Waiting for Superman free essay sample

I was crying because there was no one coming with enough power to save us. † Just as many children look up to fictional characters such as Superman, parents rich or poor, look up to our school system to educate their children. However, too many of these parents are beginning to realize that proper education, like Superman, is nonexistent. In Waiting for â€Å"Superman,† Davis Guggenheim addresses the teachers union about the failing public school system in America. Through the use of ethos, anecdotes, statistics and visual and audio elements, Guggenheim attacks a problem too precious to let slip through our fingers. Davis Guggenheim is a father. A father who chose to put his children into private education, but with good reason. He has experienced the public school system and how it’s teachers operate first hand. In 1999, he produced a documentary about these teachers, so he knows what conditions he is working with. We will write a custom essay sample on Waiting for Superman or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page This is a key component of Guggenheims ethos since he has the bias of a father who wants proper education for his children just as most other fathers would. He builds upon this by featuring well known, powerful people into the documentary. These people include: Geoffrey Canada, Michelle Rhee and Bill Gates. Each adds their opinion to the subject. Geoffrey Canada is an educator who admit evens his first few years of teaching were rough. Because Canada states this, the audience is reassured that he knows what it takes to be a successful teacher. What better way to address the teachers union about the importance of high performing teachers than with a high performing teacher? Then there is Michelle Rhee. Rhee was the 7th new chancellor for the Washington D. C. public schools system in 10 years and claims she â€Å"knows they’re [kids] getting crappy education. † Her approach to changing the school system is more harsh than Canadas, but Rhee’s views are still important. By including a more political view of the problem, Guggenheim expresses his understanding of the multiple components that come with trying to solve it. And of course, we can’t forget Bill Gates. In fact his view may even have the most impact of all. Bill Gates is rich, extremely rich. He may have dropped out of Harvard University, but he’s rich. So it may seem senseless to include him in a documentary that is trying to prevent drop outs right? However if Gates was able to drop out of a prestigious college and then go on to be the second richest man in the world, what does that say about education? Perhaps if every child was given the opportunity to receive the same education Gates had, by the next few generations the U. S. could be spewing with millions of â€Å"Bill Gates† ready to become billionaires. These three individuals are great components that establish a strong sense of ethos for the film, but the personal stories of the five families’ struggles are what truly making it moving. Guggenheims use of pathos in the film is horrible. Horrible in the sense that the audience is sucked into a black hole of empathy for these five families. There is Anthony the boy who lost his father to drugs. Bianca, the little girl who couldnt graduate. Daisy, the girl who has the brains but not the school. Francisco, so adorable it breaks you’re heart he can’t receive proper education. Emily, the one who is almost out of time. It’s not a coincidence all of these children have at least one challenging condition they live with everyday. Nor is it coincidence that every single one is so darn cute. Guggenheim uses this pathetic appeal to his advantage causing the audience to empathize. Near the very end, Anthony is asked why he wants to get accepted. â€Å"I want my kids to have better than what I had I wanna go to school. † This one clip sums up a kids view of not being educated. It shows they are being forced to grow up because of the conditions they live in. With this, Guggenheim implants a gut-wrenching feeling about how terrible our country is for depriving these children from perhaps the one positive alternative in their lives. Once he has filled your brain with these array of emotions, Guggenheim humorously â€Å"enlightens† the tone with statistics. In many different parts of the film, Guggenheim takes a break and turns to cartoons to explain specific topics and other stats about our school systems. Some of the most important argumentative cartoons is about tenure. He first includes clips from The Simpsons and also School of Rock just to show how completely outrageous the idea of tenure is. These are comic relief, but there is a subliminal message. Each clip includes a teacher sitting back, telling the kids to teach(tend) to themselves and of course the kids do nothing. This symbolizes that as long as the U. S. continues to accept and protect crappy teachers, schools will produce failing students. Another tenure related cartoon was about â€Å"the lemon dance. † It includes characters with bodies of a teacher but the head of a lemon dancing around from school to school getting thrown out do to their lack of teaching skills, only to end up in another school where he cycle starts over. Again, Guggenheim uses this to mock the ridiculousness of tenure since it essentially causes â€Å"the lemon dance. † Parents wouldn’t allow their child to eat a sour lemon, so why should a lemon be able to teach, or in this case dance? All of these elements are like the leather pieces of a shoe. Sure, they look nice alone, but a shoe is only a shoe if the laces are tie d. Like laces filling the holes in those shoes, the visual and musical effects in the film create a huge emotional impact. As mentioned before, Guggenheim’s use of anecdotes is key. With these personal interviews, the camera angle is neither above or below the subject. It is a dead center, close-up view of raw emotion. This allows the audience to feel as if they are in a one-on-one conversation with the parents or children . So you can sense every flinch of pain, every hint of sadness in all of their voices and facial expressions. Guggenheim also makes effective use of â€Å"B† roll in the film. Often when he is narrating about the schools or family conditions, a school or neighborhood is being screened. The schools are completely run down and resemble miniature jail houses. The neighborhoods are also run down, lower income parts of town. What is interesting about this, is that in the first three minutes of the film Guggenheim drives past three public schools while taking his kids to their private school. Each public school is gated in, like a jail. Then the private school’s gate is wide open as if to symbolize an open pathway to a promising future. With this Guggenheim also has specific music selection including Green Day’s American Idiot representing America’s high ability to be over confident. He also includes the song Taking Care of Business as sarcasm to former presidents signing education reform bills. Which is ironic since the audience is well aware of the fact those bills definitely did not â€Å"take care of business. † Without the specific video archive and music selection, this documentary would only have been half-way effective and Guggenheim has realized there is already enough half-way effective products in our country. Davis Guggenheim has money. Davis Guggenheim has the privilege to choose. Davis Guggenheim chose private education for his children. Waiting for â€Å"Superman† immerses our population into the lives of those who don’t have the money or the choice to provide their children with proper education. Strong, emotional use of ethos, personal anecdotes , statistics and visual musical effects pulls Americans through the painful reality that our schools are failing students, failing our future. â€Å"Our system is broken and it feels impossible to fix but we can’t wait. The steps are simple. † Thanks to the work of Davis Guggenheim ,our country may finally start to realize that the future can’t be placed in our hands if we aren’t taught how to use them.

World War II

In 1945, when World War II finally came to an end, people all around the world agreed on one thing: never again did they want to see a war of that magnitude. World War II was a bitter and harsh war in which millions of lives were lost. Those who survived the cruelties of war would never be the same. The United States, Great Britain, and the Soviet Union understood the strong desire of all nations to see world peace. Thus, the United Nations was established. Prime Minister Clemet Attlee described the goal of the United Nations as not just the negation of war, but the creation of a world of security and freedom, of a world which is governed by the justice and the moral law. We desire to assert the preminence of right over might and the general good against sectional aims (quoted in Johnson 7). In short, the main purpose of the UN is maintenance of world peace and the avoidance of war. The idea as a whole sounds wonderful in theory. The problems ari! se when the UN itself cannot agree on a course of action or when those that the UN attempts to help resist or even despise the assistance. In instances such as the Korean War and the Bosnian Peacekeeping attempts, the United Nations did not help to keep peace but instead may have contributed to the violence as well as prolonged the conflicts. After World War II, Korea became jointly occupied. The Soviets arose in the territory north of the 38 parallel, and the U.S. took control of the southern part of the country. Neither the Soviet Union nor the U.S. was willing to let Korea fall under the hands of the other. From the start of Koreas liberation, division was prevalent. The Soviet Union wanted to establish a Communist Korea while the U.S. hoped to bring democracy to Korea. By 1947, two different political parties had risen in Korea. Despite these opposing governments, nationalists from both North and South Korea hoped to negotiate a treaty th...

Balmer Series Definition in Science

Balmer Series Definition in Science The Balmer series is the portion of the emission spectrum of hydrogen that represents electron transitions from energy levels n 2 to n 2. These are four lines in the visible spectrum. They are also known as the Balmer lines.The four visible Balmer lines of hydrogen appear at 410 nm, 434 nm, 486 nm and 656 nm. These are caused by photons produced by electrons in excited states transitioning to more stable energy levels. There are also multiple ultraviolet Balmer lines that have wavelengths shorter than 400 nm. The spectrum becomes continuous approaching 364.6 nm (ultraviolet). Note: While Balmer discovered four visible lines, five other hydrogen spectral series were later discovered for values of n besides 2. The Balmer series in especially important in astronomy. The lines are seem emitted by many stellar objects because most of the universe consists of the element hydrogen. The series is used to help determine the surface temperature of stars. Source Nave, C. R. (2006). Hydrogen Spectrum. HyperPhysics. Georgia State University.

Audience Analysis Cover Sheet + Persuasive Letter on Surrogacy Assignment

Audience Analysis Cover Sheet + Persuasive Letter on Surrogacy Arrangements - Assignment Example Such as this is not a topic commonly discussed to them, reactions will be varied. Most would be interested in hearing the objective arguments on both sides of the spectrum before fully developing their own opinion. A number will already have a shaped opinion which may be for or against the issue. By the end of the speech, some may still be on the fence with their stand. It is important to note that their concern would be minimal unless they know of or are suffering from fertility issues. Those who may have a background which favors surrogacy motherhood would have a strong opinion in favor of it. While those who don’t will most likely yield reasonable attention on the speaker’s stand. It may not be avoided that there would be some bigotry surrounding the issue. Topics that would scrutinize and disparage gay people and gay relations should be avoided. A holier-than-thou voice in presenting the subject should also be evaded. These would simply exclude people and could even be perceived as ignorance and narrow-mindedness. It should not revolve around intolerance but rather an objective approach to presenting the most logical and preeminent debate on the issue. Approach should be firm from the beginning of the speech. When presenting the argument which is against surrogacy motherhood, there should be authoritativeness in stating your opinion. This is to be able to convince the audience on your conviction regarding the rectitude of your argument. They should feel your own personal adherence to the fact that the issue of surrogacy is wrong in a number of aspects and not just simply a stubborn belief. In presenting the data that let you come up in forming your own position, there should be a tone of seriousness to it. Because it is a sensitive issue, it would be difficult to add humor to your speech. Instead, fervor should always be present to persuade them to adapt to your stand. The speech

Study of Cylindrical Sails for Large Ships Essay

Study of Cylindrical Sails for Large Ships - Essay Example For instance, the estimate for 2007 was 60,000 deaths. The use of the ships also has had a negative impact on global warming, and this is a growing concern for environmentalists. Because the world is being impacted to the point of people dying, resolving this issue has become very important. Furthermore, C02 emitted from ships is only increasing, up about 3 percent from 2007, because of the growing use of more and more ships on the ocean. Therefore, the shipping industry realizes the threat this negative environmental impact has on its industry, as people and politicians both do want to see a change. The shipping industry reportedly put out 847 tonnes in 2007 (this was actually one of the lower estimates; some organizations claim that the rate was much higher). The shipping industry is therefore being put under increasingly pressure to act. Therefore, the researcher proposes that the use of wind tunnels combined with cylindrical sails will help to address this problem. There have been several studies done, which will be discussed, involving the use of cylindrical sails. By combining the cylindrical sails with the use of the wind tunnels, the ships should be able to go faster than those that just traveled with the cylindrical sails, thus making this option more feasible for the shipping industry, which does have time limitations when traveling. Research Objectives Quantitative methods of research will include the calculations of the ship's traveled distance and the ship's length. Wind tunnel data will also be used to determine the success of the study. By using these calculations, it can be determined if the voyages using the new types of sail are correct. Qualitative methods will include researching the actual comments of the researchers, and obtaining information regarding their thoughts and feelings about the ships. Fig.1 The researcher plans to use cylindrical sail with air suction, utilizing dodger support structures and power of air intake. The wind tunnel will not be used as the sail, but the model the researcher tests will be conducted in wind tunnel to grasp the order of possible saving as well as the mechanism of flow around the sail. Research Design There are five various wind assistance devices that can be used for ships, and will be discussed here. Schematic drawing of different wind rigs for ships. There is a wide choice of various rigs that can be used for hull and superstructure configurations, making comparisons difficult; however, when considering wind-assisted motor cargo ships, options are more limited. The main groups to consider in this category are as follows. 1. Square Rig-This concept is often used to improve aerodynamics of sails and allows for clean lines through the use of cantilever masts, for, and aft stay-sails. This setup can be counted on during long voyages when the wind is fairly predictable. However, in this day and age, not as much cargo is shipped via long voyage as it was in historical times. Thus, a second application of this idea can be used for shorter routes where the wind is also not predictable. The fore and aft sails can be modified so that they can sail close to the wind. Soft sails can also be used at sea and are fairly cheap as well, although keeping them up to date can cost the company (Clayton 57). 2.

The true impact racism has on people in our society Essay Example for Free

The true impact racism has on people in our society Essay The blacks are considered by the white society as worthless slaves who have no choice but to be a housemaid or slave. Racism has been a popular issue for many years, and has caused many blacks to suffer because of their outward appearance. Aibileen faces as a victim to racial comments in the movie â€Å"The Help† directed by Tate Taylor which took place in the 1960’s in Jackson, Mississippi. Aibileen is a maid. African American housemaid who has just experienced the loss of her son and has raised about 17 children as a maid. Blacks did not have the equal rights like the white society caused many to have education for money. This essay will show to a large extent the struggles Aibileen goes through, and through camera angles, dialogue, it will provide in detail why Tate Taylor used Aibileen to communicate to the viewers the problem of racism has on our society. Racism has caused blacks to differ from the white society. The impact of racism back in 1960s Jackson, Mississippi provides the struggle of an individual name Aibileen an African American house maid through a white society. Aibileen in scene one talks about how she lost her only son and was left laying dead in front of a white hospital. As a mother their responsibility is to protect and ensure the child’s safety is their first priority. Tate Taylor uses a point of view shot on the wall in scene one which sows the picture of her son and a frame of Jesus Christ to enable the viewers to see how severe the issue about racism can lead to. The blacks are treated unfairly and the white society takes advantage of the situation by ensuring blacks would be their maid to do their dirty work. In scene two you see a mid and long shot was used on Aibileen and Mae Mobley. It allows the viewers to see the foreshadow between scene one and scene two when she loses her son, and comforting the baby girl she looks after. Tate Taylor suggests by using a lo ng shot on them shows the sense of loss Aibileen has experienced ascertain the idea of sympathy towards Aibileen. When problems become piled up one by one you start to realize the only way through it is standing up for yourself. In the get together party in scene three a few girls all had a reunion which we see Skeeter joining in. Hilly makes a racist remark on black people carrying  diseases which Aibileen can clearly hear from a distance. A point of view shot was used from Skeeter to Aibileen to see her reaction towards Hilly’s comment. This camera angle was used clearly to express the disappointment on Aibileen’s face and how racism can hurt others mentally and emotionally. As the scene went on the maids are at first reluctant to talk to Skeeter because the result of them losing their jobs and violence can affect their families. Aibileen was first to tell her stories which foreshadowed their way out to starting a new life. By the end of the film when Skeeter books are finally published, Aibileen loses her job and walks off. Tate Taylor uses an establishing shot while Aibileen walks off to indicate to the viewers that while she is leaving she is also starting a new life. This angle was used effectively to deliberately allow the viewers to see that a fresh new start is what Aibileen really needs. Dialogue gives the viewers a vital idea of decisions made by Aibileen. Dialogue is crucial because it provides us with tension and suspense to what is going to happen. Aibileen from the beginning in scene one knew she would become a maid. She saws â€Å"my mama was a maid; my grandmamma was a house slave†. Back in 1960’s in Jackson, Mississippi the blacks ever want was fair treatment towards their society. Skeeter is used by Tate Taylor to provide the viewers the perspective of Aibileen as a black house maid. For many, blacks are afraid to stand up for what they believe in but Aibileen says to Hilly â€Å"All you do scare and lie to dry and get what you want: Hilly is used by the director to be the antagonist of the film and this quote by Aibileen shows the tension and anger that was bottled up inside Aibileen. â€Å"I aint never had no white person in my house† shows the contrast between both the white and the black society. Dialogue is very crucial for communication which allows the viewers to understand and critically know the situation in the film â€Å"The Help†. At the last scene of the film Hilly persuades Elizabeth to fire Aibileen as her housemaid. The quotes â€Å"My boy Trelaw said we gonna have a writer in the family on day, I guess it’s gonna be me† This establishes the struggles of Aibileen and portrays the idea that maybe one day she could retell the painful she experience she encountered as a housemaid. Dialogues show many views and angles and establish conflict and tension to effectively show a critical issue between Aibileen and the white society that surrounds her. In conclusion: Racism is an issue that still happens to this very day and is  something most people all have witnessed. Like the Film â€Å"The Help† racism has a big influence on people in our society we live in today and through dialogue and camera techniques, Tate Taylor uses it effectively to help communicate the struggles of Aibileen as an individual but with support and faith she overcomes the obstacles that society throws at her.

Frogs :: essays research papers fc

Frogs are needed for everyday life. They are part of pond life. Each animal is important because even in the pond, there is a food chain. Frogs are amphibians, animals that spend half of their lives under water, and remainder on land. The first frog appeared in the early Jurassic period about 200 million years ago.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Frogs live on every continent except Antarctica, but tropical regions have the largest amount. Like all amphibians, frogs spend half their lives near water because they must return to the water to lay their eggs. Frogs live underwater mostly when the are growing up to be an adult frog and when they are laying their eggs. When they hatch under water they are tadpoles and the breath with gills and swim using a tail. As they mature they loose their tail and they develop to be able to breathe air. During an extensive period of heat, a drought, frogs can enter a period of damancy similar to hibernation called starvation. Most of the frogs live in tropical and semitropical regions, most species of frogs breed in the spring or in early summer. Although the different species my vary in size and color, mostly all frogs have basic body structure. They have large hind legs, short front legs and flat head and body with no neck.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Most frogs have teeth only on their upper jaw. Toads swallow their prey in one piece. To aid in the swallowing process, the frog’s eyes sink through the openings in the skull and force the food down its throat. Frogs eat insects, catching them with their long sticky tongue. They also eat small fish and worms. They also absorb concentrate to make them stronger, and toxins (poisonous substances) in their fatty tissues.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Since the 1980’s scientists have noted the decline of many frog species. People do not know for certain what has caused these declines. A possible factor is pollution, disease, habitat destruction, and acid rain. Another factor may be the thinning of the earth’s protective ozone layer, which allows more harmful ultraviolet radiation from the sun to reach the earth. Because frogs have thin, moist skin and an aquatic tadpole stage, they are easily affected by pollution and changes in the environment.

Business and Management Personal Statement Examples Essay

Since my early years, I have been naturally introduced to the world of Business and Economics. Growing up near Central London and Canary Wharf I had always been intrigued by my surroundings and the mechanics of business, and was introduced into the world of Economics further on in my life. My childhood was filled with mini business ventures as well as supporting the start-up businesses of my family’s confectionary store and a technology store, which became the catalyst of my passion for the subject. Recently, I have taken up the initiative to read ‘The Economist’ to broaden my subject knowledge and keep up-to-date with current affairs. I believe a degree related to economics will help me excel in many different fields of work such as business, management, and marketing. I believe that Economics at A-Level and Business at GCSE, equip me with the invaluable skills needed for a degree. The skills I have acquired from studying Business include calculated decision-making as well as learning the ways of raising finance, motivation strategies, and promotional methods. Economics at A-Level has broadened my understanding of economies, firms, and government policy-making as well as making me grasp the importance of finance in society. In my A-Level study of Information Technology, I created an IT-based solution for a business-related problem. This enabled me to develop problem-solving abilities, as I had to evaluate several possible ways of achieving the required solution. Geography requires extensive research and the gathering and creating of information from various sources. I am excited about the challenges that I may face at University, and the chance to advance my skills further. During the summer, I had a work experience placement at Deloitte. I was required to organize and create solutions to different situations in risk advisory, financial services, and technology. This enabled me to apply my skills gained from business such as intense decision-making into a situation. The aim was to analyze each situation and be able to easily identify areas of improvement. I currently have a part-time job at Gadget Converters. Working as a Sales Advisor has helped me to become more confident as I am required to socialize with people from different backgrounds and ages and to handle situations in a professional manner, which I can transfer to a University environment. I also learned about bookkeeping, organizing cash receipts, creating expenditure spreadsheets, and selling platforms. My decision to study a degree related to business was reinforced because of the enjoyment and success I gained in my work experience and current work. Watching documentaries on current affairs ignited my curiosity about the economy and what factors shape it. This degree will allow me to gain wider knowledge and help challenge my theories. I thoroughly enjoy reading; particularly the news and the articles that stem from certain stories. I have also published an article on an upcoming football site called the ‘Liverpool Transfer Room’. This opened the door of publishing articles through the WordPress platform and has given me the opportunity to write to an audience. Furthermore, I regularly take part in activities in my local youth club such as table tennis and FIFA competitions. I have been involved in Young Enterprise scheme, in which students were tasked with brainstorming a product, creating a unique selling point and deciding the target market amongst other factors. The workshop provided me a unique insight into the decisions and running of a business. These activities also strengthened my abilities to lead and comm unicate effectively within a team. I look forward to becoming involved in all aspects of university life, not only academically, but also socially and I feel that I would benefit greatly from a place in university as this will help me to pursue my career in Economics.

Employee Performance Essay

The methods presented here are designed to develop elements and standards that measure employee and work unit accomplishments rather than to develop  other measures that are often used in appraising performance, such as measuring behaviors or competencies. Although this handbook includes a discussion of the importance of balancing measures, the main focus presented here is to measure accomplishments. Consequently, much of the information presented in the first five steps of this eightstep process applies when supervisors and employees want to measure results. However, the material presented in Steps 6 through 8 about developing standards, monitoring performance, and checking the performance plan apply to all measurement approaches. A HANDBOOK FOR MEASURING EMPLOYEE PERFORMANCE foreword The handbook has four chapters and three appendices: ⠝™ CHAPTER 1 gives the background and context of performance management that you will need to understand before beginning the eight-step process. ⠝™ CHAPTER 2 defines accomplishments, which is key to using this handbook successfully. ⠝™ CHAPTER 3 includes a detailed description of the eight-step process for developing employee performance plans that are aligned with and support organizational goals. ⠝™ CHAPTER 4 provides study tools, including a followup quiz and a quick reference for the eight-step process. ⠝™ THE APPENDICES contain example standards that were written specifically for appraisal programs that appraise performance on elements at five, three, and two levels. After reading the instructional material, studying the examples, and completing the exercises in this book, you should be able to: ⠝™ DEVELOP a performance plan that aligns individual performance with organizational goals  Ã¢ â„¢ USE a variety of methods to determine work unit and individual  accomplishments ⠝™ DETERMINE the difference between activities and accomplishments ⠝™ EXPLAIN regulatory requirements for employee performance plans P E R F O R M A N C E M A N A G E M E N T: B A C K G R O U N D A N D C O N T E X T emember the story about the naive student in his first English literature course who was worried because he didn’t know what prose was? When he found out that prose was ordinary speech, he exclaimed, â€Å"Wow! I’ve been speaking prose all my life!† Managing performance well is like speaking prose. Many managers have been â€Å"speaking† and practicing effective performance management naturally all their supervisory lives, but don’t know it! Some people mistakenly assume that performance management is concerned only with following regulatory requirements to appraise and rate performance. Actually, assigning ratings of record is only one part of the overall process (and perhaps the least important part). Performance management is the systematic process of: ⠝™ planning work and setting expectations ⠝™ continually monitoring performance ⠝™ developing the capacity to perform ⠝™ periodically rating performance in a summary fashion ⠝™ rewarding good performance The revisions made in 1995 to the governmentwide performance appraisal and awards regulations support â€Å"natural† performance management. Great care was taken to ensure that the requirements those regulations establish would complement and not conflict with the kinds of activities and actions effective managers are practicing as a matter of course. PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT: BACKGROUND AND CONTEXT PLANNING In an effective organization, work is planned out in advance. Planning means setting performance expectations and goals for groups and individuals to channel their efforts toward achieving organizational objectives. Getting employees involved in the planning process will help them understand the goals of the organization, what needs to be done, why it needs to be done, and how well it should be done. The regulatory requirements for planning employees’ performance include establishing the elements and standards of their performance appraisal plans. Performance elements and standards should be measurable, understandable, verifiable, equitable, and achievable. Through critical elements, employees are held accountable as individuals for work assignments or responsibilities. Employee performance plans should be flexible so that they can be adjusted for changing program objectives and work requirements. When used effectively, these plans can be beneficial working documents that are discussed often, and not merely paperwork that is filed in a drawer and seen only when ratings of record are required. MONITORING In an effective organization, assignments and projects are monitored continually. Monitoring well means consistently measuring performance and providing ongoing feedback to employees and work groups on their progress toward reaching their goals. The regulatory requirements for monitoring performance include conducting progress reviews with employees where their performance is compared against their elements and standards. Ongoing monitoring provides the supervisor the opportunity to check how well employees are meeting predetermined standards and to make changes to unrealistic or problematic standards. By monitoring continually, supervisors can identify unacceptable performance at any time during the appraisal period and provide assistance to address such performance rather than wait until the end of the period when summary rating levels are assigned. MEASURE WHAT IS IMPORTANT—NOT WHAT IS EASY TO MEASURE It is easy to count the number of days since a project began, but if that is all that you measure, is that enough information to assess performance? No, probably not. Or if, for example, a customer service team only measures the number of calls that come into the team (the easy measure) and does not attempt to measure customer satisfaction with its service (the more difficult measure), the team does not have complete information about its performance and has no idea how well it is serving its customers. In addition, because what gets measured gets done, the team will probably focus on how it can increase the number of calls it receives and ignore the quality of service it provides. As a result, organizations need to anticipate the behavioral and unintended consequences of measuring performance. As an example, recently a medical laboratory came under fire because of the errors it made in certain of its cancer tests. A high number of cancer tests that the laboratory had approved as negative turned out to be wrong—cancer had actually been

Free Essays on Orwell’s Gripe

Orwell’s Gripe Commenting on and criticizing literature is a common practice. Indeed there are entire books, classes and even careers dedicated to this very purpose. To criticize language, particularly the contemporary lexicon, however, is a more risky endeavor. George Orwell has dared to do exactly this in his essay â€Å"Politics and the English Language†. More surprising than the fact that Orwell took on this challenge is the striking passion and clarity with which he speaks. Orwell is very deliberate and careful with the diction and syntax he uses to buck muddled meaninglessness. This may be the most clear and straight-forward writing we’ve studied in this class. Before getting to meanings and functions of the essay, we should first observe the severity exhibited by Orwell. If a reader can’t grasp Orwell’s ideas themselves, he or she will still ascertain that Orwell is serious. He refers to the fight against the â€Å"abuse of language† as a struggle. A genuine concern for language and even society is evident. We’ve encountered such concerns already; studying the likes of Alexander Pope and Matthew Arnold. These authors also spoke out against ongoing trends in society that they found disagreeable much the way Orwell does. The parallels do not end there. Matthew Arnold wrote in a similar fashion about his feelings regarding societal trends in the â€Å"Sweetness and Light† portion of â€Å"Culture and Anarchy†. In it he scrutinizes the middle and working class’ lack of taste. He felt that all the freedom the commoner had had led him to be a part of a mass culture whose taste was lesser than that of the elite and the educated (perhaps one and the same). Orwell also chastises the trends of his society. His complaint is that people now embrace and practice a language that sells the involved parties (speaker, writer, listener, reader) short. Like Arnold, Orwell felt these flaws were repairable. Arnold felt that the spread... Free Essays on Orwell’s Gripe Free Essays on Orwell’s Gripe Orwell’s Gripe Commenting on and criticizing literature is a common practice. Indeed there are entire books, classes and even careers dedicated to this very purpose. To criticize language, particularly the contemporary lexicon, however, is a more risky endeavor. George Orwell has dared to do exactly this in his essay â€Å"Politics and the English Language†. More surprising than the fact that Orwell took on this challenge is the striking passion and clarity with which he speaks. Orwell is very deliberate and careful with the diction and syntax he uses to buck muddled meaninglessness. This may be the most clear and straight-forward writing we’ve studied in this class. Before getting to meanings and functions of the essay, we should first observe the severity exhibited by Orwell. If a reader can’t grasp Orwell’s ideas themselves, he or she will still ascertain that Orwell is serious. He refers to the fight against the â€Å"abuse of language† as a struggle. A genuine concern for language and even society is evident. We’ve encountered such concerns already; studying the likes of Alexander Pope and Matthew Arnold. These authors also spoke out against ongoing trends in society that they found disagreeable much the way Orwell does. The parallels do not end there. Matthew Arnold wrote in a similar fashion about his feelings regarding societal trends in the â€Å"Sweetness and Light† portion of â€Å"Culture and Anarchy†. In it he scrutinizes the middle and working class’ lack of taste. He felt that all the freedom the commoner had had led him to be a part of a mass culture whose taste was lesser than that of the elite and the educated (perhaps one and the same). Orwell also chastises the trends of his society. His complaint is that people now embrace and practice a language that sells the involved parties (speaker, writer, listener, reader) short. Like Arnold, Orwell felt these flaws were repairable. Arnold felt that the spread...

Article on Karl Marx and Private Enterprise

Article on Karl Marx and Private Enterprise Karl Marx is the most controversial economist in history. His writings are studied and debated. He is frequently linked with communism and that association has biased many people against him. Marxs link to communism were formed because many of the socialist dictators such as Lenin studied Marx intensively, however it is erroneous to assume that Marx was a proponent of communism. He was however a critic of capitalism. He studied capitalism extensively and much of his writings focus on the problems with capitalism and specifically on the exploitation of the worker. By examining the origination of capitalism and the Marxist critique of capitalism, we can gain a better understanding of Marxs viewpoints and separate Marxs views from many of the misunderstandings surrounding Marx. Marx spent a great deal of time examining the conversion of the feudal society to a capitalist society. Before the conversion to capitalism took place, England experienced an industrial revolution. This revolution took place from the 10th to the 14th centuries. Around this time, the Plaque that wreaked havoc on England and wiped out nearly half of its population was over. After the Plague ended, many people inherited a lot of wealth and spending on extravagant items became very common. Additionally, it was during this time that technological advances moved industry forward. The invention of the loom made it possible to create linens rapidly and inexpensively and Englands textile industry flourished. Soon after that came the invention of the printing press, which changed allowed for the efficient transfer of information. It was no longer necessary to learn how to do things directly through human contact. This spread of information made it possible for the people of England to organize themselves and to expand their knowledge in different areas of industry. During the 16th and 17th centuries England experienced a turning point in its economic history. During the reign of Charles I, England was going through a period of economic shrinkage. Up until this time English monarchy favored an economic system that was monopolistic in nature. The reason for this is that it gave England greater control over profits and taxation. However, as the merchant class began to grow, Englands economic policies began to hinder further growth. The merchant class (referred to by Marx as the bourgeoisie) began to compete with the monopolies and Englands economy grew increasingly unstable. The rising bourgeoisie began to enclose their land and focused their efforts more and more and their own material gain. These economic factors were, in a large part, responsible for the eventual revolution and execution of the King of England, Charles I. The conversion to capitalism took place over a large period of time, but the changes that took place affected every aspect of society. It changed not only industry, but also politics, religion, laws, and peoples social interactions. In feudalism, wealth was tied to the land. Society was based on agriculture and 90% of the people worked the land. If someone owned land they were wealthy; the society was divided into two classes, landowners and non-landowners. In feudalism, wealth was inherited. Land was passed on when the landowner died to his descendants and therefore it was impossible for serfs to move up. With capitalism this all changed. Wealth was linked to trade and production. For the first time, serfs had the ability to acquire some wealth because wealth was no longer based on lineage. Under this new system, owning a business became the major way to generate wealth, which created some opportunity for serfs that had a skill. Furthermore, land became a commodity that could be bou ght and sold. Previously, land did not change hands and the king could seize it at any time. In capitalism property was bought and sold and people could do with it whatever they wished. In feudalism profits were considered immoral, but under capitalism profits became the way to obtain a better life. Capitalism is the separation of the economy and the state. It is a social system based upon private ownership of the means of production, which entails a completely uncontrolled and unregulated economy where all land is privately owned. Capitalism has been described as the a social harmony through the pursuit of self-interest. This is because those who promote capitalism, believe in that by leaving the state of the economy unregulated, and by each individual left in pursuit of his own self-interests, the economy will automatically adjust itself so that is runs with maximum efficiency. Today in the United States we live in a capitalist society (although our economy is not purely capitalistic because it is not completely unregulated). Under this system a large and growing section of the population survives based on the condition that it works for the owners of the means of production. Production became a key component of this new way of life. Marx defines social class as relations to means of production. Society class structure changed. Instead of society being divided into the landowners and non-landowners, it was divided into those the capitalist and the worker. Capitalists built huge factories instead of small workshops and began to employee hundred of workers at a time. The capitalist owned the factory, the land, and the raw materials and instructed the worker on what to do. Then the goods produced were sold and the capitalist paid the worker a wage and kept the profits. At a time when 90% of England were poor, former serfs, capitalists found plenty of people willing to work for almost nothing. Although, a select few of the workers who were skilled earned a slightly higher wage, the majority worked to just enough money to sustain themselves. The capitalist paid as low a wage as possible and tried to sell their products for as high a price as possible. Most cap italists were very successful. They reinvested their money into new ventures and their wealth grew. Marx recognized that Capitalism divides society into classes, whose interests are not only different, but are opposed to each other. According to Marx the relationship between the capitalist and the worker is inherently antagonistic. What one gains is lost to the other. Because of this he felt that it was inevitable that the worker would have to rise up against the capitalist. Lets take a closer look at the capitalist-worker relationship and how workers wages are determined. The same principles that determine the price of goods also determine the wages. Supply and demand and the competition for labor determine wages by the capitalists. This is what causes the cost of labor to fluctuate and the fluctuations revolve around the cost of producing labor. The costs can be described as the cost of maintaining and training the worker. The easier a worker is to replace or the less training required to educate a worker, the smaller his wage. If there is little or no training necessary, a workers wages will equal the subsistence wage (the minimum amount necessary for a worker to survive). In addition the subsistence wage the capitalist must also consider the cost of replacing worn out workers. The addition of this cost to the subsistence wage is the minimum wage. Although many workers do live and work for a wage below this level, the minimum wage correlates to the wa ges of the entire working class and this wage is the point about which wages of the workers fluctuates. Understanding how wages are determined in the capitalist society we can now examine the relationship between labor and capital in more detail. The laborer receives wages in exchange for his labor. The laborer receives this wage which provides him a method of survival in that he can by food, clothes, and shelter. However, the subsistence wage will not provide the worker any means of economic progression. It will not provide him a way of moving up from the lower classes. An example of this would be a factory worker. He works for one day and is paid for his work ten dollars. The factory owner earns twenty dollars for the work put forth by the worker after subtracting the wage that he pays the worker. Therefore, the employer has created for himself twenty dollars by doing nothing more than giving the laborer work. The factory owner can then use the twenty dollars to reinvest in the factory or in another venture, increasing his wealth. The laborer on the other hand, earns his ten dollars a day, which is only sufficient for him to purchase necessities. It is often said that in capitalism it is in the best interest of the worker and the capitalist for the capitalists ventures to succeed. This is true in that if the venture does not succeed, the worker nor the capitalist will reap a reward. However, when it does succeed it is the capitalist who has the opportunity to increase his wealth and it is in the capitalists best interests that the worker not be given opportunity to earn more than the subsistence wage he is being paid. The growth of the business under capitalism will logically benefit a select number of capitalists. The few who are fortunate enough to have wealth have the opportunity for their wealth to grow. However the worker is not as fortunate. Marx knew that a growth in profits for a firm did not help the worker as one might suspect. In fact, a growth in profits would imprison the worker. When profits increase, wages might also increase but not at the same proportion to profit. An increase in profits for a firm of 30 percent could translate roughly to an increase in wages of 5 percent. Even though wages rose, they rose proportionately less that profits. Therefore the relative wage has not increased, but in fact it has gotten smaller. As the few capitalists increase their wealth, the gap between the rich and the poor must widen. The size of the working class (Marx refers to them as proletariats) grows in number, but their individual wealth is stagnant. The relationship between the two classes i s a control relationship of the capitalist over the worker. This is not a great improvement over the relationship between the feudal lords and the serfs. In the best case scenario a capitalist economy prospers to the point that wages are driven up. Even in this case, however, the gap that would develop between the rich and the poor is so unproportional that it would be impossible for the laborer to increase his standard of living in a pure capitalist economy. We can see that even the best possible situation for the working class does not improve their situation. The material position of the worker may rise slightly, but his social position continues to decline. Marx refers to the manner in which a capitalist controls the worker and reaps the rewards of his labor as exploitation of the worker. The capitalist exploits the worker by using him in the production of goods and using the profit that was generated by the workers labor for his own gain. We will look at how this is done, but first we need to understand how the value of a good or a commodity is measured. By gaining that understanding we can then look at the value added to a product by the laborer and what portion of that value is rewarded to him. It had been a problem for economists to determine how the value of a good is derived. It had been determined that prices of all commodities including labor, are continuously rising and falling and that the price of the goods can rise and fall because of factors that had nothing to do with the production of the good itself. The determination of value was a problem that many economists tried to resolve. Marx was the first economist to investigate thoroughly the notion that the value of a good is determined by the labor put into producing the good. He believed that the value of a commodity was based on all labor, past and present, put into creating the good. This established a way of measuring the true value of good. However this theory had some problems. How is the value of labor determined? How do we express the value of labor when labor itself is used to measure value? Classical Economists contrast these problems that were faced by Marx (as well as other economists such as David Ricardo), with another theory. This theory suggests that the value of a commodity is equal to its cost of production. Under this idea, the value of labor can be determined by the cost of sustaining him or the cost of replacing him. Another way of looking at the exploitation of the worker is by examining the number of hours put into producing a product. The value of each product consists of three parts, according to Marx: the first part is the amount of constant capital put into a good, the second part is the amount of variable capital used to create the good (wages), and the third is the surplus value. The surplus value is the value of a good above and beyond the value that was paid to the worker in the form of wages. In fact by dividing the surplus value by the workers wages we are able to derive the Rate of Exploitation of the worker. So for example a workers wage might equal half of the value of the good he produced. The other half of the value that the worker added is the surplus value and the surplus value is taken for profit by the capitalist. By looking at the relationship between the worker and the capitalist one thing is certain. The value of a good is determined either directly or indirectly by the worker. The value is either composed of the actual units of labor used to produce the product or the cost of labor is used as part the valuation of the good (in addition to the other costs such as materials and machinery). Regardless the worker is reduced to a tool used by the Capitalist and he is nothing more than a component in the production process. And that is what Marx felt would cause the strain and the inevitable rebellion of the worker. It is important to note that despite the common misperception, Marx did not feel that Capitalism is all bad. He recognized that it ended feudalism which was far worse. In many ways he looked at Capitalism as a segue to something better. He believed that Capitalism was dynamic and constantly changing and this leads to the promotion of technology and spurs advances in science. He also knew that Capitalism was an efficient way of creating material wealth. However, despite capitalisms advantages, Marx could not over look its disadvantages. It divides people into classes, which in and of itself, Marx believed, creates problems. It produces wealth for few and unhappiness for many. He believed that a worker is not just selling his labor, he is selling his humanness. He believed that a Capitalist economy will grow for decades (although their will be periods of recession and depression), but the capitalist system can not flourish indefinitely because by isolating the worker and creating the tension that must exist between the capitalist and the worker, capitalism must fall. The workers will eventually organize themselves and overthrow capitalism and then capitalism will be regarded as feudalism is now, as a stepping stone to something better.

Answering Questions Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 11

Answering Questions - Research Paper Example Suspense keeps readers on the article besides boosting their understanding of the effects of the illicit trade as he explicitly develops them. Causal analysis refers to the process through which a writer espouses on the issues related to the cause of a problem or issue. Gardner is analyzing the cause of violence in major American cities which he identifies as the trade in illicit drugs. However, she does not simply put this boldly in the beginning of either the page or the essay because, in the process of identifying the cause to the problems, he builds the problems as well. He achieves doing this by drawing the larger picture of the frequency of the violence and the nature of the very violence. It is only after satisfactorily discussing the issues that he brings the cause into context. Causal argument, on the other hand, refers to the articulation of points to ascertain that in deed the stated reasons are the cause to the problem under scrutiny. Gardner identifies the cause of the violence as the illicit trade in drugs. To prove these, he gives reasons and alternatives to what may occur without the drug peddlers in the eq uation (Gardner 266). Drugs and drug peddling is in deed a menace in the country and in the city of Vancouver. However, pushing for legalization of the very drugs would be akin to anarchy. Currently, the drug peddlers are not known and are considered criminals by the state. They operate in the shadows and in dark alleys. The crimes they commit are brought about by betrayals within their circles. Briefly, the peddlers kill or hurt their fellow peddlers. Legalizing the drugs would mean legalizing the trade of the drugs. Entrepreneurs of all sorts will flood the drug industry; this dilutes the trade and reduces profits for the investors. Secret elimination of competition is more likely to result and it may result in the loss of very many innocent lives. The drug business does not simply begin and end with the traders. It