Problems facing the maxis bank

Problems facing the maxis bank We come into contact with organization from the cradle to the grave. Indeed, organization regulate and dictate so many aspect of people lives, giving many of people somewhere to work, entertaining them, when people are leisure and developing new product and services for their enjoyment. Basically, it is not the same case for Maxi Bank, which got 30 branches and was established for over forty years. Their new Administration and Project Manager John who actually replaced their current project manager, who has resigned, highlighted some serious organization problem such as communication problem among the staffs, because of the high turnover since last eight months. The worst and difficult issue that John discovered is the lack of motivation and the job dissatisfaction. Employers can be made aware of concerns in the workplace that would normally go unspoken. Many serious issues in the workplace do not get discussed because they may be uncomfortable or difficult. By increasing the communi cation channels among staffs for instance participation in the group meeting, avoid isolation, motivation and the job satisfaction concept within a company, John can more efficiently resolves concerns, lower the staffs turnover, increase employee satisfaction, find a way to solve Annies problem and more accurately assess issues and so on. Problems John the new Administration Department has noticed some of problems that Maxis Bank have, since he engaged in this company. Starting, with, the poor supervision in Maxis Bank. Supervision is an extremely vital part of a workplace that intends to maximize its success potential.   It naturally follows, then, that poor supervision in a workplace is among the primary obstacles to achieving potential successes by a business.  Louis V. Imundo 1993, p 55. For Maxi Bank, a quality supervisory team should be employed and trained to ensure the very finest results from their individual employee groups. These supervisors should have their own support system, and their importance should be made very clear, to ensure the highest degree of productivity. Or, if the supervisor is not present enough, or is too overbearing, then the reaction from employees will only be fear, resentment, and displeasure in their work Dick Grote 2006 p. 45. The productivity will not be as good, and the employee turno ver will increase. Often having few staffs in an organization, that came from different department such as the case study lead to poor communications among them and . As in any relationship, communication is the key to a strong business relationship. This can be the relationship between business and customer, or, equally as important, the internal relationships among different employees within the company. Communication can be improved in virtually every workplace, no matter the industry or size.   After all, it is the only way for information to effectively spread throughout the business so that everybody can be informed to the degree that they required to properly achieve their goals. Luthans1998 p.145   Another problem occurred in Maxis is there poor employee morale in the workplace. By facing this kind of problem, there is a high risk of employee burnout and overall dissatisfaction. The cause of the poor employee moral can be structured as first a negative event within the workplace, such as a firing, downsizing, or other dramatic and unwanted change , or arguments or other forms of tension among staff members or between staff and management. Overwork, or a consistently heavy workload. The feeling of unappreciated or underappreciated for the work done, the conditions of the workplace. The rigid supervision involved in the work being done, and unsupportive or weak supervision that does not offer enough input or guidance Bennett. R, 1997: p.119 This is an extremely expensive way to do business because it leads to poor productivity, isolation and increased absences from work. The high absenteeism in Maxis Bank led to the non submission of their tasks on time. Moreover, staffs in Maxis felt to be underworked, because according to Annie, she complained that her job is monotonous and repetitive.The staffs feel to be underworked for doing uncreative, and repetitive work, which always to high absenteeism and turnover as well Giddens.A, 1971 p.23. . And lastly, the absence of leadership in the Maxis Bank created an issue within the staffs. People want to be guided by those they respect and who have a clear sense of direction. This type of person leads by positive example and endeavors to foster a team environment in which all team members can reach their highest potential, both as team members and as people. They encourage the team to reach team goals as effectively as possible, while also working tirelessly to strengthen the bonds among the various members. Kouzes, Posner, Barry Z. (1987). Good leaders are made not born. If people have the desire and willpower, they can become an effective leader. Good leaders develop through a never ending process of self-study, education, training, and experience Burns, 2010, p. 43. Basically, John should hire a good, effective and trust leader who can lead the staffs in a good way for the benefit of the Maxis Bank Reason why problems occur? For most part of the twentieth century, managers realized that if their employees were satisfied with their jobs, then that satisfaction would translate to working hard. Therefore, happy workers are productive workers. It is true that in the case of Maxis, Annie was not productive, since she claimed that she attended few interviews with other bank. Organizations with more satisfied employees tend to be more effective than organizations with fewer satisfied employees. Dissatisfied employees are more likely to miss work. Although this is true, other factors also do play a role, for instance organizations that provide liberal sick leave benefits encourage all their employees to take sick days. Hence, satisfied employees have lower levels of turnover while dissatisfied employees have higher levels of turnover. Research also suggest that an important moderator of the satisfaction-turnover relationship is the employee`s level of performance. For better performing employees, the level of satisfaction is less important in predicting turnover. When employees are dissatisfied with their jobs, they`ll respond somehow. It is not easy to predict how exactly they`ll respond. One might quit, another might responds by doing personal work at the workplace, or may take leave and increase the absenteeism. Workers in any organization need something to keep them working. Most times the salary of the employee is enough to keep him or her working for an organization. However, sometimes just working for salary is not enough for employees to stay at an organization. An employee must be motivated to work for a company or organization. If no motivation is present in an employee, then that employees quality of work or all work in general will deteriorate Herzberg, F., Mausner, B. Snyderman, B.B. 1959, p. 341. Basically, staffs in Maxis Bank are unmotivated and dissatisfy that why critical issues in the Maxis arose. Alienation is one of the factor of unhappiness and isolation that workers in hardly feel when theirs works are not a relevant or important part of the workers lifes, that they do not really belong to the work to the work community health (Karl. M, 1971p.59). It is associated with feelings of discontent, isolation and futility. Alienation workers perceive themselves or powerless and dominated. Work is seen as unrevealed to real life; it becomes simply a means to achieve materials ends. Alienation has been observed most often on automated assembly lines where work is extremely repetitive and personal relations with others workers are difficult to establish. Great unhappiness can result from alienation; indeed, it can adversely offer the workers mental or physical health. In the case of Maxis, John found that each staff is working in isolation and difficult to establish a relation either professional or friendship with others. 2- Some theorists have defined and explained the concept of motivation as a process that account for an individuals intensity, direction, and persistence of effort toward attaining a goal. Many contemporary authors have also defined the concept of motivation. It has been defined as: the psychological process that gives behavior purpose and direction Kreitner. R, 1995 p. 44; a predisposition to behave in a purposive manner to achieve specific, unmet needs Buford, Bedeian, Lindner, 1995, p. 56; an internal drive to satisfy an unsatisfied need Higgins, 1994, p. 78; and the will to achieve Bedeian, 1993, p. 675. Basically motivation is operationally defined as the inner force that drives individuals to accomplish personal and organizational goals. Why do we need motivated employees? The answer is survival (Smith, 1994). Motivated employees are needed in our rapidly changing workplaces. Motivated employees help organizations survive. Motivated employees are more productive. To be effective, managers need to understand what motivates employees within the context of the roles they perform Kovach, 1987, p.65. Of all the functions a manager performs, motivating employees is arguably the most complex. This is due, in part, to the fact that what motivates employees changes constantly Bowen , Radhakrishna, 1991, p. 62. For example, research suggests that as employees income increases, money becomes less of a motivator Kovach, 1987, p. 72. Also, as employees get older, interesting work becomes more of a motivator. Understanding what motivated employees and how they were motivated was the focus of many researchers following the publication of the Hawthorne Study results Terpstra, 1979,p. 98 The basis approaches that have led to our understanding of motivation are Maslows need-hierarchy theory, Vrooms expectancy theory, and Adams equity theory. According to Maslow, employees have five levels of needs (Maslow, 1943), physiological, safety, social, ego, and self- actualizing. Maslow argued that lower level needs had to be satisfied before the next higher level need would motivate employees. Herzbergs work categorized motivation into two factors: motivators and hygienes (Herzberg, Mausner, Snyderman, 1959, p. 125. Motivator or intrinsic factors, such as achievement and recognition, produce job satisfaction. Hygiene or extrinsic factors, such as pay and job security, produce job dissatisfaction. Vrooms theory is based on the belief that employee effort will lead to performance and performance will lead to rewards Vroom, 1964, p. 150. Rewards may be either positive or negative. The more positive the reward the more likely the employee will be highly motivated. Conversely, the more negative the reward the less likely the employee will be motivated. Adams theory states that employees strive for equity between themselves and other workers. Equity is achieved when the ratio of employee outcomes over inputs is equal to other employee outcomes over inputs Adams, 1965. p. 134 Basically, the best motivational theory that suits the Maxis Banks case is the reinforcement theory. This theory can be traced to the work of the pioneering behaviorist B.F. Skinner. It is considered a motivation theory as well as a learning theory. Reinforcement theory posits that motivated behavior occurs as a result of reinforces, which outcomes are resulting from the behavior that makes it more likely the behavior will occur again. This theory suggests that it is not necessary to study needs or cognitive processes to understand motivation, but that it is only necessary to examine the consequences of behavior.   In reinforcement theory a combination of rewards and/or punishments is used to reinforce desired behavior or extinguish unwanted behavior. Behavior that is reinforced is likely to continue, but behavior that is not rewarded or behavior that is punished is not likely to be repeated. Skinner, B.F. Science and Human Behavior. 1953. The most important principle of reinforcement theory is, of course, reinforcement. Generally speaking, there are two types of reinforcement: positive and negative. Positive reinforcement results when the occurrence of a valued behavioral consequence has the effect of strengthening the probability of the behavior being repeated. The specific behavioral consequence is called a reinforcer Iwata, B. A. (1987, p. 67. An example of positive reinforcement might be a salesperson that applies extra effort to meet a sales quota (behavior) and is then rewarded with a bonus (positive reinforcer). The administration of the positive reinforcer should make it more likely that the salesperson will continue to exert the necessary effort in the future. In the case of Maxis Bank, according to Annie affirmation she refused to handle extra job other than her current job scope. If the positive reinforce come into it for instance rewarded her with a reward, she would not refused to handle extra job and the level of the motivation will rise automatically. Rewards can therefore assume a number of different forms, though there are two main forms:  extrinsic rewards, which take the form of cash payments and employment  benefits, like staff discounts,  occupational, pensions,  health insurance, and  company cars; and  intrinsic rewards  such as  job satisfaction, recognition, personal development, and the social status which may be attached to particular job roles. Negative reinforcement results when an undesirable behavioral consequence is withheld, with the effect of strengthening the probability of the behavior being repeated. Negative reinforcement is often confused with punishment, but they are not the same. Punishment attempts to decrease the probability of specific behaviors; negative reinforcement attempts to increase desired behavior. Thus, both positive and negative reinforcement have the effect of increasing the probability that a particular behavior will be learned and repeated Iwata, B. A. 1987, p. 68. An example of negative reinforcement might be a salesperson that exerts effort to increase sales in his or her sales territory (behavior), which is followed by a decision not to reassign the salesperson to an undesirable sales route (negative reinforcer). The administration of the negative reinforcer should make it more likely that the salesperson will continue to exert the necessary effort in the future. Reinforcement theory suggests to managers that they can improve employees performance by a process of behavior modification in which they reinforce desired behaviors and punish undesired behavior .Moreover, for John case, reinforcement theory will be the best appropriate to motivate his 10 staffs, increase the desire behavior, or increase the probability of a behavior reoccurring. Consequently, both positive and negative reinforcement have the weight of increasing the probability that a particular behavior will be educated and repetitive. For instance, in Maxis Bank, both positive and negative reinforcement will have the effect of modified or punished the undesirables behavior of the staffs such as the absenteeism, the high turnover, the work isolation and increase the desirable behavior for instance handling extra job, attend all the interviews with the others banks, if bonus or rewards and maybe motivation words are applied. 3. Group dynamics  is the study of groups, and also a general term for group processes Ringer, T. M. 2002 p 172. Relevant to the fields of  psychology,  sociology, and  communication studies, a  group  is two or more individuals who are connected to each other by social relationships.  Because they interact and influence each other, groups develop a number of dynamic processes that separate them from a random collection of individuals. These processes include norms, roles, relations, development, need to belong, social influence, and effects on behavior. The field of group dynamics is primarily concerned with small group behavior. Bass, Bernard 1990, p. 31 A group comes together to focus on finding common solutions or building a final project to the organization. This can be very effective to the project or solution because individuals in different roles in the workplace, different backgrounds and different experiences have a variety of points of view that they are able to contribute (Dimock, H.G.1993). Working in groups is often more efficient and motivates group members to achieve more in a certain period of time as group members motivate others to do their best and people often feel the need to be competitive (CSU 2009). Bringing out the competitive nature in people focused toward a common goal can often be a very productive strategy. In the Maxis case, the organization got employees came from different departments, different roles lead different experiences, but the thing is there is not group team in Maxis Bank. Each employees work in isolation. Some staffs in Maxis Bank are very independent and prefer to work alone rather than in groups. They feel that their best work comes from completing projects individually. (Burgess H. 2007). Dealing effectively with groups of people is a skill that will serve us in all areas of our lives.   It can also be a challenge- because people as individuals tend to have their own ideas about how they relate to a group, and not all of these ideas work very well in practice.   Theres a profound difference between a set of individuals and a cohesive group, and weve all felt that difference- where a group is tightly related and conscious of itself, the group is vastly more capable than the sum of its parts.   Where individual members are unconscious to the needs of the group, often the group is weaker than the sum of the individual members capabilities. Skinner, B.F. Science and Human Behavior. New York: Macmillan, 1953. Iwata BA. Negative reinforcement in applied behavior analysis:, pp. 67 68 Buford, J. A., Jr., Bedeian, A. G., Lindner, J. R. (1995). Management in Extension (3rd ed.). Columbus, Ohio: Ohio State University Extension. p. 56 Terpstra, D. E. (1979). Theories of motivation: borrowing the best. p. 98 Vroom, V. H. (1964). Work and motivation. New York: Wiley. p. 150 Bennett. R, 1997: Organisational behaviour, 3rd edition, pp.119 Karl.M, 1967: The rise of the working class, p.59. Herzberg, F., Mausner, B. Snyderman, B.B. 1959, The Motivation to Work p. 341 Luthans1998: Organisation behaviour, 8th edition, p.145 .Discipline Without Punishment Dick Grote 2006 p.45 Leadership James MacGregor Burns, 2010, p. 43 Kreitner, R. (1995), Management, Sixth Edition, p. 44 Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company Higgins, J. M. (1994). The management challenge (2nd ed.). New York: Macmillan p. 78 Bedeian, A. G. (1993). Management (3rd ed.). New York: Dryden Press. p. 675 Kovach, K. A. (1987). What motivates employees? pp.65 72 Bowen, B. E., Radhakrishna, R. B. (1991). Job satisfaction p. 62 Herzberg, F., Mausner, B., Snyderman, B. B. (1959). The motivation to work, p. 125 Adams, J. S. (1965). Inequity in social exchange. In L. Berkowitz (ed.), Advances in experimental social psychology. p. 134 Effective Supervisors Louis V. Imundo 1993 p.55 Bass, Bernard (1989). StogdillsHYPERLINK http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/002901820X/bigdogsbowlofbis/ Handbook of Leadership: A Survey of Theory and Research. New York: Free Press. Bass, Bernard (1990). From transactional to transformational leadership: learning to share the vision. Organizational Dynamics, Vol. 18, p.31. Blake, Robert R. and Mouton, Janse S. (1985). The Managerial Grid III: The Key to Leadership Excellence. Houston: Gulf Publishing Co. Bolman, L. and Deal, T. (1991). Reframing Organizations. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Kouzes, James M. Posner, Barry Z. (1987). The Leadership Challenge. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Lamb, L. F., McKee, K. B. (2004). Applied Public Relations: Cases in Stakeholder Management. Mahwah, New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. Routledge Bacon, S. B. (1988).  The effects of racially homogeneous and heterogeneous Outward Bound groups on the self-report survey scores and drop out rates of minority students. Greenwich, CT: Outward Bound USA. Ewert, A. (1992). Group development through experiential education: Does it happen?  Journal of Experiential Education,  15(2). Ewert, A., Heywood, J. (1991). Group development in the natural environment: Expectations, outcomes, and techniques.  Ã‚  Environment and Behavior,  23, 592-615. Ewert, A. McAvoy. L. (2000).  The effects of wilderness settings on organized groups: A state of knowledge paper. In D. N. Cole S. F. McCool (Eds.)  Proceedings: Wilderness science in a time of change  (pp. 13-26). Ogden, UT: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station. Kerr, P. J., Gass, M. A. (1995). A group development model for adventure education. In K. Warren, M. Sakofs, J. S. Hunt (Eds.)  The theory of experiential education  (pp. 285-296). Boulder, CO: Association of Experiential Education Neill, J. T., Dias, K. L. (2001).  Adventure education and resilience: The double-edged HYPERLINK http://wilderdom.com/abstracts/NeillDias2001AdventureEducationResilienceDoubleEdgedSword.htmsword.Journal of Adventure Education and Outdoor Learning,  1(2), 35-42. Neill, J. T. (2002).  Social support helps people grow.  Horizons,  17(Spring), 32-34. Neill, J. T., Dias, K. L. (c.2001).  Challenge and support in Outward Bound: The double-edged sword.  Outward Bound International Newsletter,  10(1). Peak Experiences (n.d.).  Issues of importance in forming a team. Ringer, T. M. (2002).  Group action: The dynamics of groups in therapeutic, educational and corporate settings. p. 172

Concept Of Citizenship To A Global View Politics Essay

Concept Of Citizenship To A Global View Politics Essay Global citizenship aims at bringing the concept of citizenship to a global view. it is a term used to cover political, economic, environmental and social actions of global minded people, as well as communities on a global perspective. It is a concept that is aimed at helping people understand the ever changing world. As a concept, global citizenship has a great appeal. It is thus sought by various institutions in an effort to promote world peace and make people responsible global citizens. Due to its world wide scale, global citizenship has other diverse definitions depending on the area of study. This paper focuses on explaining the concept of global citizenship as used in education and business. Global Citizenship Global citizenship can be explained from various points of view. From a personal perspective, global citizenship involves awareness of self as well as awareness of others. According to McIntosh, global citizenship is the ability to view oneself with regard to ones role in the wider world. Additionally, global citizenship emphasizes on the importance of balancing the awareness of ones self realities with the realities of others who are outside ones perceived self. This is an individual dimension, which focus on gaining a reflective understanding for others as well as showing empathy to them. Therefore, this is the starting point to becoming a global citizen from an individual perspective. Similarly, other scholars have also put emphasis on the importance of understanding ones self in relation to the perceptions of other people in explaining global citizenship (Noddings, 2005). Since global citizenship does not impart on the legal status, it is expressed well associatively in a distinct manner from the expressions of citizenship. This implies that global citizenship is the basis for individuals to work, live and act within transnational ethics that defy national sovereignty and boundaries, as well. Individual efforts to becoming a global citizen are voluntary and are thus based on subjective and fluctuating criteria. An individual may opt to take their role in the global arena out of free will. Besides, from and individual definition and understanding of global citizenship, one cannot be forced to respect and value social diversity that exist and varies from one country to another (Luis, 2010). A global social role has to originate from ones inner self and the desire of the self to pursue and view things from a wider world perspective. Another perspective of explaining the concept of global citizenship in based on the roles assumed by various individuals in the international arena. Such individual roles include global reformers, global business elite, global environmentalists, elite global merchants, political conscious regionalists and transnational activists. Each of these global based groups play an active role in fostering global citizenship. Although their roles may be diverse, their collective efforts are geared towards a global responsibility. The major role of global reformers is driving human kind towards one world. They drive the world as one by promoting peace and intense efforts to eradicate social injustices. Other reformers attempt to reach the entire world through various nongovernmental organizations. One such organization is Oxfam international which is aimed at promoting world peace, minimizing poverty levels and dealing with social injustices. Global reformers maintain that the world will soon become a global village give the pace of technological advancements. On the same point of view, people from different corners o the world can connect with each other via social media. The most common social media are Facebook, Twitter, Skype and MySpace. MySpace helps to view the globe from a business point of view by connecting enterprise and merchants through the internet (Darren, 2003). Another group of people are global elite. In specific terms, the global business elite view global citizenship from a business point of view. In this regard, global business elite are constantly seeking better ways of moving their economic ventures in around the globe. On the contrary, they do not seek to take up active global responsibilities. A major challenge that frustrates global business elites efforts is the wide scope of global corporate responsibility. Global corporate responsibility is discussed later in this paper (Lois, 2010). On the other hand, global environmental managers seek global problem solving collaboration. Such collaborations are aimed at dealing with large global concerns. These concerns include global warming as a result of destruction of the ozone layer. Global environmentalists promote a sustainable global environment by setting standards for industrialization. Industries are understood to be the core pollutants of the environment and destruction of the ozone layer. The ozone layer functions to filter and protect harmful sunrays from reaching the surface of the earth. Its destruction by air pollution allows such rays to each the globe thus causing excessive heating of the earth with extremely high temperatures. This is a world concern. Political global elites seek unexplored global community while transnational global activists assume global causes, which may include environmental and human rights protection (Tan, 2005). Explaining global citizenship limits global participation to the economically able. Global citizenship definition based on individual roles thus excludes the role of the poor and those who struggle to survive. Such explanation excludes a large majority of the world people. Lois (2010) provides a more comprehensive definition of citizenship that incorporates the conceptual categories of awareness, responsibility and participation. He defines global citizenship is the individual ability to b aware, take responsibility of their own action and participate by contributing towards a global unity. Awareness, as well as self awareness of the larger world is essential credentials in explaining good global citizenship. Self awareness is the key contributor to awareness. Similarly, awareness leads to recognition of ones global responsibilities as well as moral obligations, which are beyond ones environment. As a result, awareness of ones responsibility leads to participating to promote the global common welfare (Lois, 2010). Global citizenship explanation based on the above three categories of awareness, responsibility and participation offers a more structured way to approach global citizenship. This approach is thus successful for operationalizing the term in faculty led global programs. On the same note, awareness is the most basic of all the three; besides, it is the most realistic and attainable in the short term. A comprehensive global citizenship involves having an individual identity that cuts through various national borders and boundaries and commitment to the common welfare for all. In education, global citizenship aims at equipping students with the necessary knowledge and skills so that they can impact the world in a positive way. It encourages students to be responsible globally. Education for global citizenship is directed at developing students to become active global citizens. Students are taught to adopt the various different cultures in the world. On the same note, a global citizenship education views a global student as one who is well conversant with the wider world and is willing o take an active role as a global citizen. In addition, a global citizen respects and upholds diversity. The current world is diverse. It ranges from the most ancient cultures and traditional way of doing things to the current cultures, which various nation states have adopted today. Global education holds that for an individual to be a global citizen, they must recognize and appreciate diversity and focus on promoting peace and unity in diversity (Robert Katalin, 2011). On the same note, global education equips pupils at an early age with the necessary knowledge to understand how the world operates in different platforms. Such platforms include economically, culturally, politically, environmentally as well as technologically. Besides, global students are expected to take part in activities within a community with a range from local to global levels. By so doing, they are perceived to contribute in making the world a sustainable place. Outraged social injustice is an important trait portrayed by global minded students. Global citizens are accountable for their own actions. That is, they do not blame others for their own action. They are guided by learn think act approach to global citizenship. An individual is expected to earn from their mistakes and take the respective corrective measures (Janet, 2004). Global education institutions have succeeded in creating awareness of other cultures among students. Nevertheless, most international students have developed necessary awareness needed to be a global citizen. This explains why most international students are coping well in international schools. They develop social and interpersonal skills that help them relate with fellow students. On the point of view, global educational equips students with the basis essential skills to appreciate diversity and adapt to foreign cultures with ease. Corporate global citizenship requires businesses corporations to be accountable often referred to as corporate social responsibility. Corporate social responsibility goes beyond considering the norms of the society within which the organization exist to upholding global world values. Global world values involve conservation of world environment. According to Ramon 2010, various businesses have taken corrective measures to check on air pollution to minimize chances of interfering with the ozone layer. Nonetheless, appropriate measure have been put in place to ensure that industrial waste is treated before dispatched to rivers. This ensures that water pollution is addressed to reduce water poising for both human and wild consumption (Samuel Walter, 2009). However, businesses still struggle with a number of world concerns relating to environment, population, poverty, social justice education and health. These concerns still affect nations wellbeing, effectiveness and the productivity of businesses. They also impact negatively on the quality o the world population. Borrowing from the above mentioned issues, businesses are rethinking on their role as global entities. Some are strategizing on how to redress environmental and human capital challenges. Currently, corporate global citizenship entails an understanding and awareness of the future global trends that can affect the world climate for doing business and the global populations quality of life. The business of corporate businesses has moved form the core driver and desire to maximize profits to upholding societal values. Businesses are now actively involved in fostering a sustainable working environment around the globe. Besides, for all multinational, upholding global values and being socially responsible is the key to surviving in the international market. One of the organizations that promote global citizenship is Oxfam International. According to Oxfam, growth in altitude as well as values is based on empathy for others and respect for diversity. On the same perspective, skill development is concentrated upon conflict resolution and critical thinking. Oxfam international also views global citizens as those who are aware of the wider world. Moreover, a global citizen understands how the wider world operates and knows their position and role in the globe. Oxfam further maintains that a global citizen is one who values and respects the many cultures of the world. Nevertheless, a global citizen, in both action and thought, does not support social injustice and is willing to participate in actions directed to counter inequity. As a worldwide organization aimed at minimizing poverty levels and eradicating injustice, Oxfam emphasizes on centers for human rights and the respective elements that need to be fostered in order to secure a greater social justice around the globe. Global citizenship is a wide concept that does not have a generally agreed upon definition. Its definition is derived from the various fields of study and defined according to the discipline of interest. Nevertheless, the major values of global citizenship for any entity are awareness, responsibility and participation.

The Constitutional Principle of Separation of Church and State Essay

The Constitutional Principle of Separation of Church and State It has been suggested that there is currently a culture war taking place in the United States. Depending on who you listen to, you will get vastly different descriptions of the two sides. Some will insist that the fight is between the upholders of strong Christian, moral values and godless, secular-minded, moral relativists. Others will tell you that defenders of religious freedom and rational thought are battling religious fundamentalists who wish to impose their radically conservative views on the whole of the American populace. Regardless of which way you view the debate, the entire so-called â€Å"culture war† boils down to a basic disagreement over the place of religion in public life. In light of President Bush’s recent nominations of John Roberts and Samuel Alito to the Supreme Court, I believe it is prudent to have a thorough discussion of the Constitutional principle of separation of church and state, because how the Supreme Court rules on issues related to this principle in the future will have a profound impact on how we define ourselves as a country. In order to conduct a thorough inquiry into this debate, I believe it is necessary to start at the beginning and attempt to discern how our founding fathers viewed religion’s place in public life, and how they relayed this view in the First Amendment. After I have done this, I will try to apply some of the principles I have gathered to current hot-button social issues which are likely to come before the Supreme Court in the not too distant future. Proponents of a highly limited separation of church and state often argue that America’s founding fathers would be appalled at the extent to which the Judeo... ...ically examine the people we choose to let sit on our nation’s highest court. No person should be afforded a free ride to a lifetime appointment on the Supreme Court without some assurances that they will protect and uphold basic Constitutional principles such as the separation of church and state. Failing to do so might well lead to a nation in which we are all less free, just the kind of nation that our founding fathers went to such extraordinary and terrific lengths to avoid. Works Cited Feldman, Noah. "God, government and you." USA Today 10/17/2005. Allen, Brooke. "Our Godless Constitution." Nation 280.7 (2005): 14-20. Isaacson, Walter. "God of Our Fathers." Time July 2004: 62-63. Jacoby, Susan. "In Praise of Secularism." Nation 278.15 (2004): 14-18. Boston, Rob. "James Madison and Church-State Separation." Church & State 54.3 (2001): 10-14.

Edgar Allan Poes, The Cask of Amontillado as a Description of Poes Li

Edgar Allan Poe's, The Cask of Amontillado as a Description of Poe's Life The cast of Amontillado was written by Allan Poe at a time when he felt he was being unjustly attacked. Most critics believe that the cask of Amontillado was written by Poe against his critics in the Mirror. I believe the cask of Amontillado is a story of Revenge and Hatred against some friends whom be believed had wrongfully accused him. A review of Allan Poe as a person and his experiences in life is essential a clear understanding of "The Cask of Amontillado". Hence, I will apply a cultural method of interpretation. Poe was raised by his God parents after his parents died at the age of three. He was involved in Gambling and he also drank a lot. According to the Columbia Encyclopedia, "Poe was a complex person, tormented and alcoholic yet also considerate and humorous, a good friend, and an affectionate husband. Indeed, his painful life, his neurotic attraction to intense beauty, violent horror, and death, and his sense of the world of dreams contributed to his greatness as a writer"(2). This was true of Poe's literature. The Cast of Amontillado is full of suspense, shows different Kinds of wine and the complexity of Poe's personality can be shown in the Characters .Some critics have said that the cask of Amontillado can be read as an allegory of two portraits of Poe. I think The Cask of Amontillado is a Portrait of Poe and that of his critics. It is a story that is full of symbols. The Cask of Amontillado is the story of man who is desperate to obtain revenge from an insult. The nature of the insult was never revealed in the story. All we know is that Montressor methodically planned his revenge against Fortunato. As Allan Poe put it, "It mus... ...portrayed by Fotunato and Luchesi. Considering the close resemblance between the story and the issues in his life at that time, I believe Allan Poe was writing about himself. He finally got his revenge when he filed a libel suit against English and Fuller. He won the libel suit but he also lost his reputation in the process. In The Cask of Amontillado, Montressor walled Fortunato in. However, Fortunato rested in peace while Montressor will go on with a troubled conscience. Works Cited 1. Poe, Edgar Allan , "The Columbia Encyclopedia", sixth ed. 2001 2. Dedmond, Francis " The Cask of Amontillado and the war of Literati, " Modern Language Quarterly; June 54, vol 15, issue2, p137, 10p. 3. Poe Edger Allan "The Cask of Amontillado" Reading and Writing literature by Phillip Sippiora, Ed by Pearson Education Inc. Upper saddle River, New Jersey, 2002. 240-245.

Ambiguity in Shakespeares Hamlet Essay -- Essays on Shakespeare Hamlet

Ambiguity in Hamlet      Ã‚  Ã‚   Ambiguity of both language and action is commonplace in Shakespeare’s tragedy Hamlet. Let us examine what can be found relative to this ambiguity in the play.    D.G. James says in â€Å"The New Doubt† that the Bard of Avon has the ambiguous habit of charging a word with several meanings at once:    â€Å"Conscience does make cowards of us.† There has been, I am aware, much dispute as to what the word means here. For my part, I find not the least difficulty in believing that the word carries both its usual meaning and that of â€Å"reflection and anxious thought.† It is a platitude of Shakespeare study that Shakespeare could, with wonderful ease, charge a word with two or three meanings at once; there is hardly a page of Shakespeare which does not illustrate this; and, in any case, the word â€Å"conscience† means for us all both a command to do what is right and anxious reflection as to what is, in fact, the right thing to do. If I had to choose (what I feel under no compulsion whatever to do) between the two meanings proposed, I should unhesitatingly choose the former and usual meaning (43).    Harold Bloom in the Introduction to Modern Critical Interpretations: Hamlet expounds on the ambiguity and mysterious conduct of the hero during the final act:    When Horatio responds that Claudius will hear shortly from, presumably that Rosencrantz and Guildenstern have been executed, Hamlet rather ambiguously [my italics] makes what might be read as a final vow of revenge:    It will be short. The interim is mine. And a man’s life’s no more than to say â€Å"one.†    However this is to be interpreted, Hamlet forms no plot, and is content with a wise passivity, knowing that Claudius mu... ...es: An Impulsive but Earnest Young Aristocrat.† Readings on Hamlet. Ed. Don Nardo. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 1999. Rpt. from The Masks of Hamlet. Newark, NJ: Univ. of Delaware P., 1992.    Shakespeare, William. The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark. Massachusetts Institute of Technology. 1995. http://www.chemicool.com/Shakespeare/hamlet/full.html    West, Rebecca. â€Å"A Court and World Infected by the Disease of Corruption.† Readings on Hamlet. Ed. Don Nardo. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 1999. Rpt. from The Court and the Castle. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 1957.    Wright, Louis B. and Virginia A. LaMar. â€Å"Hamlet: A Man Who Thinks Before He Acts.† Readings on Hamlet. Ed. Don Nardo. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 1999. Rpt. from The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark. Ed. Louis B. Wright and Virginia A. LaMar. N. p.: Pocket Books, 1958.

Laura Robertsons: “Girl Unprotected” Essay

Personal fulfillment is not a genetic attribute; it is evolved individually over time, and changes in time it takes to achieve. Personal fulfillment is not deteriorated by lack of action, therefore it is subject to change, it may increase or decrease in a person’s life. A individual can acquire personal fulfillment through family, friends, exposure and environment. The Rez Sisters is a play written by Tomson Highway. Readers are introduced to seven extravagant characters, all of whom are residents of Wasaychigan Hill Indian Reserve, in Manitoba Island, Ontario. These seven characters are sisters, half ­sisters, a sister ­in ­law and an adopted niece, known all together as the Rez sisters. Each one of these women are on their own journey to self ­fulfillment, wanting to acquire confidence, peace of mind and simply, to be satisfied with their life. The women raise money to fund a trip to The Biggest Bingo in the World, where they could potentially win the jackpot and fulfill their most desired wishes. In the preparation and on the journey, the women reveal their stories and their relationships with each other. In the play The Rez Sisters, Tomson Highway uses Bingo to symbolize the risks and gambles that life possesses, Pelajia’s hammer to symbolize the ability to create, build and even reshape destiny, and the color black which signifies strength and empowerment in order to depict the essentials an individual must have in order to acquire personal fulfillment  ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­ whatever it may be. First, when readers are introduced to Pelajia Patchnose she is dressed in men’s attire and â€Å"is alone on the roof of her house, nailing shingles on† (1113). It symbolizes a woman who is not bound by culturally defined gender roles, is independent and therefore strong. From this initial introduction to the moment when the seven women are in an argument, Pelajia’s hammer almost seems as if it never leaves her side; the mental and emotional strength she possesses never truly diminishes but only gets stronger. Pelajia uses her hammer on other occasions as well; when all seven of the women get into an argument â€Å"she raises her hammer at veronique† (1132), with the intention to scare her and obtain dominance through fear. Some may view the hammer as a weapon and/or a symbol of defense such as Thor’s hammer. In Germanic mythology Thor’s Hammer is called ‘Mjollnir’, meaning ‘crusher’(Davidson Ellis, 1965), unlike the symbol depicted in The Rez Sisters, Thor’s hammer symbolizes a weapon used to kill. In many myths, â€Å"Thor sometimes uses the hammer as a blunt instrument, to shatter the skulls of his opponents†(Dav idson, Ellis. 1965). A hammer is seen as a tool used to construct and reshape. This is evident when Pelajia physically uses her hammer in the opening scene to rebuild her home. A hammer also represents the ability to change, Pelajia was not only able to change the physical state of her home, but has the ability to change any aspect of her life and manipulate it in order to fulfill her personal desires. In her words: the â€Å"trusty silver hammer† (1114) is her source of strength, the strength an individual needs to overcome obstacles and barriers in order to conquer life and their own destiny in a way that leads to the best results. The symbolism amplifies the theme of the passage because an individual must be tough like the iron end of a hammer, have the ability to mold themselves to changing circumstances and acquire an intense drive and commitment to get through challenging times if they want to fulfill their personal aspirations. Next, when the topic of The Biggest Bingo in the World is brought up, readers learn   what a big deal the bingo was to Wasy women, it symbolizes the tempting gambles life has to offer. No individual can truthfully say they have had enough willpower to overcome the wrath of temptation. It is like a bad cold; everyone attempts to avoid it as much as possible, but at some point, it gets the best of everyone, including the Wasy women. Each woman had her own desires but they all shared a collective journey towards them. In order to attend The Biggest Bingo in the World the women had to overcome an obstacle which was to raise enough money to travel to Toronto where it was being held. On the journey to self ­fulfilment a person is bound to face obstacles, it is up to the individual if they want to let that hurdle stop them, or gain the inner strength to overcome it. The Wasy women chose the latter; â€Å"the women start[ed] their funding activities with a vengeance†(1143) raising a total of at least â€Å"$1,400†(1143) which was a large sum of money especially on the Wasaychigan Hill Indian Reserve, since there were â€Å"no jobs† (1115). The women had to ask themselves another tough question; Considering the possibility of returning home empty handed, was risking this much money to win The Biggest Bingo in the World worth it? By using bingo as a symbol, Highway suggests that in order to accomplish personal fulfillment you need to take chances in life even if they may seem risky at first. Taking risks empowers you to establish new limits in your mind. As Stacia Pierce, a columnist from the Huffington Post states â€Å"we all have boundaries or a comfort zone where we [would] like to stay and many have misconstrued visions of what we think we deserve or are capable of accomplishing†(Huffington Post, 2013). When you take risks, you can basically destroy such a mindset and continue to establish new boundaries, improve your perspective on life   and your ability to achieve on high levels. Finally, throughout the play there are numerous reoccurances of the color black, it symbolizes the depths of the unknown and encourages the imagination of a different world from that of everyday realities. Tomson Highway uses this symbolism when he describes the transition of Nanabush from a Seagull to the Nighthawk. The Nighthawk is the dancer in dark feathers with â€Å"black wings†(1154) as Zhaboonigan describes. In Native American culture the color black was perceived as a â€Å"living† color and worn on the face to prepare for war (WarPaths2PeacePipes, 2014). Black is an extremely aggressive color. Black meant strength. It also indicated that the wearer was a powerful warrior who had proved himself in battle, therefore black was also used to symbolize victory and human life. By using the color black as a symbol, Highway shows readers that there is no boundary to the extent of personal fulfillment; the amount of things an individual can accomplish in their lifetime is endless. Highway utilizes three components: Bingo, Pelajia’s hammer and the color black to embody the necessities a person needs in order to be successful in achieving any form of personal fulfillment; A person needs to be able to take risks, have strength to construct their own destiny and to explore beyond their imaginations. All these qualities are binded together with one common aspect that is easily relatable: self ­confidence. Initially, once an individual builds self ­confidence they easily surpass their goal which then creates a type of  momentum, where they fulfill every single one of their desires to the point where they are not only satisfied with life, but truly happy with it as well.

Media Aesthetics Notes

- phratry nineteenth - get hold of Form Film & decisive Analysis Chapter 11 * Step 1 Develop a thesis * What is interesting, worrying or noteworthy? * Does that aspect instance a concept from lecture w clarity? Is it a good mannequin of some(prenominal)thing we talked ab step forward in class? * Did it incur a unique effect on you? * Step 2 Segment the read * What features stuck show up the virtu ally (given that weeks class topic)? * How argon those features pertaind to the put d accept as a whole?Pay attention to exposit and how they affect the guide * Step 3 Identify the outstanding instances of technique * pattern the techniques/concepts * Note specific examples of techniques * Types of lighting, angle, smacks, narration, style, etc. - September 26th - Styles of Film * Two study directions veridicalistic and formalistic * Directions or types be defines by form, not content tercet Styles of Film/Media * Realistic (foc implementd on content, portrayal as re al disembodied spirit) * Classicism (in- amongst) affectation (manipulation, taking out of reality) Realism * regorge reality with minimum distortion-objective mirror * major concern is with content, kind of than form * pendant matter is supreme * Documentary film * Imagine as were observation it as we would externalise it through our own eyes * Ex Big comrade in the raw, unscripted, stagnant cameras, not playing w manipulation * Would neer see something equal a birds eye view of crowds of people, because we would never see that in real life. If we were ceremony a conversation disaster it would be from adept angle clodism by design stylized and distort ciphers (special effects, explosions, zooming in/out, muniment structure in real life happens in temporal order as it would happen to us, in these movies jumps close to in clipping) * Wants no maven to mistake manipulated image for real thing (not pretending that this is reality, wishing to show the manipulatio n) * Concerned with form rather than content * Referred to as expressionist (self-expression, seek to bring in connections between stories/events that if watched over & over it has deeper meaning) * Avant-garde cinema Classical What nearly fictional films/shows atomic number 18 classified as (we would never live like this further its fun to watch, drama, comedy, group of characters that the similarities groundwork relate to your life but withal an grammatical constituent that the write up is manipulated that wouldnt be reality) * Films argon strong in trading floor, star (someone we identify), and turnout values (summer block busters, naughty monetary investment in production because high financial return) * Clearly defined plot, conflict, rising slope climax, and resolution/closure * Avoids extremes of realism and affectation (wouldnt see camera lean that seems natural, but wouldnt take hold random objects on the screen) ( hardheaded enough but also fantasy) - level as a Formal System Chapter 3 I. Principles of Narrative pull * Plot & apologue * Cause-Effect * conviction * dummy * Patterns of development II. Flow of Story data Narration * Range of Story information * Depth of Story Information * bank clerk Narrative Form nearly plebeian in fictional media, but fanny be nonfictional likewise (ex bachelor-at-arms whats going to happen attached week suspense) * Identify because stories argon all around us * What is narrative? Narrative is a chain of events linked by cause and effect and occurring in measure (how is this constructedchronological? Jumping from times? ) and blank space (location, extras in background, cars, etc) Components of Narrative Form * Plots and Stories * Story is the subject matter or raw material of a narrative * A set of all events * Plot orders the events and saves of the drool according to temporal and spatial patterns * Plots can vary jump around or chronological, can focus on one person at a time or a group in the end still has equivalent story line * Cause and Effect types create causes and effects by making indisput competent things happen and reacting to events * Qualities of the character influence cause-effect relationships * physiological characteristics, traits, personality * perform/Reaction * shadow be a natural disaster, etc * Time * Construct story time base on order the plot presents them * We wearyt need mundane elements (shower, sleep) to work out sense of a story * profane order is the order which events occur (argon they happening in chronological, or flashbacks, or jumping) * lay duration is the length and which events span (is there a moment they pay much time to? What is the significance of that scene) * Temporal frequence is how often events indoors a story ar revisited * lieu dismantlets occur in clearly defined locations where the action takes roam * Associate other elements based on locations * Tells us information that isnt state * Opening, closing, patterns of development * Classic paradigm most popular in media * Set of conventions are present in classical narrative structure * Characters are goal oriented * Three-act structure model * Set up, Confrontation, small town - October third - Mise-en-Scene Mise-en-Scene the ar areament of all the optical elements of a theatrical production within a given playing heavens the stage.Derived from a French theatrical end point meaning between the scenes * The throw up * idea & prevalent figure * territorial reserve Space * Proxemic Patterns The effect * Each movie image is envelop in a shape * film producer doesnt stand for a skirt to the subject, but the subject matter to the frame * Dimensions of a frame are get along as the aspect ratio Frame Top purpose ideas of power, controls all optic elements (usually someone scary, or authoritative) Center taciturn for area of interest, realism (expectation that through real eyes we expect something to be there) foot powerlessness Left/Right Edges suggest insignificance, unnoticed Off the Frame fearful, importanceCom vex & Design * The visual balance in the account of the film * Want to maintain chemical equilibrium between elements because it is easy to follow * Depending on the type of film, a bad base may be effective * The human beings eye attempts to organize elements in composition Dominant crinkle * The area of an image that immediately attracts out attention because of personal line of credit * Stand out in some kind of isolation zepsidiary Contrast * After we take in supreme we scan for counterbalancing devices Lines & Diagonals Exaggerate Movement smartness & Dark, Shadow Colour Framing Territorial Space 1. Full Front a. confront the camera b. Most intimate c.Viewer feels tangled 2. Quarter Turn d. Favorite position for filmmakers e. Less emotional, but high occasion still 3. Profile Position f. Character is less aware of being detect 4. Three Quarter Turn g. Even more isolated than profile light beam h. Unfriendly or anti- hearty 5. Back quip i. Suggests alienation from world j. Mystery, audience wants to see more * Setting can have typic meaning * Sunny exterior, inside, public/private * Consider Contextual use displace * Consider sort one setting is used to create contrary effects Proxemic Patters * The relationship of objects within a given space * Many factors look space * Light, climate, noise level Patterns are similar to the way people follow certain special rules in social situations * The more distance between the camera and with subject, the more emotionally neutral we outride * Long tanginess for comedy, close up for tragedy Chaplin * Space is seen through 4 patterns * Intimate extreme close * singleized medium * Social full range * Public dour and extreme enormous - October 17th - modify Classical newspaper clipping * French were the first to use desolate to tenacity to create arranged scenes * Ed iting for emotion and drama, rather than for purely corporeal reasons * Presents a series of psychologically machine-accessible separatrixs * Film A Trip to the moonshine by Georges Melies Concepts in Classical moorage Content Curve where a virgule should be made point at which audience has been able to assimilate piquantnesss information (audience wont be bored because scene is too long ex Jaws one frame too long risks boredom, one too dead reckoning risk audience being able to make sence) * Parallel Editing electrical switch of shots of one scene with another at a different location to consume idea of simultaneous time doggedness Editing * Also called invisible alter, a system devised to minimize the audiences awareness of shot transitions, especially cuts, in order to amend the flow of the story to avoid interrupting the viewing audience immersion in it * perseveration and Space editors follow a standard shot patter to maintain spatial continuity * Establish shot, croaks to a series of individual shots, back to establishing shot * Film American Beauty nacreous/Reverse Shot shot of one character is followed by shot of another taken from the wrick angle as they have a convo we always see the back get up of the other person talking across the table so we always know how close they are * 180 tip Rule once camera starts motion-picture photography on one side of action, it mustiness continue filming on very(prenominal) side for the rest of the scene * Eyeline Matches utilize characters line of vision as motif for a cut, matching another characters * Continuity and Time * Match on Action Different views of the same action pieced in concert to look continuous (someone jumping make to building we see them take transfer & land) * Jump Cut abrupt charge up in time and place of an action which s not announced by a transition CLIP blown driving in car tho shows clips of driving while theyre talking=cuts out blank space * Continuity mi splay any unintentional discrepancy from shot to shot (seeing a boom in the corner) * Change in location, posture, hair, costume, etc. Soviet Montage and Formalist Tradition * 1920s Soviet filmmakers developed editing style around the theory that editing should exploit the differences between shots to create meaning * Film was seen as a political tool * Soviet montage, also called collision montage rhythmic, quick (The Godfather baptism scene baptism + murder + he knows the killings are happening so this becomes a 3rd meaning) Realism Photography, TV, and cinema produce realistic images automatically * Viewed classical cutting and montage to be distorting, corrupting * After WW2 neorealism emerged which deemphasized editing * Film Stranger than Paradise shows male child on phone, doesnt give us other side of conversation we moreover know what he says shots hardly move to accommodate characters we see what can fit into the frame doesnt cut out useless times, shows everyone d oing every action goes macabre in between scenes) - November 14th Film Genre Understanding Genre * Genres are various types of films that audiences and filmmakers recognize by their acquainted(predicate) narrative, stylistic, and thematic conventions * Various conventions I. Narrative Elements Most important criteria for defining a music genre Character types Plot events Thematic reappearance general meanings from plot that surface over again and again II. Visual, sound, objects & setting * Lighting tends to be similar in films w same genre * Sound draws attention to possibilities that neither the characters nor the audience can see * Objects/setting serve as recurring symbolic images that carry meaning from film to film III. Predictability and Variation * Genres meet audience expectations * However, a film without surprises become cliche * Sub genres begin to form smaller clusters of films within a genre * Many films mix characteristics of multiple genres, creating a hy brid * No genre can be defined in a single way *