The Principles Of War And Operations - 1245 Words

Originally influenced by the strategic events seen throughout the Napoleonic Wars in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, the nine principles of war derived from the United States’ Army’s â€Å"Principles of War and Operations† outline a basic strategic guide on waging war. Shortly before the military adopted these guidelines, however, the United States of America saw civil unrest as the Southern states seceded to form the Confederate States of America. As the Union Army of the North battled the Confederate Army of the South, strategic principles similar to those outlined in the U.S. Army’s doctrine began to appear on the battlefield. Although the armies of the Union and the Confederacy both utilized strategic elements outlined in the United States’ Army’s â€Å"Principles of War and Operations†, the Union army’s stricter adherence to certain strategic principles resulted in their ultimate success. The â€Å"Principles of War and Operations† states that a successful army must â€Å"direct every military operation toward a clearly defined, decisive, and attainable objective†¦ [and that this principle] drives all military activity†1. The average American history course portrays the objectives of the Union as noble and just; the North fought to end slavery and liberate the oppressed. The Union’s original objective, however, was to simply â€Å"reconcile the Union†2. The reason for this being that secession is a treasonous act of war3. To that effect, the Union’s first objective is strictlyShow MoreRelatedOperation Anaconda Battle Analysis1390 Words   |  6 PagesJohn Doe Colonel Mustard MIL Battle Analysis March 2010 Operation Anaconda Battle Analysis In the mountainous Shah-i-Khot region south of the city of Gardez in Eastern Afghanistan, Operation Anaconda took place early March 2002. Operation Anaconda, to this day, stands as the largest reported ground action in the Afghan war. This 17-day battle led to eight U.S. casualties and over 50 wounded. Operation Anaconda is viewed as a success due to coalition forces being able to kill and root out severalRead MoreWar Is The Root Means Of War1046 Words   |  5 PagesWar as we know is mostly about two countries fighting each other whether for part of a country or on some policies. It can also be between tribes within a country that will fight among them. According to Antulio Joseph Echevarrà ­a II in Encyclopedia of Political Theory, Clausewitz defined war as an â€Å"act of violence to force an opponent to fulfill our will.† According to Clausewitz, â€Å"This definition establishes violence as the root means of war, while also affirming that its purpose is toRead MoreIn Tomas Barnett’s â€Å"The Pentagon’s New Map: It explains why we’re going to war and why we’ll keep1200 Words   |  5 PagesIn Tomas Barnett’s â€Å"The Pentagon’s New Map: It explains why we’re going to war and why we’ll keep going to war,† the author provides an analysis regarding the relationship between globalization and future U.S. military engagements. The author contends that the future strategic framework of United States military operations will be heavily focused on nations that have not integrated the principles of globalization and continue to foster socio-economic instab ility, lack of security, and failed politicalRead MoreHow Peacekeeping Operations Evolved Over Time Essay1258 Words   |  6 Pageshave their roots in earlier conflicts, most notably the First Schleswig War between Denmark and Prussia in 1849-1850. A combined force of 3,800 troops from both Sweden and Norway with the intent of maintaining law and order and keeping the peace were assembled, while an armistice was worked out. This set the precedent for peacekeeping operations that would become more commonplace in the twentieth century. After the First World War, the League of Nations was established, the predecessor of what wouldRead MoreOperation and War Sustainment813 Words   |  3 PagesIntroduction War finds success and failures inescapably linked to how well Combined, Joint, and Multinational Commander conducts sustainment planning and links the products to his strategic, operational and tactical objectives. Operation OVERLORD provides an excellent case study as large scale and complex example synchronizing, coordinating, and integrating the logistics capabilities of the civilian industry, Joint and Coalition forces ultimately leading to the Defeat of Germany. The purpose andRead MoreOperation Anaconda Operation Anaconda took place as a part of the War in Afghanistan in early1500 Words   |  6 PagesOperation Anaconda Operation Anaconda took place as a part of the War in Afghanistan in early March of 2002. It happened in the Shahikot valley of eastern Afghanistan. The purpose of the operation was to take out enemy Taliban and al Qaeda forces that were gathered in the area. U.S. forces built a complex plan to achieve this end state. They planned to use a â€Å"hammer and anvil† attack that used U.S. forces as well as friendly Afghani armed forces to quickly kill or capture the enemy. Intel told commandersRead MoreComparing Military Operations In Vietnam War, Persian Gulf War, and Korean War1224 Words   |  5 PagesStates has conducted its military operations since becoming an independent nation has largely depended upon the overall political and military objectives of each individual conflict. The United States first three hot wars after the end of World War II display the marked difference in US objectives and the operations used to achieve them better than any other modern wars in which American troops participated. By and large the Korean War, Vietnam War, and Persian Gulf War had virtually no similaritiesRead MoreThinking About Warfare: Traditional vs. Modern1707 Words   |  7 Pagesexplaining war, toward a greater emphasis on causes, motivation, and physical realities of combat. Introduction Everything from modes of education to communication has changed during the last century. It would be hard for a person from15th century to believe that this is the world he left. Technology both positively and negatively influenced the art of war too. When we compare the people of the fifteenth century to the people of the twentieth century, we figure out that people have fought long wars usingRead MoreGallipoli Mission Command Analysis1351 Words   |  6 PagesMission Command: Anzac Cove Landing The Battle of Gallipoli, or the Gallipoli Campaign, was fought during the First World War. It is known by either name because the Battle of Gallipoli featured many different battles and phases that comprised the entirety of the campaign. This engagement began on February 17, 1915 and ended on January 9, 1916. The Allied forces were tasked with attempting to secure the strait. The purpose of this was twofold: first, it provided the Russian Empire with much-neededRead MoreWhy Realism Fails Counterinsurgency?1417 Words   |  6 Pagesand to lack efficiency upon trial. Realism does not prevent future insurgency acts Realism does not prevent future insurgency acts as there has been an increase in the magnitude of threat and the use of the traditional framework around war. First, a notable political scientist, John Mearsheimer argues that what has changed over time is the magnitude of the threat. What the US is up against is a more formidable and more dangerous adversary that was the case throughout the 1990s. As a

Benefits of Video Games - 1893 Words

The Benefits of Video Games In todays frantic and stressful society, a desire to escape sometimes is imminent. There are piles of work to do, constant headaches, and relationship tensions are rising. In this current condition one may be aware that it will be impossible to get anything accomplished. What one really needs is a chance to get away from it all, to replenish the mind and release all of their apprehension. A relaxing vacation to a secluded private island would do the trick, but of course this is impractical. Instead, at no cost one can fully immerse into a lush, stunning virtual paradise oozing with beauty and serenity. This is the magnificence of the modern video game world; it lets a person be somebody they could only†¦show more content†¦As a result of sophisticated games such as these, the pupils make less mistakes and are more prepared when they begin their high-risk careers. Aside from these rigid settings, other casual games are developing the skills of teenagers and adults in a more subtle way. Cooperative games such as World of Warcraft require teams of players to work together to reach a common goal. Each individual is given responsibilities and specific roles, and a few people are even selected to lead the group and provide direction and structure. Hundreds of similar games also teach the same teamwork, leadership, and responsibility to their players, which are all vital qualities to have in order to be successful in society. Not only can video games polish an individuals abilities, but they have the potential to facilitate advancements in the fields of technology and science as well. For example, the highly commended game, Foldit, requires the players to fold real proteins in the most efficient way as possible while competing against others online. Computer software alone is not very successful at predicting the future shapes of irregular objects, and so with the presence of the human minds puzzle-solving skills scientists have been able to create breakthro ughs through utilizing this game (Toppo). For example, a sample of a monkey HIV protein which had mystified scientists for over fifteen years was recentlyShow MoreRelatedBenefits Of Video Games1395 Words   |  6 PagesIntroduction Action video games, which are categorized by fighting, shooting, or platform-style games, have come to dominate the gaming industry in the 21st century. Both parents and politicians alike have accused action games for causing antisocial, violent and even addictive behavior in gamers. This fear over video games fueled early research efforts to prove that violent video games were as damaging as claims would suggest. Many studies claim to show an overall negative psychological effect onRead MoreBenefit Of Video Games1001 Words   |  5 PagesVideo Games are often in debate whether they are harmful or not, research has proven that video games can often help improve functions of the mind. â€Å"In summary, specific types of video games seem to enhance a suite of cognitive functions, some of which appear to generalize to real-world contexts† (Granic et al. 70). Although, people may think video games influences kids to enact violence, but video games don’t influence them at all, in fact it can help build skills they can use later in life. SomeRead MoreThe Benefits Of Video Games996 Words   |  4 PagesWhat benefits those who play video games because of the problems they create? The benefits can range from the smallest things to the largest things. For example, the smallest things could be the idea of achievements in the games to the largest which are careers. Society should not worry about anything when it comes to video games. I would say video games are beneficial no matter the situation, however I will also agree they do create problems for society. Games are made to have fun. Whether manyRead MoreThe Benefits Of Video Games4102 Words   |  17 Pages The Benefits of Videogames Over the years there has been a huge controversy over video games; the number one being the effect on the development of children, and this seems to be used a lot as a way to stigmatize gaming as something entirely destructive. In general, there are many misconceptions about video games. The Entertainment Software Association estimates that around 60% of Americans, around 145 million people in all, currently play some type of video game. Despite the common view of videoRead MoreSpeech : Benefits Of Video Games Essay1255 Words   |  6 PagesMediated Speech Mohamad Nabil Oueida Topic: Benefits of Video Games Introduction: I-Hey everybody, I’m Mo, and welcome to my channel, let’s get started with the video. II-Today I will be talking about a subject that is pretty dear to me, which are video games. III-All of my life, I’ve been a huge geek when it came to videogames. It helped me cope with life and just like was sort of an escape from reality for me, like games such as Crash Bandicoot, Spyro the Dragon, Pokà ©mon Red andRead MorePsychological Benefits Of Video Games1768 Words   |  8 Pages Psychological Benefits Of Video Games Rafael Pizana Texas Southmost College Abstract This paper will explore the psychological benefits that video games have on individuals based on research conducted online (Internet) and offline (non-Internet) . The research will focus mainly on cognitive , motivational , emotional and social benefits that individuals gain by playing video games. Furthermore it will compare gamers with those that don t play video games or normal teaching methodsRead MoreBenefit Of Video Games Essay1204 Words   |  5 PagesVideo games have quickly become the new major source of entertainment for the youth and the upcoming adults of the world. The youth seem to be giving more of their free time to video games. However, they have always seemed to have a bad reputation with many people of all generations. People are starting to believe more and more that video games are nothing but trouble. They feel as if video games are a waste of time and the youth could be using the time they spend on video games on more productiveRead MoreVideo Games : Addictio n Or Benefits?1927 Words   |  8 PagesIDEO GAMES: ADDICTION OR BENEFITS? Video Games: Addiction or Benefits? Pavel Klopov ENG102.030 Mr. Laufenberg April 15, 2016 Abstract To answer the question â€Å"Are video games beneficial or it’s an addiction?† two areas of video game research are looked at. First, research about benefits of playing video games. Second, research supporting the idea of video game addiction, followed by researchRead MoreBenefits Of Playing Video Games1421 Words   |  6 PagesThis is because, most young adults are now stuck on their computers and internet, playing games all day. This has led to serious gaming problems among such individuals because they have no social life outside of the game world. Playing game, is a good way of having fun and developing one’s cognitive ability. The benefits of playing video games are numerous when done in moderation. â€Å"Playing brain-teasing game for just two hours a week may help slow the degree of mental decay associated with the naturalRead MoreEssay on Benefits of Video Games502 Words   |  3 PagesMost people think that playing video games will lead you to a lif e of crime, delinquency, and slothfulness. The opposite, however, is the truth. Video games can be used to improve hand eye coordination, vision, reaction times, and much more. Does this mean kids should spend all day, everyday playing? No. This occurs when they are used properly and in moderation. Video games actually help your motor skills and other physical aspects, contrary to popular belief. In a study done in New York,

The Dork Continent Book Review Free Essays

Upon hearing the title of the book, one might assume that it will focus on the decolonization of Africa. Africa is known as the â€Å"dark continent† because it remained a mystery to European explorers for an extensive amount of time. Instead, Mark Mazower’s Dark Continent: Europe’s Twentieth Century, focuses on Europe in the 20th century, as the title notes, and provides a historical and political analysis of the modern European state from the end of the First World War up until the time of publishing the book in 1988. We will write a custom essay sample on The Dork Continent Book Review or any similar topic only for you Order Now Mazower, a young British author and historian, has taught at the University of Sussex and Princeton, and is a prize-winning author for his book Inside Hitler’s Greece: The Experience of Occupation, 1941-1944. The principal thesis of Dark Continent is that the victorious reign of democracy in Europe was not predestined, but emerged significantly from the endless struggle between ethnic groups and nations, as well as three rival theologies- Nazism, Communism, and Democracy. Mazower’s thesis suggests that democracy is not the essential preferred method of political organization, even when empires were falling and nations reorganizing after the devastation of World War I. Of the three ideologies, Mazower concludes that Communism was the closest to being satisfactory in both theory and practice. The book begins with the discussion of the rise and fall of democracy. The struggle between the three ideologies was at the core of European twentieth century history. Preceding the the first World War, Europe only had three republics; by the end of 1918 there were thirteen. Even so, democracy was unable to secure itself during inter-war years. Liberalism was â€Å"short-lived† and â€Å"democratic values disappeared as political polarization brought much of Europe to the verge of civil war. Mazower notes that in 1930, Weimar’s Chancellor Hermann Muller warned that â€Å"a democracy without democrats is an internal and external danger†; but the founders of post-war constitutionalism had not given much thought to the matter. For many conservatives, the problem with democracy was simply due to â€Å"the power it gave the masses in the supposed incompatibility of democracy and authority. † The conservatives also feared that democracy â€Å"placed too much stress on rights and not enough on duties. † According to Mazower, the collapse of liberal democracy was the result of its focus on process rather than on results. In Mazower’s view, Russian liberals â€Å"assume mistakenly that a deep rooted social crisis could be solved by offering ‘the people’ constitutional liberties†(23). The consequence was that, at the end of the 20s was that the new nations that came about after the Versailles peace treaties came to be ruled by authoritarian regimes rather than democratic governments. The emergence of fascist and communist leaders with policies regarding state control of resources was unavoidable. For the citizens that were tired of the war and failed attempts of democracy, men like Stalin, Hitler, Lenin, and Mussolini provided new hope for a stabilization in Europe. The pursuits of fascists like Hitler and Mussolini and the lesser in Eastern European nations may be reprehensible, Mazower admits, but it is at least comprehensible. What these dictators were doing was little different from what their predecessors in England, France, Russia, and even Belgium had done for the past half century: culminating European imperial expansion that began in the 1870s. By the late 1930s, it was evident that liberal democracy had lost its reign in Europe. Hitler’s New Order appeared to be Europe’s future. Mazower argues that even in December 1919 Lenin saw that â€Å"both terror and the Cheka [are] †¦ ndispensable† tools to maintain the permanent dictatorship of the bourgeois. Furthermore, â€Å"the scientific term ‘dictatorship’, means nothing more or less than authority untrammeled by any laws, absolutely unrestricted by any rules whatever and based directly on force† (page 24). With that said, Mazower notes that à ¢â‚¬Å"communism turned out to be the last, and perhaps highest stage of imperialism. Mazower does an exceptional job at giving his view of Hitler. I found this to be a successful way of supporting his thesis. What I found to be odd was the way he described the works of Hitler. I would assume that he would clearly show his disapproval of the matter, rather he seems to approach the issue lightly. Mazower makes an attempt to make us see that Hitler’s belief that Germany’s destiny depended on the geographic replacement of Slavs in Ukraine. Moreover, Mazower suggests that â€Å"the Second World War did not start because of diplomatic misunderstanding or confusion, nor even because of Hitler’s deceit or duplicity. Rather it started because Hitler’s opponents realized they were faced with â€Å"a clash of two worlds†-Berlin and London(82). What I did like about the book was the fact that Mazower explained the cause of communism’s fall really well. I was a bit confused before of exactly what events sparked the fall, but I was surely aware and understood fully after reading this thoughtful book. As mentioned before, I found that Mazower seemed to praise Hitler’s actions, suggesting that he was not part of the cause for World War II, but puts the blame on Hitler’s opponents. It makes me question what side of the field Mazower is playing. Nevertheless, the book was a great read and provided an exuberant amount of historical background in Europe. How to cite The Dork Continent Book Review, Papers

Maintain Code of Ethics

Question: Discuss how conduct a interview. Answer: Interview The following interview is conducted with the assessor of Computer Power. The purpose of interview was discussed over the telephone with the assessor. The date, time and place were fixed. The interview was fixed at the office premises of Express Books on 1st of June 2016 at 2.00 pm. The interview questions and responses from the assessor are given below. Question1. Do you think that exhibiting partial and favorable attitude towards student with whom you share personal contact during an assessment is unfair? Answer1: Yes, according to my view, any exhibition of partial and unfavorable attitude is an unfair approach and should be duly avoided. It gives a wrong impression of me and I would be unethical in my approach. Deserving candidates will not get their respective due and undeserving candidates may be rewarded for something they are worth it. Question 2: Do you believe in indulging in corruption during an assessment should be reprimanded? Answer 2: Yes, in my view corruption in any form should be strong dealt with and should be severely penalized. Punishment and penalties will serve as a check to all those that indulge in unfair means. It will set a standard for people to follow in their professional life. Question 3: What are your views on racial and communal discrimination showed during an assessment? Answer 3: Racial and communal discrimination should be made a taboo and an assessor should be free from such biased attitude. Such attitude and mode of thinking not only spoils the image of an assessor but also dents the confidence of the student. It reflects partiality on the part of the assessor. It could spoil the assessment of the candidate and in extreme cases could also affect the future of the student. Question 4: Should personal issues with an assessee be allowed to affect an assessment? Answer 4: I believe that personal and professional life should never be allowed to intersect each other. Personal issues should never be allowed to affect an assessment. Professionalism in my work will reflect my sincerity and diligence in my work. If I let personal issues affect my work, I would be unfair to my work and the people that are related to the assessment. To employ fair practice I have to keep personal and professional life separate. Question 5: Do you pay careful attention to each and every assessment you receive? Answer 5: As a part of my duty, I am obligated to carry out my duty in the best of my ability and therefore, I make a conscious effort in discharging my duty to the best of my ability. I have to make sure that the deserving candidates get their due and the assessment is strictly professional. It is my duty to pay utmost attention to each and every assessment since it will mould the career of the students. Reference List Generally, A. (2014). code of ethics.Policy,7, 18. Scott, J. B., Reitz, S. M. (2013).Practical applications for the occupational therapy code of ethics and ethics standards. AOTA Press/The American Occupational Therapy Association.

ALLERGIES I Wondered Lonely As A Cloud, That Floats On High Oer Dales

ALLERGIES I wondered lonely as a cloud, that floats on high o'er dales and hills, when all at once I saw a crowd-a host of golden daffodils. William Wordsworth I hope he was taking an antihistamine. If he were not, he would develop signs and symptoms of allergies. These include, but are not limited to a sore throat; red, itchy, watery eyes; nasal congestion and drainage; coughing and sneezing. There are many remedies, from grandma's kitchen to the allergy research center. The allergy season is usually from late February to mid-May. Grass is the biggest offender during the latter part of the season. Pollens from trees and plants are released each year during early spring. There are cells floating around in your body and when the allergen is inhaled, it attaches itself to a specific cell. Then, it produces histamines (which stimulates gastric secretion and dilates blood vessels.) Your body reacts to this invasion with the signs of allergies. There are many over-the-counter medications to help reduce the symptoms. Benadryl, Tavist and Cholortrimeton are called antihistamines, which reduce the symptoms of allergies. Antihistamines make it difficult for the histamines to be released in the bloodstream. However, there is a drawback to this, and that is it will produce drowsiness. Prescription medication can be given to combat symptoms also. Allegra, is the newest of these medications. Claritin and Hismanal are non-sedating. There is, by prescription, a nasal spray that can be given to reduce sneezing. Of course, the last resort is by injection. A tiny amount of the same allergen that you are allergic to is injected under your skin. This, hopefully, will slowly desensitize you. The combination of these drugs should fit into many lifestyles. Briggite Mars, a well-known herbalist states, I generally view allergies as an indication of a weakened immune system. She also believes that stress is a major factor and should be reduced. This, in turn, will boost your immune sys tem. A diet rich in beta-carotene, lamb, and even violets can improve the sufferer's allergic response. Every year around the same time, Michelle Robertson, who worked for a doctor as a medical assistant thought she had developed a cold and would then miss work. She would go in with the red eyes, nasal congestion, and cough. It was really her allergy. There are many kinds of pollen from trees, plants, weeds, flowers, mold, and ragweed being the worsts of all. Pollen, which looks like a sphere with spikes can travel hundreds of miles away. It has been found as far as Antarctica. There is no getting away from it. However, there is a meter that reads the pollen count. It has been read from zero to as high as four hundred in mid-September. In comparing the articles, the treatments were the same, with the Cooper article, More treatments available for those with hay fever, allergies. The Wood article, Ragweed hits hard at pollen suffers, gives just over-the-counter medications. It also ta lks on avoidance being the best policy of allergies. Cooper, talks more about diet and homeopathic remedies. There is a difference on the allergy season between the articles. The first being the February to March season. Wood made a statement of the pollen count meter reading as a high as 400 in mid-September. This could be due to the meter's geographic location. Overall, the Cooper article was much more informative. It had a pleasant even flow to it starting with the poetry, what allergies are, the treatment, and the diet. It had high points that helped keep the article in perspective that the Wood's did not. REFERENCECooper, Cynthia. More treatments available for those with hay fever, allergies. Knight- Ridder/Tribune News Service 16 May 1997, p516k8337Wood, R. Anthony. Ragweed hits hard at pollen suffers. Knight-ridder/Tribune News Service 29 Aug. 1997, p829k4377

Bounded People, Boundless Lands essays

Bounded People, Boundless Lands essays Bounded People, Boundless Lands: Envisioning a New Land Ethic Throughout the book Eric Freyfogle uses examples of poems, fictional stories, and true stories to strengthen his view of the land, and land ethics. One such example is that of the poem by Robert Frost called Mending Wall where the phrase Good fences make good neighbors came from. Freyfogle uses this poem as a precedence throughout the book, making reference to it, and the contradiction of the meaning of the poem, and that people took that phrase literally, and it has become and anthem for the American culture and how they view the land. From the poem on, Freyfogle gives examples of how America has shaped its land, and how boundaries have been set up in American culture. He states, Boundaries and the bounding process have been central elements of American culture since the first days of settlement. The westward expansion of the country, in fact, was a matter not only of taming the land but also of dividing and bounding it. Through a messy process continuing for generations, an interconnected whole became a collection of parcels and pieces. As they divided nature, the settlers severed, mentally and sometimes physically, many of the connections that joined natures pieces into and organic whole. They had reasons for doing so, of course. But in time, their boundaries and senses of boundedness would take a heavy toll on the lands health (pgs. 6-7). After this statement Freyfogle goes on to give examples of how this happened, and people and places that it happened at. Such as in California when settlers divided ! the water flows to go to certain places, and companies such as Chauncey There are many examples that Freyfogle gives throughout the book about the land health and how we need to fix things in order to make i...

Modeling and guided practice in a literacy lesson Research Paper

Modeling and guided practice in a literacy lesson - Research Paper Example For instance, in a literacy lesson, the teacher may give the learners an example then allow them do another task to test their comprehension based on the example. If the educator is teaching about verbs, the educator may focus on attaining the learning objective then ask the learners to identify verbs from a listing of words by reading them loudly. Through this guided practice McCormack  & Pasquarelli (2012) indicate that it is achievable to achieve a great percentage of proficiency from the learners. The learners may then be given a chance for comprehension of what verbs are through silent reading after guided practice by their teachers. Modeling, on the other hand, refers to a demonstration of the thinking procedure (McCormack  & Pasquarelli, 2012). This explains the manner in which something is done and why it is done. Through the modeling process, the teacher takes the learner through the learning procedure, the demonstration made are explicit, and the students are expected to be actively involved in these demonstrations (McCormack  & Pasquarelli, 2012). The authors also argue that in modeling repetition must ensue and think aloud statements used (McCormack  & Pasquarelli, 2012). This allows the learners get actively involved in comprehension lessons. In a literacy lesson setting, the teacher may focus on aiding the learners think through the ideas of the author as opposed to the outcome of the comprehension. This is a good example of self modeling whilst reading the comprehension. If the learners focus on one concept while reading they are likely to get the concept being portrayed by the author. For a lesson to be successful, it is vital to assess if the learners have comprehended what they have read. According to the American Education Publishing (2012) it is possible to know what a student has read if they are able to recount what they have read in a chronological manner. For

Advocacy Speech Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Advocacy Speech - Essay Example This therefore begs the question, what is mental illness? This is a disorder that affects one’s mood, thinking and behaviour. Examples of mental illnesses include depression, schizophrenia, addictive traits and eating disorders. Mental disorder can be observed when someone starts to constantly feel sad or down, sex drive changes, extreme anger, drug and alcohol abuse, withdrawal from daily activities, detachment from reality, change in eating habits, low energy levels, and worst of all suicidal thoughts. Traumatic experiences, medical conditions such as cancer, stressful situations, unhealthy relationships and previous mental illness could be a trigger. One in four adults suffers from mental illness and about half of American adults develop this disorder at some point in their lives. Seventy five percent of the people affected globally come from low-income countries and fourteen percent of the global burden is attributed to mental illness. Is there a cure? Most people might question themselves. Several treatment remedies have been introduced and are rarely referred to as cures. Medications mainly applied by psychiatrists include mood-stabilizing medications, anti-anxiety medications, anti-depressants and anti-psychotic medications. Psychotherapy and brain-stimulation treatments are oftenly applied and residential and hospital programmes are sometimes provided. It is hard to prevent mental illness, though it’s important to take good care of oneself, check out for warning signs, have routine medical care and most importantly get help when necessary. In the most severe cases, mental illness could require guidance of a loved one or a doctor until they are able to participate in decision-making. Depending on the symptoms, there could be personal preferences, and this can be put into consideration by the affected person, working along with his or her health care provider. This said, time has therefore come for mental illness

Current Events- how they affect the stability in area of Egypt Assignment

Current Events- how they affect the stability in area of Egypt - Assignment Example The revolution took place on 25 of January and it was non-violent campaign civil resistance, which was characterized by demonstrations, civil disobedience acts, street marches and labor strikes. Millions of people from different religious and socio economic backgrounds protested publicly because they wanted to throw the regime of Hosni Mubarak. Mubarak is the president of Egypt who has ruled for a long time since 1981 up to the year 2011. The protest in the Egypt was meant to throw the regime of Mubarak because he has made Egypt poor, and stole the fortune of Egypt. The British Journals reveals that Mubarak and his family escaped with around 70 billion dollars to the United States, France, Dubai, Switzerland and United Kingdom (Podeh and Winckler, 2004). They also sold gasoline at 25 percent of market price to Israel, which is considered the enemy nation for Egyptians. This made many Arab nations to hate Egypt and made the country a police nation where internal inelegance could arrest, kill or abuse anyone. Eypt has adequate resources, big military and smart labor force as swell as high population of more than 90 millions of people; thus a threat to Israel, which has been their enemy for a long period. Al though the two nations signed for the peace agreement, it was seen as the advantage taken over Mubarak because he does not care about human rights and democracy right of Egyptians. Therefore, the civil revolution made against the regime of Mubarak whereby people utilized social media services and networking sites aimed to build a new revolution in Egypt. The political turmoil in Egypt has paralyzed government’s efforts in addressing the problems affecting citizens; thus contributing to an economic deterioration. Egypt is one of the nations with rapid population growth rate and the limited arable lands have significantly restrained the nation ‘resources. However, the increased political crisis that led to protest and labor strikes affected the

How To Develop An Effective Relationship With Your Co-Worker

How To Develop An Effective Relationship With Your Co-Worker You can submarine your career and work relationships by the actions you take and the behaviors you exhibit at work. No matter your education, your experience, or your title, if you cant play well with others, you will never accomplish your work mission Effective work relationships form the cornerstone for success and satisfaction with your job and your career. How important are effective work relationships? Effective work relationships form the basis for promotion, pay increases, goal accomplishment, and job satisfaction. A supervisor in a several hundred person company quickly earned a reputation for not playing well with others. He collected data and used the data to find fault, place blame, and make other employees look bad. He enjoyed identifying problems but rarely suggested solutions. He bugged his supervisor weekly for a bigger title and more money so he could tell other employees what to do. When he announced he was job hunting, not a single employee suggested that the company take action to convince him to stay. He had burned his bridges. These are the top seven ways you can play well with others at work. They form the basis for effective work relationships. These are the actions you want to take to create a positive, empowering, motivational work environment for people. Bring suggested solutions with the problems to the meeting table. Some employees spend an inordinate amount of time identifying problems. Honestly? Thats the easy part. Thoughtful solutions are the challenge that will earn respect and admiration from coworkers and bosses Dont ever play the blame game. You alienate coworkers, supervisors, and reporting staff. Yes, you may need to identify who was involved in a problem. You may even ask the Deming question: what about the work system caused the employee to fail? But, not my fault and publicly identifying and blaming others for failures will earn enemies. These enemies will, in turn, help you to fail. You do need allies at work. Your verbal and nonverbal communication matters. If you talk down to another employee, use sarcasm, or sound nasty, the other employee hears you. We are all radar machines that constantly scope out our environment.In one organization a high level manager said to me, I know you dont think I should scream at my employees. But, sometimes, they make me so mad. When is it appropriate for me to scream at the employees? Answer? Never, of course, if respect for people is a hallmark of your organization. Never blind side a coworker, boss, or reporting staff person. If the first time a coworker hears about a problem is in a staff meeting or from an email sent to his supervisor, you have blind sided the coworker. Always discuss problems, first, with the people directly involved who own the work system. Also called lynching or ambushing your coworkers, you will never build effective work alliances unless your coworkers trust you. And, without alliances, you never accomplish the most important goals. Keep your commitments. In an organization, work is interconnected. If you fail to meet deadlines and commitments, you affect the work of other employees. Always keep commitments, and if you cant, make sure all affected employees know what happened. Provide a new due date and make every possible effort to honor the new deadline. Share credit for accomplishments, ideas, and contributions. How often do you accomplish a goal or complete a project with no help from others? If you are a manager, how many of the great ideas you promote were contributed by staff members? Take the time, and expend the energy, to thank, reward, recognize and specify contributions of the people who help you succeed. This is a no-fail approach to building effective work relationships. Help other employees find their greatness. Every employee in your organization has talents, skills, and experience. If you can help fellow employees harness their best abilities, you benefit the organization immeasurably. The growth of individual employees benefits the whole. Compliment, recognize, praise, and notice contributions. You dont have to be a manager to help create a positive, motivating environment for employees. In this environment, employees do find and contribute their greatness. If you regularly carry out these seven actions, you will play well with others and develop effective work relationships. Coworkers will value you as a colleague. Bosses will believe you play on the right team. Youll accomplish your work goals, and you may even experience fun, recognition, and personal motivation. Work cant get any better than that. How To Develop An Effective Relationship With Your Boss These steps will help you develop a positive, ongoing, supportive relationship with your boss a relationship that serves you well, your manager well, and, as a consequence, your organization well. The first step in managing up is to develop a positive relationship with your boss. Relationships are based on trust. Do what you say youll do. Keep timeline commitments. Never blind side your manager with surprises that you could have predicted or prevented. Keep her informed about your projects and interactions with the rest of the organization. Tell the boss when youve made an error or one of your reporting staff has made a mistake. Cover-ups dont contribute to an effective relationship. Lies or efforts to mislead always result in further stress for you as you worry about getting caught or somehow slipping up in the consistency of your story. Communicate daily or weekly to build the relationship. Get to know your manager as a person she is one, after all. She shares the human experience, just as you do, with all of its joys and sorrows. Recognize that success at work is not all about you; put your bosss needs at the center of your universe. Identify your bosss areas of weakness or greatest challenges and ask what you can do to help. What are your bosss biggest worries; how can your contribution mitigate these concerns? Understand your bosss goals and priorities. Place emphasis in your work to match her priorities. Think in terms of the overall success of your department and company, not just about your more narrow world at work. Look for and focus on the best parts of your boss; just about every boss has both good points and bad. When youre negative about your boss, the tendency is to focus on his worst traits and failings. This is neither positive for your work happiness nor your prospects for success in your organization. Instead, compliment your boss on something he does well. Provide positive recognition for contributions to your success. Make your boss feel valued. Isnt this what you want from him for you? Your boss is unlikely to change; she can choose to change, but the person who shows up to work every day has taken years and years of effort on her part to create. And, who your boss is has worked for her in the past and reinforced her actions and beliefs. Instead of trying to change your boss, focus instead, on trying to understand your bosss work style.Identify what she values in an employee. Does she like frequent communication, autonomous employees, requests in writing in advance of meeting, or informal conversation as you pass in the hallway. Your bosss preferences are important and the better you understand them, the better you will work with her. Learning how to read your bosss moods and reactions is also a helpful approach to communicate more effectively with him. There are times when you dont want to introduce new ideas; if he is preoccupied with making this months numbers, your idea for a six month improvement may not be timely. Problems at home or a relative in failing health affect each of your workplace behaviors and openness to an improvement discussion. Additionally, if your boss regularly reacts in the same way to similar ideas, explore what he fundamentally likes or dislikes about your proposals. Learn from your boss. Although some days it may not feel like it, your boss has much to teach you. Appreciate that she was promoted because your organization found aspects of her work, actions, and/or management style worthwhile. Promotions are usually the result of effective work and successful contributions. So, ask questions to learn and listen more than you speak to develop an effective relationship with your boss. Ask your boss for feedback. Let the boss play the role of coach and mentor. Remember that your boss cant read your mind. Enable him to offer you recognition for your excellent performance. Make sure he knows what you have accomplished. Create a space in your conversation for him to praise and thank you. Value your bosss time. Try to schedule, at least, a weekly meeting during which you are prepared with a list of what you need and your questions. This allows him to accomplish work without regular interruption. Tie your work, your requests, and your project direction to your bosss and the companys overarching goals. When making proposals to your boss, try to see the larger picture. There are many reasons why your suggestion may not be adopted: resources, time, goals, and vision. Maintain strict confidentiality. In your relationship with your boss you will sometimes disagree and occasionally experience an emotional reaction. Dont hold grudges. Dont make threats about leaving. Disagreement is fine; discord is not. Get over it. You need to come to terms with the fact that your boss has more authority and power than you do. You are unlikely to always get your way. Employee Relations Strategic Plan your definition of employee relations what kind of industry youre in how many employees your company has whether or not you have a union if not, how big is the threat of unionization what your turnover rate is what your pay rates and benefits plans are compared to competing (not just competing for your products but also competing for your employees) industries in your region how big your HR department is what your reasons are for deciding you need a strategic employee relations plan and probably a whole lot more stuff but this would be a start anyway. What Are Micro Inequities? The veiled putdown, the sarcastic tone, as well as nonverbal transgressions such as rolling the eyes and turning your back toward someone in conversation may seem like piddling things to fret about. Small slights can generate big problems. Employees might be willing to blow off one or even a few such rude gestures. But if a boss, manager or project teammate habitually treats colleagues disrespectfully, they will feel demoralized. Perhaps that will lead to attitude problems and increased absenteeism. Say a supervisor asks for suggestions on a project. An employee perks up with a thoughtful solution. As if tone-deaf, the supervisor then asks, Okay, whod like to get things started here? Or, the supervisor embraces the idea but only after someone else mentions it. Next time the supervisor asks for recommendations, the unappreciated employee remains tight-lipped. Maybe co-workers also button up. Result: Valuable ideas never get aired, and productivity suffers. A worst-case scenario, the disrespected employees leave. And in a worst-worst-case scenario, they may end up suing you for these unwelcome gestures. At least thats what is starting to occur, according to one San Francisco law firm that defends management in conflicts with employees. In todays ultra-competitive business climate, your small enterprise cant afford to lose valuable workers. Thats especially true with an expected major labour shortage on the horizon. Who knows, the offended employees might have been your companys next rainmakers. So How Do You Stop These Micro Inequities? First, understand what they are. Thats easier said than done, because many such offenses are committed subconsciously. A boss might not even be aware he is botching the pronunciation on a colleagues name. Or that he is glancing at his watch during an employees presentation. According to experts, were sending dozens of powerful micromessages every time we speak, gesture or even do nothing. Those communications may vary somewhat from culture to culture and even organization to organization. But the point is, were sending a message even when we dont think were sending a message. A number of organizations are playing closer attention to this workplace behaviour. They are paying for training sessions attended by their managers and rank and file. Short of taking training exercises, small companies can take several actions to prevent microinequities. Supervisors might bring up the topic at staff meetings to demonstrate their awareness. Or, the subject might be broached in company emails, newsletters or attitude surveys. Going forward, pay closer attention to all your employees, not just your stars or those you are most comfortable with. Consider engaging in nonbusiness conversations so you can develop rapport, respect and trust. Solicit suggestions from them. Maybe ask what they are working on and then pose follow-up questions. And, very important: Give direct eye contact and listen attentively to them. In group settings, Young suggests, be sensitive to how you greet or treat a colleague youre close with, so it appears youre not playing favorites. When possible, give public credit to owners of good ideas. And encourage participation from everyone

The State of Revolutionary Ideology in Modern-day China Essay -- Revol

The State of Revolutionary Ideology in Modern-day China Over the course of history, many violent revolutions have brought forth new leaders and new ideas. They came in a great many forms and in response to a variety of circumstances. However, the Communist Revolution in China remains perhaps the greatest recent example. Not only because it took more than two decades to complete, but also because there was an attempt to institutionalize revolution after some initial changes to build state infrastructure. China is an incredibly complex entity with a history approximately 22 times longer than the United States and is as far culturally from the West as it is geographically. Particularly in contrast to the Western acceptance of dissent, has been a long-standing institution of Confucian principles. When oversimplified, Confucian principles mean that children submit to their parents, wives submit to husbands, and citizens obey the state. To disagree with a superior in China is risky business, because ultimately the most important thing is to maintain good appearances. With such a strong emphasis on hierarchy and submission to authorities it is surprising that a revolution in China ever occurred. Part of what I wish to examine were the circumstances in which revolution took place, considering that the 20th century witnessed two Chinese revolutions, the first ending the long dynastic tradition in 1911. I also wish to examine the attempt to institutionalize revolution during the early part of the PeopleÂ’s Republic of China, the PRC, most notable during the Cultural Revolution, as well as look at the popular movement for democracy during the decade following the Cultural Revolution. What appears from the history of the PRC is the... ...year that is based on files released by the CCP, describes the ideas of China's top seven leaders. They do not promote Mao Zedong thought, nor do they push for democracy and human rights. They are technocratic and believe in modernizing China with a strong authoritarian fist. What appears through the various strands of recent Chinese history, be it related to overpopulation, state repression, or economic satiation, is a populace that is currently unprepared and uninterested in pursuing any form of revolution. The change in mindset from Mao to today's leaders marks a distinct transformation from revolutionary ideology as a necessary and vital component within political life to a harmful and disruptive force. Unless a cataclysmic event rocks the political climate or an economic catastrophe occurs, it is unlikely that China will see another revolution any time soon.

African Slaves Essay

Rationale My project will be to examine the lives of Indian Indentured labourers between 1845 and 1917. The reason I am examining their lives is to prove that Indian Indentureship was just another form of slavery with a different name. The project will also assist me in learning about the Indian Indentureship period for my CSEC examination. Introduction Indentured labour was something like the last resort for planters after slavery. After the abolition of slavery the planters were left with a labour shortage. In their search for other sources of labour the planters tried Chinese, Madeirans, even free African slaves but each of these options all had their disadvantages. After a trial and error period with many different labourers, it was found that the Indians were the ideal labourers. The Indentureship period was supposed to be a fair, humane and just system unlike the African slave trade and slavery on the whole but this was not the case. In many aspects of the Indentureship period, it was almost identical to slavery. In the following paragraphs it will be shown from the evidence given, that Indians were treated almost as badly as African slaves, proving that the Indentureship period was simply another form of slavery. Indentureship and slavery are basically the same thing but the major thing that differentiated them was the fact t hat the Indian labourers were legally owned while the African slaves were forced to work for the planters. The Indians were cheated into signing contracts which they didn’t understand with false promises of a better life and good working conditions. The Indians were gullible and were easily tricked into signing the contracts  which ran from 3-5 years. The African slaves on the other were kidnapped in most cases and forced to work for the rest of their usually short lives. Their only chance of freedom would be allowed only if they purchased it, which was very unlikely. The journey for both the Africans and the Indians began with a long journey on a boat in deplorable living conditions. For the Indians the journey lasted from 93 to 113 days which was longer than the journey of the Africans which lasted from 6 to 10 weeks. Although both journeys were bad the Middle passage was a little worse than the journey the Indians endured. They were both kept in confined spaces which was unhealthy, especially if kept for long periods of time. Because of their confinement diseases were easily s pread and the mortality rate was very high. Life on the plantation was not much different because their living quarter were also confined.

Chinas Roots by Orient Lee †Book Review

Chinas Roots by Orient Lee – Book Review Free Online Research Papers China’s Roots by Orient Lee Book Review As one of the oldest and largest civilizations in the world, China has seen both its political state and culture morph in countless ways through periods of war, peace, prosperity, and destitution. To summarize its thousands of years of history in a mere few hundred pages is, undeniably, a formidable task, but Orient Lee attempts it in his work China’s Roots. As the title suggests, the book describes how China and the Chinese people came to be what they are today through a chronological retelling of Chinas development from prehistoric to contemporary times. It is not, however, a comprehensive description of Chinese history, but nor does it profess to be. Rather, Lee, a Chinese scholar with many historical works under his belt, presents a broad framework of the nations transition through various periods of history. Above this frame, he selectively adds more detailed descriptions of the most notable events, persons, and cultural aspects, offering insight into things that have come to define China and the Chinese people. In the same vein, Lee also supplements his history with separate chapters on the evolution of science, art, and literature in China. Presented in both Chinese and English trans lation, the book is moreover accessible to both Chinese and foreign readers. However, while China’s Roots is a commendable introduction to China’s history and culture, it is nevertheless marred by several faults, including uneven focus, unreliable information, and the author’s clear bias towards certain subjects. China’s Roots summarizes Chinese history and cultural development in twelve chapters. The first chapter introduces China’s geography and describes the nation’s land mass, provinces, cities, mountains, lakes, deserts, plains, prairies, plateaus, forests, islands, and rivers, showing that most do not shy in comparison to those of the powerful nation in the world, the United States. He also highlights the nation’s most notable natural wonders, including the Great Central Plain, Himalaya Mountains, Yellow River, and Yangtze River, whose length is comparable to that of the Nile and Amazon. On the whole, Lee’s descriptions emphasize the beauty, usefulness, and grandeur of the Chinese landscape. The second chapter concerns China during prehistoric times, citing various archaeological remains from Paleolithic, Mesolithic, and Neolithic times. The author traces the development of humans in various regions through these ancient times, describing the tool s, houses, pottery, and other artifacts of each era. In the next seven chapters, Lee relates China’s historical past from the Xia Dynasty to modern China, with focus on the political aspects of the country’s development. He begins by blending the myths of China’s origin with historical fact to create an account of proto-history. A brief description of the Xia Dynasty is given, though it is made clear that the information is based on ancient texts as opposed to archaeological evidence. The Shang Dynasty is also only described briefly, with passing remarks about its 28 kings and achievements in agriculture, military, and the like. Next Lee describes how the Zhou Dynasty was established as well as the four main vassal states during Middle Zhou. He also describes each of the Five Hegemons individually and gives a brief account of the seven Warring States, the growth of feudalism, and how Qin came to power. The account of Qins and its achievements in road-building, measuring, writing and such, is brief like its re ign. Following this Lee traces the establishment of Han and its first five emperors, but then quickly speeds through the rest of the emperors and attainments in the lengthy eras of Former and Latter Han, with special attention given to certain emperors such as Wu Ti and Ming Ti. When drawing attention to the Three Kingdoms period, the author briefly describes the three states and their rulers, and then reflects on why no kingdom was able to unify China. This is followed by a detailed portrayal of the struggles between the eight princes of Jin, and a description of the minority tribes of the period as well as the Northern and Southern Dynasties stage. There were also significant developments in philosophy, science, literature, and religion at this time. During the Sui and Tang dynasties, society and economy flourished, although this epoch was also plagued by problems such as the Fanchen Warlords and rebellions. The Five Dynasties period only lasted shortly, and the Northern Son g Dynasty that followed suffered from a poor military and administrative system. Despite Wang AnShis reforms, rebellion rose. Numerous battles between Jhin and Sung took place during the Southern Song, and the economy of the period suffered great deficit. The Mongol-ruled Yuan Dynasty treated the Han Chinese as ninth-class citizens. After years of misrule, rebels eventually established Ming, though the first ruler was deemed insane and ruled poorly. Another rebellion eventually brought about the Manchu Qing Dynasty, which had the misfortune to fall to the status of a sub-colony after fighting two Opium Wars as well as several other foreign wars. Next Lee describes the establishment of the Republic of China, which fought an 80 year war against Japan as well as a civil war that eventually put China under the rule of a communist government. After noting Deng XiaoPings reforms that opened China, the author ends his historical account by asserting his hope for one China. The latter third of the text focuses on various cultural achievements in science and technology, art, and literature. As for technological developments, Lee chronologically details the evolution of technology in different areas, including irrigation, transportation, and chemistry. He also includes a subsection on the sciences that the Chinese purportedly excelled at, including math, astronomy, metallurgy, and medicine. The chapter on the development of arts is separated into subsections of architecture, sculpture, and painting. In each section, Lee describes the development of the art throughout the ages and names specific artists and their accomplishments. Finally, in the last chapter, the author chronologically tracks the growth of Chinese literature and lists several notable authors and works. In critiquing China’s Roots, it is firstly of note to mention that the book has a fairly unique format, which is at times helpful for the reader but sometimes detrimental. The work imparts the aforementioned information in both Chinese and English using Wade-Giles romanization. From the limited amount of Chinese I can read, the English version appears to be a direct translation of the original, with minor discrepancies. For example, when speaking of the math of China, the English version merely mentions that a mathematician solved problems with the â€Å"Method of Finite Difference† (p.201) while the Chinese version actually details the equations and mathematics associated with the method. Similarly, a picture of an oracle describing novas appears only in the Chinese version. Clearly, such discrepancies, which appear throughout the book, indicate that each version is intended for a specific audience. Foreigners are expected know the Method of Finite Difference wit hout further elaboration, and only Chinese readers are expected to recognize characters on the oracle bone. Although this entails that certain details will be missed by those who only read one version, it also implies that the author knows his audience and is likely catered his writing accordingly. Indeed, even the title, presented as â€Å"Our Roots† in Chinese but â€Å"China’s Roots† in English, likewise suggests a specific audience for each version. This review is based off of the English version. When comparing the organization of Chinas Roots with two other similar works on Chinese civilization, An Introduction to Chinese Civilization by John. T. Meskill and China: Tradition and Transformation by John Fairbank and Edwin Reischauer, one sees evident uniqueness in Lee’s approach. Lee chooses to first present geography and chronological history, and then delve more intensively into specific aspects of culture, including science, art, and literature. Although he still enriches his earlier chapters with some cultural information, such as when he describes the flourishing of Tang metropolises, he does not interweave it entirely with history as Fairbank does. In doing so, he succeeds in drawing greater attention to culture as well offering a more coherent narrative of its development. Furthermore, the sections in the chapters of Roots are laid out with appropriate headings, subheadings, and bolded proper names that make specific content easy to access. However, unlike the two aforementioned works, it lacks an index. So while a reader can easily find information regarding certain time periods, he will have difficulty locating more specific names and subjects embedded within the text. The book also suffers from peculiar, counterintuitive organization in some areas, such as when it covers the effect of Qins rule on the six other Warring States before describing the wars that led Qin to accomplish its takeover. It might also be of note that there are several printing errors in the book, including typographic errors, truncated paragraphs, and even repeated pages. It is, then, not unreasonable to assume that certain names and dates could contain errors as well. Altogether, such details mar an otherwise well-organized book. In general, China’s Roots provides well-written and comprehensive overviews of its subjects. Compared to the works of Fairbank and Meskill, Roots is shorter in length but covers the same events, names, locations, and other facts important to Chinese history and culture. It does so in a more succinct manner, often offering only the most important details, so that readers can learn a great deal about Chinas origin without having to read hundreds and hundred of pages of text. Indeed, in merely 250 pages, Lee has laudably created a comprehensive, compact, and largely well-written piece of work that has summarized a massive history for almost anyone to enjoy. Like the other authors, Lee also, in a professional manner, tries to prove most of his assertions or opinions with fact. When he claims that Tangwas the greatest [dynasty] in Chinese history (p.102), he immediately appends a list of facts about Tangs political, criminal, military, and philosophical bearings, which support his assertion as evidence. Similarly, when he claims that the Tang dynasty flourished, he proves it with numbers and statistics. Moreover, in addition to capturing the essence of the longer and more well-known books, Lees book also delves into subjects that are not usually touched upon by other writers. For example, while Lee uses a similar organization of chapters as Meskill, the latter fails to include a section on science as Lee does. In all fairness, few people would associate China with scientific innovation, but Lees unique inclusion of the subject serves to shatter misconceptions by highlighting Chinas lead in many areas of technological achievement. Also, while Meskill and Fairbank are reluctant to include unproven information that is not supported by evidence, Lee freely includes stories and myths in spite of dubious accuracy. This leads him to include sections on the myths of origin about Yao, Shun and Yu, as well as information on Xia that is only supported by writ ings from thousands of years after the fact. In contrast, the other two works only mention the Xia Dynasty briefly in one paragraph or even just a sentence. Lees inclusion of such information expands the readers understanding of China and where the Chinese people believe their roots lie. Lee also writes about China in a unique style that often adds to the entertainment value of the book. While Fairbank and Meskills works read like bulky textbooks that would only incite interest in a small specific group of readers, Lee reaches out to a larger audience. Most likely in effort to conjure up more interest in his subject, he uses style and includes content that a larger audience will enjoy. In some ways, Lees descriptions read almost like flowing narratives as he explains cause and effect and the rise and fall of each dynasty. Often times, he even includes anecdotes that make otherwise trivial or dull subjects amusing. For instance, he highlights greed, deceit, and betrayal of the ruling class in a needlessly detailed but unarguably interesting account (p.81-3) of the power struggle between eight Jin princes. At other times, he points out interesting facts that other history writers are likely omit, such as the financial enigma of Sung, whose yearly expenditures con sistently exceeded revenues (p.137). Indeed, Lee attempts to inject his own interest in China into his readers. On the other hand, the authors efforts to lay emphasis on topics that are more appealing prove to have adverse effects as well. For one, Lees compulsion to share topics that he finds interesting results in uneven focus throughout many parts of the book. In one such instance, Lee devotes dozens of pages to the lengthy wars between Jhin and Song and even specifically describes the terms of many peace treaties and battle strategies. Such details offer little insight into Chinese history as a whole, and even Fairbank and Meskill only make passing references to them. The needlessly detailed description must then have arisen from the authors interest in the subject, which ultimately imposes tedious information upon the reader. Furthermore, at other times, the author fails to include information on a subject if he finds it uninteresting. This is the case with the Five Dynasties Stage, to which he only devotes three pages because, to him, None of the Five Short Dynasties in the metropol itan region had an edifying or interesting history. Theirs was a series of wars, murders, and usurpations (p.119). Clearly, this uneven coverage of different subjects leaves the reader with information that is overabundant in some areas and insufficient in others. In the same vein, Lees desire to please his core reader demographic is detrimental to foreigners who wish to extract accurate information from the text. It can be inferred from the Chinese title of the book, Our Roots, and the Taiwanese phonetics on the cover, that the core readership will be Taiwanese. With this in mind, Lee has created a work that often seems to glorify the Taiwanese and their ancestors specifically. For instance, when describing Chinas geography, Lee presents his opinion that Taiwan isthe most beautiful [island] as fact (p.6). He also occasionally glosses over information that makes China appear weak in the face of other nations. When speaking of the Opium War and foreign dominations that follow, he only includes a few pages (p.154-6) on the subject, whereas Fairbank and Meskill both provide long sections on the details of the war, the resulting agreements, as well as other wars that followed. It is unfortunate that Roots fails to provide information on a s hameful but nevertheless important part of Chinese history that helps to explain Chinas inferiority complex during the many decades that followed. Similarly, the book names modern scientists, artists, and writers in Taiwan but not the Peoples Republic of China. This, too, denies readers information that they will need to study and understand todays China as a whole. In addition to the aforementioned instances in which the author inserts his own bias and opinions in an unapparent manner, Lee also frequently asserts his views explicitly. There are many cases in which he utilizes the words I think, I believe, or I propose, such as when he asserts that I think the human elementhad also played a role in historic happenings of every epoch (80). While it is helpful to provide an experts opinion, including them also makes the work appear less objective. When opinions are inserted into a work of history, one begins to question the reliability of the rest of the information, which are then likely to be influenced by bias. Neither Meskill nor Fairbank address themselves in the first person in their works. Although Lee supports assertions with evidence for the most part, there are also times when he makes statements without sufficient proof. Often, these statements make Roots appear even less professional and less reliable. For example, he frequentl y describes characters without proof, such as when he repeatedly asserts that certain rulers are stupid, ugly, (p.81), or crazy (p.149). Moreover, although it is most likely due to inaccurate translation, the use of these adjectives, which are generally colloquial, reduce Lees credibility as a qualified historian. Overall, Chinas Roots is a well-written but nevertheless flawed piece of nonfiction on Chinas past. Despite having listed many faults with the book, I would recommend it to anyone interested in Chinese history. While the writing may not be entirely objective, it does provide an abundance of valuable information on China and its origins. Furthermore, it conveys that information in a succinct and interesting manner, rendering what could otherwise be dull material into a more entertaining and understandable form. Personally, I found the stories of wars and power struggles to be fascinating. It is important for every Chinese person to learn about his or her origins, and this book represents a great source from which to draw that knowledge. On the whole, it provides the most important details of Chinese history and culture without being too detailed or too rough about its subject matter. However, readers must also take Lees words with a grain of salt, especially when he writes subj ectively. When the author asserts that that Tang is the greatest dynasty, for example, readers should question the statement and decide for themselves the qualities that constitute true greatness. BIBLIOGRAPHY Lee, Orient. Chinas Roots. 2nd Edition. Monterey Park: Evergreen Publishing, 2002. Meskill, John T. An Introduction to Chinese Civilization. Lexington: DC Health and Co, 1973. Fairbank, John K. and Edwin O. Reischauer. China: Tradition and Transformation: Revised Edition. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1989. Research Papers on China’s Roots by Orient Lee - Book ReviewDefinition of Export QuotasMind TravelCanaanite Influence on the Early Israelite ReligionAssess the importance of Nationalism 1815-1850 Europe19 Century Society: A Deeply Divided EraAnalysis of Ebay Expanding into AsiaPETSTEL analysis of IndiaTwilight of the UAWWhere Wild and West MeetQuebec and Canada

Definition and Examples of Language Contact

Definition and Examples of Language Contact Definition Language contact is the social and linguistic phenomenon by which speakers of different languages (or different dialects of the same language) interact with one another, leading to a transfer of linguistic features. Language contact is a major factor in language change, notes Stephan Gramley. Contact with other languages and other dialectal varieties of one language is a source of alternative pronunciations, grammatical structures, and vocabulary (The History of English: An Introduction, 2012). Prolonged language contact generally leads to bilingualism or multilingualism. Uriel Weinreich (Languages in Contact, 1953) and Einar  Haugen (The Norwegian Language in America, 1953) are  commonly regarded as the pioneers of language-contact studies. A particularly influential later study is  Language Contact, Creolization, and Genetic Linguistics by  Sarah Grey Thomason  and  Terrence Kaufman (University of California Press, 1988). Examples and Observations [W]hat counts as language contact? The mere juxtaposition of two speakers of different languages, or two texts in different languages, is too trivial to count: unless the speakers or the texts interact in some way, there can be no transfer of linguistic features in either direction. Only when there is some interaction does the possibility of a contact explanation for synchronic variation or diachronic change arise. Throughout human history, most language contacts have been face to face, and most often the people involved have a nontrivial degree of fluency in both languages. There are other possibilities, especially in the modern world with novel means of worldwide travel and mass communication: many contacts now occur through written language only. . . . [L]anguage contact is the norm, not the exception. We would have a right to be astonished if we found any language whose speakers had successfully avoided contacts with all other languages for periods longer than one or two hundred years. (Sarah Thomason, Contact Explanations in Linguistics.  The Handbook of Language Contact, ed. by  Raymond Hickey. Wiley-Blackwell, 2013) Minimally, in order to have something that we would recognize as language contact, people must learn at least some part of two or more distinct linguistic codes. And, in practice, language contact is really only acknowledged when one code becomes more similar to another code as a result of that interaction. (Danny Law,  Language Contact, Inherited Similarity and Social Difference. John Benjamins, 2014)   Different Types of Language-Contact Situations Language contact is not, of course, a homogeneous phenomenon. Contact may occur between languages which are genetically related or unrelated, speakers may have similar or vastly different social structures, and patterns of multilingualism may also vary greatly. In some cases the entire community speaks more than one variety, while in other cases only a subset of the population is multilingual. Lingualism and lectalism may vary by age, by ethnicity, by gender, by social class, by education level, or by one or more of a number of other factors. In some communities there are few constraints on the situations in which more than one language can be used, while in others there is heavy diglossia, and each language is confined to a particular type of social interaction. . . .   While there a great number of different language contact situations, a few come up frequently in areas where linguists do fieldwork. One is dialect contact, for example between standard varieties of a language and regional varieties (e.g., in France or the Arab world). . . . A further type of language contact involves exogamous communities where more than one language might be used within the community because its members come from different areas. . . .The converse of such communities where exogamy leads to multilingualism is an endoterogenous community which maintains its own language for the purpose of excluding outsiders. . . . Finally, fieldworkers particularly often work in endangered language communities where language shift is in progress.   (Claire Bowern, Fieldwork in Contact Situations.  The Handbook of Language Contact, ed. by  Raymond Hickey. Wiley-Blackwell, 2013)   The Study of Language Contact - Manifestations of language contact are  found in a great variety of domains, including language acquisition, language processing and production, conversation and discourse, social functions of language and language policy, typology and language change, and more. . . . [T]he study of language contact is of value toward an understanding of the inner functions and the inner structure of grammar and the language faculty itself. (Yaron Matras, Language Contact. Cambridge University Press, 2009) - A very naive view of language contact would probably hold that speakers take bundles of formal and functional properties, semiotic signs so to speak, from the relevant contact language and insert them into their own language. To be sure, this view is much too simplistic and not seriously maintained any longer. A probably more realistic view held in language contact research is that whatever kind of material is transferred in a situation of language contact, this material necessarily experiences some sort of modification through contact. (Peter Siemund, Language Contact: Constraints and Common Paths of Contact-Induced Language Change.  Language Contact and Contact Languages, ed. by  Peter Siemund and Noemi Kintana. John Benjamins, 2008) Language Contact and Grammatical Change [T]he transfer of grammatical meanings and structures across languages is regular, and . . . it is shaped by universal processes of grammatical change. Using data from a wide range of languages we . . . argue that this transfer is essentially in accordance with principles of grammaticalization, and that these principles are the same irrespective of whether or not language contact is involved, and of whether it concerns unilateral or multilateral transfer.. . . [W]hen embarking on the work leading to this book we were assuming that grammatical change taking place as a result of language contact is fundamentally different from purely language-internal change. With regard to replication, which is the central theme of the present work, this assumption turned out to be unfounded: there is no decisive difference between the two. Language contact can and frequently does trigger or influence the development of grammar in a number of ways; overall, however, the same kind of processes and directionality can be observed in both. Still, there is reason to assume that language contact in general and grammatical replication in particular may accelerate grammatical change . . .. (Bernd Heine and Tania Kuteva,  Language Contact and Grammatical Change. Cambridge University Press, 2005) Old English and Old Norse Contact-induced grammaticalization is part of contact-induced grammatical change,and in the literature of the latter it has been repeatedly pointed out that language contact often brings about loss of grammatical categories. A frequent example given as illustration of this kind of situation involves Old English and Old Norse, whereby Old Norse was brought to the British Isles through the heavy settlement of Danish  Vikings in the Danelaw area during the 9th to 11th centuries. The result of this language contact is reflected in the linguistic system of Middle English, one of the characteristics of which is the absence of grammatical gender. In this particular language contact situation, there seems to have been an additional factor leading to the loss, namely, the genetic closeness andaccordinglythe urge to diminish the functional overload of speakers bilingual in Old English and Old Norse.   Thus a functional overload explanation  seems to be a plausible way to account for what we observe in Middle English, that is, after Old English and Old Norse had come into contact: gender assignment often diverged in Old English and Old Norse, which would have readily led to the elimination of it in order to avoid confusion and to lessen the strain of learning the other contrastive system. (Tania Kuteva and  Bernd Heine, An Integrative Model of Grammaticalization.   Grammatical Replication and Borrowability in Language Contact, ed. by  Bjà ¶rn Wiemer, Bernhard Wlchli, and Bjà ¶rn Hansen. Walter de Gruyter, 2012) Also  See AccommodationBorrowingContact LanguageHistorical LinguisticsKoineizationLanguage ChangeSociolinguistics

Techniques for Providing Fresh Water to Arid Regions Essay

Techniques for Providing Fresh Water to Arid Regions - Essay Example For a pipeline, a network of pipelines will have to be constructed so as to connect various users to the water source. Acquisition of the pipes and the pumps costs a lot of money and the capital costs may force a country to borrow the required resources (World Bank, 1994). Besides, maintenance of the pipelines and checking of water quality should be done constantly, and this again adds to the overall costs which may be extreme in the event the pipeline length is long (Grossman, 2004).Construction of small dams can easily be done with locally available materials and human labour, making it cheaper. According to a study carried out in Kenya, a single sand dam with a capacity of holding 2,000m3 with a life span of 50 years only costs US$ 7,500 (Borst and Haas, 2006). For the large dams, the construction can easily run into billions of dollars considering the scale of the project, materials requires and the machinery and equipment employed not forgetting the technical personnel on the gr ound. IFPRI (1997) observes that the maintenance of dams mainly includes dredging the dams to maintain its depth by scooping the silt deposited on the floor of the dam. This is a capital intensive exercise and it may run into a lot of money. Overall, costs of large dams are so high and can only be funded by large investments in the project probably the government with the help of financial partners.Compared to other methods of provision of water to dry areas, ground water provides the cheaper alternative.

Teenagers and modern social media Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Teenagers and modern social media - Essay Example Therefore, teenagers, parents, television producers and social media managers among others can read this article and obtain insightful knowledge. The author ensures to be as persuasive as possible so that the audience can be convinced. Mainly, the author uses facts and a combination of inference and observation to persuade the audience. For instance, the author condemns television stations for airing programmes that show teenagers drinking and using drugs as well as making some celebrity figures famous for partying, instead of focusing on celebrity role models such as Angelina Jolie (2). This is more convincing to the audience because they can relate to it and thus read the hypocrisy of the media in wanting the best for teenagers. The author uses the third person point of view. This brings about the notion that the author is well informed on the role of the media in the lives of teenagers. The author is quite disappointed by the media, especially television, thus holds a negative attitude towards them. For instance, she notes that the media is only interested in making profit and does not care whether it influences teenagers positively or negatively. In this article, the author does not include other people’s views. Additionally, she does not hold opposing views, as she only believes that the media is out to â€Å"destroy† the morals of teenagers and wash away what their parents taught them. The author does not use unfair arguments. However, her argument should have included the role of parents as well as the teenagers themselves in choosing what is morally right. When teenagers decide to watch only insightful programs, they will reduce the negative influence that the media will have on them. The author employs logos in persuading the audience through reason. She reasons out how the media is negatively influencing teenagers and proposes the best ways the media should act. Overall, this article is

Corporate finance Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Corporate finance - Assignment Example Stock market index is considered as one of the important economic indicators for the government to watch and formulate its economic policies and strategies to appropriately deal with the economic situation in a country. The benefits of capital markets in a country are multifarious. The capital markets play an important role in capital formation of the country which is essential for the governments’ plans with regard to investment in various sectors of the economy for a balanced economic growth. The governments are not in a position to effectively intervene in the economic process of the nations due to ever-increasing proportion of non-plan expenditure in the budgets. Government spending is very important for generating employment when there is slowdown in economy, to prevent recession. Therefore, the diminishing proportion of funds allocated to plan expenditure by the government should be compensated by private investment through stock markets for maintaining the pace of economic growth. Due to inefficiency of the public sector undertakings and their poor contribution to the economic development in spite of heavy investments made in these undertakings in countries like China and India there has been perceptible shift in policy making by the governments. Most of the public sector undertakings have been privatized by selling their shares in the open market by listing these companies in the stock exchanges by these governments. It has also been noticed that these undertakings’ performances have increased significantly after privatization. These companies are now competing with private companies and are able to mobilize funds for their expansion through the stock markets. This has reduced the financial burden of the respective governments considerably. The stock markets play a crucial role in developing the savings habit of the people. The stock markets are responsible to a considerable extent for entrepreneurial development

A close focus on act III of The Crucible Essay Example for Free

A close focus on act III of The Crucible Essay The play, The crucible, shows how people react to mass hysteria caused by a group of people, as people did during the McCarthy hearings in the 1950s. The House un-American activities committee searched for communist sympathisers because they were felt to be a threat to the state. Many Americans were wrongly accused of being communist sympathisers and were convicted and sentenced without any real evidence of them having committed a crime. Mere suspicion was classed as evidence. And like the during the witch hunts, anyone who spoke out was accused which made defending yourself a death wish. This is how McCarthyism was linked with the witch-hunts that had taken place in Salem, Massachusetts in 1692. The title of the play describes exactly what was happening at the time of the witch-hunts. A crucible is a container in which metals are heated to extracted the pure element from impurities, and crucible is another word for a cauldron that witches use to brew their magic potions in. So the word crucible could metaphorically be used to explain how the activities in Salem were like a potion brewing in a cauldron with the potion being mixed to separate the witches (impurities) from the good, god-loving citizens (element). The opening scene of the play shows the girls dancing in the woods around a cauldron, they are spotted by Parris who also sees that one of them is naked.  The people of Salem were Puritans and so dancing was perceived as a sin.  The morning after the dancing, two of the youngest girls cannot wake from bed. A doctor is called to help the girls but he cannot diagnose what is wrong with them or how they can be helped, His only advice is to look to the unnatural. The girls do not confess to their activities until Parris confronts them. Abigail says all that they did was dance and strongly denies that any of them were naked, Uncle, we did dance. There is nothin more. I swear it, uncle. Mrs Putnam, the mother of the other ill child, believes that her daughter Ruth and Parriss daughter Bettys illnesses are caused by the devil. Parris calls for Hale who is an expert on demonic arts  Parris is the minister of the Village, much to the Putnams dismay. Mr Putnams brother was in competition with Parris for the position of minister and so the Putnams have a grudge against not only Parris, but the Nurse family who prevented him from being minister and many of there neighbours for various reasons. Especially with Giles Corey who has worked out that the Putnams will do anything to get their hands on other peoples land, This man is killing his neighbours for their land! John Proctor also has a grudge against Parris. Hale arrives in Salem, He is a confident and well education young man who believes he has all the answers. As he is examining Betty Giles Corey distracts him by asking him questions about his wife. Giles says that his wife reads strange books whilst they are in bed and while she is reading, he cannot pray. Hale carries on trying to help Betty with little effect. Parris tells Hale that he thinks he saw a kettle in the grass with the girls in the wood with something moving inside it. Hale questions Abigail but she denies that she drank blood and called the devil. Abigail then realises that if the truth is found out she will get in a lot of trouble and so she passes the blame onto Tituba, Parriss black slave, by saying that Tituba forced her to drink blood and even blames her wicked dreams on the slave. Tituba confesses to save herself from being hung. She mentions four peoples names that she supposedly saw with the devil. Abigail mentions more and more names and then the rest of the girls join in, mentioning the names of anyone they hate, have a grudge against or just dislike. As the girls cried out more names, the hysteria began to grow.  By accusing others of witchcraft they are diverting attention away from their original misdemeanours. We can see that the Proctors relationship is not very strong, they make petty small talk over dinner and dont appear to be happy together. One reason for this may be that Elizabeth has not forgiven John for having an affair with Abigail whilst she was ill.  Whilst Mary was at court with the other girls where people were being tried for witchcraft she made a poppet for Elizabeth. Abigail was sitting next to Mary whilst she made it. By now 39 women had been arrested and Goody Osborn was sentenced to hanging.  Mary, who had always been a very shy, timid girl was now becoming very easily led along by Abigail and just as confused between fact and fantasy as the other girls and. This is apparent when she tells the Proctors that Sarah Good had confessed to having made contact with Lucifer, and that Sarah Goods spirit tried to choke her in the courtroom. Mary then speaks of even more fantasy when she says that terrible stomach pains had been inflicted upon her when she had turned the old woman away whilst she was begging. Mary also accused the old woman of mumbling a spell to her, but Sarah Good claimed it was not a spell, it were her commandments. The court asked her to repeat the commandments, but she could not.

Compensation And Benefit Strategies For Current Generation Workforce Business Essay

Compensation And Benefit Strategies For Current Generation Workforce Business Essay Compensation and benefits is one of the many functions of human resource management. Compensation plans have not always been considered a strategic business initiative. However, with the effects they have on recruiting, retaining and motivating people compensation design is a critical element to achieving success. Introduction: Employees are the most valuable assets of any organization. The main purpose of human resource management (HRM) is to manage the development and performance of people employed in an organization. Some of the important tasks of HRM include attracting and retaining employees with the right skills and abilities, match people to the right positions within an organization and to align employees goals and objectives with that of the organizations. All these key tasks are directly or indirectly affected by compensation and benefits plan which the human resource management decides. Compensation and benefits redefines value and success in any workplace. An efficient compensation and benefits strategy is seen as an opportunity by organisations to differentiate themself from their competitors, who may otherwise take away talented workforce. Hence, organisations need to know the evolving needs of the working population to make sure they offer the most competitive package. This paper adopts a general approach which may be relevant to number of different organizations or industries and discusses how the new generation workforce is making an impact and forcing organizations to change their traditional compensation strategies. This paper also examines how companies located in different sectors and countries look at compensation and benefits aspect of human resource management, to attract and retain their highly qualified staff. Finally the paper summarizes and analyses few articles related to HR practices in compensation and benefits, and see if they fit into organizations seeking best practice. Compensation and benefit strategies for current generation workforce: Compensation is a major driver in the success of any organization and it is also true that it is one of the highest expenses for an organization. Therefore, compensation is always under heavy scrutiny by the top executives of a company. Compensation is not only carefully analysed by the management, but also analysed by employees and prospective employees. If properly executed, effective compensation design can improve organizational effectiveness, support human capital requirements of the organization, and motivate the employees to achieve key corporate strategic and financial goals (Ellig, B. R. 2007). Effective compensation and benefits strategy is no easy task, especially with the large organizations and ever-changing demands of the workforce. To construct the most attractive compensation and benefits package, organizations must now tackle the fundamental landscape change in workforce requirements and demands. Employees born in the 60s and 70s (generation X) have ceded place to a new generation of workers (generation Y). A flexible approach to compensation and benefits is now required to satisfy the different priorities of these generations. Planning for the future has long been the motto governing Generation Xs approach to their careers and so, traditionally, generous pension provision has been the key to attracting workers. But for Generation Y, priorities have changed. For instance, in a research conducted last year, just 4% of 16-24 year olds were attracted to their employer because of their pension contribution, compared to 17% of 45-54 year olds (HR magazine, March 2011). Certainly, younger workers are increasingly questioning the customs and traditions of the workplace and now pension plans, previously synonymous wi th security, are considered unstable. In present day environment, employees have become much more educated on the possibilities available to them with sources like online salary calculators, industry chat rooms and so on (Schneider, B., Paul, K. B. 2011). Employees now know more about current market pay levels, new opportunities and how to successfully negotiate compensation packages. Keeping these changes in mind organizations include many other noncash components to the potential cash components to come up with a fair, competitive and an attractive compensation program (Schneider, B., Paul, K. B. 2011). Employee benefits are indirect forms of compensation provided by the organizations to their workforce as part of an employment relationship. To compete for quality employees in todays marketplace, employers must do more than offer a fair salary. Employees also look forward for a good benefits package; in fact employees have grown accustomed to generous benefits programs, and join an organization expecting them. Employee benefits exist in organizations all around the world and the levels and range of these benefits vary between countries. Some of the benefits companies offer can be like company accommodation, company provided vehicles, health insurance, retirement benefits, easy loans and so on. Compensation and Benefit strategies used in organisations: As per Kevin OConnell, there are three primary components in a strategic compensation plan. First, building a solid foundation for the plan to understand the business strategy is required. Where the company is now and where is it heading to in the future, what are its short term and long term goals. This will provide the necessary information needed to construct a solid framework for the design of a compensation plan. Second, understanding organizational capabilities and how the role of compensation plays a key role to achieve organizational goals is critical. This will provide an excellent understanding of what positions are the most critical to a companys future success and the various compensation options available to motivate employees to achieve this success. Third, aligning compensation with human capital management initiatives will help develop a plan that allows the company to successfully recruit and retain employees (OConnell, K. 2007). We will see how different organizations have overcome significant business challenges by re-evaluating and strategically designing new compensation plans. By finding the right balance between organizational goals and employee needs, compensation plans can play a strategic role in the success of a business. Jamba Juice case: Jamba juice was founded in 1990. It is a leader in blended-to-order fruit smoothies and fruit juices. (Source: http://www.jambajuice.com/) Since its inception, it found employee retention as a major problem. It was located in San Francisco bay area and therefore the employees had more options with other employers situated there. A lot of these employers were technology based and offered more generous financial benefits than the food retailer. To tackle this problem, Jamba Juice introduced a compensation plan, called J.U.I.C.E plan which allows the general manager to receive a percentage of stores cash flow depending on their businesss final performance. It allows manages a share in the profits over a period of three years. When the general managers increase the year-to-year sales, money accrues in a retention account, which is payable only in three year cycles. This retention account not only provides short term retention benefits, but also incentives to stay with Jamba. Also, execut ives at managerial positions are offered stock options. And, when assistant managers are promoted, their general managers also receive a cash award of $ 1000 for their development efforts. In a highly competitive industry Jamba was able to successfully reduce turnover. (Mellow Jeffrey, 2011) The MAERSK way: MAERSK not only rewards absolute performance but also focuses significantly on performance relative to peers, says Alex Penvern, Global Head of Group Compensation, Rewards and Executive HR. This had not always been the case. Less than five years ago, rewards in the company were characterised by confidential bonuses, awarded with very little transparency. One of Penverns first challenges when he joined MAERSK in 2008 was to create a scalable, measurable and quantifiable compensation and benefits structure that was understandable and could, over time, be rolled out uniformly across the organisation (Source: http://www.maersk.com/Pages/default.aspx). He spoke to CEOs of each business within the group and focused on the executive compensation structure that focussed on relative distribution. During these conversations he discussed range of different performance criteria, happening in annual sessions which were a part of the performance management cycle. The outcome was a relative performance distribution of the companys most successful and less effective performers. The company believes that our people are motivated by this constant striving to do even better, says Penvern. You can never rest on your laurels or spend too long patting yourself on the back, because you know how hard everyone else is running. We want people who thrive in this atmosphere. This is brought in practice and reinforced by a carefully considered distribution of rewards to the highest performers. Since the introduction of the pay-for-performance scheme, fewer very high performers are securing a significantly larger share of the bonus on offer. The highest performers receive nearly double the bonus opportunity that they did few years back but to earn that bonus they need to keep up or stay ahead of their peers or market. While Penvern discusses the value the company creates in this performance culture, he believes that the transparency of its bonus system is just as important. The lesson is clear. Company has to build employee engagement and drive performance both by having a clear and transparent compensation scheme that links pay and performance and by communicating this consistently in order to reinforce and reinstate the belief that pay and performance are linked. Design and Engineering group in Delaware: A small to medium design and engineering group in Delaware, employs engineers and designers, most of them who are in their 30s. Most of the employees were the primary wage earners in their families and have several dependents. This company pays wages that are slightly lower than those of its competitors, but it offers a fully paid insurance program that includes health, pharmacy, dental and eye care coverage for employees and their dependents. By meeting the employees benefit needs the company enjoys very low employee turnover (McConnell, J. 2003 Pg. 235). Mississippi garment manufacturer: A garment manufacturer in Mississippi pays on a piecework basis. Most piecework plans in garments factory in general must guarantee pay equal to at least the legal minimum wage. In this specific company, new employees receive an hourly wage until they have acquired the skills required to meet performance standards. Then the manufacturer pays them on the basis of the number of pieces they produce in an hour. The company has designed its compensation approach to retain good employees i.e. those who are good performers (McConnell, J. 2003 Pg. 232). Conclusion: Compensation whether in the form of salary or benefits is a key element in both attracting and retaining employees. With careful and logical thinking companies should design a program that will significantly contribute to obtaining and retaining the type of employers who perform best for that company. Compensation professionals play a critical role in enabling organizations to execute their business strategy. The examples in this paper demonstrate how organizations have overcome significant business challenges by redesigning their compensation plans as seen in Jamba and MAERSK. We also have seen how a small company like the garment manufacturer in Mississippi use compensation package to retain highly performing people and do away with low performing people. Some companies like the one in Delaware uses non monetary benefits to keep their workforce happy and content. Compensation and benefits have a negative effect on the company if not properly managed. Collapses of big companies like Enron and Global crossing are examples. These are direct results of managerial behaviour aimed at short term profit maximization. That behaviour is in turn a result of the executive pay structure that measure and reward performance based short-term financial results. Compensation experts need to be at the focal point where strategy, organizational effectiveness and human capital management congregate. They need to have a clear understanding of the business and organizational issues as well as the future direction of the company. Strategic compensation and benefits design is not a sound bite to impress management. Its the process behind compensation plan design that links and binds strategy, organization effectiveness and human capital together. By balancing organizational, employee and business needs with a companys financial and strategic goals it is possible to develop the right compensation strategy to motivate, reward and sustain high levels of performance. By finding this balance, a company can effectively use compensation to execute and achieve desired business results.