A Hostile Work Environment Commerce Essay

A Hostile Work Environment Commerce Essay This compensation can come in the form of salary increase or bonus. If someone feels they are not being rewarded or even considered for an increase they very often look to move somewhere else that they can receive a higher salary. A hostile work environment is also a major reason that employees felt demotivated. When an employee feels that their work environment is not safe or that they are treated unfairly they may often look to leave. Many times they do not try to confront the situation, but instead would prefer to just avoid it which greatly dissatisfies them and which would in turn prevent the organization from retaining its employees. Problem Statement In this research study, the motivating factors which are not being implemented due to which Ufone is facing trouble to retain its employees Research Question What are the motivating factors that will lead to employee retention at Ufone? Rationale of the study The basic premise for studying the Human Resource Management Practices (HR) and Employee Retention in relation to level of motivation of employees at Ufone is to assess the importance being attached to these vital aspects by the organizations concerned and to develop an understanding of the relationship between the overall manner in which motivation has subsequent impact on the willingness of the employees to stay with the organization. Its the need of today for us to analyze the important role played by the ability of the organizations to retain competent employees for developing distinctive competencies for an organization. This report can be useful for different people for organization and employers who are planning to retain talented employees and are faced by lack of employee turnover. In todays emergent world, the Telecom industry is expanding immensely and the 2nd largest sector in Pakistan. It is essential to conduct research on telecom related topics in order to create a better understanding of the sector and help to increase the revenue generated from this sector for the government and for itself, having a positive effect on the economy too. Institutions are being reshaped to adjust to a postindustrial society. Naisbitt suggested that motivational implications are very important; most of our economy continues to shift from manufacturing to service and information jobs. In an ever raging battle of surpassing each other, organizations with distinctive competencies out perform their competitors. To gain and maintain competitive advantage an organization uses every possible mean available to it in its battery of resources. Marketers and multinationals would want their competent employees to stay within the organization, thus they would want to find out the motivating factors that lead to employee retention. The present research focuses on exploratory goals such as analyzing the motivating factors that lead to employee retention, which in turn effects the over all performance of the company. Research Objective To explore factors that lead to employee retention. To analyze if working environment plays an important role in the motivation process To access the recognition of work and its impact To analyze the amount of influence training has   when it comes to motivating employees To find out what are the challenges and bottle necks preventing Ufone from enhancing the employee productivity and in retaining talent. To find out the importance that motivation holds for employees in order to stay with-in the organization. To asses whether empowerment and delegation of authority gives an employee a sense of responsibility To explore if internal and external factor would help increase the motivation process To analyze the amount of influence that motivation at Ufone has on its employees. Scope of the study This study is restricted to the motivating factors that would lead to employee retention at Ufone. In this research secondary data is obtained from sources such as published articles and reports while primary data is gathered through interviews and questionnaires survey from the employees of Ufone. This report can be useful for Ufone, its head of departments and the institutions which would bring into light the problems and how to prevent those factors that lead to employees being demotivated and how a company can retain its employees.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   CHAPTER 2 LITERATURE REVIEW In the business world, motivation is the word used to describe the drive that impels an individual to work. A truly motivated employee is one who wants to work, if employees know what strengthens and weakens their motivation, they can often perform more effectively and help themselves find more satisfaction in their jobs. Employers also want to know what motivates their employees so that they can encourage continued peak performance (Halloran, 1986).   A lot of research has been done on the study of motivation and it can be traced back to the writing of the ancient Greek philosophers. Hedonism has given a basic assumption in the prevailing economic and social philosophies of Adam Smith, Jeremy Bentham, and John Stuart Mill who explained motivation in terms of people trying to maximize pleasure and minimize pain.   Motivation is a personal drive to act in order to satisfy ones needs. It comes from within the individual. It creates a drive to act, which may be influenced by some external stimulus. Employee retention is an important factor in an organizations ability to achieve sustained competitive advantage over a longer period of time. Besides this aspect a failure to retain competent employees leads to a numerous other problems. Retaining good employees is critical to a firms long term success. In the engineering and business markets, employee retention is extremely serious since the job market is tight and competition is very intense for candidates. The main factors in retaining employees include, corporate brand identity, employee intention to remain, organizational culture, self-esteem, need for achievement. The cost of employee turnover adds hundreds of thousands of money to a companys expenses. While it is difficult to fully calculate the cost of turnover (including hiring costs, training costs and productivity loss) industry experts often quote 25% of the average employee salary as a conservative estimate. When an employee leaves, he takes with him valuable knowledge about the company, customers, current projects and past history (sometimes to the competitors).   Often much time and money has been spent on the employee in expectation of a future return. When the employee leaves, the investment is not realized. Customers and clients do business with a company in part because of the people. Relationships are developed that encourage continued sponsor ship of the business. When and employee leaves the relationships that employee built for the company are severed which could lead to potential customer loss. If an employee resigns then good amount of time is lost in hiring a new employee and then training him/her and this goes to the loss of the company directly which many a times goes unnoticed. And even after this a company cannot assure the same efficiency from the new employee.

Energy Crisis In Pakistan Environmental Sciences Essay

Energy Crisis In Pakistan Environmental Sciences Essay Pakistan has been facing an energy crisis since the last few years, which has seriously affected its people. The gap between demand and supply has been constantly widening. People are spending sleepless nights in summer. Shortage of power supply has assumed the role of a fundamental necessity, becoming a serious policy dilemma. It needs sustained efforts and long-term policies to overcome this crisis. Sincere effort is required to ensure sustained and consistent supply of energy. Pakistan is generating 48 percent of its electricity from gas, 33 percent from hydel, 17 percent from oil, two percent from nuclear and one percent from coal. If we examine the figures, it is clear that Pakistan is underutilizing its natural resources to generate electricity. The power crisis is proving to be unbearable day by day. The sad state of affairs is that despite having enormous renewable resources of energy, Pakistan has to import a huge amount of hydrocarbons from abroad to meet its energy needs. Pakistan, a country blessed with many natural resources for the past few years has been facing the problem of load-shedding due to the electricity demand being more then the production capacity of the national power grid. The first thing to do about it is to look at the recent power history of the country to get a better idea of how it was created and its many causes. In 1996 Pakistan had the ability to produce about 15000 Megawatts of electricity which was more then enough for our own needs and we had a surplus of power present in the country and talks were taking place with neighbouring countries in which we would export electricity to them. So considering that how is that after just 14 years later we have reached such a condition that we dont even have enough power to meet our needs? The first and foremost issue is that the rulers since 1996 did not bother to make any new power projects and to add additional power to the natural grid. In 14 years our production capacity has increased by just 1000-2000 Megawatts which reflects poorly on us as a country and our leadership for not having the foresight to see this issue looming. The other is that the country is rich in natural resources and we have not all invested in the alternative sources available to make our power generation . We have sun for the most part of the year in majority parts of the country and one alternative is to tap into the potential of solar power to produce energy since in it the cost of producing energy is very less as the biggest source (SUN) is free and using its heat wont cost anything. The other alternative available to us is the wind source in which we can make wind mills or wind turbines and have power generated from them which will again be quite cheap as we are just using the energy of the wind costing nothing to use. Since we generate about 40% of our total power by hydro electricity we can look at this source to produce power as well. It has a start up cost and after that producing electricity from it is very cheap aswell since we are just using the water to produce electricity. This might not be the best choice for us since in winter when the water supply gets low then we wont be able to produce electricity by it and which can lead to a power shortage. Nuclear Reactors are another option available for us to produce electricity by using them but its not very advisable for us since they have a very high building cost and generating that much capital to make a lot of nuclear power plants will be almost impossible for a developing country like us which already has a shortage of funds and capital. But having a little of our total production by nuclear power can be seen as a good thing. Most of our electricity is produced by thermal power plants which burn oil or gas and then produce electricity. Since the country is deficient in oil resources we import oil for this purpose and pay a heavy import bill for the oil. The intelligent thing is to move away from the power production from oil and gas since the raw material necessary for the functioning of the power plant is so expensive to get. And seeing the gas crisis in the country currently with a gas shortage predicted to worsen in the coming years we should start moving away from the gas power plants as well and use our gas for more important purposes. We have one of the largest coal deposits in the world in Tharparkar Desert, Sindh so why we have not started utilizing that remains a mystery. The power generation in the thermal power plants can be switched to coal (which is present in a very large quantity locally) and extracted from Tharparkar to meet the demand of the country in the power sector. By doing all this we can save a lot of money for the country and use it in other sectors. End our dependence on expensive foreign oil and become self-reliant on the coal and then consequently the power sector. Now the real question which comes to mind is that were the people in the government sleeping for the past 14 years? Did they not realize that the power needs of the country would increase? (which has increased by about 500 megawatts annually) and so for that they needed to make sure that some power projects were launched ensure the country didnt face this power problem? Theres no use in crying over spilt milk so talking about should have happened wont change anything. But now we should look towards the future and talk about instead of what we HAVE TO DO to end the power crisis. Now Looking into the administrative causes of the energy crisis, lack of proper planning is the most important. Lack of proper conservation methods is another cause of the energy crisis. Energy sector of Pakistan is considered to be under-developed; It is because of our poor management and planning System, with untapped potential for development growth of the Pakistan. Now we will highlight how energy consumption is in the Pakistan and were our energy is consuming. Here we are dividing it in the 5 sectors those are consuming our energy of the Pakistan and how much their consuming percentage. Our some government sectors and some big Industrial sectors are wasting our energy because they consume it but they do not pay its dues So there for our Country Pakistan is facing the Energy crises which we will discuss here below that why our country Pakistan is going to face the energy crisis still. So here we are talking about the 5 sectors whose using energy. Those 5 sectors names are Domestic Sectors, Commercial Sectors, Industrial Sectors, Agriculture Sectors and Other Sectors. these Sectors are using energy with the different roles of dues that their unit rates are different and their taxes are also different which they should pay.  In the 2003 Pakistan total energy consumption was 52.7 GWH and in the 2009 Pakistan Energy consumption was 70.4 GWH and now In the Pakistan Energy consumption is more than 80 GWH So you can judge that why Pakistan is fa cing the Energy Crisis now a days. .Now we will discuss how Pakistan is generating electricity from sources of energy .We are generating electricity from 4 sources in Pakistan. One is Gas, second is hydel third is nuclear and fourth is oil. These four sources are used in Pakistan to for the production of electricity. Now we will discuss the companies who are generating electricity actually basically there are 9 companies who are working for the production of energy (electricity).These 9 companies are WAPDA, UCh, KAPSO, KESC, other IPPS and LIBERTY,PAEC,ROUSCH and HUBCO. They are working for energy producing tasks. As recently as 2001, the country had 4,000 megawatts of excess power capacity. Today unfortunately the situation has gained threatening prospects.  According to a research most of the high enthalpy geothermal resources of the world lie within the seismic belts passing through Pakistan.  The major resources of energy are oil, gas, petroleum  products, coal, nuclear, solar, biomass and wind energy. Let us chalk out the reasons for shortage of energy. Bad priorities, poor management and lack of accountability can be denoted as the reasons for dearth of energy in Pakistan. The number of consumers of electricity are now increased owing to the rapid urbanization process. The facility of electricity is now provided to the remote villages. We waste a lot of energy, about 15 to 20 percent through poor  distribution  system. Industrial, transport and domestic sectors are the three important consumers of energy.  Few years back Pakistan used to get half of its electricity from hydel power and remaining from thermal generation. However there is a limit to the extent of exploitation of hydel resources and thermal power plants due to environmental and other concerns.  To meet the challenge there is a dire need to go to the alternate sources of energy. Some people suggest that process of converting coal into product gas underground can be a good alternate source of energy. Technically this process is called as underground coal classification. Through this the underground deposit of coal is treated with controlled fire. Gradually the coal turns into gas. The largest coal reserves of Pakistan exist in Thar. There this source can be encashed. Besides coal, the renewable energy as biomass has solutions to our problems. Biomass, material derived from plants or animals, includes wastes, agricultural residues and garbage. It is suggested that subsidies and tax concessions must be provided for importing machinery for establishing biogas power plants in Pakistan. It can prove to be a great source of energy for us as Pakistan is an agricultural country. Come to  solar energy panels, though initial cost of  installing solar panels  is comparatively high but through them the highest levels of efficiency can be reached. I visited Baluchistan recently and was really surprised to see the great solar potential there. It is not only the valley of minerals but it has a lot of wind and  solar energy, having a scattered habitat and ample sunshine. But to my utter dismay the  number of solar panels  installed  there were very few. Some important advantages which favor the use of  solar energy  use in Pakistan include low operational and maintenance cost, environment friendly dimension etc. similarly the wind energy is also in excess and we can harness this energy in a much more effective way. Wind can be utilized to produce electricity at the coastal areas. If power plants are set up driven by the wind energy along the coastline and this vent ure is handed over to foreign investors, the results can be quite satisfactory. Manufacture of wind generators can be made indigenously. Still other sources apart from hydel and thermal which can meet the growing demand nuclear energy can also overcome the energy needs. Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission has developed a large infrastructure to manufacture equipment for power but even then we are not able to make considerable progress in the nuclear field.   More and more nuclear reactors for power generation must be built. Similarly, hot climatic  conditions  of some areas of upper Sindh and Southern Punjab may prove to be a source of  solar energy. We have to devise bold and concrete ways on a war footing to overcome the electricity deficit coupled with an instant change in attitude at the earliest. The Quaid-i-Azam said: Let us mobilize all our resources in a systematic and organized way and tackle the grave issues that confront us with grim determination and  discipline  worthy of a great nation.   A collective national effort is needed to face the challenge .Prompt measures need to be taken by the government. One other suggestion is that the existing thermal power plants running on expensive imported  furnace oil  can be converted into natural gas and afterwards to coal. The government can go for establishing a government body for fixing targets for development of power sectors. Ways must also be devised to stop powe r theft besides transmission and  distribution  losses. The long transmission lines connecting grid with hydel stations are faced with transmission losses. These hydel stations are located mostly in the north of the country while thermal units are mainly  installed  in the centre and southern areas of Pakistan.   Political controversies relating to Kalabagh dam must be resolved. In this connection seminars and media can play a good role. The energy crisis has led to a negative impact on direct foreign investment. Investors require a sustained, secure and cheap power supply in any country. In Pakistan, no such facility is available because of which many investors are not willing to come forth. The long-term solution of the energy crisis is to build mega dams to store water and generate electricity. Government power bodies like WAPDA and KESC should initiate plans to supply energy. In a nutshell, energy is the lifeline of a nation and plays a vital role in national progress and economic development of any country. It needs sincere and dedicated efforts of our policy makers to find solutions to meet the energy requirements of the nation Causes of Energy Crisis: Pakistans energy crisis traces its roots to following distinct causes: i. Growing Energy Demand Over the years there is greater need of energy because of; à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ increase in population, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ enhancement in lifestyle à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ industrial and agricultural growth à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ greater transportation needs ii. Lack of proactive and integrated planning for production of energy: Pakistan has had wider potentials to tap energy, however, due to lack of any integrated/proactive planning, very less number of power producing plant were installed to meet futuristic demands. Resultantly, over the years, the gap between energy demand and supply drastically grew and now against demand of 20000 MW, we are having around 11500 MW. iii. Imbalanced energy energy mix Energy mix in Pakistan is quite imbalance in comparison to other countries, with greater reliance on non-renewable resources of gas (43.7 %) and oil (29 % majority of which is imported). Prices of petroleum products/crude oil fluctuate and in current Afro-Arab political crisis, the oil prices are likely to increase manifold affecting oil prices in Pakistan. A rational energy mix planning ought to be developed giving greater dependency to renewable (hydel power), indigenous (coal) and alternative energy resources (wind and solar energy). Nuclear energy can iv. Non-utilization of enormous indigenous energy resources . Consequences of Energy Crisis: i. Economic Factors: Energy is pivotal for running all other resources and crisis of energy directly influences all other sectors of the economy. The economic progress is Hampered by decline in agricultural productivity as well as by halting in operations of Industries. One important factor of lower GDP and inflation of commodity prices in recent years is attributed to shortfalls in energy supply. ii. Agriculture Sector: Agricultural productivity of Pakistan is decreasing due to provision of energy for running tube wells, agricultural machinery and production of fertilizers and pesticides. Thus higher energy means higher agricultural productivity. iii. Industrial Sector: Nearly all Industrial units are run with the energy and breakage in energy supply is having dire consequences on industrial growth. As a result of decline in energy supply, industrial units are not only being opened, but also the existing industrial units are gradually closing. iv. Unemployment: By closure of industrial units and less agricultural productivity, new employment opportunities ceased to exist and already employed manpower is shredded by the employers to increase their profit ratios. Thus energy crisis contributes towards unemployment. v. Social Issues: This factor is primarily related to the domestic usage of energy (cooking, heating and water provision). Load shedding cause unrest and frustration amongst the people and results in agitation against the government. vi. Poverty: Declination in economic growth, lower agricultural productivity, unemployment and shackling industrial growth result in increasing poverty. Currently, around forty percent of our population is living beyond poverty line and this ratio is increasing day by day. Ample control of energy crisis will surely yield in curbing the menace of poverty. Energy Crisis has, moreorless, plagued all sectors of Pakistans machinery ranging from economy to industry, agriculture to social life, inflation to poverty and it is hampering national progress in a drastic manner. Nonetheless, menace of energy crisis can be overwhelmed by government through making effective policies and its proactive implementation. Simultaneously, it is the responsibility of us, the people of Pakistan, to utilize the available energy astutely and wisely to play our due role for progress of the country. Causes of Energy Crisis: Pakistans energy crisis traces its roots to following distinct causes: i. Growing Energy Demand Over the years there is greater need of energy because of; à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ increase in population, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ enhancement in lifestyle à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ industrial and agricultural growth à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ greater transportation needs ii. Lack of proactive and integrated planning for production of energy: Pakistan has had wider potentials to tap energy, however, due to lack of any integrated/proactive planning, very less number of power producing plant were installed to meet futuristic demands. Resultantly, over the years, the gap between energy demand and supply drastically grew and now against demand of 20000 MW, we are having around 11500 MW. iii. Imbalanced energy energy mix Energy mix in Pakistan is quite imbalance in comparison to other countries, with greater reliance on non-renewable resources of gas (43.7 %) and oil (29 % majority of which is imported). Prices of petroleum products/crude oil fluctuate and in current Afro-Arab political crisis, the oil prices are likely to increase manifold affecting oil prices in Pakistan. A rational energy mix planning ought to be developed giving greater dependency to renewable (hydel power), indigenous (coal) and alternative energy resources (wind and solar energy). Nuclear energy can iv. Non-utilization of enormous indigenous energy resources: Consequences of Energy Crisis: Economic Factors: From all other sectors of the economy Energy is pivotal for running all other resources and crisis of energy directly influences. The economic progress is hampered by decline in agricultural productivity as well as by halting in operations of industries. One important factor of lower GDP and inflation of commodity prices in recent years is attributed to shortfalls in energy supply. Agriculture Sector: Agricultural productivity of Pakistan is decreasing due to provision of energy for running tube wells, agricultural machinery and production of fertilizers and pesticides. Thus higher energy means higher agricultural productivity. iii. Industrial Sector: Nearly all Industrial units are run with the energy and breakage in energy supply is having dire consequences on industrial growth. As a result of decline in energy supply, industrial units are not only being opened, but also the existing industrial units are gradually closing. iv. Unemployment: By closure of industrial units and less agricultural productivity, new employment opportunities ceased to exist and already employed manpower is shredded by the employers to increase their profit ratios. Thus energy crisis contributes towards unemployment. v. Social Issues: This factor is primarily related to the domestic usage of energy (cooking, heating and water provision). Load shedding cause unrest and frustration amongst the people and results in agitation against the government. vi. Poverty: Declination in economic growth, lower agricultural productivity, unemployment and shackling industrial growth result in increasing poverty. Currently, around forty percent of our population is living beyond poverty line and this ratio is increasing day by day. Ample control of energy crisis will surely yield in curbing the menace of poverty. Energy Crisis has, moreorless, plagued all sectors of Pakistans machinery ranging from economy to industry, agriculture to social life, inflation to poverty and it is hampering national progress in a drastic manner. Nonetheless, menace of energy crisis can be overwhelmed by government through making effective policies and its proactive implementation. Simultaneously, it is the responsibility of us, the people of Pakistan, to

Essay --

The importance of cultural context within any type of text is essential in order to elucidate a distinct argument. In Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness, a novella starring the experiences of an ivory trader in Central Africa named Charles Marlow, various themes of racism and human cruelty are discussed in relation to its contextual features. The film â€Å"Apocalypse Now† by Francis Ford Coppola adapts this idea of implementing a correlation between its central ideas to a specific cultural context as well. The central research question this extended essay focuses on is how do different features used in Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad and the film version of "Apocalypse Now" by Francis Ford Coppola help criticize imperialism? In Heart of Darkness and â€Å"Apocalypse Now,† the struggle between the barbaric nature of the natives and the oppressive nature of Imperialism is questioned through the use of characterization of various factors. Before Kurtz, the main antagonist in both texts, is even introduced in either the novella or the film, details are revealed about him through Marlow and Willard, the protagonists of the two texts. The gruesome nature of imperialism is revealed through Marlow and Willard journey through the jungles. The inhumane state in which the slaves are illustrated opens Marlow’s eyes to the cruelty of slavery. Similarly, Willard witnesses the torture the locals experience on a daily basis, such as the way they are treated. The journeys of both protagonists project the overall negativity associated with imperialism, which helps the audience in understanding the soldiers’ psychological states before Kurtz makes an appearance. Although Colonel Kurtz is the antagonist in both texts, he is admired by the two protagonists,... ...h is not restrained by social conventions, Imperialism attempts to justify its savagery. The very fact Imperialists claim to be ‘fighting to the sanity of the world’ demonstrates the corrosive effects it has not only in a confined area, but also to neighboring cultures. By delving deeper into the characters’ subconscious and the true nature of Western Imperialism, the absurdity of what really is considered â€Å"true evil† is questioned by both Conrad and Coppola. Despite the fact colonization in various parts of the world officially ended in the 60’s, different systems of indirect rule were put in place because of continued interest in some parts. Both Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad and â€Å"Apocalypse Now† by Francis Ford Coppola are aware of this continued, albeit unfortunate practice, and represents the futility of expecting the eradication of imperialistic values.

Greek Philosophers :: essays papers

Greek Philosophers Socrates, Plato and Aristotle had virtually the same beliefs about man's relation to the State, although Plato's political theory of the State was more rational than Socrates or Aristotle's. Socrates, Plato and Aristotle all believed that man was not self-sufficient, they believed man would be most happy living in a State. They also believed that all men wanted to live the truly good life where they could be in tune with the truth and achieve their ultimate goals. Although Socrates, Plato and Aristotle's political views of the State are similar, Plato's view is more rational than Socrates and Aristotle's in the sense that he created an ideal State. Socrates, Plato and Aristotle were three philosophers in ancient Greece who believed that no man was self-sufficient enough to live on his own. Plato believed "a State comes into existence because no individual is self-sufficing" (Stumph, 70). This theory of Plato's was also shared by Aristotle who said "He who is unable to live in society or who has no need because he is sufficient for himself, must either be a beast or a god" (Stumph, 103). These two views indicate the importance of a State to an individual according to Plato and Aristotle. All three philosophers believed that man would be much happier if he was part of a State rather than on his own. Socrates once stated "We are all more productive if we specialize in one thing rather than try to excel at many things" (Stumph, 40). Within the State Socrates believed that there would be a division of labour for the provision of food, shelter and clothing. An individual living outside of a State would have to provide thems! elves with these necessities. As Socrates stated above within the State you would specialize in one thing only, while a different individual would specialize in something else and this would allow the quality and the quantity of the product to increase. "Plato assumes that we are all born with physical and intellectual equipment that makes us suited to perform some tasks better than others" (Rice, 42). So now individuals only have to specialize in something that they are physically and intellectually suited for according to Plato. These three philosophers believed that if man could be more productive by specializing in something that they are suited for they would be happier. Aristotle made the point that "Every community is established with the view to some good; and that mankind always act in order to obtain that which they think good" (Copleston, 351). Socrates, Plato and Aristotle all believed that man needs to be

nuclear bomb history :: essays research papers

The United States stored nuclear weapons in 27 countries and territories around the globe during the Cold War, according to "Where They Were," the cover story in the November/December issue of the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists. The article, by three noted nuclear weapons analysts, is based upon a newly declassified Pentagon history released under a Freedom of Information Act request originally filed in 1985. During the Cold War, 18 sovereign nations and nine former or current American territories or possessions hosted U.S. nuclear weapons. Today, the United States is the only nuclear power that deploys nuclear weapons overseas. U.S. bombs remain stationed in Belgium, Britain, Germany, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands and Turkey. "We can now fill in many gaps in the history of the arms race and the Cold War," says Robert S. Norris, a Natural Resources Defense Council senior analyst and a co-author of the article. "Until now, there has never been official information on where, when, and what kinds of nuclear weapons were deployed overseas, and finally we have authoritative information about their presence in such surprising places as Japan, Greenland, Iceland and Taiwan." The authors also found that during the peak years in the early 1970s, the United States had more than 7,000 nuclear weapons in NATO countries in Europe, and more than 2,000 on land in the Pacific. A variety of naval vessels, including aircraft carriers, cruisers, destroyers, frigates and attack submarines, routinely carried another 3,000 nuclear weapons. Altogether, the United States deployed 38 types of nuclear weapon systems abroad. Germany was home for 21 U.S. weapon systems, which were first installed in 1955. Guam hosted 20 types and the Japanese island of Okinawa, while under U.S. occupation, hosted 19. William M. Arkin, a co-author of the article, points out that while historians knew that nuclear weapons were stored in some countries, they were unaware about others and knew nothing of the details. The Pentagon document, he says, fundamentally revises post-war nuclear history. "There isn’t a nuclear analyst alive who didn’t believe that the first U.S. nuclear weapons deployed overseas were sent to Britain," he says. "Now we know they actually went to Morocco first." Arkin also is the co-author of "Nuclear Battlefields" (1985), the first book to document the worldwide nuclear infrastructure. "Where they Were" is based upon the formerly top secret study, "History of the Custody and Deployment of Nuclear Weapons: July 1945 through September 1977," which was prepared by the Office of the Secretary of Defense in 1978.

Assessments for Early Childhood Programs Essay

William J. Wilson once said, â€Å"The person who scored well on an SAT will not necessarily be the best doctor or the best lawyer or the best businessman. These tests do not measure character, leadership, creativity, or perseverance†. Why do we test students? What is the purpose of assessments? Do these tests and assessments benefit the students? These are questions educators have been asking for years. It is impossible for one to determine a child’s academic abilities based solely on a test. Yet there still needs to be some form of assessments performed in order to evaluate the academic level each student has reached. But how much assessing is too much? How heavily do educators rely on the results of these assessments? The main issues, when it comes to assessing early childhood students, are the consequences of the assessment results and how they affect the child. According to The National Academies of Sciences, there are two key principles that support the success of assessment. The first is that the purpose of an assessment should be a guide for assessment decisions. The purpose for any assessment must be determined and clearly communicated to all stake- holders before the assessment is designed or implemented. Most important, assessment designed for programs should not be used to assess individual children. Because different purposes require different kinds of assessments, the purpose should drive assessment design and implementation decisions† (The National Academies of Sciences, 2008). The second principle is that any assessment performed should be completed in a â€Å"coherent system of health, educational, and family support services that promote optimal development for all children. Assessment should be an integral part of a coherent system of early childhood care and education that includes a range of services and resources† (The National Academies of Sciences, 2008). These two principles explain the main purpose of why assessing is important and how assessments should be conducted. After having an understanding of the purpose of assessments, why is it so important to begin evaluations at such a young age? What is the purpose of evaluating infants and toddlers? Author Sue Wortham explains evaluating toddlers and infants determine whether the child is developing normally or if they show any signs of delay and need assistance. All in all, the main purpose of assessment is to benefit the child (Wortham, p. 32). The NAEYC believes that during a child’s early years, evaluating and assessing their development should be the primary focus. They want to study how young children grown and learn. All the â€Å"results of assessment are used to inform the planning and implementation of experiences, to communicate with the child’s family, and to evaluate and improve teachers’ and program’s effectiveness† (Wortham, p. 4). Teachers also use assessment results to in order to plan their curriculum accordingly. So exactly do assessments search for? Assessments look not only for what the child is already capable of doing independently but also what they can do with the help of a teacher or another student (Wortham, p. 35). So how are they assessed exactly? There are many different assessments given to children across the U. S. everyday. These may be administered orally or as written works, such as questionnaires, surveys, or tests. These may include: standardized tests, observations, checklists, rating scales, rubrics, interviews, or portfolios. Each of these serve a different purpose in order to give different pieces of information needed to evaluate the child in question. Standardized tests, though many disagree with them, are meant to measure individual characteristics. Observations, on the other hand, are one of the most effective ways to measure students’ characteristics. When children are young, it can be hard at times to determine if there are any developmental delays (Wortham, p. 39). Developmental checklists, or scopes, are mainly used at all levels of education. These checklists are lists of the learning objectives that have been established by the teacher in order to keep track of their learning and development. Items on a checklist are rated with a negative or positive response from the teacher. Rating scales, unlike checklists, provide measurement on a continuum and are used when a collection of criteria is needed to attain specific information. Another form of assessment teachers commonly use is Rubrics. Rubrics were created to â€Å"evaluate authentic and performance assessments† (Wortham, p. 41). Rubrics, like rating scales, have a range of criteria that must be met. However, unlike rating scales, rubrics can be used to not only determine the quality of performance required, but are also used to assign grades. Rubrics make it easy for students to understand what is expected and is makes it easier for teachers to grade assignments. The final types of assessments that are most frequently used are performance and portfolio assessments. These evaluations might be administered through interviews given directly by the teacher in order to understand the child’s thinking and understanding (Wortham, p. 41). Teachers may present these evaluations through directed assignments, activities, or games. The performance results are typically kept in a student or teacher portfolio. These portfolios contain samples of student’s work and are used as a sort of progress report card. Keeping detailed reports of student’s work in the portfolios help teachers keep track of their student’s progress and help determine which areas of learning are lacking attention (Wortham, p. 41). Overall, according to Wortham, these tests, whether administered to an individual child or a group of students, are meant to determine a student’s â€Å"abilities, achievements, aptitudes, interests, attitudes, values, and personality characteristics† (Wortham, p. 9). Now having an understanding of the different types of assessments used to evaluate students and the purpose, let us turn to the negative and positive effects of these evaluations. It is crucial for educators to administer tests and evaluations carefully, because it they are poorly articulated, it can lead to decisions that are unfair or unclear, and they may do harm to programs, teachers, and, most importantly, children (Snow, C. E. & Van Hemel, S. B. , p. 341-342). Evaluations and assessments are not meant to punish a child, and therefore, should never be overseen lightly. It is important that the information gathered outweighs any negative effects. Editors of Early Childhood Assessment: Why, What, and How, Catherine E. Snow and Susan B. Van Hemel, explain that â€Å"although the same measure may be used for more than one purpose, prior consideration of all potential purposes is essential, as is careful analysis of the actual content of the assessment instrument. Direct examination of the assessment items is important because the title of a measure does not always reflect the content† (Snow, C. E. & Van Hemel, S. B. , p. 346). So what are some negative effects? Negative consequences of assessment findings may include program de-funding, closing a center, firing a teacher, mislabeling a child, or a reduction in program resources (The National Academies of Sciences, 2008). These effects, such as mislabeling a student, can follow students for the rest of their education career. Once a child is entered into a program, it can be difficult at time for teachers to look past that label. Children all develop at different his or her own pace. No one child will develop and learn the same way as another child. They all grow up and develop at different stages. Yet educational theorists have been able to observed and gather enough information to conclude that children, if divided in age groups, do tend to follow a certain development pattern. The problem is, it is hard to determine which children are the outliers in these results without carefully administering proper assessments. Assessments are not used to necessarily judge student or punish them. Their main purpose is to help students, teachers, and parents. So what are some positive effects of assessment and evaluations? Students that benefit from assessments and evaluations are those that are properly observed and tested. Teachers also benefit from the use of assessments because it helps them create an appropriate curriculum for their students. Evaluating children at a young age can have a positive effect if a delay or disability is in fact found, and because it was caught early, the student has a better chance of exceeding their potential in school. Catching developmental delays or disabilities at a young age is the same as finding cancer at an early stage in the sense that the earlier the cancer is found; the chances of survival are greater. Assessment results are used to plan for instruction, evaluate instructional programs, and report student progress. These are all positive results of assessments. Without the results of assessments and test, how can educators determine what to teach their students? Evaluations, if planned and administered properly, can be more beneficial than harmful. Unfortunately, not all teachers evaluate children fairly or appropriately. So it is important for parents to stay involved in their children’s education in the event that the results of an evaluation do not match the potential of their child. Parents should know the norms and abnormalities of their child’s behavior. Therefore, it is always beneficial to the child for parents and teachers to communicate. This way if a child is acting up in class, and the teacher notifies the parent, the parent may confirm any fears right away by simply saying, â€Å"that isn’t like him† or â€Å"he’s just nervous†. Avoiding drastic measures and not jumping to conclusions is the proper way to evaluate a child fairly. What are the predicted long-term benefits to Early Childhood Assessments? Are assessments and student evaluations accurate? Should teachers be required to assess and evaluate students as much as they already do? These are just a few of the questions that plagued educators for years. Too much assessing has placed so much pressure on students and teachers, inevitably taking away a child’s desire to learn for the sake of learning. The purpose of assessments and evaluations is a great concept, but placing too much pressure and emphasis on the test results is tainting the original purpose of learning.

Impact of Television Advertisement on Buying Behaviour of Adolescents Essay

Market arena in India has been witnessing several changes in character and complexity since the last few years. These changes include a higher reach of mass media, particularly due to an increased penetration of satellite channels, availability of a greater assortment of products and services, a higher level of consumer spending on items other than basic necessities, a more discerning choice behavior exhibited by consumer preference for better value in products and services. A gradual development of the economy has indeed influenced these changes. However, the most important impetus for the transformation of markets is the visible increase in competition. Given these signals, the key question vexing most companies is: how does one compete and grow in rapidly changing and competitive markets? The answer is Television Advertisement. Television the great invention of J. K. Baird has today became a mass media of modern communication; as a result there has been an increase in great amount of commercial propaganda. Today’s producer invests huge amount of money on TV advertisement and in finding new ways of attracting consumers towards his products. As a result consumerism is the new religion of the day. Consumerism is having great effect on various groups of the society. Adolescents are the important group of the society. So, it will be of great use to find-out how television advertising affects them? In the city consumerism had already begun to spin its web. Adolescents are the main targets of this, which attempts to change their consumption pattern, lifestyle & views. Consumerism is also influencing adolescent’s buying behaviour & higher desire of acquiring luxurious goods in their future-life. In short the producer of today is trying to capture the market by focusing its special attention towards adverting by keeping adolescents in their point of view. The best example of consumerism is advertising strategy adopted by China for capturing market. Their main focus is on adolescents. China has gained great share in the international market due to adverting its adolescents-related products. They became successful in earning foreign revenue just by changing adolescent’s psychology through advertising. This example of China depicts how a growth rate in economy is accelerated by mere advertising for adolescents. In 1991 Indian Government introduced new ‘Industrial Policy’ and adopted the concept of ‘Liberalization, Privatization and Globalization, as a result there is rapid growth in Industrialization. Many foreign and multinational companies entered into Indian market to sell their products. To capture the market many producers are engaged in advertising their products on Television. TV advertisements are displayed in a very attractive manner. Generally the help of film stars and cricket stars is taken for advertising the products. This strategy of the producers is having a great impact on buying behavior of adolescents. Adolescents get easily attracted towards these TV advertisements and try to follow their favorite film stars and cricket stars. TV advertisements are playing a crucial role in changing the buying behavior of adolescents. Today adolescents prefer to buy luxurious goods and desires to live a comfortable life in future. Today there is a drastic change in eating and clothing habits of adolescents due to TV advertisements as a result there is increased profitability of the producers. Meaning of Basic Terms Adolescence  Adolescence (lat adolescere,(to) grow) is a transitional stage of physical and mental human development that occurs between childhood and adulthood. This transition involves biological (i. e. pubertal), social, and psychological changes, though the biological or physiological ones are the easiest to measure objectively. Historically, puberty has been heavily associated with teenagers and the onset of adolescent development. [1][2][3][4] In recent years, however, the start of puberty has seen an increase in preadolescence and extension beyond the teenage years, making adolescence less simple to discern. 1][5][2] The end of adolescence and the beginning of adulthood varies by country as well as by function, as even within a single country there will be different ages at which an individual is considered mature enough to be entrusted with particular tasks, such as driving a vehicle, having sexual relations, serving in the armed forces, voting, or marrying. Also, adolescence is usually accompanied by an increased independence allowed by the parents or legal guardians and less supervision, contrary to the preadolescence stage. Puberty Puberty is the stage of the lifespan in which a child develops secondary sex characteristics (for example a deeper voice or larger adam’s apple in boys, and development of breasts and more curved and prominent hips in girls) as his or her hormonal balance shifts strongly towards an adult state. This is triggered by the pituitary gland, which secretes a surge of hormones, such as testosterone (boys) or estrogen and progesterone (girls) into the blood stream and begins the rapid maturation of the gonads: the girl’s ovaries and the boy’s testicles. Some boys may develop Gynecomastia due to an imbalance of sex hormones, tissue responsiveness or obesity. Put simply, puberty is the time when a child’s body starts changing into an adult’s body. The onset of puberty in girls appears to be related to body fat percentage. Girls start going through puberty earlier than boys, although there have been cases of boys having signs of puberty as early as the age of 9. The average age for girls to start puberty is 10-12 while the average age for boys to start puberty is 12-14. Adolescent psychology Adolescent psychology is associated with notable changes in mood sometimes known as mood swings. Cognitive, emotional and attitudinal changes which are characteristic of adolescence, often take place during this period, and this can be a cause of conflict on one hand and positive personality development on the other. Because the adolescents are experiencing various strong cognitive and physical changes, for the first time in their lives they may start to view their friends, their peer group, as more important and influential than their parents/guardians. Because of peer pressure, they may sometimes indulge in activities not deemed socially acceptable, although this may be more of a social phenomenon than a psychological one. [6] This overlap is addressed within the study of psychosociology. The home is an important aspect of adolescent psychology: home environment and family have a substantial impact on the developing minds of teenagers, and these developments may reach a climax during adolescence. For example, abusive parents may lead a child to â€Å"poke fun† at other classmates when he/she is seven years old or so, but during adolescence, it may become progressively orse, for example, the child may now be using drugs or becoming intolerably violent among other classmates. If the concepts and theory behind right or wrong were not established early on in a child’s life, the lack of this knowledge may impair a teenager’s ability to make beneficial decisions as well as allowing his/her impulses to control his/her decisions. In the search for a unique social identity for themselves, adolescents are frequently confused about what is ‘right’ and what is ‘wrong. ‘ G.  Stanley Hall denoted this period as one of â€Å"Storm and Stress† and, according to him, conflict at this developmental stage is normal and not unusual. Margaret Mead, on the other hand, attributed the behavior of adolescents to their culture and upbringing. [7] However, Piaget, attributed this stage in development with greatly increased cognitive abilities; at this stage of life the individual’s thoughts start taking more of an abstract form and the egocentric thoughts decrease, hence the individual is able to think and reason in a wider perspective. 8] Positive psychology is sometimes brought up when addressing adolescent psychology as well. This approach towards adolescents refers to providing them with motivation to become socially acceptable and notable individuals, since many adolescents find themselves bored, indecisive and/or unmotivated. [9] Adolescents may be subject to peer pressure within their adolescent time span, consisting of the need to have sex, consume alcoholic beverages, use drugs, defy their parental figures, or commit any activity in which the person who is subjected to may not deem appropriate, among other things. Peer pressure is a common experience between adolescents and may result briefly or on a larger scale. It should also be noted that adolescence is the stage of a psychological breakthrough in a person’s life when the cognitive development is rapid[10] and the thoughts, ideas and concepts developed at this period of life greatly influence the individual’s future life, playing a major role in character and personality formation. [11] Struggles with adolescent identity and depression usually set in when an adolescent experiences a loss. The most important loss in their lives is the changing relationship between the adolescent and their parents. Adolescents may also experience strife in their relationships with friends. This may be because of things their friends do, such as smoking, that they feel if they don’t do, they’ll lose their friendship. Teen depression can be extremely intense at times because of physical and hormonal changes but emotional instability is part of being a teenager. Their changing mind, body and relationships often present themselves as stressful and that change, they assume, is something to be feared. [12] Views of family relationships during adolescence are changing. The old view of family relationships during adolescence put an emphasis on conflict and disengagement and thought storm and stress was normal and even inevitable. However, the new view puts emphasis on transformation or relationships and maintenance of connectedness. Consumer behavior