The Envious Role in “Roman Fever” Essay Example

The Envious Role in â€Å"Roman Fever† Paper The fine line between the fear of the unknown and what is known can sometimes become blurred. In the short story â€Å"Roman Fever†, Edith Wharton does just that by telling the story of two ladies who were ‘childhood friends’. Both are recently widowed, and encounter each other in Rome by coincidence while traveling abroad with their daughters Jenny and Barbara. One of the ladies, Alida Slade, has long suspected that her intimate friend, Grace Ansley was involved with her fiance many years ago and has been harboring some sort of dark secret about that liaison. As the story unfolds, Mrs. Slade and Mrs. Ansley wonder about the familiar situation they have found themselves and their daughters in while in Rome. The similarity between the two holidays has brought many of Mrs. Slade’s lingering doubts back to the surface. Mrs. Slade’s actions throughout the story are motivated by the fear of what she does not know and the fear of what she suspects to be true. In addition, Mrs. Slade’s inherent dislike of Grace, her feelings of insecurity, jealously, and their current circumstances will force her into revealing a long kept secret of her own that she hopes will reveal the truth she has sought all these years. Mrs. We will write a custom essay sample on The Envious Role in â€Å"Roman Fever† specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on The Envious Role in â€Å"Roman Fever† specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on The Envious Role in â€Å"Roman Fever† specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Slade’s peculiar behavior throughout the story is directly motivated by all of these factors. Jealousy and envy have always played a major role in the intertwined lives of Alida Slade and Grace Ansley. The feelings of jealousy and envy date back to when Alida and Grace first met while on a holiday in Rome as younger women. As they begin to reminisce about the onset of their friendship many years ago, they realize that although they have been friends for many years, they are relative strangers. Sitting outside in silence, the two women, â€Å"who have been intimate since childhood, reflect how little they knew each other† (Wharton 1368). Slowly, the reader begins to understand that there had been a subtle, hidden competition for Alida’s fiance, Delphin. Alida worried that Grace was attempting to steal her fiance from her. This fear fuels the jealousy and envy Alida feels towards Grace and the resurfacing of those feelings motivates Alida’s odd behavior of revisiting the past in the story. Although Alida Slade projects an image of well-bred confidence, she is actually very insecure and relentlessly compares her life to that of Grace’s. Seeing as they end up living across the street from one another, the reader soon realizes that although their lives are ironically similar, Alida considers hers to be lacking by comparison. The only big diffence is that of how Alida feels. Grace does not show the same feelings as Alida. From the onset of the story, Alida’s thoughts are in the forefront, while Grace’s thoughts assume a lesser role. The readers automatically make more of a connection with Alida more so than Grace. This leads the readers to feel what Alida is feeling and thinking instead of Grace, allowing more of an eventful feel to the story. Through Wharton’s use of the third person omniscient point of view, the reader senses the underlying competition between the two women. Alida sees Grace and her husband Horace made a â€Å"good-looking, irreproachable, exemplary†, (Wharton 1368) couple, stereotyping them as â€Å"museum specimens of old New York†, (Wharton 1368), which in itself is exactly like her, yet she does not see it. After further analyzing the story, the reader realizes that Alida’s envy of Grace, compounded with her own doubts of fears about the past intensifies her hatred for Grace and her desire for revenge. Alida Slade had long speculated that Grace and her fiance, Delphin, were once romantically involved, and even after all these years married to Delphin, she still feels inferior to Grace because of her doubts. Additionally, since the death of her well known husband, Alida’s life seems dull and she craves the attention that was part of that lifestyle. By creating drama with Grace, she hopes to at long last discover the truth and feed her need for attention at the same time. During the conversation on the terrace, Alida begins to make subtle comments, as if she is trying to make Grace irritated and admit to the affair. These elusive comments eventually substantiate the dramatic conclusion between the two friends, although the reader may miss many of the comments because of their subtlety. Alida mentions a story about Grace’s Great-aunt Harriet that Grace’s mother had once told them. As Grace is commenting on the tale, Alida stops her mid sentence and purposely adds, â€Å"but she really sent her because they were in love with the same man†, (Wharton 1372), as if to nudge Grace’s confession along. As the conversation progress, so does the underlying tension. Alida’s comments to Grace become short and terse, almost to the point where she is bluntly stating her true feelings; something Alida has never done with Grace. Alida wants Grace to admit to the affair with Delphin and when she does not, Alida clearly says, â€Å" You had been out late sight-seeing, hadn’t you? †(Wharton 1373) Grace still does not admit to the affair and Alida finally plays her trump card, telling Grace that is was she who wrote the letter that proposed the secret meeting, not Delphin. An outside source, James Phelan, point of view claims â€Å"Alida seeks to injure Grace and establish her own power over her by telling Grace about the forgery† (343). In other words, Alida knows telling Grace will put the feelings of being jealous and envious out of the way, even if it was momentary, making Alida feel better about herself. Alida craves the powerfulness between the two. In another telling comment, Alida reveals another purpose of her writing the letter. She hoped that Grace would go out into the damp night to supposedly meet Delphin and catch a cold or â€Å"Roman fever† as one would say and be out of the picture for a few weeks, but then goes on to say, â€Å"Of course I never thought you’d die†, (Wharton 1374), subconsciously imitating Great-aunt Harriet story about sisters (or friends) in love with the same man. Alida was motivated by jealousy and fear to attempt to rid herself of Grace. Mrs. Slade’s socio-economic class also indirectly motivates her jealousy of Mrs. Ansley. Wharton often wrote about things that she was familiar with and her lifestyle is reflected in the story â€Å"Roman Fever†. Edith Wharton was â€Å"born to wealth and privileged in the leisured society of the nineteenth-century Old New York† (Benstock vii), as was Alida Slade and Grace Ansley. People from such an entitled background have certain expectations. When these expectations are not fulfilled, people can rebel against their moral upbringing and seek retribution. This is the case with Alida Slade and her desire to feel superior to Grace Ansley. Although Alida does not find out until the end of their time together in Rome, Grace does not feel the same way Alida does seeing as Grace ultimately got whar she wanted. Unfulfilled expectations also feed Alida’s insecurities about the relationship between Grace and Delphin. Alida expects to marry well and continue to lead the lifestyle that she is accustomed to and Grace may have cause a disruption in those plans. Wharton also skillfully convolutes the seemingly separate stories of the two main characters and that of their daughters by comparing illusive similarities and linking Alida’s motivation to both. History seems to be repeating itself when the reader takes a step back from the story and compares the women’s lives and the similar circumstances their daughter’s now are experiencing. Alida envies Grace’s daughter Barbara and in her mind, her own daughter Jenny pales in comparison. She drops hints of her true feeling to Grace when she thinks aloud â€Å"how two such exemplary characters such as you and Horace had managed to produce† a daughter like Babs (Wharton 1371). This not only is a subtle foreshadowing, leading to the ending of the story, but exemplifies exactly how Alida feels. As seen throughout the text, â€Å"This type of resentment toward the envied person, ‘agent-focused resentment’, when the envious person feels that another has acquired superiority unfairly† (Comins 10) provides Alida with added motivation. Alida even catches herself thinking â€Å"Jenny [is] such a perfect daughter that she needed no excessive mothering. ‘Now with Babs Ansley I don’t know that I should be so quiet†, (Wharton 1369). Then when Grace defends her own daughter, Alida very bluntly says, â€Å"I appreciate [Babs]. And perhaps envy you† (Wharton 1371) and â€Å"I have always wanted a brilliant daughter †¦ and never quiet understood why I got an angel instead† (Wharton 1371). Alida is fearful that her daughter will experience the same type of self-doubt she experienced when competing with Grace. Wharton’s title, â€Å"Roman Fever† is symbolic to the story because Roman fever, which used to refer to Malaria, represents the burning desires that are left unstated between the characters. Grace Ansley figuratively developed Roman fever when she burned with love for Delphin. Alida Slade figuratively contracted it when Grace’s love for Delphin filled her with hatred and the desire to seek revenge by writing the letter. Roman fever secretly continues to simmer below the surface for the next twenty-five years. It flares up again when the two friends encounter each other in Rome and the similarities between their daughters and their current situation threatens to make history repeat itself. The â€Å"fever† motivated both women to exorcise the demons from their past, each with the hopes of hurting the other, just as they had been hurt themselves. The reader has to wonder, if Alida had never written the letter in the first place, would any of this had happened? Delphin may have desired Grace, but since he was already engaged to Alida, so he may have never acted upon those desires. That is until Alida wrote to Grace, posing as Delphin and Grace replied. Now, although she has had Delphin all these years, she still feels the need to punish Grace and attempt to recover the feelings of superiority she lost when Delphin died. She subconsciously attempts to achieve this by revealing her secret and fails. This illistrates the age-old saying, â€Å"be careful what you wish for, you just might get it†. Works Cited: Benstock, Shari. No Gifts from Chance a Biography of Edith Wharton. Austin: University of Texas, 2004. Print. Bowlby, Rachel. â€Å"‘I Had Barbara’: Women’s Ties and Wharton’s ‘Roman Fever’† Differences: A Journal of Feminist Cultural Studies 17. 3 (2006): 37-51. Print. Comins, Barbara. Outrageous Trap: Envy and Jealousy in Whartons Roman Fever and Fitzgeralds Bernice Bobs Her Hair' Edith Wharton Review 17. 1 (2001): 9-12. Print. Phelan, James. â€Å"Narrative as Rhetoric and Edith Wharton’s Roman Fever: Progression, Configuration, and the Ethics of Surprise. † A Companion to Rhetoric and Rhetorical Criticism. Ed. Walter Jost, and Wendy Olmsted. Malden, MA: Blackwell Pub. , 2004. 340-353. Print. Wharton, Edith. â€Å"Roman Fever. † The Story and Its Writer: An Introduction to Short Fiction. Ed. Ann Charters. 8th ed. New York: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2010. 1366-1375. Print.

Ghandi Essays - Gandhism, British Empire In World War II

Ghandi Essays - Gandhism, British Empire In World War II Ghandi Mahatma Gandhi Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi was born in Porbandar, India, on October 2, 1869. Although his father was a chief minister for the maharaja of Porbandar, the family came from the traditional caste of grocers (the name Gandhi means grocer). His mother's religion was Jainism, a Hindu religion which ideas of nonviolence and vegetarianism are very important. Gandhi said that he was most influenced by his mother, whose life was an endless chain of fasts and vows. When, in the company of boyhood friends, he secretly smoked, ate meat, told lies, or wore Western clothing, he had an intense feeling of guilt. These feelings forced him to make resolutions about his moral behaviour that were to stay with him for the rest of his life. Ghandi married at the age of 13. When he was 18, he went to London to study law. He was admitted to the bar in 1891 and for a while he was attorney in Bombay. From 1893 to 1914 he worked for an Indian firm in South Africa. During these years Gandhi's humiliating experiences of open, official racial discrimination and aphartheid propelled him into agitation on behalf of the Indian community of South Africa. He started protest campaigns and organized provocating demonstrations, but never used violence. His philosophy was to never fight back against the atrocities, but still never retreat. This, he said, would decrease the hate against him and his fellow believers, and increase the respect felt towards him. Gandhi's one aim was that everybody - hindues, muslims, sikhs, jews, christians, black and white - could live together in peace and harmony. Under the banner We are citizens of the empire he gathered Indians from all over South Africa to a march for freedom. He gradually developed his techniques and tenets of nonviolent resistance, and when he returned to India in January 1915, he was celebrated as a national hero. He was soon asked to participate in and organize India's fight for freedom, as he fought aphatheid in South Africa. Then he started his journey to discover the real India, the life in the 700.000 small villages and the countryside with all the hardworking men and women. These were the ones he was going to represent in his fight for justice. As time passed, more and more people got to know about Gandhi and his controversial views, and Gandhi's popularity grew incredibly fast, something the English Vice-king and government didn't approve of at all. Armed only with honesty and a bamboo stick, Gandhi got through demands like a rebait on rent pay to the English land-owners, freedom for the Indians to grow crops of their own choice and the establishment of a part- Indian commission to hear grievances from the Indians. The Englishmen allowed these demands without questions, just to see the back of him. But Gandhi had greater aims. They sent Gandhi to jail several times, but they always had to release him, because he never used or indirectly caused violence or crime. He convinced almost everyone that nonviolence increases respect and decreases hate, but terror-actions and violence justifies the atrocities. Now, the Englishmen were getting afraid of this little, big man. And fright made them dangerous. In the town of Amritsar in 1919, English soliders, armed with guns, attacked and shot to kill hundreds of nationalist demonstrators, demonstrators who's goal was, ironically enough, nonviolence. 1516 demonstrators were killed or wounded. The general said that he wanted to give the Indians a lesson that would have an impact throughout all of India. The English people and government reputiated this terrible action and the attitude that prompted it. The massacre of Amritsar turned Gandhi to direct political protest, and made it possible for him to propose that maybe it was time for the Englishmen to go home for good. Within a year he was the dominant figure in the Indian National Congress, where Gandhi challenged the Brits: 100.000 Englishmen cannot control 350 million Indians if these Indians won't cooperate. That was what Gandhi wanted to achieve when he launched on a policy of noncooperation with the British. Nonviolence and noncooperation would make India independent of the British Empire, and the Indians would see the Englishmen off as friends. The first action of this noncooperation policy was to make the indians realize that to buy

Ghandi Essays - Gandhism, British Empire In World War II

Ghandi Essays - Gandhism, British Empire In World War II Ghandi Mahatma Gandhi Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi was born in Porbandar, India, on October 2, 1869. Although his father was a chief minister for the maharaja of Porbandar, the family came from the traditional caste of grocers (the name Gandhi means grocer). His mother's religion was Jainism, a Hindu religion which ideas of nonviolence and vegetarianism are very important. Gandhi said that he was most influenced by his mother, whose life was an endless chain of fasts and vows. When, in the company of boyhood friends, he secretly smoked, ate meat, told lies, or wore Western clothing, he had an intense feeling of guilt. These feelings forced him to make resolutions about his moral behaviour that were to stay with him for the rest of his life. Ghandi married at the age of 13. When he was 18, he went to London to study law. He was admitted to the bar in 1891 and for a while he was attorney in Bombay. From 1893 to 1914 he worked for an Indian firm in South Africa. During these years Gandhi's humiliating experiences of open, official racial discrimination and aphartheid propelled him into agitation on behalf of the Indian community of South Africa. He started protest campaigns and organized provocating demonstrations, but never used violence. His philosophy was to never fight back against the atrocities, but still never retreat. This, he said, would decrease the hate against him and his fellow believers, and increase the respect felt towards him. Gandhi's one aim was that everybody - hindues, muslims, sikhs, jews, christians, black and white - could live together in peace and harmony. Under the banner We are citizens of the empire he gathered Indians from all over South Africa to a march for freedom. He gradually developed his techniques and tenets of nonviolent resistance, and when he returned to India in January 1915, he was celebrated as a national hero. He was soon asked to participate in and organize India's fight for freedom, as he fought aphatheid in South Africa. Then he started his journey to discover the real India, the life in the 700.000 small villages and the countryside with all the hardworking men and women. These were the ones he was going to represent in his fight for justice. As time passed, more and more people got to know about Gandhi and his controversial views, and Gandhi's popularity grew incredibly fast, something the English Vice-king and government didn't approve of at all. Armed only with honesty and a bamboo stick, Gandhi got through demands like a rebait on rent pay to the English land-owners, freedom for the Indians to grow crops of their own choice and the establishment of a part- Indian commission to hear grievances from the Indians. The Englishmen allowed these demands without questions, just to see the back of him. But Gandhi had greater aims. They sent Gandhi to jail several times, but they always had to release him, because he never used or indirectly caused violence or crime. He convinced almost everyone that nonviolence increases respect and decreases hate, but terror-actions and violence justifies the atrocities. Now, the Englishmen were getting afraid of this little, big man. And fright made them dangerous. In the town of Amritsar in 1919, English soliders, armed with guns, attacked and shot to kill hundreds of nationalist demonstrators, demonstrators who's goal was, ironically enough, nonviolence. 1516 demonstrators were killed or wounded. The general said that he wanted to give the Indians a lesson that would have an impact throughout all of India. The English people and government reputiated this terrible action and the attitude that prompted it. The massacre of Amritsar turned Gandhi to direct political protest, and made it possible for him to propose that maybe it was time for the Englishmen to go home for good. Within a year he was the dominant figure in the Indian National Congress, where Gandhi challenged the Brits: 100.000 Englishmen cannot control 350 million Indians if these Indians won't cooperate. That was what Gandhi wanted to achieve when he launched on a policy of noncooperation with the British. Nonviolence and noncooperation would make India independent of the British Empire, and the Indians would see the Englishmen off as friends. The first action of this noncooperation policy was to make the indians realize that to buy

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Samsung Group of Strategic Management - Essay Example The analysis provides a detailed description of the potential events for the future competitive environment as it is facilitated by the intensive innovation in the industries that Samsung Company operates. The analysis is concluded through outline the potential strategies that should be considered by Samsung and providing a detailed description of the three major strategies that should be implemented. According to the paper Samsung is a multinational company from South Korea that comprises of dozens of subsidiaries business that operate under the brand. Samsung was established in the year 1938 and its current operations are experienced globally. The most notable Samsung subsidiaries include Samsung Electronics and are considered the leading brand in the information technology. Samsung Company operates in a very competitive environment making it an ideal company to enhance the analysis for the project. The internal environment represents the events and factors that are within a company, which create an influence in the operations. The internal environment can also be referred as the micro-environment for a given company. The analysis of the internal environment focuses on the weaknesses and strengths that are exhibited within the domain of a company. The evaluation of the internal environment helps in understanding the competitive factor within the industry through analysis of the weaknesses. Also, it helps in understanding the improvement that can be facilitated by the strengths of the company. The other major factors that are considered in the analysis of the internal environment are the leadership style, the company’s culture, and the company’s mission statement. The analysis of the current internal environment of the Samsung Company can be evaluated by the understanding of the strengths and weaknesses within the company’s domain.  

Factors Involved in the Tanker Contract Essay Example for Free

Factors Involved in the Tanker Contract Essay Issues that relate to security are of key concern to all nations (Meyer, 2007). The national security and internal defense are some of the sectors that are allocated lump sums of resources in the budgetary allocation (Meyer, 2007). Such allocations are in line with the perceived importance that the area of defense has. The united states as a country is no stranger to conflict and is one of the country that has been involved in external conflict for long periods of time both in the 20th and 21st century (Meyer, 2007). The politics involved in the security are some of the most interesting and widely covered happenings in the US press. Financial power is seen to go in line with military power in that countries that have the financial ability tend to develop their military capabilities and the same can be said of countries that have military abilities. National security is an area of key concern and therefore there is lots of secrecy involved in its dealings (Meyer, 2007). The nature of the deals often require utmost confidentiality from the parties involved and therefore many transactions happen in well defined and approved channels. The military association are developed with time and may be extended to association in other areas since its better to develop good relations with persons with security details that could be detrimental to the country if leaked (Meyer, 2007). The military world has been developing with technological improvements and the military equipments currently being used are characterized by more accuracy and considerable throughput (Verkuil, 2007). These two factors are but a few of the considerations in choosing a partner or a contractor that will help in developing certain aspects of the security system (Verkuil, 2007). It therefore does not come as a surprise that military procurement procedures and processes have considerable controversy since people have varied views on efficiency and security implications (Verkuil, 2007). This research paper analyses the issues involved in the airforce contract tender to build tankers between Boeing and Northrop Grumman with the aim of highlighting key issues involved in addressing security critical details. Background Boeing KC-767 is one of the military aerial refueling strategy that had been developed by Boeing 767-200 (CBS News, 2008). The tanker was designated KC-767 after it was selected by the US airforce to replace the KC-135s. However, in December of 2003, the contract was frozen after corruption allegation on the bidding process were forwarded. The development of the project is said to have cost Boeing over $ 1 Billion as the project was based on the assumption that the US airforce will be the chief consumer. Ever since the freezing of the project the Italian and the Chinese government have each ordered a number of these tankers. To address the KC-X competition the Boeing offered the 7627-200 Long range freighter which is based on the KC-767 (Online News Hour, 2008). However, the Department of defense selected KC-30 which was developed by Northrop Grumman (CBS News, 2008). The Boeing company on the 11th March 2008 submitted a protest on the decisions made by the airforce, the United States accountability office upheld their protests and in so doing the status of the KC-45A was placed in doubt and therefore the Boeing company was again in position to bid for the contract (CBS News, 2008). This was no to be since the US government in September 2008 terminated all bids on the KC-X (CBS News, 2008). In March 2002, the US airforce selected Boeings KC-767 on the grounds that it had clearly demonstrated the abilities to meet their requirements. The United States Airforce (USAF) in their acceptance statement brought out four points that they cited as being behind their decision (CBS News, 2008). The Boeings design was designated KC-767A and was included in DODs 2004 model designation report. Approximately 100 KC-767 tankers were leased from Boeing for the air refueling program. Even though the refueling program was in place in many countries in the US, many had questions about its effectiveness and cost implications especially the idea of leasing crafts which may never have any buyer once the lease period was over. This argument brought forward by senator McCain was however countered by the number of US allies who were more than willing to buy their used crafts (CBS News, 2008). The congressional budget office was next in line as they criticized the budget stressing on its fiscal irresponsibility (United States Government Accountability Office, 2008). This led to the striking of a deal where the state would buy 80 KC-767 and lease twenty (United States Government Accountability Office, 2008). However, in December of 2003, the pentagon announced that the project had to be frozen due to a corruption allegation brought against one of its former staffer (CBS News, 2008). Furthermore, documentations that proved that the A330 based tankers were more suited to the task specifications of the airforce were more cost effective relative to Boeing tankers were found (CBS News, 2008). The scandal led to the sentencing of the culprit who pleaded guilty to corruptions and led to the resignation of Boeings CEO. Donald Rumsfeld in 2006 announced the cancellation of the KC-767A leases as a measure aimed at cutting the costs and a redefinition of the USAF mission (United States Government Accountability Office, 2008). The defense secretary further stated that the move will not in any way affects the mission of the KC-767A as the upgrade of the KC-135s fleets will help in moving towards the goals (United States Government Accountability Office, 2008). However, the development did no affect the relationships between Boeing and its other customers. The development were however short lived and Boeing and Northrop were soon back in the ring fighting for a big defense contract. The basis of Boeings arguments was that the KC-30 was more versatile and had a large furl capacity than the KC-135 that were being used by the airforce. The KC-135 was developed by Boeing who were bidding for an airforce contract against their nemesis Northrop Grumman . The latter won this round of battle as the departments of defense announced that it has won the tender to procure 179 new KC-45A tankers (Online News Hour, 2008). The Boeing company almost immediately took to the Government Accountability Office and filed a protests claiming the evaluation of its KC-30 was unfair (Online News Hour, 2008). Boeing further claimed that its refueling tanker could easily be reconverted to a passenger plane compared to Northrops version as shown in the Air forces post decision briefing. According to Boeings vice president they had more strengths than their competitors was all he heard from the post decision briefing. Boeings protests led to a review of the selection process by the accountability office which forced Northrop to freeze the project which it had already allocated $ 35 billion (Online News Hour, 2008). Northrop Grumman executives are on the other hand highlighting the irresponsibility involved in freezing a critical project to the development of the military for expensive lobbying in the congress that will inevitably lead to a change of the decisions made by the airforce (Online News Hour, 2008). Northrop Grumman executives further claim the decision is ironic since they put their best efforts in ensuring that the airforce receives a products that they consider the best in consideration of the design (Online News Hour, 2008). They are pushing for the public knowledge of the facts of what they represents and what they are not. The congress was divided sharply on this issue and so was the general public. Boeing supporters claim that the Northrop Grumman design was a basic passenger airbus plane (Online News Hour, 2008). A Kansas congress man was cited claiming that the decisions made by the airforce was a bad one as the airforce as it has bend backwards to deal with a French company (Online News Hour, 2008). Boeings die hards near its main production facility claimed that it is the only true tanker manufacturers and a mistake had been made (Online News Hour, 2008). A Washington senator supported this point of view and claimed that offering a military contract to a foreign company was suicidal and would incapacitate Americas ability to develop their own fleet if they should ever pull out of the deal (Online News Hour, 2008). An Alabama state senators is of a different view and approached the subject from a resource allocations view point (Online News Hour, 2008). People near Northrop are bound to benefit more that those near the Boeing plants and therefore there senators have opinions that display their satisfaction or dissatisfaction with the resource allocations (Online News Hour, 2008). She further states that there have to be losers and winner either way (Online News Hour, 2008). The Boeing group further accuse the airforce of a change in parameter in order to accommodate the design put up by Northrop Grumman so as to ensure two bidders are present (Online News Hour, 2008). Even though many are of the view that the airforce was trying to lock out Boeing due to the scandals it previously had, Boeing executives were of the view that was not the case as the specifications that were asked by the airforce were changed considerably to ensure Northrop was in the race (Online News Hour, 2008). They further claim that the large sized tanker proposed by the Northrop was a liability and only countries not interested in their taxi ways would allow for such aircrafts. The Northrop group however counter this argument by stating that their design is more sophisticated and has advantages that are yet to be seen (Online News Hour, 2008). Issues Boeing is one of the worlds best known manufactures of aircrafts and so is Northrop Grumman who are the manufacturers of the airbus (Online News Hour, 2008). These are two top brands who are obviously competing in other areas of business and therefore any decision that involve them is bound to raise considerable heat. It should b noted that both are American companies though Northrop Grumman is partly owned by a French company. The nature of the contract which involves the security of America as a nation is a matter of national concern as it involves the development of structures that could ensure the growth of security systems. Boeing and Grumman being business structures, such a big contract will obviously attract the interest of stakeholders from both sides. There are a number of key issues that have been brought out by the airforce contracts which include: i. Politics Military contracts are a matter of public concern since it is in place to protect the public, the resources used in the military contracts are derived from taxpayers and therefore the failure of such projects will be a waste of taxpayers money (Meyer, 2007). When McCain questioned the cost effectiveness in leasing planes that would otherwise have no values when their lease period was over his motive as the senator of Alabama was to ensure that the taxpayers money is channeled to useful projects. Furthermore, it is quite clear that the politicians have the ability to shoot down potentially useful deals due to what Northrop Grumman executives refer to as expensive lobbying. Politics is not always objective for there are situations where the stakes involved are shielded from the public and though the politics and viewpoints will be developed to suit the public, the real reasons are often personal (Meyer, 2007). The inclusion of politics in such cases therefore has both advantages and disadvantages and should be weighed carefully. Military procurement just like any other public procurement scheme is prone to corruption, this was the case in the original contract that was brought to an end by Rumsfeld in 2006. Moreover, the big money involved in military procurement processes act as a natural catalysts for corruption, therefore there is need to come up with a robust self regulated systems that will ensure that such unethical practices are not in anyway included in the procurement process, the congress thus comes into the picture (Meyer, 2007). However, the political system is not known for its objectivity. In the cases, some of the reasons brought out against Northrop Grumman are flimsy and lack in objectivity. The fact that there will be lobbying is a clear sign that there will be loss in objectivity thus the decision will tend to favor groups that are be able to garner enough political support in the congress. Furthermore, the political system is one of the most corrupt system there is and the rationale in placing such a system to guard against corruption is questionable. ii. Security Military procurement is a security critical matter (Meyer, 2007). The military is in place to ensure that the US is protected against its external enemies (Meyer, 2007). The seriousness with which the equipment tendering process is treated and the keen eye that the media watches the unfolding of such events relay the importance placed on the military by the American people. The US is traditionally a fighting nation and the effectiveness of its military and equipments is one of the factors that has cemented its place as a world power. Military activities require high levels of secrecy (Meyer, 2007). There is need to come up with effective equipments that can be used in varied situations. It should be noted that the arguments brought forward by the executives from both sides are centered around the superiority of their products or the weaknesses of their opposite. The need for accuracy and well developed products that have the required reputation are some of the considerations that led to the two big companies making it to the final stage. The two companies are multinationals that have developed their brands all over the globe. It is noteworthy that when the US defense secretary cancels Boeings leases other nations still seek their products and are continues seeking the products that have been labeled cost ineffective due to the reputation associated with their brand name. The importance of the security system is seen in the number of avenues and legislative systems that have been put in place to ensure that the process is done in a just manner (Krishnan, 2008). When the airforce declares that Northrop Grumman had won the bid for the airforce tankers, Boeing seeks redress through a different avenue: Public accountability office. The office looks at their complaints and decides to freeze the process. It should be noted that it was the same office that had early in the decades frozen a billion dollar Boeing contract due to corruption charges. Even though there are systems put in place to ensure proper procedures in procurement of services and services, they can be outdone easily (Krishnan, 2008). The corruption allegations made in the initial Boeing contracts are a clear case where the protocols were overridden and it only came to realization a couple of months after the contracts had been signed. Furthermore, the fact that is was later found out that a different design could meet the specifications made by the airforce with reduced costs clearly show that even though the guidelines are put in place they are rarely followed thus the need for a system or authority that will follow up on the recommendations and processes to ensure that they conform to the laid out guidelines. Some politicians have argued that the French affiliation of the airbus manufacturer is in itself a security risk and therefore a purely American company should be contracted. However, such a contracting systems will obviously lock out other capable companies and therefore bring about questions on the integrity of the bidding process. America has prided itself as being a liberalized nation, putting up measures that will lock out other qualified members on the basis of the compositions of its investors is contrary to the spirit of liberalization. Furthermore, being involved with a company that has partnered with a success story in Europe shields the tanker project from American economic downtimes though it effectively ensures that the project is affected by the happening in Europe. It is unrealistic to lobby for Boeing on the basis of confidentiality; a company that has already shown traces of corruption cannot be trusted and neither can a company that is yet to prove its worth in the military sector. Therefore, system should be put in place to ensure that the projects are monitored and compared to some given standards if either is to be awarded the contract. iii. Stability The US is the father of capitalism and is therefore a country that is characterized by intense competition between industry players who will always be on the look for additional finances that will ensure their development into the future (Verkuil, 2007). On the day it was reported that Northrop Grumman had won the military contracts its share prices rose by over 20 cents and Boeings shares fell by a couple of cents (CBS News, 2008). Note, the development in the contract procurement were being watched by investors who will then make their decisions on which company to invest in. Even though the large money involved in the transactions may be enough to lure investors into channeling their resources to a particular company, the reputation involved in being a company contracted with one of the worlds best airforce to develop its aircraft tankers is enough to cause significant changes in the companys share index. Being a capitalistic economy where entities gain at the expense of others, Boeing is bound to feel the pinch. The situation is made worse by the consideration that Boeing has a well developed reputation and therefore failure to win a contract from a partner that it has associated with for a long time may be taken by the investors and its consumers in the wrong light. It may imply that the partner does not trust its capacity to develop superiors products or has doubts on its potential to remain productive. To bring the idea of reputation into perspective, many are of the notion that the corruptions charges brought against Boeing may have affected its chances of successfully bidding for the contract (Verkuil, 2007). This holds considerable weight in that the military is not all about facilities but also reputation. The American people and its enemies will always keep a keen eye on the military and any transactions conducted with a partner who is proved to be corrupt will dent on its integrity thus its reputation. Conclusion Awarding a contract to a company to deliver services that are of public interest is a complex process and will always involve the media and many other systems that have been put in place to ensure the safety of the public. Individual good and interest will always be central in the arguments brought forward by most people, this is more pronounced if the contract will significantly affect many people. It is therefore upon the government and the social systems to ensure that the systems put in place to ensure effectiveness of the bidding process are functioning properly and are robust enough to deal with the dynamism associated with such processes. If need be, changes must be instituted to ensure that the system are functioning. The products delivered must measure up to some predetermined standards to ensure quality and accountability. These measures and other quality management measures if well integrated into the bidding and implementation of contracts that are of public interest will ensure that the public benefits in the best possible way. Word Count: 3271 Reference List CBS News (2008). Boeing Spurned On Huge Air Force Contract. Retrieved 13 October 2008 from http://www. cbsnews. com/stories/2008/02/29/business/main3894669. shtml? source=RSSattr=Business_3894669 Krishnan, A. (2008). War as Business: Technological Change and Military Service Contracting. Aldershot: Ashgate Publishing, Ltd. Meyer, J. (2007). Working in a War Zone: Military Contractors. New York: The Rosen Publishing Group. Online News Hour (2008). Boeing, Northrop Grumman Clash Over Tanker Contract. Retrieved 13 October 2008 from http://www. pbs. org/newshour/bb/military/jan-june08/tanker_05-06. html. United States Government Accountability Office (2008). Statement Regarding the Bid Protest Decision Resolving the Aerial Refueling Tanker Protest by The Boeing Company. Retrieved 13 October 2008 from http://www. governmentexecutive. com/pdfs/061808cd1. pdf Verkuil, R. (2007). Outsourcing Sovereignty: Why Privatization of Government Functions Threatens Democracy and what We Can Do about it. New York: Cambridge University Press.

Organizational Structure Impact on Employee Attitude

Organizational Structure Impact on Employee Attitude 1 INTRODUCTION The problem with all major organisations and even small businesses are the organisational structure they use and work with. How limited the resources are and even how employees are ranked and how they should work in teams and in what type of relationship they can work with the other employees. The study of how employees react towards these structures and how they perform under these structures can show how important it really is for organisations to implement the correct structure for there specific environment the organisation is working in. When looking at factors such as the organisational structures itself, employee performance and attitudes, productivity, the factors influencing the structures, decentralisation and centralisation, one can identify if there is any relationship between the structures chosen and employees performance and attitudes. Employees attitudes and performance has an impact on how the organisation performs, and if every employees work is done correctly and if employees enjoy their working conditions. Now if a organisational structure has an influence on the performance and attitude of employees organisations should study these problems and make use of new structures to improve employees, to give them a productive and innovative working team to achieve the competitive edge and advantage. 2 LITERATURE REVIEW Can organisational structure have an impact on employee attitude and performance? And why? Organisations strive to be the best competitor in the environment they are competing in, now if the structure they are using can have an influence on how employees are productive, they should examine this fact, productivity must be high for any organisation to achieve the competitive advantage. But if low can take the organisation down the drain. The organisational structure is the way of doing business, how each change is implemented and how each job description is made, how the communication of the organisation will work and the strategic plan to improve productivity. If one then take the elements of an organisational structure and examine them to see if it can make a difference in how work is done and managed. These elements are decentralisation, centralisation and levels of management, and these elements are the main foundation of any organisational structure. But how can the structure have an influence on the attitude and performance of employees? Peter Christensen has identified the main objective in the study of employees relationship with organisational structure. He said that Maslows theory of needs identifies the security and safety needs, and is safe to say that all employees who had security and safety in their working environment will have a positive reaction towards the management and organisational structure if coordinated correctly. How do we give employees security and safety in a working environment, one work on the attitude and performance of each employee. By examining this problem and illuminate it from working conditions one ca n have a structure that helps employees react better and work faster and harder. The main objective of the study is to identify and examine if this is true and why it is true (Wohner 2011). 3 ORGANISATIONAL STRUCTURE DEFINED Organisational structures is the coordination of a specific organisations individuals and team work. If an organisation coordinates the individuals work they can achieve all goals and objectives set. A organisational structure is one of few tools an organisation can use to coordinate and manage all employees, because of the way it shows the different reporting relationships, cut out the middleman in the communication structure and identifies the employees actions and how they come together. All types of organisations can use structures, some differ from others but all structures have some advantages and disadvantages. Even though an organisation has the best structure it is not something the organisation should leave and not manage, some of the best structures have failed because of a lack of management and it is not the best suitable structure for the environment the organisation does business in (Carpenter, Bauer Erdogan 2009). 4 EMPLOYEE PERFORMANCE DEFINED Employee performance is a set of standards set out for each employees behaviour in his or her working environment. The specific criteria not only focuses on how the employee makes use of his time, by doing his work, but can be compared by some standards set out by the employer (Moore 2011). 5 EMPLOYEE ATTITUDE DEFINED Attitude is a set beliefs, values and feelings to make a person act in the way they do. But if used in the context of employee attitude, there is a bigger picture to the word attitude. There is several elements of employee attitude: If a employee is interested in the job/work they are doing. If the employee doesnt need to be supervised. If the employee can plan ahead. If the employee has a positive outlook on the environment. If the employee is contributing towards other work. (Clark 2011). 6 PRODUCTIVITY DEFINED Productivity can be defined as the overall output of goods or services produced divided by the inputs needed to generate that output. (Robbins Coulter 2003: 527). Some factors which can have a impact on productivity is: employee attitude, the owner (boss), health, working environment, working equipment, outsourcing and downsizing. 7 TRADITIONAL STRUCTURE VS NEW MODERN STRUCTURES By examining an organisations structure one can identify one of two management styles, these management styles indicate how the organisation is run and if employees perform better or worse. The two main styles are: A hierarchical management structures (traditional structure). A flatter and more open humanistic management structures (New modern structure). (Organisation Structure: the two main types 2011). 7.1 The traditional organisational structure Traditional organisational structures most common fact is that it shows the boundary between the management level and the lower levels (normal working employees). The only reason for this boundary is to show that management is first on the hierarchy and that all decisions has to be made by them. Whereas employees are seen as bottom dwellers and they are unimportant in their working environment, this however gives the management more stress and has an impact on the training and motivation for the rest of the employees. There then follows a reaction on employee attitude and how the employees act towards management. The traditional structure has two levels: Level one: Managers The three levels inside the first levels are: 1.1 Top management 1.2 Middle management 1.3 Lower management Level two: Employees This type of structure is very ancient and research shows that humans has used it from the start of humanity. However the structure is common it has some advantages and is most used if a group has to work together to find solutions for problems. This type of management style is used in armed forces and is also known as the military management style (Organisation Structure: the two main types 2011). 7.2 The modern organisational structure The main difference between the new structures and the traditional structures is that there is no clear boundary between employee and management in the new structure, but as stated there is some boundaries in the traditional ones. This type of structure is more flatter and open and employees and management can be seen as equal persons aiming for the same goal. This gives employees the right to use their creativity and receives rewards for the work they have done. Rewards = satisfied employees = positive employee attitude = higher productivity. Some aspects of modern structures are: Individuals and teams who can manage themselves. Employees become multi skilled. Training investments increase. Few status distinctions. More goals are achieved. Employee security is higher. Outsourcing becomes more flexible. A more stable structure. (Organisation Structure: the two main types 2011). 8 TYPES OF MODERN ORGANISATIONAL STRUCTURES The six main organisational structures: Functional Organisational Structure Geographic Organisational Structure Product Organisational Structure User/Market Organisational Structure Hybrid Organisational StructureÂÂ   Matrix Organisational Structure (Ledbetter 2003). 9 PROBLEMS WITH ORGANISATIONAL STRUCTURES Organisational structures can never show all of the links involved in the organisation. Communicating with other employees on different levels. Department conflict. Quality problems. The time it takes on developing products takes longer. Customer demands become to high for certain levels. (Liebowitz Associates 2008). Some organisations find it difficult to respond (Organisation Structure: the two main types 2011). 10 THE FACTORS INFLUENCING THE CHOICE OF STRUCTURE USED The size of the organisation: some companies will have a more intense chain of command and more levels in the hierarchy structure. How well the employees are skilled: a Matrix structure will be preferred if the company has a high level of skilled workers. The style of leadership preferred: if owners wish to keep control they will use a narrow structure and some who wants employees to make own decisions will use a more wider structure. Type of objectives set for the organisation: if companies want to grow faster they will need a wide structure. External factors:ÂÂ  if the world or country is in recession the organisation will need to cut some of the employees and change the structure from wide to narrow or make it more flatter. Technological changes:ÂÂ  the development of administrative systems disables the layer of administration and the company will remove some of the employees in the category. When organisations choose a structure they should be careful, the wrong structure can have huge impacts on the communication, costs, how decisions are made, and in motivating employees. This has the same effect on the employees attitudes towards the structure and will end up in having lower productivity (Organisational structures 2009). 11 DECENTRALIZED AND CENTRALIZED ORGANISATIONAL STRUCTURES Centralisation Decentralization 11.1 Description of centralization and decentralization Centralisation: more important decisions are made at the higher levels of the structures. Decentralization: many decisions are made at lower levels, this gives employees the motivation to be creative and be innovative, and solve the problems in their own sectors. (Carpenter, Bauer Erdogan 2009). 11.2 Centralisation Definition: Centralisation is a process in which the decision making is assigned to the different higher levels of the structure. Centralisation keeps employees from the knowledge and information, when an organisation uses only top management to make decisions they take away the creativity of employees and only tell employees what to do. What happens to employees when they arent motivated and self manageable, they cant solve problems on their own, if top management is to slow for the decision making process. Centralisation has a broad span of control in top levels and more tiers in the structure of the organisation (Centralization and decentralization 2011). 11.3 Decentralization Definition: It is a process where lower levels of the organisation has decision making privileges. Decentralization is the movement of decision making to some of the other department of the organisation, these departments can be the branches, other divisions and some of the subcontractors. If given all employees the right to make decisions, it gives the organisation more creativity, knowledge and ideas to work with. Employees are given more authority and can improve their attitudes if they fell wanted in the organisation. The structures span of control is smaller and more levels are given. (Centralization and decentralization 2011). 11.4 The three forms of decentralization Deconcentration: this is the lowest level of decentralisation and decisions are made by lower levels of the organisation. Delegation: Is a more advanced system of decentralisation, the decisions are made by lower levels but they have more authority in the organisation. Devolution: this type of decentralisation only uses autonomous organisational units when making decisions. (Centralization and decentralization 2011). 11.5 Strengths of centralisation Organisational change is made by the top levels and uses the vision of the leaders. The decision making process is strong and based on the visions of the higher management. The execution of the decisions made, is fast and coordinated and are able to respond much faster in with some of the major problems. Conflict is restricted, this is because only higher management can make decisions and everyone has to do what is expected from them. (Centralization and decentralization 2011). 11.6 Strengths of decentralisation Decentralisation focuses more on bottom-up decision making, culture of the organisations employees and of the organisational culture and the training of employees. The decision making process is more detailed and democratic. The execution of decisions is more emergent and flexible to change. (Centralization and decentralization 2011). 12 HOW ORGANISATIONAL PERFORMANCE IS AFFECTED BY ORGANISATIONAL STRUCTURE From small business ownerships to bigger organisations wants better performance in all their levels, from production to human resources. This is the vision of most companies to be better as their competitors by performing better. The main idea of an organisational structure is to improve decision making and to identify how the organisation is working and who has the authority to make the important decisions and what team works in which department and programs. Employees wants to be recognized in a firm or in their department. When employees are recognized they are motivated. This gives them the positive attitude towards the organisation and the management of the organisation, when employees attitudes change from negative to positive they perform better, which is what organisations want; higher performance from employees. Now if the structure is made from the idea of the old traditional type of body, employees cant get the motivation and positive attitude, which in turn gives a lower performance ratio towards the organisation or smaller business. This type of structure is not the only one that can have an negative influence on employees, even more modern structures can, if not used in the correct way or if the structure is not made for the type of organisation. (Meijaard, Brand Mosselman. 2002). 13 EMPLOYEE ATTITUDE The attitude of employees towards the organisation is counted as everything. When employees are motivated and positive they are more productive, and its not science to see it. Promoting from within will also increase the strong values and norms, build loyalty, and encourage employees to work harder to advance within the company which gives them the motivation they need to perform better. Negative attitudes can be a death sentence for any organisation. When giving employees the right to authority they become more positive and thus gives more attention towards their work and enjoys working for the company, they feel more wanted and more recognized by the organisation and then contributes more, this is what productivity is about: every employee giving their best to make sure the organisation performs. However employees with a negative attitude can drag the team or department down the drain and drain the positive attitudes of other employees and, in turn, make them negative (Stringer 200 7). 13.1 Organizational Structure There will always be some factors that an organisation cannot change or manage. And some of these factors may have an influence on the organisational structure and employee attitudes. Structures determine how the employees work together to achieve their goals, when the factors which have an influence on the structure cannot be managed the organisation cannot achieve what they are aiming for. One of these factors is organisational culture, culture is the way employees think, feel and behave, how their values and beliefs come together to work in a team or as an individual. Some other factors can be: Employee relationships: If employees work together in a team towards a goal they have to be able to work freely and have a positive relationship with other employees and management.(George Jones, 2005). ÂÂ   Communication: employees communicate with each other they build their relationships, to make sure they are able to do so, the organisational structure needs to be designed to accommodate these types of communication and to give employees the freedom to do so. This has a huge effect on how employees attitudes are towards each other and how they perform together when working in teams. Employee satisfaction and reactions: employee satisfaction and reactions can be seen in seven different areas, namely; 1) internal work motivation, 2) growth satisfaction, 3) general satisfaction, 4) social satisfaction, 5) supervisory satisfaction, 6) security satisfaction and 7) pay satisfaction. All of these factors have an influence on the type of structure used and in the end have an influence on how the employees attitudes are towards the organisation and then have the positive or negative output on the productivity (Oldham Hackman 1981). 14 PRODUCTIVITY How the specific organisational structure is designed and how the higher levels of management provide sufficient motivation for employees, can break the business or can turn it positive to become successful. The design of the structure should be studied thoroughly to ensure that there is no cracks or loose ends in the structure, if it isnt, the organisation has the risk of demotivating employees and having a negative influence on their attitude, this can cause that the design has an influence on the productivity of the organisation and every employee, and in the end they may loose some employees in the future because of bad management and a lack of a perfect structure (Math 2010). Some factors influencing productivity: Confidence: organisational structures that are more consistent gives employees security and a positive attitude. A consistent structure is one where the hiring of employees are within the organisation, when employees are promoted when they are effective and when employees can relax about job loss. If an organisation has a consistent structure employees will devote them selves and perform the best at the jobs, which gives an organisation a higher production rate (Math 2010). Shared Goals: a transparent structure can have an impact on how employees strive towards the goals of the division, when an organisation can set their own goals and meet them with the goals of employees, they will be able to move the team into a better productive mode and achieve higher standards. Organisations can, for example; if they are busy with a new budget and plans for the next financial year, they can share it with middle management and ask them to do so with their own divisions and sectors. This will show the employees the goals of the organisation, when these goals are set each employee can set his or her goals which they want to achieve for the next year. Organisations can also notify employees when goals are met, so that these employees can see how their progress are going to make sure all goals are met and achieved (Math 2010). Accountability: All organisations should have some type of reporting system, when this system is not in place, employees will not know what to do with problems or new ideas. The idea of these types of systems is to make sure that no information will be lost, when employees have challenges they should be able to talk to someone to make it better, if an employee has a better way of doing his job, it should be looked at and the new idea be explored. However if this system is not strong, this information can get lost and will demotivate employees and give them negative attitudes towards management which will have an influence on the culture of the organisation and success of the organisation (Math 2010). 15 WHY ORGANISATIONAL STRUCTURES IMPROVE THE ATTITUDE AND PERFORMANCE OF EMPLOYEES Greater employee security: Maslows hierarchical model shows that any persons security needs are high. If organisational structures improves employee security, the out come will be a employee with a positive attitude and a employee who will work towards goals. Employees will work together to achieve greatness and have an different job attitude. Flexible management structures: Management is one of the most important factors of an organisation, how they do their work and how they treat employees. But within traditional structures one cannot have these types of flexible management structures, but can have it when in a modern structure. A flexible management structure gives the employees the motivation to be a part of a team and an idea. Employees that are given the opportunity to make a contribution towards a working program and give ideas are more positive in the sense that they feel wanted by the organisation and are not just a number on a system. People become multi skilled: Working in a organisation that uses an traditional type of structure limits each employees job specifications. The implication of this is that employees cant grow and become multi skilled. Working in other types of modern structures gives employees the freedom of to contribute in other programs and is able to give his own input when working in teams. The importance of multi skilled employees is not only to have one employee which can do two or more jobs, but it gives the employee motivation and self respect. Employees who are motivated and whose self respect is high has a positive attitude and will have an impact on productivity. Self managing individuals: Every employer wants employees who can think for themselves. When an employee can manage themselves the manager or boss will not have to tell them what to do and how to do the specific task, will have less conflict and be more positive, the whole reason for this is no employee wants to be treated as if he is a child. Now, if all employees are self managed, management will not have to do check ups and can do their own work faster, this will increase the working capacity which will lead to higher production levels. 16 CONCLUSION The examination of this thematic independent study shows that how an organisation centralises or decentralises, use different number of management levels and how the departmentalization is used is the key factors of an organisational structure. These factors of the structures has an affect on how creative and innovative employees are. Which has an outcome on the performance and attitudes of employees. When all these factors come together they form a organic and strong structure which in turn will have an positive outcome on the whole organisational environment. The organisational structure should be decentralized, efficient, flexible and help achieve innovativeness. There are some factors which also have an influence on the structure chosen such as the suppliers number of clients and employee numbers but the organisations should always have in mind that they have to keep employees motivated and positive towards their working environment. For it is the employees who produce the servic e and/ or product. The study clearly identifies the relationship between a structure and employee attitude and performance and is clear to understand that this relationship is complex and should be thoroughly studied and reviewed to make sure it is the best structure fitted for the organisation to help employees perform better and positive. All organisations should choose between structures and choose the correct on for the environment and for employees, it is important to stay open minded and think clearly to make sure all employee are satisfied and have the right attitude and perform to the best of their abilities, structures can have an influence on these factors and because it does organisations should spend more time on the problem of how different structures can have a better production outcome.

Cyp 3.1

cyp 3. 1 P47 2. 2 Explain how children and young peoples development is influenced by a range of external factors. Lack of finances – economic factor (parents may be unemployed) – The child will miss out on additional opportunities by not being able to attend after school activities such as swimming/music lessons, sports activities (tennis, football, gymnastics) or extra tuition. – Affecting social, emotional, physical, intellectual development. Inadequate housing poverty – Poor housing conditions may affect the child’s health and chances of developing through play if they live in a small over crowded house.The house may have damp (mould) not enough finances to provide adequate heating in the winter months, which will affect the child’s health. Lack of or unsuitable furniture/equipment – The child may not have a proper bed or blankets this will affect the child’s health if they cannot get enough rest/sleep, no safety equipment f or babies/young children – stair gate, plug socket covers etc†¦ which could cause the baby/child to have accidents or come to physical harm.Community social factor – Living in built up Inner city areas where there is antisocial or challenging behaviour within the community – parents may feel it is unsafe for their child to play in the community, the child may become involved through peer pressure to join the group/gang. There may not be sufficient local facilities for the parent to participate in activities with their child. The social infrastructure maybe lacking . e. g. play group’s, playgrounds, community halls where after school clubs are held.Diet personal choices – Lack of finance may mean that the child is not being provided with a sufficiently healthy nutritional diet. Low income families may buy foods that are a lot cheaper such as processed foods, these foods have higher levels of fat, salt and sugar – this can lead to poor co ncentration, lack of energy, obesity and many health problems. Education – Again lack of finances might lead to the child falling behind in their education – lack of study books or equipment, no access to the nternet – helping with their homework/research. Parents may not be able to afford school trips so the child may be affected emotionally and socially, feeling isolated or alienated from peers. Motivation and aspirations – The child/parent may feel despair living in inadequate housing conditions as well as the struggle of financial difficulties, may lead to anxiety, depression for child or parent, affecting the child’s motivation to learn and thrive in education.Lack of adequate parenting skills – Not encouraging their child to develop, not reading to the child, not engaging in activities that interest the child, not communicating with their child or others in the right manner (aggressive, shouting, swearing, ignoring or degrading) or par ents with antisocial behaviour, will leave the child feeling inadequate, having low self esteem, poor emotional, social and communication development. Addictions – The child may grow up in a vulnerable household where parents may be alcoholics or drug abusers, this will cause further financial problems for the family unit.The way in which the addicted parent cares for their child will have a detrimental affect on the child’s development as they will be incapable of providing a stable, nurturing and safe environment for their child. As the parent is consumed with their addiction they may neglect the child’s physical, emotional and intellectual needs. The child may take on the role of the main carer of the family (younger siblings as well as the parent) as the parent is incapacitated by their addiction.

Benefit of school vs traditional college Essay

Technology and specifically ICT has permeated virtually all sectors of life including education. Traditional schooling is being replaced at an unprecedented rate. These days most professionals prefer to take courses online rather than attend school physically. The reasons behind this trend range from convenience, greater options, multitasking, and reduced cost among others. Often, this kind of schooling has been criticized because skeptics argue that the socialization aspect of schooling is cut off from schooling experience. Additionally, this technique has cost many people their jobs and means of livelihood. For instance, the cooks, secretaries, security personnel and such like. What’s more, this technology is still new to many people and naturally, resistance to adopt it is commonplace. However, I feel that despite the negatives associated with e-schooling, the benefits far out ways the costs and hence, my stance on the subject remains that school should be reinforced. To begin with, my community benefits greatly from e-schooling in the sense that, it enable re-schooling among adults who felt ashamed to go back to a traditional college to complete a degree. This is especially the case for people who had dropped out of high school or college. Nowadays, it is possible for them to earn degrees and diplomas while at home. This way they are able to multitask, say, baby sitting and learning In addition, collaboration between teachers and students has never been easier than with e-schooling. A wide range of digital resources, online libraries online tests, emails, videoconference and more are used to facilitate communication among stakeholders in the schooling system. Feedback on one-on-one basis makes school just as effective if not more to traditional college. Schooling to a marginal extent is cheaper than the traditional college. This has increased access to education for the economically challenged people in my community. Notably, the best colleges and universities are located in major cities, say, New York LA and so on meaning that the rural areas are sidelined from access to these colleges. The advantage of e-schooling is that these people now have a chance to get degrees and diplomas from these prestigious colleges without relocating from their home area. The costs of education have also been halved owing to technology of schooling. (Holmes & Gardner, 2006) Personally, schooling has had both direct and indirect impacts in my life. Prior to the introduction of e-schooling, I used to find that the schooling duration was too long. I wanted to get my degree as fast as possible. With the introduction of e-schooling, I am able to accelerate my program such that I get a full credit course in one semester. Most people in my community are using similar approach and it has worked well. Moreover, I have more control and independence over my learning skills. The experience of taking a course online can be life changing. I have learnt to be more responsible of my time. Last summer I was able to take up an AP course that was not available in our site and my friend has explored a learning opportunity that was not schooling in our site. Generally, I believe that schooling has enriched not only my life but also the lives of the people in my community. (www. ucet. ac. uk/ ) In the community where I come from, people are athletic and get involved so much with games and sport to an extent that it becomes very difficult to manage an 8-hour school program and sports. E-schooling has curbed this problem by giving the students flexibility and independence to decide how they want to structure learning hours. For some they access learning material in morning hours while others prefer to do that late in the night. At the end of the day, whichever style used, people earn degrees. Alternatively, enrolment to e learning is fast and hassle free. Most people can attest to the pressure experienced during enrolment days in college. With online schooling, this problem has been erased. I would like to share the experience of my cousin who got involved in an accident. Subsequently, her two legs were amputated making it a challenge to move around in clutches. The option of e-schooling has benefited my homebound cousin and in few weeks, she graduates with a diploma from a distant college. Other disabled people from my community have also benefited from schooling. (http://aasd. k12. wi. us/eSchool/whyecourses. htm. ) Other benefits arising from schooling is students with unique cases or reasons for being away from school benefit from e-learning e. g. teenage mother s, terminally sick students participating in foreign exchange programs, resist, and self supporting students who juggle between work responsibilities and learning Briefly, schooling is a great advancement in the education sector. The outstanding features attributed to schooling are the flexibility and affordability of the schooling concept. Reflecting on the benefits that I have witness at a personal level and within my community, I believe traditional colleges will be phased out as more and more people embrace e-schooling for its benefits. A word of caution though, policies and regulations need to be clearly set to ensure that schooling achieves fundamental purpose of schooling. Additionally, students and educators need to e empowered on how to maximize use of digital resources and online technologies in order to reap benefits of schooling.

Bivalves, the Twin-Shelled Mollusks

Bivalves, the Twin-Shelled Mollusks Bivalves are a group of mollusks that includes clams, scallops, oysters, mussels, razor shells, cockles, venus shells, borers, trough shells and many others (some of which live in the deep sea and have yet to be identified). Bivalves are the second most diverse group of mollusks, ranking only behind  gastropods in number of species. Bivalves are so named for their paired shells. The shells of a bivalve consists of  two halves, mirror images of one another, that are joined at one edge by a flexible hinge. Each half is asymmetrical and rounded, so that when its closed against its opposite number, this forms a domed space near the hinged edge of the shell that accommodates the bulk of the bivalves body and narrows towards the edge of the shell that opens. (Bear in mind that although most bivalves have paired shells, a few species either have drastically reduced shells or no shells at all.) Bivalves live in marine and freshwater habitats; the most diverse, consisting of 80 percent of all species, live in ocean habitats. These invertebrates have four different lifestyles: epifaunal, infaunal, boring and free-moving. Epifaunal bivalves attach themselves to hard surfaces and remain in the same spot for their entire lives. Epifaunal bivalves, such as oysters, adhere to surfaces using either cementation or byssal threads (sticky chitinous threads secreted by a gland in the foot). Infaunal bivalves bury themselves in sand or sediment on the seafloor or in riverbeds; they have thin, soft shells armed with hard tips, and they bore into solid surfaces such as wood or rock. Free-moving bivalves, such as scallops, use their muscular single feet to dig into sand and soft sediments; they can also move through the water by opening and closing their valves. Most bivalves have a pair of large gills  located in their mantle cavity. These gills enable the bivalves both to extract oxygen from the water (in order to breathe) and to capture food; water rich in oxygen and microorganisms is drawn into the mantle cavity and washes through the gills. In species that burrow, a long siphon extends to the surface to take in water; mucus on the gills helps capture food and cilia transfer the food particles to the mouth.    Bivalves have mouths, hearts, intestine, gills, stomachs and siphons, but do not have heads, radulae or jaws. These mollusks possess abductor muscles that, when contracted, hold the two halves of their shells closed. Bivalves are also equipped with a muscular foot, which in many species, such as clams, is used to anchor their bodies to the substrate or to dig down into the sand. The bivalve fossils  date back to the Early Cambrian period.  During the ensuing Ordovician, bivalves diversified in terms of both number of species and the variety of ecological niches occupied. Species Diversity Approximately 9,200 species Classification Bivalves are classified within the following taxonomic hierarchy: Animals Invertebrates Mollusks Bivalves Bivalves are divided into the following taxonomic groups: ProtobranchiaPteriomorpha - This group includes animals such as scallops, oysters, pearl oysters, mussels, arcs and various other familiesAnomalodesmataRostroconchiaHeterodontaPalaeoheterodonta Edited on February 10, 2017 by Bob Strauss

Rachel

Rachel Derek and WyattCharacter Overview:Derek:Derek is a man, who is very smart. He has a short temper and when he is angry you do not want to get in his way. He hates dumb burglars, and when a burglar messes up he turns them into the police. He hates having to kill people as his family were killed by burglars and he is only robbing banks so he can get enough money to give his Grandma heart surgery. He has been to prison once because Wyatt tried to shoot someone but missed and they were both caught. Derek has taken troubled Wyatt under his wing after meeting him in prison the first time.Wyatt:Wyatt is a man, who is not very smart. He is very flamboyant, and has a lot of patience. Wyatt is continuously making mistakes when he is under pressure. He loves killing people that he doesn't like.Before We Were Security GuardsHe only robs people because Derek does it. Wyatt loves to style things, in pink. He has Derek to cook, clean and make his bed for him, because Derek took him under his wing.Se curity Guards:Easy Targets, not very sneaky and large.Police:Smart, slim, fit, hate robbers and strong.SettingScene 1: They are in a bankScene 2: They are in a hideoutDerek and WyattScene 1: BankDerek sneaks on stageDerek: "The coast is clear Wyatt"(Derek calls for Wyatt to come with his hand)Wyatt sneaks towards Derek.Derek: "Did you check to make sure there were no security guards"Wyatt: "WhatI thought you were meant to!"Sirens sound and security guards come running.Derek: "You idiot Wyatt! You were meant to! The plan was for me to check if it was clear and you check for security guards!...

Speech Class Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

Speech Class - Essay Example On the other hand, illegal operations give no benefit to the government, but legalization will bring in taxes and help control the operations as well. â€Å"It is estimated that pot is the largest cash crop in California, with annual revenues approaching $14 billion. A 10% pot tax would yield $1.4 billion in California alone. A veritable marijuana economic-stimulus package!† (Klein, Joe, 2009; â€Å"US Policy on Drugs†, n.d.; Wolff, Madeline, 2009) 1. â€Å"Cannabis being used as a treatment goes back to China in 28 BC. Emperor Shen-Nung prescribed cannabis for: beriberi, constipation, female weakness, gout, malaria, rheumatism, and absent-mindedness† (â€Å"Marijuana Uses - Marijuana as Medicine†, 2009) Saad, Lydia. â€Å"U.S. Support for Legalizing Marijuana Reaches New High.† Gallup.com. 19 October 2009. 17 November 2009. Wolff, Madeline. â€Å"Legalizing marijuana can reduce crime, increase revenue for state.† sundial.csun.edu. 2009. 17 November 2009.

Research Experience for High School Students Dissertation

Research Experience for High School Students - Dissertation Example This essay stresses that given the absence of specific and clear-cut formal policies and frameworks from the government on research experience for high school students, the quest to inject high school learning with research experience has largely remained in the hands of private initiatives. This means that the introduction and maintenance of research experience in high school learning has mostly been a preserve of efforts applied by individual high schools and their stakeholders. Conversely, there are other organizations or agencies such as the National Science Foundation which sustain Research Experience for High School Students (REHSS) programs with logistics and finances and help further the goals of REHSS. This paper makes a conclusion that the research faculty member aiding and guiding the student has to come from the institution sustaining the research. For instance, Vanderbilt University enjoys the widest notoriety for sustaining these independent research projects. This means that most of the research faculty members who mentor high school students undertaking independent research projects are employees of Vanderbilt University. All students who participate in REHSS are to attend weekly breakout sessions in groups and are to be led by a group of Vanderbilt University postdoctoral and graduate student researches. In respect to the foregoing, it is important to note that institutions of learning which provide REHSS services have the prerogatives to set the requirements for enrolment. Roberts and Wassersug (2009) contends that in most cases, the student candidates must be: sixteen years of