America Must Destroy the Terrorist Networks Essay -- Terrorism War Ter

America Must Destroy the Terrorist Networks   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When one hears the word â€Å"terrorism,† a thought of a bombing, an explosion, a gunshot, or a hi-jacking comes to mind. How do individuals and organizations justify these acts of terror? These acts can be described as terrorist actions. Terrorism is defined as the unlawful use of force or violence against persons or property to achieve certain political, economical, or social aims.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When I heard about terrorists hijacking airplanes full of civilians and flying them into the World Trade Centers in New York, the Pentagon, and a rural field in Pennsylvania, I didn’t know what to think of all this. It came with no warning, no declaration of war, no goals or sense to these attacks. No one had the courage to claim responsibility for the attacks. But I knew the US would respond with great perseverance and endeavor to remove the scourge of such terror from the world.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I was overwhelmed with sadness and sorrow for the fallen and for their families. The terrorists took from their victims all that they have ever been and all that they ever will be. They left thousands of husbands and wives bereft of their spouse. They took away a parent or parents from thousands of children. They ended the hopes of families to have subsequent generations. They killed off family names, dreams, and futures. They have left parents and grandparents grieving to see their children and grandchildren die before them. They destroyed the lives and ...

Salem Witch Trial and the Crucible

The Salem Witch trials caused a lot of hysteria in history, during 1692. The town of Salem is located in Massachusetts. The hysteria was drawn from the beliefs of witches, witchcraft and black magic. The topics of witches, witchcraft and black magic have been questioned for many centuries. These questions have been dated all the way back to B. C. times. There have been writings in The Bible about people saying that others have been seen performing witchcraft and are in need of being saved by God. There has been suspicion of witchcraft with the Egyptians, Native Americans, the Elizabethan Age, and Medieval times. Witchcraft and black magic can be described and seen in two ways. First, it can be looked upon as a religion of the ancient and traditional worships of the feminine, earthly, and amazing aspects of God which is considered a heresy. Secondly, it goes against the beliefs of the Christian Church. Witches and witchcraft are considered evil and are seen as making pacts, deals or connections with the Devil. It is not a coincidence that the first official witch trial took place in Massachusetts. A witch trial is when a person is accused of being a witch; they will then have to go to court to be testified to be seen guilty or innocent by a judge. This first witch trial happened in 1648, to a woman named Margaret Jones. The man who accused her was John Winthrop. He was governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony at the time. His reason for accusing Margaret of being a witch was because anyone who touched Margaret was taken with deafness, vomiting, sickness or pains. She was seen practicing physics, which women were not allowed to be learning about at the time. Also, anyone who she tried to help got worse and she foretold events that came true. The main reason why Winthrop accused her was because he was getting questioned about his authority by Margaret. Since she was a woman and was questioning him, he thought the best way to get rid of her was to send her to jail for being a â€Å"witch†. This became a common act used among many people in Salem to send the ones they hate to jail or even to death. The town of Salem is very small. Information and rumors can be spread around very quickly. This became a main factor of how hysteria started. There was a Native American who was a slave to the Parris family, her name was Tituba. She soon began to create a chain known as Tituba’s Circle. This circle was her way of spreading stories about the supernatural. She would perform and teach tricks, spells, voodoo and chants to young Puritan girls. In the Puritan religion it is forbidden to ever be practicing witchcraft. Two girls who were in this chain were Betty Parris, nine years old, and Abigail Williams, eleven years old. Abigail was Betty’s cousin and Tituba was Betty’s slave. The two girls all of a sudden started showing odd signs in their behaviors. 1) excruciating sensations of â€Å"pricking† or â€Å"pinching† (as by numberless pins and nails), also of â€Å"burning† (by invisible flames); (2)bizarre contortions of body parts: twisting, stretching, usual postures of extreme rigidity and limberness by turns; (3) frenzied motor activity: rolling on the ground, running about aimlessly, simulated â€Å"flying† and â€Å"diving†; occasional â€Å"barking† or other animal imitation; some impulse to injury or self or others; (4) periods of extreme immobility, amounting to paralysis; feelings of extraordinary pressure on the chest; (5) anorexia: more or less complete inhibitions of eating; (6) occasional forced consumption of invisible liquids when overpowered by the witch; (7) â€Å"frolicsome† intervals, mostly without pain; cavorting in a â€Å"ludicrous† way, babbling impertinent nonsense; insults and gestures of physical assault toward bystanders, friends, and family(Rice, 24) These conditions were rarely seen by doctors. There were no medicines to cure their behaviors, so they were diagnosed with witchcraft. They were thought to be under the hands of the devil. The girls received long periods of complete silence, lasting hours or days, to calm the girls down. Now a day with the knowledge of doctors, these behaviors can be diagnosed as anxiety and can possibly be caused by being sexually abused or beaten. Discrimination played a major part in the Salem Witch Trials. Most accusations were made upon old women. Betty and Abigail called upon two women, Sarah Good and Sarah Osborne to be witches. They said that they were seen to be in company with the devil and were sending their spirits to hurt them. The town believed them because Sarah Good was 39 but looked the age of 70. She had long gray hair, a raspy voice, winkled face and was seen smoking a pipe a lot. She was married two times, her first husband died and her second husband became poor after their marriage. The town’s people believed she caused both of her marriages to fail. Sarah Osborne was 69, widowed and had not been to the Puritan church for three years. The first execution in Salem was to a woman of 71, Rebecca Nurse. She was a well-respected woman in the town and was also a devoted member of the Puritan church. She had acquired land from the Putnam family, but a rival over its ownership started to occur. Ann Putnam accused Rebecca of being a witch out of spite to get her family’s land back. This led Rebecca to be put on trial. At first, she was proven innocent, but then Ann Putnam said that Rebecca tried again to send her spirit out. This time Rebecca was found guilty. On July 19th she was hung. The people in the town were getting over paranoid. People were accusing others left and right. If someone was seen either mumbling to themselves, having an eccentric behavior, having a dispute with the Parris family, not going to church, going to a different church, speaking a different language, having connections to the previous Indian war, or expressing support for a recently accused witch then they were now being accused of witchcraft. Nineteen people were accused of witchcraft and were hung. They were hung at Gallows Hill from the month of June to August. Some of the ways people would try to get out of death for being accused as a witch were to flee Salem, accuse someone else, try to get pregnant or fake a pregnancy, confess even if innocent, plead innocent at trial or refuse to stand for a trial. Getting pregnant or faking a pregnancy would give someone a year to live to have the baby and hope that the hysteria would be over. The confession of being a witch even if innocent actually didn’t lead to death, just being sentenced to life in jail. The plead for innocence would be to hope that the judge would see you innocent. Out of the nineteen people hung, five of them were males. George Burroughs, John Willard, George Jacobs, John Proctor and Giles Corey were all convicted. The court was also getting out of hand and having inappropriate behavior. The men didn’t have the suspicion of being witches, like the woman. They went against the court to try and prove innocence for the accused and because of that they were convicted. Finally on October 3rd, Governor Phipps in a sermon to other ministers, showed evidence that the witch trials should end. The court was dissolved and was not allowed to have any more witch trials. Property of the accused was given back. Those who were already found guilty were pardoned. The remaining accused were tried and then found innocent. In Arthur Miller’s play The Crucible, there are many similarities to the Salem Witch Trials. The play is based on the people and the events of the Salem Witch Trials. The play shows how the town’s people were getting consumed by the thought of witchcraft. It displays how people were going behind each other’s backs to get revenge. It also demonstrates how the people acted in the court. Since The Crucible is a drama there are some parts that are not true. There was no incidence where a whole bunch of young girls were dancing in the woods. Abigail was not seventeen and did not have an affair with John Proctor. In conclusion, the hysteria during the Salem Witch Trials led to nineteen deaths. The want for revenge went to an extreme. Many innocent people were convicted without being properly heard, and their deaths came too soon. The Salem Witch Trials will never be forgotten or go unnoticed. They will forever be a reminder that no one will ever die again convicted as a witch in the United States.

Antony and Cleopatra Essay

Octavius Caesar has a pivotal role to play in Antony and Cleopatra: as a member of the triumvirate (the ruling council of the Roman Empire, composed of three members, the others being Lepidus and Antony), he has the responsibility to run part of Empire, he also has a long-standing rivalry with Antony, and dislike Antony’s relaxed mood, especially his affair with Cleopatra.  We first see Caesar towards the end of scene one, where he is criticising Antony for spending too much time with Cleopatra. Two common habits of Caesar are shown in the first few lines of this scene: It is not Caesar’s natural vice to hate our great competitor  [Antony] †¦ he fishes, drinks and wastes the lamps of night in revel.  (I.iv.2-3a, 4b-5a)  Not only does Caesar like to himself in the third person (â€Å"Caesar’s natural vice†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ) he also has a tendency to criticises anyone who likes to enjoy themselves; this is seen again at the feast on Pompey’s ship. Caesar then goes on to list more of Antony’s faults, as Lepidus, ever eager to stop any arguing, tries in vain to excuse Antony, and calm Caesar down: Lepidus: I must not think that there are  Evils enough to darken all his [Antony’s] goodness.  Caesar: Let’s grant that it is not  Amiss to tumble on the bed of Ptolemy,  [To] keep the turn of tippling with a slave †¦ and stand the buffet  With knaves that smells of sweat.  (I.iv.10b-11, 16b-17, 19, 20b-21a)  Caesar again complaints that both Antony and Cleopatra are committing adultery, and then says that Antony has been drinking too much, and fighting with â€Å"knaves,† which means that he is not focusing on running the Empire, as he should be, and also that it gives a bad impression of the triumvirate and Caesar especially – something that Caesar himself is very worried about, as is seen later. However, Caesar changes tack later on, after his messengers bring word that Pompey is growing in strength, and also that two famous pirates, Menecrates and Menas, are also acting on Pompey’s behalf. Caesar apostrophises Antony, in a scene that is thought by many to be highly significant, as it one of the very few times that Caesar is seen, in the play, to pay a genuine complement to someone. Caesar remembers a time when Antony â€Å"slew’st Hirtius and Pansa, consuls [of Rome.]† Although the imagery that Caesar uses is not particularly pleasant, (â€Å"stale of horses† and â€Å"eat strange flesh,†) it is the fact that Caesar praises someone, especially a person that he does not particularly like, which is important. At the end of scene four, Lepidus and Caesar are talking about getting more information about what is going on in the world, giving the current problems that t they are having: Lepidus: What you shall know meantime  Of stirs abroad, I shall beseech you, sir,  To let me be partaker.  Caesar: Doubt not, sir, I knew it for my bond.  (I.iv.83b-86)  This short dialogue, containing some quite harsh-sounding phrases for people are that are meant to be friends, shows that there might be a small rift growing between these two men, in addition to the disagreements between Antony and Caesar. Lepidus asking for information about what is going on, from Caesar shows that there might be an issue of a lack of trust developing, whilst Caesar’s rebuttal of â€Å"doubt not, sir, I knew it for my bond,† shows that Caesar could be losing patience with Lepidus, who is always portrayed as being quite a weak and unimportant character anyway.

Globalization of Chocolate Lovers, Cakes and Pastries Essay

Globalization of both the economy and the society has confronted the world over the past decade. A shift of focus and interest from the local market to the international setting has demanded innovation not just in corporate leadership as new information; forms of communication and technology are being offered to be utilized in encouraging and reinforcing interaction among individuals. Fewer trade barriers and unprecedented technological advances have accelerated the pace of globalization. The advances in communication technology make it easier to enter the international market through the efficient marketing and advertising strategies that a number of international business organizations invest in by utilizing the services provided by the Worldwide Web. Electronic data communication (EDC) facilitates the exchange of data at tremendous speeds; it sorts and integrates data with other information available to the recipients (businesses, banks, capital markets) from other sources. Individual countries and trading and currency blocs alike view the fast-moving e-business sector as having a direct impact on the countries’ and blocs’ competitiveness in the global market. Increased market competition identifies continuous adjustment and improvement in the production lines of countries to recognize the participation of smaller business units. The free flow of goods and services, the establishment of functioning trade blocs like the European Union, more favorable regulations for foreign direct investment, and e-commerce are now major features of the global market. The introduction of the new division of international labor calls for evaluation and reorganization of the business operations as well as a reassessment of the current technological practices. The Chocolate Lovers, Cakes and Pastries Industry in FRANCE Royle and Towers (2002) note that the Chocolate Lovers, Cakes and Pastries industry has now extended throughout the world, expanding in FRANCE and other European countries, bakeshops are often considered as a characteristic of the new global culture. These bakeshops are illustrated as informal, have uniform service to anyone regardless of social status and focuses on giving quick-service to its customers. The industry grew out of a cultural philosophy that greatly values friendliness more than propriety, basically more than traditions of gracious living and democratic consensus over status-based divisions. Firms within the Chocolate Lovers, Cakes and Pastries industry fall into the category of a competitive market structure. According to Lipset (1991), the competitiveness of a market refers to the extent to which individual firms have the control or power to influence market prices or the terms on which their products are sold. It must be noted that â€Å"the less power an individual firm has to influence the market in which it sells its products, the more competitive the market is† (Lipset, 1991). In the recent years, the integration of strategic planning and functional marketing has been perhaps the most relevant development in the field of marketing management as marketing managers have all the more realized that tactical marketing decisions must be made within a wider strategic framework. Marketing Mix (4Ps) Product – Products that Cakes and Cookies are offering can be improved and expanded. For example they can add more cakes that suit the taste and needs of their consumers in FRANCE. Cakes and Cookies should not limit their products according to the old time customers in the U. S. Placement – Decisions involving the place/distribution are also crucial in meeting the needs of the target market. There are many factors to consider such as the choice of location where the product will be sold to the consumers, and the various channel distribution required to bring the product in the target market. Elements of distribution channel include the packaging, storage facilities, transportation, and the members of the channel itself. Cakes and Cookies should make their customized packages and boxes for their Chocolate Lovers, Cakes and Pastries and this should be appropriate according to the taste of the FRANCE consumers. It is always relevant to choose a channel pattern that is suitable for the target market needs. Price Among other factors considered in pricing are the needs of the market, the costs involved, the effect on margins and the value offered at a minimum for the consumer without the price cut hitting the company image. It is not surprising therefore, that Cakes and Cookies entry price strategy became a model in starting business in the area. Finally, it is interesting to note that in FRANCE have consistently agreed with Chocolate Lovers, Cakes and Pastries pricing strategy for many years. This shows that consumers give their loyalty as long as the price is right and fair. Promotions – Today, personal selling, sales promotions, in the forms of souvenirs, and point-of-purchase displays (POP), publicity through non-paid presentation of the product to the target market (feature articles and special news coverage), and public relations (established link with the stakeholders) were utilized by Cakes and Cookies Similarly, TV and radio advertising are important channels to promote Cakes and Cookies Usually, effective television and radio advertising involves a good opening punch line, presentation of the competitor’s product (brand must not be mentioned) and its weakness, testimony of experts or renowned personalities/authorities, and in some cases, use of famous movie actors and actress also helps. Further, the existence of Internet and the continued revolution in the world of Information Technology are certainly positive signs for the blossoming of many new advertising opportunities. For instance, pop-up ads and email ads have started to inva de the Internet. Most advertising firms have also started to exert efforts to make their advertisements appealing to the public (Chow and Holden, 1997). Segment, Target and Positioning of the Product Of all the components of a marketing plan, perhaps the most overlooked but most critical element is the definition of the target market. According to Lovelock and Young (2000), it is a homogenous group of people or organizations that a company wishes to appeal to. There are two basic targets for a product or service: the user and the non-user segments. Thus, there are also two business and marketing decisions that the company must decide upon in light of the basic targets. The first is to cultivate the present market alone while the second is to go after non-users. The former can inspire consumer loyalty which is an important factor in the survival of any business. In the case of Cakes and Cookies, they should categorize their target market into two market segments: (1) the Cakes and Cookies patrons or those who have already tried the product, and (2) the Cakes and Cookies non-consumers. The Cakes and Cookies consumers further classified into (a) males and (b) females in order to differentiate the market appeal and competitiveness of the offered products in terms of sex as well as the specific consumers for specific types of Chocolate Lovers, Cakes and Pastries. in order to determine the competitiveness of each product per se. the Cakes and Cookies non- consumers, on the other hand, are further grouped into (a) those who do not eat Chocolate Lovers, Cakes and Pastries in general, and (b) those who eat other Chocolate Lovers, Cakes and Pastries. These market segmentation schemes according to product use will provide important information regarding the overall competitiveness of Cakes and Cookies products as well as viability and opportunities for encouraging sweeteners non-users to not just try any other average sweeteners but to choose Cakes and Cookies products among others. Moreover, companies now face the challenge of making its target consumers respond accordingly to their marketing efforts and those who understand its consumers’ responses will have a great competitive advantage (Kotler & Armstrong, 2001). In this light, Chocolate Lovers, Cakes and Pastries should keep in mind the differences that are distinct between and among other bakeshops target market based on different cultural backgrounds which significantly affect the effectiveness of the campaign. The fact is, there may be ideas that will not be applicable across the diverse target market population. Studies on the relationship of consumer behavior and their personal values and cultural orientation as well as their beliefs on certain principles, the dispositions they hold and side they take on political, gender and social problems and issues will be likewise duly accounted. Positioning The changing world has then placed much emphasis on the importance of communication for effective marketing. All types of communication are involved in marketing communications, including literature, training, advertising, mail, telephone, product promotions and other contact relevant to marketing communication. Among the channel members, even follow-up on complaints as well as customer billing may be included within the communication loop. In order to effectively serve the marketing channel, correct timing and accuracy in communications is essential. Moreover, it is important for the company to recognize that all members of the channel have an obligation or important role in maintaining the efficacy of marketing communications. Organizations that capitalize on customers’ active participation in organizational activities can gain competitive advantage through greater sales volume, enhanced operating efficiencies, positive word-of-mouth publicity, reduced marketing expenses, and enhanced customer loyalty (Lovelock & Young, 1979). Channel communications works in a two-way system wherein information transfers to the user and bounces all the way back to the producer (Goldberg & McCalley, 1992). In other words, marketing communications works like a feedback system, which allows company producers to relay information to the customers. In response to the provided information, consumers give certain reactions or behaviors. In this light, the electronic transformation of the services offered by Chocolate Lovers, Cakes and Pastries will result to better and more efficient and effective customer service system to the clientele. Moreover, the functionality of the online portal for the marketing and advertising needs of the agency will most possibly result to increase customer reach, satisfaction level and return of investment. Furthermore, if consumers somehow become better customers — that is, more knowledgeable, participative, or productive — the quality of the service experience will likely be enhanced for the customer and the organization (Bowers, Martin & Luker, 1990). Finally, some of the ways that companies acquired cost advantages are by improving process efficiencies, gaining unique access to a large source of lower cost materials, making optimal outsourcing and vertical integration decisions, or avoiding some costs altogether. If competing firms are unable to lower their costs by a similar amount, the firm will be able to sustain a competitive advantage based on cost leadership.

Training & Development: a Tool of Retaining Employees

Training & Development: A tool of Retaining Employees â€Å"Abstract† NITIN GUPTA (ASST. PROF. IIMT HOTEL MANAGEMENT COLLEGE) The objective of this study is to show that training & development is required for an organization to retain its employees, as Training is activity leading to skilled behavior and it realize the employees that what they want in life& knowing how to reach it, where they want to go and how to get there, how high they want to rise and how to take off in the organization. The people in your organization are your most important resource. It is not only essential to hire the very best employees but the important is that a company retains those employees. Training and re-skilling inspire loyalty. Training is seen as expensive and a way of making their employees attractive to others. The risks involved, when weighed against the benefits, often mean that retraining is overlooked in favor of recruiting externally. However, the recruitment costs of staff time before and after the hire and direct expenses compare favorably against staff development costs. Training employees reinforces their sense of value. Through training, employers help employees achieve goals and ensure they have a solid understanding of their job requirements. A mixed approach of valuing staff by developing skills, providing interesting/motivating work while recognizing their individual contribution, along side benefits and perks, will mean that you are an employer that employees don't want to leave. TOPIC Training & Development: A tool of Retaining Employees INTRODUCTION The people in any organization are most important resource. It is not only essential to hire the very best employees but the important is that a company retains those employees. Training and re-skilling inspire loyalty. Training is seen as expensive and a way of making their employees attractive to others. The risks involved, when weighed against the benefits, often mean that retraining is overlooked in favor of recruiting externally. However, the recruitment costs of staff time before and after the hire and direct expenses compare favorably against staff development costs. Employees leave organizations for many reasons; oftentimes these reasons are unknown to their employers. Employers need to listen to employees’ needs and implement retention strategies to make employees feel valued and engaged in order to keep them. These retention methods can have a significant and positive impact on an organization’s turnover rate. According to strategic planning consultant Leigh Branham, SPHR, 88% of employees leave their jobs for reasons other than pay: However, 70% of managers think employees leave mainly for pay-related reasons. Branham says there are seven main reasons why employees leave a company: 1. Employees feel the job or workplace is not what they expected. 2. There is a mismatch between the job and person. 3. There is too little coaching and feedback. 4. There are too few growth and advancement opportunities. 5. Employees feel devalued and unrecognized. 6. Employees feel stress from overwork and have a work/life imbalance. 7. There is a loss of trust and confidence in senior leaders. WHY RETAINING EMPLOYEES IS IMPORTANT? Turnover is costly. According to Right Management, a talent and career management consulting firm, it costs nearly three times an employee’s salary to replace someone, which includes recruitment, severance, lost productivity, and lost opportunities. Life Work Solutions, a provider of staff retention and consulting services, provides the following turnover facts and rates: †¢ Over 50 % of people recruited in to an organization will leave within 2 years. †¢ One in four of new hires will leave within 6 months. †¢ Nearly 70% of organizations report that staff turnover has a negative financial impact due to the cost of recruiting, hiring, and training a replacement employee and the overtime work of current employees that’s required until the organization can fill the vacant position. Nearly 70 % of organizations report having difficulties in replacing staff. †¢ Approximately 50% of organizations experience regular problems with employee retention. From these statistics it’s clear that it’s important to develop a retention plan to retain employees and keep turnover low. If an employee resigns, then good amount of time is lost in hiring a new employee and then training him/her and this goes to t he loss of the company directly which many a times goes unnoticed. And even after this no one can assure the same efficiency from the new employee (He might be better and might not be). It requires time to judge his capabilities and work nature. And above all these things, one resignation many a times triggers a chain reaction among other employees, leading to a negative effect. RETENTION METHODS Here are some effective methods employers utilize in order to keep employees happy and part of their organization instead of looking for employment opportunities elsewhere. Training: Training employees reinforces their sense of value. Through training, employers help employees achieve goals and ensure they have a solid understanding of their job requirements. It’s important for companies to give coaching to employees so that their efforts stay aligned with the goals of the company and meet expectations. During an employee’s first few weeks on the job, an employer should provide intensive feedback. Employers should also provide formal and informal feedback to employees throughout the year. Mentoring. A mentoring program integrated with a goal-oriented feedback system provides a structured mechanism for developing strong relationships within an organization and is a solid foundation for employee retention and growth. With a mentoring program, an organization pairs someone more experienced in a discipline with someone less experienced in a similar area, with the goal to develop specific competencies, provide performance feedback, and design an individualized career development plan. Instill a positive culture. A company should establish a series of values as the basis for culture such as honesty, excellence, attitude, respect, and teamwork (IOMA, 2008). A company that creates the right culture will have an advantage when it comes to attracting and keeping good employees (Main). Use communication to build credibility. No matter what the size of the organization, communication is central to building and maintaining credibility. Many employers get communication to â€Å"flow up† through a staff advisory council (or similar group) which solicits and/or receives employees’ opinions and suggestions and passes them on to upper management (IOMA). It’s also important for employees to know that the employer is really listening and responds to (or otherwise acknowledges) employee input. Show appreciation via compensation and benefits. Offering things like competitive salaries, profit sharing, bonus programs, pension and health plans, paid time off, and tuition reimbursement sends a powerful message to employees about their importance at the organization. The rewards given to employees must be meaningful in order to impact their perception of the organization and therefore have a marked influence on its retention efforts. Moreover, if an organization promises a reward, it should keep that promise. Encourage referrals and recruit from within. Having current employees offer referrals could help minimize confusion of job expectations. Current employees can realistically describe a position and the environment to the individual he/she is referring. Another way an employer can lessen the impact of turnover is to hire from within, since current employees have already discovered that they are a good fit in the organization. Provide growth opportunities. An organization should provide workshops, software, or other tools to help employees increase their understanding of themselves and what they want from their careers and enhance their goal-setting efforts. It’s important to provide employees with adequate job challenges that will expand their knowledge in their field. According to Right Management, employees are more likely to stay engaged in their jobs and committed to an organization that makes investments in them and their career development. Make employees feel valued. Employees will go the extra mile if they feel responsible for the results of their work, have a sense of worth in their jobs, believe their jobs make good use of their skills, and receive recognition for their contributions. Employees should be rewarded at a high level to motivate even higher performance. The use of cash payouts could be used for on-the-spot recognition. These rewards have terrific motivational power, especially when given as soon as possible after the achievement. It’s important for employers to say â€Å"thank you† to employees for their efforts and find different ways to recognize them. Even something as simple as a free lunch can go a long way towards making employees feel valued. Listen to employees and ask for their input as to what rewards might work best at your organization. Conduct meetings and surveys to enable employees to share their input (Branham). Most team members will work harder to carry out a decision that they’ve helped to influence. Lower stress from overworking and create work/life balance. It’s important to match work/life benefits to the needs of employees. This could be in the form of offering nontraditional work schedules (such as a compressed work week, telecommuting, and flextime) or extra holidays. When work-life balance is structured properly, both the employee and employer come out ahead. For example, the employer will experience more productivity in the workplace because employees will be less stressed, healthier, and thus, more productive (Wingfield). Encouraging employees to set work/life goals, such as spending more time with their children, communicates that you really do want them to have a life outside of work and achieve a healthy work/life balance. Foster trust and confidence in senior leaders. Develop strong relationships with employees from the start to build trust. Employees have to believe that upper management is competent and that the organization will be successful. An employer has to be able to inspire this confidence and make decisions that reinforce it. An employer cannot say one thing and do another. For example, an employer shouldn’t talk about quality and then push employees to do more work in less time. In addition, employers need to engage and inspire employees by enacting policies that show they trust them, such as getting rid of authoritarian style of management. HOW TRAINING WORKS IN RETAINING EMPLOYEES? Once skilled workers are nestled within any organizations there is a second challenge in keeping them there – and here training and education can play a crucial role. Retaining good employees is critically important to a company's bottom line. Many companies that fail to place adequate emphasis on training make the mistake of assuming that pay is the only important motivating factor for their staff. In 1999 the Hay Group studied over 500,000 people in 300 companies to find out what promoted employee loyalty. The top three factors, mentioned by ninety percent of respondents, were; â€Å"career growth, learning and development†; â€Å"exciting work and challenge† and â€Å"meaningful work, making a difference and a contribution†. Fair pay and benefits was tenth on the list. After studying the above, following results are concluded as the output of training & development of employees: †¢ Optimum Utilization of Human Resources – Training and Development helps in optimizing the utilization of human resource that further helps the employee to achieve the organizational goals as well as their individual goals. †¢ Development of Human Resources – Training and Development helps to provide an opportunity and broad structure for the development of human resources’ technical and behavioral skills in an organization. It also helps the employees in attaining personal growth. Development of skills of employees – Training and Development helps in increasing the job knowledge and skills of employees at each level. It helps to expand the horizons of human intellect and an overall personality of the employees. †¢ Productivity – Training and Development helps in increasing the productivity of the employees that helps the organization further to achieve its long-term goal. †¢ Team spirit – Training and Development helps in inculcating the sense of team work, team spirit, and inter-team collaborations. It helps in inculcating the zeal to learn within the employees. Organization Culture – Training and Development helps to develop and improve the organizational health culture and effectiveness. It helps in creating the learning culture within the organization. †¢ Organization Climate – Training and Development helps building the positive perception and feeling about the organization. The employees get these feelings from leaders, subordinates, and peers. †¢ Quality – Training and Development helps in improving upon the quality of work and work-life. †¢ Healthy work environment – Training and Development helps in creating the healthy working environment. It helps to build good employee, relationship so that individual goals aligns with organizational goal. †¢ Health and Safety – Training and Development helps in improving the health and safety of the organization thus preventing obsolescence. †¢ Morale – Training and Development helps in improving the morale of the work force. †¢ Image – Training and Development helps in creating a better corporate image. †¢ Profitability – Training and Development leads to improved profitability and more positive attitudes towards profit orientation. †¢ Training and Development aids in organizational development i. . Organization gets more effective decision making and problem solving. It helps in understanding and carrying out organizational policies †¢ Training and Development helps in developing leadership skills, motivation, loyalty, better attitudes, and other aspects that successful workers and managers usually display. CONCLUSION Itâ⠂¬â„¢s clear that having proper retention strategies is key in order to retain employees. Productivity is maximized when employees enjoy their work. Offering opportunities to explore different options within the organization is one way of motivating the workforce. A company that is tuned into meeting employee needs should encourage movement across processes and functions. An environment that motivates and stimulates employees, managers need to incorporate motivation-building practices into their corporate culture. These practices include listening to employees and respecting their opinions, basing rewards on performance, and trained them to develop their skills & being available to them for everything from listening to their ideas and concerns to assisting them with their career advancement. Rotation of functions provides a forum for constant learning and self-improvement. When employees are given a chance to grow in various functions, a positive work environment is created. Thus, employee morale and productivity are maintained at a very high level. References/ Bibliography †¢ Crosscut magazine, spring 2002 (article by Iain Macdonald, Associate Director, Centre for Advanced Wood Processing) †¢ Harvard Business Essentials: Guide to Hiring and Keeping the Best People, Harvard Business Press by Sarah K. Yazinski, University of Scranton †¢ Training as important as salaries in staff loyalty By Gareth Morgan, IT Week Tuesday, July 31, 2001 02:59 PM Handle with care: motivating and retaining your employees   By Barbara A. Glanz Recruiting, training, and retaining new employees: managing the transition †¦ By Jack J. Phillips, Sharon L. Oswald Retaining your best employees: nine case studies from the real world of training  By Patricia Pulliam Phillips Web Page: http://writer4u. com Submitted By Leslie Wood

Hard Times is a novel written by Charles dickens Essay

Hard Times is a novel written by Charles dickens at the time of the industrial revolution. It is set in the nineteenth century in England. It is Dickens’ harsh and satirical attack on the industrial and educational systems of his time. Dickens believed in good fellowship and community values, which he felt were being destroyed by this new system based purely on ‘fact’.  In the novel Dickens uses satire, humour, irony and symbolism to convey is vision and show the world what he thinks it should be like.  This novel, set in a place called Coketown, England, is showing how English people live in a very harsh place. The characters in the novel include both good and bad people. Throughout this novel Dickens attacks the industrial and educational systems using satire and humour. He uses such techniques to poke fun out of them. He also uses irony, such as in the name Stephen Blackpool who at the end of the novel dies in a black pool. Dickens uses satire to describe things, for example: ‘red brick buildings, or at least they would have been if it weren’t for the grime.’ Dickens also used characters and their names as a way of attacking the educational and industrial systems. Thomas Gradgrind is a leading businessman in the town of Coketown. He is a good example of how things are run and done in Coketown, all based on facts. He says ‘ now what I want are facts,’ and facts are what Mr. Gradgrind use as a way of destroying other people in the novel such as young Tom, Louisa and Bitzer. Louisa Gradgrind, Thomas Gradgrind’s daughter is a prime example of how the educational system is a complete failure. At the start of the novel she is caught looking at the circus, which shows how she wanted to experience more than ‘the philosophy of facts’ that her father exposed her to. She is seeking love in her life later in the novel as she makes two pleas for help to Stephen Blackpool and to James Harthouse. She gets married to a fellow businessman of her fathers, Mr Bounderby. She doesn’t marry him out of love but for the sake of her brother Tom Gradgrind. Tom Gradgrind is the son of Thomas Gradgrind. Tom is dependent on his sister Louisa a lot as he needs help to fuel his gambling habits. Throughout his life the educational system along with his father dehumanises him. Near the end of the novel the bank is robbed and Louisa fears that Tom had robbed it. She knew he was in debt and believed he did it as he worked there for Mr Bounderby.  Bitzer is a model pupil of this so-called educational system. The system is so dehumanising that he thinks and acts more like a robot than a human. He has no imagination at all and as he gets older he gets more and more selfish. He has no sensitivity and no communal concern for others. He is the complete opposite of Sissy Jupe. Mr James Harthouse is the sneaky seducing snake of the novel, who came to Coketown looking for a part in Gradgrind’s political party. He has an immediate interest in Louisa and uses Tom’s weakness in money to get to her. His name Harthouse is satirical, as he is a heart stealer. He takes advantage of young vulnerable women such as Louisa. Louisa makes the mistake of falling for Harthouse and when she realises what she had done came to her father and collapsed at his feet. This collapse symbolises the collapse of the educational system and shows its failure right in front of MR Gradgrind. Mr Bounderby represents the industrial system in the novel. Throughout the novel he reminds people about his rags to riches story, about how he started out as a ‘nobody’ on the slums of Coketown, to reach his present social and economic status.  Stephen Blackpool, who is the victim of the industrial system, works in the factories of Coketown. He is unhappily married and in love with another woman, called Rachel. His wife represents all the pain and suffering in his life and Rachel represents all the happiness in his life. He falls down a mineshaft or a ‘black pool’ at the end of the novel. He is pulled out alive but then soon dies. His name is ironic, Blackpool, as he dies down a blackpool. Sissy Jupe is the good person in the novel. She cannot be beaten by the system. She had imagination, which only the circus folk else in the novel had. She is the heroine of the novel as she saves Louisa from James Harthouse and Louisa’s young sister from her father and his educational system by educating her. MR Gradgrind at the start of the novel adopted her, as her father, who was in the circus, ran away and left her. Sissy symbolises imagination and humanity. She is the hope for the future. Dickens uses satire and humour in this novel very well. His attack on the educational and industrial system of his day was very good. Our world today is much different than his. There are still people today who would fit the personality of such people like the characters in the novel, however our educational system and industrial systems are probably quite the opposite of Dickens’ days’ system. We are encouraged to use our imagination with such school subjects as english, art, music technology and drama.

A Womans place is in the home Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

A Womans place is in the home - Essay Example Strober’s theory lays the ultimate blame for occupational segregation on the patriarchal system in which men enjoy women’s sexual, child rearing, and domestic services in the household. The immediate blame for occupational sex segregation, however, is laid on employers, most of whom are men. In Strobel's analysis, she states that â€Å"employers basically strive towards two goals (1) profit maximization (wherein if they employ a woman, they will almost invariably pay her less than a male) and (2) enforcing the economic dependency of women on men. The latter is of interest to male employers because it provides the material for the patriarchal system i.e., it forces women to become dependent wives and mothers (employers are said to worry about maintaining women’s dependency on men in social classes other than their own because threats to patriarchy in the working class may lead to threats to patriarchy within management or capitalist class (Blau 1977). Stroberâ₠¬â„¢s theory suggests that women in this society are without question economically disadvantaged compared with men, and this situation is hardly an accident of history or nature. There is obvious ideological (Williams et al 1982) legal (Kanowitz 1969) and informal mechanisms (Bernard, 19/1:88-102).Women’s jobs are not as important as men’s jobsThe notion of perpetual equilibrium sheds some light on this issue.Workers become qualified by making some type of investment in themselves where the decision to invest depends on the gain from qualifying.... sex segregation in an economy that in many other ways may operate according to neo- classical market principles. Strober's theory lays the ultimate blame for occupational segregation on the patriarchal system in which men enjoy women's sexual, child rearing, and domestic services in the household. The immediate blame for occupational sex segregation, however, is laid on employers, most of whom are men. In Strober's analysis she states that, "employers basically strive towards two goals (1) profit maximization (wherein if they employ a woman, they will almost invariably pay her less than a male) and (2)enforcing the economic dependency of women on men. The latter is of interest to male employers because it provides the material for the patriarchal system i.e., it forces women to become dependent wives and mothers(employers are said to worry about maintaining women's dependency on men in social classes other than their own because threats to patriarchy in the working class may lead to threats to patriarchy within management or capitalist class(Blau 1977). Strober's theory suggest that women in this society are without question economically disadvantaged compared with men, and this situation is hardly an accident of history or nature. There are obvious ideological (Williams et al 1982) legal (Kanowitz 1969) and informal mechanisms (Bernard, 19/1:88-102). Women's jobs are not as important as men's jobs The notion of perpetual equilibrium sheds some light on this issue.Workers become3 qualified by making some type of