Monday, August 24, 2020

Harmful Algae :: Geology

Theoretical The motivation behind this research paper is to give data about the various types of algal sprouts and their impact on our condition and ourselves. There are still a great deal of things that are not thought about the algal sprout wonder, and a wide range of theories have been introduced to clarify these. Over the span of this paper those speculations will be introduced and talked about, permitting the peruser to infer their own supposition about the cause of algal blossoms and what will occur later on. list of chapters List of chapters I. Unsafe Algae II. What are Algal Blooms and Red Tides? III. For what reason do Algal Blooms happen? IV. What are the impacts of Algal Blooms? V. Where and how frequently do Algal Blooms happen? VI. Assets I. Hurtful Algae Every algal specie are not unsafe. Just a couple out of the a large number of animal varieties are related with the wonder known as an algal blossom. These green growth fall into two classes. The primary classification of unsafe green growth produces poisons that are discharged when ingested by creatures or people. The dinoflagellate Alexandrium tamarense (left) and the diatom Pseudo-nitzschia australis (right) are instances of poison creating alga. The other class of unsafe green growth murder without poisons. These are outfitted with structures, for example, spines and serrated edges that permit them to hold up in fish gill tissues. At the point when this happens it causes aggravation which prompts overproduction of bodily fluid which in the long run prompts demise. This Chaetoceros species (above) is a case of a green growth that slaughters by utilizing specific serrated structures. back to chapter by chapter guide II. What Are Algal Blooms and Red Tides? Algal sprouts are when green growth develops at a quick rate and amass close to the surface, henceforth the expression algal blossom. The expression Red Tide is a misnomer since it has nothing to do with the tides. It alludes to a particular kind of algal blossom that happens when certain types of phytoplankton that contain red shades sprout making the water look red. Red Tides are normally not destructive. The California Noctiluca Bloom is a case of a Red Tide back to chapter by chapter guide III. For what reason Do algal blossoms Occur? Researchers aren't actually certain about how or why algal blossoms begin. One hypothesis is that when temperature, saltiness, and supplements arrive at specific levels there is a huge increment in the measure of green growth.

Saturday, August 22, 2020

Unit 7 Discussion Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Unit 7 Discussion - Research Paper Example nking liquor: â€Å"youth under age 21, school age youthful grown-ups, senior residents, ladies, and ethnic and racial minorities† (National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, n.d., p. 1). From the assessment of the exhibition of the NIAAA and different organizations entrusted with forestalling and tending to liquor addiction, it could be derived the program that intends to forestall and treat liquor addiction is by all accounts ineffectual. From the insights announced by the NIAAA, it was uncovered that as much as 17 million Americans have been determined to have AUD (National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, n.d.). The figure speaks to 5% of the complete populace of the United States which is 313.9 million, as uncovered from the U.S. Evaluation Bureau. Simultaneously, treatment constancy implies â€Å"the procedures that screen and improve the exactness and consistency of an intercession to guarantee it is actualized as arranged and that every segment is conveyed in a practically identical way to all investigation members over time† (Smith, Daunic, and Taylor, 2013). It could viably decide the adequacy of a human administrations program since the checking would involve concentrating on the populace in danger over an extensive time span. As a matter of fact, the shortcomings in the program ought to be distinguished and suitable intercessions ought to be improved to fittingly and at last forestall recognized deviances or maladjusted conduct. National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. (n.d.). Liquor Use Disorders. Recovered from niaaa.nih.gov: http://www.niaaa.nih.gov/liquor wellbeing/review liquor utilization/liquor use-issue National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. (n.d.). Unique Populations and Co-happening Disorders. Recovered from niaaa.nih.gov: http://www.niaaa.nih.gov/liquor wellbeing/uncommon populaces co-happening issue Smith, S., Daunic, An., and Taylor, G. (2013). Treatment Fidelity in Applied Educational Research: Expanding the Adoption and Application of Measures to Ensure

Monday, July 20, 2020

Essay Outlining 101

Essay Outlining 101 Essay Outlining 101 Essay Outlining 101 Writing an outline before writing an essay is a crucial step in the writing process, and yet many people skip this stage and dive right into writing. It’s all too easy to say that writing an essay outline would take too long, or that you already know what you’re writing about, so why write it twice? The truth is that writing a concrete outline is an essential stepping-stone to writing a solid essay, and there’s really no excuse not to. Not only can writing an outline for your essay help you gather your information and organize it logically, it can also help fight writer’s block. Having a logical, ordered set of notes to refer to as you work through the writing process will give you direction and focus when you start to lose motivation. The Inside Higher Ed blog recently posted about SMART writing plans (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound), and how following such a plan can elevate your writing and keep you on track for success. It even cited a study that said writers who adhere to a plan and schedule could produce three pages for every one page than a more spontaneous writer could put out, in the same amount of time. It seems that having an essay outline is not just logical, but it actually helps with writing faster. So now that we know why we need an essay outline, where do we start? No matter the length of your essay, the required topic, or even your level of interest in the subject, there is a basic structure that can be applied to all essays, which helps form the bones of any essay outline. Start with your topic and thesis statement and go from there. Below is an easy outline template that can be expanded to suit any essay: Introduction Topic: State the subject of your paper. Thesis Statement (Introductory): State your position on the topic. Paragraph 1 Argument: Assign a purposeâ€"an argumentâ€"to each paragraph in your essay. Supporting Documentation/Source: Back up each of your arguments with research. Paragraph 2 Argument: Supporting Documentation/Source: Paragraph 3 Argument: Supporting Documentation/Source: […] and so on, depending on the length of your paper. *Note: if your paper is long, you may have two-three paragraphs per argument, and that’s perfectly fine. Thesis Statement (Closing): Reiterate your thesis statement and summarize your arguments. By taking the time to write a logical, concise outline for your essay, you’ll be able to start writing, and keep writing until you’re finished. You won’t have to stop to check your research or make sure that your arguments line up in a logical and smooth manner. Though writing an outline might take a bit of extra time at the beginning, it will make the writing process fly by much quicker. Not only that, but it will give substance and direction to your writing. And if you get stuck, we can help with custom essay outlines and 1-on-1 essay help sessions. Send us an email to find out more! By Ceilidh Marlow References: McCollum, Lesley. (2015, January 13) Create SMART Writing Plans Inside Higher Ed. Retrieved August 24th, 2015 from create-smart-writing-plans Essay Outlining 101 Essay Outlining 101 Essay Outlining 101 Writing an outline before writing an essay is a crucial step in the writing process, and yet many people skip this stage and dive right into writing. It’s all too easy to say that writing an essay outline would take too long, or that you already know what you’re writing about, so why write it twice? The truth is that writing a concrete outline is an essential stepping-stone to writing a solid essay, and there’s really no excuse not to. Not only can writing an outline for your essay help you gather your information and organize it logically, it can also help fight writer’s block. Having a logical, ordered set of notes to refer to as you work through the writing process will give you direction and focus when you start to lose motivation. The Inside Higher Ed blog recently posted about SMART writing plans (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound), and how following such a plan can elevate your writing and keep you on track for success. It even cited a study that said writers who adhere to a plan and schedule could produce three pages for every one page than a more spontaneous writer could put out, in the same amount of time. It seems that having an essay outline is not just logical, but it actually helps with writing faster. So now that we know why we need an essay outline, where do we start? No matter the length of your essay, the required topic, or even your level of interest in the subject, there is a basic structure that can be applied to all essays, which helps form the bones of any essay outline. Start with your topic and thesis statement and go from there. Below is an easy outline template that can be expanded to suit any essay: Introduction Topic: State the subject of your paper. Thesis Statement (Introductory): State your position on the topic. Paragraph 1 Argument: Assign a purposeâ€"an argumentâ€"to each paragraph in your essay. Supporting Documentation/Source: Back up each of your arguments with research. Paragraph 2 Argument: Supporting Documentation/Source: Paragraph 3 Argument: Supporting Documentation/Source: […] and so on, depending on the length of your paper. *Note: if your paper is long, you may have two-three paragraphs per argument, and that’s perfectly fine. Thesis Statement (Closing): Reiterate your thesis statement and summarize your arguments. By taking the time to write a logical, concise outline for your essay, you’ll be able to start writing, and keep writing until you’re finished. You won’t have to stop to check your research or make sure that your arguments line up in a logical and smooth manner. Though writing an outline might take a bit of extra time at the beginning, it will make the writing process fly by much quicker. Not only that, but it will give substance and direction to your writing. And if you get stuck, we can help with custom essay outlines and 1-on-1 essay help sessions. Send us an email to find out more! By Ceilidh Marlow References: McCollum, Lesley. (2015, January 13) Create SMART Writing Plans Inside Higher Ed. Retrieved August 24th, 2015 from create-smart-writing-plans

Thursday, May 21, 2020

The Debate Of Security Versus Privacy Essay - 1257 Words

In 2013, a man named Edward Snowden leaked classified information from the United States National Security Agency (NSA). With this, the public discovered that even if you re not doing anything wrong you re being watched and recorded. The presence of a watchful government wasn’t anything new but the means of surveillance was never fully disclosed by anyone. The biggest question raised by the public was â€Å"does our right to privacy still matter?†. The NSA claims to be doing this in order to protect the rights of citizens, not dissipate them. The debate of security versus privacy† has evolved into a choice between liberty and totalitarian control. Even if tyranny arises due to a global threat, once it’s established, the people are without a voice. Liberty requires security without intrusion, security plus privacy. Even if people have nothing to hide, they should hold onto their rights to privacy as it is better than submitting themselves to the will of an a bsolute power. For free will is the most valuable characteristic of life on earth because with it, we act as individuals rather than subservient drones. in fiction. George Orwell’s 1984 introduces the concept of â€Å"Big Brother,† referring to the omnipotence of government surveillance. The framing of â€Å"Big Brother† represents government surveillance at its worst; Any defection from the norm will result in a person being tortured into submission. In reality, this form of blatant government surveillance will always be metShow MoreRelatedPrivacy And Security : Privacy Vs. Security1503 Words   |  7 Pages Privacy versus Security Privacy is something that is valuable, and gives trust to both sides. Everyone is endowed with some degree of privacy, right? The debate of the topic privacy versus security has been going on for a while. Most people believe privacy is more important, giving people the chance to be relaxed without anyone watching them, literally or figuratively speaking. Governments believe that security is more important, claiming it will help with terrorism and lower the crime rateRead MorePrivacy Is More Important Than Security1594 Words   |  7 PagesPrivacy versus Security Privacy is something that is valuable, and gives trust to both sides. Everyone is endowed with some degree of privacy, right? The debate of the topic privacy versus security has been going on for a while. Most people believe privacy is more important, giving people the chance to be relaxed without anyone watching them, literally or figuratively speaking. Governments believe that security is more important, claiming it will help with terrorism and lower the crime rate. IfRead MorePrivacy vs. Security961 Words   |  4 PagesPrivacy Versus Security The debate regarding the usage of street cameras in Lebanon has been going on since at least 2005. With the amount of violence and corruption that routinely takes place throughout Beirut and other surrounding areas, there are governmental proponents for the usage of such cameras in an attempt to deter future acts of violence. Prior to the middle of the last decade, however, Lebanon was not a place in which video recording in public places routinely took place. As such,Read MoreMonitoring And Collection Of Phone Data1521 Words   |  7 Pagesbecome a serious issue and has struck fear into the hearts of many. In the United States, a debate has arisen about the monitoring and collection of phone data. It is a matter of privacy versus security; in order for the country to be more secure against terrorism, the public must give up some privacy in the form of phone data. Phone data should only be collected when it comes to serious threats to national security using a warrant provided by th e judicial system to collect a specific person’s or groupRead MoreElectronic Communication Privacy Act ( Eassy )1354 Words   |  6 PagesElectronic communication privacy act †¢ The government has set new standards to obtain digital information of citizens introduced in 1986. The law has not changed, but the technology dramatically. ( US public-private partnership for cyber-security , 2010). The government has privilege to get electronic data without needing a warrant. Some sort of movement launched against it to bring a small variation, but the debate is still going on. Cyber intelligence sharing and protection act †¢ This lawRead MoreFree Speech And Political Speech778 Words   |  4 Pagesto people. It is up to us to decide what we want to believe or disregard as false information or rhetoric. Do you think anybody should be allowed to say anything, anywhere, anytime, or do you think that speech should be monitored? The privacy versus security debate has been going on for a long time. The government should not be able to spy on American citizens without cause. What would be the reasonable cause for the government to use cyber tools to spy on its citizens? I think reasonable cause wouldRead MorePrivacy And Security : A Technological World1356 Words   |  6 PagesMegan Gabriel-King Dr. Johnson PHIL 3170-002 26 October 2014 Privacy vs. Security In a Technological World Since the September 11th terrorist attack on the World Trade Center in 2001, the subject of terrorism has played a major role in both politics and media. As America embarked on the war on terrorism, the government became much more aware that threats to our country were both internal and external. In this age of technology it is now more possible than ever to discretely use surveillance softwareRead MoreThe Privacy Of An Individual1700 Words   |  7 Pagesmeasure of right and wrong.† The privacy of an individual is at its most a fundamental right to which one is entitled. Furthermore, the infringement of an individual’s privacy is rarely justified to any extent, even under circumstances with the purpose of protecting a nation because it deprives individuals of their fundamental rights. However, the government believes that they have the authority to trump the privacy of citizens in order to uphold state security for all. It is evident that alternateRead MoreA Brief N ote On The Aviation And Transportation Security Act1125 Words   |  5 PagesInfo. Privacy Business Travel Many people take advantage of air travel, whether it be for business or for travel but post September 11, there have been many issues with privacy in regards to the tightening of security. To fix this problem airport security has started to use full body scanners, searching bags, screening and many other things to tighten security. After 9/11. The Aviation and Transportation Security Act was passed, allowing certain privacy laws to be overlooked. With this security upgradeRead MoreBooks, Pencils, And Security Cameras. Walking And Laughing1613 Words   |  7 PagesBooks, Pencils, and Security Cameras Walking and laughing with your friends down a school hallway to find out that you’re being watched. Feeling like you are tied down or feeling like you have your privacy rights violated, causing you to become very self conscious and uncomfortable. Security cameras should not be placed in schools where students are learning, playing, laughing with their fellow classmates. Children at a young age shouldn’t need to compromise their privacy rights because authorities

Wednesday, May 6, 2020

Essay about King Lear vs. the Stone Angel - 1908 Words

It has been said that, Rivers and mountains may change; human nature, never.(worldofquotes.com) This is a quote that can be deconstructed when examining William Shakespeares King Lear and Margaret Laurences The Stone Angel. When reviewing the two books the main characters, King Lear and Hagar, are easily comparable. The first similarity becomes apparent when King Lear and Hagar are both developed as flawed characters. Secondly, because of their flaws the two characters become blind to reality. Thirdly, after being deceived by themselves and others as a result of their blindness, both characters seek refuge outside of their own homes. By leaving their homes the characters are able to gain perspective on themselves and their pasts.†¦show more content†¦Faced with the reality that neither of his daughters truly love and support him as they had claimed Lear says to Regan, No, Regan, thou shalt never have my curse.(II.iv.170) After realizing her open lack of love for him L ear pleads to Regan and himself, Thou better knowest/ The offices of nature, bond of childhood,/ Effects of courtesy, dues of gratitude./ Thy half of the kingdom hast thou not forgot,/ Wherein I thee endowed.(II.iv.177-181) Because Lear superficially asked his daughters to profess their love, he has now been deceived by their falsely promoted emotions and is impervious to the fact that his daughters have used him to obtain their own power and possessions. In the same way that Lear is blinded to the actions of his daughters because of his flaws, Hagar is blind to her own actions because she is too prideful. When Marvin and Doris try to explain that they are no longer able to provide Hagar with the care she needs Doris mentions that Hagar has been wetting her sheets. Struck by the accusation that she could be so irresponsible and not know about it Hagar says angrily, Thats a lie. I never did any such thing.(74) Even though Doris and Marvin both know that Hagar has been wetting h er sheets every night, Hagar has too much pride to admit that she may have lost control of her own body. Evidently it is because of Hagars pride that she will not acknowledge or admit to her unflattering actions. After recognizing the flaws of both King Lear andShow MoreRelatedKing Lear vs the Stone Angel Blindness1504 Words   |  7 Pagesat all.(Kingslover) This is a quote that can relate the characters in The Stone Angel and King Lear. In the tragedy King Lear, written by William Shakespeare and in the novel The Stone Angel, written by Margaret Laurence, the term blindness has an entirely different meaning. It is not a physical flaw, but the inability of the characters to use their thoughts and emotions to see a person for whom they truly are. King Lear, Gloucester, and Hagar are prime examples of characters that suffered mostRead More King Lear vs. The Stone Angel Essay examples1831 Words   |  8 Pagesâ€Å"Rivers and mountains may change; human nature, never.†(wor ldofquotes.com) This is a quote that can be deconstructed when examining William Shakespeare’s King Lear and Margaret Laurence’s The Stone Angel. When reviewing the two books the main characters, King Lear and Hagar, are easily comparable. The first similarity becomes apparent when King Lear and Hagar are both developed as flawed characters. Secondly, because of their flaws the two characters become blind to reality. Thirdly, after being deceived

Mastering listening Free Essays

There are five basic senses that human beings have in order to perceive society and in order to interact with one’s surroundings.   The sense of touch is often the way to feel what an object is like.   The sense of sight is the manner by which human beings perceive their environment. We will write a custom essay sample on Mastering listening or any similar topic only for you Order Now    The sense of smell is another way of getting acquainted with the world because it allows one to get a whiff of the air in one’s environment.   Another sense is that of taste which allows man to savor the delicacies that are available in the world.   Finally, and perhaps the most underrated of all senses, the sense of hearing by which a person can hear about what goes on in the world. The sense of touch is a great gift because with it a person can feel what objects are like and it allows people to differentiate between textures and feels.   The sense of smell is another wonderful gift because it allows people to have an olfactory experience that introduces man to the many scents of nature.   The sense of sight is also very useful for without it a lot of what man has right now would never have been invented. The sense of taste is also an amazing gift because it allows people to taste the wonderful foods that are available in the world.   While all of these senses have their own advantages, it is only the sense of hearing that allows a person to know how another person is feeling.   It is the only sense that allows a person to find out what is happening in another part of the world.   It can actually see farther than our eyes and allow us to know accurately what goes on in other places. The gift of hearing and the skill of listening is a talent that many people disregard or take for granted.   Not many people realize that the way to find the window into the soul of another is not through any of the other senses except the sense of hearing.   By listening to another person and allowing that person to bare his or her soul, one can learn so much more about another and arrive at a better, deeper and more complete understanding of who the person really is. The intricacies of the soul are revealed when one actually listens to another.   It has been established at this point that the sense of hearing is actually a very important sense as it is the main way by which a person can listen to another.   The next question that must be addressed is the relevancy of listening as a skill. All the senses of the human body are designed to do one thing, receive input that the brain will eventually process.   The listening, as a manner of exercising the sense of hearing, is a manner by which a person is able to gain input with regard to his surroundings and more importantly other people.   People communicate mainly through speech. While there are some traits, feelings, emotions and thoughts that can be conveyed through other means, the primary mode of communicating still remains to be through speech and the only way of understanding speech is by listening.   Communication is the method by which people interact with others.   It involves not only an exchange of ideas but also involves a certain degree of trust or confidence.   That is the reason why listening is so relevant because it allows people to communicate with each other.   Speaking is but one part of the communication process.   The other part is listening. There is certainly no doubt that listening is a skill that many people are capable of doing but is sadly something that not everyone does.   While most humans are equipped with the sense of hearing, there are still those who can hear but cannot listen.   They may be able to hear every single word that has been said to them but they cannot always be considered as listening.   The next question that must be asked is how one can actually listen or become a better listener. Listening is not simply nodding one’s head and hearing what another person is saying but requires that a person actually pay careful attention to the words of another.   It requires that the listener to do more than just absorb whatever the speaker has to say but in certain instances requires that the listener react in such a way as to encourage the speaker to bring out more.   Listening is a way of reassuring the speaker that there is somebody for him to talk to who listens to him.   It is a way of communicating various feelings to another person without the use of words. In order to become a good listener or to develop one’s listening skills, it is not important that the person is genuinely interested in the other or what the other has to say since the purpose of communication and listening is indeed to come to a better understanding of another person.   The thing that is required in order to develop good listening skills is in being able to know when to simply just â€Å"shut up and listen.†Ã‚   There is a certain timing that is needed in listening because listening may often be confused with boredom or disinterest by certain people.   One has to know when to simply just nod one’s head or smile instead of opening one’s mouth to say something.   This is the most important step at becoming a good listener. It is hard to imagine a world where nobody actually listened or paid any attention to other people.   It would probably be a sad world filled with the endless monologue from the unending conversations of people who have nobody to listen to them.   The people of the world would arguably be much sadder too since there would be nobody to listen to their problems or help them vent their frustrations. It is not hard to see just how important the skill of listening is.   It is also thankfully not hard to become a better listener.   The next time somebody says something, try not to respond right away.   Think, learn and feel first and by doing do listening to what the other has to say.   If man had learned this skill earlier, think of all the wars and bloodshed that mankind could have avoided by simply listening to what the other had to say. How to cite Mastering listening, Essay examples

Sunday, April 26, 2020

Of Mice and Men Importance of Friendship George and Lennie free essay sample

Of Mice and Men has many themes presented by Steinbeck, one of which is about friendship. The novella shows the relationship between the protagonists, George and Lennie, and showing how they try to achieve the American Dream by working together. This is in contrast to many of the other characters who are alone by themselves which seems to be the norm at the time of the Great Depression. The reader is able to look at how the need to have a companion is portrayed by Steinbeck, especially during the harsh economic times that the story is set in. The reliance that George and Lennie have on one another is able to emphasise on how it is only the friendship between the two of them which allows them to survive. Lennie saying ‘I got you to look after me, and you got me to look after you. ’ is underlying the true reliance that both George and Lennie have for one another. We will write a custom essay sample on Of Mice and Men Importance of Friendship George and Lennie or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Lennie also sees his friend ‘he pulled his hat down more over his eyes the way George’s hat was. ’ as a role model and sees him as guidance as to how to live his own life. George needs Lennie as much as Lennie needs George despite Lennie being the one who is mentally challenged and in need of constant supervising. Steinbeck also uses the character Lennie to refer to how it should society should be collectively looking after the vulnerable in society rather than George having to look after him by himself. Thus the reliance of each of the main characters on one another emphasises how important the friendship is in keeping both them and the novella together. The friendship is also portrayed by Steinbeck as he is opposing the idea of people working just by themselves. â€Å"Guys like us, that work on ranches, are the loneliest guys in the world. They got no family. They belong no place†¦they ain’t got nothing to look ahead to. †Ã‚   is showing what Steinbeck sees of the idea of itinerant workers being by themselves. This is despite the fact it would have much likely to be easier during the time of the Great Depression to be by yourself and have a sustinent way of life. Yet Steinbeck emphasises friendship by looking at how unhappy the people who are by themselves are. The fact that Lennie who can only understand basic ideas is able to see the migrant workers as ‘lonely’ goes to point out how a companion is needed to be able to live a happy life. They are also said to have ‘nothing to look ahead to,’ which counters the idea that people are able to achieve the American Dream just through hard work and determination from ‘rags to riches’. As a pair they are going against the ideology of ‘every man for himself’ which is preached as w Thus George and Lennie being together can be seen to show how they are closer to achieving the dream as a result of being able to work together. They are able to share the dream between one another which makes it a serious possibility. The circular narrative which then destroys the dream only makes it more tragic as it seems as if they had a possibility but there never was. This is what Steinbeck uses to undermine the idea of the American Dream for it is not even realistic despite co-operation. Thus due to the economic depression, Steinbeck shows that friendship is important to be able to cope through the difficult times The friendship is also important in comparing to other characters in the novella that are depicted as lonely as well as being the vulnerable in society. Curley’s wife is seen as one of the most isolated characters ‘Think I don’t like to talk to somebody ever once in a while. ’ for all she desires is attention and for people to take notice of her. The fact that she has no-one to be with is what leads her to acting in a promiscuous manner and eventually this is also a cause of her death. Thus the strive to be happy without a friend can be fatal. Crooks is also a person who strives for friendship, ‘Spose you didnt have nobody. Spose you couldnt go into the bunk house and play rummy cause you was black. ’ but it is unable to get it because of his colour. This is also emphasises the oppressive nature of society at the time because Crooks is lonely for he has been segregated. Although most of the men have no true friends, they at least get to play cards and associate with others. Lennie, because of the colour of his skin and his friendship with George, cannot possibly understand Crooks plight. George chooses to kill Lennie at the novels end, realizing that Lennie could not stand the loneliness of being locked up in a prison or an asylum. This is also able to highlight the true friendship which is separated at the end which also brings an end to the novella. Thus the need for companionship, which is shown by other characters that are victimised within society, is emphasised as other strive for what George and Lennie have. Throughout the book Steinbeck uses many characters to emphasize a message which he wants to get across to the reader. This is how the importance of being able to share a friend was vital during the 1930’s as it was the time of the Depression era and everyone always needed someone else to be with. This is what makes the true friendship between George and Lennie a key component of the novella.

Wednesday, March 18, 2020

Our Day Out †Theatre Essay

Our Day Out – Theatre Essay Free Online Research Papers Our Day Out Theatre Essay The play â€Å"Our Day Out† is about a school class from Liverpool that go on a school trip to Wales. They go to a few places along the way like the zoo an old castle and the beach. One of the teachers, Miss Kay, wants all the people on the trip to have fun – this leads to a lot of disturbance, like the children stealing animals from the zoo and the old castle being overrun with chaos. While on the other hand Mr Briggs is a very strict teacher who wants the trip to be solely educational. Another main character is Carol, who is one of the students on the trip. She plays a big part in the cliff scene. This scene is significant, as it is the turning point in the two teacher’s personalities. You can see how Miss Kay and Mr Briggs react when under pressure and after the cliff scene Mr Briggs changes his attitude from the grouchy man to the good-hearted and amusing teacher that was all along inside of him. If I was to set the scene I would set it on a frosty and windy day, this would make the impression that something wicked is a about to take place. To make dramatic tension and a scary feeling I want the theatre to be huge and with loads of height. I want the cliff, which is shown in the diagrams, to be hanged from a wall about 15 feet up from the ground so that the height of the cliff will scare anyone standing on it or even the audience. So that none of the actor’s backs are shown to the audience I want the audience to be seated either side of the cliff in increasing rows so that everyone can see. I want the whole of the inside of the theatre to be painted in sky blue and I want painted seagulls dotted around. Because of the height of the cliff and the safety of the actors I want mats all over the floor painted in sea colours. In the corners of the theatre there will be speakers, which will project the sound of waves and seagulls so that the audience feel more like they are n ear the beach instead of inside a theatre. The audience will feel like they are part of the scene as instead of the side of the cliff been pinned to one wall and the audience been on the other side, it will be sticking out into the audience and the audience will be either side. To make the more of the dramatic tension I would need both actors to shout most of their lines, like when Carol says â€Å"Don’t lie you! I know you hate me. I’ve seen you goin’ home in your car, passin’ us on the streets. And the way y’ look at us. You hate all the kids.† , but more so with Mr Briggs as he is the strict teacher while for Carol I’ll need to have tears in her eyes in the middle of the scene, this would make the audience feel sorry for her. At one moment Mr Briggs is very annoyed by Carol, he says â€Å"Now just you listen to me – I’ve had just enough today, just about enough and I’m not putting up with a pile of silliness from the like of you†¦Ã¢â‚¬  This shows that Mr Briggs’s patience has run out. I would like the actor that plays Mr Briggs to play a typical strict teacher, loud, clear, stern, angry look and standing upright and tall to make himself big. At this point Carol steps clo ser to the edge of the cliff, the audience will start to feel scared. On the quote Willy Russell uses short sentences to the actor speak quickly, this is also effective in building up tension. Right towards the end the atmosphere changes, the quote â€Å"Nothing. I promise you†. At this time he is trying to comfort Carol as she as been through a lot. The quote shows a change in Mr Briggs personality, he now seems like a trustworthy man. You can see carol’s feelings towards Mr Briggs, as in the quote â€Å"Don’t lie you! I know you hate me. I’ve seen you goin’ home in your car, passin’ us on the streets. And the way y’ look at us. You hate all the kids.† This moment shows that Carol knows that Mr Briggs doesn’t like kids and that Mr Briggs doesn’t have a good attitude towards them. I want to highlight the fact that that Carol doesn’t like Mr Briggs and neither does he like her. When the actor says these line s I want her to have an angry look and speak very clearly with her lines. On the quote Willy Russell uses short sentences to the actor speak quickly, this is also effective in building up tension. To show Mr Briggs feelings I’ve used the quote â€Å"Carol. Carol, please come away from there. Please†¦Ã¢â‚¬  At this point Carol smiles and the audience will be relieved that she didn’t jump. This moment shows that although Mr Briggs is a strict teacher who has a bad attitude to kids, he still cares for them and that is also what I want to highlight. This moment would also show his real personality. I want the actor when speaking these lines to hold out his hand to show trust and to also have a soft, gentle voice, which will calm Carol. To show Carol’s personality I have used the quote â€Å"Why can’t I just stay out here, eh? Why can’t I live in one of them nice white houses an’ do the garden an’ that?† This shows that she h as an accent. It would also show that she like gardening which would also show her personality as a patient, calm girl but on the other hand the scene shows that she can’t wait to grow up and doesn’t seem calm either. As the school is from Liverpool it’s not surprising that Carol has an accent. I want Carol’s actress to play with a northern accent. Towards the end Carol says â€Å"Sir, Sir, y’ know if you’d been my old feller, I woulda been all right all right, wouldn’t I? At this point Carol moves to the very edge of the cliff. The sentence makes you think that it is her end because she talks about what she could have been if something was different and as this is the kind of thing you say towards the end of your life. The audience will be very scared at this point as they think she is going to jump. When you see that hunters are about to kill Bambi’s mother in the film Bambi you start to feel scared. When they kill her and you start to sob, you start to wonder- why is there a sudden death in such an innocent film? In some respects the play has the same effect of when Carol is about to jump off the cliff, you think that why should anyone die and especially in such an innocent play. When she doesn’t jump you feel relieved that a young and innocent girl that only wanted to have a nice house and do the garden up nicely, didn’t throw her life away. To achieve the same scare that you got in Bambi, I would make sure that the actress playing Carol moves very slowly towards the ends of the cliff and when she walks to the cliff I want the actress to walk backwards to the edge. Research Papers on Our Day Out - Theatre EssayHonest Iagos Truth through DeceptionWhere Wild and West MeetStandardized TestingThe Masque of the Red Death Room meaningsAnalysis Of A Cosmetics AdvertisementTrailblazing by Eric AndersonComparison: Letter from Birmingham and CritoRelationship between Media Coverage and Social andPersonal Experience with Teen PregnancyThe Hockey Game

Monday, March 2, 2020

Interview Storytelling How to Tell a Story During Your Interview

Interview Storytelling How to Tell a Story During Your Interview â€Å"I remember the daffodils were beautiful that summer. I was young then, just starting out, full of optimism and joie de vivre†¦What? My management skills? Don’t worry, I’m getting to that part eventually.† One of the best things about the in-person (or phone) job interview is that it gives you a chance to take your sterile-looking, rigidly bulleted resume and create a more rounded narrative of yourself and your career. But it’s an area that takes a bit of skill and finesse. You don’t want to end up way out in Tangentville, but you also don’t want to seem like you can’t back up the information on your resume.Find Your NarrativeBefore the interview, it’s important to limber up by coming up with the narrative you want to express during the interview. Is it that you’re a tough leader who always wants to improve? Are you a problem solver who thrives on challenges? Once you work out what you want to achieve with your interview (and what works well with the job description), you can shape your stories and anecdotes to bolster that narrative.Storytelling isn’t just a way to package yourself, it’s also a way to pull in the interviewer and make them care more about the person and resume sitting in front of them. [via DynamicYield]What to Talk AboutAt The Muse, they recommend having six types of stories in your pocket for any interview:Solving ProblemsProblem solving is a very highly regarded skill for hiring managers. They need to know that you’ll step in and be able to handle things on your own.Talk about: You resolved a conflict between two coworkers, or between you and someone else. You came up with a solution to a crisis at the last minute. You identified an area of cost savings that helped save a budget crisis.DON’T talk about: The time you brokered a peace deal between your two fighting frat brothers, or between your mom and Aunt Susan at Thanksgiving. Unless you ma naged a peace deal in the Middle East in your spare time, stick to work-related stories.Overcoming ChallengesEveryone loves the underdog, right? And sure, it’s good to have examples of when things went well, but many interviewers want to know about how you do when things aren’t going so well. In this story, it’s important to identify the challenge, but more important to show how you conquered it successfully.Talk about: You had a difficult relationship with your boss, but came to an understanding. You found a new and more efficient process for doing something that used to take hours. You had a crazy deadline for a project- and met itDON’T talk about: How you started waking up on time after you got in trouble for constantly coming in late.Bouncing Back from MistakesYou’re not perfect. Spoiler alert†¦the interviewer knows that. The trick here is turning mistakes to your advantage. It’s important to be selective here; you want to pick some thing that wasn’t too egregious, and also something that shows real professional growth. Be sure to focus on the outcome (how you’ve pivoted and this mistake made you stronger) over the mistake itself.For this one, you not only have to be a storyteller, but also a spinmaster. It’s important to show that you’re a better and stronger employee for the experience, which of course wouldn’t be repeated in your new job.Talk about: A mistake you made early in your career that made you better at your job. A knowledge gap that you worked hard to address.DON’T talk about: The time you almost got fired for negligence. A major mistake you made for which you never got caught. The time you hit reply-all to make a snarky comment about someone on the email chain, even though you meant to forward it to your friend Jake only. Or the confidential company information that somehow got made public via your Twitter account.Making Good DecisionsThis is not the time for an elaborate story that ends with your colleagues carrying you out of the conference room on their shoulders, chanting your name. Look for stories that show how you took charge of a situation, or managed others to a successful outcome.Talk about: The team you led to a successful year of sales. The event you organized (and went well). The project you spearheaded.DON’T talk about: Successful initiatives where you weren’t actually the person in charge. It’s a dangerous game, taking credit for things. You never know who knows whom, and what can be factchecked as soon as you leave the interview.Working Well with OthersYou don’t have to be the shining leader here, it’s more about how you interact. This one is pretty flexible- any kind of project you’ve done in conjunction with other people will do. Colleagues, clients, volunteers, all are potential teamwork stories.Talk about: The event you organized in conjunction with others. The high-profil e project that involved several different departments.DON’T talk about: Times you didn’t get along with others, or had conflicts.Being, You Know, a Real PersonSometimes you get a bit of a wildcard, an interviewer saying, â€Å"So tell me about yourself.† Rather than launch into a chronological timeline of your education and experience, pick a story or two that expresses your priorities and values. It doesn’t have to be strictly related to work, but if you can use it to shore up one of the big skills (leadership, problem solving, commitment, etc.), all the better.Talk about: You’re training for a marathon. You speak three languages and are working on a fourth. On weekends, you volunteer at a farm for rescued mongooses.DON’T talk about: Inappropriate personal stories. Health issues. Political activities.How to Frame Your StoriesGood interview stories do two things:1. They tell the interviewer something about you that goes beyond your resume bu llet points.2. They engage the interviewer.It’s the same as any story you tell, whether you’re hanging out at a cafà © with friends or in a job interview: you want to tell it in the best, most entertaining way. This does not mean you need to adopt a Catskills comedian persona (â€Å"take my boss†¦please!†), but it’s worth the effort to put a little sparkle on your stories, even if they’re just meant to flesh out the bullet points on your resume.Make the listener care about what you’re saying.Try to tie things back to the job at hand. If you’re talking about leadership skills, talk about how your past leadership makes you a great fit for this job managing three employees. Show the value of these stories to the company that might hire you.Stick to the important points.These stories should be short (maybe only a few sentences). You want to make sure you zero in on the most important details: who, what, when, where, and how it appli es to this new job.Be upbeat.People respond to tone, and if you try to keep the story light and professional, it helps maintain that tone for the overall interview.Make sure there’s a clear ending.You don’t want to trail off, or wrap up with a weak, â€Å"So†¦yeah.† End on a strong note about your goals or what you hope to achieve in this new job.Keep it as short as possible.Here, the sweet spot is somewhere between one-or-two word answers and a ten-minute monologue. Try out some standard answers to interview questions as part of your pre-interview prep. Time yourself†¦if you feel like you’ve been talking for a while without coming up for air, you probably have. If you find that your story is going more than a minute or two, start thinking of spots where you can cut it down.What Not to DoWhen thinking about the stories you want to tell in an interview, the things not to do are just as important as the story itself.Don’t use a timeline.Thi s happened, and then this happened, and then this other thing happened.† I’m already asleep, can you repeat that last event? Instead, try a pattern of â€Å"this happened, and this was the result. What I learned from this was†¦Ã¢â‚¬ Don’t use jargon.Try to keep terms as universal as possible. If you’re talking to someone whom you know is familiar with them, or they’re culturally appropriate to your industry, it’s okay to use specific words, but don’t take for granted that everyone will know what a GMU report is if they haven’t mentioned it before.Don’t make stuff up.The truth is always the best in a job interview scenario. Even if it would make for a better story if you accepted the Nobel Peace Prize at the end, it’s not worth the embarrassment of getting caught in a fib.Don’t leave the professional zone.Even if you’re asked to talk about hobbies or personal interests, don’t use that as an excuse to list all of your pet topics. Pick one or two that you can talk about, and for goodness’s sake, make sure they’re work appropriate. (Any story where your friend had to bail you out- not great.)Moral of the StoryAt the end of the interview, you want to feel like you’ve achieved a good balance between the you-on-paper (your resume) and your presentation. Using stories and anecdotes to show (not tell) how those bullet points and skill actually shape your career is a great skill to have, and just takes a little practice.

Saturday, February 15, 2020

Kurds Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Kurds - Research Paper Example some of them are nomadic pastoralists while others are settled farmers. However, the majority of the population relies on agriculture as the sole source of subsistence. Thus, if a generalized pattern is to be drawn, agriculture can be considered as a sole source of living. The social organizations can be studied in context to the mode of subsistence, as settlers generally follow the feudal system while the nomads are associated more with the tribal system (Leach, 1940). Similarly, the kinship also relates to the subsistence modes of the Kurds as the system of 12 families relates to the land ownership within a family. Gender relations for the most part being equal also reflect the ownership of an entire family over one piece of land, thus portraying equal rights over the property. Political organization associated with the system of Ashiret is based on the lineage system which is also in turn driven by the mode of subsistence. Thus, more or less, almost all patterns of Kurdish lifesty le are connected with their source of living, reflecting an interesting connection between the survival modes and the cultural patterns of any group. Prior to analyzing any cultural patterns found in the Kurdish population, it is crucial to study the population to understand their historical origins and their lifestyles. Kurds are identified as an ethno-linguistic group living in the mountain range starting from the Euphrates River, extending towards Northern Syria and even Turkey, and further ending near Iran. This entire area where Kurdish population is found in abundance is identified as Kurdistan. Though the Kurds are striving towards the formation of an independent Kurdistan as it is rich with oil reserves and other resources, it has no geographical standing in the world so far. The Kurdish language is an important element of the Kurdish unity – though diverse in nature, it generally relates to the Farsi language in general. About 30-35 Million Kurds can be traced around the globe, with most of them being Sunni Salafi Muslims. However, most of them aren’t fundamentalists and the concept of veil of segregation of women from men isn’t that common. With time, this community is also being modernized to adapt to the changing needs of the time. (McDowall, 1989) As mentioned above, the mode of sustenance in the Kurdish population varies somewhere between the nomads and the settlers. Nomads are usually the pastoralists, while the main mode of sustenance for the settlers is farming. Most of the Kurdish population, however, is comprised of those who are the settled farmers, and the most common crops found in Kurdistan are wheat as well as barley. In addition, other vegetables and crops including peas, rice, lentils, and garden vegetables are also commonly found in Kurdistan. Goats and sheep are the most crucial animals as they are a source of dairy products, wool, and other products. These modes of subsistence are important to be analyzed and u nderstood, as the entire lives of these Kurds revolve around it. Since most of them are farmers, land is an important entity for them. Thus, the patterns of land ownership, in turn, decide who will be the most powerful of all, which further identifies other cultural variables and determinants. (Leach, 1940) Commenting on the social organizations being most dominant in Kurdistan, two patterns can be traced accordingly. The first pattern relates to the nomadic way of life, as they follow the tribal system. Since nomads are historically found

Sunday, February 2, 2020

Harassment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Harassment - Essay Example The Directive defined harassment as, "[...] unwanted conduct related to the sex of a person occurs with the purpose or effect of violating the dignity of a person, and of creating an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment" (European Parliament, 2002). The purpose of the directive was to protect equal access to employment, education, opportunity, and working conditions. Individual EU states can pass laws that are more restrictive that the EU standard, but they are required to attain the minimum standard set by Directive 2002/73/EC. Ireland broadly defines harassment as, "spoken words, gestures or the production, display or circulation of written words, pictures or other material which is unwelcome and could reasonably be regarded as offensive, humiliating, or intimidating" (Quinlivan, 2004). Outside the workplace harassment may include threatening telephone calls, bullying, stalking, or instilling fear through intimidation. According to the US Equal Opportunity Employment Commission, sexual harassment in the workplace in the United States is defined as "Unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature [...]" (Sexu

Saturday, January 25, 2020

Elements In The Road Not Taken Essay -- essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the poem â€Å"The Road Not Taken†, author Robert Frost uses the simple image of a road to represent a person’s journey through life. A well-established poet, Frost does a proficient job of transforming a seemingly common road to one of great importance, which along the way helps one identify who they really are. This poem is one of self-discovery. Frost incorporates strong elements of poetry such as theme, symbolism, rhyme scheme, diction, imagery, and tone to help create one of his most well known pieces about the human experience.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The main theme of the poem that Frost attempts to convey is how important the decisions that one makes can be, and how they affect one’s future. In lines 2-3, he expresses the emotions of doubt and confusion by saying, â€Å"And sorry I could not travel/ And be one traveler, long I stood†, which explains how the speaker contemplated their decision of which road to take. In the closing, line 20 of the poem further reestablishes the theme when it states, â€Å"that has made all the difference†, meaning that making the decision of which road to take for themselves is the important key for a successful future. Frost helps to express this theme by using symbolism to portray a road as one’s journey of life. Using symbolism, Frost suggests that the speaker of this poem is taking the harder of the two roads presented before them, because the road the speaker chooses, â€Å"leaves no step had trodden black† (12...

Thursday, January 16, 2020

Diversity and Inclusion an Organization Emperical Study of Hul

ABSTRACT In the last few years, the focus of efforts in companies across the land has shifted from diversity to a focus on inclusion. This sea change has happened without fanfare and almost without notice. In most organizations, the word inclusion has been added to all the company's diversity materials with no explanation. This article is a short account of why this shift has happened and what it means. Probably the most widely-read article on diversity in organizations was Roosevelt Thomas's â€Å"From Affirmative Action to Affirming Diversity,† which appeared in the Harvard Business Review in 1990.Diversity, said Thomas, was no longer about complying with a legal mandate but about seeking to create a diverse workforce because it would be beneficial to the organization. Before 1990, most large companies had an Employment Equity and Affirmative Action Officer, usually a lower-level employee who worked in the bowels of the organization compiling statistics about how many employ ees were in targeted groups, eg, people of color and women. This project covers all the aspects of cross culture to the managing diversity by HUL. This project includes primary data analysis and the end of project recommendation also to be provided.Content Abstractii Signatory pageiii Topic approval letteriv Acknowledgmentv Approved thesis synopsisvii 1. Introduction 2. company profile 3. literature review 4. research methodology 5. finding and analysis 6. recommendation 7. CONCLUSION 8. Bibliography 9. annexure – questionnaire INTRODUCTION [pic] Today, at the beginning of the 21st century, the world is submerged in a wide range of demographic trends which have the potential to radically change the demographic, cultural and ethical mixture of the population in many countries within just a few decades.Top managers often say that their company's people are its most important asset. In a tight job market and a global economy a company that puts people first – regardless o f their race, religion, gender, age, sexual preference, or physical disability – wins. Companies, especially big multinational players which have to deal with these changes, are growingly forced to react. Employees, once a homogenous group in many countries, are increasingly diverse and need to be integrated within and into working environments.Diversity can present an immense source of opportunities but it can also mean the opposite, a big threat. Diversity management is a managerial approach in response to these trends and can help companies to effectively and efficiently manage their personnel diversity, i. e. personnel made up of diverse and multifaceted people. The text argues that a diverse workforce can be regarded as an instrument of sales promotion, a marketing tool to induce customers to buy certain products or services.To be successful at creating workforce diversity program involves attracting and retaining the highest quality individuals in the talent pool. For t he HR professional it means looking beyond obvious recruitment methods and venues for good people, then learning how to manage human potential sensitively. It requires an ever-increasing awareness of how people from different backgrounds deal with authority, communication, overall business etiquette, and relate to their communities of affiliation. Promoting workforce diversity is a process that takes place in many stages and on many levels.It requires HR professionals first to recruit a competent and qualified staff, then to accommodate individual needs within the context of the work team and the organization. In today's world of cultural diversity, our business can't thrive unless we implement a workforce diversity initiative. Besides tapping into the unique abilities and talents of people from different backgrounds, we can improve our image in the community by opening up a place of business to anyone regardless of race, color, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation and disability. What is diversity? Diversity to us means all aspects in which people differ from one another.This includes both the visible and relatively easily demonstrable personal characteristics such as gender, age and ethnicity, as well as the less visible personal characteristics, such as competencies, needs and wants, work styles and character traits. Each employee has his or her own, unique combination of such characteristics. Another definition describes diversity as creating high performing organizations through valuing and using all the talents of employees of different groups. Regardless of how diversity is defined, it is an issue that is sweeping the nation.If the corporate society does not address the issue by learning how to manage diversity, they will fail. â€Å"It is very helpful to suggest that diversity is not so much an end in itself as it is a condition of our society and the condition of the World in which we live. † Frank Wong Vice President for Academic Affairs Univ ersity of Redlan Diversity Management Managing diversity is one of the most important challenges faced by managers and their organizations. In today’s work environment, co-workers are likely to be of different gender, age, religion, cultural background, race and ethnicity.They also differ in terms of lifestyle, choices available, perspectives, attitudes, value system, beliefs, behaviors, expectations, skills and experiences. These issues are not just about discriminatory practices but they modify the nature and demands placed on leadership and management and bring into prominence the concept of diversity. How well or how prepared managers are able to invest in the concept of diversity will impact not just on work issues but also on sensitivity to customer’s needs, legal compliance, business’ ethical issues, profitability and even social cohesion.Diversity management is a strategic process to manage a diverse workforce-including the fight against stereotypes, pre judice and all kind of discrimination due to the individual perceptions and assumptions- in the manner to maximize the benefit and minimize barriers of different opinions, behavior and attitudes of human beings within a company. PRINCIPLES OF DIVERSITY MANAGEMENT [pic] Categorization of Diversity Management Diversity management can be divided into two categories- 1. The internal effect has an influence on organizational structural changes within the company. 2.The external effect concerns the environment of the company e. g. customers, stakeholders, suppliers etc. The concept of diversity management is extensive; there are various components of diversity as follows: Diversity of ethnicity, nationality and cultures Diversity of demography (gender, age and experience) Diversity of competencies (educational and professional backgrounds) Diversity of organizational functions and processes Diversity of networks (i. e. relationships and communications channels and/or patterns etc. ) Misce llaneous diversity (sexual preferences, occupational disabilities, i. . handicap or physical mobility, etc. ) Work Force as a challenge First, there is an increase in the cost of training. This increase comes from costs associated with seminars, programs and lectures given to promote diversity in the corporation. These types of training are given to all levels of staff within the organization. They teach employees others. These programs also teach one how to deal with conflicts and prejudice in a professional and civil manner. A disadvantage of diversity in the workplace is an increase in conflicts.Conflicts arise when two or more individuals or groups do not see eye to eye on a particular situation. In regard to diversity, conflicts arise largely due to ignorance. Prejudice feelings or derogatory comments cause a lack of acceptance. â€Å"This can produce negative dynamics such as ethnocentrism, stereotyping and culture clashes†. The most common conflict comes from one feeli ng superior. If management ignores such conflicts, the company's performance may suffer. If conflicts can be managed and controlled creativity and performance can be increased.Employers will work harder to gain acceptance by creating a solution or invention first. Increases in labor turnover and absenteeism are another disadvantage in having a diverse workplace. Research has shown that the turnover rate for African Ameri-Ongori and Agolla 075cans in the US workforce is 40 percent greater than whites. Another study by Corning Glass stated that between the years 1980 – 1987, the turnover rate for women in a professional job was two times higher than males. Women also have a 58 percent higher absentee rate than men.Yet, another study shows that a person, who is not a member of the â€Å"inner group†, will be one of the first to leave a company (White, 1999). Some research contradicts the idea that flextime reduces these rates; however absenteeism and turnover can cost a c ompany up to and over $3 million annually. Workforce diversity increases labor turnover and absenteeism in organizations on employee satisfaction and productivity. Employees who perceive themselves as valued members of their organization are harder working, involved, and innovative.Unfortunately, minority-group members often feel less valued than do majority-group members due to stereotyping, ethnocentrism, and prejudice. Mismanagement of diversity in the form of denied access or unfavorable treatment can have negative consequences, such as inhibiting workers' abilities and motivation. Work Force as an Opportunity Managing diversity can create a competitive advantage. Potential benefits of this diversity include better decision making, higher creativity and innovation, greater success in marketing to foreign and domestic ethnic minority communities, and a better distribution of economic opportunity.Organizations with a diverse workforce can provide superior services because they can better understand customers’ needs. Diversity enhances creativity and innovation (Adler, 1997; Jackson et al. , 1992), and produces competitive advantages. Why should we strive for diversity in personnel? An often heard argument to avoid having to put energy into diversity is that it only leads to misunderstanding, undesired formation of groups, communication problems and conflicts in the work force. When put like this, paying attention to diversity seems a useless investment.But demographic developments cannot be ignored. In situations like labor shortage, organizations cannot permit themselves to exclude a substantial part of the labor force. Diversity in personnel has different advantages pertaining to business economics: Attraction for a wider group of customers: more people can identify with the organization. This could increase your turnover; More creativity within the organization: diversity leads to innovative products and services, which is necessary to compete with other businesses; An improved business image: more people see you as an ’employer of choice’.Diversity covers a wide variety of issues, including communicating with employees, whose first language is not English, helping a diverse team cope with conflict, learning which rewards are valued by different groups, and dealing with discrimination. Managers can improve handling of diversity issues by following these eight behaviors. Embrace diversity: Successfully valuing diversity starts with accepting the principle of multiculturalism. Accept the value of diversity for its own sake — not simply because you have to. You need to reflect your acceptance in all you say and do.Recruit broadly: When you have job openings, work to get a diverse applicant pool. Avoid relying on referrals from current employees, since this tends to produce candidates similar to your present workforce. Select fairly: Make sure your selection process doesn’t discriminate. Particularly, ensure that selection tests are job-related. Provide orientation and training for minorities: Making the transition from outsider to insider can be particularly difficult for nontraditional employees. Sensitize all employees: Encourage all employees to embrace diversity.Provide diversity training to help all employees see the value in diversity. Strive to be flexible: Part of valuing diversity is recognizing that different groups have different needs and values. Be flexible in accommodating employee requests Seek to motivate individually: You need to be aware of the background, cultures, and values of employees. What motivates a si0ngle mother with two young children and who is working full time to support her family is likely to be different from the needs of a young, single, part-time employee or an older employee who is working to supplement his or her retirement income.Encourage employees to embrace and value diverse views: Create traditions and ceremonies that promote diversity . Celebrate diversity by accentuating its positive aspects. But also be prepared to deal with the challenges of diversity such as mistrust, miscommunication, and lack of cohesiveness, attitudinal differences, and stress. IMPORTANCE OF DIVERSE WORKFORCE Our Nation is made up of people from diverse backgrounds, cultures, customs and beliefs. It is those differences that contribute to the richness and strength of our society. Like our Nation, the workforce Is also becoming more and more diverse.As a result, in order to recruit, hire and retain the best people from every background and community, we must foster diversity in our workforce, manage it effectively, and value what it has to offer. A diverse workforce is critical for any organization that seeks to improve and maintain a competitive advantage. Focusing on diversity and looking for ways to achieve an inclusive environment is not just a â€Å"nice to have objective,† it makes a good business sense. A diverse workforce off ers greater productivity and a competitive edge.Diversity improves the quality of our workforce and offers a higher return on our investment in human capital. Our agency’s future depends on the quality of employees we recruit today. New employees often consider an organization’s diversity efforts when deciding whether to accept or reject an employment offer. Potential candidates are usually more attracted to employers that are committed to sustaining a diverse workforce. Moreover, diverse perspectives increase creativity as they offer different perspectives, ideas and solutions. BENFITSPeople have a lot of viewpoints and having people from many backgrounds and places in life brings a lot of those viewpoints into the mix. In some situations, a lot of viewpoints give us a lot of options. Plus, since there are many different viewpoints and environments in the workers, there are many opportunities for these different viewpoints to come into the planning of strategic initia tives, allowing the firm to serve a wider group of consumers and interests. The Various . advantages of having a diverse workforce are the following; 1.It helps motivating employees. 2. It enhances the innovation and creativity of employees. 3. It helps in reducing cost. 4. It creates flexibility in the organization. 5. Immediate access to problem solving. 6. Easy transfer of knowledge. 7. Better marketing structure. 8. Innovative work environment. 9. Immediate outcomes. 10. Fulfillment of social responsibility. 11. It helps attract and retain employees. Management of Diversity in leading INC’s A manager or the superior must be aware of the background, cultures, and values of employees.The motivation factors for a full time working mother to support her two young children are different from the needs of a young, single, part-time employee or an older employee who is working to supplement his or her retirement. COMPANY PROFILE Introduction Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL), a 5 1%-owned subsidiary of Anglo-Dutch giant Unilever, has been prying its way into India since 1888. India's largest consumer goods company, HHL markets products such as beverages, food, and home and personal care goods. Its brands include Kwality Wall's ice cream, Lifebuoy soap, Lipton tea, Pepsodent toothpaste, and Surf laundry detergent.HUL markets atta (a type of meal), maize, rice, salt, and specialty chemicals, and its export division ships castor oil and fish. The company also sells bottled water and over-the-counter healthcare products. Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL) is India's largest fast moving consumer goods company, with leadership in Home & Personal Care Products and Foods & Beverages. HUL's brands, spread across 20 distinct consumer categories, touch the lives of two out of three Indians. They endow the company with a scale of combined volumes of about 4 million tonnes and sales of Rs. 10,000 crores.The vision that inspires HUL's 32,400 employees (40,000 including Grou p Companies), including about 1,425 managers, is to â€Å"meet everyday needs of people everywhere – to anticipate the aspirations of our consumers and customers and to respond creatively and competitively with branded products and services which raise the quality of life. † This objective is achieved through the brands that the company markets. Business nature HUL is India's largest marketer of Soaps, Detergents and Home Care products. It has the country’s largest Personal Products business, leading in Shampoos, Skin Care Products, Colour Cosmetics, and Deodorants.HUL is also the market leader in Tea, Processed Coffee, branded Wheat Flour, Tomato Products, Ice cream, Soups, Jams and Squashes. HUL is also one of the country's biggest exporters and has been recognized as a Golden Super Star Trading House by the Government of India; it is a net foreign exchange earner. HUL is India's largest exporter of branded fast moving consumer goods. The company's Exports por tfolio includes HUL's brands of Soaps and Detergents, Personal Products, Home Care Products, Tea and Coffe Market leading brands HUL’s brands have become household names. The company’s strategy is to oncentrate its resources on 30 national power brands, and 10 other brands which are strong in certain regions. The top five brands together account for sales of over Rs. 3000 crores. Some of the big brands in Soaps and Detergents are Lifebuoy, Lux, Liril, Hamam, Breeze, Dove, (all soaps), Surf Excel, Surf, Rin, Wheel (the number one detergent brand in India, and HUL's largest), 501, Sunlight (all detergents). HUL also markets the Vim and Domex range of Home Care Products. In the Personal Products business, HUL's Hair Care franchises are Clinic, Sunsilk and Lux shampoos; the company markets Nihar oil.In Oral Care, the portfolio comprises Close-up and Pepsodent toothpastes and toothbrushes. In Skin Care, HUL markets Fair & Lovely Skin Cream and Lotion, the largest selling Sk in Care Product in India; a brand developed in India, it is now exported to over 30 countries. It has been extended as an Ayurvedic cream, an under-eye cream, a soap and a talc, in line with the strategy to take brands across relevant categories. The other major Skin Care franchises are Pond’s, Vaseline, Lakme and Pears. In Colour Cosmetics, HUL markets the Lakme and Elle-18 ranges.In Deodorants, the key brands are Rexona, Axe, Denim and Pond's, while the Talc brands are Pond's, Liril, Fair & Lovely, Vaseline and Lifebuoy. Axe and Denim are HUL’s franchises for Men’s toiletries. SWOT ANALYSIS OF HUL STRENGTHS: ? strong brand portfolio ? consumer understanding ? R ability ? distribution reach ? high quality manpower WEAKNESSES: ? Increased consumer spends on education, consumer durable, entertainment, travel, etc resulting in lower share of wallet for FMCG ? limited success in changing the eating habits of people complex supply chain configuration and unwieldy nu mber of stock keeping units (SKUs) with dispersed manufacturing locations ? price positioning in some categories that allows for low price competition and high social costs in the plantation business. OPPORTUNITIES: ? market and brand growth through increased penetration especially in rural areas ? brand growth through increased consumption depth and frequency of usage across all categories. ? upgrading consumers through innovation to new levels of quality and performance. ? emerging modern trade to be effectively used for introduction of more upscale personal care products. growing consumption in out of home categories. ? Positioning HUL as a sourcing hub for Unilever companies elsewhere and leveraging the latest IT technologies. THREATS: ? low-priced competition now being present in all categories ? grey imports ? spurious/counterfeit products in rural areas and small towns ? Changes in fiscal benefits and unfavorable prices in oils, tea commodity, etc. DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION AT HUL Diversity and inclusion is about creating a work force that represents the global communities in which we live and work and ensuring an environment in which every individual’s contributions are valued.A diverse and inclusive environment challenges our way of thinking by bringing together a variety of talents, backgrounds and experiences, and serves as a catalyst for new ideas and innovation. Discovering and developing the best ways to make our differences work – for the good of our enterprise, our employees, our vendors and our communities – is an ongoing process. We believe that these contributions and differences drive our competitive business advantage, stimulate personal growth and ultimately create success for the company.In our most recent employee opinion survey, ConocoPhillips maintained a high level of satisfaction for creating an environment where people with diverse backgrounds can succeed. [pic] |2009 Global Diversity Metrics – HINDUSTAN U NILEVER | |  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Leadership  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   All Employees | |Women  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  12. 4%  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   23. % | |Non-U. S. Employees   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   12. 9%  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   33. 2% | |2 009 U. S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission Statistics   | |  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Officials and Managers  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Professionals | |Women  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   15. 1%  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   28. %  Ã‚  Ã‚   | |Minorities  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   11. 9%  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã ‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   17. 7% | Our diversity and inclusion statement captures our commitment to creating an inclusive work environment. Managers and supervisors are instrumental in developing and progressing global diversity and inclusion initiatives. In 2008, this was reinforced and renewed by communication from our CEO to employees about the importance of enhancing our focus on people through four key areas: Development – Providing career-long learning and development opportunities that maximize every employee’s potential and performance. †¢ Retention – Valuing all employees’ contributions; and providing challenging and rewarding jobs, as well as competitive compensation that is linked to performance. †¢ Recruiting – Hiring the best talent from around the world to support our global operations. †¢ Global Outreach – Partnering with professional organiza tions that can both help us in how we approach diversity and provide us greater access to diverse talent in our recruiting efforts.Our businesses and corporate staffs incorporate People Plans into their five-year operating plans. These plans include the strategies and tactics that are needed to ensure the optimum workforce size and capability over time. We monitor the progress on our People Plans twice a year to help drive accountability. We review demographic information on nationalization, recruiting, attrition, promotion, and the identification and development of future leaders. These metrics plus the efforts taken are used to assess progress and ensure that operating plans are successfully executed.The results of these metrics and efforts are assessed and tied to the performance-based incentives for managers and supervisors. Employee network groups exist globally and play an important role toward achieving the company’s long-term diversity and inclusion objectives. Each g roup is sponsored by a senior executive and is empowered to determine their key activities, while also providing input for the company's diversity and inclusion programs. For example, in our Houston headquarters, networks are established to support women, people of African descent, Asian-Americans and Hispanics.These groups meet regularly to network, develop professional skills and support community activities. Beginning in 2009, employee network groups will be integrally involved in the company's recruiting activities. To provide further access to best practices, innovative thinking and talent, in 2009, the company has formed strategic partnerships with five diverse professional organizations representing the African-American, Asian-American, Hispanic, and female professional communities. Arrangements also have been established with six new diversity job boards.We anticipate that these partnerships and arrangements will increase our access to a more diverse talent pool, and will su pplement existing external relationships already maintained by our businesses around the world. Ethnic background of the workforce in the companies [pic] Additionally, employees have participated in external diversity programs in order to enhance their professional development, and cultivate new ideas and share them with their colleagues. In July 2008, interested employees ttended the Black Woman’s Leadership Summit, which offered a unique networking opportunity with global decision-makers, challenged attendees to further develop critical skills, and defined specific tools to use to assure their career success. The 2008 Asian Leadership Summit was attended by employees who gained insight into how global companies are leveraging and growing their Asian leadership talent. The Summit also highlighted Asia’s expanding markets and work force, and several speakers addressed how cultural traditions impact their professional and personal life.To help employees achieve balance between work and their personal health and well-being, ConocoPhillips offers a number of programs in different parts of the world, including: flexible work schedules, corporate wellness, educational assistance, local volunteer programs, the Employee Assistance Program (EAP) and family-friendly corporate events. Individual locations also provide other programs based on local employee needs and cultural expectations. As an example, to promote greater diversity, inclusion and work/life balance, the Australian business unit created a work environment that provides increased employment flexibility.The program includes flexible work schedules and paid maternity and paternity leave provisions, and has been successful in encouraging more women to consider engineering, geoscience and geodata roles. In late 2008, HUL was recognized by the HUL Government with the Business Achievement Award for Outstanding Workplace Flexibility and internally with a SPIRIT Award for their efforts to promote a m ore inclusive workplace. Hindustan Lever created Shakti, a direct-to-consumer sales distribution network to reach millions of consumers in remote villages in India.Shakti taps into women's self-help groups and has been successful for both the company and women entrepreneurs. Started in 2003, the Shakti network has grown to over 45,000 micro-entrepreneurs selling products in 100,000 villages in India. The model creates profitable micro-enterprise opportunities. Armed with micro-credit, women from self-help groups become Shakti Entrepreneurs: direct-to-home distributors in rural markets. This micro-enterprise offers low risks and steady returns. The products distributed are some of the country's most trusted brands of consumer goods, nd include a range of mass-market products especially relevant to rural consumers. The company invests resources in training the entrepreneurs, helping them become confident, independent businesswomen. A typical entrepreneur earns a sustained monthly inco me of US$60 on average. As most of these women live below the poverty line in extremely small villages, this earning is very significant, often doubling household income. Further, this income is totally incremental as a woman entrepreneur spends about five hours a week on this initiative without compromising other economic activities.The company provides regular support to the entrepreneurs by providing on-the job and classroom training. Various social activities like medical camps and education programs are run with the intention of increasing the credentials of Shakti Entrepreneurs in the village and enhancing the standard of life of the rural community. After its success in India, the model was replicated in Bangladesh and Sri Lanka as Joyeeta and Saubhagya respectively, followed by a similar initiative in Vietnam, as strategic and long term cooperation between Unilever Vietnam Foundation and the Viet Nam Women Union.Hindustan Unilever also started in 2003 the Fair & Lovely Found ation, which aims at economic empowerment of women across India by providing information, resources and support in the areas of education, career and enterprise. It specifically targets women from low-income groups. The Foundation awards scholarships to women with aptitude, drive and the ambition to carve a place of pride for themselves in society who do not have the financial strength to realize their dreams. Since 2003, over 500 scholarships have been awarded to women from across India LITRATURE REVIEWThroughout the 1990's, diversity continued to be about the numbers of different kinds of people in the workforce as a whole and at each level. Diversity staffs tried to increase the number of people of color and women in their organizations. They saw this primarily as a hiring task. During that decade, the definition of diversity expanded. Diversity came to include many dimensions beyond gender and race: age, class, disability, ethnicity, family situation, religion, and sexual orient ation. Companies started to pay attention to their representation of all these groups.It became clear over the years that it was not enough to focus on hiring alone. It became important to retain â€Å"diverse† workers, as well. Some organizations were astonished to learn that after years of effort, they had fewer African Americans than they had earlier. Companies became aware that for the most part the upper ranks of their organizations remained heavily white and predominately male. These were the years when companies offered diversity awareness training and diversity skills training to help their newly diverse employees work well together.It's the culture Today, in the 2000's, as organizations try to retain diverse employees in their workforce, companies have started looking at the quality of these employees' experience in the organization. Do employees in all groups and categories feel comfortable and welcomed in the organization? Do they feel included and do they experien ce the environment as inclusive? To answer these questions, diversity staffs need to assess their environment and identify the barriers to inclusion, whether they are practices, policies, or the informal culture of the organization.Having identified barriers, the job of the diversity staff is to change the company culture and to create an inclusive workplace environment. Systems and policies As inclusion becomes the focus of diversity work, the attention switches to the systems, policies and practices of the company. Several systems influence the degree to which the climate is inclusive: †¢ Communications †¢ Work assignment †¢ Training and education †¢ Performance management †¢ Mentoring †¢ Coaching †¢ Hiring †¢ Career development †¢ Flexible work arrangements; and †¢ Managers' accountability.Companies that are known for their inclusive climate do not rely on the goodwill of their managers but work hard so that each organizational sy stem is equitable. Once barriers are identified, they take action to address them. Each system is analyzed to determine the degree to which it provides equitable access and benefits to all employees. Creating an inclusive environment: a case study Here is an example of how one company addressed inclusion issues. A division of an institute in the defense industry had the reputation of not being welcoming to women.For years, they had experienced difficulty in both hiring and retaining female employees at all levels but particularly in the highest ranks of management. For years they clung to the idea that what they needed to do was to hire two or three high-level women. But to their chagrin, as soon as they would hire a new high-level female executive, it seemed one of the other high-level women would resign. At first they explained these recurrent departures in terms of the personalities of the women – â€Å"She has family problems,† â€Å"She is too aggressive,† or â€Å"She is too timid. Gradually it dawned on them that these resignations were not about the women, they were about the culture and the organizational climate. This led to a whole new strategy. The director of the division created a Diversity Task Force to suggest and implement changes that would create a more inclusive workplace in order to support the efforts to recruit and retain women. The Task Force was supported with resources and time for its work. Guided by an organizational consultant and working in small action teams, they first conducted a series of focus groups to identify the issues and concerns of women in the division.Then they moved into action, devising a number of changes and short-term projects to address the important issues. As soon as a team implemented a change or completed a project, they took on another. Here are some of their accomplishments over the first two years: †¢ They created a buddy system for all new employees †¢ Senior Managers hos ted a series of lunches to meet lower-level women engineers and learn about their projects †¢ All brochures about the division were revised to include pictures of women †¢ They created a ebsite where articles about women in the workplace were posted †¢ They developed a special relationship with a women's engineering college, inviting students from that college to come on-site for field trips and setting up summer internships for women undergraduate engineers †¢ They instituted networking and professional development events for women †¢ Senior managers attended two training programs, â€Å"Men and Women Working Together† and â€Å"Flexibility. Two of their learnings about creating an inclusive climate were: 1) It doesn't take huge amounts of money to make significant progress; and 2) Changing an organizational culture is about doing many small things, not one or two big things. In reality, as this story attests, creating an inclusive environment is ab out a hundred small changes. As you look at your own organization, ask yourself: What are we doing, in ways large or small, to move from yesterday's diversity to today's need for inclusion?In a knowledge economy, it is people—not capital or market—who make all the difference. As talent occupies centre stage in the Indian workplace, managing and retaining manpower is becoming crucial to an organization's success. To achieve this, companies across sectors are focusing on some of the more critical HR practices. We identify 10 such trends: Leadership Development Creating a pipeline of leadership talent is key to a business' future growth.Peter Cappelli, the George W Taylor professor of management and director of the Center for Human Resources, The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, says it is imperative for the top level of an organization to make leadership talent management a priority, and put its money into long-term plans, as opposed to short-term ones. If com panies are worried about their talent pipeline, they have to develop their people, says Cappelli.Also, good bench strength helps companies deal with volatility in labour supply. â€Å"Companies including Hindustan Unilever, Procter and Gamble and GlaxoSmithKline have been able to withstand attrition in key executives because they have always invested in developing leaders,† says P. Dwarakanath, president, National Human Resource Development Network. Experts say succession planning should not be seen in isolation, but as part of overall organizational development. Work-life BalanceNo company or employee has found the Holy Grail of balancing work and life, but that is a work in progress. However, multinationals, information technology (IT) and IT enabled services (ITeS) companies have been able to promote the balance between career, family and leisure-time better. Other sectors have also been increasingly promoting a work-life balance. Interestingly, most companies in India use benefits such as flexible timings, telecommuting, creche facilities and concierge services as an attraction and retention strategy. We are yet to fully buy into the fact that employees become more productive and remain motivated when companies allow them to have a life beyond work,† says Prabir Jha, global head, human resources, Dr Reddy's Laboratories Ltd. Experts say companies should see the work-life balance as a business proposition since progressive companies carry business forward with employees and families. Inclusion and Diversity With higher numbers of Gen Yers joining the workforce in India at a time when companies across the world have an ageing workforce on their rolls, conflicts are to be expected. One of the challenges companies face today is resolving conflicts among different generations,† says Pavan Bhatia, executive director, human resources, PepsiCo India Holdings Pvt. Ltd. â€Å"An inclusive and diverse workforce is the future of the workplace,† he adds. Therefore, companies are investing both time and resources in ensuring that all age groups are comfortable working together. Organizations in India have also been focusing on making workplaces more representative.For companies such as ICICI Bank Ltd, Hindustan Unilever Ltd, Vedanta Resources, PepsiCo India, Shell Companies in India and Bharti Airtel Ltd, gender diversity has become a critical area of focus. â€Å"Diversity is a business imperative since it brings diverse skills, ideas and approach to an organization,† says Pallavi Tyagi, general manager, human resources, EI DuPont India Pvt. Ltd. Health and wellness The work culture at globalized workplaces involves long working hours, frequent travel, multitasking and tight deadlines—and all this often leaves employees mentally and physically stressed. Employees are increasingly grappling with lifestyle-related diseases such as hypertension, diabetes and cholesterol, which can be checked by regular monitor ing and a healthy lifestyle,† says A. Sudhakar, executive vice-president, human resources, Dabur India. Companies have begun to realize that healthy employees contribute to higher efficiency and productivity. Apart from medical benefits, companies are also offering yoga classes and health camps and have doctors on campus. HCL Technologies Ltd, for instance, like many other IT companies, has 24/7 medical facilities in all its centres.DuPont has an Intranet-based tool, which assesses an employee's health through a questionnaire and makes recommendations based on the scores. Right Skilling Right skilling, or matching jobs with a particular level of training rather than hiring overskilled workers, is gaining currency. Companies use this strategy to tide over a manpower supply crunch and to broaden their talent base. â€Å"You don't need an IITian to supervise a car maker's shop floor or a management graduate from a premier business school to sell soaps, which largely has been the case,† says T.V. Mohandas Pai, head, human resources, Infosys Technologies Ltd. Apart from IT and ITeS firms, organizations in the banking and financial services sector, too, have been increasingly hiring graduates and training them. The upside? Lower attrition rates and wage costs. Pai explains that when you have an over-qualified employee, it is very difficult to meet her aspiration levels and, therefore, the chances of the employee moving on to something more challenging are higher. Managing Solid Citizens Solid citizens† are the second-rung performers who make up 50-60% of employees in any organization. They are the backbone of any company. Although they contribute significantly to the company's overall performance, they don't have the potential to become leaders. â€Å"Unfortunately, most organizations focus on the 15-20% key talent at the expense of solid citizens,† says Dwarakanath. Organizations which neglect their solid citizens are doing this at their o wn peril, say experts.Unlike star performers who are potential leaders, and therefore more likely to move out of an organization faster, this group provides stability and bench strength to an organization. Experts say companies need to take a fresh look at solid citizens and invest time and resources in managing and developing this group Instant Rewards Recognizing and rewarding performers is one of the most effective tools to attract and retain the right talent. Companies in India are looking at rewards systems more seriously, and are adopting total rewards practices that include compensation in both cash and kind.Apart from lifestyle perquisites such as a house, a car or a club membership, profit-linked incentives, deferred gratuity, and wealth-building programmes in the form of stock options and soft loans, companies are also including work-life balance programmes; competency pay packages where niche skills are compensated; and career opportunities, such as overseas assignments, new projects, etc. , to reward staff. These rewards can be tailored to suit the top performers' aspirations to achieve maximum effect. Measuring human capitalEvaluation of performance plays a key role, not just in rewarding an individual employee, but also in setting performance benchmarks. And hence, the need for a fair and transparent performance management system. A strong performance analysis helps make human resources both efficient and effective. â€Å"In today's business environment, where the focus is on increasing performance, companies must have robust systems to identify performers so that the best performers get identified, recognized and duly rewarded,† says Ganesh Shermon, partner and head, human capital advisory service, KPMG India.Shermon cites the example of oil and gas company Bharat Petroleum Ltd, which has instituted a balanced scorecard based on key result areas to measure performance. Managing Aspirations As aspirations of organizations grow, so do those of employees. And, with the changing lifestyles and profiles of the workforce, personal and professional aspirations of employees are not just varied, but are increasingly on the rise. â€Å"Since competitive advantage depends on competent people, knowing what employees aspire for could just be the way to have an edge over competitors,† says Kishore Poduri, head, human resources, eClerxServices Ltd. Experts say people as well as organizations have aspirations, and when the two get aligned, achieving business goals becomes easier. Dwarakanath suggests companies should be clear about goals of individuals as well as of the organization, and the role each needs to play. The firm should also communicate the goals, and have robust and reliable processes to execute them, he adds. 360 degrees feedback Finally, recognizing the need to make performance appraisal systems more effective, an increasing number of companies are using the 360 degrees or multi-rater feedback process.Unlike t he traditional appraisal system, which gives unidimensional feedback, this one allows an employee to give feedback to her reporting manager, peers, direct reports and others. â€Å"Multi-rater feedback not only reduces the risk of biased perceptions, but also gives you a holistic view from all the stakeholders within the company,† says Sanjay Bali, vice-president, HR, Samsung India Electronics Pvt. Ltd. While most companies started using this system as a means for performance appraisal, most of them now use the 360 degrees feedback system to identify the learning and development needs of employees.This section of the review of literature focuses on the concept of Social Style as developed by Merrill and Reid (1981). The section begins with the history of the development of Social Style through Merrill and Reid. The next section focuses on the progression of Social Style since its conception. The origins of Social Style theories are found among the American Behaviorists of the 1950s and 1960s. During this time the field of psychology underwent a shift towards behaviorism and away from psychoanalysis. This shift on the part of psychologists was an attempt to demonstrate that their research was grounded in rigorous cientific principles and worthy of serious consideration within the broader scientific community (Merrill & Reid, 1981). Behavior and interaction were easily observed, manipulated and, most importantly, quantified. The concept of Social Style developed from theories that were evolving during this time period (Merrill & Reid, 1981). In the 1950s the United States Office of Naval Research, working in conjunction with researchers from Ohio State University, articulated a theory of style as a result of their attempts to discover the components of effective leadership (Merrill & Reid, 1981).Researchers developed a list of descriptive behaviors, then asked various people to identify those behaviors they felt demonstrated good leadership. In the end, 1 50 behaviors were identified as characteristic behaviors of good leadership. Factor analysis was done to organize the terms into categories. â€Å"Next, several questionnaires were developed to determine which factor characterized the best leader, but no reliable results were obtained† (Merrill & Reid, 1981, p. 41). Fred Fiedler determined that the research was flawed because it examined eadership in a vacuum. He decided to take context into consideration. His research concluded that effective styles of leadership vary depending upon different situations (Merrill & Reid, 1981). From this background research Merrill and Reid began to study the concept of style in the 1960s. They borrowed a questionnaire that was developed in the early 1960s by James Taylor, a staff psychologist at a large corporation. Taylor developed his questionnaire by asking corporate employees to mark the adjectives that they felt described their own behavior.Through testing he narrowed his original list from 2331 adjectives to 150 adjectives. Through factor analysis of the responses to the narrowed adjective checklist, Taylor found a tendency for clustering of adjectives. He then developed five scales that took into account this clustering effect. The original five scales of human behavior were â€Å"1) self-confident; 2) considerate; 3) conforming; 4) thoughtful; and 5) rigid†. With Taylor’s permission, Merrill and Reid adapted his research and worked towards creating what is now known as Social Style.Conforming to the behaviorist thought of the day, Merrill and Reid altered the way that respondents answered the questionnaire. Instead of marking adjectives describing one’s own behavior, others were asked to report on the subject. This method would be more like clinical research in that it would provide only observable patterns of behavior. Another change Merrill and Reid made was to do a second factor analysis, where they found significant clustering around on ly three scales rather than five. The scales that would from then on determine Social Style were 1) assertiveness, 2) responsiveness, and 3) versatility.As defined by Merrill and Reid (1981) assertiveness is the tendency one has to â€Å"ask† or â€Å"tell† in an effort to influence the decisions of others; responsiveness is a dimension that indicates whether a person â€Å"emotes† or â€Å"controls† feelings. Assertiveness and responsiveness were then put together to become the two scales that form the Social Style Profile, a questionnaire designed to determine Social Style. It is important to note the third scale, versatility. This third dimension of human behavior is not affected by the other two. It often is tested separately.Merrill and Reid even provide a separate questionnaire for determining an individual’s versatility. Versatility is determined by the amount of endorsement, approval of behavior, that we receive from others with whom we int eract. Since it is a separate dimension that does not effect how an individual is plotted within the orthogonal Social Style matrix, this study will not look at the effects of an individual’s level of versatility. Further research may want to investigate the sex-role effects on an individual’s level of versatility.Psychometric properties: As discussed earlier, psychometric properties include an instrument’s reliability and validity. Because Social Style questionnaires have been used primarily in a corporate environment rather than an academic one, information regarding the psychometric properties of Social Style measures is limited and contradictory. Most corporations that sell these instruments make claims about the reliability and validity of the instruments that often are not confirmed by independent research.Although there has been little research regarding the psychometric properties of these scales, they continue to be used widely by corporations. With thi s deficit in mind I suggest that data gathered during the present study should be used to conduct tests for reliability and validity on the Social Style instrument. Only continued testing of these instruments will allow for certainty of their ability to do what they are designed to do. The next section will look at the applications of Social Style.With hot topics like globalization and cross-cultural opportunities in the Asia Pacific rim, one might think it would be easy to research the implications of cross cultural issues. Rather, what the writer found was a significant discussion all around the periphery but little in-depth analysis. Discussion prevailed on the socio-economic and technological ramifications. Others resources focused on the language issues but little work was intuitively available on the subtleties of cross cultural issues one may encounter.Based on experience working in the Asia Pacific rim for two years as a PMO Manager, and training PM’s in many European countries, I decided that understanding international socio-cultural issues encountered in business is essentially at the heart of the issues companies will encounter in globalizing operations. Therefore, the writer will approach the crosscultural issues from a personalized understanding based on his many months of first hand mistakes in understanding cultural issues encountered in Asia Pacific.I will base my observations of cross-cultural issues on my experiences in working most closely with individuals from China, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Taiwan, Singapore, Japan, and India. Naturally there are more countries in the Pacific Rim but these mentioned provided the most opportunity for interaction. I want to also acknowledge the contributions of my wife, Helena Shiu Leung Chow Ballow, whom I initially met in Asia. Her wisdom, coaching, and meaningful insights on the many differences between Western and Eastern business and cultural practices were, and remain till this day, illuminating, h elpful and daunting.Clearly we all understand to some degree the impact of cultural issues in communications. If nothing else, we have encountered situations where language was the barrier. But language may be the smallest of the issues when dealing with other cultures. Even when we pull out our Translation Guides or employ translators we may get pass some of the language difficulties. But from the writer’s experience, language is the least of the issues. Ingrained and systemic patterns of cultural behaviours can be so subtle as to completely deny meaningful communications.I found a really good example of just how easily cultural variances can cause communications problems. In this case the issues was â€Å"psychological filtering† of appearance or gesture. I would think is would also be easy for the reader to extrapolate this example into some experiences that may have encountered even in the West. Timofeev (2002), in an article in National Concepts and Globalization, provided the following example: â€Å"The idea or rather the hypothesis that underlies this paper was stimulated by a trivial chat with a friend of mine.Being a linguist by trade, Russian by origin and living in Finland, she is well aware of cross-cultural discrepancies and provided me with a curious example. It was a TV commercial of an international brand of Persil washing powder. Two young ladies were shown sitting in a crowded place, some restaurant or a cafe. One of the ladies notices quite a peculiar manner her friend has chosen to wear her wristwatch. It was placed above the cuff of her blouse. It turned out in a second that the only reason for placing her watch there was to cover some stain that regular detergents failed to deal with. Oh dear, you should use Persil instead! † When multinationals develop into or with other countries there may be an assumption that because everyone within the company is working for the same goals and to the same values, they will autom atically communicate, think and view the world in the same way. When multiple cultures begin working together, problems or difficulties arise that many people within these companies are not skilled or adept enough to deal with effectively. This can simply be because they've never had to deal with the issue before. Language is often the least difficult barrier to breach.When we know there may be language differences, we have a greater awareness of the potential for problems. However, much more often it's a completely different way of seeing things and an inability, or unwillingness, to see what the other person is seeing that causes the difficulties. Misunderstanding is the norm At Impact Factory we say that ‘misunderstanding is the norm'. We assume that because the other person knows our language (or we know theirs) that we speak the same language. Often we don't. Even when our ‘Mother' tongue is the same, we don't speak it the same way.When we work with other cultures, it's easy to be influenced by common stereotypes, misconceptions and prejudices about our new colleagues. Without realising it, we carry those misconceptions and stereotypes into meetings, conferences, trainings or even social gatherings that can make communication difficult and hard work. In our own culture (where we feel at ‘home'), we are all individuals with a host of differences; yet there are so many similarities that the differences can seem negligible. There appears to be more in common than may actually be so, but somehow we absorb and adjust to the differences.When we are abroad, or even in our own home territory working with others from abroad, the differences are far more apparent and it becomes much harder to see the similarities. ‘Home' is that place where we feel most comfortable. The landscape looks familiar and we know the signposts that tell us where we are. When we are away from ‘home' we may try to recreate that landscape: we surround ourselves with people who are like us; we join clubs where we're all similar; we may even try to get the ‘aliens' to be more like us so that we feel more comfortable.Not only that, if we start having difficulties with someone, it seems easier to focus on the differences and to start gathering ‘evidence' to support our case about how difficult they are, than to look for the common ground which might lead to a resolution. We might even create a hurdle out of a hillock! Changing you to change others Life would certainly be a lot simpler if other people would just shape up and see things our way! As ridiculous as that statement looks when written out, that is often what we think when things aren't going well, particularly when communication starts breaking down.We wait for the other person to change so we’ll be all right (‘If only he'd listen to me I'd be fine. ‘ ‘If only she'd be clearer I could get my work done more efficiently. ‘). All of us at some t ime or another have thought something similar. The reality is: the only person you can change is you. When you are the ‘interloper' you can't afford to wait for the other person to change and see things your way. If you are in trouble and it feels as though people won't meet you halfway, unless you change and do something different, communication will continue to disintegrate.Even if you aren't the interloper but are working at ‘home' with someone from another culture, waiting for the other person to change could mean a long wait. The really good news The really good news is that something can be done about these difficulties that doesn't require you to change everything about you. It is far easier to make small adjustments, tweaks and fine-tunings in order to become a more effective and aware communicator when working cross-culturally. On an Impact Factory Cross-Cultural programme delegates:Examine how to look after themselves whilst changing the outcome of difficult or complex communications. Practise how to be in charge of the way communication happens. Look at some of the things that separate cultures and create unnecessary misunderstanding. Discover how they can adapt their behaviour without being in conflict with who they are. A Cross-Cultural Programme looks at: †¢ Diversity of Difference Terms of Reference and Language Assumptions Projection and Perception Images (media, historical) Beliefs and Traditions Avoiding Avoidance Finding Common Ground Spheres of Influence Blame vs.What CAN I do Conflict Resolution and Negotiation (Creating Win/Win solutions) Dealing with Misunderstandings Getting what you want Delegate's specific situations and difficulties Companies that have asked us to include material on cross-cultural issues have been concerned that the vital work of their companies can get compromised (or at least, slowed down) if problems (or potential problems) are not brought into the open and addressed. For instance, Nokia Communic ations knows that there are communication issues between Finland and Britain, because in general Finns and Brits communicate differently sometimes very differently). People from each culture think they are making adjustments and accommodations to suit the other, but those changes are not necessarily the ones that are needed: they are often the ones that people assume are needed! Impact Factory would be pleased to provide a complete proposal with a more detailed outline of the course content. Naturally, a full day's training will provide a comprehensive look at the issues involved. However, Impact Factory is able to offer a Cross-Cultural Programme in a four-hour module to individuals who already communicate at a relatively high level.I will present the materials in a table format such that it may be easier to digest. A simple summary provided by Bhagat et al (2002 provides a good stepping-stone for analysis of the cross-cultural issues: Cross-border transfer of organizational knowle dge is most effective in terms of both velocity and viscosity when the type of knowledge (i. e. , human, social, or structured) being transferred is simple, explicit, and independent and when such transfers involve similar cultural contexts.In contrast, transfer is least effective when the type of knowledge being transferred is complex, tacit, and systemic and involves dissimilar cultural contexts. (p. 204) Table 1: Cross-cultural Implications – Asian (China, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Taiwan, Singapore, Japan) and the West [pic] †¢ [pic] [pic] Because most of the areas discussed in Table 1 also apply to Indian culture, we will only look at a few areas that are subtle variances in implications. This time I will ask the reader to think about the implications based on a review of Table 1. Let’s see if you have started to figure it out. [pic] [pic] Applications of Social StyleAt the time that Merrill and Reid developed Social Style they primarily focused on insurance sales agents as participants when developing their Social Style questionnaires. Since the development of the concept of Social Style, researchers have focused on determining other areas to which the concept of Social Style also would apply. This section will look at the applications for Social Style. Most research has looked at how Social Style can aid in organizational communication through training, consulting, and staff development. Other social science research has taken a more academic look at Social Style.This section will be divided into the areas of corporate application and social science research. Corporate application: The