Wednesday, July 31, 2019

American Dream by James Truslow Essay

The ‘American dream’ is a term coined by James Truslow in his 1932 book Epic of America, but it is a concept as old as America itself: anything is possible if only the individual is willing to work hard. The dream draws immigrants to our shores and borders every year and keeps millions of Americans content in the idea that their toiling will pave the way to success for them and for their children. However, for every rags-to-riches story, there are thousands of other hard-working people who cannot get by, who do not have enough to eat, transportation, safe housing, or warm clothes in winter. There is much evidence that the American dream is little more than a myth, a false promise that keeps millions of people working themselves weary for a better tomorrow that will never come. The American dream is the promise of the Declaration of Independence, which indicates that our â€Å"inalienable rights† are â€Å"life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.† There is no single American dream, but Adams defines the concept in its most dignified sense: [It is the] dream of a land in which life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement†¦a dream of a social order in which each man and each woman shall be able to attain to the fullest stature of which that are innately capable, and be recognized by others for what they are, regardless of the fortuitous circumstances of birth or position. (qtd. In Ferenz) The lure of America for immigrants and the promise to its citizens is that, as Adams indicates, the individual is not held back by circumstances, but through individual efforts can pursue and attain whatever personal brand of happiness he or she desires. In the midst of the Great Depression, Franklin Roosevelt recognized the part the federal government needed to play in keeping the American dream alive-no longer was hard work the only factor involved in ensuring an acceptable standard of living. Under his administration, a number of social programs were put into place to help Americans achieve the dream, which Roosevelt described as â€Å"sufficiency of life, rather than†¦a plethora of riches [and] good health, good food, good education, good working conditions† (qtd. In Muir). Owing to these principles, Roosevelt’s New Deal included the Social Security Act, Fair Labor Standards Act that banned child labor and established a minimum wage, and a variety of programs that put Americans to work in civil service (Successes 4-6). Roosevelt’s programs and World War II helped drag the nation out of the Great Depression, but were not permanent solutions in making the American dream possible for all Americans. By the 1960’s, one in five Americans were living in poverty, and in his first State of the Union address in 1964, Lyndon Johnson declared, â€Å"an unconditional war on poverty in America.† (qtd. In Quindlen 1) Johnson, too, understood that the American dream was one not attainable through hard work alone. As Anna Quindlen, Pulitzer-prize winning journalist, notes in her 2004 editorial, â€Å"from [Johnson’s] declaration a host of government initiatives sprang, including Head Start, an expended food-stamp program, and sweeping reforms in health care for the needy† (Quindlen 2). Unfortunately, in spite of the attempts of Roosevelt, Johnson, and others to lend a hand to those Americans who need it most, the feeling that the poor are responsible for their own troubles always seems to creep its way back into the American mind. We’ve all heard the rumors that the poor are lazy, that welfare is just n excuse not to get a job. Quindlen comments that â€Å"part of the problem with a war on poverty today is that many Americans have decided that being poor is a character defect, not an economic condition† (Quindlen 2). Public policy of the last few decades seems to follow this line of thinking: the Federal minimum wage has not risen since 1997 even as welfare reform movements have forced millions of people, many single parents, off public assistance and into minimum wage jobs. Quindlen argues that â€Å"forty years after Johnson led the charge, the battle against poverty still rages. The biggest differences today if that there is no call to arms by those in power† (Quindlen 1). How does this shift in American policy affect the status of the American dream? Can we still call ourselves the land of opportunity when the American dream eludes so many of our citizens? Should the American dream exist and is it really worth it to try and live by the dream? In July 2000, Mortimer Zuckerman, editor-in-chief of U.S. News and World Report, wrote an essay about the success of the American dream. Zuckerman claims that â€Å"it is a dream on individual effort-talent, ambition, risk-taking, readiness to change, and just plain hard work-qualities that count more in America than social background of luck† (Zuckerman 120). That is a perspective that Zuckerman, a billionaire whose biography on the U.S. News and World Report website boasts he has substantial real-estate holdings, including properties in Boston, New York, Washington, and San Francisco can afford to have. The reality for most Americans, however, is not nearly so great. It is a reality where social background and luck play far too large a part in achieving the American dream. Two articles written a decade apart demonstrate that bitter reality. In USA Today in 1996, Charles Whalen writes that â€Å"beneath the misleading surface prosperity [of the 1990s] are numerous alarming trends,† among them â€Å"relentless downsizing, longer job searches and sluggish job creation, explosive growth in contingent work (part-time and temporary employment), and wage stagnation† (Whalen 2-3). One would be hard=pressed to find a list that better demonstrates the part luck plays in securing steady employment. Whalen also cites a survey, ironically conducted for U.S. News and World Report, that indicates â€Å"57% of those asked said that the American dream is out of reach for most families† (qtd. in Whalen 2). In 2006 in the Chicago Sun-Times, Clyde Murphy cites a â€Å"new report released by the Opportunity Agenda [that] measures the nation’s progress in living up to the American dream.† The findings? â€Å"That millions of Americans do not have a fair chance to achieve their full potential, despite their best efforts† (Murphy 33). Two of the reasons cited by the study are housing discrimination against blacks, Hispanics, and Asians are employment discrimination against women and minorities, which included favoring job candidates with â€Å"white-sounding† names. These findings clearly refute Zuckerman’s claim, demonstrating that background does in fact count more in America than individual effort when it comes to achieving certain aspects of the American dream. Another dubious claim in Zuckerman’s essay is that â€Å"anybody who wishes to work has the opportunity to move from the bottom of the ladder to a middle-class standard of life, or higher† (Zuckerman 120). As award-winning journalist Barbara Ehrenreich notes in her book Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America, the rhetoric surrounding welfare reform â€Å"assumed that a job was the ticket out of poverty and that the only thing holding back welfare recipients was their reluctance to get out and get one† (Ehrenreich 196). As a wealth of evidence suggests, this is the fundamental misperception surrounding the American dream. In her 2003 editorial A New Kind of Poverty, Anna Quindlen argues â€Å"America is a country that now sits atop a precarious latticework of myth. It is the myth that working people can support their families† (Quindlen 2). Quindlen interviews two women who run services for the homeless and impoverished in New York City, ant they note that more often they are seeing working families in dire need of their help. Indeed, according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2005 report on poverty, America’s poverty rate has been climbing, from 11.3 percent in 2000 to 12.7 percent in 2004, the latest for which data is available. This translates into 37 million people who live below the poverty line. This is further complicated, however, by the way that the Census Bureau calculates the poverty level. Barbara Ehrenreich explains that â€Å"[it] is still calculated by the archaic method of taking the bare-bones cost of food for a family of a given size and multiplying that number by th ree. Yet food is relatively inflation-proof† (Ehrenreich 200). This method results in a base calculation of $9,310 for one person, with $3,180 added for each additional person in the household. As anyone who has ever lived on his or her own understands, those poverty calculations are very low. Ehrenreich points out that â€Å"the Economic Policy Institute recently reviewed dozens of studies of what constitutes a ‘living wage’ and came up with an average figure of $30,000 for a family of one adult and two children† (Ehrenreich 213). When compared to the federal poverty calculation of $15,670, the gap becomes glaringly apparent. Anna Quindlen explains â€Å"when you adjust the level to reflect reality, you come closer to 35 percent of all Americans who are having a hard time providing the basics for their families† (Quindlen 2). As pioneering psychologist Abraham Maslow’s research reveals, psychological and safety needs-the â€Å"basics† referred to by Quindlen, such as food and housing-must be fulfilled before other needs, core components of the American dream such as belongingness and self-esteem, can be met (Abraham 2). This creates a basic gap between those who can reach for the American dream and those who cannot; if all someone’s energy is focused on providing food and shelter, there is nothing left to reach for higher goals. In a 2002 essay What’s So Great About America? Dinesh D’Souza, an Indian immigrant, makes assertions that demonstrate some common misconceptions about Americans meeting our basic needs. â€Å"The United States is a country where the ordinary guy has a good life,† (D’Souza 23). He even goes so far to say that â€Å"very few people in America have to wonder where their next meal is coming from† (D’Souza 23). Sadly, this is not true. Quindlen indicates â€Å"the U.S. Department of Agriculture notes that 1.6 million New Yorkers†¦suffer from ‘food insecurity,’ which is just a fancy way of saying they do not have to enough to eat† (Quindlen 1). Ehrenreich reports that â€Å"according to a survey conducted by the U.S. Conference of Mayors, 67 percent of the adults requesting emergency food aid are people with jobs† (Ehrenreich 219). Two other basic needs, safe housing and health care, are also beyond the reach of many Americans. â€Å"When the rich and the poor compete for housing on the open market,† writes Ehrenreich, â€Å"the poor don’t stand a chance. The rich can always outbid them, buy up their tenements and trailer parks, and replace them with†¦whatever they like† (Ehrenreich 199). This is exaggerated by the fact that â€Å"expenditures on public housing have fallen since the 1980s, and the expansion of public rental subsidies came to a halt in the 1990s† (Ehrenreich 201). Health care is another sad story. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the number of Americans with no health insurance has been slowly rising, arriving at 15.7 percent in 2004, and as Quindlen observes, â€Å"poor kids are much more likely to become sick than their counterparts, but much less likely to have health insurance. Talk about a double whammy† (Quindlen 1). How can families dream big an d plan for the future as they worry about whether the next month will bring eviction or illness? Two people in particular have put a human face on the statistical evidence that the American dream remains out of reach for millions of hard-working Americans. At the urging of her editor at Harper’s magazine, Barbara Ehrenreich undertook a yearlong undercover investigation of living on low-wage jobs in Florida, Maine, and Minnesota. She waited tables, worked as a maid, and worked at Wal-Mart, never revealing her statue as a reported, but keeping careful private diaries documenting the details of her experience. In spite of working at least full-time, usually more, she was unable to get by. The most heartbreaking part of her journey, however, was the people she met, women who were not just experimenting with the low-wage life, but who were trapped by it. They were women who were victims of the affordable housing shortage, who lived in cars, or if they were lucky, weekly rental motel rooms. They walked, rode bikes, or bummed rides to work. Certainly among those who experience food insecurity, they skipped meals or ate nutritionally void foods like hot dog buns because they couldn’t afford to eat. They were women with raw hands and sore backs, balancing two or more jobs who would never, in spite of their work ethic, move off that bottom rung of the social ladder. In a similar experiment, Morgan Spurlock (of Super Size Me fame) and his fiancà ©e lived on minimum wage for thirty days in Columbus, Ohio and recorded the results for the premiere episode of his television series 30 Days. As Spurlock works eighteen-hour days making at least $7.50 per hour and Alex works for minimum wage at a coffee house, the pair is faced with a host of challenges that mirror the everyday trials of the working poor. Emergency room visits for a urinary tract infection and a sprained wrist cost them $1,217. D’Souza correctly comments that in America, â€Å"even sick people who don’t have money or insurance will receive medical care at hospital emergency rooms† (D’Souza 23), but he fails to take into account that suck care generates bills are equivalent to six weeks’ of full time minimum wage work. The most affordable housing they could find, a steal at $325 per month, has ant infestations, malfunctioning heat, and is upstairs from an apartment that was a crack house just the week before. Furthermore, their relationship is strained by the stress that results from the constant worrying about money. At the end of the month they find themselves hundreds of dollars in the hole, by permanently changed by their experience. When taken together, the accounts of Ehrenreich and Spurlock offer powerful insight into the everyday struggles of the working poor, those who are anything but lazy but still find themselves drowning financially, the American dream slipping further away all the time. Dinesh D’Souza claims that â€Å"in America your destiny is not prescribed. Your life is like a blank sheet of paper and you are the artist† (D’Souza 24). It is difficult to believe, however, that the millions of working poor are not trying to create a better destiny for themselves, only to find their dreams let down by the harsh realities of daily life. So why is the American dream still suck a pervasive part of our consciousness, even in the face of overwhelming evidence that hard work is not the ticket to prosperity, or even necessarily to a comfortable standard of living? In his â€Å"Critique of Hegel’s Philosophy of the Right,† Karl Marx wrote that â€Å"religion is the sigh of the oppressed creature, the heart of the heartless world, just as it is the spirit of a spiritless situation. It is the opium of the people. The abolition of religion as the illusory happiness of the people is required for the real happiness† (qtd in Cline). Marx’s clever observation is that religion, in keeping the focus on the afterlife, keeps people from demanding fair treatment in this world. D’Souza suggests, however, that â€Å"capitalism gives America a this-worldly focus that allows death and the afterlife to recede from everyday view†¦the gaze of the people is shifted to earthly progress† (D’Souza 25). If this the case, why is it that we are not more aware of (and enraged about!) the decided lack of â€Å"earthly progress† of so many of our friends and neighbors? Some believe that it is because the American dream has taken the place of religion as today’s â€Å"opiate of the masses.† So long as we all believe that there is a better life ahead, that is we only work harder, our dreams are within reach, it is easy to be lulled into satisfaction about the inequality that is so common in America today. Barbara Ehrenreich predicts that someday the working poor â€Å"are bound to tire of getting so little in return [for their labor] and to demand to be paid what they’re worth† (Ehrenreich 221). Some challenge, echoing Marx, that Ehrenreich’s predication will not come true until the American dream, â€Å"the illusory happiness of the people,† is abolished in favor of a more realistic world view that recognizes that more than hard work, a hel ping hand is needed to make America truly the land of opportunity. From the survey that I took in class, 14 out of 20 people were surveyed and said that they to, disagree that the American dream should exist. They believe as well that there should be a more realistic view in society that allows you to get what you work for. Of the people that did agree, most were people between the ages of 18 and 21, people who have not yet, most likely gotten out into the real world to experience what type of life they can actually work for. If you too, disagree with the American dream, I ask you to go to this website: http://www.thepetitionsite.com/3/the-american-dream-is-not-for-rent , sign the petition, and keep working hard at what you do! Work Cited â€Å"Abraham Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs.† Shippensberg University Website. Sept. 2005: 2-3. Web. 16 June 2009. Cline, Austin. â€Å"Karl Marx on Religion.† About.com. 5 Apr. 2006: n.pag. Web. 16 June 2009. D’Souza, Dinesh. â€Å"What’s So Great About America?† The American Enterprise. May 2002: 22-25. Print. Ehrenreich, Barbara. â€Å"Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America.† New York: Owl Books. 2002: 20-38. Print. Ferenz, Kathleen. â€Å"What is the American Dream?† San Francisco State University Online Web Site. 31 Mar. 2005: n.pag. Web. 16 June 2009. Muir, Ed. â€Å"Narrowing the Highway to the American Dream.† American Teacher. Oct. 2004: 25. Print. Murphy, Clyde. â€Å"When Opportunity Knocks, It Skips Over Some Adresses.† Chicago Sun-Times. 14 Feb. 2006: 33. Web. 16 June 2009. Quindlen, Anna. â€Å"A New Kind of Poverty.† Newsweek. 1 Dec. 2003: 1-2. Web. 16 June 2009. Quindlen, Anna. â€Å"The War We Haven’t Won.† Newsweek. 20 Sep. 2004: 1-2. Web. 16 June 2009. â€Å"Successes and Failures of Roosevelt’s ‘New Deal’ Programs.† Bergen County Technical Schools and Special Services Web Site. 10 Mar. 2006: 4-6. 16 June 2009. U.S Census Bureau. 2005 Poverty Press Release. 30 Aug. 2005: n.pag. 16 June 2009. Whalen, Charles J. â€Å"The Age of Anxiety: Erosion of the American Dream.† USA Today. Sep. 1996: 1-3. Web. 16 June 2009. Zuckerman, Mortimer. â€Å"A Time to Celebrate.† U.S. News and World Report. 17 Jul. 2000: 120. Print.

Tuesday, July 30, 2019

British expansion into Africa between 1868 and 1902 Essay

To what extent were humanitarian and missionary motives the most important reason for British expansion into Africa between 1868 and 1902? Although there had been British presence in Africa from the start of the 19th Century, with British areas of control including Cape Colony, Orange Free State and areas along the West coast, prior to 1880 Britain had in reality very few possessions in Africa. Only when the ‘Scramble for Africa’ was triggered did Britain, along with many other European great powers, begin its campaign for territorial acquisition. The fundamental motives for British expansion into Africa were essentially the economic interest Africa held for Britain and its entrepreneurs, the rivalry Africa created between the Great European Powers, its strategic value and what was commonly presented to the British public as being the most important motive, humanitarian purposes. For many, including Colonial Secretary Joseph Chamberlain, it was believed that Britain had a moral obligation to bring civilization and Christianity to the native population who were considered to be ‘uncivilized’ and racially inferior. Moreover, the Church strongly promoted the idea of missionary work in Africa; the Church encouraged the notion that a fundamental element of imperial occupation was the extension of Christianity which therefore was a motive behind imperialism in Africa. Many missionary societies were created such as the United Society for the Propagation of the Gospel which conducted fund-raising activities and lectures. An example of a well known missionary was Mary Slessor who went to carry out her mission in Africa. Particularly concerned with tribal customs viewed as ‘un-Christian’, she set out to end human sacrifice, slavery and other forms of brutality. However, in reality humanitarian motives were of very limited significance in motivating British expansion into Africa; Britain was not simply guided by altruism and a quest to help the native populations, but instead was largely led by the economic and strategic interests the continent represented for it. Ultimately, it is likely that missionary incentives were simply conveyed as significant in order to win over public opinion and support, particularly through the media and popular entertainment. Of considerably greater significance to Britain was the strategic value that Africa held. Africa had always been strategically vital for Britain’s trade route to the Jewel of its Empire, India. Although Britain had few possessions in Africa before 1880, the few it did have included Gambia, Sierra Leone, Gold Coast and Cape Colony, all of which were deliberately very strategically situated along the coast. This provided Britain with stopping points and allowed it to ensure the security of its position along the long trade route to India. After the construction of the Suez Canal in 1969 Africa, and in particular Egypt, became of even greater strategic importance as the canal provided a quick route to India. As a result the canal attracted considerable British investment in Egypt and in the canal itself. This was illustrated when Britain invaded Egypt in 1882 in response to nationalist riots. British intervention demonstrated how Britain recognized the need to protect the financial investments in Egypt, and most importantly secure the route to India, despite Gladstone’s own personal policy of non-intervention. Moreover, it demonstrates how strategic considerations were ultimately only significant in order to protect Britain’s trade routes and its economic interests in Africa. However, the British occupation of Egypt in 1882 resulted in a turning point in European attitudes towards Africa. It was after this occupation that the ‘Scramble for Africa’ by European powers began, thus creating the issue of extreme rivalry between the Great powers, something which was very important in motivating formal British control in Africa. Until the 1880’s Britain felt no real need to establish formal territorial control, instead it relied on an ‘informal empire’ in which they had established a purely economic influence. Britain had not wished for territorial control in Africa which they recognized absorbed time, people and money but rather economic exploitation at minimum cost. Yet British seizure of Egypt meant that other European nations began to show expansionist interest in the region which in turn threatened Britain’s informal arrangement, particularly in West and Southern Africa. For example, Britain had an interest in Nigeria but a danger was that important trade along the River Niger would be under threat from French expansion in the area. Similar pressure came when Germany seized Togoland and the Cameroons in 1884 and the Belgians set up the Congo Free State in 1885. As a result the government granted a Royal Charter to the Niger Company, out of which eventually emerged the colony of Nigeria. It is unlikely that the government would have regarded the interests of the Niger traders very sympathetically had it not been for its determination not to allow France, Belgium and Germany from grabbing land which would threaten British trade, something which was of foremost importance to Britain and it would not allow to be compromised. The scramble in West Africa had also resulted in Berlin West Africa Conference which laid down rules for future annexation of territory. The treaty stated that in order to gain land a nation had to prove that they were in ‘effective occupation’. This meant that before taking formal control, an economic influence had to be established in the region by private investors and entrepreneurs. For example, a noted ‘man on the spot’ was Cecil Rhodes. At the age of seventeen Rhodes went to Arica and became a multimillionaire through diamond and gold mining enterprises. In 1889 he founded the British South Africa Company and used this organization to push British control northwards from Cape Colony to establish Rhodesia, a colony named after himself. The role of the individual itself was of limited importance in driving or furthering British expansion into Africa as few entrepreneurs managed o push forward territory as Rhodes had. However, it was ultimately motivated by economic interests and it allowed the British government to most significantly protect British influence in an area by proving ‘effective occupation’ which therefore allowed Britain to compete in the scramble with other nations and thereby protect its trade and economic interests in Africa. Finally, of foremost importance in motivating British expansion into Africa was the economic interest the continent held for Britain. Firstly Britain’s colonies along the west coast had always been strategically important for the vital trade route to India and later North Africa became equally as vital in Britain’s route to India via the Suez Canal. However, beyond this Britain was extremely keen to exploit the continents abundance of natural materials and extremely valuable minerals. This is evident as Britain was clearly only interested in seizing colonies that, if not strategically important, were rich in materials to exploit. For example, Egypt was seized by Britain due to its vast economic importance as it provided the quick route to India and additionally produced high quality cotton which was much sought after by British textile manufacturers. Furthermore the attraction to the British of Nigeria lay in the palm oil trade as palm oil was used in the manufacture of soap and candles and as an industrial lubricant. Britain also saw great potential for trade in East Africa; Zanzibar imported significant quantities of manufactured goods from Britain and India. It was a major trading point from which came ivory and leather goods and into which went textiles, brass and steel from Britain. Britain’s primary interest was trade and economic gain. Without any economic potential in an area Britain was not interested in colonization, in contrast if a region held great economic investments, for example Egypt, Britain was quick to occupy the area despite its reluctance to extend formal control which it viewed as consuming time, people and money. In summary, Africa’s economic potential was clearly the primary reason for British expansion into Africa 1868-1902. Britain was not a solely altruistic nation which became involved in the continent purely to help the people, instead it was driven by its own gains. It is true that rivalry from other great European powers was vital in turning British control in Africa from informal into solid occupation, however essentially Britain’s determination not to allow other nations to grab land was to avoid threat to its trade and economic interests in a region. Moreover, Africa’s strategic importance was also highly valued by Britain, yet once again its ultimate value lay in its path along the crucial route to India and therefore the protection of Britain’s economic interest.

Monday, July 29, 2019

A Study On Zero Tolerance Policy

A Study On Zero Tolerance Policy There are hundreds if not thousands of students in any given school. The sheer size and magnitude of the student population encompassed in these schools leads to complications of school safety. Zero tolerance is a policy which was brought about enforcing school safety more firmly, and aimed to better protect students. However, the way in which these students are protected is highly debatable, making the zero tolerance ideology very controversial. Exactly which approach is most effective in protecting a student, let alone, thousands? Is strictness more effective than leniency? Overly strict policies aim to protect the majority, however, severally punish those who have to deal with the wrath of zero tolerance, those who violate the rules. Overly lenient policies can lead to dreadful events, however, give students a sense of reason, in turn creating an understanding of what they have done wrong. In the long run which method is most effective in protecting students? These type of questi ons, along with the excess amount of questionable cases, compose a highly controversial topic. The well being of a student is the single most important factor for public schools. No parent would ever send their child to school if there was a high probability of violence. For this reason there are people who favor zero tolerance. Domoine D. Rutledge, general counsel for the East Baton Rouge Parish School System in Louisiana, reports that zero tolerance policies have aided in creating a culture inside schools that â€Å"certain things will not be tolerated, period.† However, whether or not that policy is effective relies on â€Å"how fairly it’s enforced and how consistently it’s enforced.† He continues saying that: Schools districts have had to really balance the interest of the whole school, the student body, teachers and faculty . . . as well as the rights of individual bad actors. The ability to strike that balance, and to do it fairly, more than likely influences the effectiveness of the zero-tolerance policies. Whether or not zero tolerance is effective brings about more argumentative material. Statistical data reports a significant drop in school homicides following the 1999 school shooting at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado strongly suggesting, as Rutledge advocates, zero tolerance has in fact led to safer schools for students. (nces.ed.gov) Kay S. Hymowitz, a contributing editor for a magazine published by the conservative Manhattan Institute, stated that, â€Å"The arrest of a pair of New Jersey 8-year-olds for pointing paper guns at classmates was just the kind of episode that leads people to question zero-tolerance policies.† (Billitteri) Statements such as those insinuate a basis of anti-zero tolerance and further complicate the controversy. However it must be noted that, â€Å"It’s not so easy to distinguish the prankster from the wild-eyed adolescent with a [lethal] plan when lives are at sta ke,† Hymowitz says. (Billitteri) How is one supposed to know the intentions of a giving situation? While the general consensus will no doubtingly agree that a pair of 8-year-olds pose little to no threat, on the slight chance of an event occurring, the questions of â€Å"why weren’t they stopped† or â€Å"how could you assume† will undeniably be asked, and in this sense, it is without a doubt better to assume the ugly and end up being wrong, than to assume no harm and end up with fatal consequences’. Hymowitz continues, stating that, â€Å"Zero tolerance may be more symptom than cure for the uneasy disciplinary climate of our schools. Certainly it’s no final answer to out-of-control 5-year-olds or revenge-crazed teenagers. But as the threats continue and the bombs and guns appear, it’s all we’ve got.† (Billitteri) Bringing back the topic of effectiveness, those with the â€Å"get-tough† attitude witness no proof of zero tolerance policies creating a safer environment in schools. In fact, a decade of research on such policies by the American Psychological Association have concluded that zero tolerance â€Å"can actually increase bad behavior and also lead to higher dropout rates.† â€Å"Schools are not any safer or more effective in disciplining children than before these zero-tolerance policies were implemented,† the association said. (APA) There is much debate surrounding zero tolerance, however, the real problems arise when zero tolerance is set in motion.

Sunday, July 28, 2019

Corporate strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Corporate strategy - Essay Example The sections outlined include; evaluation of growth strategies, implementation of the various models and identification and evaluation of strategies for internal improvement of the company. These various models are discussed at length and a conclusive recommendation, drawn on the best way McDonalds can retain its position as a leading market player in the fast food industry. McDonalds is a group of fast food restaurant companies. According to a previous study, the company stands as the world’s largest chain serving more than 119 countries across the world (Maria, 2013); however, it is faced with many challenges and threats. In this report, strategic measures that can be implemented by McDonalds to curb various challenges that hinder its growth and development are discussed. It involves an in-depth discussion of analysis of several management models and possible suggestions that will help the company with implementation of better ways to solve the challenges and hence retain its glory as market leader in the fast food industry. The Boston Consulting Group (BCG), a worldwide management consultancy firm, developed a BCG model that for investment and growth (BCG, 2014). The company can be divided into strategic business units according to their market shares and growth rates to enable a concise evaluation of the model. Cash cows; according to the model, this is where the company has high market share in a much slower growing industry. They generate a reasonable amount of cash used to maintain the business although it is given low investment which usually leads to wastage in a low-growth industry. In McDonald’s, sale of a vast array of fast food products fall under the cash cow category. Dogs; they are units with low market share in a mature and slow-growing industry. They usually don’t generate enough cash, although they are used by investors

TOPIC OF CHOICE, preferably pedophiles and paraphilias Essay

TOPIC OF CHOICE, preferably pedophiles and paraphilias - Essay Example All other physical contacts, in order to quench the thirst of carnal desires i.e. other than heterosexual relations, are considered as taboo, perversion and sexual deviation in large number of societies, cultures, states and countries. A person would be considered to be acting in a deviant way in society if they are violating what the significant social norm in that particular culture is. (Retrieved from freeessays.cc) The nature-nurture debate is one of the most enduring one with reference to the discipline of psychology, and in respect of discovering the development of personality. Social theorists stand pole apart in their observations in respect of the effect of the environment on the one hand and innate characteristics on the other in making up of a personality. Psychologists have defined various kinds and forms of sexual disorders, which cause perversion and deviation from the normal sex behavior of individuals. There are so many reasons of these disorders. Some of the theorists declare environment as the major reason behind such disorders, while few of them are of the opinion that biological and physical reasons are also involved in sexual perversion and deviant behavior. Man enters the world as a neat and clean biological organism, which learns how to behave from society by entering into continuous and constant interaction with the other members of his social arrangement. It is therefore, theorists view man’s behavior as the learnt one, which is highly supportive in his personality development and recognition of his role, position and responsibilities while interacting with his social surroundings. Hence, it is the socio-cultural background that maintains lion’s share in the growth of man’s personality and social behavior. Theorists are of the view that prevailing social norms, mores, values and activities prevailing in a community determine man’s superior and inferior habits and

Saturday, July 27, 2019

Conflict in Employment Relationships Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Conflict in Employment Relationships - Essay Example Conflict with your boss doesn't have to lead to derailment if the effort is made to effectively manage the situation. By appropriately manage conflict, positive consequences can result. Managing conflict can lead to a more productive working relationship between the employer and you're the employee: Increases effort. In many ways, we need our differences to help us clarify our own positions and better understand others. The chaos and confusion that naturally surrounds a search for clarity can actually energize the efforts of all. To deal with the conflicts many organizations' human resources or the employment relationship departments have developed grievance procedures. These procedures facilitate in managing the conflict otherwise organizations may face huge losses in terms of employee turnover and employees themselves may find themselves loosing or changing a job too often. A grievance is normally a complain by an employee that to notify that management or the employer in some way or the other has violated any of the terms of their employer-employee contractual arrangement. Formally the grievance procedure is for the processing of allegations from the lower tiers of management to the upper tiers. This allows employees to lodge complains if they have any regarding the work environment, work situation and any of the working relationships also without any fear of reprisal if the process is really fair. A fair and a just grievance procedure may also lead to development of credibility as a good employer for the organization. One of the benefits of well developed grievance system is that it helps firms resolve any conflicts or differences in interest internally and not leading to any court involvement or furthermore any of the public announcements or disclosures that can be more costly. I do not agree with the statement that there is no need of grievance procedures in the organization. The arguments in favor are presented in the following text. The reason of my agreement which are elucidated as under includes: Saves costs for organization Gives employees a voice Provides a mechanism for employees to communicate upwards Represents justice Enhances organizations' capability Allows managers to learn of the grievances at lower tier But, since it is believed that the conflict between the employee and the employer is inevitable therefore, the systems may thought to be flawed or useless because there is always a bias involved in the relationship even

Friday, July 26, 2019

What is Human Resources Literature review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

What is Human Resources - Literature review Example HR managers in the hospitality business must remember that "human capital, social capital, and knowledge management are foundation capabilities that can lead to competitive advantage." (Burke and Cooper, 2004) Mentoring among fellow workers is important as competencies across cultures can be enriching. Migrants from Asian countries have lots to share about serving in bars and pubs in the European setting. (Brewster, Harris, and Sparrow, 2004) Friendliness and gracious service are some of the traits that the Asian workers are known for. The UK is wealthier now in financial and cultural terms as a result of skills and ideas brought about by migration. The economic growth in the UK is brought about to a certain extent by workers from the neighboring countries in Eastern Europe (particularly Poland) and Asia (such as the Philippines). The country needs migrants to fill its job vacancies. (Evening Chronicle, 2004) According to Caterer & Hotelkeeper (2006), "the HI in the UK now employs almost two million people, with more than 1.25 million or 67 percent working in hotels, restaurants, pubs, clubs, bars, and contract catering." Three important is Three important issues in contemporary employment relations in the HI industry in the UK have been identified by Edwards (Lucas, 2003) and these are "high commitment" or "high involvement" work systems, the international context, and economic performance. Lucas (2003) said "high commitment" is rarely found anywhere in the UK. Instead, what can be found are "low skills" and "low wages" in many of the hospitality employment. The low pay is offset by the government social security and taxation. Workers also find solace from customers' tips. The hospitality business in the UK is further described by Lucas (2003) as "vulnerable" employment. Most migrant workers come from poor economies in Eastern Europe and Asia who consider working in the UK as an opportunity to alleviate their families' poverty back home. But these workers in big firms that are not necessarily good firms, are exploited when considered within the context of fair labor practices in the UK. Migrants accept jobs that most British nationals normally will not accept. The entry of foreign workers into the UK economy brings about not only low wages and other unfair labor issues but also the issue of diversity management in the workplace. Now, more than ever, companies must create a "game plan" to address diversity. Diversity management strategy must go beyond race, ethnicity, and gender. It must include personality, education, religion, the area of specialization, background, and values. Management options can include among others-clustering of minorities in certain jobs or units; tolerance (Live and let live atmosphere); denial or mitigation of differences (We are all the same); building relationships and encouraging dialogues about differences, and mutual adaptation where everyone accommodates changes. (Ivancevich and Gilbert, 2000). Â  

Thursday, July 25, 2019

Filariasis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Filariasis - Essay Example depending on what type of parasitic worm has caused the infection, but most of the time all infection start with symptoms like chills, headache, and fever between three months and one year after the insect bite. There may also be swelling, redness, and pain in the arms, legs, or scrotum at the early stages. As far as the diagnosis of filariasis is concerned Identification of microfilariae by microscopic examination is the most practical diagnostic procedure. Examination of blood samples will allow identification of microfilariae of Wuchereria bancrofti, Brugia malayi and Brugia timori. It is important to time the blood collection with the known periodicity of the microfilariae. The blood sample can be a thick smear, stained with Giemsa or hematoxylin and eosin. More recently a new type of diagnosis process has emerged, known to be as cytodiagnosis. A number of evidences have been put forwarded by a number of researchers showing its efficiency. However, time has not come to claim that it is the best methods although at present it seems to be very effective. Whether cytodiagnosis would be the most effective diagnosis process or not, people have be very conscious about the disease filariasis and should take proper medication if infected, and proper preventative measures to reduce the probability of being infected. Filariasis is known to be as a group of diseases, mainly found in and sub-tropical regions, caused by a variety of parasitic round worms (nematodes) and their larvae. The disease is transmitted to human body by the larvae through a mosquito bite. Filariasis is generally characterized by a number of symptoms like fever, chills, headache, and skin lesions in the early stages. If filariasis remains untreated, it results in gross enlargement of the limbs and genitalia, which is called elephantiasis. (Sasa, 1976) In Southeast Asia, South America, Africa, and the islands of the Pacific, all of which are situated in tropical or sub-tropical region, approximately

Wednesday, July 24, 2019

Problem Analysis and Project Proposal Work Sheet Research Paper

Problem Analysis and Project Proposal Work Sheet - Research Paper Example The funding on many occasions during the recessions seems to be on a difficult side for many of the small scale entrepreneurship. As a result the company often ends up not completely being successful on achieving milestones of growth and expansion they might have anticipated. 1.2 Background History that Set the Problem Calsoft group and provides outsourced product engineering services to both established companies and start ups. It was a firm set up in 1992 to provide accelerate the development of software products and reduce time to market through its high-end software engineering skills in cutting-edge technologies, proven processes, methodologies and tools. Their full life cycle services include product development, testing & QA, sustenance engineering, embedded hardware design and embedded software development (Calsoft). Since the founding of the Calsoft in 1992 the company has gone through ups and downs, and accomplished quiet many acquisitions. In 2004 the have acquired 100% stake in Webspectrum Software Ltd., Bangalore, India. They started to grow as an international concern in the year 2005 by setting up the operations in Dubai, and acquired majority holdings of Informed Decisions Corp., Alameda.CA and American HealthNet (AHN)’Omaha, Nebraska. 2006-’07 saw again more of the a cquisition of majority stakes many firms such as Acquired majority stake in Inatech Infosolutions London, UK & Bangalore, India and Aspire Communications Mysore, India & San Jose, USA.

Tuesday, July 23, 2019

Main Street Program Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Main Street Program - Essay Example enerally, it will be expected that the Main Street in question will satisfy and fall within the general notion and rationale behind the creation of the Main Street program. The National Main Street Centre (2014) noted that the Main Street concept is in place to revitalize and strengthen traditional commercial districts of communities through such approaches such as â€Å"existing economic development, historic preservation, city management, or urban and community planning programs.† Based on this description, it can be said on authority that the Historic Dupont Circle Main Street (HDCMS) is part of the Main Street program’s success stories. Walking through the Dupont Circle, one sees an old city circle that has been transformed into a modern tourist destination where visitors and residents are met with the best of historic landmarks, institutions, transportation system, and best of all, an array of commercially active business environment where several restaurants, hotels, bars and rest stops can be found. HDCMS is over a decade old as it was started in May 2003 through the use of the mayor’s grant. Over the years, there have been records of economic success and transformation, including a swift transition from a place that used to be the hub for illegal and illicit trade and activities. As a local resident, there are a number of factors that can be seen that make Dupont Circle of Washington DC and the HDCMS deserve commendation. In the first place, the community and its leaders can be said to have done well as the HDCMS has been carried out in a very well planned manner. This is because back in May 2003, leader s of the community, led by the major drafted a development plan for the area that spelt out very clear targets and goals that needed to be achieved. Because of this, development agenda has been pursued in a manner that falls according to plan. Consequently, the haphazard progression of events at the Dupont Circle has not happened. Again, the community

The once and future king Essay Example for Free

The once and future king Essay King Arthur of the Arthurian legends is one of the most unique characters in the history of literature. Since he has been depicted by a variety of writers, there is more than a single description of his personality. The Arthur we know is actually a conglomerate of many different interpretations of one character. For this reason, his character and very person havent been too consistent through the legends. The earliest Arthurian Legends which are also some of the earliest medieval works, describe King Arthur as the traditional Anglo-Saxon war hero; but as the time goes by, and the medieval people start to admire different things, he evolves into a different kind of hero, a chivalric one. Thus, over time, the image of King Arthur has changed from that of an epic hero to one of a symbol of chivalry- this is apparent with the difference in characteristic depiction of King Arthur in the early story of Brut and a later legend, Sir Gawain and The Green Knight, here there is a noticeable change in his personality. The earliest depiction of King Arthur was that of a fierce warrior-king, brutal and unforgiving. The early medieval kings were warlords who surrounded themselves with nobles and knights- called thanes, and protected their lands from foreign invaders through bloody wars and battles. The original Arthurian legends portray King Arthur in such a role- he is frequently described as â€Å"Arthur the powerful† or â€Å"Arthur the brave† and often comes across as bloodthirsty; not unlike Beowulf in the Anglo-Saxon epic poem Beowulf. In reality, these early legends were the Anglo-Saxon cultural perspective of King Arthur. One example of such an Anglo-Saxon view of King Arthur is Brut by Layamon, a British priest; in his poem, he describes Arthur as a savage and fierce warrior, an object of dread to friend and enemy, an epic hero. This is evident in Brut- where in one of his speeches where Arthur curses his enemies, wanting to crush them all: Then said Arthur, noblest of kings: â€Å"Alas, alas, that I spared my foe, that I did not starve him to death in the forest, or cut him to pieces with my sword! [ ] he shall suffer for it the most bitter affliction, harsh treatment I will be his slayer! I will slaughter both Colgrim and Baldof, and all their followers shall suffer death. [ ] I will fittingly avenge all his wicked deeds. If life might endure in my breast, [ ] never again shall Childric deceive me! † (lines 10510-10524) These lines show the brutality and unfettered heroism of King Arthur. His vexed and aggrieved speech about his enemys escape shows his unforgiving nature. Such is his anger that King Arthur wishes for the death of not only his enemies but also of all his followers; he even voices his regret of not having cut them to pieces, and wishes to kill them with his own sword. Not only does this speech show Arthurs merciless disposition, but it is also filled with a vengeance these lines of Arthur are a battle cry as he avows to get his revenge on his enemies. Towards the end of the speech, while vengefully vowing to avenge his defeat, King Arthurs tone is more than just distressed and agitated, it has a quality of firm determination and tenacity. All these aspects of Layamons perspective of King Arthur: determination, brutality, tenacity, vengeance, might and an unforgiving nature, all combined with the right amount of rage and conceit, show that he is, in all aspects, an epic hero. Akin to Beowulf -who with his strength, firmness and pride was the quintessential Anglo-Saxon warrior and champion- King Arthur is the ideal warrior-king. Eventually as literature progressed towards the heart of the Medieval Era, King Arthur evolved from an epic hero to a symbol of chivalric virtues of Camelot. He was no longer known as the brave and strong defender of the British, but as the virtuous upholder of all chivalric values in the great court at Camelot. Contradicting the early medieval stories which revolved around King Arthur, these middle Arthurian Legends portray the king as a minor character whose presence is only felt indirectly as a representative of a chivalry and excellency. This is apparent in the story of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, where Arthur is but a role model for all the knights when it comes to courtly behavior. The knights regard him with a reverence for his lordly ways. When the Green Knight rudely interrupts their feast by barging into their dining hall, all of them remain silent, in anger and in dread, while King Arthur welcomes him graciously as it is seen in the following excerpt from the poem: â€Å" Therefore chary of answer was many a champion bold, And stunned at his [The green knights] strong words stone-still they sat [ ] Then Arthur before the high dais that entrance beholds, And hailed him, as behooved, for he had no fear, And said, â€Å"Fellow, in faith you have found fair welcome;† (lines 20-30) These lines perfectly demonstrate how King Arthur exhibits model knightly behavior. Even though this intruder has disturbed his celebratory feast, he does not lose his temper, instead he follows the first rule of chivalry – hospitality. As we see in this text, the other knights, who sat â€Å"stone still† and â€Å"chary of answer†, do nothing to welcome the new-comer amongst their midst; nevertheless, Arthur does his duty and warmly invites the Green Knight to his court (line 21, line 20). In this way we see how King Arthur has unmatched manners in the court of Camelot- this is the most distinguished factor about him in this story, as the main focus of this legend is on Sir Gawain and his quest. Thus, we can say that King Arthurs one and only role in Sir Gawain and The Green Knight is to set a standard for his knights in social behavior, to remind them of the rules of Camelot. These lines demonstrate Arthurs gallant manner, they also show that Knights of the Round Table have a high place in their minds for him. While they dreaded even speaking to the alarming stranger, their revered King Arthur, who is described as one who â€Å"had no fear†, welcomed him graciously (line 29). Thus, King Arthur is greatly admired by his Knights because they still thought of him as the fearless king of old and also because of his valiant and courtly behavior. This fact greatly impacts most stories of this time because Arthur has a great influence over the Knights of Camelot and most of these stories follow their bold and daring quests. Even if the king, in these legends, seems removed from the thick of the plot line, his presence is still felt from afar, as a social force – for it has already been established that the Knights admired and imitated his social manner and his lordly ways. This remote influence, too, can be observed in the story of Sir Gawain and The Green Knight where King Arthur is neither the the protagonist of the story nor the source of all action, but is the highest authority and the inspiration for Sir Gawain to take up the challenge posed by the Green Knight. This inspiration is noticed when Sir Gawain accepts this quest, â€Å"Would you grant me the grace,† said Gawain to the king, â€Å"To be gone from this bench and stand by you there, [ ] That I have you for uncle is my only praise; My body, but for your blood, is barren of worth;† (lines 117-131). Through Sir Gawains speech we can see that the reason that he is taking up this quest is to be a delegate for Camelot. He says that he wishes to â€Å"stand by† King Arthur, that is, represent him on this quest(line 117). This further establishes the fact that King Arthur is not the main character of the story, as it is Sir Gawain who is the one who actually undertakes the quest. Thus, in this legend, and many others written during this time period, King Arthur turns into a minor character in sharp contrast to the earlier legends which depicted him as the brave warrior at the head of his armies in every battlehe is no longer the main character but his presence is still felt as a significant influence for Sir Gawain to take up this quest. However, as discussed before, the Knights of Camelot, including Gawain, greatly admired Arthur for his chivalric ideals and manner. So it can be said that in the minds of them of the Round Table, King Arthur is simply a personification of all the values of chivalry which they want to uphold as knights. Sir Gawain especially looks to Arthur as a symbol of all knightly or chivalric virtues. He even humbly acclaims that if it werent for Arthurs blood running in him, he would be nothing, â€Å"barren of [his] worth† (line 131). This confirms the fact that Sir Gawain, and all the other knights use King Arthur as a reassurance, feeling that if they had the values of the king, they could do anything; for they has faith in King Arthur and his Round Table, in the chivalric values of Camelot. Therefore, from these examples present in the story if Sir Gawain and The Green Knight we can conclude that the Knights of the Round Table idolized King Arthur not because he was a warrior-king but because he was, to them, the embodiment of all the honorable values of being a knight. As we can see, there are many subtle differences between the two interpretations of King Arthur in the stories of Sir Gawain and The Green Knight and Brut. In the early legends Arthur is described as the fearless warrior-king, the defender of the Britons whereas the later legends depict him as a virtuous leader and the role model for all the Knights of Camelot. This transformation of King Arthurs character over time is very obvious when the texts from different time-periods are compared. In the early legend of Brut, King Arthur is an epic hero- he is the protagonist of the story. The legends of that era revolved around Arthur and his battles. As seen in the story Brut, he is unforgiving and blood thirsty; his thoughts are set on winning and bringing down his enemies rather than trying to settle the conflicts peacefully. This is in contrast to the King Arthur of the later legends, such as Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, who welcomes armed strangers into his castle. In the beginning of this story, when the Green Knight barges into the feast at Camelot on his horse, Arthur welcomes him warmly and invites him to dinner instead of getting insulted and punishing him. He comes across as easygoing and very level headed. Even in moments of anger, this King Arthur of later times remains calm and doesnt show his emotion; this is seen in the story of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, where he remains composed even in the face of danger (in this case- losing one of his best knights, Sir Gawain because of a strangers challenge). In lines 236 and 237 of this legend, it is seen that â€Å"Though high-born Arthur at heart had wonder, / he let no sign be seen [ ]†. Thus, in the later legends, King Arthur-who was a symbol of chivalric virtues and courtly manners- controlled his emotions and remained unruffled when he was challenged. This characteristic of the chivalric King Arthur is distinctly different from the earlier perspectives of him in such legends as Brut. This early King Arthur who was an epic hero, was a most forbidding character, he clearly expressed his anger and was often described as â€Å"stern-minded† (line 111). In Brut, King Arthur often asserted his anger, especially during battles when his mind bore nothing but hatred towards his enemy- â€Å"He laid the shield to his breast; the king was bursting with anger. He smote Borel the earl right through the breast, So that his heart was split. Arthur cried at once: The foremost hath met his fate! Now the Lord help you! † (lines 112-115). These lines show King Arthurs frustration and his hatred and also portray how he openly displays his anger. In sharp contrast to the calm and composed Arthur of the later time-periods, this excerpt from an older legend shows that he was â€Å"bursting with anger†, clearly portraying how the epic hero Arthur did not control his emotions(line 112). In this way, we can see that King Arthurs temperament has changed from vengeful and impulsive to poised and chivalric between the two legends. Overall it is discernible that the kings personality and characteristics have changed over time and this is especially apparent when comparing two works from different time-periods. In this way we can see that the characteristic depiction of King Arthur has evolved over time from a fearless battle hero to a chivalric and virtuous ruler. The early Arthurian legends such as Brut, which were written when poems like Beowulf were popular, described Arthur as an epic hero. But as the time passed by and the virtues of chivalry came into being, the Arthurian legends of that time, such as Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, started to reflect the social focus and began to depict Arthur as an expert in chivalrous values. Thus, it is seen that King Arthurs role in the legends continually changes as the peoples general perspective of a hero changes. The tales of King Arthur have been shaped and reshaped according to the teller of the story. There is not just one perfect depiction of King Arthur, his character is a combination of many perspectives of him. It can be altered to adapt with the times as it has adapted through the Medieval Era. This â€Å"evolution† of his portrayal and the fact that he will never die are what make King Arthur one of the most exceptional characters in literature.

Monday, July 22, 2019

Motivation Theory Essay Example for Free

Motivation Theory Essay 1. What motivates behavior? According to humanist psychologist Abraham Maslow, our actions are motivated in order to achieve certain needs. This hierarchy suggests that people are motivated to fulfill basic needs before moving on to other, more advanced needs. This hierarchy is most often displayed as a pyramid. The lowest levels of the pyramid are made up of the most basic needs, while the more complex needs are located at the top of the pyramid. Needs at the bottom of the pyramid are basic physical requirements including the need for food, water, sleep, and warmth. Once these lower-level needs have been met, people can move on to the next level of needs, which are for safety and security. As people progress up the pyramid, needs become increasingly psychological and social. Soon, the need for love, friendship, and intimacy become important. Further up the pyramid, the need for personal esteem and feelings of accomplishment take priority. 2. Clayton P. Alderfers ERG theory from 1969 condenses Maslows five human needs into three categories: Existence, Relatedness and Growth. Existence Needs Include all material and physiological desires (e.g., food, water, air, clothing, safety, physical love and affection). Maslows first two levels. Relatedness Needs Encompass social and external esteem; relationships with significant others like family, friends, co-workers and employers . This also means to be recognized and feel secure as part of a group or family. Maslows third and fourth levels. Growth Needs Internal esteem and self actualization; these impel a person to make creative or productive effects on himself and the environment (e.g., to progress toward ones ideal self). Maslows fourth and fifth levels. This includes desires to be creative and productive, and to complete meaningful tasks. Even though the priority of these needs differ from person to person, Albergers ERG theory prioritises in terms of the categories concreteness. Existence needs are the most concrete, and easiest to verify. Relatedness needs are less concrete than existence needs, which depend on a relationship between two or more people. Finally, growth needs are the least concrete in that their specific objectives depend on the uniqueness of each person. Contrarily to the idea by Maslow that access to the higher levels of his pyramid required satisfaction in the lower level needs, the ERG areas of Alderfer are simultaneous needs. ERG Theory recognizes that the importance of the three categories may vary for each individual. Managers must recognize that an employee has multiple needs, which must be satisfied simultaneously. According to the ERG theory, if you focus exclusively on one need at a time, this will not effectively motivate. 3. The expectancy theory says that individuals have different sets of goals and can be motivated if they have certain expectations. This theory is about choice, it explains the processes that an individual undergoes to make choices. In organizational behavior study, expectancy theory is a motivation theory first proposed by Victor Vroom of the Yale School of Management in 1964. Motivation, according to Vroom. boils down to the decision of how much effort to apply in a specific task situation. This choice is based on a two-stage sequence of expectations (effort — performance and performance — outcome). First, motivation is affected by an individuals expectation that a certain level of effort will produce the intended performance goal. For example, if you do not believe increasing the amount of time you spend studying will significantly raise your grade on an exam, you probably wilt not study any harder than usual. Motivation also is influenced by the employees perceived chances of getting various outcomes as a result of accomplishing his or her performance goal. Finally, individuals are motivated to the extent that they value the outcomes received. EXPECTANCY THEORY BELIEFS 1. Valence. Refers to the emotional orientations which people hold with respect to outcomes [rewards]. The depth of the want of an employee for extrinsic [money, promotion, free time, benefits] or intrinsic [satisfaction] rewards. Management must discover what employees appreciate. 2. Expectancy. Employees have different expectations and levels of confidence about what they are capable of doing. Management must discover what resources, training, or supervision the employees need. Facts [+] The 2011 Nielsen survey also showed that the top five dimensions students considered when it comes to seeking employment were high degree of independence at work, salary package, learning on the job, growth prospects and standing of the company in the market [Employer brand] respectively. 3. Instrumentality. The perception of employees whether they will actually receive what they desire, even if it has been promised by a manager. Management must ensure that promises of rewards are fulfilled and that employees are aware of that. Vroom suggests that an employees beliefs about Expectancy, Instrumentality, and Valence interact psychologically. In this way they create a motivational force, such that the employee will act in a way that brings pleasure and avoids pain. This force can be calculated via a formula: 4. Adam’s Equity Theory Equity theory, most popularly known as equity theory of motivation, was first developed by John Stacey Adams, a workplace and behavioral psychologist, in 1963. John Stacey Adams proposed that an employee’s motivation is affected by whether the employee believes that their employment benefits/rewards are at least equal to the amount of the effort that they put into their work. Definition of equity An individual will consider that he is treated fairly if he perceives the ratio of his inputs to his outcomes to be equivalent to those around him. Thus, all else being equal, it would be acceptable for a more senior colleague to receive higher compensation, since the value of his experience (and input) is higher. The way people base their experience with satisfaction for their job is to make comparisons with themselves to people they work with. If an employee notices that another person is getting more recognition and rewards for their contributions, even when both have done the same amount and quality of work, it would persuade the employee to be dissatisfied. This dissatisfaction would result in the employee feeling under-appreciated and perhaps worthless. This is in direct contrast with the idea of equity theory, the idea is to have the rewards (outcomes) be directly related with the quality and quantity of the employees contributions (inputs). If both employees were perhaps rewarded the same, it would help the workforce realize that the organization is fair, observant, and appreciative. This can be illustrated by the following equation: Adam’s categorised employment benefits and rewards as outputs and an employee’s work effort as inputs. Input Examples The number of hours worked by the employee An employee’s work responsibilities An employee’s work duties The work commitment demonstrated by the employee An employee’s loyalty An employee’s flexibility such as undertaking tasks at short notice The support that the employee has provided to the organisation, colleagues and line managers Output Examples Salary Bonus Prizes Recognition of the employee’s contribution Positive work appraisals Work promotions Pension Employer flexibility Annual leave Adam’s stated that if an employee believes that their work outputs are not equal or greater than their inputs then the employee will become de-motivated. Adams’ theory includes the assertion that when an employee is assessing whether the outputs they receive are fair the employee will often compare their colleague’s work inputs and outputs with their own. The comparison will often be made with an employee at a similar level in the organisation to the employee. Propositions Equity theory consists of four propositions: Individuals seek to maximize their outcomes (where outcomes are defined as rewards minus costs). Groups can maximize collective rewards by developing accepted systems for equitably apportioning rewards and costs among members. Systems of equity will evolve within groups, and members will attempt to induce other members to accept and adhere to these systems. The only way groups can induce members to equitably behave is by making it more profitable to behave equitably than inequitably. Thus, groups will generally reward members who treat others equitably and generally punish (increase the cost for) members who treat others inequitably. When individuals find themselves participating in inequitable relationships, they become distressed. The more inequitable the relationship, the more distress individuals feel. According to equity theory, both the person who gets â€Å"too much† and the person who gets â€Å"too little† feel distressed. The person who gets too much may feel guilt or shame. The person who gets too little may feel angry or humiliated. Individuals who perceive that they are in an inequitable relationship attempt to eliminate their distress by restoring equity. The greater the inequity, the more distress people feel and the more they try to restore equity. (Walster, Traupmann and Walster, 1978) 5. Acquired Needs Theory: McClelland McClelland proposes that those in top management positions should have a high need for power and a low need for affiliation. Psychologist David McClelland created Need Theory, a motivational model that attempts to explain how the needs for achievement, power, and affiliation affect the actions of people from a managerial context. McClellands Need Theory, created by psychologist David McClelland, is a motivational model that attempts to explain how the needs for achievement, power, and affiliation affect the actions of people from a managerial context. People who are achievement-motivated typically prefer to master a task or situation. This motivational need stems from a persons desire to influence, teach, or encourage others. is a motivational model that attempts to explain how the needs for achievement, power, and affiliation affect the actions of people from a managerial context. It is often taught in classes concerning management or organizational behavior (Figure 1). People who are achievement-motivated typically prefer to master a task or situation. They prefer working on tasks of moderate difficulty, in which the results are based on their effort rather than on luck, and to receive feedback on their work. Those who desire affiliation, however, prefer to spend time creating and maintaining social relationships, enjoy being a part of groups and have a desire to feel loved and accepted. People in this group may not make effective managers because they may worry too much about how others will feel about them. In his theory, people are not placed into categories but rather have degrees of these needs: No one is only in one group of these needs. The balance of needs brings out a profile. Needs do not explain competencies in any area. One can have high needs in one area and still be effective in an area where these needs are not necessarily fulfilled. This motivational need stems from a persons desire to influence, teach, or encourage others. People in this category enjoy work and place a high value on discipline. The downside to this motivational type is that group goals can become zero-sum in nature. For one person to win, another must lose. However, this can be positively applied to help accomplish group goals and to help others in the group feel competent about their work. McClelland proposes that those in top management positions should have a high need for power and a low need for affiliation. He also believes that although individuals with a need for achievement can make good managers, they are not suited to being in top management positions. 6. Herzbergs two-factor theory states that certain factors cause job satisfaction, and a separate set of factors cause dissatisfaction. According to Herzberg, understanding what causes employee satisfaction and dissatisfaction is important for management. The factors that motivate people can change over their lifetime, but respect for me as a person is one of the top motivating factors at any stage of life. Satisfaction and dissatisfaction are not on a continuum with one increasing as the other diminishes, but are independent phenomena. To ensure a satisfied and productive workforce, managers must give attention to both sets of job factors. Frederick Herzbergs two-factor theory, also known as the motivation-hygiene theory or intrinsic/extrinsic motivation, concludes that while there are certain factors in the workplace that cause job satisfaction, a separate set of factors can cause dissatisfaction. The factors that motivate people can change over their lifetime, but respect for me as a person is one of the top motivating factors at any stage of life. Figure 1 According to Herzberg, intrinsic motivators such as challenging work, recognition, and responsibility produce employee satisfaction, while extrinsic hygiene factors, including status, job security, salary, and fringe benefits – if absent – produce dissatisfaction. Herzbergs theory appears to parallel Maslows needs hierarchy. Individuals look for the gratification of higher-level psychological needs having to do with achievement, recognition, responsibility, advancement, and the nature of the work itself. However, Herzberg added a new dimension to thi s theory, including factors that cause dissatisfaction as well, such as company policies, supervision, technical problems, salary, interpersonal relations on the job, and working conditions. This two-factor model of motivation is based on the notion that the presence of one set of job characteristics or incentives leads to worker satisfaction, while another and separate set of job characteristics lead to dissatisfaction. Thus, satisfaction and dissatisfaction are not on a continuum with one increasing as the other diminishes, but are independent phenomena. If management wishes to increase satisfaction on the job, it should be concerned with the nature of the work itself – the opportunities it presents employees for gaining status, assuming responsibility, and achieving self-realization. If, on the other hand, management wishes to reduce dissatisfaction, then it must focus on the job environment – policies, procedures, supervision, and working conditions. To ensure a sa tisfied and productive workforce, managers must give attention to both sets of job factors. Examples of Business Goal-Setting Theory Business owners will often set individual goals to motivate employees and reach company objectives. Goals that are hard to reach are often more intriguing, as more work is required to fulfill them. Edwin A. Locke introduced the theoretical approach to setting goals and building motivation, which can be directly applied to a professional setting. In fact, this type of goal-setting theory is one of the more useful motivational theories used in industrial and organizational psychology and management. Clarity and Focus One part of business goal-setting theory is creating clear and focused goals that are obtainable. Having a goal of pulling in $100,000 in business profits within a single year may not be obtainable for a small business owner. A clear and focused goal may be to get $50,000 in profits based on $20,000 in product sales, $10,000 from investments and $20,000 from service sales. A single goal must have a plan to reach the goal, whether it is a monthly plan with mini-goals or a weekly plan for short-term goals. Commitment and Teamwork Employees of a given business may be more committed to a goal if they are a part of setting the goals and deadlines. In addition, a team may also work closer together if they have a mutual goal. Commitment and responsibility to a goal may also increase the motivational level within the business. In addition, each employee may have his own goal, but keep all workers informed of larger goals to ensure continuous commitment and teamwork in a business. Feedback and Progression Another theoretical perspective on setting successful goals in a business environment involves getting feedback from managers and other employees as the work towards the goal progresses. Part of the feedback includes getting clarity on tasks, adjusting the goals or methods, making budgetary changes and getting additional help from managers. This feedback may alter the progression of the goal, so the employee working to reach the goal must be informed of the changes. Complexity and Success A single goal may become overwhelming, especially if the goal is long-term or very complex. Fulfilling these types of goals requires a reasonable time period, including time to learn and practice skills to meet expectations. Meeting a revenue goal may not be reasonable within a single month or quarter, so extending the goal deadline for a reasonable time period may lead to more success. Having a short period of time to fulfill goals may inhibit employees from reaching expectations and may end up failing. Dr. Edwin Locke formulated and clarified what has come to be called goal-setting theory in the 1960s. Since then, businesses have found that employees are more likely to do their best work once they have set clear, attainable goals. Goal-setting theory affects many aspects of your business and once you understand specific applications in each area, you can improve your company in concrete ways. Sponsored Link Small Business Loanswww.captap.com Fund your business today $5k to $15k. Apply now! Clarity To be effective, goals must be clear according to goal-setting theory. Employees must know exactly what theyre supposed to achieve and when. Merely telling an employee to do better does not offer a clear course of action and doesnt indicate how the employee will know when he has achieved the goal. An example of a clear goal is telling an employee you expect a 10 percent increase in sales in three months. Another example might be asking an employee to produce 15 more units per day over a period of six weeks. Such goals make it clear what the employee is supposed to do and what the deadline is. They allow for objective measurement. Challenge A goal is most effective when it presents a challenge to the employee. According to the article, Building a Practically Useful Theory of Goal Setting and Task Motivation written by Dr. Edwin Locke and Gary Latham, if a task is too easy or too hard employees will not put in their best efforts. However, a goal that is just difficult enough to be challenging inspires maximum performance. For example, asking a production manager to cut costs by 90 percent might be overwhelming. Cutting costs by 20 percent might make a reasonable challenge. Similarly, requiring order takers to double the amount of orders they take in an hour could discourage them. A goal of 15 percent more orders per hour might be more reasonable and challenging. Commitment Getting employees to buy in to the goals you set makes it more likely they will reach those goals. You can do this by asking employees to participate in setting goals. Their commitment will provide the energy and perseverance that will help them achieve those goals. For example, getting your accounting department to agree to having all of your assets labeled and tracked by the end of the year can give them a sense of purpose and direction that will help them work together and improve their ability to value assets for tax purposes. Feedback You dont just add goals and then check on their completion at deadline time. If you provide benchmarks along the way, this lets your employees know how they are doing. You can also hold periodic meetings so they can give you feedback about any issues that have arisen and adjustments that have to be made. This two-way feedback approach helps measure progress towards achieving goals and provides encouragement in the face of difficulties. For example, if you want the production department to have 20 percent fewer rejections from the quality-control department in six months, you can meet with them each month to give them their current figure and identify any areas where the problems seem to be occurring. In addition, if you would like a 30 percent improvement in customer service ratings, you can give your customer service department feedback on a weekly or monthly basis to let them know how theyre doing. Task Complexity Complex tasks can be overwhelming. Help your employees break such tasks into smaller parts so that they can achieve smaller goals on their way to the big one. For example, if you want to migrate all the data from one database to another, you can set smaller goals of moving a set number of accounts each week or month. Another example might be that if you want expansion plans for a new facility done in six months, you could set smaller goals of completing an analysis for the financing needed, construction costs and the new personnel that will be required as separate goals to achieve.

Sunday, July 21, 2019

LG Group: Leadership and Management Development

LG Group: Leadership and Management Development There is no company which is resistant to environmental changes, especially business environment. As the year comes by, new inventions or innovation will absolutely give impact on every type of business in the world. However, the causes of the impact, in other words, the root of the changes in the environment is not merely coming from company external territory; in most cases the impacts (either negative or positive) can come from external territory and internal territory of the company. This written analysis focuses on the LG Groups Chairman Koo who once stated and defined his vision for the LG group to develop and improve significantly and to be a leading company in its local market area (Korea) and the wider market scope, international market and increase its revenue significantly within 7 years period. This is known as LEAP 2005. Even though is not an easy task to do, he is much certain that the group can do that. He considers the past performance of the group and the major internal changes within the company will enable it to achieve what its chairman wants. The main key success, as the management agrees, lies on the future leaders of the group. There are several questions that arise as the result of the discussion between the management in relation with this key point, namely where and how to find these future leaders, what capabilities of competencies these leaders should possess how to develop these key competencies and so on. ANALYSIS OF LG GROUP SITUATION Briefly speaking on LG historical background, a common first impression on the company is that it has tremendous historical records in terms of business performance and business revenue. Citing the record, LG was established for the first time in 1947 as a small chemical company. As the time went by, there are expansions that the group has done. As a result the company got bigger and bigger. The applied several strategies that really work well are the main reason why the company grew bigger within a relatively short period of time. These days, LG is one of the strongest players in Indonesia industry. As the case of LG Group already describes, what is meant by LEAP 2005 desired by Chairman Koo reflects the his dream to make LG Group as the leading company in Korea and leading company in the world as well. This leads to for sure the increasing revenue to US$380 billion. To achieve this, certain development an improvement towards the company as an organization is an urgent necessity. The significant matter or points which are at the same time can be the conclusion of this brief analysis is that the improvement on internal aspects of organizations, which at the end should result in the transformation of LEAP 2005 into reality. Further, it is agreed that the management should focus on the human organization and make the first priority above all. The analysis is written as follow. LG GROUPS DESIRED CHARACTERISTICS OF HUMAN ORGANIZATION An ideal human organization that can facilitate the achievement of Chairman Koos LEAP 2005 vision of future definitely has three most fundamental characteristics namely: 1. Strong LG company culture/values, 2. Qualified competent people as its component, 3. Good managerial strategies and operations by the management. These all explains how the company will provide itself its needed sources to meet the requirements of the company to achieve the vision. Each of this characteristic can be described as follows. Strong Company Culture A company with certain strong culture (or some term it as values) can usually stand up against all turbulence that occurs during its operations. The LG Group itself has already passed some bad period with great success and continues showing positive progress. Addition to this, there is for sure changes of transforming (STABILITY, HARMONI, RESPECT) to the cultures (CHALLENGE, SPEED, SIMPLICITY, BOUNDARYLESSNESS). These changes are in line with the demand of business environment which requires a company to quickly adapt themselves to the changes. Competent Human Resources The core component of a business organization is the humans who move it and run the companys operation. The more competent the person of the company the more prosperous the company will be. If the all person in the company are competent in their own field it will lead to best product that the company produces. Furthermore, this will end up in the achievement of customer satisfaction target (consumers demand and wishes). This all will result in better competitive advantages that the company has. Good Managerial Practices by Best Management Company management can be is the back bone of the company. They are the key person who drives the company towards certain direction. They are the decision maker of in the company. The fate of the company is in their hands. The culture that the management builds inside the company will also influence the day to day operation of the company. In terms of external relation, the management acts as the representative of the company. The can influence the business partners as well as potential consumers. Specifically speaking, in relation with human resources, the management should provide strategies that relate to human resources management such as defining organizational strategy, defining organizational structure and man power planning, defining the critical jobs, defining the job description that matches with the companys competencies, setting competency model and implementing it in form of setting HR tools and functions such for performance appraisal and reward and compensation recruitment, promotion, training and development. The human organization with the above mentioned characteristics that LG Group have and will help the company to achieve the LEAP 2005 vision will face obvious problems related to the organization and business the period of the vision achievement progress, they are for example the impact of paradigm or culture changes towards the company, process of setting up the companys core competencies, the changes on business orientation and target (e.g., business goals, from international to international (global) player, the internal (company value) and external cultural change, the demand of new employees to fulfill the need of increasing work load and competent employees, to prepare human resources management system and its tools in line with the company development. As the human resources management plays significant roles the process of translating the chairmans vision in 2005 they should be discussed further in details. The overall implementation of strategies, policies, programs, and or practices by Mr. Y. K. Kims LG Human Resource Team that can help Chairman Koo transform his LEAP 2005 vision into reality must link to how the management organizes and manages the human resources that the company has. These could be the strategies of attracting best new employee, develop the star performers (or other may call high potential) in terms of soft and hard skills or competencies, retain the best performers, manage work effectivity etc. LG GROUP STRATEGY: DESIRED CHARACTERISTICS FUTURE LEADERS As explained before, the key success of the company in transforming the vision LEAP 2005 into reality relies on how the organization prepare and develop the future leaders of the company which will determine how the company will operate and run in the future. These leaders will be having several capabilities as what Chairman Koo desired so that these competencies will enable them to perform well. First and foremost, these leaders must possess a sense of competition for global perspective. This competency strongly connects with the capability to fight and compete with the world class companies. Secondly, this has a relation with how wise and strategic a leader can create a global management system. Finally, a sharp sense of global perspective will assist a leader on how to create a world class business. The other attributes that a future leader must hold is his ability to maintain the quality of the company output. In relation to this they must have capability to create maximum value for customer. In other words, the satisfaction and loyalty of the costumer towards the company has to be the first priority and target for the future leaders that the group will need in the future. As important as the focus on outputs (products) the leader must also embrace the values that have been the LG values directly given by the Chairman. The two other values that basically are the required attributes for all future leader of LG to have are the skills (managerial) to conduct the business with integrity and the good level of contribution towards social development. Practically speaking, when it comes to day to day business activity, the basic capabilities for them to master is that the knowledge on what and how the company process runs. Thus, when there is a problem in certain area of the business, they can quickly tackle down the problem and solve it. Finally, they must have what so called global orientation and global leadership capabilities. These will define the company orientation in the future as well as solve the problem that may occur such as significant and drastic different environmental and business condition changes. LG GROUP STRATEGY: HUMAN RESOURCES APPLIED STRATEGY To discuss the case of future leaders in more detail, the whole process of preparing the future leaders can be described in more specific process and stages as follow: To identify and attract the best leaders. Here research I believe will benefit the company much in the sense of tracking the best candidates in the future. Nowadays, competition is occurring not only attracting best costumers/consumers but also in attracting the potential competent employees. To select, recruit and hire the future leaders. The activities are the follow up of the research conducted in the first phase. Citing the case of LG, the company will need a really significant number of employees, both Korea and Non-Koreans. These involve certain strategy to achieve best output in terms of attracting future leaders with competent capabilities. To train and develop the future leaders of the company. Here, a training center such as what Dr Lee runs with his LG Academy plays an important role. Their task involves defining the current employee competencies required for better performance and a set of competencies on which they can focus assessment and development activities in the future. This also one of the main concerns of the management. They see training and development for technical competencies as the main component to achieve the LEAP 2005 To provide motivation, appraise, and rewards as implementation of strategies to retain the competent company future leaders. The company should not reenact what so called as Bamboo Ceiling which most Japanese company once faced. The management must develop clear and transparent career path for all employee. The assessment for promotion should also be made fair so that all employee can see the progress of their career and most importantly, and equal opportunity for career improvement must exist in the company. This will guarantee the all employee can achieve higher position as their performance says so. In regards with the future plans in LEAP 2005 vision, the company plans to attain 50 % of the whole revenue from international market the number of non Korean employees will increase significantly. In the practices, the company and the management plan to fill 3 or 4 business presidents with non-Koreans out of 50 positions and give 20% portion of all executives at the office at Seoul. To maintain the unity and fairness of the management approach, the team could take the same approach to the both Korean and non-Korean employees. However, the customization may take place in accordance with the background of culture of those two groups. However, in general the common strategies must be implemented to both groups. What must be emphasized is the output which is all employees can implement the strategies in to the business and provide the desired outputs. CONCLUSION In summary, by analyzing the case of LG Group: Developing Tomorrows it can be concluded that a company business activity can not be separated from internal and external influences. Internally the management may have a set of future plans and strategies or even vision that must be implemented and transformed by all company components. Externally, the changing business environment in each different period often requires the company to constantly prepare a set of strategies to cope possible problems and stay survive in the midst of uncertain condition. Here, the human resources team plays an important role since a competent future leaders are the key person that can manage the company through the hard time that may happen in the future. It is the responsibility of the human resources team to attract, develop, and maintain those future leaders for the sake of company stability. Comparative Film Analysis: Shutter Island and Insomnia Comparative Film Analysis: Shutter Island and Insomnia Shutter Island Insomnia. Movies such as Shutter Island and Insomnia both display attributes of neo-noir and classical noir films which contain a great deal of tension and suspense. The detectives in both films are determined to find clues and answers that uncover the truth. In their attempts to uncover the truth, both detectives experience hallucinations and flashbacks from their traumatic past. Each mystery involves an investigator or detective who has the overwhelming desire to uncover the truth. There are often many distractions and misdirections that the detectives must overcome in order to solve the mystery. The misdirections of the cases are frequently caused by false or inaccurate leads, but each detective examines every lead they receive and treat it as being potentially helpful in solving the case. The Shutter Island and Insomnia films possess distinct similarities and disparate elements in the characterizations, social issues and cinematic effects. Film-noir is a movie genre based in the 1940s and 1950s that generally feature characteristics of mystery or crime dramas. The elements of film-noir consist of black and white produced stories that involve violence, crime, femmes fatales and skeptical detectives who seek the truth of a mystery. Neo-noir is classified as a sub-genre of crime and mystery stories which heavily rely on the influence of film-noir movies. The term neo-noir describes any film coming after the classic noir period that contains noir themes and the noir sensibility (Conard 2). Neo-noir movies often share a similar resemblance to film-noir genres in regards to the plots, themes, characterization and cinematography. Shutter Island is a psychological thriller based in 1954 that gives the impression of a classic film-noir. Mark Conard states in his book, The Philosophy of Neo-Noir, You know a classic-noir when you see it, with its unusual lighting, tilted camera angles, and its off-center scene compositions (Connard 1). The detective in Shutter Island is Teddy Daniels (Leonardo DiCaprio), a federal marshal who travels to the island with his partner, Chuck Aule (Mark Ruffalo), to investigate the escape of patient in the mental institution. As Teddy Daniels further investigates the mystery of the island, he loses control in grasping the real truth as his perceptions are blurred by hallucinations and conspiracy. As the story unfolds in Shutter Island, the viewer is taken on a psychological trip through the cognitive processes of Teddy Daniels mind. It is apparent to the main character and the film viewers that there is a secret hiding within this mysterious island. The story provides a solid discernment of Teddy Daniels mind as his sense of reality and fantasy is blurred. Throughout the film, Teddy experiences delusions that are derived from his traumatic past as an American soldier fighting Nazis in World War II, and the death of his wife. The exploration of Teddys mind provides pure entertainment for the viewer as it is difficult to distinguish fantasy from reality while experiencing everything through Teddys eyes. The realism in the mystery of the patient that escaped the island exists on an imaginative state which is exposed by the truth during the end of the film. The main character in the Insomnia movie is Will Dormer (Al Pacino), a veteran LAPD detective whose exhaustion is intensified with exposure to the unfamiliar northern Alaskan landscape where there is constant daylight. Dormer and his partner, Hap Eckhart (Martin Donovan), receive the disturbing details in the autopsy of a teenage girl that was murdered in Alaska. The autopsy revealed that the girl was extremely beaten and her hair had been brushed as well as her nails clipped by the murderer after her death. One of the most significant scenes is when Dormer and his partner are investigating the girls murder. They begin a foot chase with a suspect after being shot at in the thick fog. Dormer sees a silhouette of a person that looks like they are aiming to shoot so he fires a shot at the person without hesitation. He runs toward the body and realizes that he has shot and killed his own partner because he couldnt see through the thick fog. This symbolizes the protagonists clouded judgme nt and is the beginning of his slow descent into insanity. Dormer deliberately lies to the police about what really happened and explains that the girls murderer had shot his partner because he is afraid of the consequences. Dormer is dishonest about shooting his partner and goes through great lengths to cover his own tracks instead of having full focus on the murder case he was assigned. The primary suspect of the girls murder is novelist Walter Finch (Robin Williams) who witnessed the accidental shooting of Dormers partner. The well-being of Dormer declines further as he experiences extreme sleep deprivation, hallucinations and flashbacks of accidentally shooting his partner. The characterizations of the protagonists in Shutter Island and Insomnia have analogous qualities as they attempt to uncover the truth in each mystery. The protagonists in both films are persistent investigators who are losing their grasp on reality due to traumatic experiences. Dormer and Teddy share mixed emotions including anxiety, guilt and panic. The protagonists in both movies are manipulated psychologically by the antagonists who drive them to do things that they normally wouldnt do. Dormer and Teddys memories and troubles from the past have a significant affect on their attempts of solving the mysteries. Although there are many similarities in both films, the cultural and social issues in each film are quite different. Shutter Island was set in 1954 and deals birth of psychiatry experiments and the traumatic events of World War II. The scene where the camera pans over the American soldiers as they perform an execution of Nazi soldiers in the Liberation of Dachau conveys the barbaric nature of World War II. Teddy experiences many flashbacks of these events and the guilt starts wearing on his sanity. The social issues in Insomnia deal with murder in a community and corruption within the police force. The murder has a drastic impact on the isolated Alaskan town where everyone knows one another. While investigating the murder, many of the officers are faced with the difficult decisions of lying, framing suspects by planting evidence or clearing their own names by destroying evidence. Dormers guilt of shooting his partner sends him into severe sleep deprivation where he seems increasingly delusional as the film goes on. Cinematic effects such as camera shots, lighting and sound design are utilized in both films to convey the pure emotions of the characters in the films. The best thing about Insomnia is that despite director Christopher Nolans soft spot for moody-blues obfuscation, he has the good sense to keep his star in practically every shot, said Peter Rainer, a New York Magazine writer, on the film critic website, rottentomatoes.com (Rotten Tomatoes website). Insomnia made an effort to zoom in on the protagonists emotions and at times showed the point of view shots to express the sleep deprivations and hallucinations from the eyes of the main character. There was high contrast lighting used in setting the mood in the Insomnia film. Even though a lot of this movie was shot outside in the constant daylight setting of Alaska, low-key lighting such as heavy fog and silhouettes were used to symbolize the level of clarity in Dormers mind as he continues to lose sleep. The sound design used in Insomni a was used to create tension and suspense in the film. The cinematic effects and setting used in Shutter Islandenhance the symbolism and themes in the film. Similar to the Insomnia films camera shots, Shutter Island also uses the zoom-in camera effect to display the emotions and thoughts of Teddy. When Teddy is experiencing hallucinations of the past, the camera shots and lighting flash to indicate that he is dreaming or seeing flashbacks. Film critic, Lisa Kennedy, from rottentomatoes.com states, What is real? What is delusion? What is montrous? What is decent? Shutter Island may not shatter the heart but these are gnawing achievements for a movie about madness and paranoia (Rotten Tomatoes website). Fire was used as a key lighting to symbolize Teddys insanity in the film. Fire is the symbol of Teddys imagination, while water is used to symbolize the true reality of his past. The sound design of Shutter Island correlates with the intense instrumental music to portray the suspense as used in many film-noir genres. ParralaxView.org explai ns noir sound design on their website, The sound of noir-plaintive sax solos, blue cocktail piano, the wail of a distant trumpet through dark, wet alleyways, hot Latin beats oozing like a neon glow from the half-shuttered windows of forbidden nightspots (Parralax View website). The Shutter Island and Insomnia films display similarities and differences in the characterizations, social issues and cinematic effects. The protagonists in both films are determined to find clues and answers that uncover the truth. Both detectives experience hallucinations and flashbacks from their traumatic past in their attempts to investigate the truth. There are often many diversions that the detectives must overcome in order to solve the mystery. The cultural and social issues in each film were contrasting even though there are many similarities in both films. Cinematography was successfully utilized in each film with camera shots, lighting and sound design to display the pure emotions of the characters in the films.