30% of all respondents had personally experienced at least verbal abuse; nearly 8% of total workers reported unwanted sexual comments.At two factories, there were reports of ‘deeply disturbing’ incidents of sexual favours demanded in return for employment (Reaktion auf Ausbeutungs-Vorwuerfe 2001). Discrimination against women in companies is a great problem human resource management has to deal with. Discrimination can occur when unreasonable condition ore requirements are set, just as it happened with the female workers using the bathroom. Harassment is a particular form of discr imination, where the behaviour is designed to make a person feel unwelcome, offended, humiliated and intimidated.These entire factors apply to Nike’s supervisors and male managers who are involved in those accusations. Sexual harassment is considered physical, visual, verbal and non-verbal behaviour of a sexual nature that is uninvited and unwelcome (Kolbe, Burkart ; Zundel 2010, p. 103). All of the above has happened in Nike factories involving male supervisors and female workers, which should be a great concern for Nike. 3. Implication of Issues 3. 1 Employee CompensationOver the years Nike has become very skilled at showing its own side of the story, when it comes to accusations regarding their employee compensation and overall labour practices. A direct implementation of the discovered low wages in Indonesia in 2008 and additionally employees expressing their inability to live of their current salary, Nike published a section called ‘Transparency 101’ on thei r website www. nike. com, with all details of their remediation plan, as well as a link to the full report at the Global Alliance site.The Global Alliance is a union of companies and public groups, which includes Nike, The Gap, and The World Bank amongst their members (Menschenrechte in Asien 2009). The Centre for societal Development Studies at the Atma Jaya Catholic University in Jakarta carefully produced and conducted the report on behalf of the Global Alliance. Researchers conducted one-on-one interviews, surveys and focus groups that involved more than 4,450 workers in nine factories in order to show an effort to solve the problems considered child labour and unsatisfying wages (Werner-Lobo 2008, p. 8). Another outcome of this discovery was raising public awareness of Nike’s methods and damaging their image in the long run. Human rights organisations raised their voices for the employees in Indonesia and Vietnam that could not do so themselves and made the issue spread world-wide on public media in order to put Nike under pressure to make a change (Menschenrechte in Asien 2009). Also in order to show an effort Nike fired several managers in affected factories.The employees itself remained silent, means there were no strikes or a high number of resignations to be found. Further independent audits have been commissioned to ensure that all factories are paying the new minimum wage and that workers understand the wage and overtime calculations (Werner-Lobo 2008, p. 98). 3. 2 Employee Motivation Considering the issue Nike has with motivating their employees in the right way, which means not with rules that touch their human rights or inacceptable punishment, there are several implications to be found.Nike’s answer to their dissatisfied and unmotivated workers is a new system of training they introduced. In eight factories in Vietnam and eight factories in Southern China since 2008, Nike offers workshops in order to strengthen contract manufactur ers' HRM systems and support lean manufacturing implementation (Workers and Factories 2011). Before the actual workshops take place, in each factory employee satisfaction surveys were completed in order to understand the top issues workers are facing and also to measure mutual trust and respect in the factories.In every factory action plans were developed individually in order to address core HRM areas, including supervisory skills, employee turnover, incentive structures, and employee satisfaction (Workers and Factories 2011). Another outcome from employees raising their voices and speaking up about the inhuman rules and treatments in their factories, is greater supervision of Nike from the government and human rights organisations, to make sure, Nike is on the right path (Fair Labor at Nike 2012).Other than that, Nike had to face a lot of complaints from retailers, since a large amount of manufactured jerseys were poorly stitched and had manufacturing mistakes, since employees did not put a lot of effort in their work anymore and started to glue, stich and sew inaccurately. This cost the concern a lot of money which they rather should have invested in training or the recruiting process in order to employ managers and supervisors with better human resource management skills and behaviour (Nike sorgt sich um den Heimatmarkt 2008). 3. 3 Occupational Health and SafetyAfter the death of two workers and the entire workforce in South China showing their dissatisfaction with Nike’s care for their employee’s health and safety, Nike again, responded very quickly after the incidents occurred. The company promised to upgrade their sanitation and to implement food service standards in all factories in order to ensure a healthy and hygienic environment (Trouble discovered in Nike’s Indonesian factories 2010). Also supervisors in affected factories were replaced and a special officer just dealing with occupational health and safety issues was introduce d.The two deaths were further investigated and Nike didn’t get pressed with legal charges since a direct link could not be made out 100% (Trouble discovered in Nike’s Indonesian factories 2010). Furthermore Nike changed its policies when it comes to sick leave and allows their employees to leave their work place, go home and see a doctor after talking to the OH&S officer and getting his approval, which is an improvement considering no leave at all was permitted (Trouble discovered in Nike’s Indonesian factories 2010). . 4 Quality of Work Life Since Nike has a lot of human resource management issues to deal with, they became professional over time how to deal with them. So the first outcome of the issue, that in factories in South East Asia working quality is very poor and on the lower edge, Nike has constructed an elaborate program to deal with labour issues in the 900-odd supplier factories (none owned by Nike) that churn out its products in some 50 countries ( Nike 2010). By developing several initiatives, Nike landed at the No. spot in 2012 on Fortune magazine’s â€Å"Most Admired Companies for HR† list, which is an HR-specific recalibration of Fortune’s â€Å"Most Admired Companies† list (Case Study for Nike 2009). Because of the poor working environment and work life in general the turnover rate in factories in China was dramatically higher than in factories of competitors and a significant number of workers would not show up in the morning without excuses, which created a major problem for Nike since production slowed down (Nike sorgt sich um den Heimatmarkt 2008).Also in the specific case of Miss B, she received a bonus of five dollars monthly and protective clothing, but she will suffer from lifelong breathing difficulties, skin irritation and sterility (Harte Arbeit, wenig Geld 2009). 3. 5 Managing Diversity The immediate implication of Nike’s issue of harassment when it comes to managing diversit y and having few women under just male supervision, Nike implemented an harassment training for managers and workers using local resource people, and initiated a grievance system for workers to bring forth issues without fear of retribution.The women who were sexually harassed were helped by providing psychotherapy (Reaktion auf Ausbeutungs-Vorwuerfe 2001). Other than that, cameras were installed at bathroom entrances to monitor people going in and coming out, trying to give employees a feeling of security. No legal charges were pressed against supervisors or Nike itself (again), although an employer can be held vicariously liable for the discriminatory acts of his employees against others. Nike also created an employee council, workers can speak to anonymously when problems occur so a solution can be found together (Reaktion auf Ausbeutungs-Vorwuerfe 2001). 4.Recommendations 4. 1 Employee Compensation Considering that Nike does not have a real compensation system in their productio n factories in South East Asia as stated earlier on, my first recommendation for the human resource manager would be to implement a human resource information system in order to collect and store data about the employee’s productivity and therefore what type of compensation and especially salary they deserve individually. Since Nike employs a large number of workers the implementation of payroll is necessary, since it is an accounting system that is capable of processing a large number of transactions.It is relatively easy to collect the data of how much time a worker spend at the actual work place, how many items he produced and how accurate his outcomes are with a scanner or by taking samples. Storing all this data for each employee is manually almost impossible, therefore is the use of a HRIMS beneficial because it increases the communication on all levels and includes data on employees, jobs and work condition as well as position, leave and the management in order to also make sure that child labour can be outruled. Another recommendation for Nike would be the consideration of the general change and how to manage it. 0 years ago, Nike might already let their employees work under the same or worse condition as they do today, but back then the general interest in this subject was relatively small and countries in South East Asia were not as highly developed as Western countries or as they are today. In order for an organisation to succeed they must respond to the pace of change, that means the human resource manager especially need to take the role of an change agent and needs to be aware of external factors and how the companies culture needs to adapt.The change in government regulations, which today are more concerned about child labour and correct payment and treatment of employees, is a force Nike can’t walk away from, but has to adapt to and change its mentality and treatment of employees. Basically the corporate culture, which means the v alues, beliefs, assumptions and symbols that define the way in which Nike conducts its business need to be renewed in order to meet human rights standards. 4. 2 Employee MotivationIn order to avoid dissatisfied and unmotivated employees as well as poorly skilled supervisors and managers the usage of human resource information system in the future would be a great help. With HRIMS the company will experience enhanced communication across all levels of the organisation, which gives the employees in a factory in Vietnam the chance to communicate their feelings as well as reporting incidents that occurred with their supervisors directly to the headquarters in Oregon. With HRIMS next to individual data and previous experience you can store and manage the ondition of service of every employee and supervisor. Working hours can be recorded with a digital scanning card as well as break times in order to make sure, an employee gets enough breaks. The fact, that HRIMS provides transparency, wh ich means informs those who are monitored, will be helpful in letting supervisors know immediately, when they are acting wrong. Also the surveys Nike conducts before providing training, can easily be made, stored and evaluated with a HRIMS. Other than that the development of performance management systems can be a great help in order to solve Nike’s problem of employee’s motivation.The company has to be aware, that over time many factors, internal and external, will change and they have to adapt to this. Perhaps 30 years ago, employees accepted such behaviour of their supervisors, but not today anymore, since the country itself developed over the years as well as its people’s self-confidence. Nike needs to understand how important human resource management in general is in today’s work life and managers need to promote trust among their workforce. They need to ensure that human resource policies and practices are fair and equitable since the employee†™s voice is critical to performance improvement and innovation. . 3 Occupational Health and Safety Considering Nike’s issues with their health and safety policies I would recommend them to implement this section in their HRIMS. The newly introduced officer for occupational health and safety can create a policy catalogue via HRIMS all employees and supervisors as well as managers have access to. It can keep a record of what illnesses a worker had or what medicine he is required to take on a daily bases so Nike can make sure to provide those needed, since HRIMS increases flexibility by adapting to present and future requirements.The costs these implementations bring along would definitely be outweighed by the benefits Nike will gain from them. Other than that Nike has to adapt to the incremental change which involves gradual modifications to existing activities. This means that the change is evolutionary and Nike has to adapt to a certain health and safety standard that is re quired today and got developed over the years. The organisation initially needs to be unfreezed, which means it needs to be prepared for the change with the implementation of new OH&S rules in the HRMIS, the exchange of existing supervisors or an intense training for the existing ones.This is followed by taking action so that the change actually occurs. They need to practice and follow those rules so employees feel and see a difference. In the end this state needs to be refreezed by continuously reinforcing the desired outcomes, which are employees who trust the company and feel safe and taken care of. 4. 4 Quality of Work Life Considering a general improvement in the work life of every employee, the management has to make sure, that there is autonomy, the degree to which the job provides freedom, independence and discretion to the individual as a safe and healthy environment amongst others.Human capabilities need to be developed and a social integration needs to take place. Using t he HRMIS for this purpose it again can be very beneficial since the system can easily create routine reports, exception reports, on-demand reports and forecasts which all will work together as a whole in order to help the management in improving the work environment and an employee’s satisfaction by increasing the work life quality. It is a strategic and competitive tool which has to be customized for Nike and contain data of an employee’s satisfaction level, of legal advice and regulations, feedback and survey outcomes.Other than that again, change has to be taken into consideration, since the workforce has changed its character and is dominated by change, as well as the needs employees crave nowadays for and what work environment is acceptable to do the required work. Globalisation, technological change and changes in government regulations are external forces Nike has to deal with. Since a high quality of work life should be a great priority for Nike they need to ad apt to the transformational change, since it produces revolutionary shifts in Nike’s strategies, culture and structure.A general problem Nike has is that they still manufacture their products in low-cost countries with very low standards for their workers. As an American corporation they should not downgrade the standards that would exist in a factory in the US to the countries general standards, but change the way of thinking. Their business strategy is, to produce at factories not owned by Nike itself, at the cheapest price possible in order to increase the profit. Maybe it is time for a change and taking a worker’s life and soul more into consideration than just thinking about the revenue. 4. 5 Managing DiversityWhen it comes to Nike’s problem of managing diversity and discriminating minor groups such as women, HRIMS can also be helpful and beneficial. Since it is enhancing communication across all levels, problems can be communicated faster and actions can b e taken. The cameras can be linked to the HRIMS in order for the footage to be accessible easily and not just within the factory itself. Workers can use HRIMS to report incidents anonymously so solutions can be found. Nike also needs to take its strategic human resource objectives into account, since they affect all aspects of the workplace relations.Nike’s workforce should experience open communication, procedural justice and organisational support when problems occur. The corporate cultures, which means the values, beliefs, assumptions and symbols that define the way in which Nike conduct its business, needs to focus more on fighting discriminatory behaviour and how to fully integrate minorities. With training they need to raise awareness of what has happened and through communication, participation, counselling and certainty the issues need to be solved so they do not repeat themselves. 5.Conclusion After learning about the variety of human resource management issues that can occur in a company and actually did happen at Nike Inc. , you can see that managing your employees is a sensitive field, where mistakes easily occur if you do not pay enough attention to your employee’s wants and needs. Today it is really important for every company to have a human resource management department, with a human resource manager who in first place and most importantly has the role of the employee champion as well as the one of a change agent.Nike showed an effort by reaching out to their workforce immediately after every incident occurred and tried to improve where mistakes were found. Further improvements can also be made by implementing a HRMIS and considering the power of change. The winning companies of the future will be those most adapt at leveraging global talent to transform themselves, their industries, and creating better jobs for everyone. 6. References About Nike Inc, 2012, Nike Inc. , viewed 20 November 2012, . Case Study for Nike 2009, viewed 2 0 November 2012, . Fair Labor at Nike 2012, viewed 15 November 2012, . Harte Arbeit, wenig Geld 2009, Stiftung Warentest, viewed 17 November 2012, . How Nike’s HR pros help the giant company stay competitive 2011, HR Communication, viewed 20 November 2012, .Kolbe, M , Burkart, B & Zundel, F 2010, Personalmanagement: Grundlagen und Praxis des Human Resources Managements, 2nd edn, Gabler, Deutschland. Menschenrechte in Asien 2009, Forum, viewed 18 November 2012, . Nike 2010, viewed 18 November 2012, . Nike sorgt sich um den Heimatmarkt 2008, Financial Times Deutschland, viewed 15 November 2012, .