More Human Than Human

More Human than Human is the first episode of the BBC series entitled How Art Made the World. This documentary discusses on how people in the past rarely use realistic human images. From little figurines, to cave paintings and murals, and up to towering statues, Dr. Nigel Spivey investigates on how this has become so. The relics discovered were observed to have some body parts that were exaggerated while others were completely ignored. These exaggerated parts are said to have certain significance to the people who created them. Dr. Ramachandran, a neurologist, explains a theory in which the brain tends to recognize certain things that will stimulate the body. A few thousand years later, Egyptian art was found to have been expressed through mathematical approaches rather than exaggerations. They chose to show human body parts from their clearest angles. On the other hand, the Greeks wanted to create realistic images. When the two cultures clashed, an artistic revolution ignited and the Greeks reproduced their realistic human images in exact and perfectly measured dimensions. But later on, they abandoned this realism and went back to exaggerating. Over the years, exaggeration points have changed according to the preference of the humans. Exaggerating is said to make the images more interesting. In Asia, human images are very culturally influenced. The Chinese and Japanese give more details to the facial features and clothing. They make it look more like how their people look like. From the hats, to the slit eyes, beards and mustaches, and to the long, flowing robes, the images seem more realistic. However, their statues and figures of Buddha and other gods have exaggerated features as well. The statues of Buddha are usually portrayed in squat position but accessories and features differ according to the people. Some have body parts which are not proportional with each other and others have certain features that satisfy their culture and religion. Exaggeration changes over time as the taste of the people changes. What is pleasing to the eye in one generation might be completely unpleasant to another. Culture and religion also have their own effect on the preferences of people. While exaggerated sexual parts stimulate fertility for some, these types of exaggerations might wholly step unto others' principles. However, Art is a personal expression. Therefore, the pleasant or unpleasantness of an art is dependent upon the creator, while the observer also has his own personal inclination.

A Book Review on Martin Jacques’ When China Rules the World

A Book Review On Martin Jacques’ When China Rules the World By Abhinav Pathak â€Å"The underlying argument of the book is that China's impact on the world will be as great as that of the United States over the last century, probably far greater†¦. China, with continuing economic growth (albeit at a reduced rate) is destined to become one of the two major global powers and ultimately the major global power†- Martin JacquesMartin Jacques' above statement is a bold one, but shouldn’t come much of a surprise as Goldman Sachs gave such conclusions credibility in 2007 when it concluded that China would surpass U. S. GDP in 2027, and double it by 2050. I believe that Jacques, in a serious and comprehensive analysis, puts modern-day China into a long historic context and explores contemporary (and possible future) relations between a resurgent China and other East Asian states, the United States, and other parts of the world. The book is split into two parts, The E nd of the Western World and the Age of China.The Age of China section is much better than the End of the Western World. It gives the reader a background of China in relatively decent depth. It describes biases and history. It describes issues like racism; the repercussions of Confucianism are described in depth. A lot of the statistics seem to be from earlier in the decade suggesting this book was written over a long period of time but only recently completed. That being said, the main forms of argument of this section and the book, are images, not real facts.Chinese proverbs are used as evidence of the perspective, which I think is very ineffective, as for each one which supports a point, one can find another proverb which offers a different perspective. The Rise of China is an incredibly important and seemingly irreversible process, this could have been a great opportunity to back up claims with case evidence, but that was really not done in any convincing fashion. The author ofte n makes hyperbolized points, which within a paragraph become qualified with a much more balanced perspective.An example is the description of China and democracy. China it is claimed has no need for democracy and there is no reason to expect it, based on their historical citizens arrangement with government, and the fact that the people are not demanding it today (there are several times when it is stated that the Chinese need 8-9% growth as not to cause civil unrest implicitly stating that it is the growth that excuses the lack of demand for political rights and that citizens are willing to forgive political rights for economic growth)†¦Most people who make convincing arguments about China and democracy make the claim that democracy in China will follow from socio-economic development. When people move to the point from having to worry about subsistence to worrying about their leisure time, their priorities of governance chance. The allusions to history are just not convincing arguments, they can be dismissed as contextual and the authors own description of growth needed to prevent civil unrest makes the same point as stated above.The author sure knows this, so after making a claim which is not backed up, qualifies it by saying, it probably will democratize, but not the way you expect. Well, I don’t know what that means. Points like this should be argued with case studies, look at the political associations and power that the well off have vs. the poor, look at how those have changed. If there has been no change in political ideals of a person/group as their socio-economic condition has changed, make a point.Unfortunately the book does not take this approach, it looks to the past when the world was little changing in a relative context to today, and makes inferences. To quote Park Chung Hee from Korea which also took a state centered followed by democracy approach – â€Å"In human life, economics precedes politics and culture. † If o ne is going to dispute this, one should be doing it with cases not words with any evidence. However, there are many illustrations that Jacques, the author, gives us to back his claim of the Chinese domination.Since the economic reforms launched by Deng Xiaoping in 1978 (just two years after the death of Mao), the Chinese economy has been growing at an average rate of 9. 5% a year which represents a doubling in size every seven years. Jacques comments: â€Å"Given its scale and speed, China's economic transformation is surely the most extraordinary in human history†¦ The country has borne witness to the greatest poverty reduction programme ever seen†.He further observes that the most important single characteristic of China is its unity. It has been relatively unified for over two millennia, attaches compelling priority to the maintenance of this unity, and is not prepared to compromise on the sovereignty – as opposed to the forms of governance – of Tibet or Xinjiang or the ‘lost territories' of Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan. Jacques argues that â€Å"the Chinese have a pathological fear of division and instability†.China will become modern not by simply replicating the established modernity of Europe and North America, but by creating its own distinctive modernity in what will become a world of what he calls †contested modernity†. In many respects, the coming global supremacy of China is seen by the Chinese themselves as simply re-establishing the natural order of things, since they have always seen Chinese civilization as the greatest in the world and the ‘century of humiliation' (1850-1950), involving the ‘unequal treaties', colonialism and occupation, is regarded as an aberration which is now being corrected.This sense of superiority is underlined by a specifically racial view of the Chinese in which the Han Chinese, who comprise 92% of the total population, are seen as a single race and even the 100M non-Han are described as different nationalities rather than races. Indeed there is a view in some quarters than the origins of the Chinese are discrete and unconnected with that of other branches of humankind. All of these form the main themes of the book, â€Å"When China Rules the World† and it does sound that the 21st century will witness a paradigm shift in the centre of world power and influence.I do have couple of criticisms though. I feel the author is inconsistent at times and does not draw conclusions based on the evidence he presents rather than the feelings that he has about the subject. It often seems like the author is describing a zero-sum world, China moving up is the west moving down. The West has started growing again, given there are major issues still being worked through (though the author says the West is in a depression†¦ ) and there is a title called the end of the Western world. In my opinion if he US manages to grow, then that doesn’ t mark the end of the western world. As long as the quality of life per person is greater than in China or wherever, it is a model for something right? Otherwise one should just join the country with the greatest number of citizens. The end of strict western hegemony seems inevitable, but the west is a model for something as again, it has the highest living standards in the world. If china doesn’t dominate the US GDP that would be a tragedy, it has 5 times the people†¦This balance of power perspective is what drives a lot of the commentary. It is an important perspective and it would be naive to dismiss it, but as long as the model for economic growth is yielding good results, it is a valuable model for how a society should run. One cannot compare China and the US/Western Europe. They are not anywhere close on a GDP per capita. The rise of Chinese nationalism is very much a result of the great things China is achieving and the desire to be a part of it and to show the wo rld what the Chinese are capable of.It is not a we are better, any average Chinese citizen would with a high degree of confidence switch place with a US citizen of Chinese origin- as long as that is the case, we haven’t seen the end of the west. That phenomenon will be around for a long time and the end of that situation isn’t even contemplated in this book, the more defining data point to the author is, when china’s GDP will exceed the US. So as not to bore people, the book gives good history, discusses central aspects of Chinese culture that aren’t prevalent in the west, and discusses how they might manifest themselves on a global scale.That perspective is an important one, as the strategic power of China grows, so will its use of influence and it is important to understand the context of its perspectives. Another criticism that I have is that he not infrequently darts backwards and forwards in time. Perhaps this is unavoidable and I might not have been better pleased with a strict chronological account which would necessarily have hopped about between geography, military and economical viewpoints. In conclusion, I believe that China will change the world.However, the future is seen here mainly through the prism of a somewhat overstated China-centric historical determinism. The clamor of conflicting voices within China, with their potential to shape coming events, is barely considered. A more symbiotic development – that of China reaching an accommodation with the world in mutual self interest – is played down. China is locked into global systems that it will be difficult to fully extricate itself from – or replace – and which will mitigate its actions.Jacques himself convinced me that China’s rise is not a new paradigm but one of many burgeoning hybrids of existing modernity which will be eventually assimilated, albeit at great cost to Western global dominance. This book is a valuable addition t o an important debate. But at times the author stares so long and hard at China’s history that he seems to develop tunnel vision. Surely China’s past, although important, will not shape the global future in the overwhelming way that Jacques clearly believes that it will!

Casablanca analysis

Lund and Captain Renault arriving at the airport to supposedly send Victor Laszlo off to Lisbon, Portugal. Rick Blaine meanwhile plans to send ‘Sis off with her husband. The night before alls had c unfrosted Rick In his deserted cafe about the letters of transit and tries to force him at gunpoint to give them to her, but gives up saying she's unable to due to her still loving him.She explain ins why she oft him without explanation which was because she felt she had to tend to her Ill huh spans who she had believed to have died escaping trot a concentration camp. Rick agrees to h alp leading her believe she will stay with him when Laszlo leaves. Laszlo shows up after narrowing escaping a police raid, and tries to persuade Rick to use the letters to take alls to safe TTY. When Renault arrives with an arrest warrant, Rick convinces him to release Laszlo by promo sing to set him up for the more serious crime of being in possession of the letters of transit.Rick then forces him at g unpoint to assist in their escape. Upon arrival to the airport, Rick does NT give alls much of a choice to either board the plane with Laszlo or stay with him believing that she would regret it and that she needs to help Laszlo with his work. This choice is set up as her either sacrificing her love with Rick & leaving to be honorable for staying in her marriage or staying with him for uncertain future. The former option is emotionally satisfying as an end to thee r relationship s It's filled with honor, grace and dignity.It's the ultimate resolution to their dilemma after having the perfect affair in Pans and then their bad timed reunion. Alga's â€Å"choice† at the end of the film Is not a matter of right or wrong. Whether or not alls chooses to stay In her marriage SSH old not be a matter of It being the right or wrong choice, rather It's her own personal decision w nether or not to choose to be happy and that would not have affected future events In a general SE nose.

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

Healthcare - Essay Example Clinical privileging, however, is not required by the NCQA whereas the Joint Commission mandates the need for the resources that would be able to support clinical privileges. All in all, there are both subtle and glaring differences and they could be primarily found in the accreditation standards. Also, there is the fact that NCQA puts emphasis on consumers as well as employers through the information they release that focus on their classifications of healthcare organizations according to quality. 2) Follow this link: http://www.jcrinc.com/The-Joint-Commission-Organization/ Note the size and corporate structure of the joint commission. Why are the â€Å"firewalls† necessary?   The so-called â€Å"firewalls† or policies drafted and being implemented that serve as barriers between the numerous subsidiaries the Joint Commission are necessary because they address criticisms about the fairness, ethics and conflicts of interest when a subsidiary could undermine the accredi tation standards of the organization. For instance, Joint Commission Resources – a Joint Commission subsidiary – offers consultation services to hospitals with regards to achieving Joint Commission accreditation. Conflict of interest would certainly arise.

Comparing Mortgage Rates Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Comparing Mortgage Rates - Research Paper Example Mortgage quotes that are published such as these are usually rates and terms available under the best of circumstance while your rate will vary according to: credit, down payment, house location and size, and your ability to prove income and assets Verbal rates are not a guarantee and you must get a written quote if you want to be assured the rate is ‘locked’ in and you should always get a letter of confirmation of your rate, rates that go up between the start of your mortgage process and the closing date can cost you thousands of dollars over the life of your loan Do not assume that because you are offered at good rate on one type of loan that you will get the same rate on a different type of mortgage Many people do not consider closing costs and fees when shopping for a mortgage Based on the effective annual rate the Lending tree offers the best rate for a fifteen year fixed interest rate loan. This amount is the percentage paid per year on the mortgage over the lifeti me of the loan. AmeriSave offers the lowest effective annual rate on a thirty year mortgage. Paying some of the interest in advance can reduce the accrual over the course of the year. Any fees or penalties that you accrue during the loan are added to the principle and will increase the EAR. These effective annual rates make sense as being the lowest because they are also in line with the lowest rates. Different lenders are able to offer different rates somewhat based on what type of lender they are, a mortgage lender or mortgage broker, each charging a different commission rate on the loan. Mortgage broker do not actually lend money and are used to help an individual find a direct loan, charging the consumer a fee for this service. While this is advantageous in that they will shop many lenders for you in an attempt to gain the best rate you will pay the associated fees, which are usually between 0.5-1 % of the loan value. The difference in rate will have a material impact on the con sumer because the value of the property will either decrease or increase with the market over the course of the loan. Investors may choose 30 year investment mortgages over other options because the value of the dollar while continue to decrease while the investment property and amount of payment remains the same. This is due to inflation of the economy and other market factors. References Today's Rate Results. (2012). Bank of America. Retrieved 2012, from https://www9.bankofamerica.com/home-loans/mortgage-purchase/TodaysRateResults.go?referrer=/home-loans/mortgage-purchase/rates Mortgage - Home Loans - Refinance - Mortgage Refinancing - Mortgage Rates - Home Equity. (2012). Retrieved 2012, from http://www.lendingtree.com/ Mortgage, Refinancing, Home Loan, Mortgage Rates - GMAC Mortgage. (2012). Retrieved 2012, from http://www.gmacmortgage.com/ Chase Mortgages - Home Lending | New or Refinance Mortgage Loans Online. (2012). CHASE Home: Personal Banking | Personal Lending | Retiremen t & Investing | Business Banking. Retrieved 2012,

Michael Jackson Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 2

Michael Jackson - Essay Example The last section forms concluding response to this problem. The method used is particularized examination of the literature together with the critical summarizing and personal inferences on the topic. Michael Joseph Jackson was also known as a King of Pop or the Icon of the Pop Music. This was considered to be an outstanding personality in the dimension of music in general and pop in particular. Strange stories together with personal and materialistic difficulties always occurred in his way. What was more, health problems with a constant pain remained to be a part of his life. A huge amount of hurdles chased him during his life; still, people always expressed admire and appreciation to Michael. He was a favourite for millions of people and idol for the entire world. Michael Jackson was born on August 29, 1958 in the common family of American workers (Borsboom, 2011, p.7). He was a black boy and a sevenths child in the family with strong rules and regulations. He always liked to perform since the early ages and tried to do it if some opportunities took place (Borsboom, 2011, p.11). At the age of 5 he started to perform at â€Å"a Christmas recital† in front of his classmates (Borsboom, 2011, p.11). This was a first try in his career as a singer and dancer. In 1964 Michael together with his brother Marlon joined the Jackson Brothers, and in a few years he started singing lead with his brother Jermaine in this band (Borsboom, 2011, p.11). His first serious performance on the professional scene was realized in 1968 when Michael appeared as a member of band that was called The Jackson 5 (Borsboom, 2011, p.11). That was an important step in his career as a vocalist and pop-singer, as it gave him the first serious experience and first essential lessons. It should be admitted that The Jackson 5 experienced a great fame in teenage people what was remained to be unusual in for African-American band (Borsboom, 2011, p.11). With

The Health and Wellness Industry is Being Proclaimed as a Revolution Essay

The Health and Wellness Industry is Being Proclaimed as a Revolution in Consumer Demand and Potentially Worth Trillions of Dolla - Essay Example To satisfy the demand and expectations of these health-conscious consumers further, the tourism industry is awash with resorts, spas, and hotels, which offer superior consumer services such as comprehensive spa, bodywork treatments, indoor/outdoor physical activity, delicious and health-conscious cuisine, interactive health, and wellness education programs assisted by world-class professionals. Moreover, the increased demand for a relaxing and freshening environment has prompted many a resort to be established in serene and gentle surroundings with clean and lapping river/swamp waters, breathtaking sceneries, and fresh forest air, all of which combine to create a powerful wellness and health experience for consumers (Bookman & Bookman, 2007). The rising demand for wellness and health products has also implied that resort and hotel managements provide services that empower consumers to change their lifestyles for the better, thus bringing out the best out of their body’s natura l beauty, healing abilities, longevity, and wellbeing (Ginger, 2009). Importantly, products that bring about healing from illnesses and learning skills to consumers have been incorporated in resort and hotel wellness and health programs as their demand continues to increase. This paper explores the impacts that the rising demand of wellness and health products by consumers has on hotel and resort management. The Impacts of Increasing Wellness/Health Demand on Resorts The increasing health and wellness consciousness among consumers is one of the major factors that have set the international industry/trend that is health and wellness tourism (Reisinger, 2009). Most of these health-conscious consumers seek to improve their health and well being as they travel to various destinations and sample various hospitality treats and experiences. They do not only set out to feel better but also to look better, in the process enjoying effects such as slowed aging, reduced discomfort, lower stress levels, and relieved pain. In addition, these health- and wellness-conscious consumers have the privilege of partaking in the consumption of natural supplements such as minerals and vitamins, which further improve their health. With the number of health-conscious consumers on a rapid increase, the number of resorts and hotels joining the health and wellness industry has steadily risen in recent times. However, only a few have managed to cover the entire scope of services and goods currently demanded by wellness and health consumers (Lagace, 2008). That is, some resorts and hotels have not been in a position to offer the range of health and wellness services and goods offered by spas. Nonetheless, a good number of resorts and day spas are now offering a variety of health and wellness services and have added more health and wellness programming options in their services. It is important at this point to distinguish between wellness and health since the two products have quite differe nt meanings and applications. While health tourism refers to the services designed for tourists or clients with medical conditions and requires the experiences of these healing

Mobile Devices & Applications Lab Report Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Mobile Devices & Applications - Lab Report Example ristics including unpredictable values and adoption rate uncertainties, network effect uncertainties, as well as unobvious cost and impact characteristics. We expect mobile computing technologies to exhibit the same characteristics. This paper explores the status of mobile development and emerging standards. In particular, we examine mobile design and HCI techniques, 4 Generation technologies, the concept of mobile sensors and technology utilization, as well as trends on mobile applications and possible future directions in their development. The main objective is to identify discernable trends in mobile computing technologies and develop insights on how Emerging Technology Group can promote mobile development projects run by ECC-Mobile Ltd using established development techniques and methodologies. Human-commuter interaction (HCI) designs aims to develop creative interactions that maximize user experience. Creating interactive HCI for mobile devices is an open problem attempting to create powerful mobile computing services and resources via small interfaces. The main challenges in designing HCI for mobile devices relate to both hardware and software challenges. Hardware challenges relate to the limitations in size and weight of mobile devices in consideration of portability purpose of such devices (Huang, 2009). Challenges for hardware interaction design for mobile devices include the problem of limited input facilities, limited output features and designing for mobility (Huang, 2009). Currently, mobile devices use three primary input facilities: keyboard, touch screen stylus, and scroll wheel. The challenge with mobile device keyboards emanates from the limited space for key installation. While stylus and touch screen are good alternatives in smartphones, if the screen is small users’ finger can occlude graphical phone elements. Lastly, scroll wheel provides a suitable solution to the problem of input facilities in smartphones (Huang, 2009). Software

4 best 3d animated films for kids Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

4 best 3d animated films for kids - Essay Example The chief Director of this film is Uri Shizer (Squidoo 2010). This movie was released in 2003 by Pixar Studios and Disney. Its remarkable box office draw kept the movie at the top. The movie is a story of a clown fish and his son, who lost all their family members to thieves leaving them alone in the world. Nemo is caught up by a scuba diver during his first day of school, turning him into a pet in a fish tank that belonged to a dentist. Consequently, Nemo’s father decides to go hunting for him in the ocean, where he happened to meet an absentminded fish called Dory. The story narrates about their encounters and attempts by Nemo to flee from the fish tank (Squidoo 2010). In this film, three strange bedfellows are encountered with, including Diego the saber tooth tiger, Sid the Sloth, and Manny the mammoth. The three accomplices have partnered in an attempt to return a hunter father, his human baby. When Diego, Manny and Sid return, they are joined by another character known as Ellie a mammoth who thinks she is a possum. They seek to flee from their dwelling valley to avoid drowning in case a melting glaciar blocked down. This comedy with great taste has been produced by Pixar Animation Studios. It is a story of a rat that wants to become a chef, but his family looks down upon his ideas. Consequently, Remy finds himself in a sewer, where he wants to meet a youthful cook who is fighting to retain his job. The union of the two makes them the best chefs in Paris. This entertaining movie keeps the funs wondering whether their trick will be discovered. The role of a 3D animation director is to make sure that the vision of the film rhymes with all parts of the production course. This includes the film’s color palette, style, as well as tone. Unlike the directors of live-action films, those of animated movies have high control responsibility. In other words, the directors of animated films are responsible for micromanaging the whole

Aggressive acts in popular TV programmes Essay Example for Free

Aggressive acts in popular TV programmes Essay In this piece of coursework I am trying to find out whether aggressive acts in popular TV programmes cause children to act more violently. The participants used in this experiment will be children aged between 5 and 10. I think that the more aggressive acts there are in the popular TV programmes the more aggressive the child will act after watching the programme.  Most of us recognise aggression when we see it but the reason the person is being aggressive we find hard to determine. One common way to determine aggression is by saying there are 2 types instrumental and hostile aggression. Instrumental aggression is used to achieve a specific goal, perhaps to protect yourself or to try and get your own way. This form of aggression is not always accompanied by anger. Hostile aggression is aimed at damaging someone or something, and is often done in anger. The social learning theory says that we learn not only through reinforcement but also by observing other people and imitating their behaviour, which is called observational learning. A psychologist named Albert Bandura studies of aggression are based on the teachings of the social learning theory. He found out the following points:  Observation  Always we are watching people, and children in particular spend a lot of time observing others. While observing others they pick up on what they say and how they say it. The see how other people react to what is said or done, and observe the consequences of other peoples behaviour. If the behaviour is imitated by the observer we know the behaviour has been learned. For example a boy might kick his teddy bear in the same way as he seen his hero in a cartoon punch another character. The child may imitate the sounds which the hero in a cartoon makes. If the hero was rewarded or shown admiration for its actions in the cartoon then the child is more likely to imitate the heros behaviour. This is an example of vicarious reinforcement. Reinforcement  If the child is rewarded for its actions it is more likely to perform the behaviour. If the boy imitates a character on the TV and is rewarded by the carer the behaviour is likely to continue. If the carer disapproves of the behaviour of the child and punishes then the child is less likely to perform the behaviour again.  Albert Banduras Research On Aggression  Albert Bandura performed a number of experiments which focused on the effect of children watching an adult behave aggressively. For example, Bandura and friends (1961) arranged for an adult to hit and kick a large inflatable doll (called a Bobo doll) whilst the child was in the room. Afterwards the child had a chance to play with a variety of toys, including the doll, whilst the adult was present. Bandura in later experiments changed this procedure, because he showed a child a film of someone being aggressive to the doll in the environmental condition. In the control condition children watched a non-violent film. They were watched afterwards whilst playing and a number of incidents of aggression were noted. When participants were asked to replicate as much of the models behaviour as they could remember, most were able to do so accurately regardless of whether the model had been reinforced or punished. Some of the children who had not been aggressive towards the doll, even though they could do so accurately when asked. These children had learned the behaviour even though they did not imitate it. The Role Of The Media In Aggression  Banduras research indicated that children could learn new ways of being aggressive from their observation of models. This raised the question of what role the media might play in encouraging aggression and violence in society. The way aggression and violence in films, cartoons, TV programmes, computer games and books are presented provides models which children and adults may imitate. As a result of this, there was a huge increase in the research to discover the level and type of violence shown in the media, and what role the medias presentation of violence might play in aggressive behaviour. T. Williams and colleagues (1986), studied children in three Canadian towns and were compared to discover whether television had an influence on their levels of aggression. At the start of the study, one town had no television (Notel), another town had one channel (Unitel) and a third had several channels (Multitel). A year later Notel had one channel, Unitel had two channels. The researchers measured childrens levels of aggression before channels were added and again one year afterwards. The observed the children in playgrounds, and asked teachers and children to rate aggression. Aggression both verbally and physically increased after Notel children began watching TV, and this for both boys and girls. In addition Williams found a positive correlation between the amount of time a child watched TV and the amount of aggression he or she showed.

Impact Of Virtual Reality On The Society Media Essay

Impact Of Virtual Reality On The Society Media Essay Despite the disagreement Virtual Reality has awakened the world in enormous ways and the society should not stay dubious of the tremendous potentials it has to bring in an optimistic way a large technological development. The word virtual shares its root with virtue, a word whose original meaning denoted strength. More recently, virtual has come to describe something that possesses essence and effect without possessing form, something not quite physical, but with a measurable impact on the real. Thats certainly true of virtual worlds. Virtual reality is turning out to be the topic with many opposing viewpoints. It has become the focal point of discussion among the general public for several reasons. Conceivably, this is mostly because of all the potentials which virtual reality develops (Hoffman, 2004). However, despite the disagreement this new technology has awakened, society should not stay dubious. Virtual reality if used in an optimistic way can bring a large technological development. Military and space technology, the entertainment industry, and the physical sciences contributed to the drive to make advanced computers user friendly. Initially, complex simulators presented low-definition displays through binocular headsets. Addition of position sensors introduced motion parallax, with depth cues that created the illusion of being within a three-dimensional graphical display. The invention of a `DataGlove, whose movements could be sensed by the computer and then reconstructed in the display, enabled the observer and computer to interact with instructions given by the observer via simple hand movements such as pointing. The overall effect was that the observer experienced a computer-generated artificial or virtual reality (VR), whose credibility depended largely on the agreement between the simulated imagery and the familiar sensible world (Zimmer, 2004). Societal Impacts of VR Virtual reality applications are finding their way into the mainstream of society. Initially, the use of VR (virtual reality) was seen as valuable only to scientists and engineers whose highly specialized needs more than overcame the poor quality of the computer generated 3D images. For example, scientists can engage in molecular research by moving within molecules to examine their structures. Doctors and other medical personnel can practice elaborate or dangerous procedures before attempting them on human subjects. With special imaging software, the experience can take place on a virtual done of the patient awaiting surgery in the next room. Doctors can control a microscopic, mechanical, seeing-eye arm, through the body which can lead to better diagnoses even on patients thousands of miles away (Zimmer, 2004). Immersive virtual reality pain distraction was originated and developed by Hoffman Patterson at the Univ. of Washington Seattle and Harborview Burn Center. Source: (Hoffman H. ) Formerly, virtual reality was known as nothing but a diminutive stride ahead of video games. However, it is now understandable that this technology can be used for more realistic purposes. These purposes embrace national defense, medicinal and surgical measures and a variety of other functions. Society has not completely recognized the benefits of virtual reality as of yet because it is still under progress. The basis for virtual reality enduring in its growth for so long is mostly due to its intricacy (Riva, Mantovani, Capideville, 2007). Oddly, even though much has been printed about the possible societal impact of other rising technologies, such as genetic production and cyborgization, comparatively very less has been penned down about the impact of VR on the society (Calvert, 2002). In my point of view this may be because people may believe they already have witnessed VR, through portrayal of VR on television and cinema; the worlds of genetic production and cyborgization are less common, and yet seem proficient to transform the very concept of  ¿Ã‚ ½humans ¿Ã‚ ½ (Lang, 1996). If this is why researchers have given reduced attention to VR, this position has resulted from erroneous philosophy (Zimmer, 2004). Virtual reality has the prospective to intensely modify human society, not by destabilizing our corporeal corpse (as genetic production or cyborgization may), but by changing our insight and relations. Other medical breakthroughs have occurred when humans use specially designed hardware in virtual worlds. Two of the hardware pieces specifically are a data glove and a body suit. The data glove fits the hand and has tiny sensors that record and transmit data about even the smallest movements of the fingers, hand, and wrist (Riva, 2005). Doctors have been able to use this information to identify and evaluate neuromuscular diseases of the hands. The data suit collects information about the human torso or even the entire body. With it, scientists can help individuals who have experienced leg traumas to learn to walk again. One researcher has even noted that disabled kids may someday engage in virtual rugby (Anderson Bushman, 2001). The menu of VR-experiences from which a patient might choose is limited by the capacity of the computer to generate accurate representations, by the skill of the designer, and by the preferences of the supervising clinician. Although the patient may choose from within that menu, choice is necessarily more constrained than in daily life. Restriction of choice in this way carries considerable potential for abuse. At one level VR becomes a terrifying instrument of torture, at another a powerful means of education (Wiederhold Wiederhold, 2005). Fundamentally, the experiences generated are limited to those that man can design; the meanings a patient might attribute to them need not agree with those presumed by the VR designer. It would be irresponsible to introduce patients to a world that contains no more significance or deeper meaning than that which man can construct. For patients seeking to understand, as many do, the purpose of their suffering, VR is as unlikely as hallucinogenic dr ug use to provide access to a deeper reality in their search for meaning (Anderson Bushman, 2001). Another early application of VR was in training people for hazardous real-life occupations. Firefighters, for example, can practice fighting fires and searching for trapped victims. Even more cutting edge is wearing a body suit that controls the movements of a robotic firefighter who can travel into severe heat and see through dense smoke to rescue an unconscious person. Exploring volcanoes is a third example of how virtual reality is changing our world. For obvious reasons, it is not safe to send trained volcanic experts into live volcanoes. However, it is possible to send a virtually controlled robot into the danger to send back digital images for further study (Wiederhold Wiederhold, 2005). In a virtual world, lifelike avatars can study and perhaps interact with the holographic display of a humanoid robot More recently, VR has worked its way even beyond these initial applications into the workplace, school, and home. Commercial applications include product design that is more efficient, requires less travel time, and less money to develop. Entire buildings can be created and displayed for preconstruction walk-through. On a larger scale, the University of Washington has even created a virtual Seattle. Developers can examine and evaluate fuel flows in a rocket booster tank during a simulated launch (Zimmer, 2004). The aircraft industry can create new models and virtually experience instrumentation layout, seating arrangements, and emergency pathways. Now advertising agencies have developed virtual tours and objects to promote their products. Tourist attractions can share parts of their offerings from clear snorkeling waters to high-speed roller coasters to help entice travelers at home or in a travel agency. Auto manufacturers can put the prospective buyer in their automobiles on the World Wide Web while the customer is still at home (Hoffman, 2004). Virtual 3-D factories facilitate experimentation with manufacturing processes and can expedite the training of workers Government entities which previously might have used virtual reality only to simulate military maneuvers now might promote national treasures. Tank and submarine commanders benefit particularly from VR because the head mounted displays are very similar to looking through a periscope. Recently, the Smithsonian Institutions Museum of Natural History created a virtual museum tour on the Internet with the help of a team of educators at Mississippi State University. Schools have benefited from virtual reality field trips and experiments (Riva, Mantovani, Capideville, 2007). Whether the students are learning in public, private, or home school environments, they can engage in learning as never before. They can feel the effects of gravity as they walk on the moon, explore deep sea caverns, get face to face with beasts on a safari, or even touch the delicate rain forests creatures and vegetation. Students can also travel through virtual time. They can sit in on the signing of the Declaration of Independence, march through Atlanta with Dr. Martin Luther King, or trade flaming arrows with King Arthur (Cassidy Rimbeaux, 1994). Entertainment is drastically changing with virtual reality. Video games are more sophisticated and true to life from competing in the giant slalom at the Olympic Games with Tommy Moe or Picabo Street to driving in the Indianapolis 500 with the Unser family to competing for Top Gun with Tom Cruise (Gross Levenson, 1995). Several years ago, Juggling for the Complete Klutz; was published. It helped some people, but not everyone who wanted to be a clown. The missing element, now available with VR, was to slow down the action by reducing the effects of gravity. Later as the user becomes proficient, the gravity levels can be increased until they are back to Earth levels. My personal favorite though is Dreamality Technologies Inc.s Dream Glider (Gross Levenson, 1995). Ive always wanted to hang glide, but my wife has refused to allow me to do so because of the perceived dangers. Now, just by shelling out a few bucks and strapping on a harness, I can enter a simulator and glide anywhere within a virtual environment. Each interactive ride is different because the skill of the rider determines the course and length of the flight (Zimmer, 2004). Almost as fascinating as the applications of VR, is the psychology of life in a virtual world. The behavior of humans will be quite interesting to monitor as they begin to experience a phenomena known as reality confusion. Parents will have concerns about their children at school and at home participating in digital experiences. As with most new technologies that people and the press do not understand, the prospective evils are highlighted in discussions. However, concerns like isolationism and pornography, while valid, will eventually give way to the overwhelming benefits of virtual reality to our society. Therefore the way a few of us live now might be the way a larger population will live, decades hence (Hoffman, 2004). A common question is How close is virtual reality to true reality? It is true that there is a lot more that needs to be improved and developed. To truly bring a user to a point where one is unable to distinguish between reality and virtual reality, the hardware and software must encompass more of the senses. More powerful hardware will lead to better response times for the entire experience (Lang, 1996). Visually, resolutions must be high enough to match the capabilities of the human eye. Three-dimensional sound must replace stereo sound. The sense of touch must encounter force. Perhaps taste and smell will eventually work their way into virtual environments. In reality, the applications of virtual reality will stem from human needs, not out of technological capabilities (Lang, 1996). There is a huge amount of attention being given to the psychology of those who make use of the Internet, and to the Internet ¿Ã‚ ½s superior communal insinuation. Surely, VR and its possible societal and psychosomatic penalties ought to have this type of concentration, and much more. What will VR do to humanity, and to individual psychological understanding? Answers will be given to these conjectural questions in connection to communal domains. Although the social order knows a lot about VR there is still so much that it does not contemplate. Perhaps in future, new technology will come out and public will find out more about this virtual world (Zimmer, 2004). However, until that time, the questions will stay many and doubtful however the potential is limitless. People also argue about the probable societal effects of having most individual connections happen online, in the virtual or cyber world. Supporters of VR and online world say that prospect VR and technology could modify the stature of communication, thus drawing people more close to each other (Cassidy Rimbeaux, 1994). Noted by Lang (1996):  ¿Ã‚ ½The developers of the virtual worlds have limitless opportunities to shape the scale and appearance of the world, the capabilities of its avatars, the methods of communication, and even the laws of physics (e.g., space exploration over galactic distances). It is possible to explore new experiences that are not possible in any other medium ¿Ã‚ ½ (Lang, 1996). In 1999, Burger King conducted a focus group to tour a new store concepta 3,300-square-foot 50s-style diner. What made it unusual was that the group never left their seats, and the store didnt exist. The technology that made it possible-3-D computer-assisted design (CAD) brings a new dimension to standard CAD applications, which designers have used for more than a decade to sketch store plans electronically. 3-D takes that process a step further by offering a new perspective, thus making it easier to picture shelf sets and giving clients more input at an earlier stage in the design process (Zimmer, 2004). 3-D helps designers communicate better with store owners. Frequently, building owners arent comfortable with reading 2-D construction documents and may not fully understand the design. This causes costly changes late in the design or construction process. Using 3-D also helps identify errors, such as interferences between ductwork and the buildings structure, early in the design process, which eliminates costly change orders in construction and speeds the time to successful project completion (Zimmer, 2004). Electronic renderings force designers to be more objective and think about perspective. Additionally, mistakes are a matter of a mouse click. Once youve done a hand rendering, theres nothing you can do to change it. Its not a particularly responsive tool in terms of speed and revision. If somebody can see how something is going to work, they may choose a design theyd otherwise avoid. The same is true for materials. Conclusion The technology is turning out to be so complicated that public will no longer be able to differentiate whether they are in virtual or actual reality. Technology most certainly has the capability to go haywire. It is likely that VR will turn out to be a technological advancement which humans will be unable to control and will take over all of humanity. If this were the case, culture and the populace within it would turn out to be unsure if they were in virtual or actual reality. If society is clever enough to create such a technology it should be clever enough to decide and manage its penalties (Zimmer, 2004). Often times in the history, society in its entirety has been subject to decisions made by those of the inventors of new expertise. Without the direction and authority of society upon VR it could go to squander, or even turn out to be society ¿Ã‚ ½s enemy of sorts. However, in case of medical field exercises, Medical paternalism might lead to premature and ill-judged clinical applications of VR. Without professional self-regulation, abuse by experimentalists and inept therapists seems only too likely. A VR machine may be developed, for clinically justifiable purposes, to treat phobias or help establish adaptive coping behaviors in response to stress. No matter how much humanity is responsive of virtual reality, the individual mind still has instincts that cannot be forbidden. That is one of the disadvantages of VR. That no one is convinced what to anticipate. Just as the case may be with any other ability, the only way to find out the results of VR is to test the limits to which it can go. Knowing the virtual reality has the capability to influence so many people in such a big number of ways, there is a substantial need to have some kind of restraints (Gross Levenson, 1995). This brings up one more input argument as to who should be in charge of restraining this virtual world. If the government is in power it could possibly be ill-treated and mishandled. However, if society entirely is left to consider its uses, the affects could be also good or bad.

The Case Of John Lacking Capacity Social Work Essay

The Case Of John Lacking Capacity Social Work Essay Within adult social care, people, issues, organisations and regulatory bodies are always involved in the discussions on risk and safety. Responsibility, duty of care, adult safeguarding and capacity are of concern. The balance of keeping service users who are viewed as vulnerable safe in society can be contradicted with living independent lives and being able to take the risks others take in everyday life. Therefore, perceptions and assessments of risk is an individual matter for each service user, the communities and society and is fraught with decisions and choices. Mitchell and Glendinning (2007) suggest that the states role and pre-occupation with risk management is under constant evaluation rather than exploring and seeking to understand service users perspectives of risk. They highlight the need for more service users and carers involvement in risks, decision making and protection (Parrott, 2006). Events during the life course such as genetic/biological factors, and childhood experiences can have a huge impact on the ability of the mind and body to develop and maintain good mental health. Ones life course can encounter a combination of stressful events which can test the human bodys ability to cope emotionally, which sometimes can trigger anxiety, depression and/or other mental health conditions. Risk factors which can have a negative impact on ones mental health can be addressed by influencing supportive relationships, a healthy lifestyle, stress management techniques and emotional coping strategies, in which social workers can be apart of ensuring happens. On an individual factor John could be facing depression/grief from the loss of his wife who passed away a year ago. John could still be in the seven emotional stages of grief (Carers UK, 2012). This involves shock or disbelief, denial, bargaining, guilt, anger, depression, and acceptance/hope. Social workers and other prof essionals should be aware that, there are no time limits on grief and no set pattern of emotions and behaviours that people can follow, everyone is different and grief does not always happen straight away. The risk factors for experiencing more serious symptoms of grief/loss of a loved one is that John could be at an increased risk of being psychiatrically unstable due to a decline of his emotional well being. The change in Johns life events/situation could have a huge impact on his mental wellbeing, not only because he has lost his wife but he was also a carer for his wife which would have meant John would have had responsibilities daily. Therefore John also faces having to deal with the loss of his caring role, which he may include him feeling guilty/ relieved, exhausted and alone. John may also feel angry that someone has contacted social services as they feel worried about him, as at this moment in time John may be thinking he is coping fine. Johns family/social factors may be a potential risk as John lives alone and his two children live some distance away and only visit monthly. John could be feeling isolated and due to lack of family support and limited social networks, John could be at risk of deteriorating emotionally and physically. John could be feeling a loss of control over his life due to these changes and he could experience all types of symptoms such as significant loss of appetite, diminished energy levels, suicide thoughts, depression, anxiety and many more (NIMH, 2012). The issues around the perceptions of risk and rights for mental health service users are different as people are sometimes perceived as a risk rather than considered at risk in vulnerable situations. Therefore, John could be at risk of being overlooked by safeguarding practices and his individual rights comprised by the Mental Health 1983 if he is assessed as lacks capacity, when maybe all John needs is some support in getting his life back together and learning how to cope w ith all his life changes. This would be a multidisciplinary decision and user involvement in risk assessment and informed decision making about risks to John and others (Ray, Pugh, Roberts Beech, 2008). Regardless of whether John is assessed as having the capacity or not to make decisions under the Mental Health Capacity Act 2005, then professionals need to raise the awareness of human rights and enable John to have these rights realised. Independence, choice, control and experiences and feelings associated with danger, fear, abuse and safety would need to be addressed with John. Sheldon (2010) suggests that in any case of risk management, the service user should have their rights explained, including their human rights and risk management should not interfere with the service users rights to dignity, respect and privacy as also suggested by the Care Council Code of Practice for Social Workers (CCW, 2002, 1.3, 1.4, 3.1). It is important that the key role of assessments of adults allows people to make their own decisions whilst minimising risk or harm. By placing John at the centre of the caring process, it would be the social workers role to discuss options of support for John as a first option. Fair Access to Care Services would enable the social worker to focus on health, safety, autonomy and involvement with his family and the community but without overlooking risks of self harm, neglect, abuse and risks to carers and others. FACS was launched in 2003 by the Department of Health, so that adults in need can be assessed for eligibility of services (DOH, 2003). It focuses on four levels of risk to independent living, which would be of use in Johns case. Risk taking is a normal part of life, however the social worker needs to ensure they have taken all the steps needed to minimise risk. With John by considering the consequences of actions and the likelihood of harm he could cause to himself, and discussing the benefits for independence and well being, a support plan for managing risk could be put in place with Johns consent (CCW, 2002, 4.3). Risk assessment will help in developing risk management plans that minimize risks (Coulshed Orme, 2006). The social work ers role would be to provide John with support to enable him to help himself. Under the National Health and Community Care Act 1990, the local authority would have a duty to assess Johns needs and to ensure thats services are available for John. Protecting and safeguarding John from harm, abuse and neglect including financial, physical, sexual, emotional and institutionally would be the social workers main role. An assessment based on the needs of John would enable the social worker to build a positive relationship with John, to gather the relevant information, form an overview of the situation and identify possible solutions for the best way forward (Parrott, 2006). Assessment and care planning will enable the local authority to provide practical and emotional support for John. During assessment and care plan the social worker would be able to treat John holistically, promote his independence whilst clarifying risks that can follow from decisions made independently and also being a ble to involve other health professionals to benefit John. Through the care plan, John would be able to access a wide range of information and services, designed specifically for him. Social workers use the Mental Health Act 2005 as a criterion to minimise risk of harm to self or others, however the downside for service users is that of potential threat to independence and freedom that sometimes makes seeking help a hard decision to make in some cases, therefore social workers working in multidisciplary teams and having the use of assessment and care planning tools, makes decision making easier. Therefore all professionals and John would have some responsibility for making decisions and every professional would have input into providing and sharing information to arrive at a considered decision (Milner OByrne, 2009). This also minimises the risk of one person being involved and making decisions solely without having the right knowledge or support to reach appropriate outcomes with John. The autonomy of John to decide whether to engage with social services, and accept that he is not coping well at the moment, conflicts with social services and his neighbours concerns of him putting himself in danger/neglect. The professionals would need good social skills and value the principle of inclusion into society and autonomy to enable John to make his own decisions and make positive changes on his own behalf. The conflict in this case is that facing the social worker in assessing Johns needs. On one hand, John doesnt seem to be coping well however he has been assessed as having capacity, but on the other hand, John is exercising his own right to self determination and autonomy as he wont accept any support. The issue the social worker faces is that of John not engaging if John is able to understand some of the presenting problems in his current situation. In order to assess whether intervention is required, three categories of risk may be required. Johns physical risk could be causing harm to himself or others. Johns social risk of becoming isolated and acting in a way that is considered outside of the social norm and emotional risk, his physical and emotional health (Webb, 2006). In the case of John lacking capacity the social worker and other professionals would be working under the framework The Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) in order to provide protection for John, who is unable to make decisions for himself. The Act contains provision for assessing whether people have the mental capacity to make decisions, procedures for making decisions on behalf of people who lack mental capacity and safeguards. Professionals would be working under the philosophy of the MCA, which is any decision made, or action taken, on behalf of John who lacks the capacity to make the decision or act for himself must be made in his best interest (Coulshed Orme, 2006). The Act is also supported by its own Code of Practice which has to be interpreted when using the Act. It is important that all professionals working with John understand his capacity might be affected only for a temporary period. The phrases used in the MCA section 2 in relation to a matter and at the material time mea ns that capacity must be assessed on a decision-by-decision basis. Therefore, capacity may not be a permanent status and John should not be described as having or lacking capacity. The level of capacity needed by John would depend on the decision to be made. For example, John may need a lower level of mental capacity to make decisions about everyday matters, such as what to eat or where to go at this moment in time. Professional should ensure John has not been assumed as lacking capacity due to his age, appearance, and mental health diagnosis or disability/medical condition (Webb, 2006). In 2007, under the Mental Health Act for England and Wales, Approved Social Workers were replaced by Approved Mental Health Practitioners (AMHPs) with the role and remit extended to other disciplines. The primary role of an AMPH is to act as the guardian of the patients rights. The AMHP has the responsibility of contacting the patients next of kin and to help any appeals against the order that the patient wants to make. In the case of John not having capacity, the AMHP may control access to some services such as day centres, respite care, residential care and other community support services, if needed (DOH, 2001). The social worker would also need to refer to other health/social care professionals if not already done so such as GP, community psychiatric nurse, physiatrist, counsellor, advice services, specific therapies to ensure an holistic approach is taken (Ray et al, 2008). The consultation report on safeguarding adults in Wales In Safe Hands (WAG, 2000) found that people were c oncerned about the balance between safeguarding and personalisation, between choice and risk. Social workers and other professionals need to ensure people have informed choices and introduce support systems. Social workers will have a distinctive role in multiagency settings and will need to ensure they develop practices to enable service users with mental health to identify and realise their own needs. The team involved in working with John will need to have broad experiences and social views of mental health problems especially in regards to discrimination, oppression, civil rights and social justice. They will need to co-ordinate efforts to support John so that he does not have negative experiences and /or perceptions of mental health and ensure he received services fairly and equably. The social worker will work with John to ensure he is not a victim of social isolation, poverty, unemployment, insecure housing and limited social and support networks and will have an independent view in assessment and care planning (Faulkner, 2012). In Johns case risk management will minimize the dangers both to and from John. However risk factors are individual and differ from professional to professional due to personal factors and the degree of control they have over the risk. A risk can be viewed as negative and positive. Risk is associated with decision making processes and should never be made in isolation. Social workers must take every precaution to protect the service user and the public, as the law makes people responsible for behaviours whether or not they were the ones who took the risk, intended or not. Practitioners can be held liable for negligence and a breach of duty. Trying to predict possibilities and risk assessing is a very important part of the social workers role (Parrott, 2006). Part 2

The Loss of Freedom in Modern America Essay -- Argumentative Persuasiv

The Loss of Freedom in Modern America    Society exists in two realms: public and private.   Thousands of years ago, the public realm was clearly defined as the political arena, where men interacted one with another, and the private realm dwelled among the work and labor of man.   The progression from ancient Greece to modern day society has blurred the defining line between the two due to the increasing influence of money.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In Greek society, the public realm was a place of action: a place to achieve freedom.   As time progressed, wealth increased among individuals, making it less defined.   These changes blurred the division between public and private realms because the public realm became controlled by wealth.   This forced many out of the public realm and into the private realm, making it more difficult to achieve freedom.   Simultaneously, individual thinking led to an increase in knowledge about the world in general, leading to disproving what man commonly accepted as fact until that point.   Now freedom was no longer as easily attainable and man's necessity for freedom merged into the private realm of work and labor.   Therefore as the society progressed, individuality decreased and public and private realms were not as distinctly separable as they once were.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In today's society, this blurred definition of what is necessary and free and how it is obtained is observed in modern America.   Over the years, politics in general are no longer a public arena where every man can achieve freedom.   In America, there is a representative democracy, in which the people elect represent... ... loss of individuality in the public realm and the increase in conformity in society has led to some extreme expressions of desires for freedom.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In conclusion, society was at one time clearly defined by public and private realms.   The first was a place to achieve individual freedom while the other was a way to obtain basic human necessities through work and labor.   Throughout the ages, there has been a progressive diminishment of the definition between these two realms of society due to the increasing influence of wealth on the public realm.   As a result, individuals have become frustrated, for they can no longer achieve freedom in the public realm.   Now, they result to extreme forms of expression to achieve their necessity of freedom in the hybrid society where public and private realms coexist.

Same Sex Marriages Should be Legal Essay example -- Argumentative Pers

Same Sex Marriages Should be Legal    Flowers, candles, and music are all part of a wedding. As the organist plays "Here Comes the Bride," I notice this is where the similarities end. The bride, who is a woman, is marrying a groom, who is also a woman. Single-sex marriages are only allowed in a few states. However, single-sex marriages should become legal so that couples could enjoy the advantages of marriage. Legalizing single-sex marriage would create more family units and create more tolerance from society, allowing single-sex couples a legal way of expressing their love to each other. One of the major complaints of heterosexuals against homosexuals is that homosexuals are involved in many sexual relationships instead of a monogamous relationship. If the country would allow same-sex marriages, the people involved would feel as if they could seek out life-long companions. The couple's relationship would have a goal that is accepted by society. This goal is the same as heterosexual couples' goal, which is to find that special someone to spend a lifetime with until "death do us part." Sheila and Annette, friends of mine, have lived together since high school. Sheila and Annette would marry if they were allowed the opportunity. Sheila's concern is that the gay lifestyle is encouraged to be permissive because of society's rejection of same-sex marriage. She has a friend, Alice, who has had thirty different partners. Alice says that changing so often is allowable because there are no legal binding contracts to hold one in a relationship. Alice feels that if same-sex rela tionships had some sort of binding contract, she would be more careful in entering into a serious relationship. So, if the country would legalize same-sex m... ...want a family, and want to be accepted by society just as heterosexual people want that special person, want to raise children, and want to be accepted by society. So, as I watch the happy couple stroll down the aisle with smiles on their faces and joy in their hearts, excited about their future together, I am happy that at least this state allows same-sex marriage. Hopefully in the future all states will allow people freedom to choose who they want to be with for a lifetime. The positive outcomes could be beneficial not only to the homosexual community by allowing them a binding contract of marriage, but also to many children who could grow up in an atmosphere of two adults loving and interacting together as a family unit. Love is what all humans want and need, whatever package it may come in. Society needs to relax and permit people to love whom they want.   

AFrican American equality Essay

From the time our country was founded, many African Americans lived a life of hardship merely because the color of their skin. In many instances they were treated as animals, being sold and traded in shackles and chains. At the time of the signing of the Declaration of Independence when the country was founded, most African Americans worked as slaves. Working conditions for slaves were inhumane, who were often forced to work long hours in the sweltering summer heat. In 1865, the ratification of the 13th amendment made slavery illegal everywhere in the United States. However, this was not the end of inequality and segregation for African Americans. The racism in the south did not stop just because slavery ended. For decades after the end of slavery, laws such as the Jim Crow laws significantly limited African American’s rights and freedoms. In addition, share-cropping allowed servitude to continue only in a different form. Former slaves were now financially bound to their land. These laws significantly disheartened American Americans right and fight for equality – a battle that did not really get started until the civil rights era. In one of the greatest moments in American history when MLK gave his speech on the inequality of races. In one line he said â€Å"the negro lives on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of prosperity†. This meant that even though there was a great economic boom the blacks were not sharing the wealth. Instead of blacks sharing the great wealth of this time they were left out of the boat by being ineligible force retain perks that the white man had been innate to. In an truly inspiring line of his speech MLK says â€Å"the negro community must not lead to distrust all white people, for many of our white brothers, as evidenced by their presence here today, have come to realize that their destiny is tied up with our destiny†. This says that not all the white men are prejudice which would be just as stereotypical as anything else done against blacks at the time. This is truly encouraging saying that blacks have been persecuted for hundreds of years and some still find ways to show some remorse toward them. In one of the most famous lines of the speech MLK says â€Å"I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: â€Å"We hold these truths to be self-evident:that all men are created equal†. He means that he hopes one day that all men with see each other not on the basis of skin color but by the content of the character which is perfectly expressed in â€Å"I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. † Martin Luther king speech expresses the inequality blacks felt. The civil rights movement took time and many brave people. However even after all the protest and laws passed to help equal the races the blacks still do not have the same freedoms as whites. Most blacks live inner cities and are not treated with dignity that they deserve in humans. They are constantly unfairly prosecuted by law enforcements and are scapegoated by many people of the root of the problem. However there has been a major increase in freedoms they have gained over time. Since MLK speech they have gained equality and it should be so far in the future that they are looked at as complete equals.

Mountain Dew

To gain the market share in the urban centers, it would be interesting to see how Mountain Dew differentiate the product from the competition and whether the benefits of the reduce are communicated effectively using the right channels and propose a redesign of the marketing campaign that could have a universal appeal. According to Finch (2012), the deployment of advertising and other promotional resources for a given brand is dependent upon the strategic goals for market segmentation, product differentiation, and positioning.The current market for Mountain Dew is comprised of 70 percent of white soda drinkers and the marketing would expand their product awareness among young African Americans and Latino In the urban centers. As a marketing campaign, Mountain Dew had endorsed hip-hop singer Oil Wayne to tract the teens and youth In ass because this age group more Inclined towards help- hop (Stanford, 2012).According to the author of the article, Mountain Dew Wants Some Street Creed, 4 5 percent of the energetic caffeine-laced sugary drink is sold in the gas stations and convenience store, endorsing Mexican-American professional skateboarder Paul Rodriguez is a good move. Teens go to the nearest store on their skateboard could relate to P-Rod and would be influenced to purchase Mountain Dew because their favorite star is appealing to them to be have Mountain Dew. Brett O'Brien is targeting the right market segment, which are teens and young adults in ass by strategically endorsing youth stars including Country star Jason Alden.The marketing strategy Is right on the money because the present youth might become loyal to the brand and the future youth would grow watching the present youth drinking Mountain Dew to quench their thirst. Therefore, targeting young audience Is profitable strategy for Mountain Dew In the short and long run. Mountain Dew has differentiated its product from the competitors. Firstly, the green colored drink is cadged in green bottles and cans make Mountain Dew to be easily identifiable. Secondly, PepsiCo had collaborated with Complex Media to advertise its biggest soft- drink brand, Mountain Dew, on a new Web site, Green-Label. Mom (Elliott, 2013). Thirdly, PepsiCo is committed to market its most profitable brand, Mountain Dew, among the diverse younger generation by including famous artists, which could build brand awareness. Recently, Mountain Dew had invited consumers to shoot a promotional ad called Tweezed with Grammar winner (Stanford, 2012). Lastly, the TV advertisements of Mountain Dew such as â€Å"Yahoo! Mountain Dew! â€Å", Shore at shooting†, and â€Å"This Is How We Dew† differentiate Mountain Dew as a high profile brand In PepsiCo portfolio.Mountain Dew is eyeing on capturing market share In the urban centers and the Southern US border stretching from California to Louisiana (Stanford, 2012). This could be done by wooing the potential young consumers rather than no benefits of the soft drin k, therefore, the marketing team of Mountain Dew had made efforts not add any benefits in their advertisement. However, the commercials of Oil Wayne and P-Rod are designed to communicate the Dew message that â€Å"they ill be able to do what they do with energy† in the new markets said Brett O'Brien (Stanford, 2012).Mountain Dew could explore some opportunities to redesign the promotional campaign to appeal to the larger audience at once. FIFE world cup is coming soon. Mountain Dew could partner with international soccer players from Mexico to woo young Latino and endorse African American foot ball players to attract young blacks. According to Elliott (2013), Mountain Dew had spent $108 million dollars on advertisement in major media in last five years in addition to endorsement deals. Considering this marketing cost, a thought of creating a Mountain Dew Anthem by including all the stars from diverse backgrounds would appeal the masses.This will create a brand image of Mounta in Dew not within US borders but in foreign markets as well. The forthcoming FIFE world cup will be watched throughout the world; therefore, it is an excellent opportunity for Mountain Dew to advertise its brand using the mainstream media, which is television and radio. Social media such as Backbone and Youth are effective means of communicating the message the Mountain Dew. Mountain Dew is a leading brand of PepsiCo and the marketing team is designing campaign to regain the lost share and attract young African Americans and Latino in the urban centers.The marketing strategy of Mountain Dew to endorse various stars from different backgrounds is a good strategy to appeal the teens and young adults in ass. If Mountain Dew could adopt the proposed strategy to create a Mountain Dew Anthem by integrating variety of domestic and international celebrities, it will appeal the entire younger generation at once. Big screen television is in great demand throughout the world. LCD, LED, and Plas ma TV's fall into the category of big screen TV's. The product that I would like to introduce into the market is DTV.A TV that will not only display a picture but also gives an experience of AD effect at home. There is huge market in the developed countries and the emerging economies, which will appreciate a AD TV in the living room and/or bedroom. The reason I want to develop and launch a AD TV is that it does not exist in the market. The current products available are LCD, Plasma, and a recent addition of LED technology. Many manufacturers does offer a AD feature which be enjoyed with AD glasses. Without AD glasses, a TV will be a regular TV. My product would not require glasses for consumers to wear.Consumers can bring the experience of AD movie theatres and AD theme parks at home. This product will benefit all ages. Watching a movie at home in AD would bring a revolution in the industry. For example, imagine a family is watching Avatar or Star War movies at home in AD and does n ot need to go to IMAX theatre. Children would be able to feel their favorite cartoon characters right next to them. There is one huge market segment that would be benefited with AD TV is video games lover. It would be Jaw-dropping moment for hem when they will find out that their favorite can be played in AD environment.Obviously, video game companies need to work in this direction as well. To make and dedicated team need to put their heart and soul into this project to reach the customers with a most awaited product. It is a challenging project and the most difficulty I am facing while compiling a marketing plan is to perform a competitor's analysis. I would like to know whether Samsung, Panasonic, or Sony is in this race. What is their market position? If the competitor would be competing for the entire market or one specific market segment? What are strengths and weaknesses of the competitor?The response to these questions would be crucial for my marketing plans. In addition, I w ill be working with my team in close relation to define the strategies to implement plan with success. Additional information required to make most informed strategic decisions are SOOT analysis of my company, a primary marketing strategies required to target above mentioned market segmentations, an alternative marketing strategy, and a final (best) strategy that will implemented using up's of marketing to create a brand image. Samsung 10 changes need to be met.Ensure that customers are satisfied with the product purchased; if there is dissatisfaction Samsung must understand why and do whatever is necessary to fix the issue. Most of the more important items are ensuring sales agencies and management continually provides training for marketing staff. This will ensure he or she have the latest information about all the products. Samsung 11 Conclusion Samsung holds a great deal of the global market for AD television. A through and detailed analysis of the global AD television market ha s been detailed by Samsung. The SOOT analysis reveals industry trends, the effects of intention, and outside threats.

Job Enrichment

Organizational Behavior Concept: Job Enrichment Jared Stern Introduction The concept of Job Enrichment is a very broad theory within the field of organizational behavior that is applicable within all sectors of organization. Used synonymously with â€Å"job enlargement†, the term job enrichment refers to different methods that are aimed at increasing employee’s job motivation, satisfaction, self-worth, in an attempt to ultimately increase the overall employee productivity within the organization.Research studies conducted on Job Enrichment and its influence on employee productivity date back to the 1950s and 1960s and throughout those years a wide variety of methods have emerged. Most commonly job enrichment is attributed to the process of job redesign in order to reverse the negative effects monotony of employee tasks, which will include boredom, lack of autonomy and dissatisfaction. Other variances of job enrichment include providing worker incentives by involving the employee in the decision making process, the implementation of quality work groups and team building, and job independence as an incentive to increase productivity.Evolution of the concept of Job Enrichment Beginning in the middle of the 20th century up until present day, the theory of job enrichment has offered many compelling concepts to increase employee productivity while simultaneously enriching the employees work experience, all of which remain applicable today. The early works which established Job enrichment among organizational behavior theorists was Frederick Herzberg’s â€Å"Hygiene Theory† and Hackman and Oldham’s â€Å"Job Characteristic Model†.The Hygiene Theory The central figure in developing the theory of job enrichment within the framework of organizational behavior was Frederick Herzberg who’s pivotal â€Å"Hygiene Theory† has contributed a solid basis and foundation for subsequent generations to expand upon. According to Herzberg, for a worker to be happy and therefore productive the environmental factors of his workplace must not cause him discomfort. Herzberg further asserts that although providing employees with a more comfortable environment may in turn make them more productive, this does not necessarily mean they will be motivated to perform their duties.Simonds & Orife, 1975) Herzberg believed that the process of motivating workers is by enhancing their feeling of responsibility and connection to their work. In this case, Herzberg proclaims that it is the work itself that is rewarding. Managers can help the employees connect to their work by giving them more authority over the job, as well as offering direct and individual feedback. The Job Characteristics Model In 1975 Hackman and Oldham advanced the ideas of Herzberg by introducing what they called â€Å"The Job Characteristics Model†. This model is formulated on the assumption that if five core job characteristics are present, thre e psychological states critical to motivation are produced, resulting in positive outcomes. † (Griffin, Patterson, & West, 2001) The five core job characteristics consist of skill variety, task identity, task significance, autonomy, and feedback. Hackman and Oldham state that the three psychological states that motivation is dependent upon are experienced meaningfulness of work, responsibility for work outcomes, and knowledge of results. Hackman andOldham then proclaim that to the degree that these psychological states are present, high personal employee work motivation will result. Relevance of Job Enrichment in 2007 The early works of Herzberg and Hackman & Oldham have provided a feasible and effective framework for increasing employee productivity through job enrichment that is just as applicable today as it was when their research was first conducted. Within the past half century there have been numerous researches conducted that provides useful empirical evidence to illus trate the rewards and benefits of job enrichment.We will further discuss each method that an organization can implement in an attempt to improve worker productivity through job implementation. Employee autonomy In a study analyzing job independence as an incentive device to increase employee productivity, Kay Mitusch emphasizes that when employee autonomy is present it can compensate for an organization lacking an extrinsic reward program yet still remain productive. â€Å"This is pivotal for explaining why workers in independent, responsible jobs are willing to invest in their jobs even if there is no reliable, formalized system of rewarding them. (Mitusch, 2000) To provide further evidence of the success of employee autonomy as a method of job enrichment Griffin, Patterson, and West explored the relationship between teams and satisfaction using data from a large research project in the U. K. that investigated management practices and employee attitudes in manufacturing companies. The researchers conducted this study by distributing a questionnaire survey which asked them to rank their preferred working conditions in response to hypothetical situations which were designed to relate to their actual work duties.The study showed that â€Å"job enrichment was positively related to job autonomy but was not significantly related to perceptions of supervisory support. † (Griffin, Patterson, and West, 2001) The researchers also concluded that â€Å"while both autonomy and supervisory support were important positive influences on job satisfaction, the positive association of teamwork on job autonomy was explained by job enrichment that accompanied teamwork and could not be attributed to teamwork itself. (Griffin, Patterson, and West, 2001) This data shows that by simply trusting an employee’s expertise at his or her job and allowing them to operate more independently an employee will develop an increased level of job satisfaction and in turn increase t he productive output of that worker. Skill Variety Another technique to enrich an employee’s work experience is to utilize employees with a wide range of skills so they can apply them to their daily work routine.In his article White Collar Job Enrichment: The Pay Board Experience, Tim McNamar explored the Pay Board’s experience with job enrichment. By replacing a traditional method of processing cases with an approach built around work groups performing interrelated tasks, it increased productivity, provided better motivation, and vastly improved opportunities for individual self-actualization and esteem. † (McNamar, 1973) By changing the previous operational procedures and by allowing employees to engage in more of a shared task structure, the Pay Board experienced increased productivity across the spectrum. The decision to adopt a team concept for case management was not due to any of the traditional reasons given for blue collar job enrichment – high ab senteeism, low morale, and the like. Rather, it was instituted in hopes that it would drastically increase productivity. Nevertheless, the approach turned out to provide a variety of benefits, many of which directly related to the question of job enrichment. † (McNamar, 1973) Also, the inclusion of employees in critical decisions that will effect the organization as a whole, shows improvement in the employee’s orale regarding their importance within the organization and in turn increase their motivation.â€Å"In general, research on participative decision making has found that participation improves employees’ attitudes and increases their organizational commitment and job satisfaction. † (DeLancer Julnes, 2001) Job Feedback Another key aspect of job enrichment can be achieved through the simple process of providing employees with useful feedback concerning the work performance along with clearly established expectations. Job enrichment focuses on creating individual tasks that give people feedback, increase their influence how work is done, require them to use a variety of skills, and give them a whole piece of work. † (Mohrman, Lawler, Mohrman, 1992) Task significance and task identity The installation of job enrichment by way of task significance is the extent to which an employee’s work has a meaningful impact on other jobs in the same workplace.This can be accomplished with the installation of teams within the employee work population. Teamwork typically involves groups of interdependent employees who work cooperatively to achieve group outcomes. Effective team implementation can enhance the motivational properties of work and increase job satisfaction. † (Griffin, Patterson, and West, 2001) A direct correlation between task significance and task identity can be seen by the use of teams and specific job duties. The idea of task identity is the measure to which the job requires completion of a number of whole a nd identifiable pieces of work. Theoretically, the choice between teams and individual job enrichment should be made based upon the technology of the workplace. Teams are more complicated to build and to maintain, but may be necessary if the work is such that no one individual can do a whole part of it and get feedback about it. Teams are often appropriate, for example, in process production facilities such as a chemical plants and oil refineries and in complex service organizations such as banks and airlines.Where the technology allows an individual to do a whole task or offer a whole service, individual designs are preferred because they are simpler to install and give the individual more direct feedback. † (Mohrman, Lawler, Mohrman , 1992) The city of Rockville, MD conducted an experiment where managers and line staff collaborated in the decision making process and the result was astonishing, including cost savings, improvement of morale and the appreciation of the need for productivity within the organization increased. The key ingredients in the program’s success was the consultation with supervisors and employees and their involvement in selecting the projects. † (Hobbs, 1976) Counter argument of job enrichment Despite all of the overwhelming evidence of the success that is attributed in implementing job enrichment programs there is a minority of speculators that job enrichment is not always the best option when an organization’s sole objective is to reduce costs. The possible increase in the satisfaction of the employees is probably not a sufficient reason for managers to support job enrichment programs. A survey by Reif and Schoderbek showed that the main objective of top management in companies introducing job enrichment programs was to reduce costs. Hence, management support for a new job design approach has to be gained through a cost-benefit treatment to job design. † (Globerson, 1977) If a company’s sole aim is to reduce costs then investing in your current work force might not be the preferable avenue.However, if an organization or company is interested in fully utilizing its talented workforce and provide increased worker motivation and in turn increase worker productivity, then adopting a job enrichment program is the most effective option. Conclusion Throughout the last few decades, the implementation of a job enrichment program has successfully shown to increase employee’s job motivation, satisfaction, self-worth, in an attempt to ultimately increase the overall employee productivity within the organization.No matter what the function or sector of an organization whether it be a government agency, non-profit organization, or company operating within the private sector, the implementation of job enrichment into your organization will result in the key areas of employee production and worker motivation. It is obvious through years of conducted research that a happy and motivat ed workforce coupled with an effective and flexible management will ultimately result in a highly productive organization.Works Cited Albers Mohrman, Susan, Lawler III, Edward E. , Mohrman, Allan M. 992. â€Å"Applying Employee Involvement in Schools. † Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis DeLancer Julnes, Patria. 2001. â€Å"Does Participation Increase Perceptions of Usefulness? † Public Performance & Management Review Globerson, Shlomo. 1977. â€Å"The Just Noticeable Difference in Complexity of Jobs. † Management Science Griffin, Mark A. , Patterson, Malcolm G. , and West, Michael A. 2001. â€Å"Job Satisfaction and Teamwork: The Role of Supervisor Support† Journal of Organizational Behavior Hobbs, Daniel D. â€Å"Productivity Through Worker Incentive and Satisfaction. Public Productivity Review King, Albert S. 1974. â€Å"Expectation Effects in Organizational Change. † Administrative Science Quarterly McNamar, Tim. 1973. â€Å"White Col lar Job Enrichment: The Pay Board Experience. † Public Administration Review Mitusch, Kay. 2000. â€Å"Job Independence as an Incentive Device. † Economica Simonds, Rollin H. and Orife, John N. 1975. â€Å"Worker Behavior Versus Enrichment Theory. † Administrative Science Quarterly Staudohar, Paul D. 1975. â€Å"An Experiment in Increasing Productivity of Police Service Employees† Public Administration Review Job Enrichment Based on a major study of High Performance Work Practices (HPWPs) in North America by Appelbaum et al. (2000) found that new forms of job design provided production line employees with the opportunity to contribute increased discretionary effort and to participate in workplace problem-solving. These researchers provided empirical evidence that conscious efforts by employers to increase employee discretion and job autonomy resulted in improved job satisfaction for employees and higher levels of organizational performance (Appelbaum et al. 000). Workforce involvement in decision-making may also be consistent with job enrichment practices (Spence Laschinger et al. 2004). Job enrichment involves providing increased levels of responsibility to lower level employees, including the delegation of work tasks previously undertaken by supervisors, and the provision of increasingly skilled tasks to line employees.The theoretical basis for enrichment efforts is Hackman and Oldham's (1975) ‘ job characteristics' model, which explores how a combination of specific job characteristics such as skill variety and task significance affect the individual's experience of meaningful work and their sense of responsibility for work outcomes. These characteristics have, in turn, been linked to improvements in work motivation, job satisfaction and work quality, reduced absenteeism and lower labour turnover (Ford 1969; Hackman et al. 1975).However, job enrichment has received wide publicity but has not always produced favourable results in the workplace. A great deal of debate exists over the benefits and limitations of job enrichment: it clearly is not for everyone. Ralph Brown (2004) summed it up very nicely: Some people are very resistant to more responsibilities or to opportunities for personal growth. Researchers report that some people they expected to resist seized the opportunity. Enriching jobs is a particularly effective way to develop employees provided the jobs are truly enriched, not just more work for them to do.The disadvantages are that job enrichment may lead to greater work pressure and that employees have to start performing tasks which were not originally required of them. Job design: Job design is the specification of the content of a job, the material and equipment required to do the job, and the relation of the job to other jobs. A well-designed job promotes the achievement of the organization’s strategic business objectives by structuring work so it integrates management requirements for efficiency and employee needs for satisfaction.Thus, effective job design presents a major challenge for the HR manager. And job enrichment is one of the methods of job design. Job enrichment is an attempt to motivate employees by giving them the opportunity to use the range of their abilities. It is an idea that was developed by the American psychologist Frederick Hertzberg in the 1950s. It can be contrasted to job enlargement which simply increa ses the number of tasks without changing the challenge. As such job enrichment has been described as ‘vertical loading' increases the complexity of work to promote interest.Thus, job enrichment builds motivating factors into the job content by: combing tasks, establishing client relationships, creating natural work units, expanding jobs vertically and opening feedback channels. Supporter: Patterson, West and Wail (2004) found that firms providing lower level employees with job enrichment and skill enhancement experienced a significant boost in productivity and profitability. A Sri Lankan study of the impact of introducing self managed teams in a large textile mill reported increased productivity, higher product quality, lower reject rates and higher employee satisfaction.The process of delegating increased decision-making responsibility to workplace teams changed the organization’s structures, decision making processes and job design at workplace level, with increased l evels of empowerment and training being provided to team members (Jayawardana and Fonseka 1996). Nevertheless, the potential for improved performance outcomes to follow the provision of increased employee input into workplace decision-making relies on employee acceptance of the relevance of these practices and on the existence of a climate of involvement.One means of creating this climate is to appoint work group leaders who will model the behaviours valued by the organisation, and who are also able to motivate employees to mirror these behaviours (Richards and Vandenberg 2005). In Sri Lanka's Garment Industry, the manager introduced process controllers into the three production lines from January to April 2002; line employees underwent a series of training programs. The training focused on the company's customers and products, the production process and techniques related to increasing quality and problem-solving.The sessions were conducted by the plant manager, the quality assuran ce manager and the work study manager. Each session was followed by a discussion with production line members. The training programs lasted for two hours after work, with all line employees paid for their participation. At production meetings, held once a week, line employees were given feedback on their performance, in particular in relation to line efficiency and end-line rejects. During the initial training, production line employees were given a briefing on market conditions in the industry and customer requirements.They were also provided with an opportunity to study their line's performance for the previous three months in relation to on-time delivery, total rejects and customer returns. The training provided encouraged employees to take responsibility for performance outcomes such as product reject rates and on-standard efficiency levels. The training manager provided feedback to line employees where the performance of one production line lagged that of the organisation as a whole. The training also addressed skill development, the organisation of work and the use of computer-aided information systems and quality control systems.Each machine was equipped with a computer terminal, which gave details of efficiency standards, losses, stoppages and earnings based on incentive payments. The case explored the impact of a job enrichment initiative to devolve increased responsibility for monitoring workplace productivity, product quality and workforce attendance to line employees. We found that the introduction of process controllers generated substantial improvements in LM Collection's performance over this period.Efficiency levels rose from 41 per cent to 61 per cent and product rejects declined from 10 per cent to 2 per cent, while absenteeism levels declined from almost 10 per cent to 2. 4 per cent by March 2003. On the whole, productivity levels improved, product quality increased and workforce absence and turnover episodes declined over the period of this study. Critiques: In the other hand, there are drawbacks of job enrichment when the HR managers do not think about the matters from employees, and no one seems to mention the costs.In some employees eyes, the job enrichment is merely an enforce change to jobs in order for the organisation to obtain higher productivity from its workers. With the pressure of more responsibilities and tasks, the employees may not have enough time to give the feedback of performance. Either actually the workers do not want enriched their jobs or the job is not that easy to enrich. . Job enrichment is a type of job redesign intended to reverse the effects of tasks that are repetitive requiring little autonomy.Some of these effects are boredom, lack of flexibility, and employee dissatisfaction (Leach & Wall, 2004). The underlying principle is to expand the scope of the job with a greater variety of tasks, vertical in nature, that require self-sufficiency. Since the goal is to give the individual exposure to tasks normally reserved for differently focused or higher positions, merely adding more of the same responsibilities related to an employee's current position are not considered job enrichment.Job enrichment can only be truly successful if planning includes support for all phases of the initiative. Ohio State University Extension began a job enrichment program in 1992 and surveyed the participants five years later. The results, broken down into 3 sub-buckets of data beyond the main grouping of advantages/disadvantages as shown in Table 1, indicate the University had not fully considered the planning and administrative aspects of the program (Fourman and Jones, 1997).While the benefits are seemingly obvious, programs fail not because of a lack of benefits, but rather due to implementation problems. These problems can include a perception of too great a cost, lack of long-term commitment of resources, and potential job classification changes (Cunningham and Eberle, 1990). In order for a job enrichment program to produce positive results, worker needs and organizational needs must be analyzed and acted upon. According to Cunningham and Eberle (1990), before an enrichment program is begun, the following questions should be asked: 1.Do employees need jobs that involve responsibility, variety, feedback, challenge, accountability, significance, and opportunities to learn? 2. What techniques can be implemented without changing the job classification plan? 3. What techniques would require changes in the job classification plan? A job enrichment program can be a very effective intervention in some situations where a Performance Technician is faced with a request for motivational training. Conclusion:In my opinion, job enrichment can bring about improvement in both job performance and job satisfaction. A survey of almost 100 research studies found job enrichment resulted in greater productivity, improved product quality, fewer employee grievances, improved worker att itudes; reduce absenteeism and labour turnover, and lower costs. Therefore, improved quality of working life brought about by job enrichment has not only social benefits but also bottom-line benefits to the organization. Job Enrichment Organizational Behavior Concept: Job Enrichment Jared Stern Introduction The concept of Job Enrichment is a very broad theory within the field of organizational behavior that is applicable within all sectors of organization. Used synonymously with â€Å"job enlargement†, the term job enrichment refers to different methods that are aimed at increasing employee’s job motivation, satisfaction, self-worth, in an attempt to ultimately increase the overall employee productivity within the organization.Research studies conducted on Job Enrichment and its influence on employee productivity date back to the 1950s and 1960s and throughout those years a wide variety of methods have emerged. Most commonly job enrichment is attributed to the process of job redesign in order to reverse the negative effects monotony of employee tasks, which will include boredom, lack of autonomy and dissatisfaction. Other variances of job enrichment include providing worker incentives by involving the employee in the decision making process, the implementation of quality work groups and team building, and job independence as an incentive to increase productivity.Evolution of the concept of Job Enrichment Beginning in the middle of the 20th century up until present day, the theory of job enrichment has offered many compelling concepts to increase employee productivity while simultaneously enriching the employees work experience, all of which remain applicable today. The early works which established Job enrichment among organizational behavior theorists was Frederick Herzberg’s â€Å"Hygiene Theory† and Hackman and Oldham’s â€Å"Job Characteristic Model†.The Hygiene Theory The central figure in developing the theory of job enrichment within the framework of organizational behavior was Frederick Herzberg who’s pivotal â€Å"Hygiene Theory† has contributed a solid basis and foundation for subsequent generations to expand upon. According to Herzberg, for a worker to be happy and therefore productive the environmental factors of his workplace must not cause him discomfort. Herzberg further asserts that although providing employees with a more comfortable environment may in turn make them more productive, this does not necessarily mean they will be motivated to perform their duties.Simonds & Orife, 1975) Herzberg believed that the process of motivating workers is by enhancing their feeling of responsibility and connection to their work. In this case, Herzberg proclaims that it is the work itself that is rewarding. Managers can help the employees connect to their work by giving them more authority over the job, as well as offering direct and individual feedback. The Job Characteristics Model In 1975 Hackman and Oldham advanced the ideas of Herzberg by introducing what they called â€Å"The Job Characteristics Model†. This model is formulated on the assumption that if five core job characteristics are present, thre e psychological states critical to motivation are produced, resulting in positive outcomes. † (Griffin, Patterson, & West, 2001) The five core job characteristics consist of skill variety, task identity, task significance, autonomy, and feedback. Hackman and Oldham state that the three psychological states that motivation is dependent upon are experienced meaningfulness of work, responsibility for work outcomes, and knowledge of results. Hackman andOldham then proclaim that to the degree that these psychological states are present, high personal employee work motivation will result. Relevance of Job Enrichment in 2007 The early works of Herzberg and Hackman & Oldham have provided a feasible and effective framework for increasing employee productivity through job enrichment that is just as applicable today as it was when their research was first conducted. Within the past half century there have been numerous researches conducted that provides useful empirical evidence to illus trate the rewards and benefits of job enrichment.We will further discuss each method that an organization can implement in an attempt to improve worker productivity through job implementation. Employee autonomy In a study analyzing job independence as an incentive device to increase employee productivity, Kay Mitusch emphasizes that when employee autonomy is present it can compensate for an organization lacking an extrinsic reward program yet still remain productive. â€Å"This is pivotal for explaining why workers in independent, responsible jobs are willing to invest in their jobs even if there is no reliable, formalized system of rewarding them. (Mitusch, 2000) To provide further evidence of the success of employee autonomy as a method of job enrichment Griffin, Patterson, and West explored the relationship between teams and satisfaction using data from a large research project in the U. K. that investigated management practices and employee attitudes in manufacturing companies. The researchers conducted this study by distributing a questionnaire survey which asked them to rank their preferred working conditions in response to hypothetical situations which were designed to relate to their actual work duties.The study showed that â€Å"job enrichment was positively related to job autonomy but was not significantly related to perceptions of supervisory support. † (Griffin, Patterson, and West, 2001) The researchers also concluded that â€Å"while both autonomy and supervisory support were important positive influences on job satisfaction, the positive association of teamwork on job autonomy was explained by job enrichment that accompanied teamwork and could not be attributed to teamwork itself. (Griffin, Patterson, and West, 2001) This data shows that by simply trusting an employee’s expertise at his or her job and allowing them to operate more independently an employee will develop an increased level of job satisfaction and in turn increase t he productive output of that worker. Skill Variety Another technique to enrich an employee’s work experience is to utilize employees with a wide range of skills so they can apply them to their daily work routine.In his article White Collar Job Enrichment: The Pay Board Experience, Tim McNamar explored the Pay Board’s experience with job enrichment. By replacing a traditional method of processing cases with an approach built around work groups performing interrelated tasks, it increased productivity, provided better motivation, and vastly improved opportunities for individual self-actualization and esteem. † (McNamar, 1973) By changing the previous operational procedures and by allowing employees to engage in more of a shared task structure, the Pay Board experienced increased productivity across the spectrum. The decision to adopt a team concept for case management was not due to any of the traditional reasons given for blue collar job enrichment – high ab senteeism, low morale, and the like. Rather, it was instituted in hopes that it would drastically increase productivity. Nevertheless, the approach turned out to provide a variety of benefits, many of which directly related to the question of job enrichment. † (McNamar, 1973) Also, the inclusion of employees in critical decisions that will effect the organization as a whole, shows improvement in the employee’s orale regarding their importance within the organization and in turn increase their motivation.â€Å"In general, research on participative decision making has found that participation improves employees’ attitudes and increases their organizational commitment and job satisfaction. † (DeLancer Julnes, 2001) Job Feedback Another key aspect of job enrichment can be achieved through the simple process of providing employees with useful feedback concerning the work performance along with clearly established expectations. Job enrichment focuses on creating individual tasks that give people feedback, increase their influence how work is done, require them to use a variety of skills, and give them a whole piece of work. † (Mohrman, Lawler, Mohrman, 1992) Task significance and task identity The installation of job enrichment by way of task significance is the extent to which an employee’s work has a meaningful impact on other jobs in the same workplace.This can be accomplished with the installation of teams within the employee work population. Teamwork typically involves groups of interdependent employees who work cooperatively to achieve group outcomes. Effective team implementation can enhance the motivational properties of work and increase job satisfaction. † (Griffin, Patterson, and West, 2001) A direct correlation between task significance and task identity can be seen by the use of teams and specific job duties. The idea of task identity is the measure to which the job requires completion of a number of whole a nd identifiable pieces of work. Theoretically, the choice between teams and individual job enrichment should be made based upon the technology of the workplace. Teams are more complicated to build and to maintain, but may be necessary if the work is such that no one individual can do a whole part of it and get feedback about it. Teams are often appropriate, for example, in process production facilities such as a chemical plants and oil refineries and in complex service organizations such as banks and airlines.Where the technology allows an individual to do a whole task or offer a whole service, individual designs are preferred because they are simpler to install and give the individual more direct feedback. † (Mohrman, Lawler, Mohrman , 1992) The city of Rockville, MD conducted an experiment where managers and line staff collaborated in the decision making process and the result was astonishing, including cost savings, improvement of morale and the appreciation of the need for productivity within the organization increased. The key ingredients in the program’s success was the consultation with supervisors and employees and their involvement in selecting the projects. † (Hobbs, 1976) Counter argument of job enrichment Despite all of the overwhelming evidence of the success that is attributed in implementing job enrichment programs there is a minority of speculators that job enrichment is not always the best option when an organization’s sole objective is to reduce costs. The possible increase in the satisfaction of the employees is probably not a sufficient reason for managers to support job enrichment programs. A survey by Reif and Schoderbek showed that the main objective of top management in companies introducing job enrichment programs was to reduce costs. Hence, management support for a new job design approach has to be gained through a cost-benefit treatment to job design. † (Globerson, 1977) If a company’s sole aim is to reduce costs then investing in your current work force might not be the preferable avenue.However, if an organization or company is interested in fully utilizing its talented workforce and provide increased worker motivation and in turn increase worker productivity, then adopting a job enrichment program is the most effective option. Conclusion Throughout the last few decades, the implementation of a job enrichment program has successfully shown to increase employee’s job motivation, satisfaction, self-worth, in an attempt to ultimately increase the overall employee productivity within the organization.No matter what the function or sector of an organization whether it be a government agency, non-profit organization, or company operating within the private sector, the implementation of job enrichment into your organization will result in the key areas of employee production and worker motivation. It is obvious through years of conducted research that a happy and motivat ed workforce coupled with an effective and flexible management will ultimately result in a highly productive organization.Works Cited Albers Mohrman, Susan, Lawler III, Edward E. , Mohrman, Allan M. 992. â€Å"Applying Employee Involvement in Schools. † Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis DeLancer Julnes, Patria. 2001. â€Å"Does Participation Increase Perceptions of Usefulness? † Public Performance & Management Review Globerson, Shlomo. 1977. â€Å"The Just Noticeable Difference in Complexity of Jobs. † Management Science Griffin, Mark A. , Patterson, Malcolm G. , and West, Michael A. 2001. â€Å"Job Satisfaction and Teamwork: The Role of Supervisor Support† Journal of Organizational Behavior Hobbs, Daniel D. â€Å"Productivity Through Worker Incentive and Satisfaction. Public Productivity Review King, Albert S. 1974. â€Å"Expectation Effects in Organizational Change. † Administrative Science Quarterly McNamar, Tim. 1973. â€Å"White Col lar Job Enrichment: The Pay Board Experience. † Public Administration Review Mitusch, Kay. 2000. â€Å"Job Independence as an Incentive Device. † Economica Simonds, Rollin H. and Orife, John N. 1975. â€Å"Worker Behavior Versus Enrichment Theory. † Administrative Science Quarterly Staudohar, Paul D. 1975. â€Å"An Experiment in Increasing Productivity of Police Service Employees† Public Administration Review